The American Psychological Association (APA) style is a widely used format for academic writing, including bibliographies. Here's a breakdown of how to format your bibliography entries in APA style:
Basic Structure:
* Entries are listed alphabetically by the first author's last name.
* Each entry has a hanging indent (the first line is flush with the left margin, subsequent lines are indented).
* The entire bibliography is double-spaced.
Common Entry Types:
* Book:
* Author(s). (Year). *Title of book*. Publisher.
* Example:
* Smith, J. D., & Jones, A. B. (2023). *The psychology of learning*. Oxford University Press.
* Journal Article:
* Author(s). (Year). Title of article. *Journal Title*, *Volume Number*(Issue Number), page numbers.
* Example:
* Brown, C., & Green, D. (2022). The impact of technology on student engagement. *Educational Technology Research*, *28*(3), 125-140.
* Website:
* Author(s). (Year, Month Day). Title of page. *Website Name*. URL.
* Example:
* National Institutes of Health. (2023, March 8). Mental health. *National Institutes of Health*. https://www.nih.gov/health-information/mental-health
* Other Sources:
* See the official APA Style Guide for specific formatting rules for other source types.
Additional Formatting Rules:
* Capitalization:
* Capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle (if any) of books and articles.
* Capitalize all major words in journal titles.
* Do not capitalize prepositions, conjunctions, or articles unless they are the first word of the title.
* Italics:
* Italicize titles of books, journals, and websites.
* Retrieval Information:
* For online sources, include the URL or DOI (Digital Object Identifier) if available.
* Multiple Authors:
* For two authors, list both names separated by an ampersand (&).
* For three or more authors, list the first author followed by "et al."
* In-Text Citations:
* The in-text citations in your paper should match the formatting of your bibliography.
Note:
* Always check the official APA Style Guide for the most up-to-date formatting rules and specific guidelines for various source types. The APA website offers helpful resources and examples.
* Many online citation generators are available, but always double-check their output against the official APA Style Guide.
By following these guidelines, you can ensure your bibliography is properly formatted in APA style.