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How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in APA

In this citation guide, you will learn how to reference and cite an undergraduate thesis, master’s thesis, or doctoral dissertation. This guide will also review the differences between a thesis or dissertation that is published and one that has remained unpublished. The guidelines below come from the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2020a), pages 333 and 334. Please note that the association is not affiliated with this guide.

Alternatively, you can visit EasyBib.com for helpful citation tools to cite your thesis or dissertation .

Guide Overview

Citing an unpublished thesis or dissertation, citing a published dissertation or thesis from a database, citing a thesis or dissertation published online but not from a database, citing a thesis or dissertation: reference overview, what you need.

Since unpublished theses can usually only be sourced in print form from a university library, the correct citation structure includes the university name where the publisher element usually goes.

Author’s last name, F. M. (Year published). Title in sentence case [Unpublished degree type thesis or dissertation]. Name of institution.

Ames, J. H., & Doughty, L. H. (1911). The proposed plans for the Iowa State College athletic field including the design of a reinforced concrete grandstand and wall [Unpublished bachelor’s thesis]. Iowa State University.

In-text citation example:

• Parenthetical :  (Ames & Doughty, 1911)
• Narrative :  Ames & Doughty (1911)

If a thesis or dissertation has been published and is found on a database, then follow the structure below. It’s similar to the format for an unpublished dissertation/thesis, but with a few differences:

• The institution is presented in brackets after the title
• The archive or database name is included

Author’s last name, F. M. (Year published). Title in sentence case (Publication or Document No.) [Degree type thesis or dissertation, Name of institution]. Database name.

Examples 1:

Knight, K. A. (2011). Media epidemics: Viral structures in literature and new media (Accession No. 2013420395) [Doctoral dissertation, University of California, Santa Barbara]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Trotman, J.B. (2018). New insights into the biochemistry and cell biology of RNA recapping (Document No. osu1523896565730483) [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses & Dissertations Center.

In the example given above, the dissertation is presented with a Document Number (Document No.). Sometimes called a database number or publication number, this is the identifier that is used by the database’s indexing system. If the database you are using provides you with such a number, then include it directly after the work’s title in parentheses.

If you are interested in learning more about how to handle works that were accessed via academic research databases, see Section 9.3 of the Publication Manual.

In-text citation examples :

• Parenthetical citation : (Trotman, 2018)
• Narrative citation : Trotman (2018)

Author’s last name, F. M. (Year Published). Title in sentence case [Degree type thesis or dissertation, Name of institution]. Name of archive or collection. URL

Kim, O. (2019). Soviet tableau: cinema and history under late socialism [Doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh]. Institutional Repository at the University of Pittsburgh. https://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/37669/7/Olga%20Kim%20Final%20ETD.pdf

Stiles, T. W. (2001). Doing science: Teachers’ authentic experiences at the Lone Star Dinosaur Field Institute [Master’s thesis, Texas A&M University]. OAKTrust. https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2001-THESIS-S745

It is important to note that not every thesis or dissertation published online will be associated with a specific archive or collection. If the work is published on a private website, provide only the URL as the source element.

In-text citation examples:

• Parenthetical citation : (Kim, 2019)
• Narrative citation : Kim (2019)
• Parenthetical citation : (Stiles, 2001)
• Narrative citation : Stiles (2001)

We hope that the information provided here will serve as an effective guide for your research. If you’re looking for even more citation info, visit EasyBib.com for a comprehensive collection of educational materials covering multiple source types.

If you’re citing a variety of different sources, consider taking the EasyBib citation generator for a spin. It can help you cite easily and offers citation forms for several different kinds of sources.

To start things off, let’s take a look at the different types of literature that are classified under Chapter 10.6 of the Publication Manual :

• Undergraduate thesis
• Master’s thesis
• Doctoral dissertation

You will need to know which type you are citing. You’ll also need to know if it is published or unpublished .

When you decide to cite a dissertation or thesis, you’ll need to look for the following information to use in your citation:

• Author’s last name, and first and middle initials
• Year published
• Title of thesis or dissertation
• If it is unpublished
• Publication or document number (if applicable; for published work)
• Degree type (bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral)
• Thesis or dissertation
• Name of institution awarding degree
• DOI (https://doi.org/xxxxx) or URL (if applicable)

Since theses and dissertations are directly linked to educational degrees, it is necessary to list the name of the associated institution; i.e., the college, university, or school that is awarding the associated degree.

To get an idea of the proper form, take a look at the examples below. There are three outlined scenarios:

• Unpublished thesis or dissertation
• Published thesis or dissertation from a database
• Thesis or dissertation published online but not from a database

American Psychological Association. (2020a). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

American Psychological Association. (2020b). Style-Grammar-Guidelines. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/basic-principles/parenthetical-versus-narrative

Published August 10, 2012. Updated March 24, 2020.

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Elise Barbeau. Michele Kirschenbaum is a school library media specialist and the in-house librarian at EasyBib.com. Elise Barbeau is the Citation Specialist at Chegg. She has worked in digital marketing, libraries, and publishing.

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
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• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Multiple Authors
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Parenthetical Citations
• Reference Page
• Sample Paper
• APA 7 Updates
• View APA Guide

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• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all APA Examples

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To cite a published thesis in APA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the author, publication year, title of the thesis, institute name, archive name, and URL (uniform resource locator). The templates for an in-text citation and reference list entry of a thesis, along with examples, are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

Use the author surname and the publication year in the in-text citation.

Author Surname (Publication Year)

Cartmel (2007)

Parenthetical:

(Author Surname, Publication Year)

(Cartmel, 2007)

Reference list entry template and example:

The title of the thesis is set in sentence case and italicized. Enclose the thesis and the institute awarding the degree inside brackets following the publication year. Then add the name of the database followed by the URL.

Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Title of the thesis [Master’s thesis, Institute Name]. Name of the Database. URL

Cartmel, J. (2007). Outside school hours care and schools [Master’s thesis, Queensland University of Technology]. EPrints. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/17810/1/Jennifer_Cartmel_Thesis.pdf

To cite an unpublished dissertation in APA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the author, year, title of the dissertation, and institute name. The templates for in-text citation and reference list entry of an online thesis, along with examples, are given below:

Author Surname (Year)

Averill (2009)

(Author Surname, Year)

(Averill, 2009)

The title of the dissertation is set in sentence case and italicized. Enclose “Unpublished doctoral dissertation” inside brackets following the year. Then add the name of the institution awarding the degree.

Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Title of the dissertation [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Name of the Institute.

Averill, R. (2009). Teacher–student relationships in diverse New Zealand year 10 mathematics classrooms: Teacher care [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Victoria University of Wellington.

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How Many References Are Needed for a 10,000-Word Dissertation?

Introduction, what is the ideal number of references for a 10,000-word dissertation, factors that determine the number of references:, tips for choosing the right references:.

• How it works

How to Best Use References in a Dissertation

Published by Alvin Nicolas at August 12th, 2021 , Revised On September 20, 2023

“In a dissertation, references refer to the sources and citations used to support and validate the research.”

They provide evidence, scholarly context, and acknowledgment of the works consulted during the study. References typically include books, journal articles, websites, and other relevant publications cited in the dissertation.

