The Virtual University of Pakistan (VU) asks for APA style in every assignment and piece of coursework, and its thesis guidelines and final project handbooks say the same. No VU document we read names an edition, and the APA material VU has posted for students is older than APA's current 7th edition. Settle the edition with your supervisor before you start; everything else is below.
Every rule here was read on 2 October 2026 in VU's own documents: the student handbook, the Academic Rules and Regulations 2021, and the final project handbooks and formats from its course pages, which refused our requests that day and were read in archived copies. EdCitation is not affiliated with the Virtual University of Pakistan; this follows its public documents, checked on 2 October 2026.
EdCitation, which publishes this guide, has two free tools for the job: Cite a source builds each APA entry from the publisher's record, and Verify references checks a finished list. What both returned on VU-style sources is quoted below.
Which referencing style does the Virtual University of Pakistan use?
APA, across the university. The handbook's plagiarism page says students must use APA "in all your assignments and coursework", and adds that learning to cite correctly is the student's own responsibility (Virtual University of Pakistan, n.d.-h). The documents for longer work repeat the rule, programme by programme:
| Work | VU document | What it says | Where |
|---|---|---|---|
| All assignments and coursework | Plagiarism Sensitisation Document | APA in all of them | Student handbook |
| MS, MPhil or PhD synopsis | Academic Rules 2021, Annexure A | APA; only references cited in the text | Synopsis template |
| MS, MPhil or PhD thesis | Academic Rules 2021, Annexure D | APA for citations and the reference list | Thesis guideline, item ii |
| Final project, Management (MGT619) | Handbook of Final Project | APA; links an outside APA guide and STA630 lesson 45 | PDF pp. 18, 31 |
| Final project, Commerce (COM619) | Handbook; Final Project Format | APA, and an APA document in the course downloads | Handbook pp. 10, 22; format p. 13 |
| Final project, Economics (ECO619) | Final Project Format | APA; "Read and follow" the APA document | p. 12 |
| Software project (CS619) | Final project report template | A REFERENCES heading; no style named | Last page |
| Building each entry | EdCitation's Cite a source | APA 7 from the publisher's record, free | Runs below |
For CS619, the handbook's university-wide rule is the only style rule we found; other programmes' final project pages could not be read.
The handbooks' link to the University of Waikato's old APA page now opens that library's guides home page. Their other pointer, lesson 45 of VU's STA630 Research Methods handouts, notes that disciplines keep their own manuals, naming the American Sociological Association's (Virtual University of Pakistan, n.d.-i). EdCitation builds six styles only: APA 7, MLA 9, Chicago 18 author-date, Harvard, IEEE and Vancouver. ASA is not among them, and VU's rule is APA anyway. For other Pakistani universities, see referencing and plagiarism rules in Pakistan.
Which APA edition does VU want?
None of these documents says. The APA document posted in the COM619 downloads states that its models draw on the 6th edition of the Publication Manual, from 2010 (Virtual University of Pakistan, n.d.-a). STA630 lesson 45 is older again: its web example reads "[On line] Available", where the 6th edition wrote "Retrieved from". APA's current manual is the 7th edition, which changed three things a marker will see:
- Et al. The 6th edition names three to five authors in full the first time. In the 7th, three or more authors take et al. from the first citation, per the APA's author–date page (American Psychological Association, 2019).
- Book publishers lose their location (American Psychological Association, 2020).
- DOIs become https://doi.org/ links, with no "doi:" label and no "Retrieved from" (American Psychological Association, 2022a).
Ask your supervisor or course instructor which edition they mark to. In our view the 7th is the sensible default when nobody names one, since it is the edition APA publishes now. Our guide to rules that changed between editions has the rest.
What are VU's own referencing rules?
