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Question

Which of the following are the basic rules of APA style of referencing format?

(a) Italicize titles of shorter works such as journal articles or essays

(b) Invert authors’ names (last name first)

(c) Italicize titles of longer works such as books and journals

(d) Alphabetically index reference list

Select the correct answer from the codes given below:

This question was previously asked in
UGC NET 2015 Paper 1 Question Paper (27-Dec-2015)
The correct answer is

(b), (c) and (d)

APA style has definite conventions for the reference list, and the question tests whether the italicisation rule is remembered in the right direction.

Statement (b) is correct. APA inverts author names so that the surname comes first, followed by initials rather than full given names - for example, Sharma, R. K. This puts the surname in the position that governs alphabetical placement.

Statement (c) is correct. Titles of longer, self-contained works are italicised. That covers books, journals as publications, reports and similar standalone items.

Statement (d) is correct. The reference list is arranged alphabetically by the surname of the first author, which is why inversion in (b) matters - the two rules work together.

Statement (a) is incorrect, and it reverses the rule. Titles of shorter works contained within something larger - a journal article, a chapter, an essay - are not italicised in APA. They are set in plain type, while the journal or book that contains them is italicised. So within a single reference an article title appears in plain text and the journal name in italics, which is precisely the distinction statement (a) gets backwards.

Since (b), (c) and (d) are correct while (a) is not, the second code applies.

Hence the basic rules of APA style are (b), (c) and (d).

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