Writing a dissertation can be challenging especially if you haven’t had the chance to write a dissertation before. You need to look into relevant literature, analyze past researches, conduct surveys, interviews, etc. and also reference and cite information that you’ve gathered from different sources.

Many students are usually confused regarding which sources should be mentioned and which be omitted. This confusion arises because they are unaware of the fact as to which sources are credible, reliable, and authentic and which are not.

Thus, the question always remains ‘How to Best Use References in a Dissertation’?

While there is no single way to best use references in a dissertation, students should have a clear understanding of the concept of the use of credible and reliable sources in their dissertation paper.

In today’s world where changes take place frequently, some newspaper articles published online are also categorized as authentic and credible sources.

Information and/or data can be extracted from these articles and included in dissertations with proper use of a citation.

To make sure that references are used appropriately in dissertations, here are a few ways that you can follow:

Research Relevant Studies

Depending on the  topic of your dissertation , make sure to research and look into similar researches that have been conducted in the past. In addition to this, you could also read, analyze and review researches that have utilized the same model or talk about the same theory as you are applying in your dissertation.

Doing so will add a lot of value to your dissertation and you will be able to include models and theories with correct references and citations.

Include Recent Researches

As important as relevant studies are for your dissertation, including recent studies only is equally important. Using reference in a dissertation that belong to the past five to ten years are acceptable; however, using references of the 1980s or 1990s is not recommended.

The main reason being changes in time, settings, environment, participants, etc. All these factors contribute a lot towards accurate conclusions, thus they are regarded as essential when using a study for reference purposes.

Also, writing a dissertation in the current setting, considering the current environment, only recent researches must be included in the dissertation. This gives readers the idea that the research that has been conducted is recent.

Also Read:   How to avoid plagiarism in an academic paper

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Cite/Reference while Writing

Many of us are guilty of extracting information from various sources when writing without noting down the reference. As a result, we lose track of that particular reference and end up spending hours looking for that specific article or research.

Thus, you should always note down the reference as soon as you refer to it in your dissertation or when you include data or information. In this manner, you will have a complete list of references that you’ve used when you’ve finished writing your dissertation.

Also, doing so will save you a lot of your time, and you will be able to finish your dissertation without any delays.

Know when and where to Cite

Remember the hours you spent looking for the  statistics  or the specific piece of information that you mentioned in your dissertation, but forgot to cite? This usually happens when the deadline is nearing, and we’re in a hurry to complete our dissertation.

However, you should always keep in mind that when you rush things, you tend to spend a lot more time than needed. Thus, whenever you’re mentioning a fact, statistics, or a particular piece of information that is exact and accurate, always cite it.

Not doing so will keep your readers in doubt whether the statistic or number mentioned is accurate or not. On the other hand, if you cite those exact numbers, readers will have the impression that you have done your research, and they can even crosscheck it by referring to your citation.

Choose the Correct Referencing Style

There are various referencing styles. Depending on your university and other requirements, the right referencing style is chosen and conveyed to you.

What you should make sure of is understanding the required referencing style, so you can cite accurately. A Harvard style referencing style example includes a reference list with the name of authors, the journal or book name, the publisher’s name, and the date and the page number.

When citing the exact words of an author or when defining a theory or model, make sure that you include the page number as they are required for direct quotations.

If, in case you do not understand any of the referencing styles, you should either follow the guidelines provided by your tutor or you can also search the internet for your required referencing style.

With time, new editions of referencing styles have been introduced to make sure that all thesis and dissertations follow the same pattern. Thus, make it a practice to crosscheck your referencing style from the internet to make sure that you’re following the latest format and edition.

Proofread your Reference List

This is one of the most important, but often most ignored aspects when looking at how to use references correctly. Your reference list should be sorted as soon as you finish writing your dissertation.

For instance, it should be alphabetically arranged, the number of references should be appropriate for the dissertation, and should be free from all types of errors such as formatting, grammatical and style .

The correct style should be followed, the reference list should be properly formatted and proofread to eliminate all errors. An ideal list of reference examples includes correct mention of the author name, year of publication, and name of the book.

The publisher’s name should be italicized and the page number should also be mentioned. For academic journals, mentioning volume and issue number is mandatory. All these aspects should be considered to make sure that an accurate reference list is prepared for your dissertation.

Crosscheck your Citations

When citing your dissertation, you need to make sure that your text corresponds with the in-text citation that you’re including. Not doing so will make your research unreliable and unauthentic.

Readers will get an impression that the in-text citations have been included just for the sake of it, instead of being related to the text and information that is being mentioned.

Thus, the best in-text citation example includes the name of the author along with the year of publication. If there is a direct quote or a definition included in the exact words of the author, then the page number must be also indicated while citing.

Make sure that all your in-text citations are in line with the information that has been presented and discussed in the paper.

Number of References to be Used

‘How many references should I use for my dissertation? This is a question that most students face. They usually get confused when it comes to the number of references that should be used in a dissertation. There’s no right number of references that should be used in a dissertation.

It depends on the topic, the academic level of the dissertation, and the  literature review  that is being presented.

Also, the models and theories used in the paper contribute to the total number of references. Ideally, it is recommended that every paragraph of 100 words or more should have a reference; however, this is not required and mandatory in all cases.

The literature review is usually the chapter that uses the most references. This helps in formulating a dissertation that is not only informative but is backed by credible resources as well.

Referencing a dissertation is an easy task if done in the right manner. To answer the question, ‘how to best use references in a dissertation, you need to make sure that you’ve collected the right sources  and are referring to credible and reliable information only.

Once you’ve sorted your references, you’re on your way to right an authentic dissertation. The literature review is an important aspect of every dissertation for mentioning relevant theories, models, and information. Thus, this section is critical when it comes to referencing. You should make sure that the models and theories are referenced appropriately, and all references are recent.

If you’re still unsure of whether you’re using references in the right manner or not, or you’re seeking help with referencing your dissertation, get in touch with our professional  dissertation writing services .

At ResearchProspect, we make sure that your dissertation is properly referenced and accurately cited. All our information is up to date, and we make sure that only recent references are included in the dissertation to leave a lasting impression on the readers. Contact us today and leave your referencing worries to us!

FAQs About References in a Dissertation

Can i cite old research papers in my dissertation.

Old papers are usually outdated in terms of significance and impact. Therefore, you must look for recent papers to cite in your dissertation. 

Why is it important to cite/ reference while writing?

Without citation, it looks like you are presenting someone else’s words as your views idea, which will eventually count as plagiarism . 

Moreover, the citations increase the credibility and accuracy of the information presented in the paper.

Which is the correct referencing style?

There are many referencing styles available to pick from, such as MLA, APA, Harvard referencing style , etc. You must check with your university preferences to choose one. However, most UK universities prefer Harvard referencing style. 

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APA 7th Edition Citation Examples

• Volume and Issue Numbers
• Page Numbers
• Undated Sources
• Citing a Source Within a Source
• In-Text Citations
• Academic Journals
• Encyclopedia Articles
• Book, Film, and Product Reviews
• Online Classroom Materials
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• Technical + Research Reports
• Court Decisions
• Treaties and Other International Agreements
• Federal Regulations: I. The Code of Federal Regulations
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• Executive Orders
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Format for dissertations and theses

Dissertations and theses database.

