apa citation book 3rd edition

APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Edition other than the First

• General Style Guidelines
• One Author or Editor
• Two Authors or Editors
• Three to Five Authors or Editors
• Article or Chapter in an Edited Book
• Article in a Reference Book
• Edition other than the First
• Translation
• Government Publication
• Journal Article with 1 Author
• Journal Article with 2 Authors
• Journal Article with 3–20 Authors
• Journal Article 21 or more Authors
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Basic Web Page
• Web page from a University site
• Web Page with No Author
• Entry in a Reference Work
• Government Document
• Film and Television
• Youtube Video
• Audio Podcast
• Electronic Image
• Twitter/Instagram
• Lecture/PPT
• Conferences
• Secondary Sources
• Citation Support
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Formatting Your Paper

About Citing Books

For each type of source in this guide, both the general form and an example will be provided.

The following format will be used:

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase) - entry that appears in the body of your paper when you express the ideas of a researcher or author using your own words. For more tips on paraphrasing check out The OWL at Purdue .

In-Text Citation (Quotation) - entry that appears in the body of your paper after a direct quote.

References - entry that appears at the end of your paper.

Information on citing and several of the examples were drawn from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).

Edition of a Book other than the First

General Format

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Author Surname, Year)

In-Text Citation (Quotation):

(Author Surname, Year, page number)

References:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year). Book title: Subtitle (edition). Publisher.

(Harris, 2001)

(Harris, 2001, p. 50)

Harris, L. A. (2001). Canadian copyright law (3rd ed.). McGraw Hill Ryerson.

Subject Guide

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• Last Updated: Jun 25, 2024 9:21 AM
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Penn State University Libraries

Apa quick citation guide.

• In-text Citation
• Citing Generative AI
• Citing Web Pages and Social Media
• Citing Articles
• Citing Books
• Citing Business Reports
• Other Formats
• APA Style Quiz

Note: Citations with more than one line of text should have a hanging indent of 1/2 inch or 5 spaces.

Important Elements:

• Author (last name, initials only for first & middle names)
• Publication date
• Title (in italics; capitalize only the first word of title and subtitle, and proper nouns)
• Publisher (Note: do not include publisher location)
• For books retrieved online, include DOI, if available. Include URLs only if they will work for readers. For articles retrieved through a database, do not include the database information or URL in the reference. For more information, see the APA Style and Grammar Guidelines .

Entire book:

Goodpaster, K. E., Nash, L. L., & de Bettignies, H. (2006). Business ethics: Policies and persons (3rd ed.). McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

American Medical Association. (2004). American Medical Association family medical guide (4th ed.). Wiley.

Post, E. (1923). Etiquette in society, in business, in politics, and at home. Funk & Wagnalls. http://www.bartleby.com/95/

Chapter within an edited book:

Winne, P. H. (2001). Self-regulated learning viewed from models of information processing. In B.J. Zimmerman & D.H. Schunk (Eds.), Self-regulated learning and academic achievement (2nd ed., pp. 160-192). Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Translation:

Tolstoy, L. (2006). War and peace . (A. Briggs, Trans.). Viking. (Original work published 1865).

Article in a reference work:

Gianoulis, T. (2013). Hipsters. In T. Riggs (Ed.),  St. James encyclopedia of popular culture  (2nd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 675-676). St. James Press. 

Dictionary entry:

Note:  Because entries in Merrian-Webster's Dictionary are updated over time, APA recommends including a retrieval date.

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.) Hipster. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary .   Retrieved October 18, 2019 from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hipster

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• URL: https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/apaquickguide

• MyExperience

APA Citation Style, Seventh Edition

• In-Text Citation Guidelines
• Reference List Guidelines
• Formatting Guidelines
• Books with One or Two Authors or Editors
• Books with Three to 20 Authors or Editors
• Books with 21 or More Authors
• Chapters in Edited Books
• Entries in Reference Works
• Editions Other Than the First
• Translations
• Journal Articles with One or Two Authors
• Journal Articles with Three to 20 Authors
• Journal Articles with 21 or More Authors
• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Webpages and Websites
• Webpages with No Date
• Social Media Posts
• Blog or Forum Posts
• Online Reference Works
• Films and Television
• Online and Streaming Videos
• Audio Sources
• Electronic Images
• Personal Interviews
• Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers
• Lecture Materials
• Religious and Classical Works
• Secondary Sources
• Theses and Dissertations
• Conference Sessions and Presentations
• Government Reports and Grey Literature
• Business Sources
• Legal Sources
• AI Generated Content

Section 10.2

• Second edition = 2nd ed.
• Third edition = 3rd ed.
• Fourth edition = 4th ed.
• Revised edition = Rev. ed.

Citing Books

Books with One or Two Authors or Editors   Books with Three to 20 Authors or Editors   Books with 21 or More Authors No Author   Chapters in Edited Books Entries in a Reference Works E-Books Editions Other Than the First Translation s

• Last Updated: Jul 2, 2024 1:24 PM
• URL: https://library.ulethbridge.ca/apa7style

• AUT Library
• Library Guides
• Referencing styles and applications

APA 7th Referencing Style Guide

• Referencing & APA style
• In-text citation
• Elements of a reference
• Format & examples of a reference list

Reference format

Books and ebooks, chapter in an edited book, book compilations / custom publications, dictionaries and encyclopedias.

• Conferences
• Reports & grey literature
• Figures (graphs and images)
• Theses and dissertations
• Audio works
• Films, TV & video
• Visual works
• Generative artificial intelligence (AI)
• Computer software, games & apps
• Lecture notes & Intranet resources
• Legal resources
• Personal communications
• PowerPoint slides
• Social media
• Specific health examples
• Standards & patents
• Websites & webpages
• Footnotes and appendices
• Frequently asked questions

• Title in italics
• Include all publishers listed on the copyright page of the book, use a semicolon after each publisher
• Do not include business types, e.g. Inc., Co, Ltd, etc. in the publisher name
• Always include the DOI if it is available
• For ebooks, the format, platform or device (e.g., Kindle), is no longer included in the reference. APA Manual, p. 321, s10.2

More than one publisher

• List all publishers in the order they appear separating names with a semicolon. APA Manual p. 296, s9.29

Two authors

Books and ebooks with DOI

Group author (organisation)

• Group authors may range from government departments to study groups. APA manual p. 288, s9.11

New edition of a book

Edited book

ebook - free online, no DOI

ebook - via the AUT Library, no DOI

• ebook without a DOI and retrieved from a research database, such as Proquest eBook Center, cite as a print book and do not include the database name or URL.
• If a stable link can be provided, that the reader can open, include the URL.  APA Manual s.9.34

Several volumes in a multivolume work

Books from the ERIC database

• Provide the name of the database for works of limited circulation. 

Republished books and ebooks

• Give the date of the republished version that you read after the author's name; put the date of the original publication at the end in brackets. APA Manual p. 323, s10.2 example 29

Translations

• Give the details of the version you read including the translator; put the date of the original publication at the end in brackets. APA Manual p. 301, s9.39

Classical works

Graphic novel where author and illustrator are given equal credit for authorship

• Differentiate between author roles only if these are indicated on the front cover

Find how to cite in text on the  In-text citation  page.

Chapter in an edited ebook - with DOI

Chapter in an edited book - without DOI

Chapter in edited book with volume number and individual name

• If a numbered book volume has its own title, include the volume number and title after the main title. APA Manual p. 295, s9.28

Chapter in an edited ebook - not from AUT Library

• Include the URL to the content
• Treat a book that is a  compilation of chapters  from other books and published specifically for AUT (or another organisation) as an  edited book
• Include the  name and centre  for which it is published, if that is stated with the other publishing details in the first few pages of the book

Book - where the organisation for which the book is compiled is not named:

Book - where the organisation is named:

Book chapter

Group author

• When the entry is archived on the dictionary website, a retrieval date is not needed. 

• If the entry is continuously updated and the versions are not archived, use "n.d." for the date and include a retrieval date. 

With author/s

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Citation guides

All you need to know about citations

How to cite a book in APA

To cite a book in a reference entry in APA style 6th edition include the following elements:

• Author(s) of the book: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to seven authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For eight or more authors include the first six names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.
• Year of publication: Give the year in brackets followed by a full stop.
• Title of the book: Book titles are italicized. Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalised.
• Edition number: Include information about the edition if it is not the first.
• Place of publication: List the city and the US state using the two-letter abbreviation. Spell out country names if outside of the UK or the USA.
• Publisher: Give the name of the publisher but omit terms, such as Publishers, Co., and Inc. Retain the words Books and Press.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a book in APA style 6th edition:

Author(s) of the book . ( Year of publication ). Title of the book . ( Edition number ed.). Place of publication : Publisher .

