May 2020

APA STYLE
REFERENCING
GUIDE:
Adapted for the SBF
for Postgraduate Studies
in the
School of Business &
Finance
APA STYLE
REFERENCING
GUIDE:

Adapted for the SBF

for Postgraduate Studies
in the
School of Business &
Finance
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This Referencing Guide was prepared primarily by adapting the APA Referencing Guide.
This adaptation took into account the referencing conventions used at other institutions of
higher learning in South Africa. The format and presentation style were inspired by
the referencing guides from the Tshwane University of Technology and the
Vaal University of Technology.

I would also like to thank Mrs. Stella Zulu-Nwakwo for her assistance in the compilation of
citations and references for this guide and also PrintWize for graphics and layout design.

Prof. Richard Shambare

May 2020

ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................................................... ii

Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 1

What is the purpose of referencing?......................................................................................................... 1

How many references are enough in a thesis?......................................................................................... 2

Plagiarism: Some considerations.............................................................................................................. 2

General rules of citations and references ................................................................................................ 3

Popular referencing styles ......................................................................................................................... 3

PS. Some Issues to Remember ................................................................................................................. 3

1. JOURNAL ARTICLES AND PERIODICALS............................................................................................... 5

1.1. Journal article: Author unknown........................................................................................................ 5

1.2. Journal article: (Single) Author........................................................................................................... 6

1.3. Journal article: Two Authors............................................................................................................... 6

1.4. Journal article: More than two authors ............................................................................................. 7

1.5. Newspaper articles and reports......................................................................................................... 7

2. BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS.................................................................................................................. 8

2.1. A book with two authors..................................................................................................................... 8

2.2. A book with three authors.................................................................................................................. 9

2.3. A book with four or more authors...................................................................................................... 9

2.4. A chapter in an edited book (with multiple authors and editors).................................................. 10

2.5. A book with an author and a translator........................................................................................... 10

2.6. A translated book, original author unknown................................................................................... 10

2.7. Editors and compilers....................................................................................................................... 11

2.8. More than one book by the same author, different years.............................................................. 11

2.9. More than one book by the same author in the same year........................................................... 11

2.10. Reference to a number of pages in a work................................................................................... 12

2.11. A book without page numbers....................................................................................................... 12

2.12. Reference to a whole chapter......................................................................................................... 13

2.13. Reference to a whole book............................................................................................................. 13

iii
 2.14. Multiple works by different authors............................................................................................... 14

2.15. Corporate author............................................................................................................................. 14

2.16. Corporate author with a subsection.............................................................................................. 15

2.17. Paper in a conference proceedings............................................................................................... 15

3. GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS............................................................................................................. 16

3.1. Government Departments (Ministries)............................................................................................ 16

3.2. Provincial Departments (Ministries).................................................................................................. 16

3.3. The Constitution................................................................................................................................ 17

3.4. Government Gazettes....................................................................................................................... 17

3.5. Commissions of inquiry..................................................................................................................... 18

3.6. Laws (Acts).......................................................................................................................................... 19

3.7. Green papers..................................................................................................................................... 19

3.8. White papers...................................................................................................................................... 19

4. OTHER TYPES OF WORKS...................................................................................................................... 20

4.1. Dissertations and theses................................................................................................................... 20

4.2. Patents................................................................................................................................................ 21

4.3. Study guides, course outlines, and course material....................................................................... 21

4.4. Encyclopaedias.................................................................................................................................. 22

4.5. Personal communications: Interviews, letters, emails, and photocopies..................................... 23

4.6. Internal documents............................................................................................................................ 25

4.7. Dictionaries........................................................................................................................................ 25

5. NON-PRINTED FORMATS....................................................................................................................... 25

5.1. Videos................................................................................................................................................. 25

5.2. Radio and television programmes................................................................................................... 26

6. ELECTRONIC SOURCES.......................................................................................................................... 27

6.1. The Internet........................................................................................................................................ 27

6.2. e-Books............................................................................................................................................... 28

6.3 . Online newspaper articles and reports............................................................................................ 28

7. AN EXAMPLE OF A LIST OF REFERENCES.......................................................................................... 29

APPENDIX A: Abbreviations of the months of the year............................................................................. 31

APPENDIX B: Abbreviations of the states of the United States of America (USA).................................. 31

iv
Introduction
Referencing is an integral part of research. It is that one factor that differentiates academic writing from
other forms of writing such as poetry, journalism, and letters. Referencing consists of two elements:

a) In-text citations: or simply citations refer to quotations from other authors or scholarly works that
are included in the body of the scholarly work [e.g., (Maphosa, Bayat, & Annegarn, 2020)].

b) List of References: which is an alphabetical listing of the sources of citations used in a written
scholarly work. An example of a Reference is as follows:

Donga, G., Ngirande, H. & Shumba, K. (2016). Perceived Barriers to the Development of
Small, Medium and Microenterprises: A Case Study of Thulamela Municipality in the Limpopo
Province. Problems and Perspectives in Management, 14: 61-66.

A Reference List is different from a Bibliography. The former contains only the citations used in the body
of the research; and the latter includes both citations used in the documents as well as other relevant
reading material not necessarily cited in the document. For dissertations and research proposals, we use
references.

What is the purpose of referencing?

The three primary functions of references and referencing are to:

(1) Demonstrates that an author’s work is based or grounded within the existing body of knowledge
(BoK).

(2) Acknowledge insights from other authors in terms of helping shape your own work.

(3) Beckons readers to a body of the literature within a particular discipline.

It is for this reason that many researchers (including dissertation and theses examiners) flip through the
list of references first before reading the research. The reference section is the second-most read section
of a journal article, conference paper, thesis, or dissertation – after the title, of course. It, therefore, cannot
be over-stated that referencing is such an important and integral part of research. Generally speaking,
there is a high correlation between good referencing habits and excellence. This truism is often applied
by examiners when assessing dissertations and theses. For instance, Chad Perry (2002), in his paper on
presenting PhD theses elaborates on the critical importance of referencing, and advises that:

A thesis should be able to reference a least four or five writers in the first one or two paragraphs
to demonstrate from the start of the thesis that care has been taken to acknowledge and chart
the depth and breadth of the existing body of knowledge (Perry, 2002:13).

