The APA reference page is the last section of your paper — a complete, alphabetically ordered list of every source cited in your text. It is titled «References» (not «Bibliography» or «Works Cited»), starts on its own page, and follows strict formatting rules for each source type.
Reference Page Format Requirements
| Element | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Page title | «References» — centered, bold, at the top |
| Starting page | New page after the body text |
| Order | Alphabetical by first author’s last name |
| Line spacing | Double throughout |
| Indentation | Hanging indent: 0.5 inch on lines 2 onward of each entry |
| Extra space between entries | None — no blank lines between references |
| Font | Same as body text |
Source: APA Publication Manual, 7th Edition, Chapter 9.
Reference Format by Source Type
Journal article
Format: Last name, I. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), page–page. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Example:
Walker, M. P., & Stickgold, R. (2023). Sleep, memory, and plasticity. Annual Review of Psychology, 74(1), 55–78. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.psych.56.091103.070307
Book
Format: Last name, I. (Year). Title of book. Publisher.
Example:
Walker, M. (2017). Why we sleep: Unlocking the power of sleep and dreams. Scribner.
Book chapter (edited volume)
Format: Last name, I. (Year). Title of chapter. In I. Last name (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xx–xx). Publisher.
Example:
Smith, J. (2022). Memory consolidation during sleep. In R. Brown (Ed.), Handbook of sleep science (pp. 112–145). Academic Press.
Website
Format: Last name, I. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Website Name. URL
Example:
American Psychological Association. (2023, March 15). How to cite sources in APA format. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/learn/quick-guide-on-references
Newspaper article
Format: Last name, I. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Newspaper Name. URL
Example:
Carey, B. (2023, October 12). Scientists uncover new findings on sleep deprivation. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/12/health/sleep-research.html
Government or institutional report
Format: Author or Agency. (Year). Title of report (Report No. XXX). Publisher. URL
Example:
National Institutes of Health. (2023). Sleep disorders research plan (NIH Publication No. 23-7982). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/sleep
Alphabetical Ordering Rules
| Situation | Rule |
|---|---|
| Same first author, different years | Oldest first: Smith (2019), Smith (2021), Smith (2023) |
| Same author, same year | Add a, b, c after year: Smith (2023a), Smith (2023b) |
| One-author vs. multi-author (same first author) | Single-author entries come before multi-author entries |
| No author | Alphabetize by the first significant word of the title |
| Mc/Mac surnames | Alphabetize literally — «Mc» is not treated as «Mac» |
How to Create a Hanging Indent in Word
- Select all reference entries.
- Right-click → Paragraph.
- Under Indentation → Special, select Hanging.
- Set the By value to 0.5″.
- Click OK.
Common Reference Page Mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Titled «Bibliography» or «Works Cited» | Must be titled exactly «References» |
| Extra blank lines between entries | Remove — double spacing within and between entries is sufficient |
| Regular indent instead of hanging indent | First line at margin; all subsequent lines indented 0.5 inch |
| Missing DOI for journal articles | Always include DOI when available |
| Italicizing article titles | Only the journal name and volume number are italicized; article titles are not |
| Including sources not cited in the text | Reference list contains only sources actually cited — not a general reading list |
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a reference list and a bibliography?
A reference list contains only sources cited in the text. A bibliography may include additional sources you consulted but did not cite. APA uses reference lists — not bibliographies.
Should I include the access date for websites?
Only when the content is likely to change over time — like wikis, social media posts, or frequently updated pages. For stable web pages (reports, articles with a clear publication date), no access date is needed.
What if a source has no publication date?
Use «n.d.» in place of the year: Smith, J. (n.d.). Title. Publisher.
For complete in-text citation rules that correspond to each reference type above, see the APA In-Text Citation Guide.