how many references in a 3000 word essay

The Critical Turkey

Essay Writing Hacks for the Social Sciences

How many sources should I use in my essay?

Possibly the most frequently asked question when it comes to social science essay writing (certainly in first and second year courses) is how many sources should be used in an essay. This is a very legitimate question, especially if you don’t have much essay writing experience to start with. But the answer is not very straightforward. It depends. Rather than providing a fixed number, this blog post lays out what it depends on, and what kinds of parameters play a role in determining the number of readings.

The purpose of referencing

First, however, a short reflection on why you need to use references in the first place. Anchoring this discussion to its purpose will help you gain a deeper understanding of the issue, and the rest will make more sense. It is tempting to see this as a tick-box exercise of a specific number of readings you need to cover. But providing references goes deeper than that.

What distinguishes academic writing from other forms of writing is that indeed, it builds on what others have written before, and makes explicit reference to it. This is because social science is ever-evolving. When we write about social class today, we stand on the shoulders of giants , scholars like Marx, Weber, or more recently, Pierre Bourdieu. And those are only the big names. Hundreds of other authors have dedicated their scholarly lives to academic research, and added bits and pieces to an ever-evolving body of knowledge, be it on social class or any other topic we write about.

Providing references to their work pays tribute to this. It is a sign of respect for the work of others. But it also a way of showing your own awareness of the different debates and different perspectives in the field. And it is a way of showing where your position is. For example, if your analysis of class follows a Marxist tradition, this will show in the readings you use, as you will be drawing primarily on authors that have also followed this tradition (and probably some original Marx as well).

Rather than this being a tick-box exercise, then, referring to the work of others has a deeper meaning. It is about who you are, and where you see yourself, as a budding scholar. And you might not think of yourself as a budding scholar (yet?), but hey, we all have to start somewhere.

Parameter 1: Your ambition

And this brings us to the first parameter, your ambition. If all you want is write a reasonably well-informed essay that achieves a solid pass and a not unreasonable grade (a perfectly legitimate ambition. In our school this corresponds to a grade in the 50s range), fewer sources will do. You still need to demonstrate you have read, and are building on the literature, but there is less emphasis on integrating, for example, different perspectives. If, however, you want to demonstrate that you really know some stuff, and are aware of at least some of the different perspectives (in our school, a 60s essay), you will typically use a few more sources, integrate a few more perspectives, and a little more data and evidence. If you are aiming for those really high grade ranges (in our school, 70 and above), you want to show more of an ‘overview of the topic’, an awareness of a slightly bigger part of the body of knowledge that exists, which will result the use of additional sources, and an extended bibliography.

Okay, I know you want numbers. Here we go then. Let’s say this is a typical 1,500 to 2,000-word essay, first or second year, Social and Political Science at Edinburgh University (if you’re at another school or university this might be different. Even some individual courses might be different. Always check for local conditions): a typical 50s essay here will probably use four or five sources; in the 60s, it tends to be around five to ten, and typical 70s or above essays use probably somewhere between eight and 15 substantive sources. These are rough estimates, though. And importantly, these numbers are not deterministic. You could write a brilliant essay based on just five or six sources and still get that first. Or you could use 15 sources in your essay, but if your argument is off, or your writing is incomprehensible, or the sources aren’t very good, you might still only get a 50s grade.

Parameter 2: The kind of question

The second parameter to consider is the kind of question you are addressing. There are two main distinctions to make here: first, whether the question is mostly on a specific theory or on a topic. More theoretical questions tend to need fewer readings. For example, it could ask about a specific concept by a specific author, say Foucault’s concept of power/knowledge, or Mead’s idea of the Self. Rather than looking at several different viewpoints, this kind of essay question is asking you to engage in detail with only one author’s perspective. This means there is less importance on breadth of reading (expressed in a higher number of readings). However, this does not necessarily make things easier, as there is instead more emphasis on depth of reading. You need to engage thoroughly with that one text, more that you would otherwise. And even though the emphasis is on one author’s theory, depending on your ambition, you still want to consult additional literature, and see how other authors have interpreted and contextualised this particular theory.

If the essay question is on a specific topic, on the other hand, say globalisation, gender inequalities or social class, there is usually more of an emphasis on the breadth of reading, and of you demonstrating awareness of different perspectives and interpretations. This tends to result in a higher number of bibliography entries.

The second aspect of the ‘kind of question’ parameter you need to consider is how many dimensions the question has. In the above example, if the question is about one theorist, you will typically need fewer readings than if the question is asking you to compare theories, for example, compare Foucault’s notion of how power and knowledge are connected to what Marx and Engels wrote about the issue. Both might be 2,000 word essays, but the number of readings is likely to be twice as many if you add this comparison.

The same goes for topic questions. These, too, can involve several dimensions. A question that asks about the impact of globalisation on cultural practices in Japan is more likely to be focused on a selected number of core readings. If a similar question asks about the impact of globalisation on culture, the economy and politics in Japan, this multitude of dimensions will require additional readings for the additional dimensions.

Parameter 3: Quality of sources

Another parameter that determines the number of sources you need to use is the quality of your sources, and the kinds of sources you use. Once again, two distinctions are important here. First, there is a difference between core readings, and ones that are more peripheral. The core readings should indeed provide the core of your argument, and the basis for the essay to build on. They are usually provided in the course material, either as essay readings, or for the respective lectures or course units the essay builds on. The decisive point, however, and what defines these as core readings for the purpose of your essay, is that they touch on the core of what the essay is about. Peripheral readings are ones that provide examples, additional material, data and illustration. They help your essay branch out, and cover just that little bit more ground. The point, however, is that they are additional, and if push comes to shove, you could probably do without them. The core readings, in contrast, are indispensable.

This distinction is important for how you count your number of readings. Core readings count fully; peripheral readings, not quite so much. This can become a problem if your bibliography is overly weighted towards peripheral readings. If you have, say, ten readings in your bibliography, but only one or two are on the core of the topic, this will be insufficient, despite the relatively high number of readings. If we take the above example of the effects of globalisation on Japanese culture, if only one or two readings are on globalisation, and ten others on examples, this might leave the core a little hollow, and the discussion of globalisation in a more general sense might just not have sufficient substance. I have used the word ‘might’ here, because this does depend on the kinds of readings, and there is a chance that this bibliography actually does work. The important point is that this is something you need to pay attention to, and ultimately it is your judgment call.

The second distinction of the kinds of sources is between academic and non-academic sources. As a rule of thumb, you should be very careful about using non-academic sources in the first place. All of the above is written on the assumption that we are talking about academic (i.e. peer-reviewed) journal articles and books. Under certain circumstances, however, it is possible to use non-academic sources, such as news articles or blogposts, mostly to provide current examples and illustration of whatever you are writing about. If you do use such sources, however, they should never be seen as a replacement for academic sources. And when you count how many sources you have used, you should simply take these out of the equation. If you have used, say three academic sources and 15 non-academic sources, in the eyes of your marker (at least if I am that marker) you have only used three sources, plus some additional, peripheral, illustrative material. This is not to say that this additional material cannot also be very useful. But as discussed above, academic essay writing starts with an acknowledgment of what is already out there in terms of academic literature and research, and is based on the body of knowledge that has evolved over time on a specific topic, not on yesterday’s news.