To cite a book in a reference entry in APA style 7th edition include the following elements:

• Author(s) of the book: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to 20 authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For 21 or more authors include the first 19 names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a book in APA style 7th edition:

Author(s) of the book . ( Year of publication ). Title of the book . ( Edition number ed.). Publisher .

APA reference list examples

Take a look at our reference list examples that demonstrate the APA style guidelines for a book citation in action:

A book with one author

King, S . ( 1986 ). It . New York, NY : Viking Press .

King, S . ( 1986 ). It . Viking Press .

A book with two authors

King, S., & Straub, P . ( 1984 ). The talisman . New York, NY : Viking Press .

King, S., & Straub, P . ( 1984 ). The talisman . Viking Press .

A book with three authors

Halliday, D., Resnick, R., & Walker, J . ( 2013 ). Fundamentals of physics ( 10th ed. ). Hoboken, NJ : Wiley .

Halliday, D., Resnick, R., & Walker, J . ( 2013 ). Fundamentals of physics ( 10th ed. ). Wiley .

Specific edition of a book

Axler, S . ( 2015 ). Linear algebra done right ( 3rd ed. ). New York, NY : Springer .

Axler, S . ( 2015 ). Linear algebra done right ( 3rd ed. ). Springer .

How to do an in-text citation for a book in APA

General APA in-text citations follow the pattern (Author, Year of publication) .

If you need to in-text reference a specific page or a range of pages in a book, you can do so easily in this form (Author, Year of publication, p. Page number) or (Author, Year of publication, pp. Page range) .

The same principle applies to in-text referencing of a whole chapter in a book: (Author, Year of publication, Chapter number) .

Here are some examples to illustrate (citing from a fictional book by an author named Smith published in 2009):

Parenthetical citation of a page from a book

The results of the pilot study were later declared breakthrough of the year (Smith, 2009, p. 40) .

Narrative citation of a page range from a book

While Smith (2009, pp. 55-57) reported similar results back in 1995, it was only ...

Parenthetical citation of a chapter from a book

The initial idea for the pilot study was coined on a lab retreat (Smith, 2009, Chapter 3) .

Narrative citation of chapter from a book

While Smith (2009, Chapter 11) initially failed to interpret the results correctly, ...

This citation style guide is based on the official Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association ( 6 th edition).

More useful guides

• OWL Purdue APA style guide on books
• Victoria University APA referencing guide on books
• Columbia College APA LibGuide on books

More great BibGuru guides

• Chicago: how to cite a website
• Chicago: how to cite a book
• MLA: how to cite an undergraduate thesis

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APA Style (7th Edition) Citation Guide: Books & Ebooks

• Introduction
• Journal Articles
• Magazine/Newspaper Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Government & Legal Documents
• Biblical Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Films/Videos/TV Shows
• How to Cite: Other
• Additional Help

Table of Contents

Book In Print With One Author

Book in Print More Than One Author

Chapters, Short Stories, Essays, or Articles From a Book (Anthology or Collection)

Article in an online reference book (e.g. encyclopedias, dictionaries).

Note: All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

This Microsoft support page contains instructions about how to format a hanging indent in a paper.

Authors/Editors

An author won't necessarily be a person's name. It may be an organization or company, for example Health Canada. These are called group or corporate authors.

If a book has no author or editor, begin the citation with the book title, followed by the year of publication in round brackets.

If an author is also the publisher, omit the publisher from the reference. This happens most often with corporate or group authors.

When a book has one to 20 authors or editors, all authors' names are cited in the Reference List entry. When a book has 21 or more authors or editors, list the first 19 authors followed by three spaced ellipse points (. . .) , and then the last author's name. Rules are different for in-text citations; please see the examples provided.

Cite author names in the order in which they appear on the source, not in alphabetical order (the first author is usually the person who contributed the most work to the publication).

Capitalize the first letter of the first word of the title. If there is a colon (:) in the title, also capitalize the first letter of the first word after the colon.

Capitalize the first letter of proper names in titles, such as names of places or people. 

Italicize titles of journals, magazines, newspapers, and books. Do not italicize the titles of articles or book chapters.

Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of the article title. If there is a colon in the article title, also capitalize the first letter of the first word after the colon.

Place of Publication

Do not include the publisher location in the reference. Only for works associated with a specific location, like conference presentations, include the location. For cities in the US and Canada list the city name and the province or state code. For other countries, list the city name and the country. Examples: Toronto, ON ; Tokyo, Japan

Electronic Books

Don't include the format, platform, or device (e.g. Kindle) in the reference. Include the publisher name. For audiobooks, include the narrator and audiobook notation.

Ebooks from Websites (not from library databases)

If an ebook from a website was originally published in print, give the author, year, title, edition (if given) and the url. If it was never published in print, treat it like a multi-page website.

Book In Print With One Author or Editor

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).  Title of book: Subtitle if given  (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher Name.

Note: If the named person is an editor, place "(Ed.)." after the name.

Mulholland, K. (2003). Class, gender and the family business . Palgrave McMillan. 

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Mulholland, 2003)

In-Text Quote:

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)

Example: (Mulholland, 2003, p. 70)

Book in Print More Than One Author or Editor

Last Name of First Author, First Initial. Second Initial if Given, & Last Name of Second Author, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).  Title of book: Subtitle if given  (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher Name.

Note: Authors' names are separated by commas. Put a comma and an ampersand (&) before the name of the last author cited.

Note : For works with three or more authors, the first in-text citation is shortened to include the first author's surname followed by "et al."

Note: If the listed names are editors rather than authors, include "(Eds.)." at the end of the list of names. The below example shows a list of editors.

Reference List Example:

Kaakinen, J., Coehlo, D., Steele, R., Tabacco, L., & Hanson, H. (Eds.). (2015). Family health care nursing: Theory, practice, and research (5th ed.). F.A. Davis Company.

In-text Citation

Two Authors/Editors

(Kaakinen & Coehlo, 2015)

Direct quote: (Kaakinen & Coehlo, 2015, p. 57)

Three or more Authors/Editors

(Kaakinen et al., 2015)

Direct quote: (Kaakinen et al., 2015, p. 57)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).  Title of book: Subtitle if given  (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher Name. URL

Example from Website:

Rhode, D. L. (2002). Divorce, American style . University of California Press. http://www.escholarship.org/editions/view?docId=kt9z09q84w;brand=ucpress

Example: (Rhode, 2002)

Example: (Rhode, 2002, p. 101)

If no author or creator is provided, start the citation with the title/name of the item you are citing instead. Follow the title/name of the item with the date of publication, and the continue with other citation details.

Remember: an author/creator may be an organization or corporation, for example Health Canada. If you don't have a person's name as the author, but do have the name of an organization or corporation, put that organization/corporation's name as the author.

If and only if an item is signed as being created by Anonymous, use "Anonymous" where you'd normally put the author's name.

When you have no author, use a shortened version of the title where you'd normally put the author's name.

If you're citing something which is part of a bigger work, like an article from a magazine, newspaper, journal, encyclopedia, or chapter/short story from a book, put the shortened title in quotation marks in your in-text citation:

Example, paraphrase: ("A few words," 2014)

If you're citing an entire work, like a book, website, video, etc., italicize the shortened title in your in-text citation:

Example, paraphrase: ( A few words , 2014)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of chapter, article, essay or short story. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if Given. Editor's Last Name (Ed.),  Title of book: Subtitle if given (edition if given and is not first edition, pp. first page number-last page number). Publisher Name.

Note:  If you have more than one editor list their name(s) after the first editor listed in the book, giving their initials and last name. Put an ampersand (&) before the last editor's name.

When you have one editor the short form (Ed.) is used after the editor's name. If you have more than one editor use (Eds.) instead.

O'Neil, J. M., & Egan, J. (1992). Men's and women's gender role journeys: A metaphor for healing, transition, and transformation. In B. R. Wainrib (Ed.), Gender issues across the life cycle (pp. 107-123). Springer. 

Note: If there is no editor given you may leave out that part of the citation.

