APA Documentation Guide
Contents
What is APA Style? ........................................................................................................................................ 3
When to Cite ................................................................................................................................................. 3
How to Create In-text Citations .................................................................................................................... 4
Source with One Author ....................................................................................................................... 4
Citing the Same Source within the Same Paragraph ............................................................................ 5
Source with Two Authors ...................................................................................................................... 5
Source with Three, Four, or Five Authors ............................................................................................. 5
Source with Six or More Authors .......................................................................................................... 5
Source with No Author.......................................................................................................................... 6
Two or More Sources from the Same Author in the Same Year........................................................... 6
Punctuation ........................................................................................................................................... 6
How to Create the References List ............................................................................................................... 7
In-Text Citations and References by Source ................................................................................................. 8
Books ......................................................................................................................................................... 9
Book With Single Author ....................................................................................................................... 9
Book With Two Authors ........................................................................................................................ 9
Book With Three to Five Authors ........................................................................................................ 10
Book With Six or More Authors .......................................................................................................... 10
Book with Editor.................................................................................................................................. 11
Book With Translator .......................................................................................................................... 11
Book With Group or Corporate Author .............................................................................................. 12
Reference Book ................................................................................................................................... 13
Sections of Books .................................................................................................................................... 14
Article or Chapter in Edited Book ....................................................................................................... 14
Article/Entry in a Reference Book....................................................................................................... 14
Article or Chapter in a Coursepack ..................................................................................................... 15
Documentation Guide: APA
2
Periodicals ............................................................................................................................................... 17
Journal Article with DOI ...................................................................................................................... 17
Journal Article Without DOI ................................................................................................................ 17
Journal Article With Six or More Authors ........................................................................................... 18
Magazine Article ................................................................................................................................. 19
Newspaper Article............................................................................................................................... 19
Editorial or Letter to the Editor........................................................................................................... 20
Electronic Sources ................................................................................................................................... 21
Web site (Author listed and Author not listed) .................................................................................. 21
Lecture notes posted to WebCT ......................................................................................................... 22
Blog Post ............................................................................................................................................. 22
Electronic Book Published only Online ............................................................................................... 23
Electronic Book also Published in Print ............................................................................................... 23
YouTube Video .................................................................................................................................... 24
Other Sources (including non-print and on web) ................................................................................... 25
Personal Communication, Including Lectures..................................................................................... 25
Published Doctoral Dissertation or Master's Thesis ........................................................................... 25
Film...................................................................................................................................................... 26
Television Program (Single Episode from a Series) ............................................................................. 26
Sound Recording ................................................................................................................................. 27
Podcast ................................................................................................................................................ 27
Government Documents..................................................................................................................... 28
Name of Government Agency............................................................................................................. 28
Report from Nongovernmental Organization..................................................................................... 28
APA Formatting Guidelines ......................................................................................................................... 29
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What is APA Style?
The guidelines of the American Psychological Association (APA) specify how to do citations,
references, headings, tables, appendices and other elements in an academic document.
Citation information is presented in the text in parentheses. Cited sources are listed in a
“References” section at the end of the paper.
When to Cite
Academic writing synthesizes original work with the work of others. To avoid plagiarism, give
credit for anything taken from other sources.
You must document all sources used in a paper.
Cite the following
 Cite all paraphrases or summaries of ideas or information that are not your own.
 Cite all direct quotations of two or more consecutive words. In fact, a single distinctive
term taken from a source should be placed in quotation marks and cited.
 You can use sources that are not simply written words. These need to be cited too
(some examples include charts, films, maps, graphs, web pages, photographs, television
news reports, lectures, and audio tapes).
Do not cite the following
 Your ideas, opinions or conclusions
 Common knowledge in the discipline. Common knowledge in psychology might be that
Skinner was a Behaviourist. In sociology, it might be that Durkheim created the
academic discipline sociology.
If you are ever confused about whether to cite or not, cite. It is better to err on the side of citing
than to neglect to cite and risk plagiarizing.
