owl purdue apa electronic sources

APA Style 7th edition: Electronic Sources

• Formatting your Paper
• In-text Citation Basics
• In-text Citation Formats for Different Mediums
• Reference List Basics
• Reference List Formats for Author(s)
• Citing Articles in Periodicals
• Books & Other Print Sources
• Electronic Sources
• Audiovisual Media
• Other Non-print Sources

Citing Electronic Sources in APA 7

Electronic sources include websites, emails, films, television programs, social media, podcasts and radio broadcasts, online journals and eBooks.

Some electronic citations require the use of brackets. When possible, include the year, month, and date in references. If the month and date are not available, use the year of publication. APA 7 th  edition no longer requires the use of “Retrieved from” before URLs or DOIs. The exception is for unarchived resources. For this exception, including the retrieval date lets readers know that the version they access may differ from what was originally used.

Webpage or Piece of Online Content

If there is an individual author, cite their name first.

Lastname, A. B. (Year, Month Date). Title of page . Site name. URL

James, J. (2014, April 1). The long way around the barn . Journey s. https://emotions.journeys.com

Webpage or Piece of Online Content Without a Publication Date

If a publication date isn’t listed, use the abbreviation (n.d.).

Author or Group name. (n.d.).  Title of page . Site name (if applicable). URL

Zombie Herders Unite. (n.d.).  World zombie .  https://www.zombie.org/ZombieWorld/Zombie-herders-unite/

Article in an Online Periodical without DOI

If an article doesn’t have a DOI and is published on a website, include the URL. If an article has no DOI and is published on a database, don’t include a URL or any database information. There is an exception for databases that publish articles in limited circulation (like ERIC) or that are only available on that particular database.

Jones, C. (1992). Declining health: You are what you eat.  UpToDate . Retrieved November 1, 2013, from  https://www.uptodate.com/contents/declining-health-you-are-what-you-eat

eBooks or Kindle Books

If the eBook or audiobook is identical to a physical version, it’s not necessary to note the format. If the content differs, distinguish between eBook, audiobook, or print version.

Lastname, A. B. (Year).  Title of book . Publisher. URL

Lastname, A. B. (Year).  Title of book  [eBook edition]. Publisher. URL

Lastname, A. BM. (Year).  Title of book  (N. Narrator, Narr.) [Audiobook]. Publisher. URL (if applicable)

Entry in an Online Dictionary, Thesaurus, or Encyclopedia with an Individual Author

(If an edition isn’t available-skip that step)

Lastname, A. B. (Year). Title of entry. In A. B. Lastname (ed.), Title of reference work (edition). Publisher. URL or DOI

Arnold, M. (2016). Dogs. In L. A. Schintler & C. L. McNeely (Eds),  Encyclopedia of big data . SpringerLink . https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32001-4_7-1

Computer Software or Downloaded Software

Don’t cite standard software such as MS Word or Excel) or programming languages. Provide references only for specialized software.

Lastname, A. B. or Name of Group. (Year).  Title of software  (Version No.). Publisher. URL

Cobalati. (2019).  Cobal companion  (Version 1.2.0). Cobalt Systems C o.  https://www.cobalt.com/products/Cobalcompanion/

Like personal interviews, emails are not included in the list of references, but be sure to parenthetically cite them in the main text.

(R. Ryan, personal communication, February 3, 2019).

Online Forum or Discussion Posting

Lastname, A. B. or Name of Group [username]. (Year, Month Date).  Title of post  [Online forum post]. Publisher. URL

Stine, R. L. [RL__Stine]. (2013, October 23).  I’m R.L. Stine and it’s my job to terrify kids. Ask me anything!  [Online forum post]. Reddit.  https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1p32dl/

Facebook Post

Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group. (Year, Month Date).  Content of the post up to the first 20 words  [Type of post]. Site Name. URL

*NOTE-  If the Facebook post includes images, videos, or links to other sources, indicate that information in brackets after the content description. Also attempt to replicate emojis if possible.

UA Cossatot Educational Resource Center. (2020, March 10).  Reaching tutors during campus closure  [Image attached] [Status update]. Facebook.  https://www.facebook.com/UACERC/photos/

a.123456054537384/2586475451403333/?type=3&help

Lastname, A. B. (Year, Month Date). Title of post.  Publisher . URL

Smith, A. (2018, October 12). An examination: Culture war is expanding.  Cultural Divide, Wordpress .  https://www.wordpress.org/sections/culturaldivide/

2018/10/12/742293305/an-examination-culture-war-is-expanding

Facebook Page

Lastname, A. B. or Name of Group. (n.d.).  Home  [Facebook page]. Site name. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL

UA Cossatot (n.d.).  Home  [Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved March 10, 2022 from  https://www.facebook.com/uacossatot/

Citation Generator APA 7 Cite Fast

Article in an online periodical with doi.

