Reference list

How it is used

Usually titled 'References' in APA style and in many science journals. Students compile, format and check a reference list, often with tools such as Zotero, Mendeley or EndNote. Every in-text citation must match an entry in the list.

Example sentences

1. In APA style, the reference list is in alphabetical order by the first author's surname.

2. Two sources in your reference list are never cited in the text.

Common collocations

• compile a reference list
• format the reference list
• add to the reference list
• an entry in the reference list

Related terms

• bibliographyA list of sources on a subject placed at the end of a work; unlike a reference list, it may include works consulted but not cited.
• citationA reference to a source in a piece of writing; also each time another publication refers to a work, counted as a measure of its influence.
• APA styleThe writing and citation rules of the American Psychological Association, based on author-date citations and widely used in the social sciences, education and psychology.
• in-text citationA short reference inside the main text, such as (Yılmaz, 2021) or a number [3], that points the reader to the full entry in the reference list.

More terms: Citing and Referencing

• cite
• paraphrase
• direct quotation
• et al.
• DOI
• reporting verb
• footnote
• reference manager
• Harvard referencing
• secondary citation
• ibid.
• block quotation