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The information on this page has been constructed or sourced by the LTC Library. You can see more info on referencing on their website here. You can also make an appointment to see our school librarians should you need support.
APA Referencing - The Basics
Top Tips
Referencing and note taking go hand in hand. Keep track of your references as you take notes!
References are needed for all ideas that are not your own, BUT...“Common knowledge” (loosely defined as something a Year 7 student would know) does not need a reference.
General Rule = Paraphrasing is better than direct quotations.
In-Text References
Every time you mention information or any idea that is not your own AND that is not considered to be “common knowledge”, the source must be credited directly in the text.
Example 1 - End of a sentence
The field of engineering has largely developed around the positivist philosophical position (Hector, 2008).
Example 2 - Middle of a sentence
An RBA paper (Simon et al., 2009) found that participation in a loyalty program and access to an
interest-free period... NOTE: “et al.” is used for 3 or more authors for in text refs
Example 3 - Author referred to within a sentence
Smith (2020) states that the field of engineering has largely developed around the positivist
philosophical position.
Reference List
This is a list of all the sources used. Arrange sources in alphabetical order according to author’s last name (see example below):
Example:
Adamich, T. (2010). Context and relationships, past and present: the role of authority in information discovery. Knowledge Quest, 38(3), 66-70. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2020). Job Vacancies, Australia. URL
McDougall, K.L. (2007). Grazing and fire in two subalpine peatlands. Australian Journal of Botany, 55(1), 42-47. URL
Tanakawho. (2013). Screw [Photograph]. Flickr. URL
A note on URL's
If you are submitting something online (such as a Google site), you can write URL and hyperlink it.
Like this: URL.
If you are submitting an art diary or something in print form, you should write the entire URL at the end of your reference.
Like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xm3YgoEiEDc.
APA Referencing - Specific Modes
Website
Image
AI
Company. (year). AI Name (version) [Descriptor]. URL
Make sure to include an Appendix! Watch video (on left) to find out how.
More on ethical use of AI here.
Video
Journal
Book
Dreams & Hallucinations
A little difficult for us to check so maybe keep these to yourselves... 😂
APA Referencing - Specific Sites
Weirdcreatorname788 (date) OR (n.d) Title (if no title, use basic photo description) [photograph / illustration] Pinterest. URL.
Canva
If the creator is known:
Creator, A. A. (Year). Title or description of image [Image]. Canva. URL (if available)
If the creator is unknown:
Title or description of image [Image]. (n.d.). Canva. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL
APA Referencing - Scaffold
Finding Your Sources
It’s always best to keep track of image URLs as you go, but if you haven’t, these instructions will help you reverse search and locate the original sources to create your reference list.
Google Reverse Image Search
Go to images.google.com.
Click the camera icon (or “Search by image”).
Upload the image or paste the URL from your mood board.
Browse the results to find the original or most credible source (e.g., photographer’s site, gallery, stock site).
Record the image title, creator name, website, and URL for referencing.
Repeat for each mood board image.
Tin Eye Reverse Image Search
Go to www.tineye.com.
Click the upload icon to upload an image from your mood board, or paste the image URL.
TinEye will display matching results — note the original source website.
Click on the result to double-check the creator/photographer and website name.
Record the image title (if available), creator (if known), website, and URL.
Repeat for each image used in your mood board.
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