1
Following this, the other matter to consider is the optimal number of references.

How many references are enough in a thesis?

As depicted in the cartoon in Figure 1, this is really a very difficult question to answer.

Figure 1: Optimal number of references

Source: phdcomics.com (2017)

The norm, as observed in theses within the commerce disciplines, is somewhere within the range of 100
(as an absolute minimum) and 300 (as an absolute maximum). However, you need to get more guidance
from your supervisor. Another helpful resource is to peruse through the library and see the average
number of references other students have used. If you maintain that standard, you should fine.

Plagiarism: Some considerations

Plagiarism is the worst of all academic sins. Plagiarism takes on various shapes and forms. It ranges from
mere incorrect citations to blatant copying and pasting. In layman’s terms, plagiarism refers to the taking
or using another author’s work and giving the impression that it is your own. However, plagiarism can be
more technical than that. What makes plagiarism challenging is that it can be difficult to detect and quite
often it is unintentional.

Unintentional plagiarism or plagiarism by omission is more prevalent than the other form of plagiarism
– plagiarism by commission, which is committed when a researcher intends to plagiarise, for instance,
copying a paragraph from another work and pasting it in his or her thesis (Shambare, 2019). While there
may be intentional and unintentional plagiarism, examiners hardly distinguish the two and will never
take kindly to plagiarism whether it was committed out of ignorance or with wilful intent. According to
Sirbenhagen and Bijl (2004), some of the common examples of plagiarism are:

o Copying [in verbatim] another person’s work without acknowledgement;

o Paraphrasing of another person’s work by simply changing a few words or altering the order of
presentation without acknowledging the source; and
o Unacknowledged quotation of phrases from another person’s work and/ or the presentation of
another person’s idea(s) as one’s own.

2
General rules of citations and references
The important consideration to make when you are citing other authors’ works is to determine what kind
of material it is. Depending on whether it is a journal article, a dissertation, a newspaper, or website there
are salient differences that need to be addressed differently. Some issues, however, will be addressed
the same. For instance, if the in-text citation falls at the end of the sentence, the entire citation is placed
inside round brackets or parentheses “()”. On the other hand, if the citation is anywhere else within the
sentence, be it at the beginning or in the middle, only the year and page number are placed inside
brackets.

Also, when compiling a list of references, at the end of your dissertation or report, depending on the
source, the reference is presented differently. In other words, the reference for a book will be indicated
differently from a newspaper. This will help the reader identify your sources more easily. To this effect,
it is expected that a vast majority (> 75 per cent) of your sources be journal articles. However, achieving
three-quarters of your references being scholarly articles (i.e., journal articles) might be unachievable for
some disciplines and topics, in that case, an absolute minimum of 50 per cent should be considered.
Having said that, students should seek specific guidance from their supervisors. Examples of citing and
referencing the various sources are presented in the next section.

Popular referencing styles

To promote consistency, researchers developed standards for referencing also known as referencing
styles. The three most common styles used in commerce and social science disciplines are the, Harvard,
American Psychology Association (APA), and the Numbered styles of referencing. The first two (Harvard
and APA) are also known as the Author-year systems of referencing. The Harvard and the APA are similar
and mostly differ only in the arrangement of the lists of references.

The APA Style is widely used across many universities and journals and likewise is encouraged.
Nevertheless, the underlying principle in referencing is consistency. Whatever you do, be consistent.

Appropriately using correct and consistent referencing conventions will improve the quality of your work.
Also, it ensures that you are less likely to plagiarise others’ works. This guide is designed to help you use
the APA Style of Referencing as adapted for the SBF in your proposal, dissertation, or thesis. The guide
is applicable for both manual and automated referencing systems. Automated referencing programmes
such as EndNote allow you to customise a template that suits your unique referencing needs.

PS. Some Issues to Remember

(a) Never use Wikipedia as a source

(b) When you have one citation appearing more than three (3) times in a paragraph or more than
five (5) times in a page, chances are that you over-citing that author. Consult other authors.
(c) Do not use secondary citations [e.g., Picard (1998) as cited by Skywalker (2020)].
Take the time to go to the original source.

3
 Instructions for compiling

CITATIONS AND
REFERENCES

4
1. JOURNAL ARTICLES AND PERIODICALS

Special Instructions for Journals and Periodicals:

o The title of the periodical is followed by a full stop (period).
o The numbering of the periodical and the pages on which the article appears are provided.
o Do not abbreviate the titles of the journal, unless the abbreviated title is internationally recognised
and used extensively in the discipline.
o Maintain the original spelling convention of the journal or periodical. For example, for the Journal
of Organizational Change Management, the word organizational (with a “z”) should be left as is
even though the rest of your dissertation uses UK English with an “s” – organisational.
o Use of capital letters in recording periodical or journal articles:
- The title of the article of the journal is recorded in the “Sentence case.” The first word should be
capitalised. All other words, except nouns (i.e., names of people, places, and organisations) should
be in lower case.
- Capitalise each word of the name of the periodical or journal (e.g., Journal of Entrepreneurial
Innovations).

Date and numbering:

After the name of the journal, provide details on the edition of the journal in which the relevant article
appears, follow in the sequence given below:
o The volume of the journal in Arabic numerals (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4);
o The issue or edition between round brackets (parentheses);
o The pages of the article cited, preceded by an un-spaced colon (double dots or “:”)
o The date (month) is only necessary when no issue number is available.
o The month may be abbreviated according to the recognised abbreviations and must appear in the
language in which you are writing.

1.1. Journal article: Author unknown

“Entrepreneurship challenges are increasing in high-growth companies”

Citation:
(Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Journals, 2013:43).

