APA Fact of the Week – Reference List

A key aspect of your dissertation is the reference list.  The reference list includes the sources you consult in the process of researching for your dissertation, which prevents plagiarizing that information and increases your credibility as a researcher.  In order for source information to be clear to your reader, follow the guidelines in the APA Manual and your University guidelines, in case differences exist between the two.

Basic format for a citation in APA style:

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, xx, pp–pp. doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxx

Generally, citations will include the author or contributor’s name, year of publication, title, and publishing data, though each type of publication has its own citation format.  In this way, other researchers know where to find your sources and that you are a conscientious researcher.  Therefore, pay attention to spelling of proper names and to electronic retrieval data. For more information, see APA6, pp. 180–192 and pp. 198–215.