APA Referencing Guide -

Health Sciences, Medicine and Nursing 2008

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Based on the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5 ed.). Copies held in the Reference collections of libraries at each campus
(Fremantle, Broome and Sydney), or see www.apastyle.org

The APA Referencing style is a standardised format of acknowledging sources of information used in academic writing, and is the style used in the Schools of Health
Sciences, Medicine and Nursing at Notre Dame. Referencing is an essential part of assignments and it must be done correctly or penalties may apply.
Plagiarism is the copying or paraphrasing of work from another source without acknowledging the author of that work. Plagiarism affects the academic integrity of both
the individual and the University, and is not acceptable. (see General University Regulations 8.2.1.)

To reference correctly you need to include both in-text references within your work and a reference list at the end of the assignment. The reader can then follow the brief
citation in-text to the full details in the reference list. References cited in text must be included in the reference list, and vice-versa. The only exception to this is for
personal communications which are cited in the body of the text only (see example pages).

In-text Referencing
Within the assignment you must acknowledge where information has come from in a short, but specific way. In the APA style put the author’s surname and year of
publication in brackets, eg. (Smith, 2006). If using a direct quotation or statistical material you must also put the relevant page number/s, eg. (Smith, 2006, p.121). If
there are 3-6 authors you only need to put all the surnames the first time, after that you can abbreviate. If there are 7 or more authors you can abbreviate from the first
reference (see the examples given in the guide). Often within an assignment you refer to the same book or article several times. Within a paragraph you do not need to
repeat the year each time if it is clear that you are referring to the same reference, but once you begin a new paragraph you will need to put both the author and year
again. Look at the examples given in the middle column of the referencing guide that follows and read the notes, if you are unsure ask at the Library.

Quotations - if less than 40 words these are enclosed within double quotation marks “ “.

- Quotations of more than 40 words should be set out in a block, commencing on a new line and indented 5 spaces from the left hand margin. Quotation
marks are not used for the block.

Acronyms - should be spelled out in full on first mention and the acronym given in square brackets. In subsequent mentions the acronym only is allowed, e.g.: The
World Health Organization [WHO] stated in 1996 that this had become an epidemic. Subsequent reports by WHO confirm these earlier findings …….
Reference Lists
The Reference list is given at the end of the work on a separate page. It gives the author’s surname and initials, the title, and publication details such as the edition, place
and year of publication. Electronic resources will also need the website addresses or database names, and the date the material was retrieved.

The Reference list must be set out correctly. It should:

™ be in alphabetical order using the surname of the author (DO NOT list books, journals, websites separately)
™ use the title of the material if there is no author
™ use italics for the title of the book, website name, journal name and volume number.
™ have the second and subsequent lines of the reference indented 5 spaces (‘hanging indent’)
™ use consistent size and type of font
™ be consistent and accurate in details given
™ have NO bullet points or numbering

Author

™ Use the surname of the author, followed by the initial/s only. Do not put in any titles such as Dr. or Professor. Use an ampersand ( & ) between two authors,
or between the second last and last authors. Corporate or organisation names may be used for the author.
Date
™ For books and journals use the publication year of the work; for information from the WWW use the year given or the “last updated” information. If there is no
date use the notation (n.d.).
™ Retrieval dates (the day the page was viewed, printed or saved) must be stated for websites, electronic database journal articles and e-books. Use the
name of the month rather than numbers to avoid confusion with different date formats, e.g. February 5, 2007 (not 5/2/2007).
Title

™ Use italics for the title of books, and the names of journals (not the title of the article within the journal). Journal titles must be spelled out in full, e.g. Journal
of Sports Medicine, not J Sports Med.

Capitalisation

™ For titles of books and articles in reference lists, capitalise only the first word, the first word after a colon or a dash, and proper nouns. Even if every word of
the title starts with a capital letter on the book itself you should change to lower case as directed in the previous sentence. However, the names of journals
and corporate authors remain as given, do not change these to lower case.
Place of publication

™ For locations give the city, however if the city is not well known or likely to be confused with another location of the same name, provide state or country
details. States can be abbreviated, country names are written in full. If several places of publication are listed on a book, give the first one only.

