APA Guidelines Checklist
This checklist can be used to verify whether you have applied some common APA guidelines
correctly. When in doubt, please consult the website of the Authorship Information Point
where you will find the APA guidelines explained in more detail, or send an email to:
[email protected]
A General
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□ 1 The document should include both in-text citations and a reference list.
□ 2 Every in-text citation can be traced back to the reference list entry, and every
reference list entry can be traced back to the in-text citation.
□ 3 There should be an unmistakable difference between reproduced sources and your
own writings.
□ 4 Punctuation (such as full stops, commas, spacing, etc.) is used correctly in in-text
citations as well as reference list entries.
□ 5 Referrals to interviews should include a name, a ‘personal message’ and the date of
conduct. Interviews are not mentioned in the reference list.
For clarification, go to APA: Reference list, Interview
B In-text citations
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□ 6 The text contains references to the reference list.
No footnotes or endnotes are used when citing a source.
□ 7 Citations are copied without any modifications.
□ 8 Citations are put between double inverted commas.
A citation is never italicized or put between single inverted commas.
□ 9 A citation of more than 40 words is written in a separate text box, indented and is
never put between inverted commas.
□ 10 A paraphrase is never put between double inverted commas.
□ 11 The citing of a source includes the name of the author(s) and date.
If the author is unknown, write down the organization.
If the organization is unknown, write down the title.
If the date is unknown, write down n.d. (= no date).
□ 12 The in-text citation of a source includes, if possible, the page number.
□ 13 The citation is part of a sentence or paragraph.
The standard referral is (Surname author, year, p. X) or (Surname author, year). Never put down the
URL.
□ 14 Appendices and images are numbered and specified within the text.
Appendix A, B, C, etc. Figure 1, Image 2, Table 3, etc.
C Reference list
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□ 15 The reference list comes after the main text and before the appendices.
□ 16 The reference list is alphabetically ordered (no breakdown by sources).
□ 17 Whether the cited source is a book, an internet source, an article etc. can be
readily deduced from the reference list.
□ 18 The citation of a book in the reference list should contain the author(s), year, title
(italicized), location + name of publisher.
For examples go to APA Reference List: Book
□ 19 The citation of an article should contain the author(s), year, title of the article, title
of the journal (italicized), year + issue + page numbers. When referring to online
articles add the date of retrieval + URL or DOI.
For examples go to APA Reference List: Article
□ 20 The citation of an internet source should contain the author(s) or organization,
year or date, title of the web page (italicized), date of retrieval + URL.
For examples go to APA Reference List: Internet source
□ 21 The citation of other sources is done according to the guidelines as stated on the
website of the HAN Study Centres.
For examples go to APA Reference List
□ 22 Surnames and surname prefixes are written in full, first names are written with
initials.
Correct: Donk, C. van der. Incorrect: Donk, Cyrilla v.d.
□ 23 The function or role of people other than the author is put between brackets.
In-text: (Jansen, 2015). Reference list: Jansen, A. (Ed.). (2015)… or Jansen, A. (EB). (2015).
□ 24 Title and subtitle are written with a colon and in capital letters.
Title: Subtitle.
□
25 Any subsequent editions are put between brackets after the title.
Title (2nd edition).
□ 26 The reference list does not contain any language or spelling errors.
□ 27 The reference list is consistent (consistent type, spacing, etc.) and consequent.
Example: Coutinho, Publisher Coutinho Ltd.; correct is: Coutinho.
D Correct references
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□ 28 When there are two or more authors the ‘&’ sign is added before the last name in
the reference list entry.
In-text: (Jansen & Jong, 2015). Reference list: Jansen, A., & Jong, B. de. (2015).
Note: do not use the ‘&’ sign within the text: According to Jansen and De Jong (2015) …
□ 29 The date of conduct or retrieval is written in full.
Correct: 1 June 2015. Incorrect: 01-06-2015.
© HAN University of Applied Science