‘Entrepreneurship challenges in high-growth companies and consequences for

Reference:
SME policy. 2018. Entrepreneurial Business and Economics Journal, 53(1): 41 - 45.

Notes:
o Write the name of the journal in italics (African Journal of Economics)
o Comma is placed after the name of the journal
o No space between volume and issue numbers
o One space after the colon and page numbers
o No space between dash on page numbers

5
1.2. Journal article: (Single) Author

Citation: The strengths of the case study method are its flexibility and adaptability …
(end of sentence) (Ponelis, 2015:535-550)

Citation:
Ponelis (2015:540) states that a case study …
(in the sentence)

Ponelis, S. R. (2015). Using interpretive qualitative case studies for exploratory

Reference: research in doctoral studies: A case of Information Systems research in small and
medium enterprises. International Journal of Doctoral Studies, 10: 535-550.

Note:
• Please note that in the above reference, the issue number is not provided. Ordinarily, it should be
indicated. Because this particular journal does not use Issue numbers, it is unavailable; therefore,
the volume and page numbers are sufficient.

1.3. Journal article: Two Authors

Citation: The mobile phone market is steadily approaching maturity (Mati & Shambare,
(end of sentence) 2016:52).

Citation:
According to Mati and Shambare (2016:52), the mobile …
(in the sentence)

Mati, K. & Shambare, R. 2016. Developing lifelong customers in the mobile phone
Reference: market: A South African case study. African Journal of Science, Technology,
Innovation and Development, 8(1): 52–60.

Notes:
o For citations at the end of the sentence, the entire citation is in brackets. For these citations, use sign
“&.”
o For all other positions, other than the end, only the year and page numbers are in parentheses. For
these citations, use the word “and.”

6
1.4. Journal article: More than two authors

Citation: The test shows difference in entrepreneurial performance between women and
(1st citation) men (Palalic, Ramadani & Dana, 2017:485)

Citation: Palalic et al (2017:487) indicate that there is a difference in entrepreneurial

(other citations) performance where females …

Palalic, R., Ramadani, V. & Dana, L. 2017. Entrepreneurship in Bosnia and

Reference:
Herzegovina: focus on gender. European Business Review, 29(4): 476-496.

1.5. Newspaper articles and reports

A newspaper is a special form of a periodical; and it is cited and referenced as such.

Generic example:
Author (if known). Date (year). Title of the report/article (if author is unknown title moves to area 1).
Title of newspaper (in italics), rest of date: page/s in newspaper where article or report appears.

1.5.1. Newspaper article with an author

Citation:
Namibia recorded its third case…… (Ngatjiheue, 2020:1)
(end of sentence)

Citation: According to Ngatjiheue (2020:1), there are still no known cases of locally
(in the sentence) transmitted …………..

Ngatjiheue, C. 2020. Namibia records third COVID 19 case. The Namibian, March
Reference:
20:1.

7
1.5.2. Newspaper article without an author

Elephants in Yunan Province breaking into a village in search of food, took advantage
Citation: of the situation when they came across 30kgs of corn wine. (Coronavirus: Elephants
break into farm in self-isolation and get drunk on whisky, 2020: 4)

Coronavirus: Elephants break into farm in self-isolation and get drunk on whisky,
Reference:
2020. The Namibian, March 20:4.

2. BOOKS AND MONOGRAPHS

Citation: The statement of the problem could be a depiction of the current situation
(end of sentence) (Locharoenrat, 2017:42).

Citation: According to Locharoenrat (2017:42), the statement of the problem could be a

(in the sentence) depiction of the current situation.

Locharoenrat, K. 2017. Research Methodologies for Beginners.

Reference:
Singapore: Pan Stanford.

2.1. A book with two authors

Citation:
The factor that unites…. (Merriam & Tisdell, 2016:29)
(end of sentence)

Citation:
Merriam & Tisdell, (2016:29) refer to the factor that unites all forms of ethnography.
(in the sentence)

LMerriam, S.B. & Tisdell, E.J. 2016. Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and
Reference:
Implementation. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Notes:
o Outside the brackets, the word “and” is used.
o Inside the brackets, “&” is used.

8
2.2. A book with three authors

According to Saunders, Lewis, and Thornhill (2016:44), …

Citation:
or
(1st citation)
The pitfall you must avoid... (Saunders, Lewis, & Thornhill 2016:44)
According to Saunders et al (2016:44)…
Citation: or
(other citations) A draft research question must be refined it reflects the heart of your research idea
(Saunders et al 2016:44)

Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A., 2016. Research Methods for Business
Reference:
Students. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited.

Notes:
o In the first citation, all three authors’ surnames are listed.
o In subsequent citations, only the first author followed by the words “et al.”
o The words “et al” must be italicised.
o All authors’ surnames are listed in the reference.

2.3. A book with four or more authors

When there are more than three authors, the abbreviation “et al,” meaning (and others) is used in the
citation and underlined or typed in italics. However, all the authors are mentioned in the bibliographic
reference.

Citation:
Photosynthesis refers to … (Meyer et al, 1987:74).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
According to Meyer et al. (1987:74), photosynthesis is the…
(in the sentence)

Meyer, B.S., Anderson, D.P., Bohning, R.H. & Fratanna, D.G. 1987. Introduction to
Reference:
plant physiology. New York: Van Nostrand.

Notes:
o In situations where there are four or more authors, the words “et al” must be used after the first
author.

9
2.4. A chapter in an edited book (with multiple authors and editors)
This is used when an author and editor are mentioned on the title page. The book will be referenced
under the author, but the editor will also be named.

