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APA Style 7th Edition

This guide explains the basics of APA Style 7th Edition.

Citing Books and eBooks

Book with one author:

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 often shortened.

Note: Place of publication is not required when using APA 7th edition.

For eBooks, the database is not required. 

Example: Watson, J. (2012). Human caring science: A theory of nursing (2nd ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning.

In-Text Paraphrase: 

  • Format: (Author's Last Name, Year)
  • Example: (Watson, 2012)

In-Text Quote:

  • Format: (Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)
  • Example: (Watson, 2012, p. 70)


Book with two to twenty authors: 

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 often shortened. 

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

Must include ALL names in the reference list for publications with up to 20 authors.

Example: Case, L. P., Daristotle, L., Hayek, M. G., & Raash, M. F. (2011). Canine and feline nutrition: A resource for companion animal professionals (3rd ed.). Mosby.

In-Text:

  • Paraphrased, Two Authors: (Case & Daristotle, 2011)
  • Paraphrased, Three or More Authors: (Case et al., 2011)
  • Quoting, Two Authors: (Case & Daristotle, 2011, p. 57)
  • Quoting, Three or More Authors: (Case et al., 2011, p. 57)

Book with group or corporate author:

Name of Corporate Author. (Year of Publication). Title of book: Subtitle if given (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher Name often shortened.

Note: If the Corporate Author is also the publisher of the book, omit the Publisher Name.

Place of publication is not required when using APA 7th edition.

Example: American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.).

In-Text

Groups readily identified through abbreviations:

  • Paraphrase, first time: (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2003)
  • Second and subsequent times paraphrased: (NIMH, 2003)
  • First time quoting: (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2003, p. 5)
  • Second and subsequent times quoting: (NIMH, 2003, p. 5)

Groups with No Abbreviations

  • Paraphrased: (University of Pittsburgh, 2005)
  • Quoted: (University of Pittsburgh, 2005, p. 2)

Ebook from a website with one author:

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. URL

Example: Nightingale, F. (1860). Notes on nursing: What it is, and what it is not. Harrison and Sons. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/ 17366/17366-h/17366-h.htm

In-Text

  • Paraphrase format: (Author's Last Name, Year)
  • Paraphrase example: (Nightingale, 1860)
  • Quote format: (Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)
  • Quote example: (Nightingale, 1860, p. 157)

Ebook from a website with two to twenty authors:

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. URL

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

No place of publication is required when using APA 7th edition.

Must include ALL names in the reference list for publications with up to 20 authors.

Example: Allen, G. M., & Tozzer, A. M. (1910). Animal figures in the Maya codices. Salem. http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/19042

In-Text

Two Authors/Editors:

  • Paraphrased: (Case & Daristotle, 2011)
  • Quoted: (Case & Daristotle, 2011, p. 57)

Three or More Authors/Editors:

  • Paraphrased: (Case et al., 2011)
  • Quoted: (Case et al., 2011, p. 57)

Chapters, short stories, essays, or articles from a book (anthology or collection):

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 (edition if given and is not first edition, pp. first page number-last page number). Publisher Name often shortened.

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.

Example: 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 (5th Cdn. ed., pp. 993-1016). Elsevier.

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

In-Text

  • Paraphrase format: (Author's Last Name, Year)
  • Paraphrase example: (Stockert & Taylor, 2014)
  • Quote format (Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)
  • Quote example: (Stockert & Taylor, 2014, p. 998)

Book review from a library database (no title): 

Author of Review's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). [Review of the book Title of Book: Subtitle if Any, by Book Author's First Initial. Second Initial if Given Last Name]. Name of JournalVolume Number(Issue Number), first page number-last page number. DOI Number if Given

Example: McKinley, A. (2018). [Review of the book Criminal investigative failures, by D. K. Rossmo]. Salus Journal, 6(1), 82-84.

In-Text

  • Format: (Author's Last name, Year of Publication, p. Page Number)
  • Example: (McKinley, 2018, p. 83)

Book review from a website (with title): 

Author of Review's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of Review. [Review of the book Title of Book: Subtitle if Any, by Book Author's First Initial. Second Initial if Given Last Name]. Title of Website, URL

Example: Bell, M. S. (2006, December 31). Are you my mother? [Review of the book Let the northern lights erase your name, by V. Vida]. The New York Times Book Review, https://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/31/books/review/Bell.t.html?ref-review

In-Text

  • Format: (Author's Last Name, Year of Publication)
  • Example: (Bell, 2018)

For more information on how to cite Book Reviews in APA 7, refer to pages 334-335 in the APA Publication Manual. 

Online encyclopedia or dictionary from library database (known author, no DOI):

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (edition if given and is not first edition, volume number if there is more than one, page range). Publisher Name.

Example: Maher, J. (2010). Work and mothering. In A. O'Reilly (Ed.), Encyclopedia of motherhood (Vol. 3, pp. 1278-1283). SAGE.

In-Text

  • Paraphrase format: (Author's Last Name, Year)
  • Paraphrase example: (Maher, 2010)
  • Quote format: (Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number or Section Name and Paragraph Number)
  • Quote example: (Maher, 2010, p. 1279)

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.