(Author's Last Name, Year) 

Example (2 authors): (O'Neil & Egan, 1992)

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number) 

Example (2 authors): (O'Neil & Egan, 1992, p. 998)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if Given. Editor's Last Name (Ed.),  Title of book: Subtitle if given (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher Name. URL or DOI

Caviness, L. B. (2008). Brain-relevant education. In N. J. Salkind (Ed.), Encyclopedia of educational psychology . Sage Publications. https://login.uportland.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/sageedpsyc/brain_relevant_education/0?institutionId=5407

Example (1 author): (Caviness, 2008)

Example (1 author): (Caviness, 2008, Focus on the brain section, para. 2)

Note: When there are no visible page numbers or paragraph numbers, you may cite the section heading and the number of the paragraph in that section to identify where your quote came from.

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• Last Updated: Jun 28, 2024 12:34 PM
• URL: https://libguides.up.edu/apa

• UWF Libraries

APA Format & Citation Style, 7th edition

• Edition other than the First
• General Style Guidelines
• One Author or Editor
• Two Authors or Editors
• Three or More Authors or Editors
• Article or Chapter in an Edited Book
• Article in a Reference Book
• Translation
• Government Publication
• Journal Article with One Author
• Journal Article with 2 Authors
• Journal Article with 3 or More Authors
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Basic Web Page
• Web page from a University site
• Web Page with No Author
• Entry in a Reference Work
• Government Document
• Film and Television
• Youtube Video
• Audio Podcast
• Electronic Image
• Lecture/PPT
• Conferences
• Secondary Sources
• Formatting Your Paper
• APA Handouts & Guides This link opens in a new window

Edition of a Book other than the First

General Format

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Author Surname, Year)

In-Text Citation (Quotation):

(Author Surname, Year, page number)

References:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year). Book title: Subtitle (edition). Publisher.

(Harris, 2001)

(Harris, 2001, p. 50)

Harris, L. A. (2001). Canadian copyright law (3rd ed.). McGraw Hill Ryerson.

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• Last Updated: May 17, 2024 11:13 AM
• URL: https://libguides.uwf.edu/apa7

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MyBib supports the following for APA style:

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APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)

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In-Text Citations

Resources on using in-text citations in APA style

Reference List

Resources on writing an APA style reference list, including citation formats

Other APA Resources

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• Introduction
• Parenthetical vs. narrative
• Multiple authors

Missing information

• Sources to include

Tools and resources

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How to create APA citations

APA Style is widely used by students, researchers, and professionals in the social and behavioral sciences. Scribbr’s free citation generator automatically generates accurate references and in-text citations.

This citation guide outlines the most important citation guidelines from the 7th edition APA Publication Manual (2020).

• Cite a webpage
• Cite a book
• Cite a journal article
• Cite a YouTube video

APA in-text citations

APA in-text citations include the author’s last name, publication date, and, if relevant, a locator such as a page number or timestamp. For example, (Smith, 2021, p. 170) . See it as a shorter version of the entry in the reference list .

You should include in-text citations every time you’re quoting or paraphrasing someone else’s ideas or words. In doing so, you give credit to the original author and avoid plagiarism .

Parenthetical vs. narrative citation

The in-text citation can take two forms: parenthetical and narrative. Both types are generated automatically when citing a source with Scribbr’s APA Citation Generator.

• Parenthetical citation: According to new research … (Smith, 2020) .
• Narrative citation: Smith (2020) notes that …

Multiple authors and corporate authors

The in-text citation changes slightly when a source has multiple authors or an organization as an author. Pay attention to punctuation and the use of the ampersand (&) symbol.

When the author, publication date or locator is unknown, take the steps outlined below.

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APA references

APA references generally include information about the author , publication date , title , and source . Depending on the type of source, you may have to include extra information that helps your reader locate the source.

It is not uncommon for certain information to be unknown or missing, especially with sources found online. In these cases, the reference is slightly adjusted.

Formatting the APA reference page

On the first line of the page, write the section label “References” (in bold and centered). On the second line, start listing your references in alphabetical order .

Apply these formatting guidelines to the APA reference page:

• Double spacing (within and between references)
• Hanging indent of ½ inch
• Legible font (e.g. Times New Roman 12 or Arial 11)
• Page number in the top right header

Which sources to include

On the reference page, you only include sources that you have cited in the text (with an in-text citation ). You should not include references to personal communications that your reader can’t access (e.g. emails, phone conversations or private online material).

In addition to the APA Citation Generator, Scribbr provides many more tools and resources that help millions of students and academics every month.

• Citation Generator : Generate flawless citations in APA, MLA , and Harvard style .
• Citation Checker : Upload your paper and have artificial intelligence check your citations for errors and inconsistencies.
• Free plagiarism checker : Detect plagiarism with unparalleled accuracy with Scribbr’s free plagiarism checker.
• AI Proofreader : Upload and improve unlimited documents and earn higher grades on your assignments. Try it for free!
• Paraphrasing tool: Avoid accidental plagiarism and make your text sound better.
• Grammar checker : Eliminate pesky spelling and grammar mistakes.
• Summarizer: Read more in less time. Distill lengthy and complex texts down to their key points.
• AI detector: Find out if your text was written with ChatGPT or any other AI writing tool. ChatGPT 2 & ChatGPT 3 supported.
• Proofreading services : Have a professional editor (or team of editors) improve your writing so you can submit your paper with pride and confidence. Scribbr offers admission essay editing , paper editing , and academic editing .
• Guides and videos : Explore hundreds of articles, bite-sized videos, time-saving templates, and handy checklists that guide you through the process of research, writing, and citation.

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APA Citation Guide (7th Edition): Books and eBooks

• Audiovisual Media

Books and eBooks

• Dictionaries, Thesauruses and Encyclopedias
• Figures and Tables
• Government Documents
• Journal, Magazine and Newspaper Articles
• Personal Communications
• Presentations and Class Notes
• Social Media
• Websites and Webpages
• Generative AI
• In-Text Citation
• Reference List and Sample Papers
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• Citation Software

It is not necessary to indicate that you have used an eBook when the content is the same as a physical book. However, you should distinguish between the eBook and the print version if the content is different or abridged.

Authors/Editors

An author won't necessarily be a person's name. it may be an organization or company, for example, Health Canada. These are called group or corporate authors.

If a book has no author or editor, begin the citation with the book title, followed by the year of publication enclosed in parentheses.

Capitalize the first letter of the first word of the title. If there is a colon (:) or question mark in the title, also capitalize the first letter of the first word after the colon or question mark.

Capitalize the first letter of proper names in titles, such as names of places or people. Example: Nevada.

Authored Book with a DOI

Author, A. A. (Copyright Year).  Title of book . Publisher. DOI or URL

Sheingate, A. D. (2016). Building a business of politics: The rise of political consulting and the transformation of American democracy . Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1537592718003882 

Authored Book Without a DOI, from Most Academic Research Databases

Author, A. A. (Copyright Year). Title of book . Publisher.

Schildt, H. (2011). Java: The complete reference (8th ed.). O'Reilly Safari Books.

Edited Book

Editor, A. A. & Editor, B. B. (Eds.). (Copyright Year).  Title of book . Publisher. DOI or URL [if available]

Goodin, R. E. & Hans-Dieter, K. (Eds.). (1996). A new handbook of political science . Oxford University Press.

Chapter in an Edited Book

Author, A. A. (Copyright Year). Title of book chapter. In A. A. Editor & B. B. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. #-#). Publisher. 

Christians, C. G. (2011). Ethics and politics in qualitative research. In N. K. Denzin & Y. S. Lincoln (Eds.), The Sage handbook of qualitative research (pp. 61-80). Sage Publications.

Book with a Group or Corporate Author

Corporate Author. (Copyright Year).  Title of book . DOI [if available]

American Psychological Association. (2020).  Publication manual of the American Psychological Association  (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

Work in an Anthology

Author, A. A. & Author, B. B. (Copyright Year). Title of chapter, article, essay or short story. In Editor's A. A. Editor, B. B. Editor, C. C. Editor, & D. D. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. #-#). Publisher.

​ Stockert, P. A. & Taylor, C. (2014). Sleep. In P. A. Potter, A. G. Perry, J. C. Ross-Kerr, & M.J. Wood (Eds.),  Canadian fundamentals of nursing  (pp. 993-1016). Elsevier.

Note:  When you have one editor, the short form (Ed.) is used after the editor's name. If you have more than one editor, use (Eds.) instead. If there is no editor given, you may leave out that part of the citation.

Author, A. A. (Copyright Year). Title of book . Publisher. URL

Author, A. A. (Copyright Year). Title of book . [eBook edition]. Publisher. URL

Gordon Betts, J., DeSaix, P., & Johnson, E. (2013). Anatomy and physiology. OpenStax. https://openstax.org/details/books/anatomy-and-physiology

Rowling, J. K. (1997). Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone . [Kindle]. Pottermore Publishing.

