What should my reference list look like overall?

Your reference list should appear on a separate page at the end of your paper with the heading 'References' centered at the top. Entries should be double-spaced, in alphabetical order, use hanging indents, and include all sources cited in your text. Every in-text citation must have a corresponding reference list entry.

How do I create a hanging indent in Word or Google Docs?

In Microsoft Word: Select the reference list, go to Format > Paragraph, set first line indent to -0.5 inches. In Google Docs: Select the text, go to Format > Align & Indent > Increase indent, then decrease first line indent. Most word processors allow this formatting.

What's the difference between capitalization in titles vs. headings?

In APA reference lists, use sentence case for most titles (capitalize only first word, proper nouns, and first word after colon). For journal names, use title case (capitalize major words). Always italicize book titles and journal names.

APA Reference List Format: Complete Formatting Guide

A properly formatted reference list is essential to academic papers, providing readers with complete information to locate your sources. APA 7th edition has specific requirements for organization, formatting, and punctuation. This comprehensive guide covers every aspect of creating a perfect reference list.

Reference List Overview

The reference list appears at the end of your paper and includes:

Every source cited in your text
Only sources cited in your text (no uncited sources)
All sources arranged alphabetically
Double-spaced formatting
Hanging indents for each entry
Proper capitalization and punctuation

Page Setup and Overall Format

Page Arrangement

Start on a new page after your final body paragraph
Center the heading “References” at the top
Double-space all entries
Left-align text (not justified)
Use a standard font (Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial)
Use 12-point size
Include page numbers from the first page of your paper

Example Page Setup

                                References

Anderson, R. J. (2023). Artificial intelligence in healthcare. Oxford University Press.
    https://doi.org/10.1234/ai-healthcare

Chen, L., & Rodriguez, M. (2023). Sustainable development practices. Cambridge University Press.
    https://doi.org/10.1234/sdp.2023.001

...

Alphabetization Rules

By Author’s Last Name

Arrange all entries alphabetically by the author’s or first author’s last name.

Anderson, R. J. (2023). ...
Brown, M. P. (2023). ...
Martinez, C. D. (2023). ...
Wilson, S. R. (2023). ...

Organization as Author

Alphabetize by the organization’s first significant word (not “A,” “An,” or “The”):

American Psychological Association. (2023). ...
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). ...
World Health Organization. (2023). ...

Title as First Element

When no author exists, alphabetize by the first significant word of the title:

*Climate change and agriculture*. (2023). ...
*Digital transformation in business*. (2023). ...
*Environmental sustainability report*. (2023). ...

Multiple Works by Same Author

Arrange chronologically by publication year (oldest first):

Martinez, C. D. (2020). First work. Publisher.
Martinez, C. D. (2023). Second work. Publisher.
Martinez, C. D. (n.d.). Undated work. Publisher.

Multiple Works by Same Author, Same Year

Add lowercase letters to the year:

Martinez, C. D. (2023a). First work. Publisher.
Martinez, C. D. (2023b). Second work. Publisher.

Reference the source with these letters in in-text citations: (Martinez, 2023a)

Hanging Indent Formatting

A hanging indent means the first line of each entry aligns with the left margin, and all subsequent lines are indented.

How to Create Hanging Indents

Microsoft Word:

Select the entire reference list
Go to Format > Paragraph
Under Indentation, set “First line” to -0.5 inches
Click OK

Google Docs:

Select all reference entries
Go to Format > Align & indent > Increase indent
Then use Format > Align & indent > Decrease first line indent to -0.5”

Apple Pages:

Select text
Go to Format panel
Adjust left indent and first line indent

Capitalization Rules

Title Case (For Journal Names)

Capitalize major words in journal and publication names:

*Journal of Psychology*
*The American Historical Review*
*Science Daily News*

Sentence Case (For Book and Article Titles)

Capitalize only:

First word of title
First word after a colon
Proper nouns

The impact of climate change on agricultural productivity
Research methods: A comprehensive guide
Understanding machine learning applications in healthcare

Punctuation in Reference Entries

Basic Punctuation

Author(s). (Year). Title of work. Publisher. DOI or URL

Periods

Place periods after:

Author name(s)
Publication year (in parentheses)
Title of work
Publisher
DOI/URL

Anderson, R. J. (2023). *Title of book*. Publisher. https://doi.org/10.1234/example

Commas

Use commas to:

Separate multiple author names (except before ampersand)
Separate volume and issue numbers

Anderson, R. J., Chen, L., & Martinez, C. D. (2023).
*Journal Name*, 45(3), 123-145.

