Skip to Main Content

Citation Style Guide

A introductory guide to citation styles and reference management tools.

What is APA Style?

The APA style is crafted by the American Psychology Association and is a commonly used in psychology and the sciences. The style uses parenthetical and narrative documentation for in-text citations, which are linked to a reference list. 

This page will provide a brief overview and resources for APA Style. For more in-depth information, consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, APA Style, and the resources listed below.

 

Video Tutorials

Watch this video for a brief overview of the APA (7th edition) citation style.

Video Credit: "Introduction to Citations Styles: APA 7th ed." courtesy of CSU Dominguez Hills licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (reuse allowed).

Watch this video to learn how to format your paper into APA Style.

Video Credit: "How to Format your Paper in APA Style" courtesy of Smart Student.

General APA Formatting

This is only a brief list of general guidelines, consult the APA Style Manual for a more complete list of guidelines.

General APA Formatting Guidelines
Field Description
Author(s)
  • List authors' names in the order given. 
  • Formatting:
    • One Author: 
      • Reference List: Last, First Initial Middle Initial
      • In-text: (Last)
    • Two Authors: 
      • Reference List: Last, First and Middle Initials & Last, First and Middle Initials
      • In-text: (Last & Last)
    • Three or More Authors: 
      • Reference List: Last, First and Middle Initials, Last, First and Middle Initials, & Last, First and Middle Initials 
      • In-text: (Last et al.)
      • *note: list all authors in a reference list, use "et al." with in-text citations
  • [APA 7th: 9.7-12]
Dates
  • Do not abbreviate
  • Format: Year Month Day
  • If date is unknown, use (n.d.)
  • [APA 7th: 9.13-17]
Publisher Information
  • Do not include the publisher's location
  • Do not abbreviate the publisher's name
  • [APA 7th: 9.29]
Online Location
  • Order of preference: DOI, permalink, URL (only use one) 
    • DOI (Digital Object Identifier): A permanent or stable link to a specific published digital object. A DOI is always the preferred method of citing an online source. 
      • "For works without DOIs from websites (not including academic research databases), provide a URL in the reference (as long as the URL will work for readers)." APA Style
      • "For works without DOIs from most academic research databases, do not include a URL or database information in the reference because these works are widely available. The reference should be the same as the reference for a print version of the work." APA Style
    • Permalink: A permanent or stable link to a source accessed through a subscription database. The reader must have access to the database for the link to work.
    • URL: The website address located in your browser's address bar. URLs are updated regularly and your link may not work in the future. Use these when no alternative is available. 
  • ​​​​​​​Do not include a period after these elements
  • Include "https://" prefix with DOI, permalinks, and URLs
  • Accessed dates for online sources are not required for formally published electronic sources with a DOI or permalink. In general, only include for websites if it is likely the website will be altered (Wikipedia, twitter).
  • [APA 7th: 9.3, 9.30, 9.34-36, APA Style]
Page Numbers
  • Include all digits (even if numbers are repeated)
  • Do not use "p." or "pp." to denote page numbers
Capitalization
  • Books, articles, and chapters: only capitalize the first word of the title, first word of the subtitle, proper names, and places
  • Journals and newspapers: capitalize each important word
  • [APA 7th: 6.13-17]
In-text Citations
  • Basic in-text citation format: (Last Name Date, Page)
  • Examples:
    • [quote or paraphrase author who is not named] (Lees & Overing 2009, p. 100).
    • In 2009, Lees and Overing claimed, [quote or paraphrase] (p. 100).
    • According to Lees and Overing (2009, p. 100), [paraphrase].
    • According to Lees and Overing (2009), [quote] (p. 100).
  • [This is a very brief overview for a very important part of citations, please consult APA 7th: 8.1-36 and the APA Style Online and the WMC Quick Guide to APA Style]

Books

Common Book Formatting:  [APA 7th: 10.20-49]

Author. (Date). Title. Publisher. Online Location

Book with One Author  [APA 7th: 9.8, 10.20-21]
Bibliography: Morrison, T. (1987). Beloved. Alfred A. Knopf.
In-text Citation (Morrison, 1987, p. 50)
Book with Two Authors  [APA 7th: 9.8, 10.20-21]
Bibliography: Lees, C. A., & Overing, G. R. (2009). Double agents: Women and clerical culture in Anglo-Saxon England. University of Wales Press.
In-text Citation (Lees & Overing, 2009, pp. 59-65)

