6 Chapter 6: The Reference Page

The reference page of an APA paper is one of the final touches of a well written document. It should be neat, orderly, and easy to navigate. Here are somethings to remember in order to construct a well-rounded reference page.

1. Follow APA Guidelines for Formatting

  • Title: Label the page “References” at the top, centered, and bolded.
  • Font: Use a readable font, such as 12-point Times New Roman or 11-point Calibri.
  • Spacing: Double-space all entries, with no extra space between them.
  • Hanging Indent: Use a hanging indent for each reference, where the first line is flush left, and all subsequent lines are indented by 0.5 inches.
  • Alphabetical Order: List entries in alphabetical order by the last name of the first author. If the author is unknown, alphabetize by the title of the work (ignoring “A,” “An,” or “The”).

2. Know the Types of Sources You’re Citing

Different types of sources (books, journal articles, websites, etc.) have slightly different citation formats. Knowing how to format each type of source is key to creating an accurate reference page. Here’s a quick breakdown of common sources:

  • Books:
    • Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the book. Publisher.
    • Example: Smith, J. A. (2020). Understanding psychology. Penguin Press.
  • Journal Articles:
    • Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the article. Title of the Journal, Volume(Issue), Page range. DOI or URL (if available).
    • Example: Johnson, P. L., & Carter, M. (2019). Social media and mental health. Journal of Social Research, 12(3), 45-67. https://doi.org/10.1234/jsr.2020.345
  • Websites:

3. Use Author’s Full Names and Proper Capitalization

  • For author names, list the last name first, followed by initials. Use a comma to separate multiple authors and an ampersand (&) before the last author.
  • For titles of books or articles, capitalize only the first word of the title, the first word after a colon (if any), and proper nouns.
  • For journal titles, use title case (capitalize all major words) and italicize the journal name.

4. Ensure Consistency in Formatting

  • Double-check that all your entries follow the same format (e.g., all titles are correctly italicized or in sentence case where required).
  • Make sure every in-text citation corresponds to a complete reference on your reference page.

5. Use DOI or URLs Correctly

  • DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) should be included for journal articles when available. Always use the format “https://doi.org/…” rather than “DOI: …”
  • If there’s no DOI, include the direct URL to the journal or article page. For webpages, provide the most specific URL possible (avoid homepages if the article is accessible from a deeper link).

Example with DOI:

Example with URL:

6. Check for Missing Information

  • Ensure that all required information is present for each entry. This includes author names, publication years, titles, and publication details (journal name, volume, issue, etc.).
  • If some information is not available (like an author for a webpage), start with the title of the work instead.

7. Avoid Overusing Secondary Sources

  • When possible, use and cite primary sources (the original research or article). If you must use a secondary source, clearly indicate it, but try to locate and cite the original source directly.

8. Proofread Carefully

  • After creating your reference page, proofread it for typos, formatting errors, or missing elements.
  • Use APA’s own publication manual or online tools such as the Purdue OWL website to verify citation formats.

9. Use Citation Management Tools

  • Reference Generators: Online tools like Zotero, Mendeley, or citation generators like Citation Machine can help format your references correctly. However, always double-check the results for accuracy, as these tools can sometimes make mistakes.
  • Reference Managers: Programs like EndNote or RefWorks can manage and organize your references, automatically formatting them into APA style.

Example of a Correctly Formatted APA Reference Page:

References (please note that these should be double spaced and contain a hanging indent)

Brown, T. (2021, May 5). The rise of online education. Education Today. https://www.educationtoday.com/online-learning

Johnson, P. L., & Carter, M. (2019). Social media and mental health. Journal of Social Research, 12(3), 45-67. https://doi.org/10.1234/jsr.2020.345

Smith, J. A. (2020). Understanding psychology. Penguin Press.

Taylor, S. K. (2021). Cognitive learning in the digital age. Journal of Educational Psychology, 45(2), 112-128. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000345

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APA Formatting and Style Guide Copyright © 2024 by College of Southern Idaho is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

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