Each rule below comes from the VU document named. "How to Do Assignments" is the handbook page of that name (Virtual University of Pakistan, n.d.-g).
| Rule | What VU's document says | Document and page |
|---|---|---|
| An idea in your own words | The author and the year | How to Do Assignments |
| A quotation | Author, year and page | How to Do Assignments; STA630, p. 170 |
| Full details | At the end of the assignment | How to Do Assignments |
| Two authors | Both names every time; "and" in the sentence, "&" in brackets | STA630, p. 169 |
| Three to five authors | All names first, then et al. | STA630, p. 169 |
| Six or more authors | Et al. from the first citation | STA630, p. 169 |
| Several sources together | Alphabetical, separated by semicolons | STA630, p. 170 |
| Quotation over 40 words | A separate, indented block | STA630, p. 170 |
| Second line of an entry | Indented | STA630, p. 167 |
| Synopsis list | Only works cited; preferably half from the last five years | Academic Rules, Annexure A |
| Figure from a source | Redrawn, with the reference under it | Academic Rules, Annexure D |
| Table from a source | Full reference below the table | Academic Rules, Annexure D |
| Copied, unreferenced work | The final project is failed | MGT619 handbook, PDF p. 7 |
| Checking every entry | Verify references, free | EdCitation |
The et al. rows are the 6th edition's rule; our guide to APA 7 in-text citations has the current forms.
Before or after the appendices?
It depends on the work. Virtual University of Pakistan (2021) lists References before Appendices in the thesis structure. The final project handbooks put the list after them: MGT619 says it "follows the appendix or appendices" (Virtual University of Pakistan, n.d.-f, p. 31), and the COM619 and ECO619 formats place a section headed Bibliography after the appendix. STA630 separates the words: a reference list holds every work you cite, and a bibliography is a wider, optional list. Follow your own format's heading and order.
What does VU's plagiarism policy say about similarity?
VU calls its plagiarism policy zero tolerance. For an MS or MPhil thesis, the supervisor certifies a similarity index of 19% or less overall and 5% or less from one source, bibliography excluded, which the regulations call the HEC rule; a final year project goes in with a Turnitin report and the supervisor's certificate that it is below the approved limit (Virtual University of Pakistan, 2021). Our Pakistan guide explains what those figures mean.
What is the VU thesis and final project format?
VU sets its own layout, and it is not the APA 7 student paper. The thesis guideline and the MGT619 handbook give:
| Feature | MS, MPhil or PhD thesis | MGT619 final project |
|---|---|---|
| Font | 12 pt Times New Roman | 12 pt Times New Roman, black |
| Line spacing | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| Page numbers | Bottom right, starting at the introduction; Roman before it | Bottom right; small Roman, centred, before the body |
| Headings | At most three levels: 14, 14 and 12 pt bold | Bold and/or underlined |
| Figures | Numbered by chapter (1.1, 1.2), caption above | Not stated |
| Paper and margins | A4, printed on one side | Left 1.5 inches, others 1 inch |
| Length | Not stated | No fixed limit; 8,000 to 10,000 words suggested |
APA's own paper format is double-spaced, with the page number top right (American Psychological Association, 2022b, 2022c). For VU work, follow VU's document: it is the one your examiners hold. The synopsis template asks for the same font and spacing.
What does a VU reference list look like?
Like this, in APA 7 with VU's layout. In the text: (Akhter Shah et al., 2022), (Higher Education Commission, n.d.), (Rafique et al., 2021), and (Virtual University of Pakistan, 2021); add the page to any of them for a quotation.
Akhter Shah, S. A., Ishtiaq, M., Qureshi, S., & Fatima, K. (2022). Inflation forecasting for Pakistan in a data-rich environment. The Pakistan Development Review, 61(4), 643–658. https://doi.org/10.30541/v61i4pp.643-658
Higher Education Commission. (n.d.). HEC Digital Library. Retrieved October 2, 2026, from https://www.hec.gov.pk/english/services/students/DL/Pages/default.aspx
Rafique, G. M., Mahmood, K., Warraich, N. F., & Rehman, S. U. (2021). Readiness for online learning during COVID-19 pandemic: A survey of Pakistani LIS students. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 47(3), Article 102346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2021.102346
Virtual University of Pakistan. (2021). Academic rules and regulations, 2021. https://handbook.vu.edu.pk/HandBook_Pages/Academic%20Rules%20and%20Regulations.htm
What each entry shows
- Akhter Shah: four authors, so et al. from the first citation. The journal prints only the full name, Syed Ateeb Akhter Shah; we kept Crossref's family name.