Book with More than Two Authors  [APA 7th: 9.8, 10.20-21]

Bibliography: Zamudio, M., Russell, C., Rios, F., & Bridgeman, J. L. (2011). Critical race theory matters: Education and ideology. Routledge.
In-text Citation (Zamudio et al., 2011)
Edited Book[APA 7th: 10.23- 26]
Bibliography: Berglund, J., Johnson, J., & Kimberli, L. (Eds.). (2016). Indigenous pop: Native American music from jazz to hip hop. University of Arizona Press.
In-text Citation (Berglund et al., 2016)                
Book with Translator  [APA 7th: 10.28, 10.35-36]
Bibliography: Coelho, P. (2015). The alchemist (A. R. Clarke, Trans.). HarperCollins. (Original work published 1988) 
In-text Citation (Coelho, 1988/2015, p. 100) 

Book Chapter  [APA 7th: 9.28, 10.38-39]

Bibliography: Lomax, M. E. (2006). Jackie Robinson: Racial pioneer and athlete extraordinaire in an era of change. In D. K. Wiggins (Ed.),  Out of the shadows: A biographical history of African American athletes (pp. 163-79). University of Arkansas Press.
In-text Citation (Lomax, 2006, p. 165)
Encyclopedias and other Multivolume Works [APA 7th: 9.28, 10.47-49, 10.45, 10.30-33]
Bibliography: American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Positive transference. In APA dictionary of psychology. Retrieved August 31, 2019, from https://dictionary.apa.org/positivetransference
In-text Citation (American Psychological Association, n.d.)
Bibliography: Graham, G. (2019). Behaviorism. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy (Summer 2019 ed.). Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2019/entries/behaviorism/
In-text Citation (Graham, 2019)
Bibliography: Lobb, R. L. (2003). Military Rations. In S. H. Katz and W. W. Weaver (Eds.), Encyclopedia of food and culture: Vol. 2 (pp. 159-160). Charles Scribner's Sons.
In-text Citation (Lobb, 2003)
eBook  [APA 7th: 10.20-21]
Bibliography: Perez, P. A. (2019). The tenure-track process for Chicana and Latina faculty: Experiences of resisting and persisting in the academy. Taylor and Francis. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780429275784
In-text Citation (Perez, 2019)

Plays and Poems  [APA 7th: 8.28, 10.29, 10.37]

Bibliography: Lorraine, H. (1995). A raisin in the sun (R. Nemiroff, Intro.). Vintage Books. (Original work published 1957) 
In-text Citation (Lorraine, 1957/1995, 3.1.5)
Bibliography: Shakespeare, W. (2006). "Hamlet." In A. Thompson and N. Taylor (Eds.), Arden Shakespeare (pp. 317-422). Bloomsbury. (Original work published 1603)
In-text Citation (Shakespeare, 1603/2006, 3.2.49-60)
Bibliography: Shakespeare, W. (2019). Much ado about nothing. Lerner Publishing Group.  (Original work published 1623)
In-text Citation (Shakespeare, 1623/2019, 1.3.36-37)
Bibliography: Homer. (1990). The liad (R. Fagles, Trans.). Penguin Books. (Original work published ca. 762 B.C.E.)
In-text Citation (Homer, 762 B.C.E./1990, 3.25)

Note: Plays and poems follow the format of similar mediums (e.g. book, book chapter, webpage). When citing specific passages, use act, scene, book, chapter, verse, line, and/or canto instead of a page number whenever possible. For example, in a play the citation 1.3.36-37, refers to act 1, scene 3, lines 36 and 37.