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Author last name, first initial. (Year).  Title of dissertation/thesis  (Publication No.) [Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, University]. Database. URL

• Author:  List the last name, followed by the first initial (and second initial). See  Authors  for more information.
• Year:  List the year between parentheses, followed by a period.
• Title of dissertation/thesis:  In italics. Capitalize the first word of the title, subtitle, and proper nouns.
• Publication number: Can be found in Dissertations and Theses database, listed in the item record as “Dissertation/thesis number.”
• Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis:  List whether it is a dissertation or a thesis.
• University:  List the university associated with the dissertation/thesis.
• Database:  List database the dissertation/thesis was found in, if found in a database.
• URL:  List URL if found on the free Web rather than in a database.

See specific examples below.

Dissertations:

Pecore, J. T. (2004). Sounding the spirit of Cambodia: The living tradition of Khmer music and dance-drama in a Washington, DC community  (Publication No. 3114720) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. 

Master's Theses:

Hollander, M. M. (2017). Resitance to authority: Methodological innovations and new lessons from the Milgram experiment   (Publication No. 10289373) [Master's thesis, University of Wisconsin - Madison]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

APA calls for the citation to include a unique identifying number for the dissertation, labeling it “Publication No.” That number can be found in Dissertations and Theses database, listed in the item record as “Dissertation/thesis number.”

Karamanos, X. (2020). The influence of professional development models on student mathematics performance in New Jersey public elementary schools [Doctoral dissertation, Seton Hall University]. Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs). https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/2732

Bordo, V. C. (2011). Making a case for the use of foreign language in the educational activities of nonprofit arts organizations [Master's thesis, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses & Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1311135640

Caprette, C. L. (2005). Conquering the cold shudder: The origin and evolution of snake eyes  [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University].

Angelova, A. N. (2004). Data pruning  [Master's thesis, California Institute of Technology].

See  Publication Manual , 10.6.

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The Minimum Number of References in a Dissertation

Teresa j. siskin.

Your dissertation reference list reflects your level of research done in preparation for your writing. While there is no set number of references to supply, there are some helpful guidelines you can follow to ensure you supply an adequately deep and developed list of sources. These tips, from including a broad range of sources to ensuring consistent documentation, can help you construct a well-developed and refined reference list that can make your final dissertation outcomes all the more impressive.

Explore this article

• Exhibit Ample Knowledge of Prior Research
• Show Depth and Range of Sources
• Assess Source Reliability
• Reference Uniformity
• Additional Considerations

1 Exhibit Ample Knowledge of Prior Research

A key component of a dissertation is a section discussing the state of your research question, which is intended to summarize prior work closely related to your topic. This prior scholarship is an essential component to include in your dissertation references, as it reflects the extent to which you probed prior work in the development of your own, original research question. (See Reference 1, Page 3)

2 Show Depth and Range of Sources

Your dissertation references should also reflect a broad range of sources. For example, you should ensure that you are not providing sources only from one journal or from one scholar’s publications, as this might bias your work or undermine your conclusions.

3 Assess Source Reliability

Your sources should also be assessed for their validity and reliability. Internet sources, for example, unless coming from a reputable journal site or scholarship database, should be omitted, as should articles that are written with explicit bias. You should also cite only primary sources, meaning material taken directly from original documents, rather than secondary sources, which cite these original documents and thus run the risk of altering or misinterpreting the original writer’s meaning. (See Reference 2)

4 Reference Uniformity

Presenting a strong dissertation reference list also involves maintaining a uniform system of reference documentation, such as the American Psychological Association Method, the Chicago Manual of Style or the Modern Language Association Method. You must check as to which method is most accepted in your field -- for example, those working in the social sciences most commonly use the APA format, (See Reference 3) while humanities scholars prefer the Chicago Manual of Style (See Reference 4) -- and then maintain that style’s formatting throughout your writing, reference list and footnotes or endnotes, if applicable. (See Reference 5, Page 7)

5 Additional Considerations

Reviewing the reference list for previously published dissertations in your field can be beneficial, as it gives you both a sense of the scope of references included and access to new sources you might not have previously considered. These mined sources can both amplify your own reference list and contribute to the increasing depth of your scholarship.

• 1 Borough of Manhattan Community College/CUNY Library: Primary vs. Secondary Sources
• 2 American Psychological Association: APA Style
• 3 Chicago Manual of Style Online: Citation Quick Guide
• 4 PennState Graduate School: Thesis/Dissertation Guide 2012

About the Author

Teresa J. Siskin has been a researcher, writer and editor since 2009. She holds a doctorate in art history.

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How to Determine the Ideal Number of References for a 10,000-Word Dissertation?

by Anna Catrall | Nov 27, 2023 | Digital Health Literacy

You may be familiar with situations when your friends shout at you because you used their stories to get their attention without mentioning them. Acknowledgement in all mediums has always been necessary, especially when writing academic papers. Yet, most students are not well acquainted with referencing styles. Studies have shown that there has been an error rate of 25-54% in the accuracy of references in many scientific disciplines. 

As dissertations are important for all students, it is crucial to learn how to handle them correctly. Despite a moderate error rate, you need to ensure that your paper is perfect and can fetch perfect grades. You can always ask for a dissertation help london from websites like myassignnenthelp.co.uk and learn how to write such papers. 

But before you Visit one such website , you must also know the basics. The following few sections will answer the main question, help you learn the factors, and share tips to choose the right references. 

Let’s get started!

The Ideal Number of References in a 10,000-word Dissertation

The number of references in a dissertation depends on a lot of things. However, in a 10,000-word dissertation, the ideal number of references is expected to be around 45-50. You have to keep this in mind while writing such dissertations. 

As dissertations are one of the most important papers for students, it is necessary to understand all the aspects before you work on them. References play a major role in the entire paper, and you have to understand the referencing style before you start working on the papers. 

Students often go on using the maximum number of references without considering any of the factors. The need to understand the various things before you start working on your dissertation is crucial. 

The following section will take you through the factors determining the number of references in a dissertation. Understand the same and plan the dissertation accordingly. 

Factors Determining the Number of References

The number of references in a dissertation depends on a few factors. A proper understanding of these factors will help you define the number of references you use in a dissertation. Here’s a look at the factors: 

Research methodology

The way you research plays a crucial role in defining the number of references. Students are assigned various assignments and must choose an appropriate research methodology to find necessary information and justify the assignment. For instance, if you use a qualitative research methodology, you will focus on small samples and will not need many references. You have to understand the same before you work on the projects. 

A lot depends on the subject you are pursuing. A science dissertation will have more references than one in the humanities. Science demands a lot of research and evidence to prove a point. You will have to do a series of experiments to justify a science project, which is why the number of references is high in such papers. 

The scope of a dissertation plays a crucial role in determining the number of references. If the dissertation covers a broad range of topics, it will have more references. You need to understand the scope to determine the number of references necessary in your dissertation. 

Dissertation requirements

You have to look into the requirements before you decide on the number of references. The dissertation requirements are important in the entire process. You cannot follow the ideal number of references and ignore the dissertation requirements. The university will share the necessary instructions; students are expected to follow the same for better results. 

Now, that’s not all. You also need to know the tips to choose the right references and justify your project. The following section will take you through the tips to choose the right references.

