Place a number and period before each item in your list if you want to use a numbered list. Numbered lists should be composed of whole sentences or paragraphs and should be capitalized and punctuated accordingly. For example:
There were three ingredients that were of utmost importance.
1. Parsley was needed for the base.
2. Any cook would recognize the importance of basil.
3. A small amount of salt would complete the sauce.
Place a bullet before each element in a list if you wish to use a bulleted list approach. According to APA guidelines, any symbol can be used as a bullet. Bullets can be used to list complete sentences, or to list several ideas or elements within a sentence. For example:
There were three ingredients that were of utmost importance.
* Parsley was needed for the base.
* Any cook would recognize the importance of basil.
* A small amount of salt would complete the sauce.
Or, within a sentence:
The three most important ingredients were
* parsley,
* basil, and
* salt.
Use lowercase letters in parentheses if you wish to list elements or ideas within a sentence without breaking up the text. For example: The three most important ingredients were (a) parsley, (b) basil and (c) salt.