Methods to the Madness: Elements of a Reference Entry

Last updated 5/6/2020

 

Visual: Screen opens to a background image with a person typing on a laptop and a notebook and pencil, along with the Walden University Writing Center logo. The title Walden University Writing Center and tagline “Your writing, grammar, and APA experts” appears on the screen. The screen changes to show the series title “Methods to the APA Madness” and the video title “Elements of a Reference Entry.”

Audio: Guitar music

 

Visual: Slide changes to the following: Elements of a Reference Entry

Author’s Name. (Publication Date). Title of the source. Publication information.

Audio: Reference entries in APA all have the same four elements, and understanding those elements will help you to both dissect or understand reference entries you see, as well as create your own reference entries. Here are the four elements for a reference entry: author, date, title, and publication information. Each reference entry for each type of source includes these four elements, and its variations within these elements that make reference entries look differently, particularly for publication information. We can also see that each element ends with a period, which separates it from the next element. There are usually just slight variations in the author, date, and title elements between types of sources; for example, when we look at reference entries for various types of sources, the authors often look the same, just with variations in how many authors are listed.

 

Visual: the following is added to the slide:

“Publication information” has a blue square outline surrounding it and a text box next to it reads:

  • Part that will change the most depending on the type of source.

Audio: However, the publication information will change the most in different types of sources because the publication information changes depending on how the sources are published. Different kinds of sources are published differently, and that’s really where all of the variety in our reference entries comes from. While the publication information will change the most, it is also often the most important because it tells the reader how to find the source and what kind of source it is. So, if you give me a reference entry, as long as you formatted the publication information correctly, I can identify what kind of source it is and where to find it. So, while the publication information element could provide some frustration as you navigate the differences between types of sources, know that it is also the most important element for your readers.

 

Visual: The screen changes to an ending slide with slide a background image with a person typing on a laptop and a notebook and pencil, along with the Walden University Writing Center logo. The email address writingsupport@mail.waldenu.edu appears on the screen.