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Guidelines to APA Style: Textual works reference examples

Libguide on citing sources in APA Style.

Book

Author, A., & Author, B. (Publication date). Title: Subtitle. Publisher.

  • One author
Erdrich, L. (2012). The round house. Harper.


Parenthetical citation: (Erdrich, 2012)
Narrative citation: Erdrich (2012)
 

  • Up to 20 authors

Hurtienne, J., Löffler, D., Hüsch, C., Reinhardt, D., Tscharn, R., & Huber, S. (2020). Happy is up, sad is down: 65 metaphors for design. BIS Publishers.


Parenthetical citation: (Hurtienne et al., 2020)
Narrative citation: Hurtienne et al. (2020)
 

  • Organization as author and publisher

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association: The official guide to APA style (7th edition).


Parenthetical citation: (American Psychological Association, 2020)
Narrative citation: American Psychological Association (2020)

 

E-book

  • E-book with DOI

Author, A. (Publication year). Title: Subtitle. Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxx

Domingues, M. V. J. P. (2021). Energy costs and farm characteristics in the European Union: Highlighting linkages with structural and policy dimensions. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-75839-4


Parenthetical citation: (Domingues, 2021)
Narrative citation: Domingues (2021)
 

  • E-book without DOI

Author, A. (Publication year). Title: Subtitle. Publisher. Retrieved Month day, year, from http://xxxx or https://xxxx

McKinney, M., Pattison, K.,& LeMire, S., Anders, K., & Hagstrom-Schmidt, N. (Eds.). (2022). Howdy or hello? Technical and professional communication (2nd edition). Texas A&M University. Retrieved May 31, 2021, from https://open.umn.edu/opentextbooks/textbooks/howdy-or-hello-technical-and-business-communications


Parenthetical citation: (McKinney et al., 2022)
Narrative citation: McKinney et al. (2022)
 

  • Google Books

Author, A. (Publication year). Title: Subtitle. Publisher. Retrieved Month day, year, from https://books.google.nl/xxxx

Armstrong, G., Harker, M., Kotler, P., & Brennan, R. (2009). Marketing: An introduction. Pearson Education. Retrieved October 13, 2020, from https://books.google.com/books?id=UNd1Bm9l6KUC


Parenthetical citation: (Armstrong et al., 2009)
Narrative citation: Armstrong et al. (2009)
 

Chapter in a book

If you have consulted a chapter from a book that was compiled by one or more editors, refer to that chapter.
The source reference contains information about both the chapter and the book. It works as follows:

Author, A. (Publication year). Chapter title: Subtitle. In A. Editor (Ed.), Book title: Subtitle (pp. xx-xx). Publisher.
 

Dillard, J. P. (2020). Currents in the study of persuasion. In M. B. Oliver, A. A. Raney, & J. Bryant (Eds.), Media effects: Advances in theory and research (4th edition, pp. 115-129). Routledge.


Parenthetical citation: (Dillard, 2020)
Narrative citation: Dillard (2020)
 

  • For an e-book chapter, you also include the URL or DOI:

Zeleke, W. A., Hughes, T. L., & Drozda, N. (2020). Home–school collaboration to promote mind–body health. In C. Maykel & M. A. Bray (Eds.), Promoting mind–body health in schools: Interventions for mental health professionals (pp. 11-26). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000157-002


Parenthetical citation: (Zeleke et al., 2020)
Narrative citation: Zeleke et al. (2020)
 

Reference work (dictionary, encyclopedia)

When a word is looked up in a reference work (dictionary or encyclopedia) to be sure of its meaning it does not need to be referenced.
If you quote or paraphrase from a reference work, you ought to include it in the reference list.

The general source citation of a reference work does not differ from that of a book, but often reference works have only editor(s) or no author(s) at all.

Author, A. (Publication year). Title. Publisher.

  • With author(s) or editor(s)

Zalta, E. N. (Ed.). (2019). The Standford encyclopedia of philosophy (Summer 2019 edition). Standford University.


Parenthetical citation: (Zalta, 2019)
Narrative citation: Zalta (2019)
 

  • Without authors
Oxford paperback French dictionary. (2010). Oxford University Press.