Lastname, A. B., & Lastname, A. B. (Year). Title of article.  Title of Periodical, Vol.( Issue), page numbers. DOI

Hess, R., Andes, C. T., & Adams, R. A. (2003). Complicated bereavement. Psychology Today, 21 (2), 122-131.  https://doi.org/13.1114/apr.20101

YouTube or Other Streaming Video

Last Name, F. M. [Username]. (Year, Month Date).  Title of video  [Video]. Streaming Service. URL

Wagner, R. [Tutor]. (2022, July 21).  Academic success [Video]. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RWrJCQDPrw&r=136s

*NOTE- The person or group who uploaded the video is considered the author. If the author’s name and username are the same, omit the [Username].

Webpage or Piece of Online Content by Group or Organization

If there isn’t an author, use the name of the group or organization as the author. If the group author and site name are identical, remove the site name.

Group name. (Year, Month Date).  Title of page . Site name. URL

American Association of Retired Persons. (2013, December 3).  Age discrimination: It’s a problem.   https://www.aarp.org/news agediscriminationrevealed /

Wikipedia Article

Cite Wikipedia articles much as you would cite a generic webpage.

Title of article. (Year, Month Date). In  Wikipedia.  URL of archived version of page

Climate change. (2014, December 4). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_change

Wikipedia articles change often. The date refers to the date that the cited version of the page was published. Be sure to look at the dates closely.

APA 7 th edition doesn’t provide guidance on citing abstracts. If you’re only using information from the abstract, but also have access to the article, add “[Abstract]” after the article name. If the article text isn’t available, use the available abstract through an abstracts database as a secondary source.

Entry in an Online Dictionary, Thesaurus, or Encyclopedia with a Group Author

If there isn’t a specific publication date, use “n.d.” for the date and include the retrieval date.

Institution or organization name. (Year). Title of entry. In  Title of reference work . URL

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Gobbledygook. In  Merriam-Webster.com dictionary . Retrieved January 10, 2018, from  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gobbledygook

Twitter Profile

Lastname, A. B. or Name of Group [@username]. (n.d.).  Tweets  [Twitter profile]. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL

Open Education Network [@OEN]. (n.d.).  Tweets  [Twitter profile]. Retrieved October 31, 2020, from  https://twitter.com/oen

Lastname, A. B. or Name of Group [@username]. (Year, Month Date).  Content of the post up to the first 20 words [Tweet]. Site Name. URL

*NOTE- If the tweet includes images, videos, or links to other sources, indicate that information in brackets after the content description. Also attempt to replicate emojis if possible.

National Geographic [@NatGeo]. (2020, January 12).  Scientists knew African grays are clever, but now they’ve been documented assisting other members of their species—even strangers  [Tweet; thumbnail link to article]. Twitter.  https://twitter.com/NatGeo/status/1216346352063537154

Instagram Photo or Video

Lastname, A. B. or Name of Group [@username]. (Year, Month Date).  Content of the post up to the first 20 words  [Type of post]. Site Name. URL

UACOSSATOT[@uac]. (2020, January 12).  Students save money at home  [Photograph]. Instagram.  https://www.instagram.com/p/B7OkUacBcua/

Online Scholarly Journal Article: Citing DOIs

IMPORTANT:  If a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is available, use that instead of a URL because URLs often change.

Online News Article

If citing from a site with an associataed newspaper, leave the title of the article unformatted, but italicize the newspaper title.

Lastname, A. D. (Year, Month Date). Title of article.  Title of Publication . URL

Smith, A. (2014, November 14). Best songs of 2013: Adele revealed.  New York Times .  https://www.newyorktimes.com/entertainment/music/best-songs-2013-adele-revealed/2014/12/06/6e82c5ec-15d8-11ea-a659-7d69641c6ff7_story.html

IF the source doesn’t come from a site with an associated newspaper, italicize the article title, but leave the site’s name unformatted.

Lastname, B. A. (Year, Month Date).  Title of article . Name of publishing website. URL

Adams, J. (2003, June 12).  Why people are building tiny houses . THU. htt ps://www.thu.com/surviving/article/20200113-why-people-are-building-tiny-houses

Webpage or Piece of Online Content Without an Author

If the page’s author isn’t listed, begin with the title. Include a retrieval date in the event that the page’s content may change over time, such as in a wiki.

Title of page . (Year, Month Date). Site name. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL

Open resources.  (2016, January 30). Opennews. Retrieved May 3, 2019, from 

https://www.opennews.com/openresources/

Qualitative Data and Online Interviews

Cite the interview in the text only (not in the reference list) if the interview isn’t retrievable in audio or print form. Provide the month, day, and year as an in-text citation. If the interview transcript is published, cite the interview the same way you would cite the medium where it is published, as shown below:

Sabbatini, G. (1993, September 10).  Musical performance of Giuseppe Sabbatini  [Interview]. Studs Terkel Radio Archive; The Chicago History Museum. https://studsterkel.wfmt.com/programs/musical-performance-giuseppe-sabbatini?t=NaN%2CNaN&a=%2C

If it is an audio file or transcript published in a database, credit the interviewee as the author and use the following model:

Cruise, T. W. (1990, September 17).  Interview with a vampire  [Interview]. Vampire Association Radio Archive; The Vampire History Museum. 

https://vampirestudios.anne.com/programs/interview-with-a-vampire

Online Lecture Notes & Presentation Slides

When citing online lecture notes, provide the file format in brackets after the title (PowerPoint slides, Microsoft Word document).

