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APA (American Psychological Association) Citation Style

This Guide is referring to APA 7th edition

Work Cited Basics

  • All lines after the first line of each entry in your reference list should be indented one-half inch from the left margin. This is called hanging indentation.
  • All authors' names should be inverted (i.e., last names should be provided first).
  • Authors' first and middle names should be written as initials.
    • For example, Jane Marie Smith would begin with "Smith, J. M."
  • Reference list entries should be alphabetized by the last name of the first author of each work.

Journal Articles & Dissertations

Basic journal article:

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume number(issue number), pages. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyy

If DOI isn't available, use URL for electronic journal, and omit for print journal. 

Print or Electronic Journal Example: 

Baniya, S., & Weech, S. (2019). Data and experience design: Negotiating community-oriented digital research with service-learning. Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement, 6(1), 11–16. https://doi.org/10.5703/1288284316979

Dissertation: 

Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of dissertation or thesis (Publication No.) [Doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis, Name of Institution Awarding Degree]. Database Name.

Duis, J. M. (2008). Acid/base chemistry and related organic chemistry conceptions of undergraduate organic chemistry students (Publication No. 3348786) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Northern Colorado]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Unpublished Dissertation: 

Samson, J. M. (2016). Human trafficking and globalization [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University.

*Reminder, omit information that's not available, like the publication number. 

Newspapers & Websites

Magazine:

Author. (YYYY, month). Title. Title of magazine, volume(issue), pages. 

Peterzell, J. (1990, April). Better late than never. Time, 135(17), 20–21.

Newspaper:

Author. (YYYY, Month date). Title. Title of Newspaper, pages. 

Schultz, S. (2005, December 28). Calls made to strengthen state energy policies. The Country Today, 1A, 2A.

Online newspaper, magazine, or webpage: 

Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of page. Site name. URL

Price, D. (2018, March 23). Laziness does not exist. Medium. https://humanparts.medium.com/laziness-does-not-exist-3af27e312d01

Group/ Organization as author: 

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (2019, November 21). Justice served: Case closed for over 40 dogfighting victimshttps://www.aspca.org/news/justice-served-case-closed-over-40-dogfighting-victims

No author: Use title as author

Title of page. (Year, Month Date). Site name. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL

Tuscan white bean pasta. (2018, February 25). Budgetbytes. Retrieved March 18, 2020, from https://www.budgetbytes.com/tuscan-white-bean-pasta/

Books

Basic Format for Books 

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Publisher Name. DOI (if available)

Stoneman, R. (2008). Alexander the Great: A life in legend. Yale University Press.

Edited Book without Author 

Editor, E. E. (Ed.). (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Publisher. DOI (if available)

Leitch, M. G., & Rushton, C. J. (Eds.). (2019). A new companion to Malory. D. S. Brewer.

Edited Book with an Author or Authors 

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (E. Editor, Ed.). Publisher. DOI (if available)

Malory, T. (2017). Le morte darthur (P. J. C. Field, Ed.). D. S. Brewer. (Original work published 1469-70)

A Translation

When you cite a republished work, like a translation, it should appear with both dates: Plato (385-378/1989)

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (T. Translator, Trans.). Publisher. (Original work published YEAR) DOI (if available)

Plato (1989). Symposium (A. Nehamas & P. Woodruff, Trans.). Hackett Publishing Company. (Original work published ca. 385-378 BCE)

Edition Two or Higher

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (# edition). Publisher. DOI (if available)

Belcher, W. (2019). Writing your journal article in twelve weeks: A guide to academic publishing success (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press.

Chapter in Edited Book

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (pp. pages of chapter). Publisher. DOI (if available)

Armstrong, D. (2019). Malory and character. In M. G. Leitch & C. J. Rushton (Eds.), A new companion to Malory (pp. 144-163). D. S. Brewer.

Multivolume Work 

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (Vol. #)Publisher. DOI (if available)

David, A., & Simpson, J. (Eds.). (2006). The Norton anthology of English literature: The Middle Ages (8th ed.,Vol. A). W. W. Norton and Company.

Images, Audio, & Video

Streaming Video:

Last Name, F. M. [Username]. (Year, Month Date). Title of video [Video]. Streaming Service. URL

Lushi, K. [Korab Lushi]. (2016, July 3). Albatross culture 1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AMrJRQDPjk&t=148s

Film: 

Director, D. D. (Director). (Date of publication). Title of motion picture [Film]. Production company.

Loyd, P. (Director). (2008). Mamma mia! [Film]. Universal Pictures. 

Film in another language: Director, D. D. (Director). (Date of publication). Title of motion picture in original language [Translated title] [Film]. Production company.

Del Toro, G. (Director). (2006). El laberinto del fauno [Pan’s labyrinth] [Film]. Warner Bros. Pictures.

TV Series: 

Executive Producer, P. P. (Executive Producer). (Date range of release). Title of series [TV series]. Production company(s).

Sherman-Palladino, A., Palladino, D. (Executive Producers). (2017-present). The marvelous Mrs. Maisel [TV series]. Dorothy Parker Drank Here Productions; Picrow, Amazon Studios.

TV Series Episode:

Writer, W. W. (Writer), & Director, D. D. (Director). (Original air date). Title of episode (Season number, Episode number) [Tv series episode]. In P. Executive Producer (Executive Producer), Series title. Production company(s). 

Korsh, A. (Writer & Director). (2019, September 25). One last con (Season 9, Episode 10) [TV series episode]. In D. Liman & D. Bartis (Executive Producers), Suits. Untitled Korsh Company; Universal Content Productions; Open 4 Business Productions. 

Podcast:

Host, A. A. (Host). (Year, Month Date). Title of episode (No. if provided) [Audio podcast episode]. In Name of podcast. Publisher. URL

Prime, K. (Host). (2019, March 29). For whom the cowbell tolls [Audio podcast episode]. In Radiolab. WNYC Studios. https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/whom-cowbell-tolls

Music (or comedy) album: 

Recording artist. (Year of release). Title of album [Album]. Record label.

The National. (2019). I am easy to find [Album]. 4AD.

Single song or track: 

Recording artist. (Year of release). Title of song [Song]. On Title of album [Album]. Record label. 

Dacus, L. (2018). Night shift [Song]. On Historian [Album]. Matador Records.

Other

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