What Is a References Page?
What Is a References Page?
- It’s a list of all of the sources that you use in your paper.
- When you put a source on your References page, it is called an “entry.”
When Do I Need A References Page?
- Whenever you use a source in your paper
- You should have one entry for each source that you use in your paper.
Characteristics of a References Page
- Start the References list on its own page.
- Double-space everything.
- Use 12 point Times New Roman font.
- Margins should be 1-inch around the top, bottom, left, and right sides.
- Leave only one space after punctuation.
- Continue your running header with the abbreviated title (not usually required for student papers).
- Center the title References in bold.
- Entries in your list of references should be alphabetized by the authors’ last names. Use the title if a source does not have an author.
- Use hanging indents for each entry. The second, third, and fourth (or more) lines should be indented ½ inch from the left margin.
General Guidelines for All Entries
- All entries begin with the following: author’s last name, first initial, and middle initial (if given).
- If you have two authors, separate the authors with “&” and include them in the order they appear in the source.
- If you have up to twenty authors, include all authors.
- For sources with more than 21 authors, include the first 19, an ellipse, and the final author.
- If there is no author, begin with the title of the source capitalized according to APA rules.
See an example of an APA references page in the Example Paper section.