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How to Create In-text Citations
In-text citations are brief. They include the author's last name, year of publication, and, for
quotations only, page numbers. This is enough information for readers to find the source in the
references list.
Identify the kind of source you have and apply the APA guidelines.
A few examples are covered below.
Source with One Author
Insert the surname of the author and the year of publication for a paraphrase and the surname
of the author, the year of publication and page number for a quotation.
Paraphrase
A paraphrase re-states someone else's ideas in your words. Always indicate whose idea you are
taking. To avoid plagiarism, do not simply re-word something. Put the original source aside and
write your version of it. Paraphrases do not need quotation marks. They only require the
author’s last name and year of publication, which are separated by a comma. A page number is
not required.
Bourgois (1995) concludes that submission to corporate culture threatens street
culture’s norms of masculinity.
Different cultures’ definitions of dignity can be in contradiction (Bourgois, 1995).
Quotation
A quotation (an exact word-for-word repetition of written or spoken language) needs quotation
marks around it. Keep them brief and use them sparingly. Quotations must always include the
author's last name, year of publication and page number.
Bourgois (1995) observes how "[o]bedience to the norms of high-rise, office-corridor
culture is in direct contradiction to street culture's definition of personal dignity" (p.
115).
"Obedience to the norms of high-rise, office-corridor culture is in direct contradiction to
street culture's definition of personal dignity" (Bourgois, 1995, p. 115).
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Citing the Same Source within the Same Paragraph
When you refer to an author in your sentence, use the author's surname and date for the first
citation. In the same paragraph, you do not need to include the date in subsequent reference to
the same source if it is written in a sentence. All parenthetical citations must include the
author's surname and the year of publication.
Bourgois (1995) concludes that submission to corporate culture threatens street
culture's norms of masculinity. Bourgois explains that different cultures' definitions of
dignity can be in contradiction.
Source with Two Authors
Cite both names for each reference. When referring to the authors in your sentence use the
word "and" but in a parenthetical citation use an ampersand "&". See the examples below.
This was written a century and a half ago: "All fixed, fast-frozen relations, with their
train of ancient and venerable prejudices and opinions, are swept away, all new-formed
ones become antiquated before they ossify" (Marx & Engels, 1848, p. 38).
Marx and Engels (1848) invoke an economic and social upheaval that is familiar to
contemporary readers.
Source with Three, Four, or Five Authors
Cite all authors the first time the reference occurs. In subsequent citations, write only the first
author's surname followed by et al. and the year.
First Reference:
Aubrey, Peters, and Smith (2004) explore the relationship between different stages of
sleep and memory re-processing.
Subsequent References:
Aubrey et al. (2004) explore the relationship between different stages of sleep and
memory re-processing.
Source with Six or More Authors
Cite only the first author's surname and follow this by et al. and the year for the first and
subsequent citations.
It was noted that this influence extends to even those outside of the community (Adams
et al., 1994).
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Source with No Author
Cite the first few words of the reference list entry (usually the title) and the year. If the author is
identified as Anonymous, your in-text citation and reference entry should list the author as
Anonymous.
("Diet for Stress Management", 2012)
(Anonymous, 2010)
Two or More Sources from the Same Author in the Same Year
To differentiate between two sources published in the same year by the same author(s), add a
suffix to the date. For example:
In two studies by Lee (2008a; 2008b), anti-depressants were found . . .
Citing a Source you found in Another Source
When you are unable to access an original source, you can cite its findings or argument as they
are presented in a different source. Identify the original source in the sentence, followed by a
parenthetical citation of the secondary source. The secondary source, not the original source,
will be listed in the references list.
Khan theorized that . . . (as cited in Cohen, 2011).
Punctuation
Note that punctuation marks (periods, commas, semi-colons) follow the parentheses for in-text
citations.
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How to Create the References List
Identify what kind of source you have, and follow the guidelines in the Publication Manual of
the American Psychological Association.
Information about sources is acknowledged at the end of your work in a references list. Every
source you cite must appear in this list. Sources you have consulted but not cited are not
included.
1. The references list should be on its own page(s). The title, References, is centred at the
top of the list.