Ancient Works  [APA 7th: 10.28-29 for ancient works, 8.28, 9.42 for citing works without page numbers, or APA Style Online]

Bibliography: Herodotus. (1987). Histories (D. Grene, Trans.). University of Chicago Press. (Original work published 440 B.C.E.)
In-text Citation (Herodotus, 440 B.C.E./1987, 1.1-8)
Bibliography: The epic of Gilgamesh (M. G. Kovaks, Trans.). (1998). Academy of Ancient Texts. http://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/ (Original work published ca. 2500–2750 B.C.E.) 
In-text Citation (Epic of Gilgamesh, ca. 2750–2500 B.C.E./1998, Tablet III)

Note: Ancient works and epic poems follow the format of similar mediums (e.g. book, webpage). When known the author and original publication date should be included. If this information is unknown or in dispute, do not include this information. When citing specific passages, use book, chapter, verse, line, and/or canto instead of a page number whenever possible.

Religious Texts  [APA 7th: 8.13 and 10.35 for religious texts, 8.28 for quoting without page numbers, republished edition 10.28-29, or the APA Style Online]
Bibliography: Srimad Bhagavad-Gita. (n.d.). Bhagavad-Gita Trust. https://bhagavad-gita.org/ 
In-text Citation (Srimad Bhagavad-Gita, n.d., Chapter 5, Verse 21)
Bibliography: The Torah: The five books of Moses (3rd ed.) (2015). The Jewish Publication Society. (Original work published in 1962) 
In-text Citation (Torah, 1962/2015) 
Bibliography: King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ (Original work published 1769) 
In-text Citation (King James Bible, 1769/2017, Song of Solomon 8:6)
In-text Citation (King James Bible, 1769/2017, 1 Cor. 13:1)
Bibliography: The Qur’an (M. A. S. Abdel Haleen, Trans.). (2004). Oxford University Press. 
In-text Citation (Qur’an, 2004, 5:3-4) 

Note: Religious works follow the format of similar mediums (e.g. book, webpage). When known the author and original publication date should be included. If this information is unknown or in dispute, do not include this information. When citing specific passages, use book, chapter, verse, line, and/or canto instead of a page number whenever possible.

Journal Articles

Common Journal Formatting:  [APA 7th: p. 316, 9.25-26, 10.1-12]

Author. (Date). Article title. Journal Title, (Volume)Number, Pages. Online Location

Note: Remember to use a DOI when citing online sources when possible. Additionally, "for works without DOIs from most academic research databases, do not include a URL or database information in the reference because these works are widely available. The reference should be the same as the reference for a print version of the work" APA Style. See the formatting table above for more information on citing online locations. 

Article from a Printed Journal  [APA 7th: 10.3]
Bibliography: Epstein, S., & Robinson, S. L. (2012). The soul, evil spirits, and the undead: Vampires, death, and burial in Jewish folklore and law. Preternature, 1(2), 232-251. https://doi.org/10.5325/preternature.1.2.0232
In-Text Citation: (Epstein & Robinson, 2012, p. 237-242)
Bibliography: Ingham, M., & Nakao, K. (2018). “Come, you spirits”: An alternative afterlife to Shakespeare’s Macbeth and Othello, as mediated through Japanese Classical Nō and Kyōgen Theatre. Asian Theater Journal, 35(Spring 1), 112–132.
In-Text Citation: (Ingham & Nakao, 2018, p. 115-130)
Article from an Online Journal  [APA 7th: 10.2]
Bibliography: Mandy, S. H. (2009). Satisfying patient expectations with soft‐tissue augmentation. Dermatology Online Journal, 15(7), 45–47. https://doi.org/10.5070/D394t0r445.
In-Text Citation: (Mandy, 2009)
Journal Article from a Database  [APA 7th: 10.1, 10.3]
Bibliography: Kinavey, H., & Cool, C. (2019). The broken lens: How anti-fat bias in psychotherapy is harming our clients and what to do about it. Women & Therapy, 42(1-2), 116-130. https://doi.org/10.1080/02703149.2018.1524070
In-Text Citation: (Kinavey & Cool, 2019)
Journal Editorial  [APA 7th: refer to 10.19 and adapt to a journal article format]
Bibliography: Cuellar, N. G. (2016). Study abroad programs [Editorial]. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 27(3), 209. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043659616638722
In-Text Citation: (Cuellar, 2016, p. 209)
Book Review in a Journal  [APA 7th: 10.67]
Bibliography: Clayton, M. (1990). [Review of the book Bede’s ecclesiastical history of the English people: A historical commentary, by J. M. Wallace-Hadrill]. The Review of English Studies, 41(161), 157–157.
In-Text Citation: (Clayton, 1990)

Newspaper and Magazine Articles

Common Newspaper and Magazine Formatting:  [APA 7th: p. 316, 9.25-26, 10.15-18]

Author. (Date). Newspaper Article Title. Newspaper Title, Pages. Online Location

Author. (Date). Magazine Article Title. Magazine Title, Volume(Number), Pages. Online Location

Note: Remember that in APA Style you do not include database information from academic research databases.