Citation:
Service delivery constraints are a major challenge (Shambare, 2016:212).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
Shambare (2016:212) found that …
(in the sentence)

Shambare, R. 2016. Consumer Adoption of E-Government in South Africa: Barriers,

Solutions, and Implications. Handbook of Research on Consumerism and Buying
Reference:
Behavior in Developing Nations. Edited by Ayatunji Gbadamosi Hershey, PA: IGI
Publishers

Notes:
o Both the citation and the reference will be in the authors’ name
o The editors are also mentioned in the reference

2.5. A book with an author and a translator

Citation:
Body language refers to … (Shane & Walpole, 1990:100).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
Shane and Walpole (1990:100) pointed out that …
(in the sentence)

Shane, W. & Walpole, D.S. 1990. Body language. Translated by U. Mey.

Reference:
Pretoria: HAUM.

2.6. A translated book, original author unknown

Citation: According to Teacher’s guide to classroom management (1990:90), the teacher …

The Teacher’s guide to classroom management. 1990. Translated by

Reference:
G. Jones. London: Bodley Head.

10
2.7. Editors and compilers
These examples apply only if the whole document is referred to and only the name of the editor appears
on the title page. The abbreviated ed. (for editor) or comp. (for compiler) is used and placed in brackets.

Citation:
Information is … (McElroy, 1984:32).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
According to McElroy (1984:32), the organisation of information …
(in the sentence)

McElroy, A.R. (ed.). 1984. Communicative aspects of information organisation.

Reference:
London: Library Association.

2.8. More than one book by the same author, different years
The works are listed chronologically in the bibliography, with the earliest date filing first. The date in the
citation will distinguish between the two entries in the bibliography.

Citation:
A dissertation contains 200 pages or more (Black 1990; 1992).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
A dissertation, according to Black (1990:69; 1992:25), contains …
(in the sentence)

Black, S. 1990. Education for the physically disabled. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
Reference:
Black, S. 1992. Special education. London: Penguin.

2.9. More than one book by the same author in the same year

Citation:
Parents should take interest in their children’s schooling (Black (1990a).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
Black (1990b:123-124) suggests a number of activities for parents
(in the sentence)

Black, S. 1990a. Education of the physically disabled. London: Hodder & Stoughton.
Reference: Black, S. 1990b. Living with a physically disabled child: a guide for parents. London:
Faber & Faber.

Notes:
o Alphabetical suffixes (i.e., a, b, c etc after the year) to the year are added to differentiate the works.
o In the reference list, the works are cited in alphabetical order.

11
2.10. Reference to a number of pages in a work

Citation: Swart (1989:4, 59-60) points out that...

Swart, B.H. 1989. Administration of insolvent estates. 3rd ed.

Reference:
Lynnwood Ridge: Pro Plus.

Notes:
o Text in bold is just for emphasis, not to be cited in bold

2.11. A book without page numbers

South Africa, Department of Finance (1999:par. B19.9) provides the following

Citation:
statistics...

South Africa. Department of Finance. 1999. Annual report.

Reference:
Pretoria: Government Printer.

Notes:
o Text in bold is just for emphasis, not to be cited in bold
o Where par. B19.9 is a paragraph number.

South Africa, Department of Finance (1999:col.19.9) provides the following

Citation:
statistics...

South Africa. Department of Finance. 1999. Annual report.

Reference:
Pretoria: Government Printer.

Notes:
o Text in bold is just for emphasis, not to be cited in bold
o Where col. 19.9 is a column number.

12
2.12. Reference to a whole chapter

Citation: Locharoenrat (2017: Chapter 6) points out that…

Locharoenrat, K. 2017. Research Methodologies for Beginners.

Reference:
Singapore: Pan Stanford.

Notes:
o Text in bold is just for emphasis, not to be cited in bold

2.13. Reference to a whole book

Citation: Locharoenrat (2017) points out that …

Locharoenrat, K. 2017. Research Methodologies for Beginners.

Reference:
Singapore: Pan Stanford.

2.13.1. Reference to different works of an author

Citation:
Insolvent estates … (Swart, 1978:65; 1984:43; 1989:4).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
Swart repeatedly (1978:65; 1984:43; 1989:4) refers to the...
(in the sentence)

Swart, B.H. 1978. Insolvent estates. Pretoria: Pro Plus.

Swart, B.H. 1984. Administration of insolvent estates. 2nd ed.
Reference: Lynnwood Ridge: Pro Plus.
Swart, B.H. 1989. Administration of insolvent estates. 3rd ed.
Lynnwood Ridge: Pro Plus.

Notes:
o The works are listed chronologically – starting with the oldest to the newest.

13
2.14. Multiple works by different authors

Citation:
Insolvent estates ... (Swart, 1989:4; Van Dyk, 1994:13-14).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
Swart (1989:4) and Van Dyk (1994:13-14) are of the opinion that ...
(in the sentence)

Koen, D.G. 1995. Insolvency legislation handbook: Insolvency Act,

schedules, regulations, taxation of legal costs. Roodepoort: Digma.
Reference: Swart, B.H. 1989. Administration of insolvent estates. 3rd ed.
Lynnwood Ridge: Pro Plus.
Van Dyk, A.S. 1994. Administration of estates and drafting of wills. Kenwyn: Juta.

Notes:
o Both in the citation and reference list, the works are listed alphabetically.

2.15. Corporate author

Citation:
Shoes come in numerous shapes (Shoe Factory, 2015:120).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
According to the Shoe Factory (2015:120), …
(in the sentence)

Shoe Factory. 1985. Analytical methods for atomic absorption spectrometry.

Reference:
Norwalk: Perkin Elmer Corporation.

Notes:
o Avoid using prefixes such as “a” and “the” before corporate authors’ names (e.g. The Shoe Factory)
in the reference list. The correct way is “Shoe Factory”
o Include a full stop after the corporate author.

14
2.16. Corporate author with a subsection

Citation: The best degree to study in university is the B Com Management (University of
(end of sentence) Venda, Department of Business Management, 2017:13).

Citation: According to the University of Venda, Department of Business Management

(in the sentence) (2017:13), the best degree to study in university is the B Com Management.