Lastname, A. B. (Year, Month Date).  Title of presentation  [Lecture notes, PowerPoint slides, etc]. Publisher. URL

Bernahan, C. (2013, November 4).  Making OER easy for the educator  [PowerPoint slides]. SlideShare.  https://www.slideshare.net/education/making-oer-easy-for-the-educator-by-sharonda-adams-at-southeast-uc-2013

Graphic Data (Maps, infographics, PowerPoints, etc.)

Include the organization or individual’s name followed by the date and the title. If a title isn’t available, provide a brief explanation of the type of data included and the form in which it appears in brackets. Include the URL and the retrieval date if the publication date isn’t available.

Lo, I. (2016, May 3.).  Asthma symptom recognition  [Infographic] . Behance.  https://www.behance.net/gallery/36728473/Infographic-Asthma-Symptom-Recognition

Google. (n.d.). [Google Map of University of Arkansas-Cossatot Community College De Queen Campus]. Retrieved March 11, 2022, from  https://www.google.com/maps/place/University+of+Arkansas+ Cossatot+Community+College+De+Queen+Campus/

Dissertation or Thesis from a Database

Lastname, A. B. (Year).  Title of dissertation or thesis  (Publication No.) [Doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis, Name of Institution Awarding Degree]. Database Name.

Yeargan, J. T. (2021).  Gynocentric perceptions of misogynistic literature  (Publication No. 2213552112) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Arizona]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Lastname, A. D. or Name of Group (Year).  Title of dataset  (Version No.) [Data set]. Publisher. DOI or URL

Paris, T., Kim, J., & Davis, C. (2015).  EEG responses to two contexts of AV speech presentation  [Data set]. Western Sydney University. http://doi.org/10.4225/35/54bf146fa4012

Author, A. B. (Year, Month Date).  Title of talk  [Video]. TED. URL

Hill, G. (2017, May).  Making the grade  [Video]. TED.  https://www.ted.com/talks/naif_G hill_making the grade#g-5202

Or (if on YouTube)

Username. (Year, Month Date). Title of talk [Video]. YouTube. URL

Tedx Talks. (2012, Dec. 12).  TEDxSouthwesternstate – Cal Hooper - How I moved past the grief [Video]. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AudxeFcAsrR

Podcast Episode

Host, B. A. (Host). (Year, Month Date). Title of episode (No. if provided) [Audio podcast episode]. In  Name of podcast . Publisher. URL

Smith, A. (Host). (2016, April 17). Calling all the truth-tellers [Audio podcast episode]. In  Radiolab . ABCU Studios.  https://www.abcustudios.org/story/calling-all-the-truth-tellers

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APA 7th Edition

Purdue's OWL (Online Writing Lab) provides instruction on how to use APA 7th. Below are a few topics covered by the OWL.

• APA Style Introduction APA 7th
• APA Overview and Workshop APA 7th
• General Formatting APA 7th
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In this section

Subsections.

APA Formatting and Style Guide 7th Edition : Electronic Sources

• Formatting Your Paper
• APA In-Text Citations
• Select “corner down " class="" href="https://worwic.libguides.com/c.php?g=1165377&p=8661211" > Reference List
• Electronic Sources
• Print Sources
• APA Sample Paper, Blog, Word Template, & Other Links
• APA Citation Generator
• Contact Your Library

Reference List Examples for Electronic Sources from Purdue Owl

Electronic Source Examples from Purdue Owl  

Select the Purdue Owl link to see electronic source examples for your Reference list

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Academic Integrity at MIT

A handbook for students, search form, citing electronic sources.

Do not assume the information you find on the Internet is common knowledge. Everything on the Internet has been written by someone and may need to be cited.

Simply including a URL is not enough.

Even if there is no visible author, there is other information that should be included in the citation. Consult your citation style guide on how to cite electronic sources, including social media posts.

Different disciplines and published journals use different citation styles. If you are unsure which to use, check with your instructor or research supervisor. The Online Writing Lab (OWL) of Purdue University provides useful examples of citing electronic sources for each style:

American Psychological Association (APA)

Modern Language Association (MLA)

Chicago Manual of Style (CMS)

Citations of electronic sources often require the URL or the name of the database from which you retrieved the information. Always keep the URL for your own records so you can refer back to it.

Citing Creative Commons-licensed Content

• When you use content made available under a Creative Commons license, follow the terms of the specific Creative Commons license attached to the content.  All Creative Commons licenses require that you cite the creator of the content. 
• In addition to giving credit to the creator, you should cite the content as any other online source. Provide as much information as possible and adapt the citation entry to the style you are using.  Also include the URL to the Creative Commons license at http://creativecommons.org .

Wikipedia is Not a Reliable Academic Source

Many of us use Wikipedia as a source of information when we want a quick explanation of something.  However, Wikipedia or other wikis, collaborative information sites contributed to by a variety of people, are not considered reliable sources for academic citation, and you should not use them as sources in an academic paper.

