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Tech Tools: Formatting your Reference List

How to use different tools for assignments writing and presentations

Formatting your Reference List

There are specific rules for formatting a reference list in APA

  • It is at the end of your assignment on a separate page.
  • The title is References which has a capital R, is in bold font and is centred in the middle of the page 
  • The list of references are arranged alphabetically and include the full bibliographic details of sources you have cited in your assignment (you cite what you sight).
  • There is a full stop after every element, for example: Author. (Date). Title. Source. (Exception: not after URLs or DOIs as this will break the link).
  • You must use hanging indentation. This is where the first line is hard against the left margin and the following lines are indented. This makes it easy to read the reference list, where you can see where one reference starts and the other ends.

See the APA Referencing guide for advice on how to reference. Also, the PDF APA Referencing Guide to Hanging Indentation 

How to sort a reference list alphabetically using Microsoft Word

  1. Highlight the text of your reference list
  2. Click the Home tab (ribbon at the top of the page)
  3. Click the Sort button
  4. Select Ascending
  5. Click Ok

Note: The sort feature is only available in the desktop version of Word, not Word for the Web

 

  • Not sorting into alphabetical order? If you have copied and pasted the reference, there may be hidden formatting in the background. Clear your formatting by clicking the Clear all formatting icon  

How to apply Hanging Indentation using Google Docs

  • Highlight the text of your reference list
  • Go to Format in the menu bar
  • Select Align & indent
  • Select Indentation options
  • Under Special, choose Hanging
  • Apply

How to centre the heading, apply hanging indentation and line spacing in Pages on a mobile device

Apple devices

  • Go to or download the Pages app

Centre the heading References

  • Put the cursor before the letter R and tap the Format button

  • In the pop up box select the centre icon 

Make the word References bold

  • Double tap the word References. A bold symbol will appear

  • Tap to apply.

Apply hanging indentation

  • Select the references you want to format (press on the screen and tap Select or Select all)

  •  tap the Format button

  • Tap the arrow next to Indents. (You may need to scroll down)

  • Leave the First line at 0cm.

  • Next to Left, tap +   to required indent 

Line spacing

  • Select the references you want to space (press on the screen and tap Select or Select all)

  •  tap the Format button

  • Tap the arrow to the right of Line Spacing 
  • Next to Spacing, tap +  until 2.00 (Double spacing) 

How to apply Hanging Indentation using Microsof Word

  1. Highlight the text of your reference list
  2. Click the Home tab (ribbon at the top of the page)
  3. Click the expand button in the corner of the paragraph ribbon OR right click the mouse and select paragraph from the drop-down menu

 

4. Under Special select Hanging

5. Under Line spacing select Double

6. Click OK

How to apply Hanging Indentation using a Mac

  1. Highlight the text of your reference list
  2. Move the cursor to the top of the screen to see the Format option

 

 

3. Click Paragraph in the drop-down menu

4. Under Special, select Hanging

5. Click OK

How to Format a Reference List | Video Guide

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