Ampersands

Use ampersands (&) ONLY before the final author in reference lists (not in citations in text):

Reference: Anderson, R. J., & Martinez, C. D. (2023).
In-text: (Anderson & Martinez, 2023)

Italics Usage

Always Italicize

Book titles
Journal names
Website/publication names (in some contexts)
Volume numbers for journals

*The Future of Artificial Intelligence*
*Journal of Psychology*, 45(2)
*The New York Times*

Never Italicize

Article or chapter titles
Author names
Publication years
URLs or DOIs

Complete Reference List Examples

Single-Author Book

Martinez, C. D. (2023). *Climate policy and sustainable development*. Oxford University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1234/climate-policy.2023

Journal Article

Anderson, R. J., & Chen, L. (2023). Artificial intelligence in healthcare applications.
*Journal of Medical Technology*, 45(3), 234-256.
https://doi.org/10.1234/jmt.2023.001

Edited Book Chapter

Thompson, L. K. (2023). Renewable energy technologies. In M. Garcia (Ed.),
*Environmental sustainability strategies* (pp. 145-167). Cambridge University Press.
https://doi.org/10.1234/environmental-sustainability.2023

Website Page

National Geographic. (2023). *Ocean ecosystems and climate change*. Retrieved from
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/ocean-ecosystems

Government Report

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. (2023). *Air quality standards compliance report*
(Report No. EPA-2023-156). Government Printing Office.
https://www.epa.gov/air-quality

Video

NASA. (2023). *Mars rover discoveries and analysis* [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nasa-mars-discovery

Podcast Episode

Anderson, R. J. (2023, March 15). The future of artificial intelligence (No. 145)
[Audio podcast episode]. In *Tech Talk Daily*. Spotify.
https://open.spotify.com/episode/example123

Common Reference List Errors

Not using hanging indents - Every entry requires a hanging indent
Incorrect alphabetization - Verify entire list is in alphabetical order
Inconsistent capitalization - Use sentence case for titles consistently
Missing punctuation - Check all periods and commas are in place
Forgetting to italicize titles - All book/journal titles must be italicized
Including page numbers for books - Omit unless citing specific chapter
Using “et al.” in reference list - Always list all authors in references
Wrong ampersand usage - Use & before final author only in references
Incomplete URLs or DOIs - Verify all URLs are complete and functional
Not double-spacing - Entire reference list must be double-spaced
Wrong heading - Must be “References” (not “Works Cited” or “Bibliography”)
Including uncited sources - List only sources cited in your text

Formatting Specific Elements

Author Names

Anderson, R. J.
Anderson, R. J., & Martinez, C. D.
Anderson, R. J., Chen, L., & Martinez, C. D.

Publication Year

Always in parentheses immediately after author:

(2023)
(2023, March)
(n.d.)
(2023a) - for multiple works same year

Titles (Books and Journal Names)

Books and journals are italicized:

*Title of Book*
*Journal Name*

Article titles are not italicized or in quotation marks:

Title of article in reference list

Publisher Information

List city (if available) and publisher:

Oxford University Press
Cambridge University Press
Government Printing Office

URLs and DOIs

Always include complete URLs or DOIs:

https://doi.org/10.1234/journal.2023.001
https://www.example.com/article-title

References for Different Source Types

Books

Last, F. I. (Year). *Title of book*. Publisher. DOI or URL

Journal Articles

Last, F. I. (Year). Title of article. *Journal Name*, Volume(Issue), page range. DOI

Website Pages

Organization or Author. (Year). *Title of page*. Publisher. Retrieved from URL

Reports

Organization. (Year). *Title of report* (Report No. ####). Publisher. URL

Videos

Creator(s). (Year). *Title of video* [Video]. Platform. URL

Spacing and Margins

Margins

1 inch on all sides of the page

Spacing

Double-spacing throughout:

Between entries
Within entries
Between heading and first entry

Indentation

Each entry:

First line: left margin (0 inches)
Subsequent lines: 0.5 inches (hanging indent)

Page Numbers and Headers

Running head: Include on all pages (check your institution’s requirements)
Page numbers: Include on all pages
Reference heading: Centered on separate page
First reference entry: Begins on the same page as the “References” heading

Using GenText for Reference List Formatting

Managing proper formatting for multiple sources with different formatting requirements can be challenging. GenText’s citation generator creates all your reference list entries with correct formatting, hanging indents, and proper alphabetization. Simply add each source, and GenText generates a properly formatted reference list ready to paste into your paper.

Visit /tools/citation-generator/apa/ to generate your complete reference list in seconds.

Complete Reference List Checklist

Before submitting your paper, verify:

✓ Page titled “References” is on its own page
✓ All entries are double-spaced
✓ All entries use hanging indents (0.5 inches)
✓ Entries are alphabetized by author last name
✓ All titles use appropriate capitalization (sentence case for most, title case for journals)
✓ Book and journal titles are italicized
✓ Article titles are not italicized or in quotation marks
✓ All URLs and DOIs are complete and correct
✓ Punctuation is consistent throughout
✓ Every in-text citation has a corresponding reference entry
✓ No uncited sources appear in reference list
✓ Running header and page numbers are included
✓ Left margin is 1 inch, right margin is 1 inch

A properly formatted reference list demonstrates your attention to detail and respect for academic standards. By following these APA 7th edition guidelines, you’ll ensure your reference list is professional, complete, and correctly formatted.