The importance of a solid reference page in academic papers


The reference list of any academic paper is a fundamental part of it as it directs the readers towards the sources the writer has cited or paraphrased. This compendium of consulted and quoted material provides credibility, theoretical support and provides a broader picture for interested readers to have the possibility to consult related works themselves. Sources of information for a paper are varied and each is to be cited appropriately, according to the guidelines the writer has been requested to follow. All authors of academic papers who aspire to be published must follow certain rules, nevertheless, it is not uncommon to encounter papers that do not seem to respect any. The American Psychological Association (APA) has published manuals which explain procedures for citation and reference. The present analysis aims at evaluating the following reference list in the light of APA guidelines sixth edition manual.

Works Cited
"Blueprint Lays Out Clear Path for Climate Action." Environmental Defense Fund. Environmental Defense Fund, 8 May 2007. Web. 24 May 2009.
Clinton, Bill. Interview by Andrew C. Revkin. “Clinton on Climate Change.” New York Times. New York Times, May 2007. Web. 25 May 2009.
Dean, Cornelia. "Executive on a Mission: Saving the Planet." New York Times. New York Times, 22 May 2007. Web. 25 May 2009.

According to APA (2010), the reference list of every paper must start on a separate page and present the title References without italics, bold type or underlining. Not leaving extra space below the title, begins the reference list in alphabetical order, with double spacing and using hanging indentation for each entry. The reference list in question does not meet the above-mentioned guidelines as its title is works cited, it does not have double spacing nor hanging indentation and is not in alphabetical order.
The first cited source is a website article, in these cases, “when no author is identified in (…) online news articles, the title moves to the author position” (Lee, 2010, para. 9), therefore, the first part of the reference is the correct one, without the quotation marks and followed by a period. Following APA style, the date would come next, between parenthesis in a year, month, date format followed by a period. Afterwards, the author must include where the text was taken from by writing retrieved from and copying the corresponding online address. Even if this entry on the reference list were corrected, the main issue with the validity of this source is that it cannot be retrieved by an online search, hence, the author may risk being accused of inventing information that cannot be authenticated.
The second entry references an interview published in an online newspaper. For referencing interviews, the APA manual (2010) explains that “for interviews (…), list the interviewee as the author. Include the interviewer's name in the description” (p. 213). Nonetheless, the format needs to be surname, comma, initial, period. After that comes the date in the same way as explained in the paragraph above, then the title of the interview in italics with only the first letter of the title capitalized. Following that, between square brackets, the information of the interviewer’s name is to be included and the format (website) in this case. In the last place, as with the first entry, a copy of the link should be provided following the phrase retrieved from.
The last source references a newspaper article published on a website. In these cases, APA provides the following format: firstly, the author of the newspaper article with the format surname, comma, initial of the first name, period. After that, the date is to be written in the same format explained in the paragraph above. Then, between square brackets, there should be a description of the format followed by a period. After that, just like the with the previously analysed entry where the article was retrieved from should be included. Online articles from a well-known source can prove to be useful sources not only for the data-gathering purposes but also for the analysis that can be made from them.
To conclude, it can be said that the reference page in an academic paper is vital since “authors are responsible for all information in their reference lists. Accurately prepared references help establish your credibility as a careful researcher” (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 180). Publishing research implies responsibilities because writers are to be held accountable for what they publish and by referencing properly and appropriately they acknowledge the value of previous research, as well as the validity of their own. Citation and referencing are academic tools that if used properly protect individual property and contribute to the divulgation of published material while avoiding a serious academic offence, which is plagiarism.
References
APA (2010). Publication Manual (6th edition). British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data: Washington, DC.

Lee, C. (2010, November 18). How to cite something you found on a website in APA style. [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2010/11/how-to-cite-something-you-found-on-a-website-in-apa-style.html





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