How to Write a Bibliography Using APA Format

Instructions

• 1). Examine each reference for quality and credibility of information. If you are a student, your instructor will provide guidelines as to what kinds of materials are acceptable as sources for your writing project. If you are a professional, you probably know whether a reference is reputable in your field. Think twice about including local media as reference sources. These organizations may not employ "fact-checkers." Stay away from newspapers and electronic sources that are known to be biased. Magazines are questionable sources, unless they are professional publications, academic or peer-reviewed journals. Note: Although this step should have taken place at the onset of your project, it is never too late to remove a flawed reference.
  
  
• 2). Identify the source by its type. Is it a book? A journal article? These sources vary slightly in their presentation as a reference listing.
  
  
• 3). Start the References section of your paper on a new page following the body of your paper. Center the word References as the page title. Double-space the entire page. Use a "hanging" indent for each entry: Align the first line flush with the left page margin and indent subsequent lines of the entry.
  
  
• 4). Begin with the authors' last names, followed by their first initials. It is important to list authors in the order in which they appeared in the byline of the source publication. Separate the names with an ampersand. Example: A book or article by John Doe and Mary Jones would appear in a reference listing as Doe, J. & Jones, M.
  
  
• 5). List the publication year in parentheses, followed by a period. Example: Doe, J. & Jones, M. (2009).
  
  

Book and Journal Article References

• 1). Use italicized type to reference the book's title. Capitalize only the first word, proper names and any word that follows a colon. Example: APA: A styleguide for writing.
  
  
• 2). Identify the location and the name of the publisher, non-italicized. Example: New York: Publication Press. Note: Do not list the state of publication if the book was published in these cities: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia and San Francisco.
  
  
• 3). Include the city and state, separated by a colon, for all other locations. Example: Cleveland: Ohio: Publication Press.
  
  
• 4). Do not italicize a journal article title. Use italics for the name of the journal. List the journal volume number, italicized, next. Finally, list the pages of the journal article, non-italicized, and close the entry with a period. Example: APA: A styleguide for writing. Journal of Journal Writing, 44, 309-312.
  
  
• 5). List sources in the Reference section alphabetically.