- Higher Education Commission: no date on the page, so n.d. and the day you read it; author and site are one, so the site is not repeated.
- Rafique: an article number in place of pages (Rafique et al., 2021).
For a 6th-edition marker, the first citation becomes (Akhter Shah, Ishtiaq, Qureshi, & Fatima, 2022), and the entry ends doi:10.30541/v61i4pp.643-658.
Which EdCitation style is closest, and what do you change?
APA 7. EdCitation's APA style follows the 7th edition, so entries need only small repairs. These are the changes we made on 2 October 2026:
| EdCitation printed | Change to, for VU |
|---|---|
| The Pakistan Development Review, 643–658. | Add volume and issue: 61(4), 643–658 |
| Readiness for Online Learning during | Readiness for online learning during |
| HEC digital library digital library. (n.d.). | Higher Education Commission. (n.d.). HEC Digital Library. |
| APA 7 throughout | For a 6th-edition marker: up to five names at first citation, "doi:", a book publisher's city |
Spacing and page numbers are set in your own document, to VU's rules.
What did Cite a source and Verify references return?
EdCitation is the right place to start a VU list because it looks each source up and never composes one: Cite a source read four authors' names and the page range from Crossref, and Verify references returned issue numbers that VU's APA document leaves out. It builds APA 7 and five other styles, screens each source for retraction, and needs no account or payment. EdCitation never writes any part of an assignment, synopsis or thesis: it finds, cites and checks the sources, and every sentence you submit stays your own.
Cite a source on two DOIs and an HEC page
For 10.30541/v61i4pp.643-658, with no retraction reported, APA came back as:
Akhter Shah, S. A., Ishtiaq, M., Qureshi, S., & Fatima, K. (2022). Inflation forecasting for Pakistan in a data-rich environment. The Pakistan Development Review, 643–658. https://doi.org/10.30541/v61i4pp.643-658
Crossref's record holds no volume or issue; the journal's page shows Vol. 61, No. 4, added by hand.
For 10.1016/j.acalib.2021.102346:
Rafique, G. M., Mahmood, K., Warraich, N. F., & Rehman, S. U. (2021). Readiness for Online Learning during COVID-19 pandemic: A survey of Pakistani LIS students. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 47(3), Article 102346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2021.102346
A second run gave the same "Online Learning", as the record deposits it: lower it by hand. COVID-19 and LIS rightly keep their capitals.
For the HEC Digital Library address, whose title tag repeats its name, APA gave "HEC digital library digital library. (n.d.). Retrieved October 2, 2026, from" the address. With Higher Education Commission entered as author and the title corrected in the form, it opened "Higher Education Commission. (n.d.). HEC digital library." Restore the capitals of the service's name.
Verify references on VU's own examples
We pasted six entries into Verify references, three of them copied from VU's documents:
- Corbett (2007) and Hertwig and Ortmann (2008), from the APA document, with "doi:": both verified, "The DOI resolves to this record and the title matches." The APA 7 forms returned with them add issues 13(3) and 18(1).
- Jeanquart and Peluchette (1997), STA630's journal example: not found, "No publisher's or registry's record matches this reference." Our own Crossref search found none either. Copy the handout's pattern, not its examples.
- The Akhter Shah, Rafique and HEC entries above: all verified.
Nothing came back "could not check", which EdCitation never shows as "not found". To check a whole thesis from the file, Pro ($8 a month) adds References from a file, matching every in-text citation to the list. Pro's Mechanics QA checks spacing against the double-spaced APA 7 student paper, so weigh its spacing findings against VU's 1.5 rule. See pricing.
How do you build a VU reference list, step by step?
- Read your assignment, synopsis template or project format for heading, order and edition. EdCitation's free Check your paper reads instructions into a checklist, citation style, font and spacing included, each rule beside its sentence.
- Look up each source in Cite a source by DOI or address, in APA 7.
- Make the table's changes: volume and issue, capitals, a web page's author.
- Give author and year in the text, and a page for every quotation.
- Run the list through Verify references and settle every "check this".
- Set VU's layout and place the list where your format puts it.
Quick questions
Does VU use APA 6th or 7th edition?