Parameter 4: specific instructions

The last parameter to consider can throw the entire calculation over board. It is whether the essay question comes with specific instructions. Such instructions could be, for example, that an essay in social theory really only needs to engage with this one theory. This gives you permission to limit the number of readings. However, be careful here, as this can be a false friend. Reading additional secondary literature on the theory might actually help you understand it better.

Or you might be encouraged to use news articles to provide examples for your discussion. This can potentially lead to a much higher number of bibliography entries. But as discussed above, this should not replace academic literature, and the latter should always form the basis and core of your discussion.

These four parameters are what I think are the most relevant determinants for the number of readings you need to use in your essay. But maybe I missed something? What other considerations do you think are important? Or maybe you disagree with some claim made in this article? Do let me know in the comments below.

4 thoughts on “How many sources should I use in my essay?”

These articles are so, so helpful. Thank you so much.

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Thank you – a fresh perspective used to compliment and invigorate my assessment schedule.

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How often should you reference?

(Last updated: 14 February 2019)

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Essay referencing can be a headache at university. How many references do you need? When should you use a reference? Should you use references even when you haven't used a direct quotation? How many references are too many? By knowing how to reference properly, you can reduce the stress involved in your essay writing .

To help make essay referencing easier, we've tackled a few of those niggling questions that should make the process a little smoother.

Why does referencing matter?

Including references in your essay is your way to show your markers that you've truly engaged with your subject matter. It is also important as it proves that you've read the key sources which relate to your topic. They additionally show that you've thought carefully about how each source relates to the subject you're writing about. The more helpful references you include, the more well-informed you appear to be about your topic. It’s not always about quantity, either. Quality sources which really inform your essay are really worth including.

Including a bibliography is good academic practice. If you go on to study further, write more about your subject or publish your work, giving kudos to the writers whose work you took information and inspiration from is essential. A bibliography also provides a helpful resource you can go back to and use for future work.

How many references is too many references?

Of course, it is possible to use too many references . If you are using references just to show off all the books you've read, this will be obvious and will not impress your markers. You need to choose the sources which really contribute to your essay; supporting your argument, contesting it or prompting interesting, relevant questions.

Remember, markers also want to see evidence of your own, original thinking. Using too many references does not leave much room for your personal standpoint to shine through. As a general rule, you should aim to use one to three, to support each key point you make. This of course depends on subject matter and the point you are discussing, but acts as a good general guide. It can be useful to have a best practice breakdown of your essay to help you work out how many references to use. Here's a rough guide to help you get the balance right for any piece of academic work:

Introduction

• Your introduction should make up approximately 10% of your essay. You may want to use one or two references to define your topic in this section, depending on your word count.
• The main body of your essay (which will include the key points in your argument ) should make up approximately 75% of your essay. For example: In a 2000 word essay, you will have 1500 words to use. Each main point you make should typically use 1-3 paragraphs, which should average around 200-400 words in total. This will give you room for around 5 key points, each supported by 2 or 3 references. Try and use direct or primary references where possible. Sometimes you’ll need to use in-text references, too.
• Your conclusion should account for around 15% of your essay. You may wish to use 1-3 references to lend authority to your concluding statements. Of course, it is really hard to suggest exactly how many references your essay should include. This depends totally on the subject matter and word count. A Philosophy essay, for example, may have a lot of critical thinking and be quite theory-heavy, and for this reason you may need more references than a typical English Literature Essay. This is just an example – you’ll need to consider your own subject matter and topic.

When to use references

References aren't just used to give credit for quotations. They can be used to indicate that an idea, concept, fact or theory has come directly from a particular reference. Other instances when references must be used include:

• Illustrations

And if you've used any information or ideas from:

• Computer programmes
• Any external source

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How to Write a 3000 Word Essay: Free Guide with Tips & Examples

Do you sometimes struggle to structure a long essay properly? You may have just found a solution! When writing a college essay, 3000 words may seem hard to handle, but don’t worry! In this article, we’ll explain how to organize and plan your 3000-word essay. We’ll also share helpful tips and academic paper samples on various topics. Keep reading to find out more!

📝 3000 Word Essay Structure

💭 how long is a 3000-word essay, ✍️ how to write a 3000-word essay.

• 🖊️ Writing Prompts

🔎 3000 Word Essay Example

• 📖 3000 Words Essay Topics

🔗 References

Like other academic essays, a 3000-word paper follows a standard structure consisting of three key parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. However, due to the length of the essay, students sometimes struggle with organizing their papers and miss crucial information. Let’s examine the essay structure to clarify the writing process.

Introduction

An introduction is the opening paragraph of your paper. It attracts the readers’ attention and lets them know the essay’s topic and the main points that will be addressed. Therefore, it’s essential to organize your introduction in a way that goes from general to specific:

• General . First, provide a broader topic you’ll discuss in the 3000-word essay and explain its importance to the reader.
• Narrowing . Second, guide your reader to understand the essay’s purpose and provide context for the topic.
• Specific . Last, narrow the focus to your thesis statement.

If you organize your introduction this way, your audience will better comprehend your essay’s central theme.

Thesis Statement

A thesis is one or more sentences summarizing your paper’s key points and stating its topic and purpose. A thesis statement is generally located at the end of the introduction.

There are several types of thesis statements. Check the table below to learn more!

Expository / Explanatory Thesis

An expository thesis statement introduces the essay’s topic and lists critical aspects of the issue that will be discussed in the paper.

Students’ performance is influenced by factors such as effective time management , motivation, and a supportive family environment.

Analytical Thesis

An analytical thesis statement explains what you’ll analyze in the paper, the parts of your analysis a reader should expect, and the conclusions you reached due to this analysis.

Analysis of alternatives to fossil fuel energy suggests that using solar and wind power is preferable.

Argumentative Thesis

An argumentative thesis statement highlights the topic of your work, expresses your position on the subject, and presents the evidence supporting your position.

Technology has reduced our sense of closeness to others, making it easier to disconnect from the people in our physical environment. It does not promote the social skills required to help us connect with those around us.

The type of thesis statement you need to use depends on the type of your paper . Choosing the right style for your thesis is essential since the whole essay is built around it.

3000 Words Essay Body Paragraphs

When writing 3000-word essay body paragraphs, ensure they are well-developed and coherent. It means you should use logical and verbal bridges when transitioning from one idea to another and cover your topic thoroughly. In addition, keep in mind the rule “one thought = one paragraph.” Whenever you begin developing a different idea, start a new paragraph.

Remember that each body paragraph should be connected to your thesis statement.

