8.4 Creating a References List
A list of references is where detailed information about the various research sources mentioned in your report are itemized. This list allows readers to learn more about your sources and use the information to validate your research. A list of references contains the author(s), year of publication, title, publication information, along with the URL for each source.
How do I set up my References list?
(Seneca Libraries, 2020)
The School of English and Liberal Studies has adopted the APA style, so all documents written for your business communication subjects must include citations and references using this style. Different citation styles use various terms to introduce their list of references, for example, Bibliography or Works Cited. APA style uses the term References.
At the end of your reports, add a list of all the sources you have cited in alphabetical order according to the author’s last name. Each reference must provide thorough and complete documentation so that readers can identify the kind of source, and retrieve it if they want to read it. It is important to use the correct conventions for each type of source, as readers familiar with business conventions will expect this, and they will be able to tell what kinds of sources you are referencing based on what information is included and how it is formatted. If you use conventions incorrectly (such as failing to italicize or use quotation marks around titles to indicate what kind of source it is), you can confuse and mislead your readers.
Here are some general formatting guidelines for setting up your references list:
- Create a bold heading called References, aligned with the left margin. If you are using headings, make this heading consistent with other first level headings in your document.
- The author’s last name should be flush with the left margin, and the second and other lines of the entry must be formatted using the “hanging indent” function.
- Give all authors’ names (up to five), but only use the first initial. The last name of each author is written first, followed by the author’s initials. Separate names with commas, and include the ampersand (&) before the last author.
- Capitalize only the first word (and the first word after a colon, as well as proper nouns) in titles of articles within journals, magazines and newspapers, chapters in books, conference papers, and reports. Only use ALL CAPS for acronyms.
- Capitalize the first letter of all main words in the titles of books, journals, magazines and newspapers.
- Add a space between references if you single space each reference.
If you use citation software (such as Zotero or Mendeley) to generate a list of references, be sure to review the references it generates for any errors. These programs are not foolproof, and it is up to you to make sure your references conform to APA conventions. For example, sometimes the auto-generator will give a title in ALL CAPS or the author’s full first name. You will have to revise this. They usually do not give DOIs; you may have to add these.
Sample References List
The sample References list below shows the preferred formatting. Note the hanging indent that makes the names on the left stand out in a highly readable format. Note the hanging indentation for the second line of the entries.
References
|
Crowther, D. & Rayman-Bacchus, L. (2016) Perspectives on corporate social responsibility. London: Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/978131547007 Kang, C., Germann, F., & Grewal, R. (2016-03-01). Washing away your sins? Corporate social responsibility, corporate social irresponsibility, and firm performance. Journal of Marketing, Vol.80 (2), p.59-79. Seneca Libraries. (n.d.). APA Citation Guide: Welcome. Seneca College. https://library.senecacollege.ca/apa
|
|
|
|
Referencing Different Kinds of Sources–Examples
For detailed examples on creating References using APA style, visit the References Examples page on the APA Style website.
APA Style (2020) requires that the basic guideline for referencing online sources is to follow the standard citation for the print source given previously and add the electronic location (URL) or the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) at the end of the citation. Add a URL at the end of the reference if the source is available on the World Wide Web. If both a URL and a DOI are available, place the DOI last.
LLM
Developer. (Version Year). Name of generative AI tool (Version number). [Type of AI Model]. URL of tool.
Example
Microsoft. (2025). Copilot [Large language model]. Foundation model ChatGPT 4o. https://copilot.microsoft.com
From Seneca Libraries Citing GenAI Guide.
Articles from Journals and Magazines (items that are published periodically)
Author(s). (date). Article title. Journal or Magazine Title, volume # only(issue #), pp. DOI [If available online, add URL and/or DOI link]
Kang, C., Germann, F., & Grewal, R. (2016-03-01). Washing away your sins? Corporate social responsibility, corporate social irresponsibility, and firm performance. Journal of Marketing, Vol.80 (2), p.59-79.
Note that the volume number is italicized and the issue number is not.
Online
Kang, C., Germann, F., & Grewal, R. (2016-03-01). Washing away your sins? Corporate social responsibility, corporate social irresponsibility, and firm performance. Journal of Marketing, Vol.80 (2), p.59-79. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.15.0324
Conference Paper
Author(s). (date). Title of paper. Presented at Name of Conf., City of Conf., Abbrev. State/Prov., pp. xxx-xxx. Paper number [If available online, give URL or DOI].
Brown, L., Goll, I., & Rasheed, A. (2017, August). Corporate social responsibility, corporate political activities, and firm performance. Presented at the Academy of Management Annual Meeting.
Same paper published in conference proceedings:
Brown, L., Goll, I., & Rasheed, A. (2017, August). Corporate social responsibility, corporate political activities, and firm performance. Academy of Management Proceedings, Vol.2017 (1), p.15733. https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2017.15733abstract
Newspaper Articles
Author(s). (year, month, day). Title of article. Title of Newspaper. URL.
Online
Wilson-Clark, C. (2004, March 29). Computers ranked as key literacy. The West Australian. http://www.thewest.com.au.
Bart, B. (2002, October 14). Going faster. Globe and Mail. A p.1.
