How to build a reference list
Build an accurate academic reference list or bibliography from sources you actually used. Formatting tips for APA, Harvard, and IEEE.
A reference list (or bibliography) records every source cited in your assignment. It is not a reading list of background material you did not cite.
Build the list as you write. Add each source to your project library when you first use it — waiting until the deadline causes omissions and formatting chaos.
Collect complete metadata: all authors, year, title, journal name, volume, issue, page range, and DOI. Incomplete metadata produces incomplete references.
Sort and format per your style guide. APA alphabetises by author. IEEE numbers in order of appearance. Harvard variants differ in punctuation and capitalisation — use your faculty handbook.
Remove sources you did not cite in the final draft. Remove in-text citations for sources you cut from the essay.
Proofread carefully. Automated tools help but may misparse authors or titles. Check capitalisation of journal names and DOI links.
Export from a single source of truth — your saved library — rather than merging manual entries with AI-generated lists that may include fake papers.
Where Scholise helps
Export a formatted reference list from your Scholise project in APA, Harvard, IEEE, MLA, Chicago, Vancouver, or BibTeX/RIS for Zotero.
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