Follow the steps below to write effective body paragraphs:

• Create a topic sentence . Before drafting a paragraph, consider the topic and what you want to write about it.
• Give evidence to support your point of view . After creating the topic sentence, you should provide evidence to support , clarify or exemplify your idea.
• Add your analysis and interpretation . After providing your reader with all the necessary information, it’s time to show its relevance and importance. This step allows you to add your own academic voice and integrate your research instead of letting it take ownership of your paper.
• Conclude . After proving your position with relevant evidence and analysis, add a concluding sentence. The concluding sentence will connect one paragraph to the next and help ensure the main body is cohesive.

An academic conclusion paragraph reminds the reader of the essay’s main points and summarizes the significance of the conversation. You can think of the conclusion as an upside-down introduction since it goes from “specific” to “general”:

• Specific . Begin by restating your thesis statement to remind readers of the purpose of your essay.
• Broadening . Summarize your paper’s main points and demonstrate how they support your thesis. It is the final step in expanding the scope of your argument.
• General . Explain to your reader the significance of your argument and the discussion. You can recommend what the reader should do with the knowledge you’ve just provided in your paper.

Reference List

You can do without the reference list only if you write a personal essay based solely on your experience. In other cases, any borrowed idea or facts should be quoted following the appropriate citation style.

Need help with citations? You can use our online citation tool !

How many sources should you use? First of all, you can follow the instruction issued by your professor. If there are none, you can follow the general rule: one source per essay page. As a result, a 3000-word essay requires approximately 11 sources. However, this rule depends on the type of work. Usually, a research paper or a literature review needs the greatest number of sources — it can reach more than 20 per 3000 words.

The number of pages of a 3000-word essay depends on the following aspects:

• type and size of the font;
• the size of the margins;
• line spacing;
• the number of subheadings and paragraphs.

A 3000-word essay will take approximately 11 pages double-spaced or 5,5 pages single-spaced. The number of pages will increase if your paper includes schemes, tables, or illustrations.

Now let’s look at how many words each part of the 3000-word essay takes.

How Many Paragraphs in 3000 Words Essay?

The number of paragraphs depends on their size. Usually, there are 100-200 words in a paragraph. An essay of 3000 words consists of 15-30 paragraphs:

• Introduction : 2-3 paragraphs (300 words).
• Main body : at least 8 paragraphs (2400 words).
• Conclusion : 2-3 paragraphs (300 words).

How Long Does It Take to Write a 3000-Word Essay?

Typing 3000 words takes approximately 75 minutes, with an average typing speed of around 40 words per minute. However, it will require some time to look for materials, plan the framework of the future essay, and choose the most suitable vocabulary. Therefore, a piece of 3000 words will take at least 5 hours, depending on the complexity of the topic and the number of sources cited.

We have prepared a guide you can use to write your 3000-word essay. It’ll make the process much easier and faster. Continue reading to learn more!

Step 1 – Choose a Topic

Something important to remember while choosing a topic is that you might have to work on your essay for a while. Therefore, it’s best to choose a subject that’s new to you and interesting to explore to avoid burning out on it.

There are various ways to brainstorm your potential topic. For instance, you can try free writing, in which you write several sentences on the subject and your thoughts or questions regarding it. You can also try our title generator to make the process even easier!

Step 2 – Research

Once you’ve decided on the topic for your essay, it’s time to start researching. A good research process should consist of the following steps:

• Make a question that your study will address.
• Create sub-questions based on your primary question.
• Determine which sources work best for your argument.
• Make a bibliography as you collect and reference sources.

You might start developing an opinion on the topic at this point. However, it’s best to take time and consider which side of the argument is more convincing and has more credible evidence before developing an entire essay about it.

Step 3 – Form Your Claim and Working Thesis Statement

After gathering all the necessary information and deciding which side of the topic you want to argue, you can develop an overall claim or topic question for your paper. Your thesis will respond to this claim, and as a result, the topic question becomes a roadmap for your body paragraphs.

Step 4 – Make an Outline

An outline plays a crucial role in writing and helps you organize ideas effectively. There are 4 essential steps in creating a good outline:

• Brainstorm . Make a list of the ideas you want to cover in your paper.
• Chronological: order of time. It’s suitable for narratives .
• Spatial: top to bottom. It’s ideal for descriptions of locations.
• Emphatic: least important to most important. It’s most common for college writing.
• Order . Arrange the information in subsections, for instance, from abstract to specific.
• Label . Create the main title and subheadings.

Step 5 – Draft Your Essay

Writing an essay draft helps assess the structure and transitions from the beginning. That’s why we recommend to start writing a 3000-word essay early – you will have more time to develop ideas and work on mistakes. The essential aspect you must focus on in your draft is proportional essay sections and sticking to the thesis statement. If you follow the thesis from the very beginning, you will have less confusion later when writing the complete text.

Step 6 – Proofread and Edit

The importance of proofreading in writing cannot be overstated. Use these tips to ensure that your proofreading process will run smoothly:

• Never rely only on spelling and grammar checkers.
• Check spelling and punctuation separately.
• Split the text into manageable chunks.
• Keep an eye out for the mistakes you frequently make.
• Read the essay aloud to detect mistakes and ensure the text flows naturally.

🖊️ 3000-Word Essay: Writing Prompts

Need help coming up with fresh ideas for your 3000-word essay? Check out some of our essay samples to get some inspiration!

📔 3000 Words Essay about Food

In your 3000-word article on food, you can focus on the following aspect:

• challenges in the food industry;
• packaging and storage of food;
• nutrition and food security;
• the role of food in human health.

📔 3000-Word Essay on Careers

Your 3000-word essay on careers can outline an action plan for achieving a desired job. It can include discussing short- and long-term goals, necessary attributes and skills, competency, and the importance of practice.

📔 3000 Words Essay on Global Warming

Climate change is the number one issue in the 21st century. To highlight this problem in your essay, find the answers to the following questions:

• What is the impact of climate change on the environment?
• What actions should governments take to prevent the world from catastrophe?
• How the solar and wind energy influence climate change?

📔 3000 Words on Why You Want to Go to College

Your 3000-word essay on why you want to attend college should describe your goals and plans. Write about your unique experience and skills to stand out from other students. Also, you can mention your personal qualities, sports achievements, or the countries you’ve visited.

Let’s look at a 3000 word-research paper example Inclusion and Individual Differences in the Classroom . We’ll look at its structure so that you have a better understanding of how to organize and write your 3000-word essay!

The title is brief, reflects the tone of the research, and gives readers an idea of what the essay is about. Also, it includes essential keywords.

The author introduces the problem of developing an inclusive learning environment and follows it with a thesis statement emphasizing the significance of inclusive learning environments in reducing learning challenges for children with disabilities. A preview statement that follows the thesis outlines the essay’s contents for the reader.

The main body consists of 3 paragraphs, each labeled with subtitles. It follows a general-to-specific structure, introducing concepts of disability and inclusive learning before delving into the difficulties of accommodating students with mental disabilities.

The conclusion summarizes the main points discussed in the paper and highlights the research results and possible solutions.

The references section includes 12 sources, which is enough for a 3000-word essay. All the sources are cited in the APA format.

