apa 7th edition reference list ordering guide

[toc]

apa 7th edition reference list ordering guide

Concise Guide to APA Style: 7th Edition (OFFICIAL)

Page 264 Review

Decoding APA 7th Edition: A Deep Dive into Reference List Ordering

The American Psychological Association (APA) 7th edition style guide offers comprehensive guidelines for formatting academic papers, with a significant portion dedicated to the reference list.

Understanding the intricacies of ordering entries within the reference list is crucial for clarity and accuracy.

This essay will delve into the specific rules governing the arrangement of references, drawing heavily on examples provided in the text to illustrate these principles.

One Author vs.

Multiple Authors

The guide clearly states a priority rule for entries with the same first author:

“One-author entries should precede multiple-author entries beginning with the same first author, even if the multiple-author work was published earlier.”

This means that if you have a reference by a single author, say Davison, T.

E., it should appear before any references co-authored by Davison, even if the co-authored work was published before the solo work.

The example provided clarifies this:

“Davison, T.

E. (2019).
Davison, T.

E., & McCabe, M.

P. (2015).”

Even though Davison and McCabe’s work was published in 2015, it comes after Davison’s solo publication from 2019.

Multiple Authors, Same Order

When dealing with multiple authors appearing in the same order, the year of publication dictates the sequence.

The earlier the publication, the earlier it appears in the list.

“Multiple-author entries in which all authors appear in the same order should be arranged by the year of publication (the same as one-author entries).”

The provided example illustrates this with Costa, P.

T., Jr, & McCrae, R.

R.:

“Costa, P.

T., Jr, & McCrae, R.

R. (2013).
Costa, P.

T., Jr, & McCrae, R.

R. (2014).”

The 2013 publication comes before the 2014 publication.

Multiple Authors, Different Order

A more complex situation arises when multiple entries share the same first author but differ in subsequent authors.

In this case, alphabetical order by the second author’s surname (and subsequent authors if the second author is the same) determines the ordering.

“Multiple-author entries with the same first author and different subsequent authors should be arranged alphabetically by the surname of the second author or, if the second author is the same, the surname of the third author, and so forth.”

The examples provided are particularly helpful here:

“Jacobson, T.

E., Duncan, B., & Young, S.

E. (2019).
Jacobson, T.

E., & Raymond, K.

M. (2017).”

Even though the 2017 publication is earlier, Raymond comes alphabetically after Duncan, hence the specified order.

“Pfeiffer, S.

J., Chu, W.-W., & Park, S.

H. (2018).
Pfeiffer, S.

J., Chu, W.-W., & Wall, T.

L. (2018).”

Here, the first two authors are identical, so the third author dictates the order: Park before Wall.

Same Author, Same Date: The Letter Designation

The APA 7th edition also addresses the issue of multiple works by the same author(s) published in the same year.

To differentiate these entries, lowercase letters (a, b, c, etc.) are appended to the year, both in the in-text citation and the reference list.

“Ambiguity can arise when multiple works cited in a paper have the same author and date (i.e., the same author[s] in the same order and the same year of publication) because the same in-text citation would then correspond to multiple reference list entries.

To differentiate references with the same author and year, put a lowercase letter after the year in both the in-text citation and the reference list entry.”

The examples clarify the application of this rule:

Letter format for references with years: “2020a,’ “2020b.’
Letter format for references with no date: “n.d.-a,” “n.d.-b.”
Letter format for in-press references: in “in press-a,’ “in press-b.”

The assignment of these letters involves a chronological comparison.

References with only a year precede those with more specific dates, and specific dates are placed in chronological order.

“References with only a year precede those with more specific dates, and specific dates are placed in chronological order.”

This is illustrated by the following:

“Azikiwe, H., & Bello, A. (2020a).
Azikiwe, H., & Bello, A. (2020b, March 26).
Azikiwe, H., & Bello, A. (2020c, April 2).”

The (2020a) entry is the general year, (2020b) is March 26th, and (2020c) is April 2nd, maintaining chronological order.

Conclusion

The APA 7th edition’s guidelines for ordering reference list entries are designed to ensure clarity and prevent ambiguity.

By following these rules, researchers can create well-organized and easily navigable reference lists, facilitating the verification and further exploration of cited sources.

The distinctions based on the number of authors, publication dates, and alphabetical order contribute to a standardized and logical system for academic writing.

Buy full ebook for only $18: https://www.lulu.com/shop/american-psychological-association/concise-guide-to-apa-style-7th-edition-official/ebook/product-rmzpq54.html?page=1&pageSize=4

APA 7th Edition Reference List: Ordering Guide