The bibliography published at the end of the Wikipedia entry may point you to potential sources. However, do not assume that these sources are reliable – use the same criteria to judge them as you would any other source. Do not consider the Wikipedia bibliography as a replacement for your own research.

Evaluating Electronic Sources:  Is the Information Reliable?

Articles from online publications and databases often provide an author’s name and credentials so that you can evaluate the author’s reliability as a source. However, the reality is that anyone can put up a website, create a Facebook page, or post via the multitude of other social media tools.

Before you take information from a source you have found on the Internet, assess its reliability by looking for the following:

Name of the author:  Is the author a recognized authority? Or is the author a student who has posted his or her paper online?

If the person is not a qualified expert, you should not use the information.

Name of the sponsoring institution:

Is the sponsoring institution a name that you recognize as a reliable, unbiased source of information?  For example, the World Health Organization, The United Nations, The American Medical Association.

If you cannot locate this information or you are not sure of the reliability of the institution, do not use the information.

Date of posting:

Has the website been recently updated? Is the information current? 

The relevance of the information can be affected by timeliness of the post. Based on your topic, you need to evaluate if timeliness is critical.

Some electronic sources have no clear author. This may include:

Government websites and social media

University, institutional or organizational websites and social media

When using sources without a clear author, always look for the name of the sponsoring institution and investigate its reliability.   If you cannot locate this information or you are not sure of the reliability of the institution, do not use the information.

Authenticity of Social Media Posts  

In evaluating social media posts, first follow the guidelines outlined above.

In addition, the authenticity of the author should also be assessed.  Outright imposters, as well as parody accounts, have proliferated within social media networks.  To assess the authenticity:

Some social media tools, such as Twitter, perform their own verification testing, which can be helpful in identifying the “true” account of an individual.

A Twitter name is not always indicative of the author’s true identity. Verified Twitter accounts are marked with a blue check badge next to the name. This indicates that Twitter has verified the identity of the individuals of these accounts. For example:

President Obama uses Twitter to keep citizens informed on current issues. "Barack Obama @BarackObama" is President Obama's verified Twitter account whereas "Barack Obama @theUSpresident" is a parody account.

Look at the quality of the previous posts to see if the content is consistent with who the author says s/he is.
Read any associated bio to see what is said about the individual’s identity, beyond just the name. Does the bio link to his/her website, book site or blog? Can you verify the author’s credentials on LinkedIn or similar sites?

If you are in doubt of the person’s true identity, do not use the source.

When you do cite a social media source, cite it by its handle or vanity URL, not by the name it professes. This ensures you are accurately reflecting your source to the reader.

For example, if you found the Twitter feed @cola78456 listed as Coca Cola Company and your assessment led you to believe it was authentic, you would cite the source as:

@cola78456 says…”  not “Coca Cola Company on Twitter says…”

In some cases, you may want to quote social media posts by “everyday people” to help exemplify a viewpoint or trend. In this case, the challenge is not assessing the authenticity of the author, but determining if the person is real and not an automated web “bot.” To assess if the author is real:

Check the quality of previous posts.  Bots tend to post of spam and re-post content of others.

Consider the tone of the posts.  Bots typically post a statement and a link.  Opinions and sentiments usually come from a real person, not a bot.

If the social media account is being curated, it is more likely a legitimate person.

If you are in doubt whether a social media post is from a person or bot, do not use the source.

Finding and Evaluating Internet Sources

• Finding Quality Information
• Subject Specialists at MIT Libraries

Combined APA and MLA Citation Guide

• Citation Home
• How to Cite- examples (7th ed.)
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• Sample APA Paper (7th ed.)
• Free Citation Generators
• Electronic Sources
• Print sources
• How do I Cite
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• Sample MLA Paper
• NoodleTools Citation Manager
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There are three ways to get help in the library:

Come see us!  Visit the second floor reference desk at the Elsner or Red Mountain libraries during  business hours  and speak with a reference librarian.

Call us!  Call the Elsner library reference desk at 480-461-7682 or the Red Mountain library reference desk at 480-654-7740 and speak with a librarian during  business hours.

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How to cite electronic sources (6th ed.)

• Electronic sources
• Journal articles
• Magazine articles
• Newspaper articles

Examples are taken directly from either Purdue's  Online Writing Lab  (OWL) or from Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition. Please be advised that your instructor and the APA manual are the final authority on formatting, mechanics and citing references. This guide provides basic information only. Please refer to the  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.) for detailed information.

*For other electronic sources not listed here go to  OWL @Purdue or the  APA Style  guide.

In the tabs above you can find sample APA citations for  electronic

• Newspaper articles 
• Video clips

Remember that all lines after the first line of each entry in your reference list should be indented one-half inch from the left margin. This is called hanging indentation. All text is double-spaced. Sometimes the formatting on webpages like this do not show the correct format.

Basic format for webpage

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication).   Title of document . Retrieved from http://Web address

Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M., Soderland, L., & Brizee, A. (2010, May           

5).   General format. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Webpage with no author

When there is no author for a web page, the title moves to the first position of the reference entry:

Example:   All 33 Chile miners freed in flawless rescue. (2010, October 13). Retrieved from                                         http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39625809/ns/world_news-americas/  

Cite in text the first few words of the reference list entry (usually the title) and the year. Use double quotation marks around the title or abbreviated title.: ("All 33 Chile Miners," 2010).

