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APA Citation Style

• APA Citation Style
• Reference Citations in Text
• Reference List
• Other documentation styles

APA citation style refers to the rules and conventions established by the American Psychological Association for documenting sources used in a research paper. APA style requires two elements for citing outside sources: Reference Citations in Text and a Reference List. Together these elements identify and credit the sources consulted in the paper and allow others to access or retrieve this material.

The examples of APA styles and formats listed on this page include many of the most common types of sources used in academic research. For additional examples and more detailed information about APA citation style, refer to the APA resources list at the bottom of this page.

Also, for automatic generation of citations in appropriate citation style, you may wish to use a bibliographic citation management program such as Refworks or EndNote. You can find more information on this in our Citation Tools guide or the citation management help page.

Reference Citations in Text

In APA style, citations to sources are placed in the text of the paper in order to briefly identify sources for readers and enable them to locate the source of the cited information in the Reference List. These parenthetical (in text) references include the author's last name and the year of publication enclosed in parentheses. Citations are placed within sentences and paragraphs so that it is clear what information is being quoted or paraphrased and whose information is being cited.

Examples:

Works by a Single Author

The last name of the author and the year of publication are inserted in the text at the appropriate point.

In a recent study of reaction times(Walker, 2000)

If the name of the author or the date appear as part of the narrative cite only missing information in parentheses.

Walker (2000) compared reaction times

In 2000 Walker compared reaction times

Works by Multiple Authors

When a work has two authors, always cite both names every time the reference occurs in the text. In parenthetical material join the names with an ampersand (&).

as has been shown (Joreskog & Sorbom, 1989)

In the narrative text, join the names with the word "and."

as Nightlinger and Littlewoord (1993) demonstrated

When a work has three, four, or five authors, cite all authors the first time the reference occurs.

Wasserstein, Zappulla, Rosen, Gerstman, and Rock (1994) found

In all subsequent citations per paragraph, include only the surname of the first author followed by "et al." (Latin for "and others") and the year of publication.

Wasserstein et al. (1994) found

Works by Associations, Corporations, Government Agencies, etc.

The names of groups that serve as authors (corporate authors) are usually written out each time they appear in a text reference.

(National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 1999)

When appropriate, the names of some corporate authors are spelled out in the first reference and abbreviated in all subsequent citations. The general rule for abbreviating in this manner is to supply enough information in the text citation for a reader to locate its source in the Reference List without difficulty.

(NIMH, 1999)

Works with No Author

When a work has no author, use the first two or three words of the work's title (omitting any initial articles) as your text reference, capitalizing each word.

the book College Bound Seniors (1979)

Place the title in quotation marks if it refers to an article or chapter of a book, or italicize it if it refers to a book, periodical, brochure, or report.

on free care ("Study Finds," 1982)

Anonymous authors should be listed as such followed by a comma and the date.

on free care (Anonymous, 1998) 

Specific Parts of a Source 

To cite a specific part of a source (always necessary for quotations), include the page, chapter, etc. (with appropriate abbreviations) in the in-text citation.

(Cheek & Buss, 1981, p. 332) 

(Shimamura, 1989, chap. 3)

Miele (1993) found that "the 'placebo effect,' which had been verified. . . .were studied in this manner" (p. 276) 

If page numbers are not included in electronic sources, provide the paragraph number preceded by the paragraph symbol or the heading and following paragraph.

(Myers, 2000 ¶  5)

(Beutler, 2000, Conclusion section, para. 1)

Reference List

References cited in the text of a research paper must appear in a Reference List or bibliography. This list provides the information necessary to identify and retrieve each source.

• Entries should be arranged in alphabetical order by authors' last names. Sources without authors are arranged alphabetically by title within the same list.
• Write out the last name and initials for all authors of a particular work.
• Capitalize only the first word of a title or subtitle, and any proper names that are part of a title.
• Use an ampersand (&) instead of the word "and" when listing multiple authors of a single work.
• Use the abbreviation p. or pp. to designate page numbers of articles from periodicals that do not use volume numbers, especially newspapers. These abbreviations are also used to designate pages in encyclopedia articles and chapters from edited books.
• Indentation *: The first line of the entry is flush with the left margin, and all subsequent lines are indented (5 to 7 spaces) to form a "hanging indent."
• Underlining vs. Italics *: It is appropriate to use italics instead of underlining for titles of books and journals.

* The APA has special formatting standards for the use of indentation and italics in manuscripts or papers that will be typeset or submitted for official publication. For more detailed information on these publication standards, refer to the APA resources listed at the bottom of this page, or consult with your instructors or editors to determine their style preferences.

