Compiling a Reference List

What is a Reference List? 

A Reference List is a list of all the sources of information that are cited within the text of one's work. It gives the necessary detail and information about the source to support its claims and to enable one to access the source if necessary.

Different disciplines follow different styles of referencing. For Geography assignments (an essay, report or other written document) you should follow a modified Harvard referencing style that is similar to that used in the South African Geographical Journal (consult the Journal to check out the format). The system we use is explained in detail below. Further information on citing systems can be found on Rhodes University's Library website: http://ru.za.libguides.com/Citing or the Taylor & Francis Style (from the American Psychological Association) used in the South African Geographical Journal: https://www.tandf.co.uk//journals/authors/style/reference/tf_APA.pdf.

Some of the places we differ with the APA is that we include all authors in the Reference List and do not use et al. at all (unlike in the intext referencing). Also, we do not use hanging indents, but fully "left-justify" the references.

Some general rules for compiling a reference list:

• A reference list is not a bibliography and must only contain material cited in the text.

• Complete information should be provided for every reference.

• Organise the references alphabetically (according to the first author's surname) without numbering.

• The initials of authors/editors must appear behind the surname(s). When the author is unknown use the convention 'Anon'.

• If there are references to different texts by the same author in the same year label them (a) and (b) in the reference list as done in citations. e.g. Skinner (2000a) and Skinner (2000b).

• For multiple references by the same author list them by date (i.e. in chronologically).

• Where an author has published different articles with different co-authors, list the reference alphabetically by the surname of the first author.

• Do not use 'et al.' in the reference list. List all authors' names fully.

• Punctuate all references exactly as shown in the examples.

• Leave a blank line between references.

Notes:

• Do not abbreviate titles of journals

• The only words capitalised in the titles of journal articles are proper nouns.

• Italicise the name of the journal, not the title of the article in the form.

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of Article. Title of Journal (ital.), volume (ital.)(issue), pages. DOI.

Examples:

Sumner, P. (2003). A contemporary winter ground thermal profile in the Lesotho highlands and implications for active and relict soil frost phenomena. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 28(13), 1451–1458. https://doi.org/Doi 10.1002/Esp.1003 

Notes:

• Journal articles accessed through the internet should be referenced in the same way as journal articles from the hard copy journal, UNLESS IT IS AN ONLINE JOURNAL.

• You must include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) number to inform your reader where they can access the journal article online.

• Many journal articles published online do not have consecutive page numbering and they start at Page 1.

Example of a Journal Article that is Published Online and as a Printed Copy:

Delmas, M., Cerdan, O., Cheviron, B., Mouchel, J.-M. & Eyrolle, F. (2012). Sediment export from French rivers to the sea. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 37, 754–762. doi: 10.1002/esp.3219.

Example of an Article in an Entirely Online Journal:

Nwankwoala, H. O. & Amede, K. O. (2012). Quality status of groundwater resources in parts of Birnin-Gwari Schist Belt, North-Central Nigeria. Research Journal of Earth and Planetary Sciences. 2(1), 65-70. [Online]. http://www.globalresearchjournals.org/fullarticle/51404cb594827. Accessed 3 March 2021.

Example of an Article in an Entirely Online Journal With Page Numbers Starting at 1:

Lewkowicz, A. G., & Way, R. G. (2019). Extremes of summer climate trigger thousands of thermokarst landslides in a High Arctic environment. Nature Communications, 10(1), 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09314-7 . Note that this is a partially made-up reference.

Example of an Article in an Entirely Online Journal Without Edition or Page Numbers:

Lewkowicz, A. G., & Way, R. G. (2019). Extremes of summer climate trigger thousands of thermokarst landslides in a High Arctic environment. Nature Communications, 10, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-09314-7 . Note that this is a partially made-up reference.

Two Authors:

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (yyyy). Title of the journal article: Subtitle. Journal Title, Volume(Edition), Page Start–Page End. https://doi.org/DOI. 

Reference example:

Hanvey, P. M., & Marker, M. E. (1992). Present-day periglacial microforms in the Lesotho Highlands: implications for present and past climatic conditions. Permafrost & Periglacial Processes, 3(4), 353–361. https://doi.org/DOI: 10.1002/ppp.3430030409 

In-text citations would be entered as: 'Hanvey & Marker (1992)' or '(Hanvey & Marker,1992)'.