📖 3000 Words Essay: Sample Topics

• Personal career vs. education: which one is more challenging?
• The first time you experienced rejection.
• Describe your personality to a stranger.
• Urbanization and its effect on human mentality.
• How would you define success?
• Your dreams and aspirations.
• The importance of healthy family relationships for a child’s mental health.
• How does fitness affect your self-image?
• Youth sports programs can help reduce the number of diseases among teens.
• Should hospitals be free?
• Freedom of speech and democracy.
• Why schools should ban cell phones.
• Covid-19 vaccination has more positive than adverse effects.
• Vaping is more harmful than smoking cigarettes.
• Why should euthanasia be illegal?
• US Democracy and Its Media Representation .
• Creativity and Problem-Solving in Education & Economics .
• The Issue of Violence in Sports .
• Marijuana Legalization: PREPARE and IMAGINE Models .
• Consumer Behavior: Internet and Interactive Media Usage .
• Nike Company: Marketing Principles and Concepts .
• The Leadership in Nursing and Clinical Organizations .
• Non-Surgical Reduction of Obesity and Overweight in Young Adults .
• The Role of Technology in Architecture .
• Potential Effects of Cultural Patterns .
• Leadership Styles in Government Institutions .
• Duty and Standard of Care Concepts .
• “ The Circus” Film: Cognition and Neuroscience .
• The Correction Systems: US and Mexico .
• Anti-Drugs, Alcohol, and Tobacco Education Programs .
• Business Law: The Terms Used in a Contract .
• Health Promotion for Obesity in Adults .
• Non-Surgical Reduction of Obesity in Young Adults .
• Social Relationships and Development in Childhood .
• Authentic Leaders: Personal and Critical Reflection .
• Family Interaction Through the Motion Pictures .
• Lebanon’s Environmental Problems and Solutions .
• Importance of Project Management .
• Critical Literature Review of Digital Signature .
• Psychosocial Perspective of Traumatic Amputation .
• International Business Management and Marketing .
• The Politics of Health in the United Kingdom .
• Ethics: Formerly Incarcerated Substance Addicts .
• Information System Development Methods .
• Music Journalism in the Future Internet Age .
• Case study: Employee Resourcing Strategies .
• Child Labor Laws and Their Effectiveness .
• Mental Health Problems in the UK and the US .
• Lab Experiment on Photovoltaics .
• Six Top Tips for Writing a Great Essay – The University of Melbourne
• Essay Structure: The 3 Main Parts of an Essay | Grammarly Blog
• Paragraphs; The Writing Center • University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• Proofreading; The Writing Center; UW–Madison
• How Do I Write a Great Title for My Academic Essay? – LSA Sweetland Center for Writing | University of Michigan
• Developing A Thesis | Harvard College Writing Center
• The Writing Center | Brainstorming Techniques
• Main Ideas And Supporting Details | Learning Assistance Center University of Hawaii, Manoa

How to Reference in an Essay (9 Strategies of Top Students)

Chris Drew (PhD)

Dr. Chris Drew is the founder of the Helpful Professor. He holds a PhD in education and has published over 20 articles in scholarly journals. He is the former editor of the Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. [Image Descriptor: Photo of Chris]

Learn about our Editorial Process

Are you feeling overwhelmed by referencing?

When you’re first asked to do referencing in an essay it can be hard to get your head around it. If it’s been a while since you were first taught how to reference, it can be intimidating to ask again how to do it!

I have so many students who consistently lose marks just because they didn’t get referencing right! They’re either embarrassed to ask for extra help or too lazy to learn how to solve the issues.

So, here’s a post that will help you solve the issues on your own.

Already think you’re good at referencing? No worries. This post goes through some surprising and advanced strategies for anyone to improve no matter what level you are at!

In this post I’m going to show you exactly how to reference in an essay. I’ll explain why we do it and I’ll show you 9 actionable tips on getting referencing right that I’m sure you will not have heard anywhere else!

The post is split into three parts:

• What is a Reference and What is a Citation?
• Why Reference? (4 Things you Should Know)
• How to Reference (9 Strategies of Top Students)

If you think you’ve already got a good understanding of the basics, you can jump to our 9 Advanced Strategies section.

Part 1: What is a Reference and What is a Citation?

What is a citation.

An in-text mention of your source. A citation is a short mention of the source you got the information from, usually in the middle or end of a sentence in the body of your paragraph. It is usually abbreviated so as not to distract the reader too much from your own writing. Here’s two examples of citations. The first is in APA format. The second is in MLA format:

• APA: Archaeological records trace the original human being to equatorial Africa about 250,000–350,000 years ago (Schlebusch & Jakobsson, 2018) .
• MLA: Archaeological records trace the original human being to equatorial Africa about 250,000–350,000 years ago (Schlebusch and Jakobsson 1) .

In APA format, you’ve got the authors and year of publication listed. In MLA format, you’ve got the authors and page number listed. If you keep reading, I’ll give some more tips on formatting further down in this article.

And a Reference is:

What is a Reference?

A reference is the full details of a source that you list at the end of the article. For every citation (see above) there needs to be a corresponding reference at the end of the essay showing more details about that source. The idea is that the reader can see the source in-text (i.e. they can look at the citation) and if they want more information they can jump to the end of the page and find out exactly how to go about finding the source.

Here’s how you would go about referencing the Schlebusch and Jakobsson source in a list at the end of the essay. Again, I will show you how to do it in APA and MLA formats:

• APA: Schlebusch, C. & Jakobsson, M. (2018). Tales of Human Migration, Admixture, and Selection in Africa. Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics , 11 (33), 1–24.
• MLA: Schlebusch, Carina and Mattias Jakobsson. “Tales of Human Migration, Admixture, and Selection in Africa.” Annual Review of Genomics and Human Genetics , vol. 11, no. 33, 2018, pp. 1–24.

In strategy 1 below I’ll show you the easiest and fool proof way to write these references perfectly every time.

One last quick note: sometimes we say ‘reference’ when we mean ‘citation’. That’s pretty normal. Just roll with the punches. It’s usually pretty easy to pick up on what our teacher means regardless of whether they use the word ‘reference’ or ‘citation’.

Part 2: Why Reference in an Essay? (4 Things you Should Know)

Referencing in an essay is important. By the time you start doing 200-level courses, you probably won’t pass the course unless you reference appropriately. So, the biggest answer to ‘why reference?’ is simple: Because you Have To!

Okay let’s be serious though … here’s the four top ‘real’ reasons to reference:

1. Referencing shows you Got an Expert’s Opinion

You can’t just write an essay on what you think you know. This is a huge mistake of beginning students. Instead this is what you need to do:

Top Tip: Essays at university are supposed to show off that you’ve learned new information by reading the opinions of experts.

Every time you place a citation in your paragraph, you’re showing that the information you’re presenting in that paragraph was provided to you by an expert. In other words, it means you consulted an expert’s opinion to build your knowledge.

If you have citations throughout the essay with links to a variety of different expert opinions, you’ll show your marker that you did actually genuinely look at what the experts said with an open mind and considered their ideas.

This will help you to grow your grades.

