Begin your list of references on a new page at the end of the paper. Center the title “References” one inch from the top of the page. Type the first line of an entry flush left and indent any additional lines one-half inch. Double-space throughout.
Sample APA reference list
For details about the exact format for specific kinds of references in your list, consult the Directory to APA reference list models.
Indenting entries
Use a hanging indent in the reference list. Type the first line of an entry flush left and indent any additional lines one-half inch.
Alphabetizing the reference list
Alphabetize the reference list by the last names of the authors (or editors); when a work has no author or editor, alphabetize by the first word of the title other than A, An, or The.
If your list includes two or more works by the same author, arrange the entries by year, the earliest first. If your list includes two or more works by the same author in the same year, arrange them alphabetically by title. Add the letters “a,” “b,” and so on within the parentheses after the year. Use only the year and the letter for articles in journals: (2002a). Use the full date and the letter for articles in magazines and newspapers in the reference list: (2005a, July 7). Use only the year and the letter in the in-text citation.
Authors’ names
Invert all authors’ names and use initials instead of first names. With two or more authors, use an ampersand (&) before the last author’s name. Separate the names with commas. Include names for the first seven authors; if there are eight or more authors, give the first six authors, three ellipsis dots, and the last author.
General guidelines for listing authors
Titles of books and articles
Italicize the titles and subtitles of books. Do not use quotation marks around the titles of articles. Capitalize only the first word (and all proper nouns) of the title and subtitle of books and articles. Capitalize names of periodicals as you would capitalize them normally.
Abbreviations for page numbers
Abbreviations for “page” and “pages” (“p.” and “pp.”) are used before page numbers of newspaper articles and page numbers of articles in edited books but not before page numbers of articles appearing in magazines and scholarly journals.
How to cite articles in periodicals
Breaking a URL
When a URL or a DOI (digital object identifier) must be divided, break it after a double slash or before any other mark of punctuation. Do not insert a hyphen, and do not add a period at the end.
Sample APA reference list
Directory to APA model papers
Related topic:
APA guidelines, body of paper