Quick Reference for APA Citations
(American Psychological Association)
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological
Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
(Available at the Reference Desk: Ref. Desk Collection and Ref. BF 76.7 .P83 2010)
What is new in the 6th edition? Changes include:
Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) are used when available for citing electronic and print sources.
When listing authors’ names, list up to seven authors with the use of an ellipsis when there are 8
or more.
The following are examples of the more common citations. When in doubt your
final word is the Publication Manual, the official website, and your professor.
In Text Citations (pp. 174-179)
The APA style uses the author-date in text method of citation: the last name of the author and the year of
publication are inserted in the text. For example:
One author:
A single gene controls the restriction of the compound to the leaves and stems (Barham, 1953).
OR
According to Barham (1953), a single gene controls the restriction of the compound to the leaves and
stems.
Two authors:
Cite both names every time: (6.12, p 175)
Brabant and Mooney (1986) have used the comic strip to examine evidence of sex role stereotyping.
OR
The comic strip has been used to examine evidence of sex role stereotyping (Brabant & Mooney, 1986).
Three, four, or five authors:: (6.12, p. 175)
List every author the first time. After that, cite only the last name of the first author followed by "et al."
Example of a first citation: Cramer, Jackson, Smith, and Jones (1992) found evidence that ...
For subsequent citations: Cramer et al. (1992) found evidence that ...
NOTE: Et al. is Latin for and others; “et” is a full word, but “al.” is an abbreviation and therefore
needs to be followed by a period.
Six or more authors::
Cite only the surname of the first author followed by "et al."
No author: (6.15, p. 176)
Cite the first few words of the reference entry (usually the title) and the year. Use double quotation marks
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around the title of an article or chapter, and italicize the title of a periodical, book, brochure, or report.
Examples: From the book Study Guide (2000) ... or ("Reading," 1999).
Citing more than one source in the same parenthesis: (6.16, p. 177-178)
Citations are placed in the order that they are appear in the Reference List and are separated with
semicolons. Example:
Several studies (Adams, 199; Jones & James, 2000; Miller, 1999) . . .
To cite a specific part of a source: (6.19, p. 179)
Indicate the page, chapter, figure, table, or equation at the appropriate point in text. Examples: (James,
2001, p. 231), (Gouge, 1999, chapter 3) and (Bates, 2001, table 3)
Citation of a Work Discussed in a Secondary Source: (6.17, p. 178) It is always best to cite an
original source. Ask for help at the Reference Desk when you have difficulty locating the original. When
it is necessary to cite a secondary source, APA recommends the following:
Within the text, name the original source and provide a citation for the secondary source.
Example:
In-Text Citation: Kirscht and Joseph's review (as cited in Thompson, Geher, Stevens, Stem & Lintz, 2001,
p. 55) . . .
Reference List Entry:
Thompson, K. L., Geher, G., Stevens, K. F., Stem, S. T., & Lintz, M. K. (2001). Psychological
predictors of sexual behaviors related to AIDS transmission. Psychological Reports, 88(1), 51-67.
Reference List ( 6.22-6.26)
A Reference list contains all the items you have made a direct reference to in your paper (by using in-text
citations as shown above).
Begin your Reference list on a separate sheet of paper with the header References centered at the
top of the page. Use page numbers that continue the numbering of the text.
APA requires the hanging indent. Entries should begin flush left, and the second and subsequent
lines should be indented.
The 6th edition of the APA style requires double-spacing references. To save space all examples
shown below are single-spaced.
All items are listed alphabetically by the first author's last name. If there is no author, start with
the title and then the date.
For examples of documents and situations not found here, see the printed version of the
Publication Manual.
Journal Articles
DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier, “a unique alphanumeric string assigned by a registration agency
(the International DOI Foundation) to identify content and provide a persistent link to its location on the
Internet (6.31, p. 189).” When a DOI is available for a journal article, it eliminates the need for a database
name or Journal Homepage URL in the citation. Examples are shown below.
How to locate a DOI: DOI numbers are often found on the first page of the article, or in the citation or the
abstract of an article. You can also try Cross Ref Free DOI Look Up.
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When you cannot locate the DOI number for an article, the citation is just like a print article, except that
you add the HOMEPAGE URL for the journal. This is not the article URL, the database URL, or the URL
for the WWU Libraries. To locate the journal homepage, try a Google search with quotations ( “Journal of
Sex Research”). You can also use the Ulrich’s database, Ulrich’s Online, to locate the journal’s URL. If
you have any difficulty, ask for help at the Reference Desk. For online help go to the Western Libraries:
Ask Us page.