2. Referencing shows you read your Assigned Readings

Your teacher will most likely give you scholarly journal articles or book chapters to read for homework between classes. You might have even talked about those assigned readings in your seminars and tutorials.

Great! The assigned readings are very important to you.

You should definitely cite the assigned readings relevant to your essay topic in your evaluative essay (unless your teacher tells you not to). Why? I’ll explain below.

• Firstly, the assigned readings were selected by your teacher because your teacher (you know, the person who’s going to mark your essay) believes they’re the best quality articles on the topic. Translation: your teacher gave you the best source you’re going to find. Make sure you use it!
• Secondly, by citing the assigned readings you are showing your teacher that you have been paying attention throughout the course. You are showing your teacher that you have done your homework, read those assigned readings and paid attention to them. When my students submit an essay that has references to websites, blogs, wikis and magazines I get very frustrated. Why would you cite low quality non-expert sources like websites when I gave you the expert’s article!? Really, it frustrates me so, so much.

So, cite the assigned readings to show your teacher you read the scholarly articles your teacher gave to you. It’ll help you grow your marks.

3. Referencing deepens your Knowledge

Okay, so you understand that you need to use referencing to show you got experts’ opinions on the topic.

But there’s more to it than that. There’s actually a real benefit for your learning.

If you force yourself to cite two expert sources per paragraph, you’re actually forcing yourself to get two separate pieces of expert knowledge. This will deepen your knowledge!

So, don’t treat referencing like a vanity exercise to help you gain more marks. Actually view it as an opportunity to develop deeper understandings of the topic!

When you read expert sources, aim to pick up on some new gems of knowledge that you can discuss in your essays. Some things you should look out for when finding sources to reference:

• Examples that link ideas to real life. Do the experts provide real-life examples that you can mention in your essay?
• Facts and figures. Usually experts have conducted research on a topic and provide you with facts and figures from their research. Use those facts and figures to deepen your essay!
• Short Quotes. Did your source say something in a really interesting, concise or surprising way? Great! You can quote that source in your essay .
• New Perspectives. Your source might give you another perspective, angle or piece of information that you can add to your paragraph so that it’s a deep, detailed and interesting paragraph.

So, the reason we ask you to reference is at the end of the day because it’s good for you: it helps you learn!

4. Referencing backs up your Claims

You might think you already know a ton of information about the topic and be ready to share your mountains of knowledge with your teacher. Great!

So, should you still reference?

Yes. Definitely.

You need to show that you’re not the only person with your opinion. You need to ‘stand on the shoulders of giants.’ Show what other sources have said about your points to prove that experts agree with you.

You should be saying: this is my opinion and it’s based on facts, expert opinions and deep, close scrutiny of all the arguments that exist out there .

If you make a claim that no one else has made, your teacher is going to be like “Have you even been reading the evidence on this topic?” The answer, if there are no citations is likely: No. You haven’t.

Even if you totally disagree with the experts, you still need to say what their opinions are! You’ll need to say: “This is the experts’ opinions. And this is why I disagree.”

So, yes, you need to reference to back up every claim. Try to reference twice in every paragraph to achieve this.

Part 3: Strategies for How to Reference in an Essay (9 Strategies of Top Students)

Let’s get going with our top strategies for how to reference in an essay! These are strategies that you probably haven’t heard elsewhere. They work for everyone – from beginner to advanced! Let’s get started:

1. Print out your Reference Style Cheat Sheet

Referencing is hard and very specific. You need to know where to place your italics, where the commas go and whether to use an initial for full name for an author.

There are so many details to get right.

And here’s the bad news: The automated referencing apps and websites nearly always get it wrong! They tell you they can generate the citation for you. The fact of the matter is: they can’t!

Here’s the best way to get referencing right: Download a referencing cheat sheet and have it by your side while writing your essay.

Your assignment outline should tell you what type of referencing you should use. Different styles include: APA Style, MLA Style, Chicago Style, Harvard Style, Vancouver Style … and many more!

You need to find out which style you need to use and download your cheat sheet. You can jump onto google to find a cheat sheet by typing in the google bar:

Download a pdf version of the referencing style cheat sheet, print it out, and place it on your pinboard or by your side when writing your essay.

2. Only cite Experts

There are good and bad sources to cite in an essay.

You should only cite sources written, critiqued and edited by experts. This shows that you have got the skill of finding information that is authoritative. You haven’t just used information that any old person popped up on their blog. You haven’t just gotten information from your local newspaper. Instead, you got information from the person who is an absolute expert on the topic.

Here’s an infographic listing sources that you should and shouldn’t cite. Feel free to share this infographic on social media, with your teachers and your friends:

3. Always use Google Scholar

Always. Use. Google. Scholar.

Ten years ago students only had their online university search database to find articles. Those university databases suck. They rarely find the best quality sources and there’s always a big mix of completely irrelevant sources mixed in there.

Google Scholar is better at finding the sources you want. That’s because it looks through the whole article abstract and analyses it to see if it’s relevant to your search keywords. By contrast, most university search databases rely only on the titles of articles.

Use the power of the best quality search engine in the world to find scholarly sources .

Note: Google and Google Scholar are different search engines.

To use Google Scholar, go to: https://scholar.google.com

Then, search on google scholar using keywords. I’m going to search keywords for an essay on the topic: “What are the traits of a good nurse?”

If you really like the idea of that first source, I recommend copying the title and trying your University online search database. Your university may give you free access.

4. Cite at least 50% sources you found on your Own Research

Okay, so I’ve told you that you should cite both assigned readings and readings you find from Google Scholar.

Here’s the ideal mix of assigned sources and sources that you found yourself: 50/50.

Your teacher will want to see that you can use both assigned readings and do your own additional research to write a top essay . This shows you’ve got great research skills but also pay attention to what is provided in class.

I recommend that you start with the assigned readings and try to get as much information out of them, then find your own additional sources beyond that using Google Scholar.

So, if your essay has 10 citations, a good mix is 5 assigned readings and 5 readings you found by yourself.

5. Cite Newer Sources

As a general rule, the newer the source the better .

The best rule of thumb that most teachers follow is that you should aim to mostly cite sources from the past 10 years . I usually accept sources from the past 15 years when marking essays.

However, sometimes you have a really great source that’s 20, 30 or 40 years old. You should only cite these sources if they’re what we call ‘seminal texts’. A seminal text is one that was written by an absolute giant in your field and revolutionized the subject.

Here’s some examples of seminal authors whose old articles you would be able to cite despite the fact that they’re old:

• Education: Vygotsky, Friere, Piaget
• Sociology: Weber, Marx, C. Wright Mills
• Psychology: Freud, Rogers, Jung

Even if I cite seminal authors, I always aim for at least 80% of my sources to have been written in the past 10 years.

6. Reference twice per Paragraph

How much should you reference?

Here’s a good strategy: Provide two citations in every paragraph in the body of the essay.

It’s not compulsory to reference in the introduction and conclusion . However, in all the other paragraphs, aim for two citations.