Publishers

™ Give the name of the publisher as briefly as possible; normally you do not need the words Publishers, Co., Ltd. or Incorporated.
™ Where the author of the work is also the publisher write the word - Author - for the publisher’s name.

URL References

™ The URL (Internet address) should not be underlined or a different colour. Most word processing packages will automatically underline the URL. To get rid
of this (if using MS Word) highlight the URL, go to the Toolbar – Insert – Hyperlink – Remove Link.

Common abbreviations

Ed. (Eds.) = Editor (Editors) n.d. = no date

ed. = edition et al. = and others

Rev. ed. = Revised edition p. (pp.) = page (pages)

Suppl. = supplement

Formatting your assignments

It is important to present your assignment in the correct way. For the School of Health Sciences please follow the guidelines set out below.
NB: Different types of assignments, such as Lab Reports, might require different formatting. Consult with your lecturer or refer to your course outline for further
information if you are unsure.
Cover Sheet
All assignments must be submitted with the correct University of Notre Dame cover sheet before 4pm on the due date to the school office (unless other arrangements
are made by your lecturer).

Title Page
Some unit coordinators prefer that assignments also be submitted with a title page. Please see your course outline for further information. If you are not required to have
a title page you must include the full title of your topic at the beginning of your work. This does not mean a title such as ‘Assignment 2’ or ‘Tutorial Paper’, but the
question or topic which you are addressing in full.

Abstract
Some assignments will require abstracts, check with your lecturer or tutor. An abstract is a brief, comprehensive summary of your entire paper which allows the reader
to quickly survey the content of the paper. It must contain all the crucial information that you want to impart to the reader. The abstract should be:
™ Between 100 -120 words (unless otherwise stated)
™ At the top of the first page, after the title but before the introduction;
™ Be clearly differentiated from the main text of the essay;
™ Have a subtitle of ‘Abstract’ centred above it;
™ Be single spaced;
™ Be indented from the left and right margins
Layout
Unless otherwise specified in the assignment guide, your assignments should be submitted with the following layout:
™ Margins -- 3cm for the left and 2cm for the right.
™ Justification -- left.
™ Spacing -- 1.5 or double line spacing.
™ Paragraphs -- do not leave lines between paragraphs. Instead, indent the first line of each paragraph with one tab space.
™ As a general guide, each paragraph should discuss only one main point and be around 250 words in length.
™ Font -- use a simple font which is easy to read. Either Arial in size 11 or Times New Roman in size 12 are recommended.
™ Italics are used sparingly. Sometimes they might be required to add particular emphasis to words.
™ Underlining and fancy scripts should never be used.
™ Page numbers should be inserted as a header or footer beginning on the title page.

The following pages give some examples of how to reference different types of resources.
Books In-text citation Reference list

One author Williams (1997) suggested that …… Williams, D. (1997). Communication skills in practice: A practical guide for health
OR
professionals. London: J.Kingsley.
….. as the survey results showed (Williams, 1997).

Two authors A recent study (Remley & Herlihy, 2001) predicted that ... Remley, T.P., & Herlihy, B. (2001). Ethical, legal, and professional issues in
OR
counseling. Chicago: Peacock.
Remley and Herlihy (2001) point out that ...
NB: Use an ampersand (&) within the parentheses,
but use ‘and’ in your sentence.

Three to six authors A further study (McArdle, Katch & Katch, 2001) McArdle, W.D., Katch, F.I., & Katch, V.L. (2001). Exercise physiology: Energy,
highlighted that … OR
nutrition, and human performance. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.
(The first time cited in-text McArdle, Katch and Katch, (2001) state that …
list all authors’ surnames,
subsequent entries use the Subsequent entries:
first surname and et al.)
(McArdle et al., 2001) OR McArdle et al. (2001) state ….