Bibliographic University of Venda. Department of Business Management. 2017. Learning Report.

Reference: Thohoyandou: University of Venda.

Notes:
o In the citation, place a comma between the corporate author (University of Venda) and its subsection
or department (Department of Business Management).
o In the reference, place a full stop between the corporate author (University of Venda) and its
subsection or department (Department of Business Management).

2.17. Paper in a conference proceedings

Citation:
… these factor influence job satisfaction (Mabasa, Ngirande, & Mabasa (2015:1064).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
Mabasa, Ngirande, and Mabasa (2015:1064) pointed out that …
(in the sentence)

Mabasa, F.D., Ngirande, H., Mabasa, E.L. 2015. An Investigation on the relationship
between perceived organisational support, job satisfaction and organisational
Reference: commitment among academic staff members at a selected higher learning
institution. The 27th Southern African Institute of Management Scientists (SAIMS)
Proceedings, 30 Aug. – 1 Sept., Cape Town.

15
3. GOVERNMENT PUBLICATIONS

The several branches or departments of the government (provincial, local, and even ministries) are
treated as independent authors as cited as such. The official titles of these departments are often very
long. As such, preference is given to an abbreviated form in the citation (e.g. SA instead of South Africa,
Department of Education) (Sirbenhagen & Bijl, 2004). A ‘’see’’ reference (cross-reference) is made in the
reference list, e.g. SA see South Africa.

3.1. Government Departments (Ministries)

The revised 2015 – 2020 Strategic Plan outlines the priorities for small business
Citation:
development support. (Department of Small Business Development, (2018/19:24)

Department of Small Business Development see South Africa, Department of

Reference 1:
Small Business Development.

South Africa. Department of Small Business Development. 2018/19. Annual Report.

Reference 2:
Pretoria. XXXXX

Notes:
o In the reference, publications by government ministries (i.e., departments) are listed under both the
country’s name and the name of the department
o In the citation, only the name of the department is given.

3.2. Provincial Departments (Ministries)

Provincial departments are cited as follows:

Short skills courses were presented to 2 720 beneficiaries in the Province.

Citation:
(Department of Agriculture, 2018/19:18).

Department of Agriculture see Province of The Western Cape (South Africa)

Reference 1:
Department of Agriculture

Province of The Western Cape (South Africa) Department of Agriculture. 2018/19.

Reference 2:
Annual Report Elsenburg.

16
3.3. The Constitution

In terms of Article 32(1) of the Constitution (1996), every one has the right of access
Citation:
to government information.

Reference 1: Constitution see South Africa.

South Africa. 1996. The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa as adopted by
Reference 2: the Constitutional Assembly on 8 May 1996 and as amended on 11 October 1996.
Pretoria: Government Printer. (B34B-96).

3.4. Government Gazettes

3.4.1. National Government Gazette

Particulars in respect of applications for permits as submitted to the Cross-Border

Citation:
Road Transport Agency, (SA, 2020:4)

Reference 1: SA see South Africa.

South Africa. 2020. Cross-Border Road Transport Agency Applications for Permits.
Reference 2:
Government Gazette, 42935:655, Jan 3 Government Gazette No. 42935)

Notes:
o Government Gazettes are listed under their respective country’s name.
o Gazettes are treated like periodicals or journal articles with the following information appearing in
the reference:

Title Government Gazette

No. of Gazette 5804
Page number 149
Gazette Date Nov. 18
Type & number Regulation Gazette No. 2561

17
Other types of gazettes are: board notice, general notice, government notice, legal notice, media release
or proclamation.

3.4.2. Provincial government gazettes

Notice is hereby given in terms of Section 61 of the Municipal Land

Citation:
(Western Cape, 2020:7)

Province of the Western Cape (South Africa). 2020. Proposed Permanent Relaxation
Reference: and Removal of Restrictive Condition of Title: Erf 3895, 39 Ebenezer Avenue:
Beaufort West. Province of the Western Cape Provincial Gazette, 8190:1-9, Jan 10.

3.5. Commissions of inquiry

3.5.1. Without a known chairperson

In his fourth interim report it appears that the Commission of Inquiry into Certain
Citation:
Organisations (1974:56) is convinced.

Commission of Inquiry into Certain Organisations see South Africa. Commission of

Reference 1:
Inquiry into Certain Organisations.

South Africa. Commission of Inquiry into Certain Organisations. 1974. Fourth

Reference 2:
interim report. Pretoria: Government Printer. (RP 33/1974).

Notes:
o It is important to furnish the number (RP …) of the Government publication, because that facilitates
retrieval.

3.5.2. With a chairperson

According to the commission, (Nugent, 2018:3), the extensive terms of reference

Citation:
identify events…

Nugent, R. (Chair). 2018. Final Report of the Commission of Inquiry into Tax
Reference:
Administration and Governance by the South African Revenue Service. Pretoria.

18
3.6. Laws (Acts)

Citation: The purpose of the National Credit Amendment Act (2019:42)

Reference 1: Acts see South Africa.

South Africa. 2019. National Credit Amendment Act No 7 of 2019. Government

Reference 2:
Gazette, 650(42649), Aug 19:1-44.

3.7. Green papers

Several road safety strategies have been compiled in the last 20 years in South
Citation:
Africa (SA, (2018:150)

Reference 1: SA see South Africa.

South Africa. Department of Roads. 2018. Draft Roads Policy for South Africa.
Reference 2:
Pretoria, Government Gazette, 204(41488), Mar 9:127-213

3.8. White papers

These publications are listed under the country’s name and name of the department in the bibliography,
while the citation only contains the abbreviated form of the name of the country.

3.8.1. Published separately

Citation: In the White Paper on Home Affairs, (SA, 2019:30) the DHA…..

Reference 1: SA see South Africa.

