Word for a reference list

Create a bibliography, citations, and references

1. Put your cursor at the end of the text you want to cite.

2. Go to References >  Style, and choose a citation style.

   

3. Select Insert Citation.

   

4. Choose Add New Source and fill out the information about your source.

Once you’ve added a source to your list, you can cite it again:

1. Put your cursor at the end of the text you want to cite.

2. Go to References > Insert Citation, and choose the source you are citing.

   

3. To add details, like page numbers if you’re citing a book, select Citation Options, and then Edit Citation.

   

Create a bibliography

With cited sources in your document, you’re ready to create a bibliography.

1. Put your cursor where you want the bibliography.

2. Go to References > Bibliography, and choose a format.

Tip: If you cite a new source, add it to the bibliography by clicking anywhere in the bibliography and selecting Update Citations and Bibliography.

A Bibliography is a list of all the sources in the document. In the MLA format (Modern Language Association), the list of sources is called Works Cited, that is a type of bibliography, which can include sources other than books. In the APA format (American Psychological Association), it is called a References list.

Before you create the Bibliography, References, or Works Cited, make sure you have replaced all placeholders with a proper citation (for more details, see how to create a citation, how to create a multi-source citation). If you inserted a placeholder for a citation, the source would not appear in the bibliography. However, if you later replace the placeholder with source information, the bibliography will be automatically updated, and the new source will be added to the bibliography.

Create a Bibliography, References, and Works Cited

To create a bibliography, follow the next steps:

   1.   Place the cursor where you want to insert the bibliography:

• Press Ctrl+End to get to the end of the document.
• Press Ctrl+Enter to insert a page break.

   2.   On the References tab, in the Citations & Bibliography group, click the Bibliography button and then do one of the following:

• Choose one of the built-in styles in the drop-down menu.
• Select Insert Bibliography at the bottom of the list:

  

  Note: If you choose the Insert Bibliography option, you will need to add a heading such as Bibliography, References, or Works Cited.

Word creates the Bibliography, References, or the Works Cited based on the sources. For example, the Bibliography in the IEEE style (see more about styles below):

Note: The automatically created bibliography, it does not matter how you created it, contains all sources of the document, even if some were removed or added by mistake. See how to manage sources for the Bibliography, References, and Works Cited for more details.

Empty Bibliography, References, and Works Cited

After inserting a Bibliography, References, and Works Cited, Word can create a message “There are no sources in the current document.”:

The leading cause for this message is that Word could not find the citations created using the Citations & Bibliography functionality (see how to create a citation in a Word document). It is possible that there are placeholders in the document, but they are still empty.

To solve that problem, check the placeholders and citations. See how to manage sources for more details.

Don’t forget to update bibliography in a document!

Citation and bibliography formats

Depending on the selected style, the Bibliography, References, and Works Cited look quite different. For example, the Works Cited using the APA style:

To change the style, on the References tab, in the Citations & Bibliography group, open the Style drop-down list:

Choose the format you need:

• The American Psychological Association (APA) style is used for academic documents such as scholarly journal articles and books and in many social sciences.
• The Chicago style is used in history and economics and some social sciences.
• The Modern Language Association (MLA) style is most often used in the arts and the humanities, especially in English studies, modern languages and kinds of literature, comparative literature, literary criticism, media studies, cultural studies, and related disciplines.
• The American Sociological Association (ASA) style is used for writing university research papers in the field of sociology.
• The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) style is used for writing research papers, commonly used in technical fields, particularly in computer science.
• Oxford, Harvard, and others.

The specified format for citations and a bibliography can be the requirement for some types of the document.

Note: You do not need to create a bibliography to see how it will look for selected style. After choosing the bibliography style, you can preview the format in the Bibliography list:

Update a Bibliography, References, and Works Cited

Microsoft Word inserts a Bibliography, References, and Works Cited as a field:

or , if the Bibliography is inserted by clicking the Insert Bibliography command.

See how to turn on or turn off highlighting of fields in a Word document to display all fields in a document with a gray background.

Word will not automatically update any type of Bibliography after adding, deleting, or modifying sources or placeholders. You need manually update it, to do so, click on the Bibliography and do one of the following:

• Right-click anywhere in the sources list and select Update Field from the popup menu:

  

• Click anywhere in the Bibliography to show the field options. At the top of the field borders, click the Update Citations and Bibliography… button:

  

See also how to lock and unlock updating for fields.

Modify a Bibliography, References, and Works Cited

Word offers very simple way to change Bibliography to Works Cited or to References, and vice versa. To do so, click on the Bibliography to show the field options. At the top of the field borders, click the Bibliographies button:

Choose the bibliography type you need: Bibliography, References, or Works Cited.

Word also proposed the commands:

• Convert bibliography to static text.

