Independent College: A Reference List Entry

The Reference List is a complete list of the sources that you have used in your academic writing. It alphabetised and is placed at the end of your writing (i.e., essay, report, reflection) and will contain numerous entries with 

A reference list entry must follow a standardised format. Luckily, there are many tools that can help you generate a reference list and specific entries. However, a standard reference list must enter answer the following questions: 

• 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?
• Publisher: State the publisher and perhaps place of publisher 

If you study the below chart (Core Components of a Reference) it displays the key features of a reference list entry. In essence, the chart explains the theory behind the structure of a reference list entry. While  you do not need to memorise all the features it is good practice to have an understanding of the basic information contained within a reference list entry. Remember also to use a reference management tool so that the reference lists are generated for you.