Basic Format
7.01, pp. 198-202
Author. (Year of Publication). Title of Article. Title of
Journal, volume, page numbers. doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxxx
One Author: with DOI
7.01, no. 1, p. 198
Bizjak, M.C. (2009). Understanding emotional health and
psychological adjustment in students with or without a specific
hearing deficiency. Journal of Developmental and Physical
Disabilities, 21, 213–224. doi:10.1007/s10882-009-9136-x
Two Authors found with a
Database Search - no DOI
7.01, no 3, p. 199
Brabant, S., & Mooney, L. A. (1997). Sex role stereotyping
in the Sunday comics: A twenty year update. Sex
Roles, 37, 269-281. Retrieved from
http://www.springer.com/psychology/
gender+studies/journal/11199
(URL is for the Journal Homepage)
Article from a Print Journal with
up to Seven Authors
7.01, page 198
Tolin, D. F., Abramowitz, J. S., Brigidi, B. D., Amir, N.,
Street, G. P., & Foa, E. B. (2001). Memory and
memory confidence in obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Behaviour Research & Therapy, 39, 913-927.
(include DOI when available)
Article with DOI and More than
Seven Authors
7.01, no. 2, p. 198.
Lein, E. S., Hawrylycz, M. J., Ao, N., Ayres, M., Bensinger, A.,
Bernard, A., . . . Jones, A. R. (2007, January 11). Genome-wide
altas of gene expression in the adult mouse brain. Nature, 445
(7124), 168-176. doi: 10.1038/nature05453
Note: The first six authors are listed; all subsequent authors
except the last are omitted and replaced with an ellipsis; then list
name of the last author.
In-text example: (Lein et al., 2007)
Article from a Subscription
Database (EBSCO) without DOI
Mead, A.S. (2009). Gender differences in food selections of
students at a historically black college and university (HBCU).
College Student Journal, 43, 800-806.
Do not include the database
information as database contents can
change over time.
6.32, p. 192
7.01, no. 3, p. 199
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Magazine Articles
Basic Format
Author, I.I. (Year, Month). Article title. Magazine Title,
volume(issue no.), page numbers.
Magazine Article
7.01, no. 7, p. 200
Adams, J. R. (1998, May). The once and future scandal. American
Spectator, 31(5), 42-48.
Magazine Article With
No Author
7.01, p. 200
Conventional wisdom. (2003, August 18). Newsweek, 142 (7), 6.
Online Magazine Article
7.01, no. 8, p. 200
Wilkerson, Richard. (2009, April 27) Are my dreams premonitions?
SelfHelp Magazine. Retrieved from
http://www.selfhelpmagazine.com/article/dream-meaning
Newspaper Articles
Basic Format
Author, I.I. (Year, Month Day). Article title. Newspaper Title.
pp.
Newspaper Article With Author and
Discontinuous Pages
7.01, no. 10, p. 200
Ayers, S. (1998, May 7). Eagles rebound across county.
The Bellingham Herald, pp. A1, A4.
Newspaper Article from a
Subscription Database (ProQuest
Newspapers)
7.01, no. 11, pp. 200-01.
Altman, L. K. (2001, January 18). Mysterious illnesses
often turn out to be mass hysteria. New York Times.
Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com/
Books
Basic Format
7.02, p. 202
Author, I. I. (Year of Publication). Title. City, State Abbreviation:
Publisher.
Authored Book:
7.02, no. 18, p. 203
Stehle, P. (1994). Order, chaos, order: The transition from
classical to quantum physics. New York, NY: Oxford
University Press.
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Book with Two Authors
7.02, pp. 202-05
Mannell, R. C., & Kleiber, D. A. (1997). A social psychology of
leisure. State College, PA: Venture.
Book with More than Two Authors
(or editors in this example)
6.27, p. 184
Hallahan, D. P., Kauffman, J. M., & Pullen, P. C., (Eds.).
(2009). Exceptional learners: An introduction to special
education. Boston, MA: Pearson Allyn & Bacon.
Book with No Author or Editor
7.02, pp. 203
Encyclopedia of medical organizations and agencies.
(2001). Detroit, MI: Gale Research.
Corporate Author as Publisher
6.30, p. 187
American Psychiatric Association. (1994). Diagnostic and
statistical manual of mental disorders (4th ed.).
Washington, DC: Author.
If the author and publisher are the same, use the word
"Author" as the publisher.
Online Book from a
Subscription Service
Dashorst, M., & Hillenius, E. (2008). Wicket in action.