Online encyclopedia or dictionary from library database (known author, with DOI):

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (edition if given and is not first edition). https://doi number

Example: Stonard, J. (2016). Wall, Jeff(rey). In Grove art online. https://doi.org/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T096536

In Text

  • Paraphrase format: (Author's Last Name, Year)
  • Paraphrase example: (Stonard, 2016)
  • Quote format: (Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number or Section Name and Paragraph Number)
  • Quote example: (Stonard, 2016, para. 1)


Online encyclopedia or dictionary from a website (known author):

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (edition if given and is not first edition). Retrieved date from url

Example: Beck, J., & Foley, D. (2015). Music composition. In The Canadian encyclopedia. Retrieved January 20, 2020, from https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/music-composition

In-Text

  • Paraphrase format: (First Author's Last name & Second Author's Last Name, Year)
  • Paraphrase example: (Beck & Foley, 2015)
  • Quote format: (First Author's Last Name & Second Author's Last name, Year, p. Page Number or Section Name and Paragraph Number)
  • Quote example: (Beck & Foley, 2012, para. 1)


Wikipedia:

Title of entry. (Year article was edited, Month Day). In Wikipedia. URL for archived version of the article

Note: To find and cite the latest archived version, select "view history" in the Wikipedia entry and choose the most recent date.    

Wikipedia may not be considered an acceptable source for a college or university assignment. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check your assignment.

Example: Veterinary medicine. (2019, December 29.). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Veterinary_medicine&oldid=931891450)

In-Text

  • Paraphrase format: ("Title of Entry", Year)
  • Paraphrase example: ("Veterinary Medicine," 2019)
  • Quote format: ("Title of entry", year, Section Name section, para. Paragraph Number)
  • Quote example: ("Veterinary Medicine," 2019, Paraveterinary Workers section, para.1)

Note: You may cite the section heading and count the number of the paragraph in that section to identify where your quote came from. The title of the Wikipedia article and the Section heading are in title case (i.e. with a capital letter at the beginning of most words in the title), but only the title of the article is in quotation marks.


Online encyclopedia or dictionary from a website (group author):

Name of Group Author. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (edition if given and is not first edition). Retrieved from date url

Example: Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Plagiarism. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved January 18, 2020, from https://www.meriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarism

In-Text

  • Paraphrase format: (Group author, Year)
  • Paraphrase example: (Merriam-Webster, n.d.)
  • Quote example: (Group author, Year, p. Page Number or Section Name and Paragraph Number)
  • Quote Example: (Meriam-Webster, n.d., The Kidnapping Roots of Plagiarize section)
    • Note: This entry has only section headings so only this information can be included in the citation.


Print encyclopedia or dictionary (known author):

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (Volume number, pp. first page of entry-last page of entry). Publisher Name often shortened.

Example: King, P.N., & Wester L. (1998). Hawaii. In The world book encyclopedia (Vol. 9, pp. 88-100). World Book.

In-Text

  • Paraphrase format: (Author's Last Name, Year)
  • Paraphrase example: (King & Wester, 1998)
  • Quote format: (Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number or Section Name and Paragraph Number)
  • Quote example: (King & Wester, 1998, p. 90)


Print encyclopedia or dictionary (group author):

Name of Group Author. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (Volume number if any, pp. first page of entry-last page of entry or p. page number for one page entry). Publisher Name often shortened.

Example: Chambers Harrap. (2007). Crop circles. In U. McGovern (Ed.), Chambers dictionary of the unexplained (p. 27). Chambers.

In-Text

  • Paraphrase format: (Group Author, Year)
  • Paraphrase example: (Chambers Harrap, 2007)
  • Quote format: (Group Author, Year, p. Page Number)
  • Quote example: (Chambers Harrap, 2007, p. 27)

Below is additional information that may help as you work on your citations. If you need more in-depth assistance with citation formatting, you can book an appointment with a writing tutor.

What to do if there is no author:

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.

Anonymous

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

In-Text

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)

Works by the same author in the same year:

When you are citing two different sources that share the same author and year of publication, assign lowercase letters after the year of publication (a, b, c, etc.). Assign these letters according to which title comes first alphabetically. Use these letters in both in-text citations and the Reference list.

Example In-Text:

This is paraphrased content from the first source by this author (Daristotle, 2015a). "Now I am quoting from the second source by the same author" (Daristotle, 2015b, p. 50).

Example Reference List entries:

Daristotle, J. (2015a). Name of book used as first source. Toronto, ON: Fancy Publisher.

Daristotle, J. (2015b). Title of book used as second source. Toronto, ON: Very Fancy Publisher.

Authors/Editors

An author won't necessarily be a person's name. It may be an organization or company, for example American Psychological Association. 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, put the word "Author" where you'd normally put the publisher name. This happens most often with corporate or group authors.

When a book has one to twenty authors or editors, all authors' names are cited in the Reference List entry. When a book has twenty-one or more authors or editors, list the first nineteen 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.

Titles

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. Example: Florida