Basic format for Article from a database

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume number,           

page range. Retrieved from http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/

Article from a database

Smyth, A. M., Parker, A. L., & Pease, D. L. (2002). A study of enjoyment of peas.  Journal of  Abnormal

Eating, 8 (3), 120-125. Retrieved from http://www.articlehomepage.com /full/url/

Basic Format for Journal article with DOI

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume number,   page

range. doi:0000000/000000000000 or http://dx.doi.org/10.0000/0000

Journal article with DOI

Wooldridge, M.B., & Shapka, J. (2012). Playing with technology: Mother-toddler interaction scores lower

during play with electronic toys. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 33 (5), 211-218.

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2012.05.005

Basic Format for Journal article with url

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Online Periodical, volume

number (issue number if available). Retrieved from   http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/

Journal article with url

Bernstein, M. (2002). 10 tips on writing the living Web.   A List Apart: For People Who Make Websites, 149 .

Retrieved from http://www.alistapart.com/articles/ writeliving

range. Retrieved from  http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/

Smyth, A. M., Parker, A. L., & Pease, D. L. (2002). A study of enjoyment of peas.   Journal of Abnormal

Eating, 8 (3), 120-125. Retrieved  from   http://www.articlehomepage.com/full/url/

Basic format

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article.   Title of Newspaper . Retrieved from    

http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/

Newspaper article

Parker-Pope, T. (2008, May 6). Psychiatry handbook linked to drug industry.   The New York Times .

Retrieved from http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/06/psychiatry-handbook-linked-to-drug-

industry/?_r=0

Basic format for whole ebook

Author, A. (date).  Title of book .  Retrieved from http://xxxxxxxxx

De Huff, E. W. (n.d.).  Taytay’s tales: Traditional Pueblo  Indian tales . Retrieved from

http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/dehuff/taytay/taytay.html

Davis, J. (n.d.).  Familiar birdsongs of the Northwest .  Available from http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?

inkey=1-9780931686108-0

Basic format for chapter in an ebook

Author, A. (date). Title of chapter. In E. Editor (Ed.),  Title of book  (pp. xx–xx). Retrieved from

http://xxxxxxxxx

For more information on citing images, try the APA Style blog

No personal communication is included in your reference list; instead, parenthetically cite the communicator's name, the phrase "personal communication," and the date of the communication in your main text only.

(E. Robbins, personal communication, January 4, 2001).

A. P. Smith also claimed that many of her students had difficulties with APA style (personal communication,

November 3, 2002).

Basic format for YouTube Video and other video-posting websites

Author, A. A. [Screen name]. (year, month day). Title of video  [Video file]. Retrieved from http:// ​xxxx

YouTube Video

Apsolon, M. [markapsolon]. (2011, September 9). Real ghost girl  caught on Video Tape 14 [Video file].

Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nyGCbxD848

J Dean. (2008, May 7). When the self emerges: Is that me in the mirror? [Web log comment]. Retrieved from

http://www.spring.org.uk/the1sttransport ​

   Video Blog 

   Psychology Video Blog #3 [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqM90eQi5-M

E-mails are not included in the list of references, though you parenthetically cite them in your main text: (E. Robbins, personal communication, January 4, 2001).

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Notable Changes in APA 7th Edition

Apa citation style, in-text citation, sample papers, handouts & guides, direct object identifiers.

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The American Psychological Association (APA) citation style provides guidelines for formatting documents and citing sources in academic papers. APA Style is typically used in the social & behavioral sciences.

• Reference List: Basic Rules (OWL Purdue) See the left-hand navigation bar to find examples on how to cite specific sources. The section for Electronic Sources to cite things like articles from databases.
• Style and Grammar Guidelines (American Psychological Association) Scroll down the page to find the type of resource you need. Pick from such topics as paper format, grammar, bias-free language, tables & figures, in-text citations, references and research & publication.
• In-Text Citations: The Basics (OWL Purdue)
• Paraphrasing (American Psychological Association)
• Quotations (American Psychological Association)
• References: Electronic Sources (OWL Purdue) Information on how to cite electronic resources in APA 7th edition. Sample citations are included. Use the left-hand navigation bar to find examples of how to cite other types of sources.
• Reference Examples (American Psychological Association) This guide includes not only common resources like articles and books, but also things like media (YouTube, Facebook, etc.) & data sets.
• Reference Quick Guide (American Psychological Association)
• APA Sample Paper (OWL Purdue)
• Sample Papers (American Psychological Association)
• Guides & Handouts (American Psychological Association)
• DOI Locator APA uses the DOI (digital object identifier) - A unique number for each electronic journal article. If it's available, databases will list it somewhere in the record for the article. However, not all journals or databases provide a DOI.
• Free DOI Article Number Lookup This site will help you look up DOI if it is not listed on your article.
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• Last Updated: Apr 15, 2024 10:17 AM
• URL: https://research.ewu.edu/apa

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APA Style Guide to Electronic References

See this guide for help with citing online sources in APA style.