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Cite Right, Third Edition

A quick guide to citation styles--mla, apa, chicago, the sciences, professions, and more.

Third Edition

Charles Lipson

Read the first chapter .

192 pages | 6 x 9 | © 2018

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“ Cite Right is a valuable resource for a varied readership. Secondary and post-secondary school instructors will find the book helpful as a resource when preparing lessons on the differences between various citation styles or on justifications for the use of citations at all. In chapter 11, Lipson addresses frequently asked questions about citing in general that may be particularly useful to instructors. Writers who must use a new citation style will also benefit from the ease with which this text can be read. For editors, this book is an invaluable tool for addressing issues of unfamiliar citation styles in authors’ work.”

Summer Cowley | BoldFace (Editors Toronto)

"Charles Lipson has again provided an invaluable tool for researchers who must cite sources in their writing. Although he directly addresses students, experienced practitioners will also find the summary tables of citation styles helpful, particularly because requirements within specific fields are continuously changing...If you’ve enjoyed consulting the second edition of Cite Right , it’s time to get the affordable third edition. Like me, you’ll want to keep it within easy reach of your keyboard."

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Book chapters: What to cite

Imagine that after reading a long book, you have found one or two facts relevant to your research. Hooray! But it seems like going overboard to cite the entire book when you used just a paragraph or a chapter . . . so what to cite, then, the chapter or the book?

Well, it depends on the kind of book: authored or edited. This blog post explains how to cite both in seventh edition APA Style.

Notes before proceeding

The examples and guidance in this blog post and in the reference examples on the APA Style website apply to both print and digital book chapters, including books and chapters retrieved from academic research databases.

For ebooks and ebook chapters accessed from academic research databases, do not include the name of the database in the reference list entry (read more about why on the page about database information in references ).

Authored book chapters

An authored book is a book in which the same person has written all the chapters. If you used information from just one chapter of an authored book, write a reference for the whole authored book, as in the following example. Do not write a reference list entry for only a chapter in an authored book.

Kearney, D. J., & Simpson, T. L. (2020). Concise guides on trauma care. Mindfulness-based interventions for trauma and its consequences. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000154-000

When you have paraphrased a chapter, and you want to inform readers of which chapter, cite the specific chapter in the in-text citation along with the author and year, as shown in the following examples.

• Parenthetical citation of a paraphrase from an authored book chapter: (Kearney & Simpson, 2020, Chapter 2)
• Narrative citation of a paraphrase from an authored book chapter: Kearney and Simpson (2020, Chapter 2)

When you have directly quoted from a chapter, use a standard in-text citation for a quotation, which includes the author, year, and page number. (The format for quotations is the same for both authored and edited book chapters.)

• Parenthetical citation of a quotation: Research has demonstrated that “mindfulness significantly reshapes the clinical course of depression” (Kearney & Simpson, 2020, p. 42).
• Narrative citation of a quotation: Kearney and Simpson (2020) described how “mindfulness significantly reshapes the clinical course of depression” (p. 42).

Note that it is not required to cite a chapter of an authored book in the text. If you paraphrased information from multiple chapters or from the whole authored book, a standard in-text citation is sufficient, as in the following examples.

• Standard parenthetical citation of authored book: (Kearney & Simpson, 2020)
• Standard narrative citation of authored book: Kearney and Simpson (2020)

Last, you can cite more than just chapters in this way. For more information, see the page on citing specific parts of a source .

Edited book chapters

An edited book is a book in which different people have written different chapters, and the chapters have been compiled or put together by an editor. If you used information from just one chapter of an edited book , cite the chapter you used in the reference list. Create separate reference list entries for separate edited book chapters that you used.

Fountain, Y. (2019). Physical activity games. In J. Stone & C. E. Schaefer (Eds.), Game play: Therapeutic use of games with children and adolescents (3rd ed., pp. 79–98). John Wiley & Sons.

In the text, when you have paraphrased an edited book chapter, cite the author(s) of the chapter and the year of publication of the book, as shown in the following examples.

• Parenthetical citation of a paraphrase from an edited book chapter: (Fountain, 2019)
• Narrative citation of a paraphrase from an edited book chapter: Fountain (2019)

If the edited book chapter is particularly long or complex, you can add more specific location information (e.g., a page number or page range) to the citation of the paraphrase if desired, but this is not usually necessary and is not required.

Note that it is also possible to cite a whole edited book , for example, to direct readers to a relevant reference work. However, the more common case is to cite edited book chapters individually.

More information

More examples of book and book chapter references are provided in Chapter 10 of the Publication Manual , Sections 10.2 and 10.3. For more information about authored book references , see the authored book reference examples. For more information about edited book chapter references, see the edited book chapter reference examples .

Thanks for reading! Please leave a comment if you have any questions about citing chapters in APA Style.

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APA Style Guidelines

Browse APA Style writing guidelines by category

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Full index of topics

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APA Citation Generator

Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper, a comprehensive guide to apa citations and format, overview of this guide:.

This page provides you with an overview of APA format, 7th edition. Included is information about referencing, various citation formats with examples for each source type, and other helpful information.

If you’re looking for MLA format , check out the Citation Machine MLA Guide. Also, visit the Citation Machine homepage to use the APA formatter, which is an APA citation generator, and to see more styles .

Being responsible while researching

When you’re writing a research paper or creating a research project, you will probably use another individual’s work to help develop your own assignment. A good researcher or scholar uses another individual’s work in a responsible way. This involves indicating that the work of other individuals is included in your project (i.e., citing), which is one way to prevent plagiarism.

Plagiarism? What is it?

The word plagiarism is derived from the Latin word, plagiare , which means “to kidnap.” The term has evolved over the years to now mean the act of taking another individual’s work and using it as your own, without acknowledging the original author (American Psychological Association, 2020 p. 21). Plagiarism can be illegal and there can be serious ramifications for plagiarizing someone else’s work. Thankfully, plagiarism can be prevented. One way it can be prevented is by including citations and references in your research project. Want to make them quickly and easily? Try the Citation Machine citation generator, which is found on our homepage.

All about citations & references

Citations and references should be included anytime you use another individual’s work in your own assignment. When including a quote, paraphrased information, images, or any other piece of information from another’s work, you need to show where you found it by including a citation and a reference. This guide explains how to make them.

APA style citations are added in the body of a research paper or project and references are added to the last page.

Citations , which are called in-text citations, are included when you’re adding information from another individual’s work into your own project. When you add text word-for-word from another source into your project, or take information from another source and place it in your own words and writing style (known as paraphrasing), you create an in-text citation. These citations are short in length and are placed in the main part of your project, directly after the borrowed information.

References are found at the end of your research project, usually on the last page. Included on this reference list page is the full information for any in-text citations found in the body of the project. These references are listed in alphabetical order by the author's last name.

An APA in-text citation includes only three items: the last name(s) of the author(s), the year the source was published, and sometimes the page or location of the information. References include more information such as the name of the author(s), the year the source was published, the full title of the source, and the URL or page range.

Why is it important to include citations & references

Including APA citations and references in your research projects is a very important component of the research process. When you include citations, you’re being a responsible researcher. You’re showing readers that you were able to find valuable, high-quality information from other sources, place them into your project where appropriate, all while acknowledging the original authors and their work.

Common ways students and scholars accidentally plagiarize

Believe it or not, there are instances when you could attempt to include in-text and full references in the appropriate places, but still accidentally plagiarize. Here are some common mistakes to be aware of:

Mistake #1 - Misquoting sources: If you plan to use a direct quote, make sure you copy it exactly as is. Sure, you can use part of the full quote or sentence, but if you decide to put quotation marks around any words, those words should match exactly what was found in the original source. Here’s a line from The Little Prince , by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry:

“Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them.”

Here’s an acceptable option:

“Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves,” stated de Saint-Exupéry (1943, p. 3).

Here’s a misquote:

“Grown-ups barely ever understand anything by themselves,” stated de Saint-Exupéry (1943, p. 3).

Notice the slight change in the words. The incorrect phrasing is an instance of accidental plagiarism.

Mistake #2 - Problems with paraphrasing: When we paraphrase, we restate information using our own words and writing style. It’s not acceptable to substitute words from the original source with synonyms.

Let’s use the same sentence from The Little Prince .

A correct paraphrase could be:

de Saint-Exupéry (1943) shares various ways adults frustrate children. One of the biggest being that kids have to explain everything. It’s too bad adults are unable to comprehend anything on their own (p. 3).

An incorrect paraphrase would be:

de Saint-Exupéry (1943) shares that adults never understand anything by themselves, and it is exhausting for kids to be always and forever clarifying things to them (p.3).

