Referencing according to APA is one of the most time-consuming and error-prone parts of a thesis. Not because it is difficult, but because the rules are precise and there are many variants: books, articles, websites, reports, interviews. After 25 years of thesis coaching I keep seeing the same mistakes. Here are the six most common ones, with the correct version alongside.

1. Incorrect order of authors and year

In the running text you use the author's name followed by the year in parentheses. A common mistake is to swap the name and the year, or to place the year outside the parentheses.

✗ Wrong
De Vries (2021) writes that burnout is increasing.
✓ Correct
According to De Vries (2021), burnout is increasing.
, or ,
Research shows that burnout is increasing (De Vries, 2021).

If you weave the name into the sentence, only the year goes in parentheses. If you do not mention the name, the name and year go together in parentheses.

2. Forgetting the page number for direct quotes

If you use an author's exact words, you are required to include the page number.

✗ Wrong
"The relationship between stress and productivity is complex" (De Vries, 2021).
✓ Correct
"The relationship between stress and productivity is complex" (De Vries, 2021, p. 47).

3. Sources in the text that are not in the reference list

Every source you cite in the text must appear in the reference list, and vice versa. Always check this as the last step before you submit, by placing the text and the reference list side by side.

4. Incorrect formatting of the reference list

In APA the reference list is in alphabetical order by the surname of the first author. The second and subsequent lines of a reference are indented (hanging indent). Use the indent function in Word (Format, Paragraph, Hanging) or a reference manager such as Zotero.

5. Websites without a date or access date

When citing websites, two elements are crucial: the publication date and the date on which you consulted the page. If there is no publication date, use "n.d." (no date).

✓ Correct format
Author, I. (n.d.). Title of the page. Site name. Retrieved 15 March 2024, from https://www.example.com/page

6. Missing DOI or URL for scientific articles

Scientific articles almost always have a DOI (Digital Object Identifier). It belongs in the reference as a hyperlink.

✓ Correct format
De Vries, J., & Jansen, M. (2021). Title of the article. Name of the Journal, 14(3), 112-128. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxxx

Tools that save you time

  • Zotero (free): manages your sources and generates APA references automatically
  • Mendeley (free): similar to Zotero, good for large volumes of literature
  • APA Style website (apastyle.apa.org): the official source for all APA 7th edition rules
  • Word reference manager: basic functionality, less reliable for complex sources

Conclusion

APA mistakes are avoidable. Most arise from haste, from tracking sources manually, or from uncertainty about the rules. Use a reference manager, check your reference list systematically, and if in doubt, look it up in the official APA Style guide.

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