Parenthetical citation: (Oxford paperback French dictionary, 2010)
Narrative citation: Oxford paperback French dictionary (2010)
 

  • Wikipedia entry
    The date of publication is the date the page was last edited.

Lemma. (Year, Month day). In Title reference work. Retrieved Month day, year, from http://xxxx or https://xxxx

ADHD. (2020, September 1). In Wikipedia. Retrieved September 30, 2020, from https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/ADHD


Parenthetical citation ("ADHD", 2020)
Narrative citation: "ADHD" (2020)
 

Journal article

  • Journal article in print

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Publication year). Article title. Journal Title, volume(number), pages.

McCauley, S. M., & Christiansen, M. H. (2019). Language learning as language use: A cross-linguistic model of child language development. Psychological review, 126(1), 1.


Parenthetical citation: (McCauley & Christiansen, 2019)
Narrative citation: McCauley and Christiansen (2019)
 

  • Journal article with DOI

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Publication year). Article title. Journal Title, volume(number), pages. https://doi.org/xxxx

Lachner, A., Backfisch, I., Hoogerheide, V., Van Gog, T., & Renkl, A. (2020). Timing matters! Explaining between study phases enhances students’ learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 112(4), 841-853. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000396

 

Parenthetical citation: (Lachner et al., 2020)
Narrative citation: Lachner et al. (2020)
 

  • Journal article without DOI

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Publication year). Article title. Journal Title, volume(number), pages. Retrieved Month day, year, from http://xxxx or https://xxxx

Eryilmaz, S. (2020). Compare teachers and students attitudes according to mobile educational applications. The Turkish Online Journal of Educational Technology, 20(1), 19-24. Retrieved November 23, 2022, from http://www.tojet.net/articles/v20i1/2013.pdf


Parenthetical citation: (Eryilmaz, 2020)
Narrative citation: Eryilmaz (2020)
 

Newspaper or magazine article

  • Print

Author, A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Name newspaper, page number of section.

Barnes, B. (2021, May 24). Has Hollywood cracked the code to make a video game movie a success? The New York Times, p. 3.


Parenthetical citation: (Barnes, 2021)
Narrative citation: Barnes (2021)

  • Online

Author, A. (Year, Month day). Title of article. Newspaper name. Retrieved Month day, year, from http://xxxx or https://xxxx

Gander, K. (2020, 29 April). COVID-19 vaccine being developed in Australia raises antibodies to neutralize virus in pre-clinical tests. Newsweek. Retrieved June 30, 2020 from https://www.newsweek.com/australia-covid-19- vaccine-neutralize-virus-1500849


Parenthetical citation: (Gander, 2020)
Narrative citation: Gander (2020)
 

Reports and brochures (grey literature)

Additional information such as edition, volume, issue or volume number may be included between the round brackets for identification.
If necessary, a description for identification may be given in square brackets for less common informal publications, such as brochures, policy papers, press releases, etc.

  • Print

Author, A. (Publication date). Title (Issue number or volume). Publisher.

Klein Woolthuis, R. (1998). Sleeping with the enemy: About trust and dependence in inter-organisational relationships in a technological setting (Research report 98W-007/T&O-005). Research Centre of the University of Twente Entrepreneurship Centre.


Parenthetical citation: (Klein Woolthuis, 1998)
Narrative citation: Klein Woolthuis (1998)

 

  • Online
    Add Retrieved on ..., from http(s)://xxxx or DOI

Author, A. (Publication date). Title (issue number or volume). Publisher. Retrieved Month day, year, from http://xxxx or https://xxxx

Boone, J. (2020). Pricing above value: Selling to an adverse selection market (Discussion paper 2020-023). Tilburg University. Retrieved January 15, 2021, from https://research.tilburguniversity.edu/en/publications/pricing-above-value-selling-to-an-adverse-selection-market


Parenthetical citation: (Boone, 2020)
Narrative citation: Boone (2020)
 

Dissertation and thesis

  • Print

Author, A. (Publication year). Title of thesis [Description]. Name of institution.

Harris, L. (2014). Instructional leadership perceptions and practices of elementary school leaders [Doctoral dissertation]. University of Virginia.


Parenthetical citation: (Harris, 2014)
Narrative citation: Harris (2014)
 

  • Online in a database

Author, A. (Publication year). Title of thesis [Description, Name of institution]. Name database or archive. 