Tips to Choose the Right References

You need to know how to select the right references to sail through the referencing process. Take a look at some of the expert tips to choose the right references: 

Choose credible sources

Your research will hold no value if you don’t choose credible sources. You need to find credible sources that readers will acknowledge. It is crucial to understand the right ways to find credible sources and understand the meaning of the same to overcome the odds. Consult with your professor or an expert to understand the same and justify the paper. 

Use current sources

Citing sources that are old will not serve the purpose. You need to check the date of publishing before you use information from any source. There are instances where students fail to score well in the papers because they don’t use information from current sources. You have to acknowledge the importance of current data and find information accordingly. 

Understand your audience

It is crucial to understand your audience when you select your references. If you are writing for people who are more into education, you need to find scholarly articles on the topic. The audience must relate to what you are saying. So, you have to find data that is relevant to the audience. It will help you justify the papers and help you score well in them. You must know what is best for your paper and choose your sources accordingly. 

There are a lot of things to understand while write my dissertation . You have to ensure that you have the best solution to score well in the papers. The need to find the right information is crucial in dissertations, and you have to be good with the research process. Referencing is a part of the process, and you have to start from the basics to ensure the paper is flawless. 

To end with,

It is important to understand the importance of references in dissertations. However, you will be unable to justify the paper if you are not well-versed with the steps or the ways to choose referencing. You need to know the best ways to refer to your sources and understand the referencing style to justify your work. The points mentioned above answer all the questions you might have. Consult with your professor and learn how to use proper referencing for better results.

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How Many References Should a Research Paper Have? Study of 96,685 Articles

I analyzed a random sample of 96,685 full-text research papers, uploaded to PubMed Central between the years 2016 and 2021, in order to answer the question:

How many references should you cite when writing a research article?

I used the BioC API to download the data (see the References section below).

Here’s a summary of the key findings

1- The average number of references for a research paper is 45 , with 90% of research papers having between 8 and 102 references. However, this number depends a lot on study design . For instance, a systematic review typically has 49 references while a case report has only 24.

2- As a rule of thumb, consider citing 1 reference for every 95 words (or 4 sentences) .

3- The more research you do will be reflected in the number of references you use in your paper, since high-quality articles usually have 5 more references than the median .

How many references does a typical article have?

The histogram below shows that most research papers have between 25 to 50 references, and only a few exceed 100:

Because the distribution has a right tail, the median number of references becomes a more reliable metric than the mean. Here are a few other numbers that summarize the data:

From this table we can conclude that:

The median research paper has 39 references, and 50% of papers have between 25 and 56 references. An article can have as few as 1 reference as a minimum, and 911 references as a maximum.

Next, let’s see if the number of references depends on the study design.

Should the study design influence the number of references you use?

The table below shows that:

1- Secondary study designs (systematic reviews and meta-analyses) have the highest number of references (median = 49), which is to be expected as these articles review a large body of information.

2- Experimental, quasi-experimental and analytical designs typically have between 35 and 39 references.

3- Descriptive designs (case reports and case series) have the lowest number of references (median ≈ 25), which also makes sense as these describe the clinical story of a single (or a few) patient(s) and generally have a very short literature review section.

How often should you cite in a research paper?

Some journals may specify the maximum number of citations allowed. For instance, Nature allows articles to have at most 30 references in the main text [ Source ]. So make sure to check the authorship guidelines of the journal where you want to submit.

That being said, often is the case where we ask ourselves: am I taking too much information from outside sources? or maybe too few? So I would argue that it would be useful to know, for a given article size, how many references to cite.

If we measure the length of all the articles in our dataset combined and divide it by the total number of references, we get the following numbers:

On average, 1 reference is cited for every 95 words, that is 1 reference for every 4 sentences. In terms of paragraphs, an article has approximately 1.5 references for each paragraph.

Here’s a table that shows the median number of references cited for each word count category:

Does using more references make your article better?

Hypothesis 1: It is well-known that citing more resources is usually associated with more in-depth research, therefore, we would expect high-quality articles to include a higher number of references.

Hypothesis 2: Some experts believe that a good writing habit is to keep the number of references to a minimum (see: Essentials of Writing Biomedical Research Papers by Mimi Zeiger), so according to this hypothesis, high-quality articles should have, on average, fewer references.

Let’s find out what researchers are doing in practice and which hypothesis our data support.

In order to answer the question, I collected the journal impact factor (JIF) for 71,579 articles and divided the dataset into 2 groups:

• research papers published in low impact journals (JIF ≤ 3): this subset consisted of 34,758 articles
• research papers published in high impact journals (JIF > 3): this subset consisted of 36,821 articles

After controlling for study design, the group with JIF ≤ 3 had a median number of references of 37, while the group with JIF > 3 had a median of 44.

Remember that the median article overall had 39 references (as we saw above), so based on these results, we can conclude that:

High-quality articles, in general, have about 5 more references than the median article. So a comprehensive literature review and a more in-depth discussion section can make the difference between a good and an excellent research article.

• Comeau DC, Wei CH, Islamaj Doğan R, and Lu Z. PMC text mining subset in BioC: about 3 million full text articles and growing,  Bioinformatics , btz070, 2019.

Further reading

• How Old Should References Be? Based on 3,823,919 Examples
• Statistical Software Popularity in 40,582 Research Papers
• Programming Languages Popularity in 12,086 Research Papers
• Length of a Conclusion Section: Analysis of 47,810 Examples
• How Long Should a Research Paper Be? Data from 61,519 Examples

Frequently asked questions

How should you refer to chapters in your thesis or dissertation.

When you mention different chapters within your text, it’s considered best to use Roman numerals for most citation styles. However, the most important thing here is to remain consistent whenever using numbers in your dissertation .

Frequently asked questions: Dissertation

Dissertation word counts vary widely across different fields, institutions, and levels of education:

• An undergraduate dissertation is typically 8,000–15,000 words
• A master’s dissertation is typically 12,000–50,000 words
• A PhD thesis is typically book-length: 70,000–100,000 words

However, none of these are strict guidelines – your word count may be lower or higher than the numbers stated here. Always check the guidelines provided by your university to determine how long your own dissertation should be.

A dissertation prospectus or proposal describes what or who you plan to research for your dissertation. It delves into why, when, where, and how you will do your research, as well as helps you choose a type of research to pursue. You should also determine whether you plan to pursue qualitative or quantitative methods and what your research design will look like.

It should outline all of the decisions you have taken about your project, from your dissertation topic to your hypotheses and research objectives , ready to be approved by your supervisor or committee.

Note that some departments require a defense component, where you present your prospectus to your committee orally.

A thesis is typically written by students finishing up a bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Some educational institutions, particularly in the liberal arts, have mandatory theses, but they are often not mandatory to graduate from bachelor’s degrees. It is more common for a thesis to be a graduation requirement from a Master’s degree.

Even if not mandatory, you may want to consider writing a thesis if you:

• Plan to attend graduate school soon
• Have a particular topic you’d like to study more in-depth
• Are considering a career in research
• Would like a capstone experience to tie up your academic experience

The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation should include the following:

• A restatement of your research question
• A summary of your key arguments and/or results
• A short discussion of the implications of your research

The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation shouldn’t take up more than 5–7% of your overall word count.

For a stronger dissertation conclusion , avoid including:

• Important evidence or analysis that wasn’t mentioned in the discussion section and results section
• Generic concluding phrases (e.g. “In conclusion …”)
• Weak statements that undermine your argument (e.g., “There are good points on both sides of this issue.”)