Webpage or Website (WWW) (material only available online such as blogs, etc.)
Fogarty, M. (n.d.). Which versus that. Grammar Girl, Quick and Dirty Tips https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/which-versus-that-0
Seneca Libraries. (n.d.). APA Citation Guide: Welcome. Seneca Polytechnic. Welcome – APA Citation Guide (APA 7th Edition) – LibGuides at Seneca Libraries
Book
Ogot, M. & Kremer, G. (2004). Engineering design: A practical guide. Pittsburgh: Togo Press.
Chapter in a book
McCahan, S., Anderson, P., Kortschot, M., Weiss, P. E., & Woodhouse, K. A. (2015). Introduction to teamwork. In Designing engineers: An introductory text. Hoboken: Wiley, pp. 219-260.
Business Report (Government, Industry, Organizations)
Author(s). (date). Title of the report. Name of Company/Organization, City, Report. #. URL or DOI
Delcan. (2019). Johnson Street Bridge Condition Assessment Report. Delcan and City of Victoria, Victoria, B.C. https://www.johnsonstreetbridge.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/johnson-street-bridge-condition-assessment-delcan-engineering.pdf
University of Victoria Campus Planning and Sustainability. (2018). The Grand Promenade: Design Charrette. Campus Greenway, Summary Report 11.2018. https://www.uvic.ca/campusplanning/current-projects/campusgreenway/index.php
Personal Communication (interview, telephone, email, etc.)
Gates, B. (2021, January 27). Private communication.
Patent
Author. (year, month, day). Title of patent. U.S. Patent x xxx xxx.
Wilkinson, J. P. (1990, July 16). Nonlinear resonant circuit devices. U.S. Patent 3 624 125.
Lecture or Presentation
Speaker. (Date). Title of Presentation/Lecture. Occasion and location of presentation. [Type of medium: URL if available online].
Potter, R.L. ( 2024, October 22). Team dynamics. ENG205 Lecture. Seneca Polytechnic.
Lecture Notes
Author. (date). Title of class notes. Class notes for Course Number. Department, University.
Potter, R. L. (2025, Winter). Working effectively in teams. Class notes for ENG205. School of English and Liberal Studies. Seneca Polytechnic.
Reference Work (Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Handbook, etc.)
Author(s). (year). Chapter title. In Book title, xth ed. [Type of medium]. Editor(s) name(s), Ed(s). Location: Publisher, volume or chapter number (if available), pp. URL. Add the date access if you expect the source information to change.
With an author
Abell, A. (2003). Business grammar, style & usage: A desk reference for articulate & polished business writing & speaking. Aspatore Books.
No author
Corporate responsibility. (2020, October 5 last edited). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate_responsibility
Image from a print source
Similar to a chapter in a book or article in a print journal:
Creator of image. (date). Title of image. In Title of article or Title of book, and the rest of the required publication information for an article or book.
Coutenay, B. (2021). Image of sunflower. In Flowers for all seasons. Toronto: Pearly Publishers.
Images from an online source
Creator of image. (date). Title of the image. Web Site name, the URL.
Coutenay, B. (2021). Image of a sunflower. Flowers Almanac. http://flowersalmanac.com
Podcast
Artist. (Credit). (date). Title of episode.Title of Program: Subtitle. Publisher. Available: URL.
Yosifon, D. (Presenter). (2021). The Corporate Social Responsibility Podcasts. [Podcast Series]. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-corporate-social-responsibility-podcast/id807976212.
Knowledge Check: Touch the symbols below for an explanation of each area of the Reference page below.
Using a LLM to Format a List of References
Formatting a list of references using the APA style can be a time consuming process. If you have a hodgepodge list of sources, you can ask the LLM to format the list for you:
Asking a LLM to Format a References List
To begin, copy and paste your disorganized references list into the context window or upload a list to the LLM, then use the following prompt to ask for the list to be formatted.
Prompt: I’m completing a research report and have this list of references that needs to be organized and completed using the APA style. I also need to ensure that all the information is included in each entry, including the author, date of publication, title, blogsite or website, URL or DOI, etc. Please revise the list so that each item is complete and so that it is in alphabetical order according to the author’s last name.
References serve an important role in academic and professional writing by helping writers give credit to original authors and avoid plagiarism. Formatting a references list according to APA style, including author names, publication dates, titles, and source details, enables authors to align with current conventions and offers important information so readers can verify and explore sources. Different types of sources can be included in the lists, such as books, journal articles, LLM output, and online resources. You can avoid common mistakes made when creating a references list by using the tips on how to avoid these errors to ensure accuracy and consistency. Making use of tools and resources that can assist in generating and managing references, including citation management software and online citation generators can help authors to manage their work. By creating a well-organized and correctly formatted references list authors can reinforce their credibility as researchers. (This conclusion has been co-created with Copilot, March 6, 2025).
References
American Psychological Association (APA). (2020). References examples. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples
Seneca College Libraries. (2021, February 9, updated). APA citation guide (APA 7th edition): Welcome. Seneca College. https://library.senecacollege.ca/apa
Seneca Libraries. (2020). APA: Building a reference list (7th edition) [Video]. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E45hW7ebU2Q