More than 6 authors In an earlier study (Harrison et al., 1999) the results Harrison, G., Woods, R., Morrison, J., Zappa, F., Lennon, J., Wright, S., et al. (1999).
indicated that .…
Group dynamics. London: Record Press.

Just use first surname and et al. when citing in text. List the first six authors then put et al.

No author Respiratory acidosis is characterised by …… (Fluids & Fluids & electrolytes made incredibly easy. (2002). Springhouse, PA: Springhouse.
electrolytes made incredibly easy, 2002)
Most titles will use ‘and’ but if title page uses an ampersand (&) then your
Use italics for title of a book; use double quotation reference should do the same.
marks for title of a journal article or book chapter.

Second or later edition Applegate (2000, p. 381) states that about “19% of the Applegate, E. (2000). The anatomy and physiology learning system (2nd ed.).
plasma is …… “ OR
Philadelphia: WB Saunders.
The steps described (Applegate, 2000) show that the
first …….
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Book with an editor Tuberculosis is a “mycobacterial disease that is a major Heymann, D.L. (Ed.). (2004). Control of communicable diseases manual (18 ed.).
cause of disability and death… “ (Heymann, 2004, p. Washington: American Public Health Association.
560)
Chapter in edited work According to Schofield (1990) the vast majority of Schofield, T. (1990). Living with a disability. In J. Reid & P. Trompf (Eds.), The health
Australians ……..…
of immigrant Australia (pp. 288–311). Sydney: Harcourt Brace Jovanich.

Note that the author has surname then initial but the editors’ names have initial
then surname and are preceded with ‘In’.

Several sources are cited at Healey (2002a, 2002b), Purtilo and Haddad (1996) and Healey, J. (2002a). Adolescent health. Rozelle, NSW: Spinney Press.
once Townsend (2002) all found evidence of …….
OR Healey, J. (2002b). Suicide and self-harm. Rozelle, NSW: Spinney Press.
Several studies (Healey, 2001, 2002; Purtilo & Haddad, Purtilo, R., & Haddad, A. (1996). Health professional and patient interaction.
1996; Townsend, 1999) show that ……...
Philadelphia: W.B. Saunders.

Each source cited in text should appear as a Townsend, M.C. (1999). Essentials of psychiatric/mental health nursing, Philadelphia:
separate entry in the reference list. Use a, b, etc to F.A. Davis.
differentiate books by the same author in same year.

Secondary reference: …more than infection control (McPherson, as cited in nd

Wass, A. (2000). Promoting health: The primary care approach (2 ed.).
Referring to an author Wass, 2000, p. 195).
(primary reference) read Philadelphia: Saunders.
about in another publication OR
(secondary reference) McPherson’s1993 study (as cited in Wass, 2000, p. 195)
stated that … In this case you have only actually used the book by Wass to find the
information, so that is the book that will appear in the reference list. Unless
OR you find and read the original work by McPherson you do not put it in your
NB: Try to locate the reference list.
An earlier study by McPherson (cited in Wass, 2000, p.
primary source if possible
195) showed that …

OR
Wass (2000, p. 195), in reporting McPherson’s research,
states that …

E-books In-text citation Reference list

Same as books BUT a According to the British Medical Association [BMA] British Medical Association. (2002). Drugs in sport: The pressure to perform. London:
Retrieval statement must also (2002) medicalisation of sport is one of the reasons
be given with name of that...... BMJ Books. Retrieved February 5, 2008 from Ebrary database.
database (preferable) or URL
Journals In-text citation Reference list

Journal article in print Cresswell and Eklund (2004) conducted a study...... Cresswell, S.L., & Eklund, R.C. (2004). The athlete burnout syndrome: Possible early
signs. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 7(4), 481-487.
In-text citations - for two authors always put both
Rules for multiple authors surnames; for 3-6 authors list all authors’ surnames
same as books. in first citation, then use first surname et al. for Rules for multiple authors same as books.
subsequent entries; more than 6 authors just put
first surname et al.