Your conclusion should leave the reader with a strong, decisive impression of your work.

While it may be tempting to present new arguments or evidence in your thesis or disseration conclusion , especially if you have a particularly striking argument you’d like to finish your analysis with, you shouldn’t. Theses and dissertations follow a more formal structure than this.

All your findings and arguments should be presented in the body of the text (more specifically in the discussion section and results section .) The conclusion is meant to summarize and reflect on the evidence and arguments you have already presented, not introduce new ones.

A theoretical framework can sometimes be integrated into a  literature review chapter , but it can also be included as its own chapter or section in your dissertation . As a rule of thumb, if your research involves dealing with a lot of complex theories, it’s a good idea to include a separate theoretical framework chapter.

A literature review and a theoretical framework are not the same thing and cannot be used interchangeably. While a theoretical framework describes the theoretical underpinnings of your work, a literature review critically evaluates existing research relating to your topic. You’ll likely need both in your dissertation .

While a theoretical framework describes the theoretical underpinnings of your work based on existing research, a conceptual framework allows you to draw your own conclusions, mapping out the variables you may use in your study and the interplay between them.

A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.

Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation , such as:

• Your anticipated title
• Your abstract
• Your chapters (sometimes subdivided into further topics like literature review , research methods , avenues for future research, etc.)

In most styles, the title page is used purely to provide information and doesn’t include any images. Ask your supervisor if you are allowed to include an image on the title page before doing so. If you do decide to include one, make sure to check whether you need permission from the creator of the image.

Include a note directly beneath the image acknowledging where it comes from, beginning with the word “ Note .” (italicized and followed by a period). Include a citation and copyright attribution . Don’t title, number, or label the image as a figure , since it doesn’t appear in your main text.

Definitional terms often fall into the category of common knowledge , meaning that they don’t necessarily have to be cited. This guidance can apply to your thesis or dissertation glossary as well.

However, if you’d prefer to cite your sources , you can follow guidance for citing dictionary entries in MLA or APA style for your glossary.

A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. In contrast, an index is a list of the contents of your work organized by page number.

The title page of your thesis or dissertation goes first, before all other content or lists that you may choose to include.

The title page of your thesis or dissertation should include your name, department, institution, degree program, and submission date.

Glossaries are not mandatory, but if you use a lot of technical or field-specific terms, it may improve readability to add one to your thesis or dissertation. Your educational institution may also require them, so be sure to check their specific guidelines.

A glossary or “glossary of terms” is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. Your glossary only needs to include terms that your reader may not be familiar with, and is intended to enhance their understanding of your work.

A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. In contrast, dictionaries are more general collections of words.

An abbreviation is a shortened version of an existing word, such as Dr. for Doctor. In contrast, an acronym uses the first letter of each word to create a wholly new word, such as UNESCO (an acronym for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).

As a rule of thumb, write the explanation in full the first time you use an acronym or abbreviation. You can then proceed with the shortened version. However, if the abbreviation is very common (like PC, USA, or DNA), then you can use the abbreviated version from the get-go.

Be sure to add each abbreviation in your list of abbreviations !

If you only used a few abbreviations in your thesis or dissertation , you don’t necessarily need to include a list of abbreviations .

If your abbreviations are numerous, or if you think they won’t be known to your audience, it’s never a bad idea to add one. They can also improve readability, minimizing confusion about abbreviations unfamiliar to your reader.

A list of abbreviations is a list of all the abbreviations that you used in your thesis or dissertation. It should appear at the beginning of your document, with items in alphabetical order, just after your table of contents .

Your list of tables and figures should go directly after your table of contents in your thesis or dissertation.

Lists of figures and tables are often not required, and aren’t particularly common. They specifically aren’t required for APA-Style, though you should be careful to follow their other guidelines for figures and tables .

If you have many figures and tables in your thesis or dissertation, include one may help you stay organized. Your educational institution may require them, so be sure to check their guidelines.

A list of figures and tables compiles all of the figures and tables that you used in your thesis or dissertation and displays them with the page number where they can be found.

The table of contents in a thesis or dissertation always goes between your abstract and your introduction .

You may acknowledge God in your dissertation acknowledgements , but be sure to follow academic convention by also thanking the members of academia, as well as family, colleagues, and friends who helped you.

A literature review is a survey of credible sources on a topic, often used in dissertations , theses, and research papers . Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. Literature reviews are set up similarly to other  academic texts , with an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion .

An  annotated bibliography is a list of  source references that has a short description (called an annotation ) for each of the sources. It is often assigned as part of the research process for a  paper .  

In a thesis or dissertation, the discussion is an in-depth exploration of the results, going into detail about the meaning of your findings and citing relevant sources to put them in context.

The conclusion is more shorter and more general: it concisely answers your main research question and makes recommendations based on your overall findings.

In the discussion , you explore the meaning and relevance of your research results , explaining how they fit with existing research and theory. Discuss:

• Your  interpretations : what do the results tell us?
• The  implications : why do the results matter?
• The  limitation s : what can’t the results tell us?

The results chapter or section simply and objectively reports what you found, without speculating on why you found these results. The discussion interprets the meaning of the results, puts them in context, and explains why they matter.

In qualitative research , results and discussion are sometimes combined. But in quantitative research , it’s considered important to separate the objective results from your interpretation of them.

Results are usually written in the past tense , because they are describing the outcome of completed actions.

The results chapter of a thesis or dissertation presents your research results concisely and objectively.

In quantitative research , for each question or hypothesis , state:

• The type of analysis used
• Relevant results in the form of descriptive and inferential statistics
• Whether or not the alternative hypothesis was supported

In qualitative research , for each question or theme, describe:

• Recurring patterns
• Significant or representative individual responses
• Relevant quotations from the data

Don’t interpret or speculate in the results chapter.

To automatically insert a table of contents in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:

• Apply heading styles throughout the document.
• In the references section in the ribbon, locate the Table of Contents group.
• Click the arrow next to the Table of Contents icon and select Custom Table of Contents.
• Select which levels of headings you would like to include in the table of contents.

Make sure to update your table of contents if you move text or change headings. To update, simply right click and select Update Field.

All level 1 and 2 headings should be included in your table of contents . That means the titles of your chapters and the main sections within them.

The contents should also include all appendices and the lists of tables and figures, if applicable, as well as your reference list .

Do not include the acknowledgements or abstract in the table of contents.

The abstract appears on its own page in the thesis or dissertation , after the title page and acknowledgements but before the table of contents .

An abstract for a thesis or dissertation is usually around 200–300 words. There’s often a strict word limit, so make sure to check your university’s requirements.

In a thesis or dissertation, the acknowledgements should usually be no longer than one page. There is no minimum length.

The acknowledgements are generally included at the very beginning of your thesis , directly after the title page and before the abstract .

Yes, it’s important to thank your supervisor(s) in the acknowledgements section of your thesis or dissertation .

Even if you feel your supervisor did not contribute greatly to the final product, you must acknowledge them, if only for a very brief thank you. If you do not include your supervisor, it may be seen as a snub.

In the acknowledgements of your thesis or dissertation, you should first thank those who helped you academically or professionally, such as your supervisor, funders, and other academics.