2. The entire list is double-spaced and alphabetized by authors' last names. In multiauthored sources, maintain the original order of the authors (i.e. do not change Lee,
Brown, & Green to Brown, Green, & Lee).
3. Names are inverted (last name first). Never use the full first name of an author or editor.
Use only initials.
4. When there are multiple works by one author, list them by publication date (earliest
one first).
5. APA Style uses a hanging indent. The first line of each reference is set flush left.
Subsequent lines are indented five to seven spaces.
6. In titles of articles and books, capitalize only the first word, the first word after a colon,
and proper nouns.
7. Include a digital object identifier (DOI) where available. A DOI is an alphanumeric
identifier that insures there is a persistent link to information on the Internet. It is
located on the first page of an electronic journal article near the copyright notice. It is
also on the article's database landing page.
8. Particular types of sources require a URL in the reference entry. When a URL is too long
to fit on one line, create a break where there is punctuation (period, slash, dash); the
punctuation starts the next line. Do not end the URL with a period if it is not in the
original.
If you cannot find what you are looking for in the Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association, look at the APA website. http://www.apastyle.org/
Do some different keyword combinations: there is a lot of information in their blog and FAQ
section.
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In-Text Citations and References by Source
Books
Sections of Books
Periodicals
Electronic Sources
Other Sources (including non-print and on web)
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Books
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Book with single author
Book with two authors
Book with three to five authors
Book with six or more authors
Book with editor
Book with translator
Book with group/corporate author
Reference book
1. Book With Single Author
In-Text Citation
(Panagia, 2009)
References
Author's Name: Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of Book. City Where
Published: Publisher.
Example:
Panagia, D. (2009). The political life of sensation. Durham: Duke University Press.
2. Book With Two Authors
In-Text Citation
(Aronowitz & Giroux, 1991)
References
Author's Last Name, First Initial., & Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title
of Book. City Where Published: Publisher.
Example:
Aronowitz, S., & Giroux, H. A. (1991). Postmodern education: Politics, culture, and social
criticism. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
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3. Book With Three to Five Authors
In-Text, First Citation
In the first reference for a work with three to five authors, cite all authors the first time.
(Illston, Dinwood, & Smith, 1979)
In-Text, Subsequent Citations
In subsequent references, use the surname of the first author followed by et al.
(Illston et al., 1979)
References
Provide last name and initials for all authors.
Author's Last Name, First Initial., Author's Last Name, First Initial., & Author's Last Name, First
Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of Book. City Where Published: Publisher.
Example
Illston, J. M., Dinwood, J. M., & Smith, A. A. (1979). Concrete, timber, and metals: The nature
and behaviour of structured materials. New York: Van Nostrand Reinhold.
Notice: Do not change the order of authors in a multi-authored work; the first author in
the list is the lead author. For example, do not change Lee, Brown, & Green to Brown,
Green, & Lee; Lee must be listed first.
4. Book With Six or More Authors
In-Text Citation
For a work with six authors or more, use the surname of the first author followed by et al.
The study by Brown et al. (2008) notes that. . . .
References
For a work with six or seven authors, list all authors' names in the references entry. For a work
with more than seven authors, list the first six authors and insert ellipses. After the ellipses,
write the last author's name.
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Author's Last Name, First Initial., Author's Last Name, First Initial., (list first six authors), . . . Final
Author's Las Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of Book. City Where
Published: Publisher.
Example
Brown, D., Harper. H., Friel, M., Ingham, M., Otter, G., Raskin, J., . . .Daley, A. (2008). Basic
writing skills. Toronto: McGraw Hill.
Notice: Do not change the order of authors in a multi-authored work; the first author in
the list is the lead author. For example, do not change Lee, Brown, & Green to Brown,
Green, & Lee; Lee must be listed first.
5. Book with Editor
In-Text Citation
(Gibbs, 2001)
References
Editor's Last Name, First Initial. (Ed.). (Year of Publication). Title of Book. City Where Published:
Publisher.
