Lists
Use numbered lists when list items are ordered in a series, for example, steps in an experiment and itemised conclusions. List items are complete sentences or paragraphs. Use lettered or bullet point lists for phrases or words.
Use the numbered list function on your word processing software to automatically indent the list. Choose Arabic numbers followed by a full stop. The number should not be enclosed or followed by brackets.
Example:
The research was guided by the following research questions:
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What research methods are used to examine the effects of cultural competency training?
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How are psychologists trained to be culturally competent?
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You can add letters to a list in a sentence to draw more attention to the items and emphasise to the reader that each item is distinct from the others.
Use a semi-colon to separate list items that contain a comma. The list ends with a full stop. In APA, numbers in brackets are not used in a list.
Example:
Participants were categorised by geography, where
(a) the Manawatū included Palmerston North, Feilding and Ashhurst;
(b) Waikato which included Hamilton, Cambridge, and Te Awamutu; and
(c) Taranaki which included New Plymouth, Hāwera, and Stratford.
Use bulleted lists to draw attention to the items of lists without implying the items go in a particular order.
Use the bullet list function on your word processing software to automatically indent the list. You may use other symbols, such as squares and dashes.
If bulleted list items are complete sentences, begin each sentence with a capital letter and finish it with a full stop.
Example:
These are several ways in which psychologists could apply social-media-driven methods to improve their work:
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Social psychologists could use these methods to improve research on emotional experiences.
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Community psychologists could use these methods to improve research on emotional experiences.
If bulleted list items are not complete sentences, begin each bulleted item with a lower case letter and with end punctuation (when items are longer).
Example:
Adolescents may crave the opportunities for peer connection that social media affords because it allows them to:
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communicate privately with individuals or publicly with a larger audience,
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see how their number of
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friends and followers compare with those of their peers, and
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seek affirmation by posting pictures and receiving likes or comments (Underwood & Ehrenreich, 2017)
Without end punctuation (when items are shorter and simpler).
Example:
The major employment sectors in Palmerston North include:
• logistics and freight
• food innovation
• agribusiness
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