Examples:

Articles in Journals, Magazines, and Newspapers
References to periodical articles must include the following elements: author(s), date of publication, article title, journal title, volume number, issue number (if applicable), and page numbers.

Mellers, B. A. (2000). Choice and the relative pleasure of consequences. 

	Psychological Bulletin, 126, 910-924.

Klimoski, R., & Palmer, S. (1993). The ADA and the hiring process 

	in organizations. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and 

	Research, 45(2), 10-36.

Saywitz, K. J., Mannarion, A. P., Berliner, L., & Cohen, J. A. 

	(2000). Treatment for sexually abused children and adolescents. 

	American Psychologist, 55, 1040-1049. 

Kandel, E. R., & Squire, L. R. (2000, November 10). Neuroscience: 

	Breaking down scientific barriers to the study 

	of brain and mind. Science, 290, 1113-1120.

New drug appears to sharply cut risk of death from heart failure. 

	(1993, July 15). The Washington Post, p. A12.

Schwartz, J. (1993, September 30). Obesity affects economic, social 

	status. The Washington Post, pp. A1, A4. 

For information on articles in press, special issues and supplements, translations, newsletters, etc. please see the APA resources at the end of the guide.

Books
References to an entire book must include the following elements: author(s) or editor(s), date of publication, title, place of publication, and the name of the publisher.

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

	Springfield, MA: Merriam Webster.

One Author

Baddeley, A. D. (1999). Essentials of human memory. Hove, 

	England: Psychology Press.

Beck, C. A. J., & Sales, B. D. (2001). Family mediation: Facts, 

	myths, and future prospects. Washington, DC: American 

	Psychological Association. 

  Australian Bureau of Statistics. (1991). Estimated resident population 

  	by age and sex in statistical local areas, New South 

  	Wales, June 1990 (no. 3209.1). Canberra, Australian Capital 

  	Territory: Author.

Gibbs, J. T., & Huang, L. N. (Eds.). (1991). Children of color: 

	Psychological interventions with minority youth. San Francisco: 

	Jossey-Bass.

For information on books that have been revised, translated, issued in multivolume sets, etc. please see the APA resources at the end of the guide.

Essays or Chapters in Edited Books
References to an essay or chapter in an edited book must include the following elements: essay or chapter authors, date of publication, essay or chapter title, book editor(s), book title, essay or chapter page numbers, place of publication, and the name of the publisher.

Massaro, D. (1992). Broadening the domain of the fuzzy logical model 

	of perception. In H. L. Pick Jr., P. van den Broek,  

	D. C. Knill (Eds.), Cognition: Conceptual and methodological 

	issues (pp. 51-84). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Bjork, R. A. (1989). Retrieval inhibition as an adaptive mechanism 

	in human memory. In H. L. Roediger III & F. I. M. 

	Craik (Eds.), Varieties of memory & consciousness (pp. 309-330). 

	Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

For information on chapters in multivolume sets, in translation, etc. please see the APA resources at the end of the guide.

Encyclopedias or Dictionaries and Entries in an Encyclopedia
References for encyclopedias must include the following elements: author(s) or editor(s), date of publication, title, place of publication, and the name of the publisher.

Sadie, S. (Ed.). (1980). The new Grove dictionary of music and musicians 

	(6th ed., Vols. 1-20). London: Macmillan.

Bergman, P. G. (1993). Relativity. In The new encyclopedia Britannica 

	(Vol. 26, pp. 501- 508). Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica.

Technical and Research Reports
References to a report must include the following elements: author(s), date of publication, title, place of publication, and name of publisher. If the issuing organization assigned a number (e.g., report number, contract number, or monograph number) to the report, give that number in parentheses immediately after the title. Additional information is included when a report is published by the Government Printing Office (GPO) or when it is available from a document deposit service such as NTIS or ERIC.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (1992). Pressure ulcers 

	in adults: Prediction and prevention (AHCPR Publication No. 92-0047). 

	Rockville, MD: Author.

National Institute of Mental Health. (1990). Clinical training in 

	serious mental illness (DHHS Publication No. ADM 90-1679). 

	Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

        

Osgood, D. W., & Wilson, J. K. (1990). Covariation of adolescent health 

	problems. Lincoln: University of Nebraska. (NTIS No. PB 91-154 377/AS)

For information on university and private reports, working papers, proceedings, poster sessions, theses and dissertations, unpublished works, etc., please see the APA resources at the end of the guide.

Audio-Visual Media
References to audio-visual media must include the following elements: name and function of the primary contributors (e.g., producer, director), date, title, the medium in brackets, location or place of production, and name of the distributor. If the medium in indicated as part of the retrieval ID, brackets are not needed (see example for Audio Recording).