Example
Gibbs, J. T. (Ed.). (2001). Children of color: Psychological interventions with culturally diverse
youth. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Notice: Use the abbreviation "Ed." in parentheses after the editor's name.
6. Book With Translator
In-Text Citation
Eisenstein (1943/1968)
References
Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Republication). Title of Book (Translator’s First Initial.
and Last Name, Trans.). City Where Published: Publisher. (Year of Original Publication).
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Example
Eisenstein, S. (1968). Film sense (J. Leyda, Trans.). London: Faberand Faber. (1943).
Notice: The translator's name is followed by "Trans." and placed in parentheses after
the title. Because the example for a translated book is of a republished work, date of
original publication and date of republication are given.
7. Book With Group or Corporate Author
In-Text Citation
If there is a readily identified abbreviation, in the first in-text citation the full name of the
organization is given in full, with the abbreviation in square brackets:
(American Psychological Association [APA], 2010)
Subsequent references use the abbreviation:
(APA, 2010)
For in-text citations, where the organization has no abbreviation (Trent University, City of
Oshawa), the full name of the organization continues to be given: (Trent University, 2010)
References
Name of Group or Corporate Author. (Year of Publication). Title of Book (Edition #). City Where
Published: Publisher.
Example
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological
Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Notice: In this case the corporate author is also the publisher. Associations,
corporations, study groups, and government agencies are some examples of what is
considered a group author.
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8. Reference Book
In-Text Citation
(Coleman, 1994)
References
Editor's Last Name, First Initial. (Ed.). (Year of Publication). Title of Book. City Where Published:
Publisher.
Example
Coleman, A. M. (Ed.). (1994). Companion encyclopedia of psychology. London: Routledge.
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Sections of Books
1. Article or chapter in edited book
2. Article/Entry in reference book
3. Article or chapter in a coursepack
1. Article or Chapter in Edited Book
In-Text Citation
(Martino & Berrill, 2007)
References
Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Article Title. In Editor’s First Initial and
Last Name (Ed.), Title of Book (pp. #-#). City Where Published: Publisher.
Example
Martino, W., & Berrill, D. (2007).' Dangerous pedagogies': Exploring issues of sexuality and
masculinity in male teacher candidates' lives. In K. Davison & B. Frank (Eds.),
Masculinities and schooling: International practices and perspectives (pp. 13-34).
London, ON: Althouse Press.
Notice: For a book with one editor, use the abbreviation "Ed." For a work with multiple
editors, use the abbreviation "Eds." The first and last page numbers of the article are
listed after the title of the book, just before the city of publication.
2. Article/Entry in a Reference Book
When citing information from an entry in a reference work with no byline, begin the reference
with the term that the information is listed under. The examples below are references to
information found under the term "cognitive dissonance."
Article/Entry in a Print Reference Book
In-Text Citation
("Cognitive Dissonance," 1998)
References
Article Title. (Year of Publication). In Editor's First Initial and Last Name (Ed.), Title of Book (pp.
#-#). City Where Published: Publisher.
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Example
Cognitive dissonance. (1998). In D. A. Statt (Ed.), The concise dictionary of psychology (p.26).
New York: Routledge.
Entry in Online Reference Work
In-Text Citation
("Cognitive Dissonance," 1999)
References
Article Title. (Year of Publication). In Title of Online Book. Retrieved from web address.
Example
Cognitive dissonance. (1999). In The Cambridge dictionary of philosophy. Retrieved from
http://www.credoreference.co/entry /cupdphil/antecedent
3. Article or Chapter in a Coursepack
In-Text Citation
An in-text citation for an article or chapter in a coursepack includes the original source
publication date and the reprint date.
(Morgan, 2006/2013)
References
Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Article Title. In Editor's First Initial and
Last Name (Ed.), Title of Coursepack (pp. #- #). City Where Published: Publisher.
(Reprinted from Original publication title, page range, original author or editor, original
publication date, original publisher)
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Example
Morgan, G. (2013). Mechanization takes command: Organizations as machines. In B. Ahlstrand
(Ed.), ADMN 2410H: Organization theory (pp. 31-50). Toronto: CSPI - Coursepack.
