The template can be placed in different locations and, depending on what is required, the parameters can be mixed and matched:

Location Parameters Example Notes
References section {{Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium}} Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991). The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-504652-8. Basic reference format, suitable when referencing multiple entries from The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. For inline referencing, use {{sfn|Kazhdan|1991}}, e.g. {{sfn|Kazhdan|1991|p=1181}}
References section {{Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium|ref={{harvid|Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium}}}}
{{Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium|ref={{harvid|ODB}}}}
Kazhdan, Alexander, ed. (1991). The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-504652-8. Custom reference format, suitable when referencing multiple entries, using either the full title or the common abbreviation 'ODB'. For inline referencing, use the provided reference id, e.g. {{sfn|Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium|p=1}} or {{sfn|ODB|loc="Aaron" (J. H. Lowden), p. 1}}
References section or inline citation {{Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium
|title=|url=|first=|last=|page=}}
Lowden, John H. (1991). "Aaron". In Kazhdan, Alexander (ed.). The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. p. 1. ISBN 0-19-504652-8. Some additional information: entry title; url to the Oxford Reference database; the first and last names of the author of the article; and the page number. For inline referencing, use the author last name(s), e.g. {{sfn|Lowden|1991|p=1}}

This template is wrapper around {{cite encyclopedia}}. In its default mode it attributes text to an article from the Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium.

This template automatically sets some of the parameters passed into {{cite encyclopedia}}. Over and above the standard parameter passed into {{cite encyclopedia}} there are some additional parameters and those are listed below in a separate table from the table of parameters passed into {{cite encyclopedia}}.

Minimum is: {{Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium}} or {{ODB}}

Typical full set is:{{Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium|title=|last=|first=|authorlink=|url=|volume=|page=|pages=}}

Parameters passed into {{cite encyclopedia}}
Parameter Set to Notes
last1= last1= Set to the value of |last1= or |last= or |author= or not set
first1= first1= Set to the value of |first1= or |first= or not set
author-link1= author-link1= Set to the value of |author-link1= or |authorlink1= or |author-link= or |authorlink= or not set
last2= last2= Set to the value of |last2= or not set
first2= first2= Set to the value of |first2= or not set
author-link2= author-link2= Set to the value of |author-link2= or |authorlink2= or not set
last3= last3= Set to the value of |last3= or not set
first3= first3= Set to the value of |first3= or not set
author-link3= author-link3= Set to the value of |author-link3= or |authorlink3= or not set
last4= last4= Set to the value of |last4= or not set
first4= first4= Set to the value of |first4= or not set
author-link4= author-link3= Set to the value of |author-link4= or |authorlink4= or not set
editor-first= Alexander Automatically set within the template
editor-last= Kazhdan Automatically set within the template
editor-link= Alexander Kazhdan Automatically set within the template
encyclopedia= The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium Automatically set within the template if |title= or |article= set
title= article= or title= or The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium Set to the value of |article= or |title=, or set automatically within the template
url= url= Set to the value of |url=, if not set then no external link appears.
url-access= subscription Automatically set within the template if |url= set
year= 1991 Automatically set within the template
publisher= Oxford University Press Automatically set within the template
volume= volume= Set to the value of |volume= or not set
location= Oxford and New York Automatically set within the template
isbn= 0-19-504652-8 Automatically set within the template
page= page= Set to the value of |page= or not set
pages= pages= Set to the value of |pages= or not set
ref= ref= Set to the value of |ref= or not set. E.g. |ref={{harvid|ODB}} allows links to the cite using {{sfn|ODB}}/{{harvnb|ODB}}/ etc.