South Africa. Department of Home Affairs 2019. White Paper on Home Affairs.
Reference 2:
Pretoria: Government Gazette, 8(42162) Jan 8;14-86

19
3.8.2. Published in the Government Gazette

The current DHA model is based on a model used by an apartheid-era

Citation:
Home Affairs… (SA, 2019:30)

Reference 1: SA see South Africa.

South Africa. Department of Education. 1995. White Paper on Education and

Training. Government Gazette, 16312:21, Mar. 15. (WPJ- 1995).
Reference 2:
South Africa. Department of Home Affairs 2019. White Paper on Home Affairs.
Pretoria: Government Printer.

4. OTHER TYPES OF WORKS

4.1. Dissertations and theses

Instructions for dissertations and theses:

o Surname and initials of author
o Date
o Title of thesis or dissertation (in italics)
o Name of qualification
o Name of educational institution
o Place where institution is located (If the name of the place where the institution is located forms part
of the name of the institution, e.g. University of Venda, the place is left out. But University of South
Africa will be: Pretoria, University of South Africa).

Citation:
Social networks are … (Chakuzira, 2015:5).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
Chakuzira (2015:5) researched that …
(in the sentence)

Chakuzira, W. 2015. Application of Mobile and Social Networking Technologies

Reference: in Higher Learning Institutions. M Com Management. (Dissertation). University of
Venda.

20
Citation:
Planning is important in family businesses (Mabunda, 2013:144).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
Mabunda (2013:144) mentioned that the average number of …
(in the sentence)

Mabunda, M. 2013. An Investigation of Factors Influencing Succession Planning

Reference: in Family Business at Giyani Area. B Com (Honours) Management (Dissertation).
University of Venda.

4.2. Patents

Citation:
Flouride is found in water … (Gitari, Izuagie, & Gumbo, 2016:23).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
Gitari, Izuagie, and Gumbo (2016:23) found that the provision of …
(in the sentence)

Gitari, W., Izuagie, A. & Gumbo, J. 2016. Defloridation treatment of water with
Reference: trimetal magnesium/cerium/manganese oxide modified diatomaceous earth.
(South Africa Patent 2016/ 08590).

Notes:
o A patent is entered under the names of the inventors.
o The name of the organisation is called the patent holder (or patentee) if applicable, as well as the
number of the patent should be included.
o If the patent is registered in the name of a company (the patentee) and the names of the inventors
are not available, then it is entered under the name of the patentee.
o The basic principle of 3 more authors still applies, i.e., the use of “et al”

4.3. Study guides, course outlines, and course material

4.3.1. Author indicated

Citation:
The objective of IEB131 is … (Svenson, 2020).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
Svenson (2020:11) avers that economics is an important subject.
(in the sentence)

Svenson, L. 2020. IEB131 Introduction to Economics and Business. Bellville:

Reference:
University of the Western Cape. (Course Outline – IEB131).

21
4.3.2. Without an indication of the author or author is unknown

In other words, transplanting ‘a perfect policy’ from one country will not necessarily
Citation:
guarantee success in another country (DTI, 2015:7).

DTI, 2015. Integrated Strategy on the Promotion of Entrepreneurship and Small

Reference:
Enterprises, Pretoria: Department of Trade and Industry.

Notes:
o If author is unknown, these types of publications are entered under the name of the publishing
institution.
o If the entry is the same as the name of the publisher (e.g. University of the Western Cape), then the
name of the publisher is not repeated in the publisher area.

4.4. Encyclopaedias

4.4.1. Article with an author

Citation:
Hieroglyphics indicate a similarity to art forms (Brunner, 1984:853).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
Hieroglyphics, according to Brunner (1984:583), represent a form of art.
(in the sentence)

Reference: Brunner, H. 1984. Hieroglyphic writing. In: World Book Encyclopaedia, 3:853-855.

Notes:
o If an encyclopaedia article mentions its authors, then it is cited as a book.
o It is unnecessary to give the place of publication and publisher’s name of a well-known encyclopaedia.

4.4.2. Article without an author

Citation: Oriental music is music of civilized Oriental peoples (Oriental music, 1989:122).

Oriental Music. 1989. In: Encyclopaedia of Music, vol. 4. 4th ed. New York:
Reference:
Bowker:121-122.

22
Notes:
o When the author is not specified, the citation and reference will be made out in the title of the
encyclopaedia.

4.5. Personal communications: Interviews, letters, emails, and photocopies

It sometimes happens that use is made of letters or personal communications that have not been
published in some form. Furnish the following details as far as possible:
o Author, Year
o Title or nature of material
o Place of origin
o Notes on physical nature, scope or where the material is available

4.5.1. Interviews

Citation:
Qualitative research is … (Mange, 2020).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
In an interview with Mange (2020), he explained that qualitative data is….
(in the sentence)

Reference: Mange, S. 2020. Interview. Bellville. (Notes in possession of author), 2 February.

4.5.2. Letters

Citation:
Plagiarism … (Van Aswegen, 2001).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
Van Aswegen (2001) expressed her utter dissatisfaction about …
(in the sentence)

Van Aswegen, L. 2001. Letter from Mrs. L. van Aswegen, Head of Department,
Reference:
Department of Library and Information Studies, Cape Technikon, 16 June.

Notes:
o include the person’s title or designation and his/ her organisation after his/ her name, if known.

23
4.5.3. Emails

Generic example:
Sender. (Sender’s e-mail address if available). Year. Title/heading/subject of the message.
[E-mail to:] Receiver. (Receiver’s address). Month day.

Citation:
The special exam timetable is … (Esau, 2020).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
Esau (2020) expressed her gratitude …
(in the sentence)

Esau, M.V. 2020. Email from Prof. M.V. Esau, Dean: Faculty of Economic Management
Reference:
& Sciences, University of the Western Cape, 20 February.

