Writing references for a research paper in APA style can seem like a daunting task. By breaking it down into smaller steps the process becomes much more manageable. Here are the basic guidelines for including references in APA style:
References Page Format
The references page should always start on a new page at the end of the paper. The word “References” should appear at the top of the page, centered. References should be listed in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. If there is no author, the reference would be ordered alphabetically by the title of the work.
References are double spaced throughout with no additional spacing between citations. The second and subsequent lines of each citation should be indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, also called hanging indentation. This format makes citations easy to distinguish from each other as you scan down the page.
Some key things to remember about references format:
Times New Roman 12 point font is standard
Alphabetize by authors’ last names
Include the URL for online sources but do not hyperlink
Provide the date that the source was accessed for online sources
Volume and issue numbers are only necessary for journal references
Citing Books in References
The basic format for book references in APA style is:
Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work. Publisher.
Example:
Miller, G. L., & Smith, J. S. (2021). The ultimate guide to APA style referencing. Academic Press.
Some things to note when citing books:
Italicize the title of books and include the publisher location
If no author is listed, alphabetize by title
For edited books, list the editor(s) in the author position followed by “Ed.” or “Eds.”
Citing Articles in References
APA journal article citations typically include the following elements:
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume number(issue number if available), pages.
Example:
Dean-Olmsted, J. A., Rogers, R. S., & Lawrence, C. M. (2021). Writing APA style references: A step-by-step guide for students. College Composition Journal, 35(4), 352-366.
Journal title is not italicized or underlined, capitalize important words
Issues are optional and only included if pagination resets at the beginning
Provide DOIs if available for online journal articles
Citing Webpages and Websites in References
The basic structure for citing webpages/websites is:
Author, A. A. (Year, Month day if available). Title of page or article. Site Name. URL
Example:
Smith, J. (2021, March 15). Crafting the perfect literature review. College Research Database. https://www.collegeresearch.edu/literature-reviews
Italicize the title of the site but not individual pages or articles
URLs should be provided as hyperlinks if citing electronic-only sources
Include a retrieval date for webpages since URLs can change over time
Citing Reports, Dissertations, and Theses
To cite reports, dissertations, and theses in APA format:
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work (Report/Dissertation/Thesis No. xx). Publisher.
Example:
Johnson, C. (2020). An investigation of learning strategies at the college level (Doctoral dissertation, Large State University). ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
Include the word “Unpublished” before the title if necessary
For dissertations retrieved online, specify the database name after publisher
Additional Reference Types
APA also provides guidance for citing newspaper articles, images, interviews, podcasts, videos, and more uncommon reference types. Consult the official APA Publication Manual for complete details on citing these sources. Some key things to remember:
Provide as much identifying information as possible
Follow the general author-date-title formatting
Consult the manual for publication dates, publishers, retrieval URLs as needed
This covers the key information on writing APA style references for common sources like books, journal articles, and websites in a research paper. Taking the time to properly cite all sources strengthens the analysis and shows academic integrity. Let me know if you have any other questions!