• Purdue OWL: APA Formatting and Style Guide
• APA Style Guide to Electronic References (6th ed.) Guide to citing online sources in APA format. Off-campus users will need to log in with their student number and library PIN.
• Cornell Library APA Citation Guide
• Son of a Citation Machine Automatic citation generator. Be sure to double-check with a style manual!

APA Style Manual

Interviews, Email, and Other Personal Communication

No personal communication is included in your reference list; instead, parenthetically cite the communicator's name, the phrase "personal communication," and the date of the communication in your main text only.

(E. Robbins, personal communication, January 4, 2001).

A. P. Smith also claimed that many of her students had difficulties with APA style (personal communication, November 3, 2002).

Basic Format

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle . Location: Publisher.

Example - One Author

Shotton, M. A. (1989). Computer addition? A study of computer dependency. London, England: Taylor & Francis.

Example - Book Chapter

Haybron, D. M. (2008). Philosophy and the science of subjective well-being. In M. Eid & R. J. Larsen (Eds.), The science of subjective well-being (pp. 17-43). New York, NY: Guilford Press.

Purdue OWL: ALA Citation - Books

Journal Articles

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, xx, pp-pp. doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxxx

Example - Article from Online Periodical with DOI

Herbst-Damm, K. L., & Kulik, J. A. (2005). Volunteer support, marital status, and the survival times of terminally ill patients. Health Psychology, 24, 224-229. doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225

Example - Article from Online Periodical without DOI

Sillick, T. J., & Schutte, N. S. (2006). Emotional intelligence and self-esteem mediate between percieved early parental love and adult happiness. E-Journal of Applied Psychology , 2 (2), 38-48. Retrieved from http://ojs.lib.swin.edu.au/index.php/ejap

Purdue OWL: APA Citation - Electronic Sources

Web Sources

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of document . Retrieved from http://Web address

Example - Entire Website

Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M., Soderland, L., & Brizee, A. (2010, May 5). General format. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

In-Text Citations

Material from your paper that's from another source needs to be cited both in the text immediately after the cited material (in-text or parenthetical citation) and at the end of the paper in the works cited. However, if you mention information about the source in the text of your paper, you do not need to include that information in the citation immediately afterward.

For example ...

(Box adapted from LMU/LA Library APA Guide)

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• Last Updated: Jan 30, 2024 11:46 AM
• URL: https://researchguides.csuohio.edu/citingsources

APA 7th Ed. Help: References Page

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Resources for faculty & staff, help & tutorials, apa 7th ed. tutorials.

• APA 7th ed. - Academic Writer Tutorial: Basics of Seventh Edition APA Style Use this link to access the in-depth tutorial Academic Writer Tutorial: Basics of Seventh Edition APA Style that covers all of the elements of APA style including formatting, in-text citations, and reference citations. Recorded webinars from the APA on in-text citations and references citations are also available through this link.

APA also provides Handouts and Guides. 

APA & The Nurse Practice Act

• APA 7th ed. & the Wisconsin "Nurse Practice Act" Details on finding and citing the "Nurse Practice Act."

APA for Davis's Drug Guide

• APA 7th Ed. Davis's Drug Guide Details on finding and citing "Davis's Drug Guide" in ProQuest Health and Medicine.

APA for Micromedex

• APA 7th ed. for Micromedex Details on searching and citing components of Micromedex

Reference Page Citations

Apa 7th ed. reference citation essentials from the american psychological association. , apa 7th ed. reference citation information from the purdue university online writing lab (owl) often referred to as purdue owl. .

Specific author details and source types: 

Reference Page Citations: Summary Of Notable APA 7th ed. Changes

The number in parentheses indicates the corresponding chapter or section(s) in the APA Publication Manual. 

References 

• Label the reference list " References " in  bold  font. (2.12)
• For government agencies, list the most specific agency as the author in the reference. (9.11)
• Publisher location (city, state) is no longer included in book citations. (9.29)
• Always include a DOI when available for journal articles and books (electronic and print). (9.3)
• If a DOI is not available for a journal article from a library database (research database) treat the article as if it were a print version. A URL for the journal website is no longer needed, and you do not need to provide a database name (EBSCOhost, CINAHL, Films on Demand). (9.3 & 9.34)
• Present both DOIs and URLs as hyperlinks (active website links). Include "http://" or "https://" and for DOIs use the preferred format of: https://doi.org/xxxx (9.35)
• For the majority of online sources, such as websites: Include URL (web address) at the end of reference; do NOT include "Retrieved from". However, if the content is likely to change over time, include a retrieval date to indicate to readers that the version they link to may be different (e.g. Retrieved March 11, from https://xxx.xxx). (9.16, 10.1 & 10.16)
• For ebooks, the format, platform, or device (e.g. Kindle) is not included in the reference citation. (10.2)

Adapted from content created by Julie Chapman, Northeast Wisconsin Technical College; and Rae Jeffers & Laura Haygood, University of Texas, Arlington

E-Book Resource for APA

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• Last Updated: Jan 17, 2024 4:52 PM
• URL: https://libguides.gtc.edu/APA

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Citing Sources Using APA Style, 6th Edition

• Cite Articles
• Cite Webpages
• In-text Citations & References

APA Overview

APA (American Psychological Association) is the style is most commonly used to write papers and cite sources within the social sciences .

