How to List Publications on Your Resume (Examples & Tips)

Deciding what to include in your resume can be confusing at times. Of course, most job seekers know to include their work history, education and skills, but what about publications? 

Listing relevant publications on a resume can help candidates impress hiring managers. The critical aspect is deciding which ones to include, where to include them, and how to do so. In this guide, we'll discuss how to list publications on a resume provide formatting tips and examples of successful resumes with publication sections. 

Why Include Publications on Your Resume?

Including relevant publications can boost your resume and show your level of expertise within your field. Publications are particularly significant if you're a writer, researcher or academic. Employers want to see examples of your past work and gauge whether your knowledge and skills are up to par. 

But what if you're applying for another role?

The main issue to consider is relevance. The published material you include on your resume must be pertinent to the position you're applying for so that the hiring manager can quickly identify the connection. 

Let’s say you’re applying for a social media manager position. Your college research paper on sustainable farming may not apply to the role. However, a published magazine article on innovative content strategies to maximize Instagram's algorithm is an excellent addition to your resume. 

How to Add Publications to Resume

Once you've chosen the publications you want to include, learning how to put publications on a resume is a simple four-step process. Let's start. 

STEP 1

Decide Where to Put Publications on Your Resume

There are two main resume sections to choose from: 

• • Education: If you only have one or two publications, include them in your education section.
  • Publications: Create a separate section if you have three or more publications. This will highlight your published work and make it easier for the reader to find.

STEP 2

Follow Formatting Guidelines for Listing Publications

While there are no strict rules to formatting publications on a resume, we suggest choosing one specific citation style and using it throughout your resume. The two most common citation styles are APA and MLA. Follow this format for each one: 

• APA citation: [last name], [first initial]. [middle initial]. (year of publication). [article title]. [journal name] [volume number] ([issue number]) [pages]. 
• MLA citation: [last name], [first initial]. "[article title]" [journal name], [volume number], [issue number], [date], [pages]

Here’s how it should look: 

APA: 

MLA: 

STEP 3

Use Reverse-chronological Order to List Your Publications

The standard resume format dictates that your work history section follow a reverse chronological order. To ensure your resume is successful, maintain the same structure in your publications list. 

STEP 4

Verify Your Information

The last step is to confirm that every title, author name, journal and date is correct. This will display your attention to detail and ensure the hiring manager finds the publication if they want to read it. 

Examples of Publications Sections on Resumes

Explore how these resume examples include relevant publications. You can edit them directly in our Resume Builder and tailor them to the position you're applying for. 

Ph.D. Student Resume

This sociology Ph.D. student resume uses the APA format to list three publications centered on human behavior and relationships. 

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Literature Student Resume

This literature Ph.D. student resume effectively showcases their English literature publications using the MLA format.

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Listing Co-authored Publications

Publishing books or articles with two or more authors is a common practice. Simply place your name in bold in the citation to draw attention to your byline. Like this: 

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Listing Publications on a Resume

Your publications section is just one way to showcase your contributions to the field. Consider highlighting your publications in other ways:

Key Takeaways