Follows the usual rules
APA, MLA and Chicago all alphabetize references by the first word of the entry, usually the author’s last name. When there’s no author, the entry is filed under its title, ignoring a leading A, An or The. This tool does both, so “The climate policy handbook” is filed under C.
Capital letters and accents are ignored when comparing, and numbers sort by value.
Getting references in and out
- From Word or Google Docs: copy the references and paste them. Each paragraph becomes one line.
- Entries split over several lines? Put a blank line between entries and the format is detected automatically, or choose “Blank lines”.
- Back into your paper: copy and paste, then reapply the hanging indent in your word processor.
Formatting like italics is lost when text passes through any plain-text tool. To keep it, sort here, then use the result as a guide to reorder entries in your document.
APA references
Smith, J. (2020). Language loss in indigenous communities. Journal of Linguistics, 12(3), 45–60. The climate policy handbook. (2019). Green Press. Adams, R., & Lee, K. (2021). Boycotts and climate action. Oxford University Press. A history of economic thought. (2015). Penguin.
Adams, R., & Lee, K. (2021). Boycotts and climate action. Oxford University Press. The climate policy handbook. (2019). Green Press. A history of economic thought. (2015). Penguin. Smith, J. (2020). Language loss in indigenous communities. Journal of Linguistics, 12(3), 45–60.
Questions
Two works by the same author are in the wrong order. Why?
APA orders works by the same author by year. Entries that start identically up to the year sort by year here too, but other cases may need a manual check.
Can I sort vocabulary or glossary terms the same way?
Yes. For simple word lists use Alphabetize a list.