General Formatting

The references page is perhaps the most notorious and technical aspect of any APA paper. But, while it comes with its difficulties, it is not impossible! This section will cover general formatting, URLs vs. DOIs, authors, common sources, and uncommon sources. This guide covers basic formatting and common questions on citations. For any specific questions about the references page that are not covered in this guide, visit the APA Style page on References and Reference examples (for specific reference formatting). Additional links will also be provided underneath each section. 

General Formatting

Below is a brief checklist on the most basic formatting guidelines for an APA references page. More specific questions, including author formatting, are described in their respective section.

CHECKLIST // References Page Formatting

  • “References” is centered on the first line of the page
  • Sources are alphabetized by the last name of the first author
  • Each source is hanging indented

Below are instructions for creating hanging indents on Google Docs and Microsoft Word:

Google Docs

  1. On the Google Docs toolbar on the left-hand side of the screen, click “Format.” 
  2. In the dropdown menu, click “Align & indent.”
  3. In the side menu, click “Indentation options.” 
  4. Under the “Special indent category,” click the dropdown menu that starts with “None.” In the menu options, click “Hanging.” 
  5. In the text box on the right, type the value “0.5.” This is the amount of indentation.
  6. Click “Apply” and your hanging indent will apply. 

Microsoft Word 

  1. On the Microsoft Word home toolbar above your document, click this icon   next to the “Paragraph” options. 
  2. Under the “Indentation” category, look for the option that says “Special.” Below it should be a dropdown box with “(none)” as the default option. 
  3. Click the arrow to open the dropdown box, then click “Hanging.” 
  4. Click “OK” and your hanging indent will apply.