DOCUMENTATION
References
The documentation style of APA is required in all my classes; however, I am willing to consider a pitch to allow a student to use a different style guide for a good reason. The primary good reason why a different documentation style would be acceptable is that the project will be going to an audience that expects and requires that style. The most frequent bad reason is that you have always used MLA and do not wish to spend the effort to become versatile.
To help you format your references, use your textbook, the course handbook, and Purdue OWL. These all provide format information for APA style reference lists. If you have a source not covered in these resources, contact me. I have the APA manual and can help you. .
References List Formatting in APA, Sixth Edition
Note. You are not expected to memorize documentation format. Instead, learn these two basic formats and keep your documentation guide open when formatting references.
Reference Page Considerations
Two Big Changes from the Fifth Edition
1. Seldom do you need to include the name of the database where you located source material. In college classes, make this a check-with-your-teacher question. That will not be necessary for this class. If I need to know that you obtained resources from the databases, I will give you another way of telling me that you did.
2. No longer are you required to include the date you located source material online.
Journal Articles Identification
Whether you found the article in a database or in the actual journal, you follow journal article format and add the digital object identifier (DOI) if one is assigned. Use this format at the end of the reference entry: doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxx
If no DOI is available, you have options in this order of preference:
1. Locate the journal's home page and provide the URL: Retrieved from http://thejournal'shome.com
2. End the entry after the page numbers and a period.
Journal Article Elements & Order
Author, last name first, a comma, the first and middle name initials each followed by a period and a space.
Publication date, in parentheses and followed by a period and a space.
Title of article in normal font; capitalize only the first word, proper names, and first word after a colon; followed by a period and a space.
Title of journal in italics, capitalize as the journal capitalizes its title (the journal title is a proper name), followed by a comma and a space.
Volume number using only the number in italics and parentheses, followed by no space.
Issue number (discontinue italics) using only the number and followed by a comma and a space.
Page numbers using only the numbers with a hyphen between, followed by a period and a space.
doi:xx-xxxxxxxxxx
Journal Article Examples
No author: Editor, C.C. (Ed.). (year). Title of article: Use careful capitalization. Title of Journal (2)4, 25-32. doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxx
No author & no editor: Title of article: Use careful capitalization. (year). Title of Journal (2)4, 25-32. doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxx
One author: Author, N.N. (year). Title of article: Use careful capitalization. Title of Journal (2)4, 25-32. doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxx
Two authors: Author1, N. N. & Author2, M.M. (year). Title of article: Use careful capitalization. Title of Journal (2)4, 25-32. doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxx
Web Site Identification
The Web sites of individuals and organizations fall into the "informally published or self-archived work" category.
Web Site Elements and Order
Author, last name first, a comma, the first and middle name initials each followed by a period and a space.
Publication date, in parentheses and followed by a period and a space. [Alternate: no date = n.d.]
[If page title differs from Web site name] Page title: Use careful capitalization
Name of the Web site in italics and followed by a period.
Retrieved from
The URL [Do not conclude the entry with a period after a URL.]
Web Site Examples
No author: Organization Name. (year). Page title: Use careful capitalization. Web Site Name. Retrieved from http:.//websitename.com
One author: Author, N.N. (year). Page title: Use careful capitalization. Web Site Name. Retrieved from http:.//websitename.com
No year (make an honest effort to search the site for a copyright date before resorting to this): Author, N.N. (n.d.). Page title: Use careful capitalization. Web Site Name. Retrieved from http:.//websitename.com
Two authors: Author1, N. N. & Author2, M.M. Author, N.N. (year). Page title: Use careful capitalization. Web Site Name. Retrieved from http:.//websitename.com
To help you format your references, use your textbook, the course handbook, and Purdue OWL. These all provide format information for APA style reference lists. If you have a source not covered in these resources, contact me. I have the APA manual and can help you. .
References List Formatting in APA, Sixth Edition
Note. You are not expected to memorize documentation format. Instead, learn these two basic formats and keep your documentation guide open when formatting references.