  You can use this command for the final version of the document to avoid any changes for sources, updates, or style changes.
• Filter Languages to show the sources of different languages (see how to create citations for more details).

  Note: If the source has the default language, it can be shown for any selected language.

Delete a Bibliography, References, and Works Cited

To delete a Bibliography, it isn’t enough to delete only visible information, it is necessary to delete all the field. To do so, do the following:

   1.   Select the total Bibliography lines, including the last, empty line right after the Bibliography entries.

Note: If possible, click inside to show the field options. At the top of the field borders, click the Field button to select all the bibliography lines:

   2.   Click the Delete key.

Note: All the citations and placeholders (source information) are still saved in the current document, as well as in Word’s Master list (see manage sources for more details).

See also this tip in French:
Comment créer une bibliographie.

An essay without a reference list is like a house without foundations – weak and unsupported!

After all, the reference list is ‘proof’ that the books and journals you referred to in your essay do exist. In turn, this makes your essay seem more credible.

But a reference list will only enhance your essay if it is accurate. That said, let’s explore how to write a clear and accurate reference list for an essay.

How to label your list of references

Firstly, make sure you know what to call the list of references at the end of your essay. The most common name for this list is a ‘reference list’. But some referencing styles call it a ‘bibliography’ or even a ‘works cited’ list. Also, it’s possible to have a ‘reference list’ and a ‘bibliography’ in the same essay.

What’s the difference between a reference list and a bibliography?

Generally speaking, a ‘reference list’ includes a list of all the sources that were cited in the essay – nothing more and nothing less. A bibliography, on the other hand, includes works that were consulted but not specifically cited in the essay. This is the traditional meaning of the term bibliography, at least.

But, in OSCOLA style, the ‘bibliography’ functions more like a ‘reference list’.

Confused? Don’t worry! This table will show you how to label the list of references according to your chosen referencing style.

Referencing styleHow to label the refs at the end of the essayDescriptionAPA

Referencing style	How to label the refs at the end of the essay	Description
APA	‘Reference list’ only (Bibliography not used)	The reference list should only contain references that were cited in the essay.
OSCOLA	‘Bibliography’	The bibliography should only contain references that were cited in the essay.
Harvard	‘Reference list’ is most commonly used A ‘Bibliography’ is rarely provided	The reference list should only contain references that were cited in the essay. A supplementary bibliography may include additional works that were read but not cited.
ASA	‘Reference list’ only	The reference list should only contain references that were cited in the essay.
MLA	‘Works cited’ and, ‘Works consulted’ (optional)	‘Works cited’ includes all the publications that were cited in the essay, whereas ‘works consulted’ includes publications that were read but not cited.
Chicago in-text references	‘Reference list’	The reference list should only contain references that were cited in the body of the essay.
Chicago footnote references	‘Bibliography’ (if anything)	If the footnotes contain all the information required, an end-of-text bibliography is not usually necessary.

General rules to follow

Once you know how to label your list of references, you can start putting the list together. Here are some general rules that apply to all referencing styles:

• Start your list of references on a new page – it looks a lot neater!
• Get the placement right – references usually come at the end of the essay but before the appendix (if applicable).
• Alphabetical order – the references should be arranged in alphabetical order (by surname).
• Remove hyperlinks – that way, your reference list will look neat and tidy when it’s viewed on-screen.
• Don’t change Americanisms – References should be written in their original form. So, if you’re citing the ‘Journal of Behavior Studies’, don’t be tempted to change this to the ‘Journal of Behaviour Studies’.
• Word count – Remember that the reference list does not contribute to the total word count, so remember to deduct these words when you calculate the final word count.

When looking for sources, you might have noticed that some publications offer ‘suggested citations’. It can be helpful to copy and paste these suggested citations, but you will probably need to make some changes to ensure the citation is compliant with your referencing style. That said, let’s take a look at each referencing style in a bit more depth.

How to write a reference list in APA style

Key points to remember:

• As a minimum, the reference should contain the author’s name, the date of the publication, the title, and the source (I.e. where it came from).
• Additional information is also required for journals, such as the page number(s), the volume number and the issue number (see example).
• The doi should be provided at the end of the reference (if applicable).
• All lines except the first line should be indented – this is called a hanging indent. (Word: Paragraph>Special>Hanging).
• Remember to put a full stop at the end of each reference.

Examples

Journal article
Corsaro, W. (2020). Big Ideas from Little People: What Research with Children Contributes to Social Psychology. Social Psychology Quarterly, 83(1), 5-25. https://doi.org/10.1177/0190272520906412

Book
Kahneman, D. (2012). Thinking Fast and Slow. Penguin Books.

For further guidance, check out APA Seventh Edition! This resource is great as it provides plenty of examples.

How to write a bibliography in OSCOLA

At the end of your essay, you should report a ‘Table of Cases’ a ‘Table of Legislation’, and finally, a ‘Bibliography’. In OSCOLA, the bibliography should include all secondary sources that were cited in the essay.