Greenwich, CT: Manning Publications. Retrieved
from http://proquest.safaribooksonline.com/9781932394986
Chapter or Article in an Edited
Book or Anthology
7.02, no. 25, p. 204
Fonagy, P. (2004). Psychodynamic therapy with children. In
H. Steiner (Ed.), Handbook of mental health
interventions in children and adolescents: An integrated
developmental approach (pp. 621-658). San Francisco,
CA: Jossey-Bass.
Entry from a Print Encyclopedia or
Dictionary
7.02, no 27, p. 202-205
Schneider, I. (1989). Bandicoots. In Grzimek’s
encyclopedia of mammals (Vol. 1, pp. 300-304). New
York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
Entry from an Online Encyclopedia
or Dictionary
7.02, no. 29, p. 205
Lee, T. M. C. (n.d.). Brain imaging of deception. In
AccessScience@McGraw-Hill. Retrieved from
http://www.accessscience.com
Note: (n.d.)= no date.
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Government Documents
Government Document, Senate
Hearing
Appendix 7.05, no. 13, p. 221
Case Decided by the U.S. Supreme
Court
Appendix 7.03, no. 8, p. 219
Oversight of the Safe Drinking Water Act: Hearing before
the Subcommittee on Fisheries, Wildlife, and Water of
the Committee on Environment and Public Works,
United States Senate, 106th Cong. 2 (2000).
Name v. Name, Vol. number U.S. Page number (Year).
Gideon v. Wainwright, 372 U.S. 335 (1963).
ERIC Document
7.09, no. 62, p. 212
Kavanaugh, D. (2009). Comparison of motivational factors
between Japanese and United States high school students.
Retrieved from ERIC database. (ED505981)
Tests, Scales, Measurements, Questionnaires, Etc.
Note: Cite tests according to the format in which the test is published, whether it is found in a journal
article, an edited book, a university Web page or published separately.
Test, Scale, Measurement,
Questionnaire etc., Published
Separately.
Poznanski, E.O., & Mokros, H.B. (1996). Children’s
Depression Rating Scale, revised (CDRS-R). Los
Angeles, CA: Western Psychological Services.
Note: Tests published individually are treated as you would a book
citation.
Test, Scale, Measure,
Questionnaire etc. from a
Journal Article
Lee, T. R., Burr, W. R., Beutler, I. F., Yorgason, F., Harker,
H. B., & Olsen, J. (2003). The Family Profile II: A Self-scored,
Brief Family Assessment Tool. Psychological Reports, 81, 467477.
Conference Proceedings
Published Proceedings
(Print – in book form)
7.04, no. 39, p. 207
Tschacher, W., & Kupper, Z. (2007). A dynamics-oriented
approach to psychopathology. In J. W. Shuart, W. D.
Spaulding, & S. Jeffrey (Eds.), Nebraska Symposium on
Motivation: Vol. 52. Modeling complex systems (pp. 85-122).
Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.
Paper Presented at a Online
Conference
7.04, no. 37, p. 207
Gunn, C. (1997, September). Integrated multimedia for better language
learning. Paper presented at the ASCILITE 97 virtual
conference. Retrieved from
http://www.curtin.edu.au/conference/ascilite97/
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Paper Presentation or
Poster Session
7.04, p. 206
Ammon, R. L., & Vallacher, R. R. (2006, May). Go ahead
and lie to me: Self-coherence interactions with
interpersonal preference. Poster session presented at the
meeting of the Association for Psychological Science, New
York.
Non-Print and Web Examples
Film
7.07, p. 209
American Psychological Association. (Producer). (2006) Harm reduction
with high school students [DVD]. Washington, DC: Author.
Note: When the author is also the publisher use the word Author in
place of publisher.
Personal Communication
(In text citation only)
(B. Shepard, personal communication, September 23, 2009)
6.20, p. 179
Report Published on a
Web Site
7.03, no. 34, p. 206
Tang, Y., & Choo, X. (2009). Intrinsic divergence for face recognition.
(CTN Technical Report 20090204-001). Retrieved from Centre for
Theoretical Neuroscience website:
http://compneuro.uwaterloo.ca/cnrglab
Podcast
7.07, no. 50, p. 210
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association. (Producer).
(2009, August 25). Protecting the hearing of the young [Audio
Podcast]. Retrieved from http://podcast.asha.org/
Blog Entry/Post
7.11, no. 76, p. 215
LabRat. (2009, August 19). The curse of knowledge:
Mistaking your beliefs for those of others [Web log post].
Retrieved from http://scienceblogs.com/cognitivedaily/
Note: If the authors name is not available, use the screen name.
10/15/09
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