Journal article from an A model from New Zealand is presented by Durie (2004), Durie, M. (2004). An Indigenous model of health promotion. Health Promotion Journal
electronic database which shows……
of Australia, 15(3), 181-185. Retrieved February 11, 2007, from Meditext
Retrieval statement needed database.

Journal articles published Lee, Lansbury and Sullivan’s study (2005) was part of a Lee, T.S., Lansbury, G., & Sullivan, G. (2005). Health care interpreters: A
online by the journal (where a larger project looking at this interaction.
print version is also physiotherapy perspective [Electronic version]. Australian Journal of
published) Physiotherapy, 51(3), 161-165.

Journal article from a journal A survey by Murray, Warm and Fox (2005) found that… Murray, C., Warm, A., & Fox, J. (2005). A survey of adolescent self-injurers. The
available on the Internet only
Australian e-Journal for the Advancement of Mental Health, 4(1). Retrieved
For subsequent entries (3 - 6 authors):
Retrieval statement needed March 10, 2007 from http://www.auseinet.com/journal/vol4iss1/murray.pdf
Murray et al. also noted that adolescent girls ………

Journal article from a …and hand hygiene should always be performed Collignon, P.J., & Carnie, J.A. (2006). Infection control and pandemic influenza.
Supplement between patient contacts (Collignon & Carnie, 2006).
Medical Journal of Australia, 185(Suppl. 10), S54-S57.

Abstract only Holm, Lepp and Ringveld’s study of dementia patients Holm, A., Lepp, M., & Ringsberg, K.C. (2005). Dementia: Involving patients in story-
If abstract only is used it (2005) is part of a larger project that ………
telling – A caring intervention. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 14(2), 256-263.
must be indicated so in the
Ref List. Abstract retrieved January 22, 2007, from CINAHL Plus database.

Book review in journal While Armstead (2007) also states that people with Armstead, J., (2007). Finding a different kind of normal. [Review of the book Finding a
Asperger's syndrome tend to be …………..
different kind of normal: Misadventures with Asperger Syndrome]. Healthcare
Counselling and Psychotherapy Journal, 7(1), 33. Retrieved June 5, 2007, from
Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection database.
WWW In-text referencing Reference list
Document on the World Wide Basser (2005) notes that this is not …… Basser, S. (2005). Anti-immunisation scare: The inconvenient facts. Retrieved May 2,
Web (with date and author) 2006, from http://www.skeptics.com.au/journal/1997/1_immunise.htm
Retrieval statement needed Web addresses are not underlined and no full stop is used.

Document on the WWW (with The Therapeutic Goods Administration [TGA] guidelines The Therapeutic Goods Administration. (2004). Medicines regulations and the TGA.
corporate author) (2004) state that ….. . Retrieved January 27, 2007, from http://www.tga.gov.au/docs/html/medregs.htm

Subsequent entries use only the acronym, eg:

Retrieval statement needed
The TGA (2004) also recommends .. …

Document on the WWW (with Drug Aware (n.d.) describes ecstasy as similar to….. Drug Aware. (n.d.). Ecstasy. Retrieved February 10, 2007, from
author but no date) OR http://www1.drugaware.com.au/pages/ecstasy.asp
These effects can occur within 20 minutes (Drug Aware,
Retrieval statement needed n.d.) …

Document on the WWW (no As claimed (“Why we don’t vaccinate”, n.d.), Why we don’t vaccinate. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2007, from
author / sponsor, no date) http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/8148/vac2.html
**Always question the validity of a site that has no
Retrieval statement needed
author or sponsor.

