does essay word count include bibliography

APA 7th Edition Referencing Guide: Formatting your assignment

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Check your course module outline, or ask your tutor how they would like your assignments formatted.  If you can't find this information, then the below guidelines have been taken from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association: The Official Guide to APA Style (7th ed.) (the Manual) to assist you.

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All papers should have a title page (you may have been provided a template in your module outline). All pages should be numbered (top right corner) and often you are expected to include your student ID number on each page too.  If you are handing in a paper copy, you may need to ensure you only print on one side of the page (check your tutor's preferences).

All margins (top, bottom, left, and right) should be 2.54 cm (this is the default 'normal' setting on Word).  However, some tutors might like your left margin to be much bigger (e.g. 4 cm) to allow for marking.  Also, if you are intending to get your assignment bound, you need to allow space on the left-hand margin to allow for this.

The entire paper should be double spaced, except:

• Elements of the title page (not relevant for undergraduates)
• The body of tables, figures and images will depend on the presentation of the data.
• Displayed equations

Postgraduate students and those of you publishing your work, refer to the Manual for specific information.

APA style allows for a range of accessible fonts to be used, but be consistent and use the same font throughout your paper.  However, it would be advisable to stick to 11-point Calibri or 11-point Arial throughout your assignments.

Paragraph alignment and indentation

Text should be aligned left, so that your right margin has an uneven "ragged" look. D on't use full justification, otherwise your words will be unevenly spaced across the page.

Indent the first line of every paragraph by using the tab key.

• Level 1 headings should be centred and bold.
• Level 2 headings should be left-aligned and bold
• Level 3 headings should be left-aligned and bold italic

See the Manual for further information.

Appendices contain material that supplements your paper, but would be distracting or inappropriate to include within the body of your text.  For example, if you interview someone for your research, you might want to include the transcript of the interview in an appendix.

Appendices go at the very end of your assignment after references, footnotes, tables, and figures.  Begin each appendix on a new page and provide a label and title for each.  If you only have one, label it Appendix. If you have more than one, label each with a capital letter e.g. "Appendix A", "Appendix B", in the order mentioned in the text. (Note, each appendix needs to be mentioned at least once within the text by its label, e.g. "see Appendix A".)  Labels should be bold and centred.  The appendix title should describe its contents and also be bold and centred, but on a separate line from the label.  Use title case for both the label and title.

Appendix A (label)

Analysis of Speech Fragments (title)

Content of appendix formatted the same as the body of the assignment.

According to the Manual, your word count should include the entire document from the title page to the appendices.  However, for the purposes of an assignment, we would only expect your word count to include the text (and in text citations) of the body of your work, not the title page, contents page, reference list or appendices.  As always, double check with your tutor to find out their preference.

Italicising foreign words

The APA Guide requires any words in a language that the intended reader is not familiar with to be written in italics. However, this is something you can use your judgement on. If you are uncomfortable about italicising 'foreign' words, or think your intended reader/s will be offended by it, you do not have to.

Wintec will always place cultural appropriateness above a formatting requirement.

Please note: Te Reo Māori is an official language of New Zealand. It is not a foreign language.

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Q. Do my references count towards my Word Count?

Do my in-text citations and reference lists get included in the Word Count for my assignment?

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Last Updated: 02 Oct, 2018     Views: 61170

While different styles may give you advice for whether or not to include references in your Word Count (for example, APA recommends including everything - even the headers and footers), this is actually a matter for your markers to answer, as it is normally a decision made by the College.

Often (but not always) markers will count everything in the body of your assignment (including quotes and in-text citations), but will not include the reference list in their calculations. However, this might not be the case for your course.

Read your Subject Outline and check with your lecturer for a definitive answer for your course.

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Q. Are the title page, in-text citations, and/or references included in an essay's word count?

