A secondary reference is when you refer to someone cited within another source, i.e. you have not read the original work. Ideally, you should always try and read the original source so that you can review the work first-hand. If you are not able to locate the original source, it is acceptable to reference it as a secondary reference, following the format below.
So, if you cited:
(Bancroft and Silverman, 2002, cited in Harne and Radford, 2008, p.63), you would reference the work you read directly.
Example: Harne, L. and Radford, J. (2008) Tackling domestic violence: theories, policies and practice. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
Note: in your references list, you only include details of the sources you have read and directly consulted.
For citing a secondary reference, see ‘Citing a source within a source: secondary referencing'.