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RMIT University Library - Learning Lab

Reference list

 

A reference list must be provided at the end of your assessment task; it should be on a new page, headed with the word References which should be centred and in bold. Reference lists allow others to access your sources, so they must give full details of all the published sources used in the assignment. The reference list must be double-spaced, with second and subsequent lines indented. The following provides an overview of common APA reference list conventions.

Books

  • Book author(s) or editor
  • Year of publication
  • Book title (in italics)
  • Publisher name

Book, print version

Book, print version reference example

Transcribed text

[Authors name: Cottrell, S.] [Year: (2008).] [Book title (in italics): The study skills handbook (3rd ed.)]. [Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan.]

Original text

Cottrell, S. (2008). The study skills handbook (3rd ed.). New York, Palgrave Macmillan.

E-books

  • Book author(s) or editor
  • Year of publication
  • Book title (in italics)
  • Publisher name
  • DOI (if supplied)

E-book reference example

Transcribed text

[Authors name: Watkins, J.] [Year: (2017)]. [Book title (in italics): Laboratory and field exercises in sport and exercise biomechanics.]. [Publisher: Routledge.] [DOI or URL: https//doi.org/10.4324/9781315306315]

*Note: that the second and every line thereafter should be indented

Original text

Watkins, J. (2017). Laboratory and field exercises in sport and exercise biomechanics. Routledge. https//doi.org/10.4324/9781315306315

Journal articles

  • Article author(s)
  • Date of publication
  • Article title
  • Journal title (in italics)
  • Volume number (in italics), (issue in brackets if required), page numbers
  • Digital object identifier (DOI) (if supplied)

Journal article without DOI

Journal article without DOI reference example

Transcribed text

[Authors name: Rollo, I.] [Year: (2004).] [Article title: Understanding the role of exercise in health promotion]. [Journal name (in italics): Nursing Times], [Volume number: 100][Issue number: (37)], [Page numbers:57-55].

*Note: The volume, issue number and the journal name are all in italics

Original text

Rollo, I. (2004). Understanding the role of exercise in health promotion. Nursing Times, 100(37), 57-55.

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Journal with DOI

E-journal with DOI reference example

Transcribed text

[Authors name: Meijssen, D., Wolf, M-J., Koldewijn, K., van Baar, A., & Kok, J.] [Year: (2011).] [Article name: Maternal psychological distress in the first two years after very preterm birth and early intervention]. [Journal name (in italics): Earl Child Development and Care], [Volume number: 181][Issue number: (1)], [Page numbers: 1-11]. [Electronic retrieval statement (DOI): doi: 10. 1080/03004430903159852]

*Note: Electronic retrieval statement reference (DOI)

Original text

Meijssen, D., Wolf, M-J., Koldewijn, K., van Baar, A., & Kok, J. (2011). Maternal psychological distress in the first two years after very preterm birth and early intervention. Earl Child Development and Care, 181, 1-11. doi: 10. 1080/03004430903159852

Websites

Ensure that any websites cited are appropriate for academic purposes and not general sources of information. The convention for citing websites in a reference list is to provide the same details as for a non-electronic publication and include the URL as the place of publication.

The convention for citing websites in a reference list is a follows:

  • Author(s) / organisation's name
  • Date last modified (if there is no date, n.d. can be used)
  • Title of page
  • Website URL

Citing websites reference example

Transcribed text

[Organisation: Beyond Blue]. [Year: (2019)]. [Page title: What causes depression?] [URL: https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/depression/what-causes-depression].

*Note: the second line is indented

Original text

Beyond Blue. (2019). What causes depression? https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/depression/what-causes-depression

For more in-depth reference information see the RMIT Library's referencing guides, https://www.rmit.edu.au/library/study/referencing/referencing-guides-for-printing, which contains additional, more complex examples.