Notice how close the incorrect paraphrase is from the original. This is an instance of accidental plagiarism.

Make sure you quote and paraphrase properly in order to prevent accidental plagiarism.

If you’re having a difficult time paraphrasing properly, it is acceptable to paraphrase part of the text AND use a direct quote. Here’s an example:

de Saint-Exupery (1943) shares various ways adults frustrate children. One of the biggest being that kids have to explain everything, and “it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them” (p. 3).

Information About APA

Who created it.

The American Psychological Association is an organization created for individuals in the psychology field. With close to 121,000 members, they provide educational opportunities, funding, guidance, and research information for everything psychology-related. They also have numerous high-quality databases, peer-reviewed journals, and books that revolve around mental health.

The American Psychological Association is also credited with creating their own specific citation and reference style. Today, this format is used by individuals not only in the psychology field, but many other subject areas as well. Education, economics, business, and social sciences also use APA style quite frequently. Click here for more information . This guide covers general information about the style, but is not affiliated with the American Psychological Association.

Why was this style created?

This format was first developed in 1929 to form a standardized way for researchers in science fields to document their sources. Prior to the inception of these standards and guidelines, individuals were recognizing the work of other authors by including bits and pieces of information in random order. There wasn’t a set way to format citations and references. You can probably imagine how difficult it was to understand the sources that were used for research projects!

Having a standard format for citing sources allows readers to glance at a citation or APA reference and easily locate the title, author, year published, and other critical pieces of information needed to understand a source.

The evolution of this style

The guide below is based on APA style 7th edition, which was released in 2020. In previous versions of APA format, researchers and scholars were required to include the publisher location for books and the date that an electronic resource was accessed. Both are no longer required to be included.

Details on the differences between the 6th and 7th editions is addressed later in this guide.

Citations & References

The appearance of citations & references.

The format for references varies, but most use this general format:

%%Author’s Last name, First initial. (Date published). Title . URL

Researchers and scholars must look up the proper format for the source that they’re attempting to cite. Books have a certain format, websites have a different format, periodicals have a different format, and so on. Scroll down to find the proper format for the source you’re citing or referencing.

If you would like help citing your sources, CitationMachine.com has a citation generator that will help make the APA citation process much easier for you. To start, simply click on the source type you're citing:

• Journal articles

In-text citations

An APA in-text citation is included in research projects in three instances: When using a direct quote, paraphrasing information, or simply referring to a piece of information from another source.

Quite often, researchers and scholars use a small amount of text, word for word, from another source and include it in their own research projects. This is done for many reasons. Sometimes, another author’s words are so eloquently written that there isn’t a better way to rephrase it yourself. Other times, the author’s words can help prove a point or establish an understanding for something in your research project. When using another author’s exact words in your research project, include an APA in-text citation directly following it.

In addition to using the exact words from another source and placing them into your project, these citations are also added anytime you paraphrase information. Paraphrasing is when you take information from another source and rephrase it, in your own words.

When simply referring to another piece of information from another source, also include a citation directly following it.

Citations in the text are found near a direct quote, paraphrased information, or next to a mention of another source. To see examples of some narrative/ parenthetical citations in action, look at the image above, under “All About Citations & References.”

Note: *Only include the page or paragraph number when using a direct quote or paraphrase. Page numbers have a p. before the number, pp. before the page range, and para. before the paragraph number. This information is included to help the reader locate the exact portion of text themselves. It is unnecessary to include this information when you’re simply referring to another source.

Examples of APA in-text citations:

“Well, you’re about to enter the land of the free and the brave. And I don’t know how you got that stamp on your passport. The priest must know someone” (Tóibín, 2009, p. 52).

Student teachers who use technology in their lessons tend to continue using technology tools throughout their teaching careers (Kent & Giles, 2017, p. 12).

If including the author’s name in the sentence, place the year in the parentheses directly next to his or her name. Add the page number at the end, unless it’s a source without any pages or paragraph numbers (See Section 8.10 of the Publication manual for more details).

In-text citation APA example:

According to a study done by Kent and Giles (2017), student teachers who use technology in their lessons tend to continue using technology tools throughout their teaching careers.

The full references, or citations, for these sources can be found on the last part of a research project, titled the “References.”

Here’s how to create in-text citations for specific amounts of authors:

APA citation with no author

When the source lacks an author’s name, place the title, year, and page number (if available) in the text. The title should be in italics if it sits alone (such as a movie, brochure, or report). If the source is part of a whole (as many web pages and articles are), place the title in quotation marks without italics (See Section 8.14 of the Publication manual ).

Structure of an APA format citation in the text narratively, with the author's name missing:

Title of Source (Year) or “Title of Source” (Year)

Structure of an APA style format citation, in parentheses at the end of the sentence, with the author’s name missing: (Title of Source, Year) or (“Title of Source,” Year)

Structure for one author

In the text, narratively: Last name of Author (Year)...(page number).

In parentheses, at the end of the sentence: (Last name of Author, Year, page number).

Structure for two authors

Place the authors in the order they appear on the source. Only use the ampersand in the parenthetical citations (see Section 8.17 of the Publication manual ). Use ‘and’ to separate the author names if they’re in the text of the sentence.

In the text, narratively: Last name of Author 1 and Last name of Author 2 (Year)....(page number).

In parentheses, at the end of the sentence: (Last name of Author 1 & Last name of Author 2, Year, page number).

Structure for three or more authors

Only include the first listed author’s name in the first and any subsequent citations. Follow it with et al.

(Last name Author 1 et al., Year, page number)

(Agbayani et al., 2020, p. 99)

Last name of Author 1 et al. (Year)...(page).

Agbayani et al. (2020)...(p. 99)

One author, multiple works, same year

What do you do when you want to cite multiple works by an author, and the sources all written in the same year?

Include the letters ‘a’ ‘b’ ‘c’ and so on after the year in the citation.

(Jackson, 2013a)

Jackson (2013a)

Writers can even lump dates together.

Example: Jackson often studied mammals while in Africa (2013a, 2013b).

On the APA reference page, include the same letters in the full references.

Groups and organizations

Write out the full name of the group or organization in the first citation and place the abbreviation next to it in brackets. If the group or organization is cited again, only include the abbreviation. If it doesn’t have an abbreviation associated with it, write out the entire organization’s name each and every time (see Section 8.21 of the Publication manual ).

First APA citation for an organization with an abbreviation: (World Health Organization [WHO], Year)

World Health Organization (WHO, Year)

Notice in the example directly above, the name of the organization is written out in full in the text of the sentence, and the abbreviation is placed in parentheses next to it.

Subsequent APA citations in the text for an organization with an abbreviation: (WHO, Year) OR WHO (Year)

All citations in the text for an organization without an abbreviation: (Citation Machine, Year) or Citation Machine (Year)

One in-text citation, multiple works

Sometimes you’ll need to cite more than one work within an in-text citation. Follow the same format (author, year) format but place semicolons between works (p. 263).

(Obama, 2016; Monroe et al., 1820; Hoover & Coolidge, 1928)

Reminder: There are many citation tools available on CitationMachine.com. Head to our homepage to learn more, check out our APA citation website, and cite your sources easily! The most useful resource on our website? Our APA citation generator, which doesn’t just create full references, it’s also an APA in-text citation website! It’ll do both for you!

Click here to learn more about crediting work .

Reference list citation components

References display the full information for all the citations found in the body of a research project.

Some things to keep in mind when it comes to the references:

• All references sit together on their own page, which is usually the last page(s) of a paper.
• Title the page ‘References’
• Place ‘References’ in the center of the page and bold it. Keep the title in the same font and size as the references. Do not italicize, underline, place the title in quotation marks, or increase the font size.
• The entire page is double spaced.
• All references are listed in alphabetical order by the first word in the reference, which is usually the author’s last name. If the source lacks an author, alphabetize the source by the title (ignore A, An, or The)
• All references have a hanging indent, meaning that the second line of text is indented in half an inch. See examples throughout this guide.
• Remember, each and every citation in the text of the paper MUST have a full reference displayed in the reference list. The citations in the text provide the reader with a quick glimpse about the sources used, but the references in the reference list provide the reader with all the information needed to seek out the source themselves.

Learn more about each component of the reference citation and how to format it in the sections that follow. See an APA sample paper reference list at the end of this entire section.

Author’s names

The names of authors are written in reverse order. Include the initials for the first and middle names. End this information with a period (see Section 9.8 of the Publication manual ).

Format: Last name, F. M.

• Angelou, M.
• Doyle, A. C.