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Conference Proceedings The local GP was a first point of health service contact Patterson, S. (2005). Multiple partners for mental health. Paper presented at the 8
available on WWW for many people (Patterson, 2005). National Rural Health Conference. Retrieved October 12, 2006, from

Retrieval statement needed http://www.ruralhealth.org.au/nrhapublic/publicdocs/conferences/8thNRHC/Pape

rs/patterson,%20susan.pdf

Image from the web ….as can be seen in the distinct shape of the bacteria. Spirillus (spiral-shaped) bacteria [Image] (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2007, from
www.uic.edu/classes/bios/bios100/labs/celllab.htm
In-text - Insert photograph and beneath it put:
Retrieval statement needed Figure #. Spirillus (spiral-shaped) bacteria.

NB. Images may be subject to copyright.

Other In-text referencing Reference list

Magazine article - no author It is also toxic when consumed in high doses (“The hard The hard road ahead. (2005, October 24). Time, 166(17), 80-86.
road ahead”, 2005) and...…..
For magazine & newspapers give full date in Year, Month, Day order.

Use quotation marks “ ” for title. Abbreviate if long. If no author alphabetise by first significant word in title (in this case, hard).

Newspaper article with an Laurie (2004) also finds this quite conceivable and states Laurie, V. (2004, November 20-21). In the eye of the storm. Weekend Australian,
author that …
p. 1.

Newspaper article with no Health experts warn that … (“Detection”, 2003). Detection proves its worth for cancer prevention. (2003, April 4). The West Australian,
author p.22.
Abbreviate and use quotation marks “ ” for title.

Videorecording or DVD Harrison and Freedman (2005) were able to show these Harrison, K. (Director), & Freedman, R. (Producer). (2005). Crossing the line. [DVD].
Put the format in [ ] tensions in their documentary, which is….. A.C.T., Australia: Ronin Films.
brackets.

Television broadcast ….these hospitals are only for the wealthy (Harley, Harley, W. (Producer). (2005, November 8). India: Medical tourism. Foreign
2005). correspondent. [Television broadcast]. Sydney, NSW: ABC Television.

Seega, B. (Producer), & Swan, N. (Presenter). (2007, January 29). Chronic disease
Podcast The issue of pain control was also debated in another self-management [Podcast radio programme]. Sydney: ABC Radio National.
area (Seega & Swan, 2007) and it appears that…... Retrieved February 12, 2007, from
Retrieval statement needed http://www.abc.net.au/rn/healthreport/stories/2007/1833599.htm

CD-Roms ………..as heard in the lung sounds of an overweight, Kerr, R. (2001). Physical assessment: Practical chest auscultation. [CD-ROM].
middle aged male (Kerr, 2001). Wagga Wagga, NSW: Katscan Digital Imaging.

Government publication The guidelines suggest ……… (National Health and National Health and Medical Research Council [NHMRC]. (2003). Dietary guidelines
Medical Research Council [NHMRC], 2003). for all Australians, Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service.
Give full title & acronym
initially, then use acronym Subsequent entries use only the acronym, eg:
The NHMRC (2003) also recommends .. …

Legislation (Acts) In Western Australia, the Mental Health Act (1996) Mental Health Act 1996 (WA).
defines a mental health practitioner as ……..
Legislation (Cases) In Malouf v. AME Properties (2007) it was found that ..... Malouf v. AME Properties Pty Ltd (2007) FCA 1616. Retrieved February 4, 2008
from http://www.austlii.edu.au
If referring to a particular page put the case name
and the page no. If referring to the judgement as a
whole, leave out the page number.

MIMS (Online) Panadol can be given to…….. (“Panadol”, n.d.). Panadol. (n.d.). Retrieved March 17, 2007, from MIMS Online.

MIMS (Print journal) Interactions given are…… (MIMS, 2003, p.128). Paradex. (2003). MIMS 41(4) 128.

MIMS (Print Annual) Somac tablets are well tolerated (MIMS, 2004, p.17) MIMS Australia (2004). June 2004 MIMS Annual. St Leonards, NSW: Medi Media.

From a university course Brackenreg (1999, p. 48) discusses these theories and Brackenreg, M. (1999). Learning from our mistakes – Before it’s too late. In HPE
readings book states that ..… 3205 —Outdoor Education Course Reader (pp. 46–54). Fremantle, WA:
University of Notre Dame Australia.

