Writing a dissertation takes a lot of hard work and even more hours. Without a plan, you might find yourself overwhelmed and on the verge of quitting. The you need to do the APA reference dissertation, which takes even more time. The importance of a reference list on your dissertation is crucial. You need to show that the information used in your dissertation came from certain sources. It sounds easy enough, doesn’t it? The challenge comes in when you have to list an entire page or two of references. APA style writing is specific and you have to stick to the format. Here are some tips to help you get started on citing a dissertation in APA style.

  1. Check your margins

APA style citations are very specific about the margins. You have to make sure you get it right. Once you set it on Microsoft Word, it is set throughout the process. All you have to remember here is that the margins should be set to 1 inch from all directions.

2. Font selection

Always write your citation in the Times New Roman font. It is easy to read and does not come off as tacky. Stay away from all of those curly fonts that needs a degree to decipher. Use the font in size 12 and you are good to go.

3. Titles

APA has a list of titles and where everyone fits in. You need to be aware of the various fonts, sizes and colors when writing an mba thesis.  

4. Credible sources

It is no secret that you have to use resources that are credible. You cannot simply find information on a Google search. When you cite your source, make sure you have all of the necessary information to create a proper cite.

5. Full information

If you are citing an author, you need to have the full name as it appears on the book. Looking at dissertation topics in finance will require you to do a bit of research on the initiator of the information you are using. Always start with the author’s last name and then work your way from there.

6. Ignore the length

A lot of students are put off by the length of one reference, but you should nor pay too much attention to it. If you have to include so much information, it is only normal that one reference title will look like it takes up two lines.

7. Unpublished dissertations

You are still required to provide the year in which the dissertation was completed, even if it has not been published yet.

8. In-text citations

Using the option of in-text citations is popular because of the neatness. You don’t see a long list of titles all over your dissertation. If two authors happens to have the same surname, you need to cite the initials. If this is not the case, the last name is sufficient.

9. Proofread

Your citation will require a lot of proofreading. It’s not a process of simply running this page through a grammar checker. The format of a citation is too confusing for grammar tools. This means you will physically have to go over the content yourself.

10. Let it go

After you have completed the citation and you are happy after the proofreading session, let it go. It is important to not fuss too much with your work. Sometimes we actually create more of a mess by going over information too many times.

Which dissertation style do you prefer?

Some people say there aren’t much differences between the various writing styles, but I beg to differ. Once you start noticing all of the differences, you can easily identify the one over the other. One cannot say that the one is more popular than the other. It all depends on what you receive as a required format.