Then you can include personal thanks to friends, family members, or anyone else who supported you during the process.

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How Many References for A Dissertation Are Necessary?

The dissertation has no value if you do not mention the correct reference. But the question that bothers most students is: what is the valid number of references in a dissertation? So, reference in any content or assignment is vital, regardless of whether the answer is the direct quote the student used. The references in a dissertation list the level of studies and research you have done to prepare the right piece of writing. However, there is no fixed number reference in a dissertation. It does not mean you ignore the value of references in a dissertation or add too little or too much.

In this blog, we offer suggestions to follow and assure you of the correct number of references in a dissertation.

Value of References in Dissertation

So before we go forward and look for the correct number of references in a dissertation, we will find its value. We learn it through examples. If you visit Shibuya Street in Japan, Tokyo on Mindat, and plan to scream, “The world is going to end in 24 hours,” Will anybody listen to you? Just ignore whether they believe you; they do not even bother to stop and correct you.

Imagine you did the same with the facts and points you wrote in your dissertation without reference. On the other hand, if you write the same poems and facts with many references in a dissertation, then everyone will benefit from those points.

Let us understand the reference idea in more detail. In short, references result from previous studies or research work performed by scholars, which one adds to their dissertation. Why is that so? It is because:

1.     To Evade Plagiarism

It is the act of using someone else’s idea or work without giving them due credit. So, by reference and dissertation. You acknowledge that you know their job and do not intend to copy their ideas.

2.     To Give Praise to Other Scholars

When you state the source, you praise the work of the person who wrote that content or paper. This is vital because it tells that you, as a researcher, respect your job. Also, you need to take credit for other works.

3.     To Support the Arguments

When you quote references in a dissertation, you offer proof to support the claims. This is vital because it reveals that your dissertation is well-researched.

4.     To Show the Knowledge of a Field

When one cites a medley of sources, they indicate that they are aware of the recent research in the field. It is vital because it reveals that they are a skilful researcher and their work needs reading.

5.     To Allow The Readers to Know More

When writers cite references in a dissertation, they offer their readers the data they require to learn about the subject. It is crucial because it permits the readers to confirm the facts and to know more about the subject.

Additionally, reference in dissertations is vital in papers because it is the demand of most colleges. Many colleges have a specific policy for references in dissertations. Students who ignore those guidelines may feel the dissertation rejection.

How Many References In the Dissertation Are a Must?

So, here comes the main thing: having many references in a dissertation is a must. So, there is no fixed number, depending on various factors. These factors consist of:

1.     Degree Level: References in Dissertation

So, if you are talking about the degree level, then it is divided into three parts:

• Bachelors: A bachelor’s level consists of words from 10,000–12,000. Hence, 45–50 references will likely be required for this kind of count, and the highest 100 references in the dissertation will be the right bar to add references to.
• Masters: At Master Level, a dissertation contains words, beginning at 15,000 with a maximum of 25,000 words. For this, 50–95 or 100 citations will likely be suitable.
• PhD: Here, a dissertation consists of 50,000 words or more. A minimum of 150 references in a dissertation will be required for the PhD level, with a maximum of 200 references. It is the best benchmark.

2.     The Topic of the Dissertation

Here comes the next point that determines the number of references in a dissertation. It also depends on the idea of the dissertation. So, if your dissertation’s statement or topic is new, you are still looking for relevant references. Hence, there needs to be more reference in these cases in the identification.

In this situation, the college or institute rejects the dissertation topic and asks you to pick another one. Why do they reject the topic? At the student stage, it is not advisable to do independent research.

If students are stuck on the topic of a dissertation, then they look for the London Dissertations UK   services. These services help them to create compelling content with the correct number of references in a dissertation.

3.     Academic Demand

So, the right number of references in a dissertation this point is the last. Some colleges have different demands for references in dissertations. Some colleges permit only 25 references in dissertations for master’s degrees. On the other hand, 50 references in a dissertation are needed; otherwise, they reject the work. It also depends on the type and topic, such as quantitative and qualitative data. These factors can influence the cited source.

Tips for References in A Dissertation

Here are a few tips for referencing the sources. Let’s find it out in more detail.

• Pick a citation style and adhere to it. There are several various styles, like Chicago, MLA, and APA. Pick a style that a college uses throughout the paper.
• Also, mention all of the sources. This consists of references that you mention directly or paraphrase.
• Take help from tools like Zotero to add citations in your dissertations.

The correct number of references in a dissertation depends on various factors like the degree level, the demand of the colleges, and the topic. But if you face any issues with the writing, we advise you to go for writing services. Also, keep in touch with the supervisor; he will guide you on writing and quoting the source in the paper. Hopefully, this guide clarified how many references you should include in your dissertations.

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Is there such thing as too many references for one paper?

I'm currently reviewing a paper that has an uncommonly large number of references compared to the average number for that particular venue (more than 60 versus around 30). This is a regular paper, not a survey one, and although there does not seem to be wrong references, it feels like some are not really necessary, and the fact that one particular author is cited more than 15 times makes me worry that this paper is used to inflate the number of citations of that author (the submission is anonymous).

Should I mention this in my review, and try to examine which submissions are "abusive", or just let it go?

• paper-submission
• 2 Does the journal have a policy on number of references allowed? Many do (mostly print journals), and would force authors to cut down the number of references. –  fileunderwater Commented Oct 21, 2013 at 11:13
• As far as I know, there is no limit on the number of references, only on the number of pages, which is respected. –  user102 Commented Oct 21, 2013 at 11:53
• There is probably some discipline influence at work. In the social sciences, it is not uncommon to have around 50 references in a journal paper. –  Shion Commented Oct 21, 2013 at 14:20
• 3 @shion: as I said in the question, the number of references is quite large w.r.t. the average number of references for papers in that venue –  user102 Commented Oct 21, 2013 at 14:25
• 8 I once wrote a paper that contained all references to papers not referencing themselves. That was too many. –  Pål GD Commented Oct 21, 2013 at 22:18

6 Answers 6

It's really a judgment call… some people consider that more references is good, because it gives the reader a wider perspective into the issue, and some people consider it a bad practice (in old times because it wasted paper, but nowadays mainly because it obscures the more valuable information inside a long wall of text).

I have, as a reviewer, sometimes asked authors to cut down on the number of references, so it is certainly an acceptable practice. Here are some factors you may consider when making the decision:

• Does each individual reference bring something to the paper, i.e. is used to back up a fact, idea, or to give credit for a specific (and relevant) new idea that it introduced?

Are references cited in block? I tend to consider it is very bad practice:

A series of recent experiments have shown systematically that current human-powered aircrafts are not suitable for mass transportation [refs. 9–21]

Each paper (or group of two or three papers, at the very most) should be used with regards to a specific point in the discussion.

Somewhat disguised form of the earlier: are long lists of claims and references justified? Sometimes many citations are used as “examples”, where a few would suffice.

Could some of the citations be replaced by one or two reviews on the topic?

Are the work cited really the seminal work on each topic/idea/experiment, or are there also less “worthy” works cited?

Finally, it is true that there are some unethical practices that can lead to inflated number of citations. Excessive self-citation is certainly one, but there are others. For example, some authors cite very widely papers from all groups in their field , even when it is not really warranted, in an effort to help their chances at peer review: the idea is that the reviewer is less likely to be harsh to a manuscript that cites 5 of her own papers.