Two or more authors

When two or more authors work together on a source, write them in the order in which they appear on the source. You can name up to 20 authors in the reference. For sources with 2 to 20 authors, place an ampersand (&) before the final author. Use this format:

Last name, F. M., & Last name, F. M.

Last name, F. M., Last name, F. M., Last name, F. M., Last name, F. M., & Last name, F. M.

Kent, A. G., Giles, R. M., Thorpe, A., Lukes, R., Bever, D. J., & He, Y.

If there are 21 or more authors listed on a source, only include the first 19 authors, add three ellipses, and then add the last author’s name.

Roberts, A., Johnson, M. C., Klein, J., Cheng, E. V., Sherman, A., Levin, K. K. , ...Lopez, G. S.

If you plan on using a free APA citation tool, like the one at CitationMachine.com, the names of the authors will format properly for you.

###No authors

If the source lacks an author, place the title in the first position in the reference (Section 9.12 of the Publication manual ). When the source’s title begins with a number (Such as 101 Dalmatians ), place the reference alphabetically as if the number was spelled out. 101 Dalmatians would be placed in the spot where ‘One hundred’ would go, but keep the numbers in their place.

Additionally, if the title begins with the words ‘A’, ‘An,’ or ‘The,’ ignore these words and place the title alphabetically according to the next word.

See the “Titles” section below for more information on formatting the title of sources.

###Corporate/Organization authors

On an APA reference page, corporate authors are always written out in full. In the text of your paper, you may have some abbreviations (such as UN for United Nations), but in the full references, always include the full names of the corporation or organization (following Section 9.11 of the official Publication manual ).

%%United Nations. (2019). Libya: $202 million needed to bring life-saving aid to half a million people hit by humanitarian crisis. https://news.un.org/en/story/2019/02/1031981

Publication date & retrieval date

Directly after the author’s name is the date the source was published. Include the full date for newspapers and magazine articles, and only the year for journals and all other sources. If no date is found on the source, include the initials, n.d. for “no date.”

%% Narducci, M. (2017, May 19). City renames part of 11th Street Ed Snider Way to honor Flyers founder. The Philadelphia Inquirer . http://www.philly.com/

If using our APA Citation Machine, our citation generator will add the correct format for you automatically.

Giving a retrieval date is not needed unless the online content is likely to be frequently updated and changed (e.g., encyclopedia article, dictionary entry, Twitter profile, etc.).

%%Citation Machine [@CiteMachine]. (n.d.). Tweets [Twitter profile]. Twitter. Retrieved October 10, 2019, from https://twitter.com/CiteMachine

When writing out titles for books, articles, chapters, or other non-periodical sources, only capitalize the first word of the title and the first word of the subtitle. Names of people, places, organizations, and other proper nouns also have the first letter capitalized. For books and reports, italicize the title in the APA citation.

Strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Roots: The saga of an American family.

For articles and chapters in APA referencing, do not italicize the title.

Wake up the nation: Public libraries, policy making, and political discourse.

For newspapers, magazines, journals, newsletters, and other periodicals, capitalize the first letter in each word and italicize the title.

The Seattle Times.

A common question is whether to underline your title or place it in italics or quotation marks in the reference list. Here’s a good general rule: When a source sits alone and is not part of a larger whole, place the title in italics. If the source does not sit alone and is part of a larger whole, do not place it in italics.

Books, movies, journals, and television shows are placed in italics since they stand alone. Songs on an album, episodes of television shows, chapters in books, and articles in journals are not placed in italics since they are smaller pieces of larger wholes.

The Citation Machine citation generator will format the title in your citations automatically.

Additional information about the title

If you feel it would be helpful to include additional information about the source type, include a descriptive noun or two in brackets immediately following the title. Capitalize the first letter.

%%Kennedy, K., & Molen, G. R. (Producers), & Spielberg, S. (Director). (1993). Jurassic Park [Film]. USA: Universal.

Besides [Film], other common notations include:

• [Audio podcast]
• [Letter to the editor]
• [Television series episode]
• [Facebook page]
• [Blog post]
• [Lecture notes]
• [PowerPoint presentation]
• [Video file]

If you are using Citation Machine citing tools, additional information about the title is automatically added for you.

Publisher information

For books and reports, include the publisher name but not the location (see Section 9.29 of the Publication manual ). Older editions of the style required the city, state and/or country, but this hasn't been the case since the 7th edition was released.

It is not necessary to include the entire name of the publisher. It is acceptable to use a brief, intelligible form. However, if Books or Press are part of the publisher’s names, keep these words in the reference. Other common terms, such as Inc., Co., Publishers, and others can be omitted.

For newspapers, journals, magazines, and other periodicals, include the volume and issue number after the title. The volume number is listed first, by itself, in italics. The issue number is in parentheses immediately after it, not italicized. There is no space after the closing parenthesis and before the volume number.

%%Giannoukos, G., Besas, G., Hictour, V., & Georgas, T. (2016). A study on the role of computers in adult education. Educational Research and Reviews , 11 (9), 907-923. https://doi.org/10.5897/ERR2016.2688

After including the publisher information, end this section with a period.

Perseus Books.

Electronic source information:

For online sources, the URL or DOI (Direct Object Identifier) are included at the end of an APA citation.

DOI numbers are often created by publishers for journal articles and other periodical sources. They were created in response to the problem of broken or outdated links and URLs. When a journal article is assigned a DOI number, it is static and will never change. Because of its permanent characteristic, DOIs are the preferred type of electronic information to include in APA citations. When a DOI number is not available, include the source’s URL (see Section 9.34 in the Publication manual ).

For DOIs, include the number in this format:

http://doi.org/xxxx

For URLs, type them in this format:

http:// or https://

Other information about electronic sources:

• If the URL is longer than a line, break it up before a punctuation mark.
• Do not place a period at the end of the citation/URL.
• It is unnecessary to include retrieval dates, unless the source changes often over time (like in a Wikipedia article).
• It is not necessary to include the names of databases

If using the Citation Machine APA citation website autocite features, the online publication information will be automatically replaced by the DOI. The Citation Machine APA template will properly cite your online sources for you.

Make sure you run your completed paper through the Citation Machine Plus smart proofreader, which scans for grammar, spelling, and plagiarism. Whether it’s an adjective , verb , or pronoun out-of-place, our technology helps edits your paper for you!

Annotated bibliographies:

An APA annotated bibliography is a full bibliography that includes a small note for each reference citation. Each note should be short (1-2 paragraphs) and contain a summary or your evaluation about each source. When creating your citations on CitationMachine.net, there is a field at the bottom of each form to add your own annotations.

Follow the publication manual guidelines on paper format and writing style. Let your instructor guide other details about your annotations. Still confused? Read our guide on annotated bibliographies .

These types of projects look different depending on the style you’re using. Use the link at the top of the page to access resources related to the Modern Language Association’s style. Here’s information related to Chicago citation style .

Page formatting

Need help with the design and formatting of your paper? Look no further! This section provides the ins and outs of properly displaying the information in your APA essay.

• Times New Roman, 12-point size.
• Calibri, Arial, or Georgia, 11-point size
• Lucida, Sans Unicode, or Computer Modern, 10-point size
• Indents = Every paragraph should start with an indent.
• Margins = 1 inch around the entire document
• Spacing = Double space everything!

Arrange your pages in this order:

• Page 1 - APA Title Page (see below for information on the title page)
• Page 2 - Abstract (If your professor requests one)
• Page 3 - First page of text
• References begin on their own page. Include the list of references on the page after the text.
• Tables and figures

Keep in mind that the order above is the recommendation for papers being submitted for peer review. If you’re writing an APA style paper for a class, your professor may be more lenient about the requirements. Also, if you’re submitting your paper for a specific journal, check the requirements on the journal’s website. Each journal has different rules and procedures.

Just a little nudge to remind you about the Citation Machine Plus smart proofreader. Whether it’s a conjunction or interjection out of place, a misspelled word, or an out of place citation, we’ll offer suggestions for improvement! Don’t forget to check out our APA citation maker while you’re at it!

Running heads

In older editions of APA, running heads were required for all papers. Since the 7th edition, that’s changed.

• Student paper: No running head
• Professional paper: Include a running head

The running head displays the title of the paper and the page number on all pages of the paper. This header is found on every page of a professional paper (not a student paper), even on the title page (sometimes called an APA cover page) and reference list (taken from Section 2.8 of the Publication manual ).

It's displayed all in capital letters at the top of the page. Across from the running head, along the right margin, is the page number.