(Reprinted from Images of organization, pp. 19-38, by G. Morgan, 2006, Sage
Publications)
Notice: For a book with one editor, use the abbreviation "Ed." For a work with multiple
editors, use the abbreviation "Eds." The coursepack page numbers are listed after the
title of the book, just before the city of publication. The original source page numbers
are listed in the reprint information. Any in-text citation that includes a page reference
(i.e. for a direct quotation) should refer to the coursepack page numbers. The reprint
information is usually listed on the first page of the article or chapter in the coursepack.
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Periodicals
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Journal article with DOI (digital object identifier)
Journal article without DOI (digital object identifier)
Journal article with six or more authors
Magazine article
Newspaper article
Editorial or letter to editor
1. Journal Article with DOI
The DOI or digital object identifier is an alphanumeric identifier (made up of letters and
numbers) that ensures there is a persistent link to information on the Internet. It is located on
the first page of an electronic journal article near the copyright notice. It is also on the article's
database landing page.
In-Text Citation
(Herbst-Damm & Julik, 2005)
References
Author's Last Name, First Initial., & Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication).
Article Title. Title of Journal, Volume #, page range. doi:####
Example
Herbst-Damm, K. L. & Julik, J. A. (2005). Volunteer support, marital status, and the survival
times of terminally ill patients. Health Psychology, 24, 225-229. doi:10.1037/02786133.24.2.225a
Notice: The DOI should not have a line break; start a new line if necessary. Do not end
the DOI with a period.
2. Journal Article Without DOI
In-Text Citation
(Sillick & Schutte, 2006)
References
Author's Last Name, First Initial., & Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication).
Article Title. Title of Journal, Volume # (Issue #), page range. Retrieved from web
address
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Example
Sillick, T. J. & Schutte, N. S. (2006). Emotional intelligence and self-esteem mediate between
perceived 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
Notice: The above article does not have a DOI (or digital object identifier); therefore you
must include the URL for the article. The APA manual generally recommends using the
URL for the journal homepage rather than the URL from the article database.
3. Journal Article With Six or More Authors
In-Text Citation
For a work with six authors or more, use the surname of the first author followed by et al.
(Terracciano et al., 2005)
References
For a work with six or seven authors, list all authors' names in the references entry. For a work
with more than seven authors, list the first six authors and insert ellipses. After the ellipses,
write the last author's name.
Author's Last Name, First Initial., Author's Last Name, First Initial., (list first six authors) . . . Final
Author's Las Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Article Title. Title of Journal,
Volume #, page range. doi: ###
Example
Terracciano, A., Abdel-Khalek, A. M., Adam, N., Adamovova, L., Ahn, C., Ahn, H., . . . McCrae, R.
R. (2005, October 7). National character does not reflect mean personality trait levels in
49 cultures. Science, 310, 96-100. doi:10.1126/science.1117199
Notice: The above example has 87 authors (!) and is from the American Psychological
Association website. Do not change the order of authors in a multi-authored work; the
first author in the list is the lead author. For example, do not change Lee, Brown, &
Green to Brown, Green, & Lee; Lee must be listed first.
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4. Magazine Article
In-Text Citation
(Mershon, 1998)
References
Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Article Title. Title of Magazine, Volume #
(Issue #), page range.
Example
Mershon, D. H. (1998, November/December). Star Trek on the brain: Alien minds, human
minds. American Scientist, 86(6), 585.
5. Newspaper Article
a. Print
In-Text Citation
(Friessen, 2010)
References
Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Date of Publication). Article Title. Title of Newspaper, page #.
Example
Friessen, J. (2010, February 1). More than 300 people linked to suspected case of citizenship
fraud. The Globe and Mail, p. A1.
b. Online
In-Text Citation
(Cooper, 2010)
References
Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Date of Publication). Article Title. Title of Newspaper.
Retrieved from web address
Example
Cooper, H. (2010, March 8). Obama says health overhaul should trump politics. The New York
Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com
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6. Editorial or Letter to the Editor
In-Text Citation
(Smith, 2010)
References
Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Date of Publication). Article Title [Description]. Title of
Newspaper/Magazine, Volume (Issue), page #.
