Reference List
At the end of your assignment, you need to provide the full bibliographic information for all sources cited within your text, this is what is known as a Reference List.
Elements of a reference list
The reference list should be started on a new page at the end of your assignment with the title 'References' bold and centred on the page. It should be listed in alphabetical order by the author surname ir group author name and each entry needs to be formatted with a hanging indent. Keep line spacing the same as for your main work and do not add an extra line between reference list entries. Only sources you have actually cited within your work should have a reference list entry.
Each reference has four elements, they are written in this order:
1. Author/s name. (Who)
2. Date the source was published. (When)
3. Title of the source. (What)
4. Source details. (Where)
Click into the relevant pages of this guide to see a more detailed description of each element, plus examples. We have also included the steps you can take to easily alphabetise your reference list and put each reference in a hanging indent (in Microsoft Word).
Punctuation
Punctuation can be tricky in reference list entries, one way to remember where full stops and commas go is that a full stop goes between each type of information.
Author. STOP Date. STOP Title. STOP Source. STOP (unless it's after a URL/DOI).
Alphabetical Order
1. Highlight the references you want to put in alphabetical order
2. On the Home tab, click on the button circled below (the AZ with a little downward arrow)
3. Click the OK button (you do not have to change any of the other settings)
4. Your reference list should now be in alphabetical order
Hanging Indent
Now that your reference list is in alphabetical order, it is time to give each reference a hanging indent.
1. Highlight your reference list
2. Click the little arrow button in the paragraph section of the home tab.
3. Click on the arrow underneath 'Special' and select 'Hanging indent'. Then click 'OK'. (the default indent size is 1.27cm, which is sufficient, so you do not need to change any of the settings).
4. Your references should now be formatted with a hanging indent.
Note: Remember to check the line spacing is the same as your main work.
5. Fully formatted reference list:
Reference List Fully Formatted