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To reference Driscoll’s model of reflection, cite the publication you actually read: the 1994 journal article or the later clinical-supervision book. Do not choose a year just because it appears in the name of a model or on another website.

Quick answer: Driscoll 1994 reference

Harvard example: Driscoll, J. (1994) ‘Reflective practice for practise’, Senior Nurse, 14(1), pp. 47–50.

APA 7 example: Driscoll, J. (1994). Reflective practice for practise. Senior Nurse, 14(1), 47–50.

In text: use Driscoll (1994) in your sentence, or (Driscoll, 1994) in parentheses. For a direct quotation, add the actual page number from the article. Harvard punctuation varies by university, so check your course guide.

The article title, year, volume, issue and page range above match the PubMed bibliographic record. The word practise is part of the published title; do not silently change it to practice. A bibliographic record verifies publication details, but it does not replace reading the article.

Understanding the Driscoll Model of Reflection

Driscoll’s framework uses three questions: What? So what? Now what? The University of Edinburgh Reflection Toolkit explains that Driscoll developed the approach from questions originally used by Terry Borton. Related adaptations also appear in Rolfe and colleagues’ work. Cite the source you used rather than treating these authors as interchangeable.

The Three Stages of Driscoll’s Model:

1. What? Describe the experience, your role, what happened and how you felt. Separate observations from assumptions.
2. So what? Explain why the experience matters. Consider evidence, alternative explanations and relevant theory, not just a retelling of events.
3. Now what? Decide what you will do differently, when you will try it and how you will assess whether it helped.

The Driscoll Model of Reflection 2007

If your reading list refers to Driscoll (2007), check whether it means the second edition of Practising Clinical Supervision: A Reflective Approach for Healthcare Professionals. This book is a different source from the 1994 journal article. Its title uses Practising, not Practicing.

Check the edition before copying a reference: the Elsevier publisher record identifies the second edition and lists a December 2006 release. A release date and the year printed in a book’s publication details can differ. Use the year and contributor details from the edition you consulted; do not automatically replace a 2007 reading-list reference with 2006.

If you used a chapter with its own author, reference that chapter according to your required style. If you used the whole book, check whether your edition identifies Driscoll as author or editor and include that role as required. The heading “2007 model” alone does not establish that a new stage or a particular revision was introduced in that year.

How to Reference the Driscoll Model of Reflection

1. Identify what you read. Was it the 1994 article, a chapter in the clinical-supervision book, or a university webpage explaining the framework?
2. Record the source details. For the article, use the journal reference above. For a book or chapter, check the title page, edition, publication year, publisher and relevant chapter details.
3. Use one referencing style consistently. APA and Harvard are not identical. Follow your institution’s Harvard variant rather than combining examples from different guides.
4. Match in-text citations to the reference list. Use the year of the source being discussed. Do not put Driscoll (1994) in the text and list only a 2007 book.
5. Check quotation locations. Pages 47–50 are the article’s complete page range, not a substitute for the specific page containing a quotation.

Illustrative paraphrase: I organised my reflection around the three questions discussed by Driscoll (1994). This is an example of how to integrate an author-date citation, not a quotation from the article.

If you only read a website: reference that webpage, or use your institution’s secondary-citation format where appropriate. Do not imply that you read Driscoll’s original publication when you did not.

Applying the Driscoll Model in Practice

For an annotated student example that separates observations, assumptions and a testable action plan, see our Driscoll reflective model worked guide.

The following is an original, hypothetical team-meeting example, not a quotation from Driscoll:

• What? I chaired a meeting in which two colleagues did not speak before a decision was made.
• So what? I assumed silence meant agreement, but I had not checked. A short agenda and limited preparation time may also have made participation difficult. I need to ask for feedback before deciding why they stayed silent.
• Now what? Before the next meeting, I will circulate the decision questions and invite written input. During the meeting I will offer everyone a chance to contribute, then ask whether this process helped.

In an assignment, connect your analysis to the literature you have read and explain what evidence would support your conclusion. Keep personal, colleague and patient information confidential.

Conclusion

A correct Driscoll reference starts with the source, not just the model’s name. Use the 1994 article details when citing that article, and verify your own edition when citing the later book. Support your reflection with your own analysis and accurately attributed evidence.

For related guidance, see referencing Gibbs’ reflective cycle, referencing Rolfe’s reflective model, or the academic writing resources hub.