A bibliography provides an alphabetical list of all sources used to create an article and is a necessary component of any research or academic writing. Here's how to write a bibliography using the APA style.
Steps
Step 1. Start a new page, separate from the rest of the text, for your bibliography or source list
A list of citations is different from a bibliography. Find out which one you need. The only difference is that the list of sources includes what you mentioned in the text and the sources you used, but nothing more. Any other source that you have read but then discarded as irrelevant, out of date, etc., should never be included in the bibliography.
Step 2. Title the page
Center the text and write "Sources" or "Bibliography". Do not underline or italicize the text. Don't use quotes and periods either.
Step 3. Create an alphabetical list of sources by author name
If the source you use contains two or more authors, use the surname of the author named first on the title page. According to the 2010 APA manual, you can list up to 7 authors. For 8 or more, list the first 6 separated by a comma, and write the last author's name after the ellipsis. If a book has been edited and there is no author, write the name of the editor followed by (Ed.). If your source does not provide the author, use the first letter of the title to put the work in alphabetical order (not counting words like "A" or "The").
Step 4. For each source, write the surname of the author and the initials of the name, with a comma to separate the name and initials and a period after each initial
For example: Smith, M. A.
Step 5. After the author name, write the publication date in parentheses, with a period after them
Ex. (2005).
- Shorten all months. January, for example, becomes Gen.
- Enter the date in an appropriate format. Both "Jan. 4, 2007" and "Jan. 4, 2007") are fine, but be consistent with all other dates you enter.
Step 6. Write the title of the article
Capitalize only the first letter of the first word unless there are proper names between subsequent words. End with a period. This step should not be entered if you are referring to the entire book. Do not put the title in quotes or italics.
Step 7. Write the title of the work (book or magazine) in italics, with a period at the end
If it is a book (or any other source than a magazine), capitalize only the first letter of the first word and any proper names, as well as the first word after the colon (if any) and ends with a point. For example: How to write an APA-style bibliography. If it is a magazine, capitalize all the initials of the main words, insert a comma, add the number of the volume, the number relating to the topic (in brackets, if any - if the newspaper begins the page numbering of each argument with the number 1, write that), another comma, the page number (s) and a period to end the quote. For example: The Statesman Journal, 59 (4), 286-295.
Step 8. Write the place of publication of the book (city, state or city only) and then the name of the publisher, separated by a colon
End with a period. For example: Boston, MA: Random House.
Step 9. Indent everything except the first line of each quote
Step 10. If in doubt, consult the APA website or the APA manual
Method 1 of 1: Examples
Book
- Morales, L. (1987). The history of Cuba. New York: Franklin Watts.
- Ellington, W., Jr., & Henrickson, E. B. (1995). The elements of dance (III ed.). New York: Macmillan.
- Oregon State University Soil Ecology Center (1982). A directory of Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Farms. Columbus, OH: Natural Resources Institute.
Chapter of a Book
Tizol, W. P. (1976). Brain function and memory. In J. M. O. Corney & H. L. Center (Eds.), An inside look at what we think we know. (pp. 154-184). Springfield, IL: American Psychiatric Press
Article Taken from a Periodical
- Bauzá, R. H. (1982). Manitoba nematodes. Journal of Cool Nematodes, 10, 252-264.
- Gillespie, R. C., & Tupac, R. M. (1976). How confident people dance. American Dancing, 225, 82-90.
- The lamb business. (11 Sep. 1992). Willamette Valley Lamb, 97, 47-48.
Article from a magazine
Pozo, E. R. (19 Nov. 2008). The way she loved me. Personal Literature, 290, 1113-1120
Article Taken from an Encyclopedia
Parker, S. A. (1947). Fetal development. In International encyclopedia of pregnancy (Vol. 7, pp. 202-207). New York: Aesculapius Publishers
Article taken from a newspaper
Amazing women. (Jan 12, 1955). The Journal News, pp. D11, D14
Article from an Electronic Journal Taken from a Database
Tjader, J. W., Coltrane, J. A., & Taylor, A. A. (1995). A history of mockery. American Psychologist, 50, 750-765. Retrieved from PsycINFO database
Article from an Electronic Journal (printed version)
Rodriguez, G., Puente, S., & Mayfield, J. (2001). Role of upbringing in family attitudes. [Electronic version]. Journal of Family Research, 5, 117-123
Website
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Summers, M. (2007) Cool scenes. Accessed August 27, 2007.
Advice
- Depending on the style of your paper, you may need to use in-text citations to refer to specific theories.
- As you complete your research, you may be using information from sources other than books.
- The APA style is just one of many commonly used styles for bibliographies of research papers. If your teacher or editor requires a different style, search online for information on the other styles.