The secondary sources are listed in a very similar way to the footnotes except that the author’s name is inverted (surname, first initial).

Examples

¹² Smith R, CSR in Business (Routledge 2019)

If there are any unattributed works, these should begin with ——.

—— Punishment and Responsibility (OUP 1968)

You’ll notice that OSCOLA is a pretty minimalist referencing style. This means it’s quite easy to get the hang of. You can find full and detailed guidance in this OSCOLA referencing handbook.

How to write a reference list in Harvard style

There is no official manual for Harvard style like there is for APA and Chicago. Rather, universities adopt their own versions of Harvard style. So, if your faculty uses Harvard style, get a hold of your university’s referencing guide to check the requirements.

• Generally speaking, though, a Harvard-style reference list is similar to an APA-style reference list, in that you must provide the author’s name, date of publication, title, and source. Similarly, book titles and journal titles should be italicised.
• Unlike APA, there is no need to add a hanging indent.
• Finally, when citing books, you should provide both the publisher’s name and location (Publisher Location: Publisher Name).

Examples

Book
Burr, V. (2003). Social Constructionism. London: Routledge.

Journal article
Carroll, A. (1991). The pyramid of corporate social responsibility: toward the moral management of organizational stakeholders. Business Horizons, 34(4), 39–48.

This Harvard referencing guide from The University of East Anglia is comprehensive yet easy to understand – definitely one of the best guides out there!

When referencing books, you will often need to provide the publisher’s name as well as the location it was published. This information can be found in the first few pages of your book. If you don’t have a hard copy, use Google Books or Amazon preview to view the first few pages of the book. Also, Amazon tends to list the publisher’s name in the ‘description’ of the book.

ASA reference list guidance

Key points to remember:

• ASA is fairly similar to APA but notice the differences in punctuation (see examples).
• The reference list must be double-spaced.
• You should include the author’s first name and surname (unless the first name was not included in the original publication).
• Also, the first author’s name should be inverted (surname, first name) but any subsequent names should not be inverted (first name, surname).

Examples

Book
Hagen, John and Ruth D. Peterson, eds. 1995. Crime and Inequality. Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press.

Journal article
Aseltine, Robert H., Jr. and Ronald C. Kessler. 1993. “Marital Disruption and Depression in a Community Sample.” Journal of Health and Social Behavior 34(3):237-51.

Note how a colon is used to introduce the page numbers. This is one of the key differences between APA and ASA style. For more information, check out the ASA quick style guide.

MLA ‘works cited’ guidance

As mentioned, the works cited list is equivalent to a reference list, so it must list all the publications that were cited in the essay.

Key points to remember:

• The references should be formatted with a hanging indent (like APA).
• Uniquely, the date comes towards the end of the reference.
• First and last names are required (inverted)
• The publisher’s name is required but the location is not.

Examples

Book
Brown, Roger David. Blood on the Coal: The Story of the Springhill Mining Disasters. Lancelot Press, 1990.

Journal article
Anderson, Jay. “Living History: Simulating Everyday Life in Living Museums.” American Quarterly, vol. 34, no. 3, 1982, pp. 290-306.

Want to know more? This MLA resource is highly recommended!

How to write a reference list in Chicago style (in-text references)

Key points to remember:

• Like APA and MLA, the references should be indented (hanging)
• The author’s first name and surname should be provided
• For books, the publisher’s location and name are required.
• Notice that commas are rarely used (except to separate the volume and issue number of a journal).
• A doi should be provided after an electronic resource. If there is no doi, a URL is acceptable.

Examples

Book
Smith, Zadie. 2016. Swing Time. New York: Penguin Press.

Journal article
Keng, Shao-Hsun, Chun-Hung Lin, and Peter F. Orazem. 2017. “Expanding College Access in Taiwan, 1978–2014: Effects on Graduate Quality and Income Inequality.” Journal of Human Capital 11, no. 1 (Spring): 1–34. https://doi.org/10.1086/690235.

The Chicago Manual of Style is updated regularly so always use the latest guidance. Finally, if you are using the Chicago footnote style of referencing, check out the bibliography guidance here.

Is the reference list really that important?

In a word, yes!

Imagine, for a moment, that you’ve just finished reading an essay…

Overall, it made some interesting points, but there were no references to back up the claims that were made. Would you think this was a good essay? Would you trust what the author had written? Or would you think it was lacking?

Once you see things from the reader’s perspective, the importance of the reference list suddenly becomes clear.

In essence, this special list boosts the credibility of your essay. So, don’t make it an after-thought.

Need help with your referencing list or bibliography? Our essay writing service can help!