Three to Twenty Authors:

Author, A. A., Author, B. B. & Author, C.C. (yyyy). Title of the journal article: Subtitle. Journal Title, Volume(Edition), Page Start–Page End. https://doi.org/DOI. 

Reference example:

Bannatyne, L. J., Rowntree, K. M., Van Der Waal, B. W., & Nyamela, N. (2017). Design and implementation of a citizen technician–based suspended sediment monitoring network: Lessons from the Tsitsa River catchment, South Africa. Water SA, 43(3), 365–377. https://doi.org/10.4314/wsa.v43i3.01 

In-text citations would be entered as: 'Bannatyne et al. (2017)' or '(Bannatyne et al., 2017).

More Than Twenty Authors:

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author, D. D., Author, E. E., Author, F. F., Author, G. G., Author, H. H., Author, I. I., Author, J. J., Author, K. K., Author, L. L., Author, M. M., Author, N. N., Author, O. O., Author, P. P., Author, Q. Q., Author, R. R., Author, S. S., . . . Author, Z. Z.  (yyyy). Title of the journal article: Subtitle. Journal Title, Volume(Edition), Page Start–Page End. https://doi.org/DOI. 

Reference example:

Biskaborn, B. K., Smith, S. L., Noetzli, J., Matthes, H., Vieira, G., Streletskiy, D. A., Schoeneich, P., Romanovsky, V. E., Lewkowicz, A. G., Abramov, A., Allard, M., Boike, J., Cable, W. L., Christiansen, H. H., Delaloye, R., Diekmann, B., Drozdov, D., Etzelmüller, B., Grosse, G.,…Lantuit, H. (2019). Permafrost is warming at a global scale. Nature Communications, 10(1), 264. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-018-08240-4    

In-text citations would be entered as: 'Biskaborn et al. (2019)' or '(Biskaborn et al. 2019)'.

Distinguish publications by a single author by adding 'a', 'b' etc. to the Year (e.g. 1993a, 1993b).

Example:

Deane, R. (1993a). Wind patterns and energy. Science, 123, 34-49.

Deane, R. (1993b). Assessment of wind power potential. Journal of Applied Climatology, 23, 1654-1659.

Author/Editor(s). (Year). Title (Edition). City of publication: Publisher.

Example:

King, L. C., Deane, R. & Barnes, J. (1963). South African Scenery (3rd Edition). Edinburgh: Oliver and Boyd. 

Editor, E. D. (Ed./Eds.). (Year). Title. City of Publication: Publishers.

Example:

Barnes, J., Smith, M. L. B. & Frames, R. (Eds.). (1953). Readings on Energy Potential in the Far East. London: Hutchinson.

Notes:

Italicise the name of the book, not the title of the chapter.

Author(s) of chapter/article. (Year). Chapter no. and title of chapter/article. In Editor(s). (ed./eds).Title of the book. City of publication: Publishers, Page numbers.

Examples:

Kirby, M. J. (1976). The problem of wind power. In Jones, AB (Ed.), Estimating Techniques for Climatologists. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 123-129.

Sumner, P. D., Hall, K. J., Meiklejohn, K. I., & Nel, W. (2012). Weathering. In P. J. Holmes & M. E. Meadows (Eds.), Southern African Geomorphology. Recent Trends and New Directions. Bloemfontein: SunMedia, 73-94.

Author, A. A. (Year). Title. City of publication: Name of organisation. (the type of source) [format of source if it is not a printed version].

Examples:

Hunter, I. J. (1994). The Weather of the Agulhas Bank. Durban: University of Natal (MSc Dissertation) [pdf].

Robb, B.N. (2017). Towards a Holistic View of Land and Water Management in the Gamtoos River Catchment: Applying a Political Geoecology Approach. Makhanda: Rhodes University (MSc Thesis) [Online: http://vital.seals.ac.za:8080/vital/access/manager/Repository/vital:21323?site_name=GlobalView].

Note:

An online journal article is not an internet source and is referenced as a journal article.

Author, A. A. (Date). Title of document. Organisation/Newspaper, Date (If available) [Online]. http://URL. Accessed Date

Example:

NASA Earth Observatory (2025).  Antarctic Sea Ice Saw Its Third-Lowest Maximum, November 17 [Online]. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154863/antarctic-sea-ice-saw-its-third-lowest-maximum. Accessed 19 November 2025.