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Answered By: Theresa Bell (she/her/hers) Last Updated: Nov 17, 2021     Views: 44467

If you're writing for an academic audience, you're probably aiming for a specific word count. According to the American Psychological Association (APA, 2020),

to determine word count, count every word from beginning to end, including all in-text citations, reference entries, tables, figures (other than words in a figure image, which may not be captured by word count), and appendices. The default settings of the word-count function of your word-processing program are acceptable for determining the word count. (p. 46)

Since in-text citations are essential in academic writing to acknowledge sources of information and prevent plagiarism, including them in the word count aligns them at the same level of importance as the rest of the information in the work. If you are unsure of the expectations for your work, please check with your instructor or publishing editor for direction. 

If you are working in a PC version of Microsoft Word, you can click the Word Count button, which can be found under the Review tab in the Proofing section:

If you are using Microsoft Word for Mac, you can view the word count in the status bar at the bottom left corner of the page.

If you are using a different word processing program, please search online for the appropriate instructions to calculate the word count.

If you are not expected to include in-text citations in the word count for your document, try using the  Writer's Diet Test  to check the word count. The  Writer's Diet Test  gives automated feedback on sentence-level conciseness for a selection of 100-1000 words, as well as noting the word count for the selection. The test's default setting excludes anything in parentheses, though you can adjust the settings in the "Advanced" tab.

Whether you're submitting an assignment or a manuscript for publication, adhering to the word limit is one of your responsibilities as an author. You can assume that you should include your in-text citations in your word count; however, if you're unsure of what's expected of you, please check with your instructor or publishing editor for clarification.

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

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Are in-text references in an essay included in the final word count?

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Answered By: Events Calendar Last Updated: Feb 07, 2023     Views: 9628

It depends on the referencing style: 

• If you are using APA, the in-text references are included in your word count.
• If you are using Chicago, footnotes are not included in the word count.

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Q. What is included in the word count?

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Answered by: ros sykes last updated: dec 13, 2023     views: 11240.

The word count usually includes everything in the main body of the text including citations, quotations and tables. Everything before the main text (e.g. abstract, acknowledgements, contents, executive summaries) and everything after the main text (e.g. references, bibliographies, appendices) are not included in the word count limit.

There are exceptions to this, but if there is an exception it should be explained in your assessment brief.  For more information see the University Assessment Policy .

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Introduction to referencing

You are expected to acknowledge the books, journal articles and other sources of information that you use when preparing and completing your university work. This is done by briefly referring to (citing) the sources of information in the text of your work, and by producing a corresponding, alphabetical list of references (or a bibliography) at the end of your work.

Referencing demonstrates that you have done the following:

• acknowledged your sources of information
• read around the subject
• taken on board related research
• explored others' opinions
• checked your facts
• substantiated your arguments
• come to your own conclusions

References also enable the reader to find your sources of information for themselves.

When to and how to reference

Each time you use someone else's ideas, words or facts, it is essential that you acknowledge this in your work. Not acknowledging other people's work is intellectually dishonest and can be illegal. It is known as plagiarism . You do not need to reference common knowledge , but you should reference things that you have personally read, seen or heard.

Please check with your college which referencing standard they want you to use. The following referencing styles are used at UWE Bristol:

• UWE Bristol Harvard
• Oxford Standard for the Citation Of Legal Authorities (OSCOLA)
• Modern Language Association (MLA) .

On occasion you may find that the example given in the UWE Bristol Harvard A-Z does not give enough information for the reader to locate the file you used. In this instance you may need to use a ‘best fit’ approach and adapt the example. 

Use our interactive self-study How to reference and avoid plagiarism online workbook to learn more about the basics of referencing at UWE Bristol. There is a How to reference and avoid plagiarism reading list to complement the workbook. You can also sign up to attend our How to reference and avoid plagiarism workshop.

View study skills workshops on the Events Diary

• In-text citations and quotations are included in your assignment's word count.
• References, bibliographies and footnotes containing references are not included in the word count, unless it is clearly stated in the coursework instructions that the module is an exception to this rule.

Please consult the UWE Bristol Policies  for further advice (includes the Assessment Content Limit policy).

Example reference

The below examples are in the UWE Bristol Harvard style .

Citing a source of information in your own text

The need for care and guidance (Pearson et al. , 2007) is evident...

As Pearson et al.  states (2007, p.72), "The basis of evidence-based practice is, of course, evidence."

