APA 7 reference list: format, order, and examples

What an APA reference list is

A reference list brings together the full details of every work cited in a paper. It appears at the end so readers can move from a brief citation, such as (Morales, 2023), to the source behind the idea.

If you searched for an APA bibliography, a reference list is probably what you need. APA Style uses the term reference list because, as a general rule, it contains only works cited in the paper.

Before organizing the list, make sure you understand what a reference is and how to build one. If you are still adding author and date information within your writing, begin with the guide to in-text citations.

Reference list and bibliography are not the same

The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, but they serve different purposes:

• Reference list: is required in an APA paper that contains citations and includes the works used to support its ideas, claims, and evidence.
• Bibliography: is optional in APA Style and may contain both cited works and additional background or recommended reading.

Do not add a general bibliography unless your instructor or institution requests one. If your assignment says “bibliography,” check whether it expects only cited sources or every work you consulted.

An annotated bibliography is a different assignment. It places a short description or evaluation below each reference. The references follow APA formatting and alphabetical order, but the required length and focus of the annotations usually come from the instructor.

If you were specifically asked for this additional list, see how to create a bibliography in APA Style without confusing it with the paper's required references.

What belongs in the list

As a general rule, citations and references should correspond in both directions:

• Every work cited in the paper appears once in the reference list.
• Every work in the reference list is cited somewhere in the paper.
• The author and year match in the citation and reference.

Do not add a source only because you read it during your research. If it helped you understand the topic but does not support a specific part of the paper, it belongs in a bibliography only when one has been requested.

Sources that are normally left out

Some sources are mentioned in the text without an entry in the reference list:

• Personal communications, such as a private email or conversation that readers cannot retrieve.
• A general mention of an entire website when no specific page was used.
• A general mention of common software or apps.
• Statements made by participants in your own research.

These cases have specific conditions. Review when an in-text citation needs a reference before removing an entry.

How a citation connects to its reference

The citation identifies a source within a paragraph. The reference then supplies the details readers need to identify and locate the work.

The following details are illustrative:

In-text citation

Reviewing a draft in stages helps writers notice problems that are easy to miss during the first reading (Morales, 2023).

Matching reference list entry

Morales, J. P. (2023). Clear writing for university. Horizon Press.

The surname and year lead readers to the correct entry. If you change the reference's author or date, check every citation to that work as well.

Where the reference list begins

Start the reference list on a new page after the main text and before any tables, figures, or appendices placed at the end of the paper.

Center the heading References in bold at the top of the page. Do not add a colon, underlining, or quotation marks.

How to format each entry

Apply these rules to the entire list:

• Double-space within each entry and between entries.
• Do not insert extra blank lines.
• Keep the first line of each entry flush with the left margin.
• Apply a 0.5-inch hanging indent to every later line.
• Do not number the references or add bullets.
• Keep DOI and URL links active when the document allows it, and do not place a period after them.

Use your word processor's paragraph settings to create the hanging indent. Do not imitate it with spaces or by pressing the Tab key on individual lines.

These rules apply to the whole list, but the required details and use of italics depend on the work. Before writing each entry, choose the correct template in the guide to APA reference types. To decide whether an entry should end with a link, review the rules for DOIs and URLs in a reference.

Complete reference list example

The names, titles, and addresses below are illustrative. The example shows the order and hanging indent expected on the page.

Reference list example:

References

Alvarez, M. R. (2021). Academic writing step by step. Horizon Press.

Foundation for Reading. (2024, March 12). How to evaluate information online. https://example.com/evaluate-information

Gomez, R. L., & Perez, A. S. (2023). Reading habits and comprehension among university students. Journal of Applied Education, 18(2), 45-63.

University Writing Institute. (n.d.). A guide to reviewing a draft. https://example.com/review-draft

The example has no numbering, follows alphabetical order, and repeats the author, date, title, and source pattern. Each entry represents one complete work, even when its lines wrap to fit the available width.

How to alphabetize references

Alphabetize each entry by the first information it contains:

1. For an individual author, use the surname.
2. For a group author, use the organization's full name.
3. When there is no author, begin with the title and alphabetize by its first significant word.

Do not rearrange the authors of a work. Keep them in the order shown in the publication.

Multiple works by the same author

Repeat the author's name in every entry. Do not replace it with a line or another symbol.

When references have exactly the same author or authors in the same order, arrange them by date:

1. Works with no date.
2. Published works from earliest to latest.
3. Works in press.

A one-author entry comes before a multiple-author entry that begins with the same person, even when the multiple-author work is older.

Order example:

Morales, J. P. (2022). Learning to conduct research. Horizon Press.

Morales, J. P., & Rios, C. A. (2020). Questions for beginning a research project. Campus Press.

Same author and same year

When several works have the same author and year, alphabetize them by title and add lowercase letters to the year: 2024a, 2024b, and so on. Use the same letter in the corresponding in-text citations.

Example:

Gomez, L. M. (2024a). Learning to review a draft. Open Classroom Press.

Gomez, L. M. (2024b). Writing with academic sources. Northern Press.

The corresponding citations are (Gomez, 2024a) and (Gomez, 2024b). The letter follows the work's position in the reference list, not the order in which you first cited it.

How to check the list before submitting

Compare the list with the paper one final time:

• The list starts on a new page with the heading References.
• Every entry is double-spaced and uses a 0.5-inch hanging indent.
• There are no numbers, bullets, or extra blank lines.
• Entries follow alphabetical order and the rules for multiple works by the same author.
• Every citation leads to an entry, and every entry corresponds to a citation.
• Surnames, years, and letters such as 2024a match in both places.
• Each entry follows the correct template for its source type.
• DOI and URL links work and do not end with a period.