Reference Page Considerations
- Use the same level heading that you used for your report title, table of contents, abstract, and executive summary. The default style is not bold, centered, upper-and-lower case letters, regular font, and regular font size.
- Rule of thumb for number of reference entries: two.
- Assuming at least two reference entries, the heading is plural: References.
- If only one reference is listed, the heading is singular: Reference.
- References are alphabetized.
- The paragraph format is hanging indent.
- Entries end with a period unless the concluding element is a URL.
- The first word **always** matches the first word in the in-text citation.
- Manuscripts are double spaced and so is the reference page; printed reports are single spaced, perhaps with some line leading added and the reference page should match.
- Do not list personal communications such as emails and interviews. Those take in-text citations but cannot be looked up by any reader so are not listed in References.
Two Big Changes from the Fifth Edition
1. Seldom do you need to include the name of the database where you located source material. In college classes, make this a check-with-your-teacher question. That will not be necessary for this class. If I need to know that you obtained resources from the databases, I will give you another way of telling me that you did.
2. No longer are you required to include the date you located source material online.
Journal Articles Identification
Whether you found the article in a database or in the actual journal, you follow journal article format and add the digital object identifier (DOI) if one is assigned. Use this format at the end of the reference entry: doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxx
If no DOI is available, you have options in this order of preference:
1. Locate the journal's home page and provide the URL: Retrieved from http://thejournal'shome.com
2. End the entry after the page numbers and a period.
Journal Article Elements & Order
Author, last name first, a comma, the first and middle name initials each followed by a period and a space.
Publication date, in parentheses and followed by a period and a space.
Title of article in normal font; capitalize only the first word, proper names, and first word after a colon; followed by a period and a space.
Title of journal in italics, capitalize as the journal capitalizes its title (the journal title is a proper name), followed by a comma and a space.
Volume number using only the number in italics and parentheses, followed by no space.
Issue number (discontinue italics) using only the number and followed by a comma and a space.
Page numbers using only the numbers with a hyphen between, followed by a period and a space.
doi:xx-xxxxxxxxxx
Journal Article Examples
No author: Editor, C.C. (Ed.). (year). Title of article: Use careful capitalization. Title of Journal (2)4, 25-32. doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxx
No author & no editor: Title of article: Use careful capitalization. (year). Title of Journal (2)4, 25-32. doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxx
One author: Author, N.N. (year). Title of article: Use careful capitalization. Title of Journal (2)4, 25-32. doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxx
Two authors: Author1, N. N. & Author2, M.M. (year). Title of article: Use careful capitalization. Title of Journal (2)4, 25-32. doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxx
Web Site Identification
The Web sites of individuals and organizations fall into the "informally published or self-archived work" category.
Web Site Elements and Order
Author, last name first, a comma, the first and middle name initials each followed by a period and a space.
Publication date, in parentheses and followed by a period and a space. [Alternate: no date = n.d.]
[If page title differs from Web site name] Page title: Use careful capitalization
Name of the Web site in italics and followed by a period.
Retrieved from
The URL [Do not conclude the entry with a period after a URL.]
Web Site Examples
No author: Organization Name. (year). Page title: Use careful capitalization. Web Site Name. Retrieved from http:.//websitename.com
One author: Author, N.N. (year). Page title: Use careful capitalization. Web Site Name. Retrieved from http:.//websitename.com
No year (make an honest effort to search the site for a copyright date before resorting to this): Author, N.N. (n.d.). Page title: Use careful capitalization. Web Site Name. Retrieved from http:.//websitename.com
Two authors: Author1, N. N. & Author2, M.M. Author, N.N. (year). Page title: Use careful capitalization. Web Site Name. Retrieved from http:.//websitename.com
For Discussion
If you have used a different documentation guide, such as MLA, you should observe that the differences are superficial: order of elements and formatting of elements. What are the differences? What is the same?
Copyright 2012
Ida L. Rodgers, See terms on Course Style Guide Home page.