Example
Smith, Z. A. (2010). College presidents' pay: Would you want the job? [Letter to Editor].
Chronicle of Higher Education, LVL (23), A30.
Notice: A description of the source, such as letter to editor or editorial, is included in
square brackets after the title of the article.
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Electronic Sources
1. Web site (with author listed and author not listed)
2. Lecture notes posted to WebCT
3. Blog Post
4. Electronic book published only online
5. Electronic book also published in print
6. YouTube Video
1. Web site (Author listed and Author not listed)
a. Author listed
In-Text Citation
(Gains, 2012)
Reference
Author listed
Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title. Retrieved from web address
Example
Gains, Paul. (2012). Jesse Cook--The blue guitar sessions. Retrieved from
http://www.jessecook.com/news
b. Author not listed
In-Text Citation
Cite the first few words of the reference list entry (usually the title) and the year.
("Diet for Stress Management", 2012)
Reference
Title. (Year of Publication). Retrieved from web address
Example
Diet for stress management slideshow: Stress-reducing foods. (2012). Retrieved from
http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-diet-for-stress-management
Notice: Double quotation marks are used around the shortened title of the web page in the
in-text citation only. In the in-text citation, the words of the shortened title in quotation
marks are capitalized. In the Reference list, only the first word and proper names, such as
Hello Kitty, are capitalized. Move the title to the first position of the reference when there is
no author listed.
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2. Lecture notes posted to WebCT
In-Text Citation
(Aigh, 2010)
Reference
Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Lecture Title [Lecture]. Retrieved from
web address
Example
Aigh, P. U. (2010). Did George Berkley die when his girlfriend stopped seeing him? [Lecture].
Retrieved from http://www.trentu.ca /admin/it/webct/
Notice: Sometimes the most difficult part of figuring out a citation is knowing what term
to use when looking in the manual. This falls under "Informally published or selfarchived work" in the sixth edition of the APA Publication Manual. Because this is a
citation of something not formally published, the title is put in italics.
3. Blog Post
In-Text Citation
(Wood, 2012)
Reference
Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of blog post. [Blog post]. Retrieved
from web address
Example
Wood, Brent. (2012, June 28). Love in a dangerous time [Blog post]. Retrieved from
http://pcvscornerstone.blogspot.ca/2012/06/love-in- dangerous-time.html
Notice: Be careful with Blog posts. Always make sure the blog is an academic source or
fits into your academic work. You might, for example, cite a blog post in a culture paper
or cite a debate between two academics.
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4. Electronic Book Published only Online
In-Text Citation
(Stevens, n.d.)
References
Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title. Retrieved from web address
Example
Stevens, K. (n.d.). The dreamer and the beast. Retrieve from http://www.onlineoriginals.com
/showitem.asp?itemID=321
Notice: In this reference, n.d. indicates that there is no publication date listed.
5. Electronic Book also Published in Print
In-Text Citation
(Chong, 2012)
(Downey & Baumann, 2004)
References
Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title. [E-Reader file type]. Retrieved from
web address
Examples
Chong, Kevin. (2012). My year of the racehorse: Falling in love with the sport of kings. [Kindle
Edition]. Retrieved from Amazon.com
Downey M., Baumann A. O., & Nursing Study Sector Corporation. (2004). The international
nursing labour market. [Gibson Library Connections]. Retrieved from
http://books2.scholarsportal.info/viewdoc.html?id=27776
Notice: If the electronic book provides a doi (digital object identifier), it will go in place
of the URL: doi: 10.1036/0071393722
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6. YouTube Video
In-Text Citation
(Lotus, 2009)
Reference
Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title [Video file]. Retrieved from web
address
Example
Lotus, N. (2009, April 19). Birmingham apostrophe [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NePs85mcvLc
Notice: Provide the author only if you know who made the video. Do not list the person
posting the video online as the author unless you are certain that she or he has created
the video. If unsure, treat the citation as having no author and begin with the title.