The corresponding reference

Pearson, A., Field, J., Ford, D. and Jordan, Z. (2007) Evidence-Based Clinical Practice in Nursing and Health Care: Assimilating Research, Experience and Expertise . 2nd ed. Oxford: Blackwell Publishing.

Please note: You must put your italics , capitalisation and punctuation in the right place for all referencing styles.

Managing your references

Our Referencing tools  web page offers help and advice with managing your references, including getting started with suggested reference management software.

Common terms

Bibliography.

An alphabetical list of all the sources of information you have used in preparing your written piece of work, even if the sources are not referred to directly or cited within the text.

Your module handbook will tell you if you should include a bibliography.

Acknowledging a source of information within the text of your work. For example, an in-text citation.

Common knowledge

Common knowledge is information that most people would know without having to look up, for example, the world is round.

However, what may be common in one culture, society or area of study may not be common to others outside of that group. When in doubt, reference your sources.

Plagiarism is presenting the ideas or discoveries of another as your own.

References are the details of your information sources, providing enough information to enable the reader to understand what you are referring to.

Reference list

A reference list is presented in alphabetical order by author (in cases where you have used an author more than once, the most recent reference should be listed first). It lists all the references you have cited directly in your written text. The reference list is usually found at the end of a piece of written work.

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Referencing guide at the University of Manchester: Home

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• Referencing Software
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The Library provides expert support to students, staff and researchers in the specialist areas of business data, copyright, maths and statistics, referencing support, advanced searching and systematic reviews. This includes:

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If you’ve tried our online resources and workshops and need more help, you can get expert help via our online help pages , attending a drop-in session, giving us a call or arranging a consultation.

What is referencing?

Referencing is a vital part of the academic writing process. It allows you to:

• acknowledge the contribution that other authors have made to the development of your arguments and concepts.
• inform your readers of the sources of quotations, theories, datasets etc that you've referred to, and enable them to find the sources quickly and easily themselves.
• demonstrate that you have understood particular concepts proposed by other writers while developing your own ideas.
• provide evidence of the depth and breadth of your own reading on a subject.

What is a reference list?

This is your list of all the sources that have been cited in the text of your work. The reference list includes all the books, e-books, journals, websites etc. in one list at the end of your document.

What is a bibliography?

The bibliography includes items which you have consulted for your work but not cited in the main body of your text. The list should appear at the end of your piece of work after the list of references. This demonstrates to the reader (examiner) the unused research you carried out.

Always check with your School if you need to produce a bibliography.

Word count and referencing

Generally, the word count of your work will include everything that is in the main text (citations, quotes, tables, lists etc) but will not include what is in the reference list/bibliography.

As always, you need to check the referencing advice given in your course handbook usually found in your Blackboard space, as rules can change from school to school.

• When to cite?
• How to cite?
• Citing secondary sources

Whenever you quote, paraphrase or make use of another person’s work in your own writing, you must indicate this in the body of your work (a citation) and provide full details of the source in a reference list (all the sources you have referred to directly in your work) or a bibliography (all the sources you have read in the course of your research, not just those you have cited).   

Your reference list should include details of all the books, journal articles, websites and any other material you have used.

You do not need to reference:

• your own ideas and observations
• information regarded as ‘common knowledge’
• your conclusions (where you are pulling together ideas already discussed and cited in the main body of your work).

Understanding when to cite references is an important part of your academic progression.

The way that you cite references will depend on the referencing style you are using. There are many different referencing styles and you must ensure that you are following the appropriate style when submitting your work.

Getting started with referencing  - is a MLE resource that explores the principles behind referencing, highlighting why it is good academic practice.

Check with your course handbook or supervisor to be sure that you are following the specific guidelines required by your school.

Commonly used referencing styles at The University of Manchester include Harvard, APA, MHLA, MLA and Vancouver.

These referencing pages will provide you with a useful introduction to the principles of referencing in various styles.

There are cases when an author discusses the research of another author in their work. When you are unable to track down the original research document you can cite them as a secondary source. In the citation include the (primary) source and where it was cited (secondary).

Only secondary cite when you cannot gain access to the primary source

In Harvard style: (Author, Date)

In-text citation:

Use either 'quoted in' or 'cited in' depending on the included detail.