4.5.4. Photocopies

If the original source from which the photocopies were made is known, the particulars of the original
source are given. If it is unknown, the following examples apply:

Citation:
A research proposal contains … (Pickworth, 2013).
(end of sentence)

Citation: Pickworth (2013) suggested that students … According to White (s.a.), the writing
(in the sentence) of the research proposal should …

Pickworth, G. 2013. How students learn: deep and surface learning. Learning
Reference 1:
Strategies Workshop, MEDUNSA, 18 September 1998. Photostat copy.

Reference 2: WHITE, C.J. (S.a.) Research design. Photostat copy.

24
4.6. Internal documents

Internal documents (e.g., policies, guidelines, mission statements) include material that is used by
members or employees of an organisation in the execution of their work.

Citation: University of Venda aspires to be at the centre of tertiary education for rural and
(end of sentence) regional development in Southern Africa (University of Venda, 2015:3).

Citation: University of Venda (2015:3) states that its mission is to be the centre for rural and
(in the sentence) regional development.

Reference: University of Venda. 2015. Mission statement. Internal document.

4.7. Dictionaries

Citation: The word “discordant” means “not in harmony” (Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus,
(end of sentence) 2009:262).

Citation: The Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus (2009:262) defines the word
(in the sentence) “discordant” as …

Reference: Oxford Dictionary and Thesaurus. 2009. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

5. NON-PRINTED FORMATS

5.1. Videos

Information organised exactly as for printed formats, with format in square brackets directly after the
title. If there is no publisher, provide the name of the manufacturer or distributor.

Generic example:
Author (if known). Date (year). Title (in italics) (if author is unknown, title moves to area 1) [Format].
Place of publication: name of publisher/manufacturer/distributor.

25
5.1.1. Video: Author or speaker known

Citation:
SPSS allows to calculate means and frequencies (Roncchi, 2015).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
According to Roncchi (2015), the variables view in SPSS allows you to …
(in the sentence)

Reference: Roncchi, M. 2015. Tutorial: Introduction to SPSS [Video]. Johannesburg: You Tube.

5.1.2. Video: Author or speaker unknown

Citation: If watching the video Online searching (2013), one can clearly see that …

Reference: Online searching [Video]. 2013. S.l.: s.n.

The place of publication and the name of the publisher are unknown. The format is recorded directly
after the title - the same applies to the examples that follow.

Generic example:
Station. Date (year). Title of programme (in italics) [Format]. Day month.

5.2. Radio and television programmes

5.2.1. Television programme

Citation:
The programme, Checkpoint is… (eNCA, 2020)
(end of sentence)

Citation: According to the TV programme, Checkpoint (eNCA, 2020), one can clearly see
(in the sentence) that….

Reference: eNCA. 2020. Checkpoint [TV Programme] 8 April

26
5.2.2. Radio Programme

Citation:
COVID-19 cases are increasing (Metro FM, 2020).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
It was announced on the six o’clock news that … (Metro FM, 2020).
(in the sentence)

Reference: Metro FM. 2020. Six o’clock news [Radio programme]. 1 May.

6. ELECTRONIC SOURCES
Electronic sources provide an entirely new approach to information, creating new problems because of
the differences in format and contents (Van der Walt, 2000:34). The variety of sources makes it impossible
to cover all and therefore only general guidelines will be given.

Generic example:
Author. Date (year). Title (in italics if commercially published) (moves to area 1 if author is unknown)
[Computer file on format]. Word-processing software. Place of publication: name of publisher/
manufacturer/distributor (if internally produced, use ‘Unpublished’ or ‘Internal document’).

6.1. The Internet

For sources acquired from the Internet, it is important to ascertain authorship. In other words, to
establish the person or party that is responsible for the intellectual or artistic property (Vaal University of
Technology, 2004). To establish, authorship, the latter advises that:

o Look at the bottom of the “page” or screen for the name(s) of the author(s).
o Who created the home page? If it is an individual’s home page, which is a subdivision of an institution’s
home page, was the former authorised by the mother institution? For example, some educational
institutions allow their students to compile their own home pages but disclaim any responsibility for
the student’s work.
o If responsibility can still not be ascertained, go back on the “address” (URL) and look for clues

Citation:
“Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all” (Mandela, 1994).
(end of sentence)

Citation: In his inaugural speech President Mandela (1994) used the following famous words:
(in the sentence) “Let there be justice for all. Let there be peace for all”.
Mandela, N. 1994. Statement of the president of the African National Congress,
Nelson Mandela, at his inauguration as president of the Republic of South Africa,
Reference: Union Buildings, Pretoria, 10 May 1994. [Online]. Available at:
http://www.anc.org.za:80/ancdocs/speeches/inaugpta.html.
[Accessed on: 5 February 2017].

27
6.2. e-Books

Citation:
The heart is a hollow muscular organ (Gray, 2000).
(end of sentence)

Citation:
According to Gray (2000), the heart is a hollow muscular organ.
(in the sentence)

Gray, H. 2000. Anatomy of the human body [Online]. S.l.: Bartleby.com. Available
Reference: from: http://www.bartleby.com/cgibin/texis/webinator/sitesearch?query=heart
&filter=col107&Submit=Go [Accessed: 3 March 2004].

6.3. Online newspaper articles and reports

Generic example:
Author (if given). Date (year). Title (moves to area 1 if author unknown).
Newspaper title (in italics) [Format], Rest of date:paging (if available).
Available from: Internet address [Accessed: day/month/year].

ZESA Holdings is in the process of mobilising funding to whittle down its debt
Citation:
to South Africa’s Eskom after the value of power imports under a Government
(end of sentence)
guarantee… (Sibanda, 2017).

Citation:
Zesa Holdings, according to Sibanda (2017), will …
(in the sentence)

Sibanda, G. 2017. ZESA mulls Eskom debt clearance. Herald Zimbabwe [Online],
Reference:
February 7. Available from: http://www.herald.co.zw [Accessed: 7 February 2017].

28
7. AN EXAMPLE OF A LIST OF REFERENCES
General Notes for a List of References
o A list of references is compiled in alphabetical order
o Unlike the body a dissertation or a thesis, a list of references is left-justified so that the references do
not appear as if they are stretched as common in the full-justified format.

