References
Introduction
Every cited source from your essay should appear in your References page, which comes at the end of the essay.
The References page must conform to the following rules:
- Begin on a separate page at the end of your essay, using the same format as your essay (i.e., one-inch margins, running head, and page number).
- Entries in your list of references should be alphabetized by the authors’ last names. Use the title, if a work does not have an author.
- Center the word References at the top of the page.
- Double-space all references.
References
Placement
The References page is located at the end of the main body of the paper and begins at the top of a new page. Appendices, footnotes, and additional materials should follow after the References page.
General Format
Like the rest of the paper, the References page should be double-spaced and typed in Times New Roman, 12 pt. The running head should appear flush with the upper left-hand corner of the page, and the page number should appear at the upper right-hand corner of the page.
The title of the References page is capitalized and centered at the top of the page without any formatting, including bold, italics, underlining, or quotation marks. Avoid mislabeling the References page as “Works Cited,” “Sources,” or “Bibliography.”
Entries
Each entry should be formatted as a hanging indentation: the first line of each citation should be flush with the left margin while each subsequent line of the citation is indented five spaces from the left margin. Alphabetize the entries in the References page based on the authors’ last names (or the first word of a work’s title, if a work does not name any authors). Though it will vary from source to source, the general structure of a print book citation is as follows:
Author Last Name, Initials. (Year of publication). Title of the work. Publication city: Publishing Company.
Electronic sources generally require more information than print sources, such as a uniform resource locator (URL), a digital object identifier (DOI), or the date the source material was accessed.
Summary
In addition to citing your sources within the body of your paper, you must also include a list of everything you used at the end. This gives readers a guide while they’re reading to refer to. To follow proper APA, a References list is always written in Times New Roman, 12 pt font and includes sources in alphabetical order based on authors’ last names.
Sources:
“APA References Page Formatting.” By Lumen Learning. Retrieved from: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/styleguide/chapter/apa-references-page-formatting/ Licensed under: CC-BY
“APA References.” By Excelsior OWL. Retrieved from: https://owl.excelsior.edu/citation-and-documentation/apa-style/apa-references/ Licensed under: CC-BY