Recommended Guides

• Frequently Asked Questions About APA Style This resource is from the American Psychological Association and provides a clear and quick guide to the formatting structure of different source types in APA style. It also provides access to additional tutorials and a Q&A section and tips for formatting your research paper.
• OWL Purdue: APA Formatting & Style Guide This comprehensive resource from the Online Writing Lab at Purdue is very popular for good reason. It provides clear examples and descriptions of how to cite most sources and format research papers, in-text citations, and works cited in APA 6th edition.
• APA Quick Guide from EasyBib This guide is quick tool showing you how to cite the most common information sources in APA.

Video Guides

• APA Video Tutorials from OWL Purdue This series of 6 videos provides an excellent quick overview to creating citations and formatting your paper in APA style.

APA Article Citation Examples

Print articles, journal article example.

Harlow, H. F. (1983). Fundamentals for preparing psychology journal articles. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 55 (6), 893-896.

Magazine Article Example

Henry, W. A., III. (1990, April 9). Making the grade in today's schools. Time, 135 , 28-31. 

 Newspaper Article Example

Schultz, S. (2005, December 28). Calls made to strengthen state energy policies.  The Country Today  , pp. 1A, 2A.

Electronic Articles

Today, it is more than likely that you will locate articles from a database or a website. When a DOI is available for an electronic article, provide the number at the end of the citation. In APA it is optional to include the name of the database or URL where the source was found, but always be sure to check your instructor's preferences for inclusion.

TAKE NOTE:  When using a URL from a database, always use the permalink when one is provided to avoid expired session URLs.

Article from an Online Database Examples

Brownlie, D. (2007). Toward effective poster presentations: An annotated bibliography. European Journal of Marketing, 41, 1245-1283. doi:10.1108/03090560710821161

Halfwerk, W. , Jones, P. , Taylor, R. , Ryan, M. , & Page, R. (2014). Risky ripples allow bats and frogs to eavesdrop on a multisensory sexual display. Science, 343 (6169), 413. Retrieved from http:// http://science.sciencemag.org/content/343/6169/413.full

Article from a Website Example (no author)

Youtuber, brexit, and 'get your freak on' enter the Oxford English Dictionary. (2016, December 14). Time Magazine . Retrieved from   http://time.com/4603064/oxford-dictionary-new-words. 

Need More APA Article Citation Examples?

• OWL Purdue: Articles in Periodicals
• OWL Purdue: Reference List - Electronic Sources
• What's a DOI?
• What's a Permalink?

APA Book Citations

Print books, book (one author).

Berry, W. (1981).  The gift of good land . San Francisco, CA: NorthPoint.

Book (more than one author)

Winston, B. L., Reinhart, M. L., Sacker, J. R., Gottlieb, W., Oscar, B., & Harris, D.P. (1980).  Nepal in crisis: Growth and  stagnation at the periphery . Delhi: Oxford UP.

Book (editor)

Del Castillo, A. R. (Ed.). (1990).  Between borders: Essays on Mexicana/Chicana history . Encino, CA: Floricanto.

Electronic Books

When a book is accessed from a database, website, or other electronic source (even Amazon), the URL (or DOI when available) information is provided at the end of the citation. If the book is not directly available online or must be purchased, use "Available from," rather than "Retrieved from," and point readers to where they can find it. 

TAKE NOTE:  

• The place of download (URL) or DOI is used in-place of publisher information.
• When using a URL from a database, always use the  permalink ( permanent link)  when one is provided to avoid expired session URLs.

eBook from a Database

Pustz, M. (1999).  Comic book culture: Fanboys and true believers . Retrieved from http://0-search.ebscohost.com.iii.sonoma.edu/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=25895&site=ehost-live&scope=site. 

Schiraldi, G. R. (2001).  The post-traumatic stress disorder sourcebook: A guide to healing, recovery, and growth  [Adobe Digital Editions version]. doi:10.1036/0071393722

eBook from a Website

Speed, H. (2004).  The practice and science of drawing.  Retrieved from http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/14264

Stoker, B. (2000).  Dracula [Kindle HDX version]. Retrieved from http://www.overdrive.com

Need More APA Book Citation Examples?

• OWL Purdue: APA Book Citations

MLA Website Citations

Website examples.

All 33 Chile miners freed in flawless rescue. (2010, October 13). Retrieved from http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39625809/ns/world_news-americas/

Lundman, S.. How to make vegetarian chili.  Retrieved from: http://www.ehow.com/how_10727_make-vegetarian-chili.html. 

National Institute on Drug Abuse. Retrieved from http://www.drugabuse.gov

Need More MLA Website Examples?