And in conclusion, if you believe that self-citation was the motivation, there is nothing wrong with reporting your doubts to the editor.

• 1 I agree with @F'x. But how we can respond to the reviewers' recommendation to add their papers in the references (as I guess from those recommended papers comes back to special authors only)? –  Hadi Commented Sep 13, 2016 at 8:35
• 1 Blocks of citations are an accepted practice in the physical sciences. There are often multiple papers that make the same point and are published about the same time - they deserve equal citation. –  Anonymous Physicist Commented Jan 7, 2021 at 7:52

One 1 thing 2 that 3 hasn't 1,4 been 5-7 mentioned 8 yet 1 is 3-5 the 9 effect 10,11 on 2,7,10 readability. 12 References 13 are 14 a 15 necessity 16 but 17 loading 18 up 19-21 a 22 manuscript 23,24 with 25 too 26 many 2 will 27 often 3-5 make 5-7 it 28 more 9,29-31 difficult 17 for 32 me 33 to 34 follow 35,36 and 37-39 can 40 be 3-5 a 13-15,19,21-23,25-27,29-33,35-37,39,40 deterrent. 41 If 2,3,5,8,13,21,34 a 3,14,15,19,26 paper 2,7,18,28 turns 1,6,18 off 1,4,14,21,35 its 1,7,32 readers, 2,23 it's 4,8,15,16,23,42 not 6,28 doing 1,2,4,8,16,32 its 2,3,5,7,11,13,17,19,23,29,31,37,41 job. 42

• 14 This answer may be too exaggerated. But, I still like it. –  Nobody Commented Oct 22, 2013 at 9:58
• 11 This answer is an example of the kind of paper that "turns off its reader", should this be downvoted then? –  Vaibhav Garg Commented Oct 28, 2013 at 4:00
• 2 Very Nicely done! –  Prof. Santa Claus Commented Jan 24, 2018 at 2:54

I can only see one way to resolve this and that is to critically assess if all references are necessary. Self-citation can be a problem but it may be perfectly fine in situations where the author is a leader in, for example, a small field. Excessive citations can also be a sign of the author not being able to weed out the critical papers from the "mass". In some cases, it may be tempting to provide all the literature found on a particular topic wher perhaps a review paper or relatively new paper summarizing past work could be referenced using the form "(e.g. author, yyyy)", indicating it is one of several possible references on the topic. I think it is perfectly fair to ask for such changes if the excessive referencing is clearly just excessive.

I do not think that there are inherent problems with citing some "extra" papers, if they are appropriately relevant. The purpose of citations is to help us form a network of research. If a paper is not cited, then it will not join that network. However, one does not need to cite every paper that an author has written in the past 5 years in order to maintain that network!

Rather than spend time examining each citation, perhaps you could ask the author why there are so many citations. If the author(s) has been inflating citations without due cause, then any academic worth their salt should promptly correct that indiscretion.

I wonder if the authors considered the question When you reference an article, is it always expected that you have actually read it?

I can imagine multiple likely reasons for the high amount of citations by one particular author:

• The over-referenced author is a member of the same group as your paper's authors (or even themselves) and they try to promote their own work. This may be adequate if the cited papers honestly led to the new one, but if they are just loosely related (if at all), the amount of citations should be severely reduced
• that author is one of the big-shots in the field, and the submitters either want to acknowledge that fact or they know that person is likely to also review the submission and would insist on these citations anyway - maybe this is actually already the reaction to such requests. And don't say this doesn't happen...

Unfortunately no matter the reason, to judge fairly you basically have to read at least the abstracts of said citations and check their relatedness. However, as F'x' answer suggests, if there are "obvious" signs of over-citation, e.g. block citations of more than, say, three publications, you shouldn't bother with that and rather directly state your concerns in your review.

Once the amount of references surpasses a sensible amount, the authors should maybe more directly justify the citation themselves instead of forcing each reviewer to figure that out on their own...

There should be a Goldilocks-range for this, and what this supposed to be depends on your field, topic (whether relatively new or not), and most importantly, your advisor and thesis committee.

( Image ref. PhDComics. )

• What references are for : to justify statements only, including background. When should one put references : when making a statement which needs justification not provided in the article. When not to tolerate multiple references : - Careless scattergun references "on the topic". - Reference stuff to boost citation indices. Why is this important : - Because a paper which does not reference precisely is a waste of the reader's time. - Because boosting citations is wrong. Multiple references may be acceptable only if there are independent angles to reference. –  JPGConnolly Commented Jan 23, 2023 at 15:30

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How many references did you have?

I am suddenly a bit shaken by seeing the size of some bibliographies so if you could tell me your field and the number of citations you have or expect to have I'd appreciate it.

EDIT: Just a very big thank you to all of you responding. It is bringing me relief like you wouldn't believe. x

Number of references in a PhD thesis?

Im currently writing-up and my endnote says i have 356 references for my 80,000-word PhD. Just out of curiosity (and fear that i dont have enough!), how many have others cited by the time theyve reached the end? whats the average? (mine's a qualitative study, which may or may not make any difference).

I'm qualitative and, doing a rough calculation, my final thesis has around 280 references - so less than you! Now I hope I have enough!!

I'm doing an computer science PhD and my institution has a maximum of 50000 words (as opposed for 80000 for humanities). Looking at 5 example PhDs I have, they average about 130 (though one has 350). Its not about how many, but whether you have made your point. There is a danger that they might ask you a question on a reference that you might not have read.

It does vary a lot by topic. Mine is interdisciplinary and very heavy on the referencing - I'm trying to cut it back a bit from around 500. I really doubt I will remember much about them even if I've read them!

How weird.. I did a computer science one and mine came in at 87,000 - Max was 90,000... arts had 130,000 to play around with! I think I had about 350 references in total...

PC_Geek - the documentation states that references and appendices aren't counted - maybe that is why? I hope I'm right! I would be gutted to find that another 40000 words are expected! I think its because a lot of 'science' PhDs at my University (Bham) are experiment based, as opposed to humanities, so a lot of background work is expected to have taken place that wouldn't necessarily be written in full detail - eg I'm sure I have several tens of thousands of lines of code, but I wouldn't include that.

I've read somewhere that you are expected to reference 50 books and 150 articles. Good luck.

I am doing a qual too (heavy political theory), and it depends on your approach. I am focusing on four authors and how their work contrasts/complements so referencing is relatively high, but the number of works is actually quite low. I normally get only 100 pieces of work, but around 500 references.

'PC_Geek - the documentation states that references and appendices aren't counted - maybe that is why?' Different Unis, different rules... including my appendicies and references it comes to 98,500 I imagine yours will be more concise than mine.. mine was a lot of waffle

I just finished two chapters (1&2) and had 50 and 52 references in them.

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How Many References for A Dissertation Are Necessary?

If you go to Shibuya street in Tokyo, Japan on a busy Monday, and decide to scream out loud; ‘THE WORLD IS GOING TO END’, will the people believe you? Forget about believing, will they even bother to stop and listen to you?

Now Imagine If you did the same, but proved your claim through tons of references with previous research studies, will they believe you now? Yes, they will probably bother to at least stop and take your claim seriously.

That’s exactly why references are necessary whenever a research is conducted.

