Formatting references

Formatting In-text

In-text citations help the reader to locate the source of that information in the alphabetical reference list at the end of your essay.

What needs to be cited in the text?

Any information (words, ideas, statistics, tables, data, pictures, photos, etc.) obtained from another author or source, including:

• textbooks
• lecture materials
• journals
• websites
• DVDs, etc.

In-text citations are needed for all information used in a direct quotation or as a paraphrase. Common knowledge, such as the symbol for water (H2O), does not need to be cited. Note: no distinction is made between print and electronic sources when citing in-text.

Formatting QUT APA in-text citations:

When you add a citation into your text, you need to include the following information, either at the beginning or the end of a sentence or paragraph:

• Author’s family name or name of the source (organisation, government department, etc.);
• Year of publication. This is usually found in the front pages of a book or at the bottom of an internet page (look for the copyright symbol © in the source);
• You must cite the Author and Year for each reference you cite, and each time you cite that reference, use parentheses or brackets as shown in the examples following (exception: do not quote dates when citing the same work twice in the same paragraph);
• Quotation marks and page numbers when copying the words exactly.

For example:

In an investigation with older drivers (Perryman & Fitten,1996) …

OR

Perryman and Fitten (1996) conducted an investigation with older drivers…

OR, less commonly

In 1996, Perryman and Fitten conducted an investigation …

OR, when you have multiple citations to support one sentence

• Separate authors with a semi-colon;
• Place in alphabetical order, or if the authors are the same, in chronological order; and
• List both the sources alphabetically in the reference list. An example is provided below:

(Salmon, 1944; Scullard, 2010) OR (Brown, 2005; 2009; in press).    

Citing page numbers

Previously, APA referencing required page numbers (or other location references) only for a direct quotation from another source. However, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.) states:

To cite a specific part of a source, indicate the page, chapter, figure, table, or equation at the appropriate point in text.  Always give page numbers for quotations.  (p. 179)

When paraphrasing or referring to an idea contained in another work, you are encouraged to provide a page or paragraph number, especially when it would help an interested reader locate the relevant passage in a long or complex text. (p. 171)

Therefore, it is best to check with your lecturer as to her/his preferences in this matter.

Formatting QUT Harvard in-text citations:

When you add a citation into your text, you need to include the following information, either at the beginning or the end of a sentence or paragraph:

• Author’s family name or name of the source (organisation, government department, etc.);
• Year of publication This is usually in the front pages of a book or at the bottom of an internet page (look for the copyright symbol © in the source);
• Page number where you found the information, or paragraph (¶) number if there is no page number on it because it is an internet source. Summaries of information/sources do not require page numbers if the information comes from many pages;
• Use quotation marks when copying the words exactly.

For example:

In an investigation with older drivers (Perryman and Fitten 1996, 23) …

OR

Perryman and Fitten (1996, 23) conducted an investigation with older drivers …

OR, when you have multiple citations to support one sentence

• Separate authors with a semi-colon;
• There is no set rule as to the order of the authors; and
• List both the sources alphabetically in the reference list. An example is provided below:

Recent studies show that … (Shaw 2008, 156-157; Epstein and Hanson 2006, 34).

Formatting QUT Numbered in-text citations

In-text citations are numbered consecutively in the order in which they appear. When you add a citation into your text you need to:

• Use either the superscript format 1 or round brackets (1). These numbers correspond to a numbered reference in the reference list.
• Use square brackets in the corresponding reference list e.g. [1] Harris R....
• Follow the general rule of placing numbers outside full stops and commas, and inside colons and semicolons:
• e.g.: ‘In a preliminary experiment ,1 he showed that…
• e.g.: ‘… in a preliminary experiment (1): further research showed that …
• Once a source has been cited, use the same number when citing that source again.
• When multiple references are cited:
• Use a hyphen to join inclusive numbers (e.g. 2-5).
• Use commas (without spaces) to separate non-inclusive numbers (e.g.1,3,7,9).

Formatting Reference List

All items cited in your work should be included in your reference list.  Reference lists are arranged according to your referencing style.

Formatting QUT APA Reference Lists

A QUT APA Reference List:

• Is at the end of your essay and provides the details of the works you have cited in your essay;
• Should start on a new page to separate it from the rest of your essay, and should have the heading “References” centred at the top of the page;
• Is arranged alphabetically by Author to enable quick location of the reference from the information you provided in the in-text citation. If you have more than one work by the same author, list them chronologically;
• Is double-spaced.

Each reference:

• Should begin on a new line;
• Is flushed to the left margin of the page, with subsequent lines indented (use “Hanging Indents” or the paragraph indents key); and
• Should correctly use punctuation and italics.

Specific examples of reference entries are available on QUT Cite.

Formatting QUT Harvard Reference Lists

A QUT Harvard references list:

• Should start on a new page to separate it from the rest of the essay and have ‘References’ centred at the top of the page as a heading;
• Is arranged alphabetically by author. If there is more than one work by the same author, list chronologically;
• Includes all (book, journal, etc) titles in italics, except for sources considered “Internet and informally published materials”. These include some internet materials and thesis.

Each reference:

• Should start on a new line;
• Have a blank line between each reference; and
• All lines should be indented after the first line (use “Hanging Indents” or the paragraph indents key).

Specific examples of reference entries are available on QUT Cite.

Formatting QUT Numbered references lists

A QUT Numbered references list:

• Is located at the end of your document;
• Lists only one reference per number;
• Has correct punctuation. Full stops, colons and semicolons are used to differentiate the components in a reference;
• Includes the details of the reference in the correct order;
• Uses the title abbreviation for all journal titles (except single word titles), as it was at the date of publication.

Specific examples of reference entries are available on QUT Cite.