Let’s go over the key strategies for achieving this:

• These two citations should be to different sources, not the same sources twice;
• Two citations per paragraph shows your points are backed up by not one, but two expert sources;
• Place one citation in the first half of the paragraph and one in the second half. This will indicate to your marker that all the points in the whole paragraph are backed up by your citations.

This is a good rule of thumb for you when you’re not sure when and how often to reference. When you get more confident with your referencing, you can mix this up a little.

7. The sum total of your sources should be minimum 1 per 150 words

You can, of course, cite one source more than once throughout the essay. You might cite the same source in the second, fourth and fifth paragraphs. That’s okay.

But, you don’t want your whole essay to be based on a narrow range of sources. You want your marker to see that you have consulted multiple sources to get a wide range of information on the topic. Your marker wants to know that you’ve seen a range of different opinions when coming to your conclusions.

When you get to the end of your essay, check to see how many sources are listed in the end-text reference list. A good rule of thumb is 1 source listed in the reference list per 150 words. Here’s how that breaks down by essay size:

• 1500 word essay: 10 sources (or more) listed in the reference list
• 2000 word essay: 13 sources (or more) listed in the reference list
• 3000 word essay: 20 sources (or more) listed in the reference list
• 5000 word essay: 33 sources (or more) listed in the reference list

8. Instantly improve your Reference List with these Three Tips

Here’s two things you can do to instantly improve your reference list. It takes less than 20 seconds and gives your reference list a strong professional finish:

a) Ensure the font size and style are the same

You will usually find that your whole reference list ends up being in different font sizes and styles. This is because you tend to copy and paste the titles and names in the citations from other sources. If you submit the reference list with font sizes and styles that are not the same as the rest of the essay, the piece looks really unprofessional.

So, quickly highlight the whole reference list and change its font to the same font size and style as the rest of your essay. The screencast at the end of Step 8 walks you through this if you need a hand!

b) List your sources in alphabetical order.

Nearly every referencing style insists that references be listed in alphabetical order. It’s a simple thing to do before submitting and makes the piece look far more professional.

If you’re using Microsoft Word, simply highlight your whole reference list and click the A>Z button in the toolbar. If you can’t see it, you need to be under the ‘home’ tab (circled below):

You’ve probably never heard of a hanging indent. It’s a style where the second line of the reference list is indented further from the left-hand side of the page than the first line. It’s a strategy that’s usually used in reference lists provided in professional publications.

If you use the hanging indent, your reference list will look far more professional.

Here’s a quick video of me doing it for you:

9. Do one special edit especially for Referencing Style

The top students edit their essays three to five times spaced out over a week or more before submitting. One of those edits should be specifically for ensuring your reference list adheres to the referencing style that your teacher requires.

To do this, I recommend you get that cheat sheet printout that I mentioned in Step 1 and have it by your side while you read through the piece. Pay special attention to the use of commas, capital letters, brackets and page numbers for all citations. Also pay attention to the reference list: correct formatting of the reference list can be the difference between getting the top mark in the class and the fifth mark in the class. At the higher end of the marking range, things get competitive and formatting of the reference list counts.

A Quick Summary of the 9 Top Strategies…

Follow the rules of your referencing style guide (and that cheat sheet I recommended!) and use the top 9 tips above to improve your referencing and get top marks. Not only will your referencing look more professional, you’ll probably increase the quality of the content of your piece as well when you follow these tips!

Here’s a final summary of the 9 top tips:

Strategies for How to Reference in an Essay (9 Strategies of Top Students)

• Print out your Reference Style Cheat Sheet
• Only cite Experts
• Always use Google Scholar
• Cite at least 50% sources you found on your Own Research
• Cite Newer Sources
• Reference twice per Paragraph
• The sum total of your sources should be minimum 1 per 150 words
• Instantly improve your Reference List with these Three Tips
• Do one special edit especially for Referencing Style

• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 10 Reasons you’re Perpetually Single
• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 20 Montessori Toddler Bedrooms (Design Inspiration)
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• Chris Drew (PhD) https://helpfulprofessor.com/author/chris-drew-phd-2/ 101 Hidden Talents Examples

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How Many References Do I Need?

One of the crucial aspects of writing an academic paper is the number and quality of references you include. References not only provide support for your arguments but also show that you have engaged with the existing body of knowledge on your topic. However, determining the right number of references for your academic paper can be tricky. Too few references might suggest that your research is not well-supported, while too many can overwhelm your paper with unnecessary citations.

Table of Contents

General Guidelines for the Number of References

There is no one-size-fits-all answer to how many references you should include in your academic paper. The appropriate number of references depends on several factors, including the type of paper you’re writing, the discipline you’re working within, and the scope of your research. However, there are some general guidelines that you can follow.

1. Research Papers

2. theses and dissertations, 3. literature reviews.

Literature reviews generally require a higher number of references compared to other types of academic papers. This is because the purpose of a literature review is to summarize and analyze existing research on a specific topic. A literature review may include 40 to 100 references or more, depending on the breadth of the topic and the number of studies available.

4. Shorter Essays

Factors that influence the number of references, 1. discipline, 2. type of paper.

The type of paper you’re writing (e.g., research paper, thesis, review article, or essay) will greatly influence the number of references you need. As mentioned earlier, literature reviews will generally require more references than research papers, while shorter essays may require fewer.

3. Scope of Research

4. depth of analysis.

Papers that require a deep, critical analysis of a topic will often require more references than papers that are more descriptive or introductory. In-depth analysis typically involves comparing studies, discussing different viewpoints, and building a strong evidence-based argument, all of which require a robust reference list.

5. Instructions from Your Instructor or Journal

Quality vs. quantity: a delicate balance, guidelines for ensuring quality:, how to use references effectively.

To ensure your references contribute meaningfully to your academic paper, follow these best practices:

1. Integrate References Smoothly

2. cite multiple sources when appropriate, 3. avoid overloading your paper with references, about mr. greg.

How Many References Should I have in an Essay?

Some teachers provide suggested guidelines for how many sources they want to see cited needed in an essay. If this is the case, students should follow this strictly. If teachers haven’t mentioned anything specifically, students should aim to hit around 6-8 references for every 1,000 words of content. This works to about 1 reference for every 200 words or roughly about 1 reference in each paragraph.

However, this is a general rule and should be considered the bare minimum. We’re not saying that every single paragraph of your assignment should have at least 1 reference. Instead, you need to consider the focus of references based on the subsection of the paper. It is important that you do not stuff in your references all in one place. You shouldn’t also make a conscious effort spread them throughout every section of your paper either . You should add in references organically where it would be needed by putting yourself in the shoes of the reader.

For instance, the literature review section is almost always going to need a higher focus on references . This is because the aim of this section is to establish existing ideas within your chosen topic. This in turn requires citations to the existing sources.

On the other hand, the findings, discussions, and conclusion sections are only going to need a moderate focus on references . These sections require you to make your own inferences based on the material you have researched. You should have partially covered the theoretical background for these in the previous sections. Hence there is a relatively lower need to cite sources here unless you are trying to further support your own findings and conclusions.

