Source: Purdue OWL APA Style Guidelines Overview (APA 7th Edition)
Difficulty: Intermediate | Prerequisites: APA formatting basics and in-text citations.
The References page is the companion to your in-text citations. Every source you cited in the body of your paper must appear here, and every entry here must have been cited in the text. This is the page your instructor (and any reader) will use to verify your sources, so accuracy and consistency matter. Different source types (journal articles, books, websites, videos) each have their own template, but they all follow the same underlying logic: Author, Date, Title, Source.
The References page goes at the end of your paper on a new page. Entries are listed alphabetically by the first author's surname, double-spaced, with a hanging indent (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inch). Each entry follows a source-specific template built on four elements: who, when, what, where.
Reference list
The alphabetised list of all sources cited in the paper, placed on its own page at the end. The word "References" is centred at the top of the page.
In simple terms, it is the master list of everything you used, formatted so anyone can find the original source.
Hanging indent
A formatting style where the first line of each reference entry is flush with the left margin and every subsequent line is indented 0.5 inch.
Think of it as: the opposite of a regular paragraph indent. The first line sticks out, and the rest tucks in.
DOI (Digital Object Identifier)
A permanent, unique alphanumeric string assigned to a digital document (usually a journal article). Included at the end of a reference entry when available.
In simple terms, it is a permanent web address for an academic source that will never break, unlike a regular URL.
Inverted author name
The convention of listing the author's surname first, followed by initials: Smith, J. K. This is how every author name appears in an APA reference entry.
Think of it as: the "surname, initials" format that makes alphabetical sorting straightforward.
The References page starts on a new page
Title: "References", centred at the top
Double-spaced throughout
Hanging indent on every entry (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inch)
Alphabetical order by the first author's surname
Author names are inverted: Surname, A. A.
List all authors up to and including 20. For 21 or more, list the first 19, then an ellipsis, then the final author.
Journal article (single author)
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume number(issue number), pages. DOI.
Two authors
Lastname, A. A., & Lastname, B. B. (Year). Title. Journal, vol(issue), pages. DOI.
Note the ampersand (&) before the second author and the comma that separates them.
Three to 20 authors
List all names separated by commas, with an ampersand before the final name.
Organisation as author
Write the full name of the organisation in the author position: American Psychological Association. (Year). Title...
Unknown author
Start with the title of the work and follow the rest of the template as normal.
Book
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book: Subtitle if included. Publisher Name.
Chapter in an edited book
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. 1-25). Publisher Name.
YouTube video
Uploader, A. A. (Date). Title of video [Description]. YouTube. URL
Web page
Author, A. A. (Date). Title of page. Site Name. URL
If there is no author, the title moves to the front: Title of page. (Year, Month Date). Site Name. URL
This template covers most online sources that do not fit other categories, including news articles, blog posts, and government or NGO pages.
"The reference list is called a bibliography." In APA, it is called "References." A bibliography can include works not cited in the text; a reference list includes only sources you cited.
"Use a regular paragraph indent for references." The opposite: APA references use a hanging indent (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented).
"Always include the URL for journal articles." Include the DOI when one is available. A URL is used only when no DOI exists and the source is online.
"Put 'Retrieved from' before every URL." APA 7 dropped the "Retrieved from" phrase for most sources. You include it only when the content may change over time (e.g. a wiki page) and you need to note the retrieval date.
⚠️ The hanging indent is one of the most commonly tested formatting details. Know which direction it goes.
⚠️ Expect questions that give you a source and ask you to write the correct reference entry. Journal articles and books are the most common.
⚠️ The author cap changed in APA 7: list up to 20 authors (previously 7). This is a frequent exam question on edition differences.
⚠️ DOI vs URL: know when to use each. If a DOI is available, use the DOI. Full stop.
True or false: The reference list should be single-spaced to save room.
False. It is double-spaced, like the rest of the paper.
Fill in the blank: In a reference entry, all lines after the first are indented ______ inch. This is called a ______ indent.
0.5; hanging
True or false: For a work with 15 authors, you list only the first author followed by et al.
False. That rule applies to in-text citations. In the reference list, you list all authors up to 20.
True or false: APA 7 still requires "Retrieved from" before URLs.
False. "Retrieved from" has been dropped for most sources.
Fill in the blank: Sources on the References page are ordered ______.
Alphabetically by the first author's surname
Q: Write a reference entry for a 2022 journal article by Smith and Lee titled "Cognitive Load in Online Learning," published in the Journal of Educational Psychology, volume 114, issue 3, pages 450-467, DOI 10.1037/edu0000712.
A: Smith, A. A., & Lee, B. B. (2022). Cognitive load in online learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 114(3), 450-467. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000712
Q: How does the reference entry for a chapter in an edited book differ from the entry for a standalone book?
A: A chapter entry names the chapter author first, then lists the chapter title (not italicised), followed by "In" + the editor's name + "(Ed.)," + the book title (italicised) + the page range in parentheses + the publisher. A standalone book entry has only the book author, year, italicised book title and publisher.
Q: You need to reference a web page with no named author, titled "Climate Action Plan," published on 15 March 2021 on the UK Government website. Write the entry.
A: Climate action plan. (2021, March 15). UK Government. https://www.gov.uk/climate-action-plan
Q: What is the difference between a DOI and a URL in a reference entry, and which takes priority?
A: A DOI is a permanent identifier assigned to the document itself; a URL is a web address that may change. When a DOI is available, always use the DOI. Use a URL only when no DOI exists.
Q: A YouTube video was uploaded by user "HealthTalks" on 10 June 2023, titled "Understanding Anxiety." Write the reference entry.
A: HealthTalks. (2023, June 10). Understanding anxiety [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example
The reference list is the back end of every in-text citation you wrote. Mastering both together is essential: an in-text citation without a reference entry is incomplete, and a reference entry without an in-text citation is orphaned. Both will cost you marks.
If your course covers annotated bibliographies, the reference entries here form the base: each annotation sits below its reference entry, using the same formatting.
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