 Anderton places the importance of taste squarely at the feet of the regurgitated... (2016, cited in Stevenson, 2017).

"It is the regurgitated that I lay complete blame"... (2016, quoted in Stevenson, 2017).

For referencing purposes, only include the research you did consult because you did not read the original document and are taking any inference on the work from that author.

Stevenson, M. (2017). The genius in action: tales from the reference world , Oxford University Press: Oxford.

In Vancouver (numeric) style:

According to Anderton as cited in Stevenson (3) importance of taste is squarely at the feet of the regurgitated...

"It is the regurgitated that I lay complete blame"... Anderton quoted in Stevenson (3).

3. Stevenson, M. The genius in action: tales from the reference world. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 2017.

Quote, paraphrase and summarise

There are several ways in which you may want to utilise other people’s ideas in order to add substance to your work. The most common ways to accomplish this are to quote, paraphrase or summarise.

When using quotations, remember to make sure they are relevant and thoughtfully used. Short and direct quotations provide the most succinct and direct way of conveying the ideas of others in support of your work.

• Use single quotation marks to indicate direct quotations and the definition of words.
• In quoted passages follow the original spelling, punctuation etc.
• Short quotations (usually less than 40 words) should be enclosed in single quotation marks (‘…’) and be part of the main text.
• Longer quotations should start on a separate line not italicised, with no quotation marks, and indented throughout.
• Double quotation marks (“…”) are used for a quote within a quote.
• Always include page numbers when using direct quotations to point the reader directly to the relevant point.

It is worth remembering that direct quotations count as part of your overall word count and excessive use can affect the flow of your work when reading.

Burroughs provides a great examples of the synthesis between the 'I' as author and the 'you' as reader  'You were not there for the beginning. You will not be there for the end. Your knowledge of what is going on can only be superficial and relative' (1959, p. 184)

Longer quotations should form their own paragraphs and be indented. Quotation marks are not a prerequisite when paragraphs and indentation are used.

Anderton describes the changes in societal landscape in his own inimitable way:  

In a time of turbulent war and electrical fascination, rise a group of people with a different ideology to what had previously been commonplace. They became the new masters of their domain and the overlords of a world I no longer related to, nor understood. (Anderton, 2017, p. 1)

Non-English quotations should follow the same rules but always be displayed in the original source language.

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing is the expression of someone else’s thoughts or ideas in your own words. One of the benefits of this is that you can better describe the intentions of the author and your understanding, while maintaining your own writing style.

Although this is a way of manipulating text, you must not betray the original meaning of the author you are paraphrasing.

Original Text:

Paraphrased:

Anderton (2017, p. 1) discusses the turbulence of this era of war and the new onset of electrical fascination, he continues on the theme that these changes resulted in people becoming the owners of this new domain acting as overlords of a world he no could no longer fathom.

Summarising

When summarising, you condense in your own words the relevant points from materials such as books, articles, webpages etc.

Summarised:

Anderton (2017, p. 1) promulgates his feelings in relation to the turbulence of war and man's changing ideologies and his disenfranchised view of this new world landscape.

Additional online resources

Online resources:.

• EndNote desktop: getting started
• EndNote desktop: collecting references
• EndNote desktop: organising your references
• EndNote desktop: formatting your references
• EndNote desktop: YouTube playlist
• EndNote online: YouTube playlist

Other resources

• Introducing reference management tools
• EndNote desktop workbook for windows
• EndNote desktop workbook for MacOS
• EndNote online workbook
• Mendeley workbook

www.escholar.manchester.ac.uk/learning-objects/sls/packages/referencing/

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My Learning Essentials i s the Library’s programme of skills support, including both online resources and face-to-face workshops to help you in your personal and professional development. Workshops offer a relaxed group environment where you can try out new strategies while learning from and with peers. The online resources cover everything from referencing, to managing your procrastination, to writing a CV and you can access them through the Library website from wherever you are, whenever you need to!

Further help

The information contained within these pages is intended as a general referencing guideline.

Please check with your supervisor to ensure that you are following the specific guidelines required by your school.

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