As we have mentioned in our guide on how to make introduction and conclusions for assignments, the conclusion section must not have new information that you haven’t covered (even if just partially) in the other sections. Instead, you should use this section to go over the key points to emphasize their implications further. In other words, you should not have any external references in the conclusions section .

Table of Contents

Can you use too many references in an essay?

Yes, having an excessive amount of references in-text dilutes the quality of your paper. Doing this is going to make your paper seem like a very long literature review. Instead, your professors want to see that you have read through existing literature and engaged with it to form your own ideas. We cover in this some detail in our guides on how to prepare a literature review and how to critically analyze information.

Having said that, it is generally better to have too many references as compared to too few sources cited. While both approaches are not ideal, in case of over-citing with proper interlinking of the points from different sources), it shows that you have taken the effort to look up multiple sources. So, while you would have fewer original ideas in this case, the actual content should be of a high quality.

On the other hand, having too few references gives the impression that you probably wrote the paper at the last minute. When we don’t rely on enough external sources, we are likely to end up with generic statements or going off on a tangent.

So, to get an idea of how many citations is too many, you should ask yourself the question of whether you have been able to include enough original content of your own as well. If you’re dealing with a topic which has multiple viewpoints with arguments and counterarguments for each, then it is fine to even have even two or three references clustered together in consecutive sentences. However, just make sure that you follow up these consecutive referenced sentences with what you have inferred from them.

How many times can you cite one source?

You can cite the same source multiple times, as long as you do it the right way, without making it seem like you have relied too heavily on the same source. Teachers expect to see that you have tried to explore different viewpoints on an issue. Simply citing the same sources over and over could make you susceptible to the same biases of those authors.

How do you reference the same author multiple times?

If you’re following the standard Chicago style , when citing the same source consecutively, the use of the word ‘Ibid’ is typically recommended. This word comes from the Latin word ‘ibidem’ which conveys the meaning of ‘in the same place’.

However, it is worth noting that the Chicago 17 th Edition does not favor the use of ‘Ibid’ and instead recommends shortened citations.

Other referencing styles like Harvard and MLA do not recommend the use of ‘Ibid’ and instead encourage shortened references instead. In the APA style, there is no specific recommendation to use ‘Ibid’ either. If you’re following one of these three referencing styles, then you don’t necessarily have to repeat the in-text reference for the source in each sentence. You just need to make it clear that you’re referencing the same source again.

Should Ibid be italicized?

The general consensus in academic circles at present is that foreign words which are used commonly do not need to be italicized. This includes Latin words like ibid., et al., passim, fait accompli and de facto, so you do not need to italicize these words.

Is there a comma after Ibid?

You should follow up the word ‘Ibid’ with a comma and include the page number if you have to be referencing different pages of the same source. If not, then there’s no need to have a comma after Ibid.

Can you have two citations in one sentence?

Yes, you can have two or more citations in one sentence. However, if you if do this, take care to phrase the sentence properly. To avoid making the sentence too long, you can break up the citations as shown below. Alternatively, you can potentially combine the references in parentheses as explained in the next section.

How do you cite two or more references within the same parentheses?

If you want to cite multiple references within the same parentheses, you should separate them by using a semi colon (;) in between. This is shown in the following example in which two closely related points from different sources are combined together.

Calculator for number of References Needed

Here’s a calculator to get a ballpark estimate of the number and type of references which you need for your assignment. Please follow the instructions below to get an idea of how to use this calculator.

Nandakumar, M. K., Ghobadian, A., & O’Regan, N. (2010). Business‐level strategy and performance: The moderating effects of environment and structure.  Management Decision . 48(6), 907-939.

Porter, M. E. (1979). How Competitive Forces Shape Strategy. Harvard Business Review [Online]. Available from: https://hbr.org/1979/03/how-competitive-forces-shape-strategy [Accessed 14 November 2021]

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Essay Referencing Guide

Writing an essay is never a walk in the park, especially if you are a freshman. Many students are surprised at first when they need to write an essay, because of all the demands that go with it. We are not just talking about doing research and writing at a very high level, but also about essay referencing. In the beginning, it’s difficult to wrap your head around a concept like that. Also, it can still seem pretty daunting if it’s been a while since you’ve done it.

Poor essay referencing is one of the main reasons why students lose points on their essays and receive lower grades, despite the strength of their arguments and their writing chops. Referencing your sources is a must in academic circles, because everything else is considered plagiarism. This means that every time you use a piece of data, images, graphics, or words from someone else’s paper or dissertation, you need to provide a citation and its matching reference. With that in mind, let’s take a look at our essay referencing guide that will help master the skill of referencing once and for all. Keep on reading to find out more.

What Is Referencing And Why Is It Important?

Essay referencing enables you to acknowledge the authors and their contributions, which have been used in your own work. Every essay ever written is underpinned by ideas, research, or finding of other writers, which is why it’s crucial that your essay contains proper citations. There are several reasons why referencing is so important. The most important ones are:

• You avoid plagiarism - this is probably the most obvious reason why you should reference the original authors. It’s perfectly fine to use someone else’s work and findings to act as a basis for your own writing, but if you fail to cite your sources, it is considered a very serious academic offense. Not only is it considered unethical, but you are also violating a number of intellectual property rights every author is entitled to. Pretty much every academic institution has a clear, and usually very strict, policy on plagiarism.
• It provides credibility to your work - regardless of what your essay topic is, there will be a whole raft of previous works available on it. Being able to do your research and pick the most relevant and compelling ones is a skill in itself, which is why essay referencing also gives additional credibility to your writing. It also allows you to bolster your own data with similar research already done by another author, which is something that essay writing service professionals adhere to at all times.
• It shows that you acknowledge research that was done previously - not only is this respectful to other authors, but also shows that you haven’t picked your sources randomly, and that you are well familiar with the subject matter and capable of extracting data that is the most useful and relevant to your essay.

Essay Referencing Systems

Referencing is required for just about every single piece of academic writing, and that includes essays. Now, unfortunately for students, there is no universal referencing system. Instead, there are several different ones that are used in the academic community. Ideally, you get to choose which one to use, but in most cases, the choice is made for you by a specific publication or academic institution you are attending. The most common essay referencing systems are:

Lately, Harvard, which is also knowns as the Author Date system, has been the most prevalent system for essay referencing. It uses short citations inside the text itself, unlike most of the other systems which rely on footnotes at the end of the paper.

When to Use References

Generally speaking, you always need to cite the original author of the work you are using, be it a book, industry publication, or even a website. Now, in order to avoid confusion as to what qualifies as using someone else’s work, we have put together a short list that lets you know when you should reference. You should reference in case you are:

• Directly quoting someone else’s work, regardless of the publication type
• Using a famous quotation
• Paraphrasing someone else’s writing and findings
• Summarizing data points and ideas from someone else’s paper, book, or article
• Using charts, graphs, tables, diagrams, images, or statistical data published by another author
• Using someone else’s idea

That pretty much covers all cases where essay referencing is required. Now, if you are writing from your own experience, using personal anecdotes, opinions, or experiments, you won’t need to reference anything. The same goes for stuff that is common knowledge or a generally accepted fact.

