Overview
This lecture covers the general rules and key formatting details for creating a reference list in APA 7th style, including handling various author scenarios and ordering entries.
General Reference List Rules
- The reference list must include all works cited in your assignment, except personal communications.
- Start the list on a new page, titled "References" (centred, bold, initial capital).
- Use hanging indents (1.27cm) for each entry and double line spacing with no extra spaces between entries.
- Arrange entries alphabetically by the first author's surname.
- Preserve the published order of author names.
- Titles of works use sentence case; journal titles use title case.
- Use an en dash (–) without spaces for page ranges.
- Shortened URLs are allowed for long URLs; do not add line breaks or a period after DOIs/URLs.
Formatting Author Entries
- One author: Format as Author, A. A.
- Two authors: Use Author, A. A., & Author, B. B.
- Three to twenty authors: List all authors, separated by commas, and use an ampersand (&) before the last.
- 21 or more authors: List the first 19 authors, add an ellipsis (...), then the last author.
- No author: Begin entry with the title; alphabetize by first significant word, ignoring articles (a, an, the).
- Group/corporate authors: Spell out the full name, do not use acronyms, and file by significant word.
Special Cases
- If information is missing (author, year, etc.), refer to guidelines for missing reference info.
- For works with the same author and year, differentiate by adding a, b, c, etc., after the year.
- For secondary citations, only include the work you actually read in your reference list.
- For multiple works by one author, order by year (earliest to latest); undated works (n.d.) first.
Sample Reference Structure
- Follow provided examples for every type of author scenario (single, multiple, corporate, no author, etc.).
- Always verify correct use of punctuation, order, and capitalization per APA guidelines.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Hanging Indent — An indent applied to all lines of a reference entry except the first.
- Sentence Case — Only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized in titles.
- Title Case — Capitalize the first letter of each major word, used for journal names.
- DOI (Digital Object Identifier) — A unique alphanumeric string assigned to identify content and provide a permanent link online.
- En Dash (–) — A dash (longer than a hyphen) used between page numbers.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review all reference examples for different author types.
- Practice formatting your own reference list using the rules above.
- Consult the linked resources for handling missing information or unusual author names.