One of the basic strategies to make a professional document is to cite your sources. Referencing makes your writing credible such as showing that you did your research carefully and that you are actually crediting other people’s published works rather than stealing data. And whether you opt to write a research paper proposal, business progress report, school thesis, job resume, or any essential document requiring a list of sources, you can’t go wrong with sample reference list templates to cite every source in an organized way.

What Is a Reference List?

Reference lists refer to the official list in your writing that contains a series of sources. For professional or educational documents such as book reports, the reference list generally contains the author’s name, book title, publication, and page numbers. Your sources may vary from a book, journal, article, website, or any other credible source. And how references are presented would also differ whether you arrange them in alphabetical order, follow a simple bibliography format, or perhaps opt for MLA or APA style.

According to Lib Guides, there are four main reasons why citing references is important: (1) to prove that you did your research, (2) to give credit for other people’s works, (3) to prevent plagiarism, and (4) to let other people track your sources and cite them in other paperwork too.

Also, did you know that plagiarism is punishable by a $100–$50,000 fine or one year in jail?

Why Are Reference Lists Needed?

Indeed, writing a reference list is similar to writing citations or bibliographies where you determine published works that you credited in your paper. But why is it necessary in the first place? In this section, learn about some of the top reasons that prove why reference lists are important.

Prompts an Organized List of Sources

You will appreciate a reference list for creating an overview or itemized list specifically for sources. Just like in writing a professional report or educational document, there is a specific page mainly for the reference page. That is where your reference list is introduced. So to make it easier in tracking your sources and checking the author’s name, publication date, and other key data from your citations, an organized or easy-to-read reference list is necessary.

Follows a Specified Format

The common question in writing sources is to arrange it in APA (American Psychological Association) or MLA (Modern Language Association) format. And it is crucial you know the criteria of your written paper on which format to use, especially when there are still more formats available. Otherwise, your work would be quickly rejected by your moderator if you fail to follow the right format.

Prevents Plagiarism

Never forget that no matter what you write, you better cite your sources if you mentioned unoriginal ideas or theories. Otherwise, you could commit plagiarism. Plagiarism refers to stealing other people’s research reports or any published work and claiming them as your own. And this type of misdemeanor is punishable by law. In fact, plagiarism fines range from $100–$50,000 or one year in jail.

Contains Any Type of Reference Needed

Always remember that a reference list can cover all sorts of references. For example, you need not limit your sources to books because you can also use journal articles, websites, magazines, and other published works as references. More so, you can basically use people as your reference, especially in job resumes. In this case, you will not be stating published papers but names of people who can vouch for your experience, character, or overall performance to qualify for your chosen job application.

The Standard Reference List Format

After that whole introduction regarding the reference list’s definition and importance, it is crucial to recognize the standard format of your reference list next. Just take note that this format below is the average guide for APA style citations:

Title: The title is every reference list’s introductory statement. The title can simply be directly called “References” in your document and it should be centered, starting with a capital letter.Indent: Observe indentions carefully and using the hanging indent is standard. Also, leave at least five to seven spaces for the next set of lines of every reference.Double Space: Double space between references to create a neat look in presenting your data. Also, this is easy to read, just like in a standard data report.Ampersand: Know when to write “and” or “&.” It is expected that if you wrote lots of authors in your reference, an ampersand should be present before you mention the last author.Author with Two Publications: When you come across one author with two publications, always mention the early works first. The order of publication is arranged by year. But if the publication is within the same year, just put “a” or “b” in the citation such as (1997a).URLs: In case you mentioned websites or URLs, do not include the underlines as you often see in links to make sure even the underscores are visible in your reference list.Different Authors: In listing down different authors, don’t simply arrange them in page numbers like the table of contents or any random order. Authors must be arranged in alphabetical order for easy navigation as you search per author name.Capital Letters: There is a difference in writing capital or uppercase letters if you refer to a journal title or a book/article title. For journal titles, write in a headline format where you capitalize every single word except for prepositions and articles. Meanwhile, book/article titles should be capitalized in sentence style. That means you simply capitalize the first word of a title and subtitle after the colon as well as proper nouns.Place of Publication: In mentioning US publishers, write the full name of the city and an abbreviation of the state such as Springfield, MA. On another note, non-US publishers must write the full name for both the city and the country such as London, England.Page Range: A hyphen is not the right way to mention page ranges. You should use en dash without any gap between the en dash and the page numbers. And the keyboard shortcut for en dash is the control key and the minus sign from the numeric keypad.Square Brackets: Although this is optional, additional information can be included to identify specific sources and you need square brackets after the title in doing this.

FAQs

With the many references you have cited in a whole document, it is essential that you collate such information and enlist them in a reference list for easy viewing. You never know how much it could save time to just scan in the reference page to track sources and cite similar sources for future works. Thankfully, you never have to struggle in making reference lists using the sample templates in this article. Create your reference list with Sample.net now!

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