Printed Newspaper Article  [APA 7th: 10.16]
Bibliography: Streeter, K. (2021, July 29). Standing up for herself by sitting, and empowering others to say no. The New York Times, B9.
In-Text Citation: (Streeter, 2021)
Bibliography: Hirsch, J. (2009, August 18). Citrus pest infests trees in Mexico. Los Angeles Times, B1, B9.
In-Text Citation: (Hirsch, 2021)
Newspaper Article from a Website  [APA 7th: 10.16]
Bibliography: Strauss, V. (2016, June 28). The unusual way Broadway’s ‘Hamilton’ is teaching U.S. history to kids. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2016/06/28/the-unusual-way-broadways-hamilton-is-teaching-american-history-to-kids.
In-Text Citation: (Strauss, 2016)
Bibliography: Hirsch, J. (2009, August 18). Deadly citrus disease reaches Mexico, threatens California. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-aug-18-fi-citrus18-story.html
In-Text Citation: (Hirsch, 2021)
Printed Magazine Article  [APA 7th: 10.15]
Bibliography: Verducci, T. (2009, November 16). World domination. Sports Illustrated, 111(19), 50–56.
In-Text Citation: (Verducci, 2009)
Magazine Article from an Online Magazine  [APA 7th: 10.15]
Bibliography: Koppelman, A. (2009, August 4). White House counsel to be fired? Salon. http://www.salon.com/2009/08/04/craig_23/
In-Text Citation: (Koppelman, 2009)

Web Sources

Web Page  [APA 7th: p. 350, 9.33, 10.110-114]
Bibliography: Syracuse University Libraries. (2019). Saint John’s Church and Campanile. Marcel Breuer Digital Archive. https://breuer.syr.edu/project.php?id=370
In-Text Citation: (Syracuse University Libraries, 2019)
Social Media  [APA 7th: 9.32, 10.103-109]
Bibliography: Chaucer Doth Tweet [@LeVostreGV]. (2018, April 7). A daye wythout anachronism ys lyke Emily Dickinson wythout her lightsaber [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/LeVostreGC/status/982829987286827009
In-Text Citation: (Chaucer Doth Tweet, 2018)
Bibliography: Ndiaye, M. [@mndiaye_97]. (2021 July 17). Arctic fox facts you need in your life [Video]. TikTok. https://www.tiktok.com/@mndiaye_97/video/6986039209542847750
In-Text Citation: (Ndiaye, 2021)

Online Videos  [APA 7th: p. 341, 10.88, 10.90]

Bibliography: Smart Student. (2021, September 25). How to avoid plagiarism in academic writing [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7WjaIRgO4M
In-Text Citation: (Smart Student, 2021)
Bibliography: Snead, J. (2015,  April 5). St Francis Dam lecture [Video]. YouTube. Uploaded by Broome Libraries. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxFnGttUZ-E.
In-Text Citation: (Snead, 2015)
Bibliography: Cox, E. (2020,  October). The hidden treasures of Timbuktu [Video]. TED. Directed by AIM Creative Studios. https://www.ted.com/talks/elizabeth_cox_the_hidden_treasures_of_timbuktu.
In-Text Citation: (Cox, 2020)

Comment on Online Content  [APA 7th: 10.18, 10.109]

Bibliography: Fulton, James. (2016, July 28). Ed Walker at WAMU and his revival of old radio shows was a staple for those of us who grew [Comment on the article "Saving the Sounds of Radio"]. Library of Congress. https://blogs.loc.gov/loc/2016/07/lcm-saving-the-sounds-of-radio.
In-Text Citation: (Fulton, 2016)

Note: With comments, use the first 20 words of the comment, then write "Comment on the article" and the title of the article where the comment appeared.