Table of Contents

The Importance of References

References are sources of previous research works done by reliable scholars, which you add in your dissertation because it helps to:

All of these points mentioned above, adds value and gives reliability to your research. It is the most basic, essential and vital part of any academic work that a student presents. It helps the reader to understand better what idea you as a researcher, are trying to convey, through the backing of other relevant sources.

Let’s be honest, no one really wants to read a research paper, without any backing up of proper citation, evidences or proofs.

That’s not it, reference even helps the reader to go and cross check the citations themselves for further details, regarding your research. This opens up the whole subject matter in-depth and gives a new perspective of understanding your research.

Interestingly enough, the dissertation writers UK , US, Australia and other parts of the world, provide assistance to students, making sure their references are relevant.

But How Many References Are Necessary?

There is not really an exact number for how many references should be there in a dissertation, but the answers varies and highly depends upon certain factors. These factors include

The Degree level of your Dissertation

The degree level of your dissertation can be divided into 3 categories, which are Bachelors, Masters and Ph.D.

• Bachelors: A Bachelors level dissertation contains words from 10,000 to 12,000. For this type of word count, 45 to 50 references will most likely be needed at least and the maximum, 100 reference will also be a respectable benchmark to add references.
• Masters: A Master level dissertation contains words, starting from 15,000 with a maximum of 25,000-word count. For this, a 50 to 95 or even 100 references will most likely be a good benchmark.
• Ph.D.: A Ph.D. level dissertation contains words till 50,000 or can possibly exceed even more. For this, at least 150 references will likely be needed, till 200 or even more references can be added. That will be a good benchmark.

The Topic Idea of Your Dissertation

The amount of references also depends on the idea and the topic of your dissertation. The topics which you research on, can be very new, which has very little information available or even no information available what so ever. If less information available, then it will be necessary to add whatever information that you can grab, relevant to your research topic.

If in any case, there is no such information available which is relevant to your dissertation, then the academics and your university can simply reject your topic idea or your whole dissertation. The reason being, a student at this stage is not reliable enough to make independent research without any references.

Due to that, students are inclined to use dissertation service London from professional native researchers, for proper references in such cases.

The Requirements of Your Academic

Some universities or institutes have different requirements regarding their dissertation policies. There are many universities which allows only 25 references in a Masters dissertation and accepts it while others won’t without 50 references at least. It also depends on the nature of the dissertation and the methodologies like qualitative and quantitative information. These factors of methodologies can also limit the source of references.

Make Your Dissertation Strong

If you would like to make your dissertation much stronger, then it is said that more the citation and references you give, the more it becomes reliable. The reason being, giving more citations means that your research is backed by many other scholars who are indirectly agreeing with your research statement.

However, to much of a good thing, can also be a bad thing. Adding unnecessary and excessive references in areas of dissertation which does not need references, will not look professional. It might seem like the references are forcefully added or are just there for show.

Ideal Dissertation

A good dissertation needs to have relevant citations and references that makes sense in every sentence. The dissertation should be to the point, that demonstrate and answers the research questions, which is where relevant citations are needed to back the research up.

Moreover, university level students, in order to make their dissertation stand out, go for Cheap Dissertation Writing Service UK, US and even Asian based, to make their dissertation ideal.

Wouldn’t you like it Yourself?

Wouldn’t you like to win an argument by using tons of references? We all do that don’t we? It gets much easier to convince others through references. The same works with the dissertation.

The Bottom Line

There is no such fixed limit to add references in your dissertation. It depends on factors of your degree level, your topic idea and the limitations that might be set from your academic or university. Apart from that, it even depends on the nature of your research, where if you are conducting qualitative research, then excessive reference are not really required but only few.

About Dr. Sara Nathan

I am Dr. Sara Nathan and I have done a Ph.D. in aviation management. I have experience of 10 years in mentoring UK’s Students. Over this decade. I enjoy being able to help researchers all around the world as imparting valuable information has always been my passion. Writing & Reading are my passions. For detail about me and to read my other blog you can visit my profile:

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Reference Examples

More than 100 reference examples and their corresponding in-text citations are presented in the seventh edition Publication Manual . Examples of the most common works that writers cite are provided on this page; additional examples are available in the Publication Manual .

To find the reference example you need, first select a category (e.g., periodicals) and then choose the appropriate type of work (e.g., journal article ) and follow the relevant example.

When selecting a category, use the webpages and websites category only when a work does not fit better within another category. For example, a report from a government website would use the reports category, whereas a page on a government website that is not a report or other work would use the webpages and websites category.

Also note that print and electronic references are largely the same. For example, to cite both print books and ebooks, use the books and reference works category and then choose the appropriate type of work (i.e., book ) and follow the relevant example (e.g., whole authored book ).

Examples on these pages illustrate the details of reference formats. We make every attempt to show examples that are in keeping with APA Style’s guiding principles of inclusivity and bias-free language. These examples are presented out of context only to demonstrate formatting issues (e.g., which elements to italicize, where punctuation is needed, placement of parentheses). References, including these examples, are not inherently endorsements for the ideas or content of the works themselves. An author may cite a work to support a statement or an idea, to critique that work, or for many other reasons. For more examples, see our sample papers .

Reference examples are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Chapter 10 and the Concise Guide Chapter 10

Related handouts

• Common Reference Examples Guide (PDF, 147KB)
• Reference Quick Guide (PDF, 225KB)

Textual Works

Textual works are covered in Sections 10.1–10.8 of the Publication Manual . The most common categories and examples are presented here. For the reviews of other works category, see Section 10.7.

• Journal Article References
• Magazine Article References
• Newspaper Article References
• Blog Post and Blog Comment References
• UpToDate Article References
• Book/Ebook References
• Diagnostic Manual References
• Children’s Book or Other Illustrated Book References
• Classroom Course Pack Material References
• Religious Work References
• Chapter in an Edited Book/Ebook References
• Dictionary Entry References
• Wikipedia Entry References
• Report by a Government Agency References
• Report with Individual Authors References
• Brochure References
• Ethics Code References
• Fact Sheet References
• ISO Standard References
• Press Release References
• White Paper References
• Conference Presentation References
• Conference Proceeding References
• Published Dissertation or Thesis References
• Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis References
• ERIC Database References
• Preprint Article References

Data and Assessments

Data sets are covered in Section 10.9 of the Publication Manual . For the software and tests categories, see Sections 10.10 and 10.11.

• Data Set References
• Toolbox References

Audiovisual Media

Audiovisual media are covered in Sections 10.12–10.14 of the Publication Manual . The most common examples are presented together here. In the manual, these examples and more are separated into categories for audiovisual, audio, and visual media.

• Artwork References
• Clip Art or Stock Image References
• Film and Television References
• Musical Score References
• Online Course or MOOC References
• Podcast References
• PowerPoint Slide or Lecture Note References
• Radio Broadcast References
• TED Talk References
• Transcript of an Audiovisual Work References
• YouTube Video References

Online Media

Online media are covered in Sections 10.15 and 10.16 of the Publication Manual . Please note that blog posts are part of the periodicals category.

• Facebook References
• Instagram References
• LinkedIn References
• Online Forum (e.g., Reddit) References
• TikTok References
• X References
• Webpage on a Website References
• Clinical Practice References
• Open Educational Resource References
• Whole Website References

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