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Mary Wuergler
How to structure APA reference list (7th edition).
At the top of the reference page, use the heading References; this should be bolded and centered. If you only have one reference listed, then use the singular heading Reference.
Your reference page should do the following:
- Every source you have an in-text citation for should also be listed on the reference page.
- If there is more than one author, do not change the order in which the authors’ names are listed in the source (see below for information on how to reference and cite multiple authors).
- Put the references in alphabetical order using the last name of the first author listed or by the organization name if the organization is the author.
- Use a hanging indent so that author’s name is further left than the rest of the citation.
- When creating references, use the digital object identifier [New Tab] (doi) if provided. If there is no doi, use the URL link.
In Microsoft Word, click the line and paragraph spacing icon and then select Line spacing options. In the options available ensure that:
- The alignment of the document is set to “Left” not justified.
- Under spacing options the line spacing is set to double – not single.
- Set the spacing for Before and After a paragraph to 0 pt.
Example references:
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000
Opdebeeck, C., Katsaris, M. A., Martyr, A., Lamont, R. A., Pickett, J. A., Rippon, I., Thom, J. M., Victor, C., & Clare, L. (2021). What are the benefits of pet ownership and care among people with mild-to-moderate dementia? Findings from the IDEAL programme. Journal of Applied Gerontology, 40(11), 1559-1567. https://doi.org/10.1177/0733464820962619
Helpful Documents
- Perfect APA format L6-8 {Word File] is a downloadable Word document which includes the image above (page 3).
- MS Word document you can edit and use to write your assignment: Template for APA formatted document EAP L5-8 [Word File]
Additional Resources
- For helpful examples of references for sources such as Government reports, newspapers, TED Talks and many more, take a look at the reference examples [New Tab] on the APA Style website.
- For more information about what a DOI is, take a look at the International DOI Foundation [New Tab] website.
- For quick reference, Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT) offers a brief guide to APA referencing [PDF].
- Georgian College’s APA Guide has helpful information for writing a reference list [New Tab].
This video explains how to create references in an APA Style student paper:
Watch the video: APA References (10 minutes)
Video Source: Georgian College Academic Success. (2022, August 19). APA references [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIgCu1O4UE0&list=PLiHDZlctTlUSOMuPBNDr2g-QuiuUJQ26L&index=3
APA Reference Page Activity with In-text Citations
APA Reference Page Activity with In-text Citations (Text