Artwork

Note: For untitled art, place a description of the artwork in square brackets instead of the title. Use this for artwork images (associated with museums) found in library databases. Remember, in APA, if a source is found through a library database (such as Artstor), do not include a URL or database name. Instead, include the Institution, museum, or collection of the artwork; followed by the city, state, and country where the institution is located.

Artwork (associated with a museum)  [APA 7th: p. 346, 10.14]
Bibliography: Waterhouse, J. W. (1888). The lady of Shalott [Oil on Canvas]. Tate Gallery, London, England.
In-Text Citation: (Waterhouse, 1888)
Bibliography: Hokusai, K. (1826-1836). Under the wave off Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami ura), also known as the great wave, from the series thirty-six views of Mount Fuji (Fugaku sanjūrokkei) [Color Woodblock Print]. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States.  https://www.artic.edu/artworks/24645/under-the-wave-off-kanagawa-kanagawa-oki-nami-ura-also-known-as-the-great-wave-from-the-series-thirty-six-views-of-mount-fuji-fugaku-sanjurokkei
In-Text Citation: (Hokusai, 1826-1836)
Artwork (not associated with a museum)  [APA 7th: p. 347, 10.14]
Bibliography: McCurry, S. (1985). Afghan girl [Photograph]. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/national-geographic-magazine-50-years-of-covers/#/ngm-1985-jun-714.jpg
In-Text Citation: (McCurry, 1985)
Bibliography: Rinaldi, J. (2016). [Photograph series of a boy who finds his footing after abuse by those he trusted]. The Pulitzer Prizes. https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/jessica-rinaldi
In-Text Citation: (Rinaldi, 2016)

Other Sources

Films  [APA 7th: p. 341, 10.84]
Bibliography: Spielberg, S. (Director). (1993). Jurassic park [Film]. Amblin Entertainment. https://www.netflix.com
In-Text Citation: (Spielberg, 1993)
Bibliography: Spielberg, S. (Director). (1993). Jurassic park [Film; DVD]. Amblin Entertainment.
In-Text Citation: (Spielberg, 1993)
Dissertations/Thesis  [APA 7th: 10.6]
Bibliography: Savage, C. (2019). The impact of experiences of asexual students in four-year institutions of higher education [Master's thesis, Texas Tech University]. TTU DSpace. https://hdl.handle.net/2346/85057
In-Text Citation: (Savage, 2019)
Bibliography: Zonta, M. M. (2004). The role of ethnic banks in the residential patterns of Asian Americans: The case of Los Angeles (Publication No. 3110834) [Doctoral dissertaion, University of California Los Angeles]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
In-Text Citation: (Zonta, 2004)
Interviews  [APA 7th:8.7, 10.15, 10.95]
Bibliography: de Beauvoir, S. (1960, May 4). Simone de Beauvoir discusses the art of writing [Interview]. Studs Terkel Radio Archive; The Chicago History Museum. https://studsterkel.wfmt.com/programs/simone-de-beauvoirdiscusses-art-writing
In-Text Citation: (de Beauvoir, 1960)
Personal Communications  [APA 7th: 8.8]
In-Text Citation: J. Doe (personal communication, December 20, 2021)
In-Text Citation: (J. Doe, personal communication, December 20, 2021)

Note: references that cannot be retrieved by a reader (personal communication, classroom lectures) are only cited in-text not in the bibliography.

Classroom Lectures  [APA 7th: 8.9, 10.62, 10.102]
Bibliography: Doe, J. (2021, December 20). [Lecture notes]. Course Number and Title, California State University Channel Islands. 
In-Text Citation: (Doe, 2021)
Bibliography: Doe, J. (2021, December 20). How to Cite Images for Art History [PowerPoint slides]. Canvas. https://https://learn.canvas.net/login/canvas
In-Text Citation: (Doe, 2021)

Note: when the lecture or slides come from a learning management software (such as Canvas or Blackboard), include both the software name and the URL (if there is a paywall, include the login URL)

More APA Resources