REFERENCES

Acts see South Africa.

Adeoti-Adekeye, W.B. 1997. The need for user education in secondary school libraries.
Library review [CD-ROM], 46(8).

Basset, R.E. & Smythe, M. 1979. Communication and instruction. 3rd ed. New York: Harper & Row.
(Communication guides, no. 1).

Black, S. 1992. Special education. London: Penguin.

Cilliers, S. 1986. Psychiatric nursing (VPE 420). Potchefstroom: PU for CHE. (Study guide S98/51).

Claassen, C.J. (comp.). 1975. Dictionary of legal words and phrases, vol. 1. Durban: Butterworths.

College library collection development. 1977. In: Delaney, J. (ed.). The administration of the college
library. 2nd ed. New York: Bowker:52-164.

Commission of Inquiry into Certain Organisations see SOUTH AFRICA. Commission of Inquiry into
Certain Organisations.

Constitution see South Africa.

Department of Education see South Africa. Department of Education.

Department of Local Government, Traffic Control and Traffic Safety see Mpumalanga Province (South
Africa). Department of Local Government, Traffic Control and Traffic Safety.

Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs see South Africa. Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs.

Katz, M.M. (chair). 1994. Interim report of the Commission of Inquiry into Certain Aspects of the Tax
Structure of South Africa. Pretoria: Government Printer.

Koen, D.G. 1995. Insolvency legislation handbook: Insolvency Act, schedules, regulations, taxation of
legal costs. Roodepoort: Digma.

Le Roux, A.S. 1992. The role of communication in classroom management. M.Ed. dissertation, University
of South Africa, Pretoria.

29
Libraries. 2000. In: Microsoft Encarta online encyclopaedia 2000 [Online]. Available from: http://encarta.
msn.com [Accessed: 11/09/2000].

Lockwood, A. 1992. Applying service quality concepts to tourism and hospitality education. (Paper read
at the Conference on Tourism Education, April 10, Valencia, Spain). Unpublished.

Markoff, J. 1996. Voluntary rules proposed to help insure privacy for Internet users. New York Times
[Online], June 5. Available from: http://www.nytimes.com/library/cyber/week/y05dat.html [Accessed:
05/06/1996].

McElroy, A.R. (ed.). 1984. Communicative aspects of information organisation. London: Library Association.

Meyer, B.S., Anderson, D.P., Bohning, R.H. & Fratanna, D.G. 1987. Introduction to plant physiology. New
York: Van Nostrand.

M-Net. 2000. Carte Blanche [TV programme]. 5 Nov.

Mpumalanga Province (South Africa). Department of Local Government, Traffic Control and Traffic Safety.
1999. Annual report. Nelspruit: The Department.

North West (South Africa). 1995. The determination of areas of transitional authorities: Pampierstad Local
Council. North-West Provincial Gazette extraordinary, 5086:58-59, Mar. 1.

Oriental music. 1989. In: Encyclopaedia of Music, vol. 4. 4th ed. New York: Bowker:121- 122.

South Africa. 1996. The Constitution [Online]. Available from: http://www.gov.za/structure/constitution.

htm [Accessed: 04/03/2004].

South Africa. 1997. The duty of the court to pass judgement on the suspension or revocation of a
driver’s licence. Government Gazette, 5804:149, Nov. 18. (Regulation Gazette No. 2561).

South Africa. Commission of Inquiry into Certain Organisations. 1974. Fourth interim report. Pretoria:
Government Printer. (RP 33/1974).

South Africa. Department of Arts, Culture, Science and Technology. 1996. South Africa’s Green Paper
on Science and Technology: preparing for the 21st century. Pretoria: Government Printer.

South Africa. Department of Education. 2002. Annual report 2001-2002 [Online]. Available from: http://
www.gov.za/annualreport/2002/doe/part1.pdf [Accessed: 02/02/2002].

South Africa. Department of Environmental Affairs and Tourism. 1996. The development of tourism in
South Africa. Pretoria: Government Printer. (WPB-1996).

South Africa. Department of Finance. 1999. Annual report. Pretoria: Government Printer.

30
South Africa. Department of Mineral and Energy Affairs. 1995. Annual report. Pretoria: Government
Printer.

South African Reserve Bank. Department of Bank Supervision. 1994. Annual report.
Pretoria: SARB.

APPENDIX A: Abbreviations of the months of the year

Month Abbreviation
January Jan.
February Feb.
March Mar.
April Apr.
May May
June Jun.
July Jul.
August Aug.
September Sep.
October Oct.
November Nov.
December Dec.

APPENDIX B: Abbreviations of the states of the United States of America (USA)

Alabama AL
Alaska AK
American Samoa AS
Arizona AZ
Arkansas AR
California CA
Canal Zone CZ
Colorado CO
Connecticut CT
Delaware District DE
of Columbia DC
Florida FL
Georgia GA
Guam GU
Hawaii HI
Idaho ID
Illinois IL
Indiana IN
Iowa IA
Kansas KS
Kentucky KY

31
 Louisiana LA
Maine ME
Maryland MD
Massachusetts MA
Michigan MI
Minnesota MN
Mississippi MS
Missouri MO
Montana MT
Nebraska NE
Nevada NV
New Hampshire NH
New Jersey NJ
New Mexico NM
New York NY
North Carolina NC
North Dakota ND
Ohio OH
Oklahoma OK
Oregon OR
Pennsylvania PA
Puerto Rico PR
Rhode Island RI
South Carolina SC
South Dakota SD
Tennessee TN
Texas TX
Utah UT
Vermont VT
Virginia VA
Virgin Islands VI
Washington WA
West Virginia WV
Wisconsin WI
Wyoming WY

32
 May 2020

APA STYLE
REFERENCING
GUIDE:
Adapted for the SBF
for Postgraduate Studies
in the
School of Business &
Finance