• Use the header feature in your word processor. Both Google Docs and Word have these features available.
• Use one for the recommended fonts mentioned under "Page formatting."

Title pages

A title page, sometimes called an APA cover page, graces the cover of an essay or paper. An APA title page should follow rules from Section 2.3 of the official Publication manual and include:

• Page number, which is page 1
• Use title case and bold font
• The title should be under 12 words in length
• The title should be a direct explanation of the focus of the paper. Do not include any unnecessary descriptors such as “An Analysis of…” or “A Study of…”
• Exclude any labels such as Mr., Ms., Dr, PhD...
• Name of the school or institution
• Course number and/or class name
• Name of your instructor, including their preferred honorifics (e.g., PhD, Dr., etc.)
• Paper’s due date
• If this is a professional paper, also include a running head. If this is a student paper, do not include one.

Follow the directions for the running head and page number in the section above. Below the running head, a few lines beneath, and centered in the middle of the page, should be the title. The next line below is the author’s name(s), followed by the name of the school or institution, the class or course name, your instructor’s name, and the paper’s due date.

All components on this page should be written in the same font and size as the rest of your paper. Double space the title, names, name of school or institution, and all other information on the page (except for the running head and page number).

Example - Student Title Page APA:

Example - Professional Title Page APA:

If you’re submitting your paper to a journal for publication, check the journal’s website for exact requirements. Each journal is different and some may request a different type of APA format cover page.

Looking to create an APA format title page? Head to CitationMachine.com’s homepage and choose “Title Page” at the top of the screen.

An abstract briefly but thoroughly summarizes dissertation contents. It’s found in the beginning of a professional paper, right after the title page. Abstracts are meant to help readers determine whether to continue reading the entire document. With that in mind, try to craft the lead sentence to entice the reader to continue reading.

Here are a few tips:

• Be factual and keep your opinions out. An abstract should accurately reflect the paper or dissertation and should not involve information or commentary not in the thesis.
• Communicate your main thesis. What was the examined problem or hypothesis? A reader should know this from reading your abstract.
• Keep it brief. Stick to the main points and don’t add unnecessary words or facts. It should not exceed 250 words.
• Consider your paper’s purpose. It’s important to cater your abstract to your paper type and think about what information the target audience for that paper type would want. For example, an empirical article may mention methodology or participant description. A quantitative or qualitative meta-analysis would mention the different variables considered and how information was synthesized.
• Use verbs over noun equivalents, and active voice. Example: “There was research into…” becomes “We researched…”

Formatting guidelines:

• The abstract goes after the title page.
• It should have the same font (size and type) as the rest of the paper.
• It should stick to one page.
• Double-space all page text.
• Center and bold the word “Abstract” at the top of the paper.
• Don’t indent the first line of the abstract body. The body should also be in plain text.
• For the keywords, place it on the line after the abstract and indent the first line (but not subsequent lines). The word “Keywords:” is capitalized, italicized, and followed by a colon. The actual keywords are sentence case and in plan font.
• List each keyword one after the other, and separate them by a comma.
• After the last keyword, no ending punctuation is needed.

Tables & Figures

If your paper includes a lot of numerical information or data, you may want to consider placing it into a table or a figure, rather than typing it all out. A visual figure or simple, organized table filled with numerical data is often easier for readers to digest and comprehend than tons of paragraphs filled with numbers. Chapter 7 of the Publication manual outlines formatting for tables and figures. Let's cover the basics below.

If you’d like to include a table or figure in your paper, here are a few key pieces of information to keep in mind:

• At the end of the paper after the APA reference page
• In the text after it is first mentioned
• The table first mentioned in the text should be titled ‘Table 1.’ The next table mentioned in the text is ‘Table 2,’ and so on. For figures, it would be 'Figure 1,' 'Figure 2,' and so forth.

• Even though every table and figure is numbered, also create a title for each that describes the information it contains. Capitalize all important words in the title.
• For tables, do not use any vertical lines, only use horizontal to break up information and headings.
• Single spacing is acceptable to use in tables and figures. If you prefer double spacing your information, that is okay too.
• Do not include extra information or “fluff.” Keep it simple!
• Do not include the same exact information in the paper. Only include the complete information in one area—the table or the text.
• All tables and figures must be referenced in the text. It is unacceptable to throw a table or figure into the back of the paper without first providing a brief summary or explanation of its relevance.

Publication Manual 6th Edition vs 7th Edition

The 6th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association was released in 2009. The current 7th edition came out in the fall of 2019 and was designed to be more student focused, provide more guidance on accessibility, and address changes that have developed over the last 10 years.

Below, we’ve listed what we feel are the most relevant changes related to APA format.

Journals and DOIs

DOI stands for “digital object identifier.” Many journal articles use and have a unique DOI that should be included in a full citation.

When including a DOI in a citation, format it as a URL. Do not label it “DOI.” Articles without DOIs from databases are treated as print works. For example:

6th edition:

%%Gänsicke, B. T., Schreiber, M. R., Toloza, O., Fusillo, N. P. G., Koester, D., & Manser, C. J. (2019). Accretion of a giant planet onto a white dwarf star. Nature, 576 (7785), 61–64. doi: 10.1038/s41586-019-1789-8

7th edition:

%%Gänsicke, B. T., Schreiber, M. R., Toloza, O., Fusillo, N. P. G., Koester, D., & Manser, C. J. (2019). Accretion of a giant planet onto a white dwarf star. Nature, 576 (7785), 61–64. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1789-8

Citing Books

There are few new guidelines when you are citing a book. First, the publisher location no longer needs to be indicated.

%%Zack, P. O. (2001). The shoals of time. Bloomington, IN: First Books Library.

%%Zack, P. O. (2001). The shoals of time. First Books Library.

Second, the format of an ebook (e.g., Kindle, etc.) no longer needs to be indicated.

%%Niven, J. (2012). Ada Blackjack: A true story of survival in the Arctic [Kindle].

%%Niven, J. (2012). Ada Blackjack: A true story of survival in the Arctic .

Lastly, books from research databases without DOIs are treated the same as print works.

When using a URL in a citation, you no longer need to include the term “Retrieved from” before URLs (except with retrieval dates). The font should be blue and underlined, or black and not underlined.

6th Edition:

%%Flood, A. (2019, December 6). Britain has closed almost 800 libraries since 2010, figures show. The Guardian . Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/dec/06/britain-has-closed-almost-800-libraries-since-2010-figures-show

7th Edition:

%%Flood, A. (2019, December 6). Britain has closed almost 800 libraries since 2010, figures show. The Guardian . https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/dec/06/britain-has-closed-almost-800-libraries-since-2010-figures-show

Within a full APA citation, you may spell out up to 20 author names. For two to 20 authors, include an ampersand (&) before the name of the last author. For sources with 21 or more authors, structure it as follows:

Structure: First 19 authors’ names, . . . Last author’s name.

7th edition example: Washington, G., Adams, J., Jefferson, T., Madison, J., Monroe, J., Adams, J. Q., Jackson, A., Van Buren, M., Harrison, W. H., Tyler, J., Polk, J. K., Taylor, Z., Filmore, M., Pierce, F., Buchanan, J., Lincoln, A., Johnson, A., Grant, U. S., Hayes, R. B., Garfield, . . . Trump, D.

When creating an in-text citation for a source with 3 or more authors, use “et al.” after the first author’s name. This helps abbreviate the mention.

6th Edition: (Honda, Johnson, Prosser, Rossi, 2019)

7th Edition: (Honda et al., 2019)

Tables and Figures

Instead of having different formats for tables and figures, both use one standardized format. Now both tables and figures have a number, a title, name of the table/figure, and a note at the bottom.

If you’re still typing into Google “how to cite a website APA” among other related questions and keywords, click here for further reading on the style .

When you’re through with your writing, toss your entire paper into the Citation Machine Plus plagiarism checker , which will scan your paper for grammar edits and give you up to 5 suggestions cards for free! Worry less about a determiner , preposition , or adverb out of place and focus on your research!

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.) (2020). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

Updated March 3, 2020

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Wendy Ikemoto. Michele Kirschenbaum has been an awesome school librarian since 2006 and is an expert in citing sources. Wendy Ikemoto has a master’s degree in library and information science and has been working for Citation Machine since 2012.

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APA Citation Style 7th Edition

• APA Style Overview
• Sample Documents & Guides
• Multiple Sources With the Same Author and Year

General Book Format (7th edition)

Article or chapter in an edited book (7th edition), article in a reference book (7th edition), e-books (7th edition), edition of a book other than the first (7th edition), translation (7th edition), government publication (7th edition).