Garmon, L. (Producer and Director), & Apsell, P. (Executive Producer). 

	(1994). Secret of the wild child [Videocassette]. Boston, MA: 

	WGBH Educational Foundation.

Costa, P. T., Jr. (Speaker). (1988). Personality, continuity, and 

	changes of adult life (Cassette Recording No. 207-433-88A-B). 

	Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. 

          

Scorsese, M. (Producer), & Lonergan, K. (Writer/Director). (2000). You 

	can count on me [Motion Picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures.

Crystal, L. (Executive Producer). (1993, October 11). The MacNeil/Lehrer 

	news hour [Television broadcast]. New York and Washington, DC: 

	Public Broadcasting Service.

Miller, R. (Producer). (1989). The mind [Television series]. New 

	York: WNET.

Shocked, M. (1992). Over the waterfall. On Arkansas traveler [CD]. 

	New York: PolyGram Music.

Electronic Media and Online Sources
APA's recommendations for citing electronic media call for consistent observation of at least two important guidelines: 1) Direct readers as closely as possible to the information being cited -- whenever possible, reference specific documents rather than home or menu pages; 2) Provide addresses that work. At a minimum, a reference of an Internet source should provide a document or title description, a "date" (either the date of publication, update, or date of retrieval), and an address (in Internet terms, a URL). Whenever possible, identify the authors of the document as well.

Listed below are examples of citation styles for several types of electronic sources.

VandenBos, G., Knapp, S., & Doe, J. (2001). Role of reference elements 

	in the selection of resources by psychology undergraduates 

	[Electronic version]. Journal of Bibliographic Research, 5, 117-123.

Fredrickson, B. L. (2000, March 7). Cultivating positive emotions 

	to optimize health and well-being. Prevention & Treatment, 

	3, Article 0001a. Retrieved November 20, 2000, from 

	http://journals.apa.org/prevention/volume3/pre0030001a.html 

            

Journal article from a database

Borman, W.C., Hanson,  M.A., Oppler, S.H., Pulakos, E.D., & White, L.A. (1993).

	 Role of early supervisory  experience in supervisor performance. 

	 Journal of Applied Psychology, 78,  443-449. Retrieved October 23, 2000, 

	 from PsycARTICLES database.

	

Bergman, P. G. & Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica Online. (1994-1999). 

	Relativity. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Retrieved August 4, 1999, 

	from Encyclopedia Britannica Online on the World Wide Web: 

	http://search.eb.com/bol/topic?eu=117376&sctn=1

       

American Psychological Association. (1999, June 1). Electronic preference 

	formats recommended by the American Psychological Association. 

	Retrieved July 18, 1999, from the World Wide Web: 

	http://www.apa.org/journals/webref.html 

            

Chou, L., McClintock, R., Moretti, F., & Nix, D. H. (1993). Technology 

	and education: New wine in new bottles: Choosing pasts and imagining 

	educational futures. Retrieved August 24, 2000, from Columbia 

	University, Institute for Learning Technologies Web site: 

	http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/publications/papers/newwine1.html

        

Witchcraft In Europe and America is a site that presents the full text of many 

	essential works in the literature of witchcraft and demonology 

	(http://www.witchcraft.psmedia.com/).

        

For information on citing electronic versions of newspaper articles and technical, private and government reports; virtual proceedings, papers and poster sessions; online discussion forum and e-mail list postings; computer software, etc., please see the APA resources at the end of the guide.

The examples above were all taken from the following APA resources. For additional examples and more detailed information about APA citation style, refer to :

American Psychological Association (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

CU Library Reference locations include:

• Africana, Management, Phyiscal Sciences, Hotel, and Uris Libraries (BF76.7 .P83x 2001)
• Olin (BF76.7 .P83x 2001+)
• ILR (BF76.7 .A51 2001)
• Mann (BF76.7 .A51x 2001)
  
  

Electronic Reference Formats Recommended by the American Psychological Association

Includes the most up-to-date information about APA citation style and format for electronic media. Go to Electronic References -- General Forms and Examples.

Frequently Asked Questions about the Publication Manual

Includes APA's responses to queries about APA citation style. Go to Frequently Asked Questions about the Publication Manual.

Other libraries have also published abbreviated guides to the APA style which may also be useful as quick references:

Purdue University Online Writing Lab. APA Formatting and Style Guide http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Other documentation styles:

• The Chicago Manual of Style
• The Columbia Guide to Online Style
• MLA Style

For information on MLA format from the Modern Language Association of America's style manual, MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, go to MLA citation style.

Prepared by Cornell University Library PSEC Documentation Committee
Nov. 2002; Revised July 2007