Main Parts of a Reference
Identifying these four (4) elements will help you create a reference for almost any resource.
| Author | Who is responsible for the resource? |
| Date | When was the resource published? |
| Title | What is the name of the resource? |
| Source | How can others locate the resource? |
Alphabetizing the Reference List
Learn how to arrange entries in the reference list, including how to alphabetize multiple works by the same author, the same author and date of publication, different authors with the same surname, group authors, or no author.
Academic Writer
© 2021 American Psychological Association.
Learn how to create a References section, including how to ensure entries are accurate, complete, consistently styled, and up-to-date.
Academic Writer
© 2021 American Psychological Association.
Learn about the four reference elements of an APA Style reference: the author, date, title, and source.
Academic Writer
© 2021 American Psychological Association.
| Identifying the Elements |
Library Resource
The Four Elements
Author/s: Clouse, R. Wilburn; Wilson, Stacy; Rizzo, Ron
Date: 2019
Title: A Cross-Disciplinary Entrepreneurship Commercialization Process Model: Learning In Action
Source: Journal of Marketing Development & Competitiveness, Vol. 13 Issue 2, p116-142. DOI: 10.33423/jmdc.v13i2.2016
Reference List Entry
Please note: It is acceptable to use either the default display setting (blue hyperlinks) or plain text (without underlining) when formatting DOIs and URLs in reference lists.
Note: While the APA manual and Academic Writer provides many examples of how to cite common types of sources, it does not provide rules on how to cite all types of sources. Therefore, if you have a source that APA does not include, APA suggests that you find the example that is most similar to your source and use that format.
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