Example
Light. Dark [Video file]. (2009, April 10). Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmAwkkx7I4s&NR=1
Notice: Be careful with YouTube. Always make sure the video is an academic source or
fits into your academic work. You might, for example, cite an advertisement in a visual
culture paper or cite a debate between two academics. Remember, a professor's first
instinct might be to cringe at a YouTube reference. However, if it is a legitimate source
and fits with your work, there may be no problem.
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Other Sources (including non-print and on web)
1. Personal communication, including lecture
2. Published doctoral dissertation or master's thesis
3. Film
4. Television Program
5. Sound Recording
6. Podcast
7. Government Documents
8. Report from Nongovernmental Organization
1. Personal Communication, Including Lectures
Personal communications include private letters, personal and telephone conversations and
interviews, some electronic communications, such as e-mails or messages on electronic bulletin
boards, and lectures.
In-Text Citation
When citing personal communications in the text of the paper, give the initials as well as the
last name of the person communicating and as exact a date as possible.
The question of when titles are put in italics in the reference list, according to APA rules,
was clarified by D. Capell (personal communication, May 1, 2009).
Because personal communication does not provide data that someone else can look up or
recover, it is not included in the References list.
Make sure personal communication has scholarly relevance.
2. Published Doctoral Dissertation or Master's Thesis
In-Text Citation
(Penfold, 2002)
Reference
Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title. (Type of thesis/dissertation).
Retrieved from database. (order number)
Example
Penfold, S. (2002). The social life of donuts: Commodity and community in postwar Canada
(Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from Library and Archives Canada. (28583405)
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Notice: If it is a master's thesis, write "Master's thesis" in brackets after the title.
Dissertations and theses can be retrieved from databases and other sources. The source
of the dissertation in this example is Library and Archives Canada. The last number is an
accession or order number. It is part of the information provided by the database. The
titles of dissertations and theses are put in italics.
3. Film
In-Text Citation
(Diamant, Rodgers, & Hark)
Reference
Producer's last name, first initial. (Producer), & Director's last name, first initial. (Director).
(Year). Title of motion picture [Motion picture]. Country of origin: Studio.
Example
Diamant, M. & Rodger, D. (Producers), & Hark, T. (Director). (1997). Double Team [Motion
picture]. USA: Columbia.
4. Television Program (Single Episode from a Series)
In-Text Citation
(Kerret, 2009)
Reference
Writer's last name, first initial. (Writer), & Director's last name, first initial (Director). (Year).
Episode name [Television series episode]. In Producer's first initial and last name
(Executive producer), Series Name. Location: Broadcaster.
Example
Kerret, E. (Writer), & Wakaranai, Z. (Director). (2009). Monty serpent's citation circus
[Television series episode]. In Y. Yutaka (Executive producer), Seven Feet Under. New
York, NY: NBC.
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5. Sound Recording
In-Text Citation
(Artist's last name, year of publication, side or track numbers)
Example
(Lennon & McCartney, 1968, track 3)
Reference
Writer's last name, first initial. (Copyright year). Title of song [Recorded by B.B. Artist if different
from writer]. On Title of album [Medium of recording: CD, record, cassette, etc.]
Location: Label. (Date of recording if different from song copyright date)
Examples
Lennon, J. & McCartney, P. (1968). Across the universe. On Let it be [record]. London: Apple
Records.
Cohen, L. (1984). Hallelujah [Recorded by J. Buckley]. On Grace [CD]. New York: Columbia.
(1994).
6. Podcast
In-Text Citation
(O'Brien, 2012)
Reference
Producer's last name, first initial. (Producer). (Year, Month Date). Title [Audio podcast].
Retrieved from web address
Example
O'Brien, L. (Producer). (2012, April 3). Special: 20 yrs after seige of Sarajevo [Audio podcast].
Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent/
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7. Government Documents
In-Text Citation
(Environment Canada, 2004)
References
Name of Government Agency. (Year of Publication).Title of Report. Editor's first initial and last
name (Ed.). (Series or Paper number). Retrieved from web address
Example
Environment Canada. Canadian Wildlife Service. (2004).The 1995 peregrine falcon survey in
Canada. U. Banasch & G. Holroyd (Eds). (Occasional Paper no. 110). Retrieved from
http://www.cws-scf.ec.gc.ca/publications/AbstractTemplate.cfm?lang=e&id=1067
8. Report from Nongovernmental Organization
In-Text Citation
(Kenney, Cook, & Pelletier, 2009)
References
Name of Group or Corporate Author. (Year of Publication). Title of report. Retrieved from name
of NGO: web address
Example
Kenney, G. M., Cook, A., & Pelletier, J. (2009). Prospects for reducing uninsured rates among
children: How much can premium assistance programs help? Retrieved from Urban
Institute website: http://www.urban.org/url.cfm?ID=41182
Notice: If a document from an NGO has no author, follow the rules for a corporate
author. If the document is in print, follow the rules for print publications, including the
publishing information (city and publisher).
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APA Formatting Guidelines
Note: If your instructor has his or her own requirements, follow them. These guidelines are the
most commonly required.
1. Use Times New Roman or a similar font, 12 point in size with standard 1 inch (2.54 cm)
margins.
2. Double-space throughout the essay, including for block quotations (where relevant) and
the list of references.
3. When beginning a new paragraph, indent five spaces or ½ inch. Keep the text alignment
to the left.
4. Subheadings help both the author and reader to organize the text. Headings remain in
the original font of the paper. Level 1 headings are centred and bolded and level 2
headings are bolded and left-aligned. Further details on subheadings can be found in
the sixth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
(2010).
5. APA requires a title page.
 Keep the title to a maximum of 12 words. The title should summarize the main
idea and identify variable or theoretical relationships.
 The title should be written in headline style: capitalize the first word, a word
following a colon, and any significant words (not articles [a, an, the], prepositions
[of, for, with, etc.], or conjunctions [and, but, or, etc.]).
 Don't underline, italicize, or bold the title, and it is not necessary to put it in
quotation marks or in block capitals.
 Centre the title, your name, and the name of your school. Some courses may
require the course code, the name of the professor, and/or the date of
submission.
 The entire title page should be double spaced. Use 12 point black Times New
Roman font.
6. Page numbers begin on the title page; all pages should be numbered in the top right
corner (use only the number, do not write page, p. pg.).
7. For APA, you are required to include a running head at the top of your paper, beginning
on the title page and continuing through reference pages and appendices. A running
head is an abbreviated title of the paper written in uppercase letters. Keep the running
head to a maximum of 50 characters including spacing and punctuation.
8. Label and title both tables and figures. Tables are labelled “Table 1” and numbered
consecutively. A title, which briefly identifies the data in the table, follows the label;
both are positioned at the top of the table. The labels, titles and captions for maps,
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graphs, charts or other images, are placed below the figure with consecutively
numbered labels. A title, which briefly describes the figure, follows the label. A caption
offers more detailed information on the figure.
 Refer to tables and figures in the text of your paper by their label: “In Table 1, it
is clear that . . .” or “. . . area is separated into five geographically distinct
sections (Fig. 2).
9. Conventions for numeration, mathematical and statistical expression and taxonomical
nomenclature are laid out in detail in the sixth edition of the Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association (2010).
10. When submitting a hard copy, staple or clip pages together at the top left-hand corner.
Don't bind or put the essay in a folder unless required to by your professor. Use only
white, 8 ½ by 11 inch good quality paper.
 For electronic submission, follow the directions from your instructor. Keep file
names clear and relatively short by using your last name and date or course
code, unless indicated otherwise. Save your file in a standard format (.rtf is
often best).
11. Until recently, it was usual to print on one side of the paper only, and many professors
still prefer it. Others allow or call for printing on both sides of the paper in order not to
waste it.
12. Don't forget to proofread carefully as well as running a spell check and grammar check.
There are many differences among Canadian, American, and British spellings of some
words, so choose your preference (Canadian) and make sure your spell check is set to it.
Be consistent throughout your essay. Don't spell the word "centre" as "centre" in one
place and as "center" in another.
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