How to Write a Bibliography

Create a reference list., Cite articles., Cite books.,Cite websites., Include in-text citations.

5 Steps 2 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: Create a reference list.

    Reserve a page at the end of the paper for the bibliography.

    Title it "References." Follow this heading with a list of articles, books, web publications, and other sources you used to inform your work. , Articles are cited with the author's name, followed by the year, then the title of the article, the publication name, the volume and issue number, and the group of pages referenced.

    The format is as follows:
    Author, A.

    A., & Author, B.

    B. (Year). "Title of article." Title of Journal, volume number(issue number), pages.

    Example:
    Jensen, O.

    E. (2012). "African Elephants." Savannah Quarterly, 2(1),
    88.

    If the article was retrieved online, include the words "Retrieved from" followed by the web address.

    Include as much information as you can find.

    If information is missing, leave it out. , Start with the author's name, followed by the publication year, the title of the book, the location of the publisher, and finally the name of the publisher.

    The format is as follows:
    Author, A.

    A. (Year).

    Title of book.

    Location:
    Publisher.

    Example:
    Worden, B.

    L. (1999).

    Echoing Eden.

    New York, New York:
    One Two Press. , Include the author's name, the complete date, the title of the web page, and the words "retrieved from" with the web address.

    The format is as follows:
    Author, A.

    A. (Year, Month day).

    Title of web page/document.

    Retrieved from http://URL to specific page Example:
    Quarry, R.

    R. (May 23, 2010).

    Wild Skies.

    Retrieved from http://wildskies.com.

    If no author is available, just start with the title.

    If no date is available, write "n.d."

    APA requires the use of simple citations in parenthesis directly after the line or idea in your text for which you used a particular reference.

    The in-text citations give limited information, and correspond with complete citations located in the bibliography at the end of the paper.

    When paraphrasing a reference, include the author's last name and the year of publication.

    Example:
    Research showed that the monarch population has dwindled over the past ten years (Jensen, 2011).

    For direct quotes, include the author's last name, the year and the page number.

    Example:
    The monarch butterfly population is "rapidly decreasing as a result of global warming" (Jensen, 2011, p. 380).

    If you don't have an author's name, use the first few words of the publication title.

    Example:
    Fewer butterflies were seen on the California coast (Butterfly News, 2011).
  2. Step 2: Cite articles.

  3. Step 3: Cite books.

  4. Step 4: Cite websites.

  5. Step 5: Include in-text citations.

Detailed Guide

Reserve a page at the end of the paper for the bibliography.

Title it "References." Follow this heading with a list of articles, books, web publications, and other sources you used to inform your work. , Articles are cited with the author's name, followed by the year, then the title of the article, the publication name, the volume and issue number, and the group of pages referenced.

The format is as follows:
Author, A.

A., & Author, B.

B. (Year). "Title of article." Title of Journal, volume number(issue number), pages.

Example:
Jensen, O.

E. (2012). "African Elephants." Savannah Quarterly, 2(1),
88.

If the article was retrieved online, include the words "Retrieved from" followed by the web address.

Include as much information as you can find.

If information is missing, leave it out. , Start with the author's name, followed by the publication year, the title of the book, the location of the publisher, and finally the name of the publisher.

The format is as follows:
Author, A.

A. (Year).

Title of book.

Location:
Publisher.

Example:
Worden, B.

L. (1999).

Echoing Eden.

New York, New York:
One Two Press. , Include the author's name, the complete date, the title of the web page, and the words "retrieved from" with the web address.

The format is as follows:
Author, A.

A. (Year, Month day).

Title of web page/document.

Retrieved from http://URL to specific page Example:
Quarry, R.

R. (May 23, 2010).

Wild Skies.

Retrieved from http://wildskies.com.

If no author is available, just start with the title.

If no date is available, write "n.d."

APA requires the use of simple citations in parenthesis directly after the line or idea in your text for which you used a particular reference.

The in-text citations give limited information, and correspond with complete citations located in the bibliography at the end of the paper.

When paraphrasing a reference, include the author's last name and the year of publication.

Example:
Research showed that the monarch population has dwindled over the past ten years (Jensen, 2011).

For direct quotes, include the author's last name, the year and the page number.

Example:
The monarch butterfly population is "rapidly decreasing as a result of global warming" (Jensen, 2011, p. 380).

If you don't have an author's name, use the first few words of the publication title.

Example:
Fewer butterflies were seen on the California coast (Butterfly News, 2011).

About the Author

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