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APA Citation

References Basics

What are references?

References provide the information necessary for readers to identify and find each work mentioned in brief format in your in-text citations. References appear in an alphabetical list on a separate page at the end of your paper. 

 

What does a reference consist of?

While in-text citations use only a few details of the source, references provide more information so that the reader can identify and find the source if they wish. References generally consists of the four elements: the author, date, title, and source. Each element answers a question:

  • author: Who is responsible for this work?
  • date: When was this work published?
  • title: What is this work called?
  • source: Where can I retrieve this work?

 

Example book citation

Highway, T. (2021). Permanent astonishment: A memoir. Doubleday Canada.

 

Example article citation

Millard, G. (2021). Ambiguously Hip: The Tragically Hip and Canadian Nationalism. Journal of Canadian Studies, 55(3), 649-672. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/841404

 

Example webpage from a website

Khan, S., & Maison, C. (2025, July 29). Toward a global treaty against plastic pollution: The last-chance negotiations. David Suzuki Foundation. https://davidsuzuki.org/expert-article/toward-a-global-treaty-against-plastic-pollution-the-last-chance-negotiations/

 

For more information on each of these elements, see the respective subpages under this tab. If any of this information is missing, follow the Missing Reference Information guidance provided by APA. .