How to Reference

One of the most common mistakes students make when it comes to essay referencing is to write a list of references at the very end of the writing process. In that case, you will need to go through the entire paper and try and find the works which you have cited, which can take a lot of time, and can be very tedious. Instead, try writing down your references as you go along. That way, by the time you are done writing, you will have a complete list of references, and you won’t have to worry about missing any of them, and getting accused of plagiarism.

For every reference, you will need the following details:

• Name of the original author
• The edition, in case it’s not the first
• The year the work was published, as well as the city
• Publisher’s name
• Name of the article if it’s an article, page numbers, or numbers
• In case it’s an online resource, provide the address, as well as the date you accessed the source
• Page number if you are quoting the source directly

Obviously, each referencing system has its own specifics, but for the most part, this is what you should expect to provide for each reference.

How Many References Do You Need?

While there are no strict rules when it comes to the number of references in your essay, there are some general essay referencing guidelines that you’ll want to follow. For example, you might want to include one unique citation per every 150 words of your essay. Of course, you can cite one source more than once, but you should also aim to get data from multiple sources in order to make it more diverse and compelling. Also, you’ll want to include different opinions and view the topic from multiple angles when coming up with your own conclusion.

Depending on essay length, you’ll want to include the following number of references in the reference list:

• 1500-word essay - 10 references or more
• 2000-word essay - 13 references or more
• 2500-word essay - 16 references or more
• 3000-word essay - 20 references or more
• 3500-word essay - 23 references or more
• 4000-word essay - 26 references or more
• 5000-word essay - 33 references or more

While putting together a list of references for your essay requires a lot of work and focus, once you learn all the ins and out of essay referencing, it becomes much easier. We hope that you have found our guide helpful, and that you will start implementing the tips we have shared when writing your next essay.

Written by Michael Writer

Publish Date: August 19, 2022

Michael Writer

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How to Write a 3,000 Word Essay

Steps to writing a 3,000 word essay.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but what does it take to get 3,000 words? Writing an essay of 3,000 words is asking a lot, especially if you are not used to essay writing or have never written anything of that magnitude before. In high school or college, these assignments are often due in just a few days, and can be a source of stress for those unprepared for the task. A 3,000 word essay averages out to 10 or more pages, typed and double-spaced. Luckily, this mammoth word count is attainable for anyone from students to experienced businessmen, if you focus, take your time and put forth your best effort.

​ Select a topic of which you already have an understanding. ​ This may seem like an obvious step, but too often writers attempt to tackle a subject that is foreign to them, simply because it seems to be easy or the popular idea. These writers zoom through a few paragraphs --- a good writer can usually piece together something out of little --- but then wind up lost in a pile of facts. If you do not know your topic, there is only so much you can say, so choose something with which you are comfortable.

​ Note: ​ If you are assigned a topic to write about, ensure that you do enough research on this topic beforehand so that you become well-acquainted with what you are writing about ​ before ​ you begin. Don't forget to collect multiple references so that you are able to create a reference list later on. Referencing your sources throughout an essay (especially if it's a research paper) is crucial for your credibility, as it shows your reader that you have done your own research and there is no plagiarism. This is often done through in-text citations.

​ Pre-write ​ ​ on your topic. ​ Prewriting is the first step of the writing process, and one in which you may spend a great deal of time. It requires you to do research and take notes, and ultimately arrange your thoughts for composing a first draft. Use a graphic organizer to sort your main ideas and supporting details of each, or complete a traditional outline. Before writing an essay, you should always have a general idea of what information will be used and in what order it will be placed.

It helps in your preliminary outline to write down a topic sentence for each paragraph in the body of your essay to get a solid idea of what you want each paragraph to be about. The intro of a good essay will often include your thesis statement, in which the main points that will be discussed throughout are clearly stated. So, if you can align these introductory main points with the topic sentences in the body paragraphs, you'll have a more organized writing process.

​ Forget about spelling and punctuation. ​ Do not try to sound brilliant on your first draft. Get your ideas down on paper and resist the urge to edit as you compose. Some writers worry so much about every little word that their ideas get trampled in a mess of perfect language, creativity is often squelched, and frustration gets the writer no closer to the word goal. Save grammar and usage for the editing stage, and just write.

​ Revise your writing after completing a first draft. ​ Once you have completed the essay, read through whatever you have written for fluency and organization. You may be attempting to reach a high number of pages, but you still need to make sure your essay is smooth. Adjust your writing as needed. Proofreading and revising is a crucial step of the academic writing process, and this is often where you can perfect your transitions in the body of the essay and ensure that you're being thorough and clear.

​ Note: ​ Have a couple peers read over your first draft; they will help you in the revision process. Upon their proofread, consider asking them the following:

• Was the essay question clearly answered?
• Do I have any grammatical errors?
• Is the essay introduction clearly stating my main points?

​ Add details with vivid, descriptive language. ​ Once you are confident in the structure, style and flow of your writing, begin to add vivid verbs and plenty of adjectives to further the maturity of your writing. More detail equals more words. Add until you think you cannot add anymore. Then take a break and revise a second time, again looking for gaps where information could be inserted.

​ Make an assessment of your word count to determine your next move. ​ Count how many words you have written at this point. If you have met your desired word count, do another proofread to correct any remaining grammar or spelling errors before publishing the final essay.

If you are within several hundred words, do further revisions to add more detail, and you should be able to slowly work up. If you still have a long way to go before reaching your word count goal, you may need to put the essay aside for a while. Go back to your prewriting research and look for another resource to supply you with enough information to get your focus moving again or broaden your topic.

Writing a 3,000 word essay can seem like a daunting task, but going through the above steps will surely aid you in the process. Upon being assigned this essay, it's helpful to start planning right away to leave yourself enough time to successfully write it and avoid procrastination. Don't make yourself pull an all-nighter for a paper that should, if done effectively, take no more than a few hours (or less) to write!

Good luck, and happy essay writing!

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• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Introduction to Prewriting (Invention)
• Invention Central: Main Idea Maps
• University of Washington Tacoma: Writing Essays
• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Symptoms and Cures for Writer’s Block
• Set a goal to write a certain number of words per day, depending on how much time you have to complete the final essay. Do not be upset with yourself if you do not make the daily goal. You can always make it up the next day.
• Allow yourself to take a break between steps if you are feeling overwhelmed.
• Do not be afraid to ask someone else to read your essay and offer suggestions of what you could do to increase the word count.
• Be careful to not lose focus of your topic. Do not get so wrapped up in adding words that you forget what you were writing.
• Avoid the temptation to repeat what you have already said. Redundancy reduces your paper's effectiveness. Instead, add further examples or expand on your topic.

Writing since 2008, Marisa Hefflefinger's work has appeared on websites such as SuperGreenMe, Jennifer McColm and Character Odyssey. She holds a Bachelor of Science in English education and a Master of Arts in teaching literacy and language, and she is currently working on a Ph.D. in critical literacy and English education.