VU's documents say APA without an edition. Its posted APA guide draws on the 6th edition and APA's current manual is the 7th, so ask your supervisor which one they mark to.
What is the VU thesis format?
12-point Times New Roman, 1.5 line spacing, A4 printed on one side, page numbers at the bottom right, at most three heading levels, and APA for citations and references.
Where do references go in a VU final project?
After the appendices, under your format's heading: References in the MGT619 handbook, Bibliography in the COM619 and ECO619 formats.
How do I write references in a VU assignment?
Give the author and year in the text, add the page for a quotation, and list full APA details at the end. EdCitation's free Cite a source builds each entry from its DOI or address.
What similarity index does VU allow for a thesis?
19% or less overall and 5% or less from one source, bibliography excluded, certified by the supervisor under VU's Academic Rules and Regulations 2021.
References
- Akhter Shah, S. A., Ishtiaq, M., Qureshi, S., & Fatima, K. (2022). Inflation forecasting for Pakistan in a data-rich environment. The Pakistan Development Review, 61(4), 643–658. https://doi.org/10.30541/v61i4pp.643-658
- American Psychological Association. (2019). Author–date citation system. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/basic-principles/author-date
- American Psychological Association. (2020). Book/ebook references. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/examples/book-references
- American Psychological Association. (2022a). DOIs and URLs. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/dois-urls
- American Psychological Association. (2022b). Line spacing. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/line-spacing
- American Psychological Association. (2022c). Page header. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/page-header
- Rafique, G. M., Mahmood, K., Warraich, N. F., & Rehman, S. U. (2021). Readiness for online learning during COVID-19 pandemic: A survey of Pakistani LIS students. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 47(3), Article 102346. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2021.102346
- Virtual University of Pakistan. (n.d.-a). APA guidelines [PDF]. COM619 course downloads. Archived copy. https://web.archive.org/web/20240627163029/https://vulms.vu.edu.pk/Courses/COM619/Downloads/APA_Guidelines.pdf
- Virtual University of Pakistan. (n.d.-b). Final project format [PDF]. COM619 course downloads. Archived copy. https://web.archive.org/web/20241007184602/https://vulms.vu.edu.pk/Courses/COM619/Downloads/Final%20Project%20Format.pdf
- Virtual University of Pakistan. (n.d.-c). Final project format ECO619 [PDF]. ECO619 course downloads. Archived copy. https://web.archive.org/web/20230615031342/https://vulms.vu.edu.pk/Courses/ECO619/Downloads/Final%20Project%20Format%20ECO619.pdf
- Virtual University of Pakistan. (n.d.-d). Final project report [Template]. CS619 course downloads. Archived copy. https://web.archive.org/web/20240810052013/https://vulms.vu.edu.pk/Courses/CS619/Downloads/FR_Template_Software.doc
- Virtual University of Pakistan. (n.d.-e). Hand book of final project: Commerce (COM619) [PDF]. Archived copy. https://web.archive.org/web/20241007171033/https://vulms.vu.edu.pk/Courses/COM619/Downloads/Hand%20Book-updated.pdf
- Virtual University of Pakistan. (n.d.-f). Hand book of final project: Management (MGT619) [PDF]. Archived copy. https://web.archive.org/web/20240626175445/https://vulms.vu.edu.pk/Courses/MGT619/Downloads/Hand%20Book%20MGT619.pdf
- Virtual University of Pakistan. (n.d.-g). How to do assignments at VU. Student handbook. https://handbook.vu.edu.pk/HandBook_Pages/AssignmentsatVU.htm
- Virtual University of Pakistan. (n.d.-h). Plagiarism sensitisation document. Student handbook. https://handbook.vu.edu.pk/HandBook_Pages/Plagiarism.htm
- Virtual University of Pakistan. (n.d.-i). Research methods: STA630 handouts [PDF]. Archived copy. https://web.archive.org/web/20180516220831/http://vulms.vu.edu.pk/Courses/STA630/Downloads/Handout%20STA630.pdf
- Virtual University of Pakistan. (2021). Academic rules and regulations, 2021. Student handbook. https://handbook.vu.edu.pk/HandBook_Pages/Academic%20Rules%20and%20Regulations.htm