Kabir, J. M. (2016). Factors influencing customer satisfaction at a fast food hamburger chain: The relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty (Publication No. 10169573) [Doctoral dissertation, Wilmington University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.


Parenthetical citation: (Kabir, 2016)
Narrative citation: Kabir (2016)
 

  • Online not in a database

Author, A. (Publication year). Title of theses [Description, Name of institution]. Name database or archive. Retrieved Month day, year from http://xxxx or https://xxxx

Zambrano-Vazquez, L. (2016). The interaction of state and trait worry on response monitoring in those with worry and obsessive-compulsive symptoms [Doctoral dissertation, University of Arizona]. UA Campus Repository. Retrieved November 23, 2022, from https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/620615


Parenthetical citation: (Zambrano-Vazquez, 2016)
Narrative citation: Zambrano-Vazquez (2016)
 

Legal work

  • Print
    Apply the guidelines for a book.

Blanpain, R., Hendrickx, F., & Biagi, M. (2002). Codex European labour and social security law. Kluwer Law International.


Parenthetical citation: (Blanpain et al., 2002)
Narrative citation: Blanpain et al. (2002)
 

  • Online - European law
    The title is in front and the date is the day of issue. In the text you may refer to a specific article and/or section number.

Directive 2001/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 May 2001 on the harmonisation of certain aspects of copyright and related rights in the information society. (2001, June 22). Official Journal of the European Communities, (L 167), 10-19. Retrieved April 11, 2022 from https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/dir/2001/29/oj


Parenthetical citation: (Directive 2001/29/EC, 2001, Article 8)
Narrative citation: Directive 2001/29/EC (2001, Article 8)
 

Conference sessions or presentations

Describe the presentation in square brackets after the title. The description is flexible (e.g., “[Conference session],” “[Paper presentation],” “[Poster session]”).
Provide the names of the presenter(s) in the author element of the reference, the full dates of the conference in the date element of the reference, and the name of the conference or meeting and its location in the source element of the reference
If a video of the conference presentation is available, include a link at the end of the reference.

Presenter, A. (Year, Month day). Title of contribution [Type of contribution]. Conference name, Location. Retrieved Month day, year, from http://xxxx or https://xxxx

Evans, A. C., Jr., Garbarino, J., Bocanegra, E., Kinscherff, R. T., & Márquez-Greene, N. (2019, August 8-11). Gun violence: An event on the power of community [Conference presentation]. APA 2019 Convention, Chicago, IL, United States. Retrieved March 20, 2022, from https://convention.apa.org/2019-video


Parenthetical citation: (Evans et al, 2019)
Narrative citation: Evans et al. (2019)
 

Translated works

Author, A. (Publication Date). Title (T. Translator, Trans.). Publisher. (Original work published year)

When a text was originally published in another language, the original author is mentioned both in the text and in the reference list. The translator is only mentioned in the reference list.
Credit the translator(s) in the reference by writing the abbreviation 'Trans.' after the translator’s name and placing both the name and abbreviation in parentheses after the title of the work.
Provide both year of the original work and the year of translated work was published in the in-text citations. Credit the original source by providing the year the work was originally published (in its original language) at the end of the reference in parentheses and preceded by the words “Original work published”.
 

  • Printed book, republished in translation
Coelho, P. (1993). The alchemist (A. R. Clarke, Trans.). HarperOne. (Original work published 1988)

Parenthetical citation: (Coelho, 1988/1993)
Narrative citation: Coelho (1988/1993)
 

  • Ancient Greek or Roman work
Plato. (1961). Meno (R. S. Bluck, Trans.). Cambridge University Press. (Original work published ca. 380 B.C.)

Parenthetical citation: (Plato, ca. 380 B.C./1961)
Narrative citation: Plato (ca. 380 B.C./1961)
 

  • Journal article, republished in translation

Piaget, J. (1972). Intellectual evolution from adolescence to adulthood (J. Bliss & H. Furth, Trans.). Human Development15(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1159/000271225 (Original work published 1970)


Parenthetical citation: (Piaget, 1970/1972)
Narrative citation: Piaget (1970/1972)