When it comes to writing a graduate thesis, proper referencing and citation of sources is crucial. Not only does it give credit to the authors whose works you have used, but it also demonstrates your credibility and professionalism as a scholar. The American Psychological Association (APA) is the most commonly used citation style in the social sciences, and it has its own set of rules and guidelines for referencing and citing sources in academic writing.
In this article, we will provide you with a comprehensive guide on how to write references per APA standards and cite sources in a graduate thesis.
What is APA style?
The APA style is a set of guidelines for formatting and organizing written works in the social sciences. It is commonly used in fields such as psychology, sociology, and education, among others. The APA style covers various aspects of academic writing, such as paper formatting, in-text citations, references, and bibliographies.
APA referencing style
When writing a graduate thesis, it is important to follow APA referencing style guidelines for creating accurate and complete references. The following sections outline the guidelines for writing references per APA standards.
Author information
When referencing a work, the author’s name should be written in the following format: last name, first initial(s). For example, Smith, J. B. When there are multiple authors, the names should be separated by commas and an ampersand (&) should be used before the last author’s name. For example: Smith, J. B., & Jones, L. K.
Publication information
The publication information includes the title of the work, the date of publication, and the name of the publisher. The title of the work should be italicized, and only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns should be capitalized. The date of publication should be written in parentheses, followed by a period. The name of the publisher should be written in full, and the location of the publisher should be included for books.
For example: Johnson, R. E. (2010). The art of leadership. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Article information
When referencing a journal article, the name of the journal should be italicized, and only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns should be capitalized. The volume number should be written in italics, followed by the issue number (in parentheses), and the page numbers of the article.
For example: Smith, J. B. (2018). The impact of leadership on employee satisfaction. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 39(4), 435-452.
Online sources
When referencing online sources, include the author’s name, the date of publication, the title of the work, and the source (URL or DOI). If there is no date of publication, use “n.d.” (no date). If the work has a DOI, include it in the reference.
For example: Johnson, R. E. (n.d.). The art of leadership. Retrieved from https://www.mhprofessional.com/products/the-art-of-leadership
In-text citations
In-text citations are used to give credit to the authors whose works you have used in your graduate thesis. There are two types of in-text citations: parenthetical and narrative.
Parenthetical citations
Parenthetical citations are used to cite sources within the text of your thesis. When using parenthetical citations, the author’s last name and the date of publication should be included in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
For example: (Smith, 2018)
If there are multiple authors, list them all the first time you reference the source. For example: (Smith, Jones, & Johnson, 2016)
If you are citing a specific page or pages, include the page number(s) after the date. For example: (Smith, 2018, p. 45)
If you are citing a work with no author, use the title of the work in place of the author’s name. For example: (“The Art of Leadership,” 2010)
Narrative citations
Narrative citations are used when the author’s name is mentioned in the text of your thesis. In this case, only the date of publication should be included in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
For example: According to Smith (2018), leadership has a significant impact on employee satisfaction.
If there are multiple authors, list them all in the narrative the first time you mention the source. For example: Smith, Jones, and Johnson (2016) found that…
If you are citing a specific page or pages, include the page number(s) in the narrative. For example: Smith (2018) argued that effective leadership can lead to increased employee satisfaction (p. 45).
Bibliography
The bibliography is a list of all the sources you have cited in your thesis, arranged in alphabetical order by the author’s last name. Each entry should be double-spaced, with the second and subsequent lines indented. The bibliography should include the following information:
– Author(s) last name, first initial(s)
– Publication date
– Title of work
– Publication information (publisher, place of publication for books; journal name, volume number, issue number, and page numbers for journal articles; URL or DOI for online sources)
For example:
Johnson, R. E. (2010). The art of leadership. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Smith, J. B. (2018). The impact of leadership on employee satisfaction. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 39(4), 435-452.
Smith, J. B., Jones, L. K., & Johnson, R. E. (2016). The role of leadership in organizational performance. Academy of Management Journal, 59(2), 385-399.
Proofreading your references and citations
It is important to proofread your references and citations to ensure accuracy and completeness. Check that all author names, publication dates, titles, and publication information are correct and consistent with the APA guidelines. Make sure that you have included all the necessary information and that your references and citations are formatted correctly.
Conclusion
Writing references and citing sources in a graduate thesis can seem overwhelming, but following the APA style guidelines can make it easier. Proper referencing and citation not only give credit to the authors whose works you have used, but also demonstrate your credibility and professionalism as a scholar. By carefully following the guidelines for writing references and citing sources, you can ensure that your graduate thesis meets the highest standards of academic integrity.