• OWL Purdue: APA Electronic Sources

Other Media Sources

The following are examples for citing Videos, Blogs, Comments, Tweets, and Email in APA format style:

Ted Talks (Producer). (2016, April 6).  Inside the mind of a master procrastinator: Tim Urban  [Video file]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/arj7oStGLkU

Freakonomics. (2010, October 29). E-ZPass is a life-saver (literally) [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/10/29/e-zpass-is-a-life-saver-literally/

TAKE NOTE: E-mails are not included in the list of references, though you parenthetically cite them in your main text:

(e. robbins, personal communication, january 4, 2001)..

BarackObama. (2009, July 15). Launched American Graduation Initiative to help additional 5 mill. Americans graduate college by 2020: http://bit.ly/gcTX7 [Twitter post]. Retrieved from http://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/2651151366

Need More APA Examples of Other Media Sources?

• OWL Purdue: Electronic Sources (see bottom of list)
• OWL Purdue: Motion Pictures

In-text Citations

In order to avoid plagiarism, all information which you gather from someone else’s research or knowledge needs to be both cited in a References page as well as through in-text citations (also called parenthetical citation). In-text citations are inserted directly into an essay using parentheses. In-text citations must be used to give credit to the original author for paraphrases, summaries, as well as direct quotes. Generally, they are placed at the end of a sentence. 

In-text citations:  

• allows your reader to know which source each idea/fact came from
• gives you credibility as a writer
• protects you from plagiarism
• points your reader to the proper entry in your References.

Examples of In-text Citations

The  format for creating an in-text citation  in APA Style is to include the  last name of the author  of the work,  followed by the page number  of the content used.

Direct Quote:

"In the Caribbean the successful planting of new varieties of crops owed much to the Amerindian, who carefully nurtured each newly introduced food source." (Mackie, 42)

Lead-in Reference with quote:

Christine Mackie notes that  "in the Caribbean the successful planting of new varieties of crops owed much to the Amerindian, who carefully nurtured each newly introduced food source."  (42)

Paraphrase:

The success of new varieties of crops planted in the Caribbean was due in part to the careful tending by the Amerindians. (Mackie, 42)

In the References:

The References for this essay will include a full bibliographic citation to the Mackie work:

Mackie, C.. (1992).  Life and food in the Caribbean . New York: New Amsterdam Books

Need More APA In-text Citation Examples?

• Purdue OWL: APA In-Text Citations - Authors

APA style requires a References page at the end of your research paper. All entries (except personal email) in the References page must correspond to the sources cited in your main text, in other words -- your in-text citations.

Basic Rules

• Begin your References page on a separate page at the end of your research paper. 
• Label the page References (do not italicize the words References or put them in quotation marks) and center the word References at the top of the page.
• Double space all citations, but do not skip spaces between entries.
• Indent the second and subsequent lines of citations by 0.5 inches to create a hanging indent.

APA References Examples

• Purdue OWL: APA Sample Paper
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American Psychological Association Style

The American Psychological Association (APA)  has established a style that it uses in all of the books and journals that it publishes. Many others working in the social and behavioral sciences have adopted this style as their standard as well.

APA's style rules and guidelines are set out in their publication manual:

Citation styles change over time. Be sure to only use the most recent resources that reflect the current edition. The current edition for APA is the 7th.

• APA Manual 7th edition: The most notable changes The newest version of the Publication Manual has some notable changes compared to the 6th edition. This article highlights some that may be helpful.

Online Resources from APAStyle.org

APA Style This is a great resource for examples of how to cite different kinds of resources, to get an understanding of the differences between in-text citation and the reference list, and also better understand what plagiarism is and how to prevent it when using APA style. The APA manual is more in-depth with explanation, but this is a good reference for many common citation questions.

About APA Style

Watch the Tutorials and Webinars on APA Style .

The APA Style website also has their APA Style Blog , which includes blog posts answering questions that come up for APA citation that are commonly asked. 

Citing Online Sources in APA

Citing Online sources: 

• APA Reference List: Electronic Sources (7th edition) - Purdue OWL

Citing Websites:

• APA Style Blog : Visual of egg

Citing Images, Videos & Other Media

• Clip Art or Stock Image References If you are using images in your slide presentation, paper or project, APA requires copyright attribution rather than typical in-text citations. Quick note: if your image is free to reproduce with no attribution required, do not include any attribution.
• APA Style Guide to Common Reference Examples This quick reference guide (pdf download) includes examples of almost every kind of source, including podcasts, infographics, Tweets, and more!
• Reference Examples: AudioVisual Media In-depth list of styles for audio and video. This page also includes styles for data sets, social media posts, online forums, and more.
• How to cite a single song or track reference
• How to cite a music album reference
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Common APA Errors

Below is a reminder of some common formatting details that sometimes are overlooked.

• Line Spacing: double-space the reference list.
• Hanging indent: indent all but the first line of each entry (the opposite of how you indent a paragraph).
• Italicization: b ook titles,  journal titles and  volume number are  italicized; do not italicize article titles.
• DOI: for electronic materials, if you have a doi#, you do not need to include the URL.
• You do not need to include which database you found the article in (this is sometimes included if you use an auto-generated citation from a database--you should always double check auto-generated citations for accuracy). 
• Capitalization: for book or article titles, only capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle. Also capitalize proper nouns.

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