• Websites & Web Documents
• Course Materials (Slides, Lecture Notes, Specialty Software)
• Citing Business Databases
• Film, Videos, & Podcasts
• Art, Photos, Tables & Figures
• Legal Materials & Tax Codes
• Dissertations
• Pamphlet or Brochure
• Interviews, E-mail, Intranet, Religious Works, & Secondary Sources (7th edition)
• Footnotes This link opens in a new window
• Formatting an Appendix
• Evaluating Sources This link opens in a new window
• Understanding Plagiarism
• RefWorks This link opens in a new window
• Citation Template & Tips
• One Author or Editor
• Two Authors or Editors
• Three to Five Authors or Editors
• Unknown Author

• Use the same formats for both print books and ebooks. For ebooks, the format, platform, or device (e.g., Kindle) is not included in the reference.
• If the book includes a DOI, include the DOI in the reference after the publisher name.
• Do not include the publisher location.
• If the book does not have a DOI and comes from an academic research database, end the book reference after the publisher name.  Generally, you do not include database information, however, exceptions do occur.

Reference List

Brown, L. S. (2018). Feminist therapy (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000092-000

Print Version or Without DOI from Research Database:

Woods, G. (2001).  English grammar for dummies . Hungry Minds.

In-Text Citation

Parenthetical citation:

• Paraphrase: (Woods, 2011)
• Quotation: (Woods, 2011, p. 15)

Narrative citation:   Woods (2011)

NOTE: If there is an editor instead of an author, you would simply insert the editor's name in the place where the author's name is now, followed by (Ed.).  The rest of the format would remain the same.

Burley, J., & Harris, J. (Eds.). (2002). A companion to genethics. Blackwell.

Parenthetical citations:

• Paraphrase: (Burley & Harris, 2002)
• Quotation: (Burley & Harris, 2002, p. 153)

Narrative citations: Burley & Harris (2002)

Johnson, N. G., Roberts, M. C., & Worell, J. (Eds.). (1999). Beyond appearance: A new look at adolescent girls. American Psychological Association.

In-Text Citations

• Paraphrase: (Johnson et al., 1999)
• Quotation: (Johnson et al., 1999, p. 72)

Narrative citations: Johnson et al. (1999)

A work is treated as having no author when its author is unknown or cannot reasonably be determined. In this case, move the title of the work to the author position (followed by a period), before the date of publication.

Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (10th ed.). (1993). Merriam-Webster.

• For works with an unknown author, include the title and year of publication in the in-text citation.
• Italicize the title in the in-text citation if the title of the work is italicized in the reference list.
• If the title of the work is not italicized in the reference list, use double quotation marks around the title.
• Capitalize these titles in the text using title case, even though sentence case is used in the reference list entry.
• If the title is long, shorten for in-text citation.

Book with no author:  ( Interpersonal Skills , 2019)

Magazine article with no author:  ("Understanding Sensory Memory," 2018)

Anonymous as Author

In the rare case that "Anonymous" is used for the author, treat it as the author's name (Anonymous, 2001). In the reference list, use the name Anonymous as the author.

Citation Template

Lawrence, J. A., &  Dodds, A. E. (2003). Goal-directed activities and life-span  development. In J. Valsiner & K. Connolly (Eds.),  Handbook of developmental  psychology  (pp. 517-533). Sage Publications.

• Paraphrase:  (Lawrence & Dodds, 2003)
• Quotation:  (Lawrence & Dodds, 2003 p. 520)

Narrative citation:  Lawrence & Dodds (2003)

Lindgren, H. C. (1994). Stereotyping. In  E ncyclopedia of psychology  (Vol. 3, pp.  468-469).  Wiley.

• Paraphrase: (Lindgren, 1994)
• Quotation: (Lindgren, 1994, p. 468)

Narrative citation: Lindgren (2019)

• General E-book Format
• Article or Chapter in an Edited E-Book
• DOIs & URLs

Brown, L. S. (2018).  Feminist therapy  (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000092-000

• Paraphrase: (Brown, 2019)
• Quotation: (Brown, 2019, p. 41)
• Narrative in-text citation:  Brown (2019)

Without DOI From a Research Database or Print Version:

Burgess, R. (2019).  Rethinking global health: Frameworks of power . Routledge.

• Paraphrase: (Burgess, 2019)
• Quotation: (Burgess, 2019, p. 120)
• Narrative in-text citation:  Burgess (2019)

Aron, L., Botella, M., & Lubart, T. (2019). Culinary arts: Talent and their development. In R. F. Subotnik, P. Olszewski-Kubilius, & F. C. Worrell (Eds.),  The psychology of high performance: Developing human potential into domain-specific talent  (pp. 345–359). American Psychological Association.  https://doi.org/10.1037/0000120-016

• Paraphrase: (Aron et al., 2019)
• Quotation: (Aron et al., 2019, p. 348)
• Narrative in-text citation: Aron et al. (2019)

If the e-book does not have a DOI, follow the example for a print book .

The DOI or URL is the final component of a reference list entry. Because so much scholarship is available and/or retrieved online, most reference list entries end with either a DOI or a URL.

• A  DOI  is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies content and provides a persistent link to its location on the internet. DOIs can be found in database records and the reference lists of published works.
• A  URL  specifies the location of digital information on the internet and can be found in the address bar of your internet browser. URLs in references should link directly to the cited work when possible.

When to Include DOIs and URLs

Follow these guidelines for including DOIs and URLs in references: Include a DOI for all works that have a DOI, regardless of whether you used the online version or the print version.

• If a print work does not have a DOI, do not include any DOI or URL in the reference.
• If an online work has both a DOI and a URL, include only the DOI.
• For works without DOIs from websites (not including academic research databases), provide a URL in the reference (as long as the URL will work for readers).
• For works without DOIs from most  academic research databases ,  do not  include a URL or database information in the reference because these works are widely available. The reference should be the same as the reference for a print version of the work.
• Free DOI Lookup CrossRef currently provides a number of ways for you to locate a DOI.
• Resolve a DOI Type or paste a DOI name into the text box. Click Go. Your browser will take you to a Web page (URL) associated with that DOI name.

Harris, L. A. (2001).  Canadian copyright law  (3rd ed.) .  McGraw Hil  Ryerson .

Parenthetical citations:  

• Paraphrase: ( Harris, 2001 )
• Quotation: (Harris, 2001, p. 50)  

Narrative citation:  Harris (2001)  

If there is an editor instead of an author, you would simply insert the editor's name in the place where the author's name is now, followed by (Ed.). The rest of the format would remain the same.

Laplace, P. S. (1951).  A philosophical essay on probabilities  (F. W. Truscott & F. L. Emory, Trans.). Dover. (Original  work published 1814).

Parenthetical citatations:

• Paraphrase: (Laplace, 1814/1951)
• Quotation:  (Laplace, 1814/1951, p. 148)

Narrative citation:   Laplace (1814/1951)

APA Citation Style does not have a separate category for government publications.  According to APA, government documents can be considered Books, Technical/Research Reports or Brochures.

Helpful Tips

Numbers in parentheses refer to specific pages in the  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition (2020)

• Treat a government document as a book, report, or brochure.
• If a person is named on the title page, use her or him as author.
• If no person is named, use the government agency, department, or branch as a group author (Ex. 50, p. 329).
• Give the name of the group author exactly as it appears on the title page. If the branch or agency is not well known, include its higher department first.
• When the publisher is the same as the author, omit the publisher from the source element (p. 329).
• If there is a series or report number, include it after the title (p. 329).
• The specific agency responsible for the report appears as the author. The names of parent agencies not present in the   group author name   appear in the source element as the publisher. This creates concise in-text citations and complete reference list entries.

1. Report by Individual Authors at a Government Agency or Other Organization

Gilmore, J., Woollam, P., Campbell, T., McLean, B., Roch, J., & Stephens, T. (1999).  Statistical report on the health of Canadians:  Prepared by the Federal, Provincial and Territorial Advisory Committee on Population Health . Health Canada, Statistics Canada, Canadian Institute for Health Information.

• Paraphrase: (Gilmore et al., 1999)
• Quotation: (Gilmore et al., 1999, p. 5)

Narrative citation: Gilmore et al. (1999)

2. Report by Government Agency or Other Organization

National Cancer Institute. (2019).  Taking time: Support for people with cancer  (NIH Publication No. 18-2059). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health.  https://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/takingtime.pd

• Paraphrase: (National Cancer Institute, 2019)
• Quotation: (National Cancer Institute, 2019, p. 24)

Narrative citation: National Cancer Institute (2019)

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