Tutorial/Workshop Handout ….gave examples of the danger of not evaluating web The WWW: The good, the bad and the ridiculous. Tutorial handout distributed in the
(unpublished) resources (The WWW: The good, the bad and the course CO115 – Health Communications, at The University of Notre Dame
ridiculous, 2007).
Australia on April 12, 2007.

These biological processes are associated with ageing White, C. (2007). Pathology: Week 6. Lecture notes distributed in the course SS220
Lecture notes (unpublished) (White, 2007) and ….. — Pathology, at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle on
September 6, 2006.

Lecture material – non-print In a lecture (CO115—Health Communications) given at This should not be included in the reference list; consequently the in-text
(e.g. whiteboard notes, OHT the University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, on 17 reference must give all details.
notes, lecturer’s statements) April 2007, Prof. H. Parker suggested that …

Personal Communications In a telephone conversation on 6 August 2007, Dr Personal communications such as conversations, letters, personal email
Lawrence stated that... OR messages and messages on bulletin boards/discussion lists, are not usually
included in a reference list unless specifically requested by your lecturer.
Evidence given (C. Lawrence, personal communication,
6 August, 2007) ...

REMEMBER: You must check your references carefully before handing in your assignments. If you are unsure or have an item that does not have an example given
above, check the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association or ask at the Library. Please note however, that Library staff CANNOT check or
proof- read assignment reference lists for students.

See the next page for an example of how the Reference List should be presented.

APA Referencing Guide – Health Sciences, Medicine & Nursing. 2008 jh

 References

Applegate, E. (2000). The anatomy and physiology learning system (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: WB

Saunders.

Caldwell, T.M., Jorm, A. F., & Dear, K.B.G. (2004). Suicide and mental health in rural, remote and

metropolitan areas in Australia. Medical Journal of Australia, 181(Suppl. 10), S10-S14.

Cresswell, S.L., & Eklund, R.C. (2004). The athlete burnout syndrome: Possible early signs.

Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 7(4), 481-487.

Detection proves its worth for cancer prevention. (2003, April 4). The West Australian, p.22.

Durie, M. (2004). An Indigenous model of health promotion. Health Promotion Journal of Australia,

15(3),181-185. Retrieved February 11, 2007, from Meditext database.

Fluids & electrolytes made incredibly easy. (2002). Springhouse, PA: Springhouse.

The hard road ahead. (2005, October 24). Time, 166(17), 80-86.
th
Heymann, D.L. (Ed.). (2004). Control of communicable diseases manual (18 ed.). Washington:

American Public Health Association.

Marshall, K., & Deane, F. (2004). General practitioners’ detection and management of patients with

a dual diagnosis: Implications for education and training. Drug & Alcohol Review, 23(4), 455-

462. Retrieved January 28, 2007, from Academic Search Premier database.

Marshall, M. (2005). Physical environments and aging: Critical contributors of M. Powell Lawton to

theory and practice. Aging & Mental Health, 9(2), 184-186. Retrieved March 1, 2007, from

Academic Search Premier database.

McArdle, W.D., Katch, F.I., & Katch, V.L. (2001). Exercise physiology: Energy, nutrition, and human

performance. Philadelphia: Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins.

Pascoe, T., Foley, E., Hutchinson, R., Watts, I., Whitecrossm L., & Snowden, T. (2005). The

changing face of nurses in Australian general practice. Australian Journal of Advanced

Nursing, 23(1), 44-50. Retrieved April 2, 2007, form CINAHL Plus database.

Schofield, T. (1990). Living with a disability. In J. Reid & P. Trompf (Eds.). The health of immigrant

Australia (pp. 288–311). Sydney: Harcourt Brace Jovanich.

Yusuf, S., Cairns, J, & Camm, J. (2003). Evidence based cardiology (2nd ed.). London: BMJ Books.

Retrieved January 5, 2007, from Ebrary database.