Sample Reference List Examples: How to Format & Use Them

Creating a properly formatted reference list is essential for academic writing, professional reports, and research documentation. This guide walks you through sample reference list examples, critical rules, and practical tips to build a clean, accurate list of sources for your work.

Why a Reference List Matters

A reference list serves as the roadmap for your readers, showing exactly where you obtained your facts, ideas, and supporting material. Without it, your work loses transparency and credibility.

By providing full details for each source, you help peers, instructors, and reviewers locate the material, verify your claims, and build on your research. For instance, the official guidelines note that a reference list “allows readers to identify and locate the cited works.” 

Basic Rules for a Reference List

• Place the reference list on a separate page at the end of your document. 
• Title the page simply References (or Reference List, if required). 
• Use hanging indents: first line flush left, subsequent lines indented. 
• Arrange entries alphabetically by the last name of the first author. 
• When the same author appears multiple times, list their works chronologically (oldest first). 
• Use the correct formatting depending on the type of source (book, journal, webpage, etc.). 

Sample Reference List Entries

Here are several example entries formatted in the widely used American Psychological Association (APA) style, 7th edition:

• Book: Weinstein, J. A. (2010). Social change (3rd ed.). Rowman & Littlefield. 
• Chapter in edited book: Poe, M. (2017). Reframing race in teaching writing across the curriculum. In F. Condon & V. Young (Eds.), Performing antiracist pedagogy in rhetoric, writing, and communication (pp. 87‑105). University Press of Colorado. 
• Journal article with DOI: Alvarez, E., & Tippins, S. (2019). Socialization agents that Puerto Rican college students use to make financial decisions. Journal of Social Change, 11(1), 75‑85. https://doi.org/10.5590/JOSC.2019.11.1.07 
• Webpage without author: American Nurses Association. (2015). Nursing: Scope and standards of practice (3rd ed.). https://amzn.to/343XPSJ 

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Alphabetizing incorrectly: titles should not appear out of order by author surname. 
• Incorrect capitalization: In APA style, article titles use sentence case; journal names use title case. 
• Missing DOIs or URLs: For digital articles, include the DOI when available or a stable URL if not. 
• Formatting errors: Ensure hanging indents, italicization of book/journal titles, and correct punctuation. 

Building Your Own Sample Reference List

Here’s a simple workflow to get started:

1. Gather each source you cited in your text (books, articles, webpages, etc.).
2. For each source, extract: author(s), publication date, title, publisher or journal, volume/issue/page (if applicable), and DOI or URL.
3. Format each entry according to your chosen style (e.g., APA 7).
4. Arrange entries alphabetically by authors.
5. Insert the reference list on its own page, titled “References”.
6. Double‑check: hanging indents, correct capitalization, and accurate details.

Why the Term “Sample Reference List”?

Using the term “sample reference list” helps writers visualize how their finished list should appear. It often acts as a template or model that you can replicate for your own work. Library guides frequently use this phrase: for example, the Victoria University guide notes a “sample reference list” is available to show formatting and layout. 

Quick Checklist Before Submission

• Page titled “References”, separate from main text
• Entries sorted alphabetically by author
• Hanging indent used for each entry
• Source details complete and accurate
• Applies correct formatting (italicization, capitalization, etc.)
• DOIs or URLs included where relevant

Conclusion

A clean, correctly formatted reference list enhances your writing’s professionalism and trustworthiness. Use the sample reference list examples above as a benchmark. Make sure each entry is precise and consistently styled. Want to streamline your workflow further? Consider using tools like the AI‑powered cover letter generator at LetterLab — especially if you’re preparing documents that accompany your research or academic submission.