Sly, I. L. (2014). Australian Microbial Resources, Made-Up University, Department of Environmental Science, ENV302 Lecture Notes. Canberra: Made-Up University. [Online]. http://www.madeup.edu/ENV302/AustralianMicrobes. Accessed 23 September 2017.

Heywood, M. (2022). A Clockwork Earth. How much time have we really got — five years? Daily Maverick, 6 February 2022. [Online] https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2022-02-06-how-much-time-have-we-really-got-five-years/ . Accessed 6 February 2022.

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (yyyy). Title of the data set: Subtitle [Data set]. Archive Name.Organisation. https://doi.org.DOI [Data Downloaded: date - especially if it is a data set that changes].

Example:

South African National Biodiversity Institute.(2012) Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland [Vector Geospatial Dataset] 2012. http://bgis.sanbi.org/SpatialDataset/Detail/18, [Data Downloaded: 13 November 2022].

Analogue (Paper) Map:

Agency. Date. Map Title. Series. Place: Publishing Agency (in Full). DOI (if appropriate).

Digital Map/Data:

Agency. Date. Map Title. Series. Place: Publishing Agency (in Full). DOI (if appropriate). [Online] URL. Accessed Date.

Examples:

CD: NGI. (2009). Grahamstown: 3326BC. 1:50 000 Topographical Map Series. Mowbray: Chief Directorate: National Geospatial Information.

CD: NGI. (2016). Digital 1:50 000, Vector Data - EC_NGI_TOPO_DATA_201603.gdb. Mowbray: Chief Directorate: National Geospatial Information.

DEA. (2015). 2013-14 SA National Land-Cover. Pretoria: Department of Environmental Affairs. [Online]. https://www.environment.gov.za/projectsprogrammes/egis_landcover_datasets. Accessed 12 June 2017.

USGS. (2014). USGS EROS Archive - Digital Elevation - Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) 1 Arc-Second Global.  Reston: United States Geological Survey. DOI: 10.5066/F7PR7TFT [Online]: https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/. Accessed 4 February 2022.

Mucina, L., Rutherford, M.C. & Powrie, L.W. (Eds). (2012). The Vegetation Map of South Africa, Lesotho and Swaziland. Version 2012. Cape Town: South African National Biodiversity Institute. [Online]. http://bgis.sanbi.org/Projects/Detail/186. Accessed 18 June 2017.

Government, Govt. Department. (Year). Title. City of publication.

Example:

South Africa, Department of Water Affairs. (1976). Annual Report of the Department of Water Affairs. Pretoria.

Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Unpublished report for the organisation. City: Organisation/Department.

Example:

Bogus, I.M. (2000). The Role of Rivers in the Landscape. Unpublished report for the Department of Agriculture. Pretoria: Department of Agriculture.

To find an article using a DOI (Digital Object Identifier):

When you see a DOI reference to an article on the internet, most of the times you can just click on the DOI in order to access the article (provided you have the needed access rights to the site where the article is located). In case you see a DOI in a print document or when the online DOI is not clickable, and you want to access the article, please do the following:

1. Copy the DOI of the document you want to open (e.g.: doi:10.2991/jnmp.2006.13.4.1).

2. Go to: http://dx.doi.org/  Enter the DOI in the box provided, and click Go.

3. The document that matches the DOI citation will display in your browser.

References

Able, B. (1943). The roaring coastal winds. South African Panorama, 24(7), 2-6.

Delmas, M., Cerdan, O., Cheviron, B., Mouchel, J.-M. & Eyrolle, F. (2012). Sediment export from French rivers to the sea. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 37, 754–762. doi: 10.1002/esp.3219.

Deane, R. (1993a). Wind patterns and energy. Science, 123, 34-49.

Deane, R. (1993b). Assessment of wind power potential. Journal of Applied Climatology, 23, 1654-1659.

Francis, L. (1977). Patterns of pollen distribution in the Cape. South African Geographical Journal, 23, 11-19.

Hunter, I. J. (1994). The Weather of the Agulhas Bank. Durban: University of Natal (MSc Dissertation) [pdf].

NGI, (2002). Grahamstown, 1:50 000 Sheet 3326BC. Mowbray: National Geo-spatial Information, Department of Rural Development and Land Reform, South Africa.

Sly, I. L. (9 January 2014). Australian Microbial Resources. [Online Lecture Notes]. Retrieved from http://www.madeup.edu/ENV302/AustralianMicrobes.