0.6 Setting up references (longer route)

About the Authors

• John R. Slate is a Professor at Sam Houston State University where he teaches Basic and Advanced Statistics courses, as well as professional writing, to doctoral students in Educational Leadership and Counseling. His research interests lie in the use of educational databases, both state and national, to reform school practices. To date, he has chaired and/or served over 100 doctoral student dissertation committees. Recently, Dr. Slate created a website ( Writing and Statistical Help ) to assist students and faculty with both statistical assistance and in editing/writing their dissertations/theses and manuscripts.
• Ana Rojas-LeBouef is a Literacy Specialist at the Reading Center at Sam Houston State University where she teaches developmental reading courses. Dr. LeBoeuf recently completed her doctoral degree in Reading, where she conducted a 16-year analysis of Texas statewide data regarding the achievement gap. Her research interests lie in examining the inequities in achievement among ethnic groups. Dr. Rojas-LeBouef also assists students and faculty in their writing and statistical needs on the Writing and Statistical Help website.

About the Editors

• Theodore B. Creighton , is a Professor at Virginia Tech and the Publications Director for NCPEA Publications , the Founding Editor of Education Leadership Review, and the Senior Editor of the NCPEA Connexions Project.
• Brad E. Bizzell , is a recent graduate of the Virginia Tech Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, and is a School Improvement Coordinator for the Virginia Tech Training and Technical Assistance Center. In addition, Dr. Bizzell serves as an Assistant Editor of the NCPEA Connexions Project in charge of technical formatting and design.
• Janet Tareilo , is a Professor at Stephen F. Austin State University and serves as the Assistant Director of NCPEA Publications. Dr. Tareilo also serves as an Assistant Editor of the NCPEA Connexions Project and as a editor and reviewer for several national and international journals in educational leadership.

These steps and screenshots are to be used when setting up your References page. References in a manuscript, thesis, and dissertation are all set up in exactly the same formatting. What may differ are the margins. Manuscripts, in APA 6th edition, are set at one inch margins whereas theses and dissertations typically have a 1.5 inch margin on the left side, for binding purposes. If you follow these steps and screenshots in formatting your references, your references will be properly created so that even if your margins are later changed, the formatting will remain correct.

The second of References begins on its own page. Hit either the page break or a control/enter to force a new page. Type in References on the top line and center it. [Note. For theses and dissertations, the word, References, is typically written in all capital letters, REFERENCES.]

Make sure that your first reference is left margin justified, and not centered as is the heading of References. Your line spacing should also be set at double. Let’s begin with typing in our first reference.

To make sure that the spacing is double spaced, click on the paragraph arrow (right side of the Paragraph button).

After clicking on the paragraph arrow, the screen below will appear. For the typing to be correctly double spaced, the Spacing should have a 0 pt for Before; a 0 pt for After; and Double under Line Spacing. See the arrows below. If they do not read 0, 0, and double, you need to click on the appropriate up and down arrows until they are corrected.

Then click on OK and you will be returned to the References page.

Highlight the reference that was just typed in.

Then move the cursor above the white page and below the Clipboard line. It is a blue space. Hold the cursor there until a ruler appears.

The ruler has now appeared above the white space and below the clipboard row.

We are interested in the left hand side only. Notice the two indents. The top one is the First Line Indent and the bottom one is the Hanging Indent. The First Line indent will be left alone because each reference begins where the left margin is set. It is the second, third, and remaining lines of a reference that must be indented.

Click on the Hanging Indent and move it to the .5 inch mark on the ruler.

Doing so will then move the second line of this citation over. It is now properly indented.

Setting up your references in this formatting manner will then ensure that your remaining references all have hanging indents.

You may now type in the rest of your references as the formatting once set up will remain in effect.