APA Citation Style Guide

Developed by the American Psychological Association, this style is widely used in the sciences and social sciences.

Each citation consists of two parts: the in text citation, which provides brief identifying information within the text, and the reference list (list of sources used) which provides full bibliographic information.

How to Format: In Text Citations | Reference Lists

How to Format In Text Citations

(For more detailed information see Publication Manual sec. 3.94-3.103)

APA Style gives prominence to the date of a publication. In-text citations use the author's last name and the date, separated by a comma, as a brief reference in the text of the article to refer the reader to complete information in the reference list.

(Austin, 1998)

If the author's name is mentioned in the narrative, then only the date need be given:

Austin (1998) compared institutional support

Two authors. Always use both names every time they are referred to in the text. Use the ampersand (&) to connect the names in the parentheses, but spell out "and" in the running text.

(Parker & Mokhesi-Parker, 1998)

Parker and Mokhesi-Parker (1998) in examining institutional design and function …

Three to five authors. Cite all the authors in text the first time a reference occurs; in subsequent citations, include only the surname of the first author followed by et al.

First reference:

(Parker, Mokhesi-Parker, AuthorC, AuthorD & AuthorE, 1998)

Subsequent references:

(Parker et al.)

Six or more authors. Cite in text only the surname of the first author followed by et al. and the year for the first and subsequent citations.

(Parker et al., 1998)

Group or corporate authors. Use the name of the body in the citation:

(World Bank, 1998)

Unknown author. Use the first few words of the title as the reference in the text:

("Structuring lawmaking", 2002)

Author is listed as "Anonymous". Use it as if it were the author's name.

(Anonymous, 2003)

When paraphrasing, APA style does not require page numbers in the in-text citation. However, authors are encouraged to include page numbers if it will help the reader locate the relevant information in longer texts. Consult with your professor regarding the need for page numbers for paraphrased information.

If the reference is to an exact quotation, the author, year and page number must be included. The page number can be given in parentheses at the end of the exact quotation or incorporated into the in-text citation.

Newman (1994) concluded "sibling conflict is so common that its occurence is taken for granted" (p. 123).

Such findings have prompted one researcher to conclude, “Sibling conflict is so common that its occurrence is taken for granted” (Newman, 1994, p. 123).

For exact quotations from sources without page numbers, use paragraph numbers, if available. If the paragraphs are not numbered, but there are headings, use the heading name and count the number of paragraphs after the heading to the paragraph containing the quotation. In some cases page numbers, paragraphs, and headings do not exist. In this case, omit the location of the reference altogether. (Publication Manual, sec. 3.39, p. 120)

(Smith, 2003, para. 1) or (Smith, 2003, ¶ 1)

(Greene, 2003, Discussion, ¶ 4)

For citations taken from secondary sources, include the secondary source in the reference list and mention the original work in the text.

Text citation:

Goldman and Goldman's study (as cited in Linebarger, 2001) found ....

Reference List:

How to Format Reference Lists

Books | Articles | Media | Web/Online | Government Information | Unpublished

Books
(Publication Manual, sec. 4.16B)

Single author	Austin, J. H. (1998). Zen and the brain: Toward an understanding of meditation and consciousness. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
Multiple authors	Parker, P., & Mokhesi-Parker, J. (1998). In the shadow of Sharpeville: Apartheid and criminal justice. New York: New York University Press.
Edited Book	Ickes, W. (Ed.). (1998). Empathic accuracy. New York: Guilford Press.
Group or corporate author	World Bank. (1998). Slovak Republic: A strategy for growth and European integration. Washington, D.C.: Author. Note: when the author and publisher are the same, use the word "Author" as the publisher.
Chapter or essay in book	Herrmann, R. K. (2002). Linking theory to evidence in international relations. In W. Carlsnaes, T. Risse, & B. A. Simmons (Eds.), Handbook of International Relations (pp. 119-136). London: SAGE.
Article from a reference book	Campbell, H. (2002). Pan-Africanism. In Krieger, J. (Ed.), The Oxford companion to politics of the world (pp. 631-633). Oxford: Oxford University Press. Note: if there is no author, place the title in the author position.

Articles
(Publication Manual, sec. 4.16A and I)

Article in a journal (one author)	Blass, E. M. (1997). Interactions between contact and chemosensory mechanisms in pain modulation in 10-day-old rats. Behavioral Neuroscience, 111, 147-154.
Article in a journal (multiple authors)	Gagne, P., Tewksbury, R., & McGaughey, D. (1997). Coming out and crossing over: Identity formation and proclamation in a transgender community. Gender and Society, 11, 478-508.
Article in a popular magazine	Henry, W. A., III (1990, April 9) Beyond the melting pot. Time, 135, 28-31.
Article in a newspaper	Young, J. (2003, February 14). Prozac campus: more students seek counseling and take psychiatric medication. The Chronicle of Higher Education, pp. A37-38.

Note: Different web browsers break the text in different places of a URL. The URL should begin on the same line as the rest of the citation information, with a break inserted after a slash, if needed.

Article from a full-text database	Hicks, J. E., Jones, J. F. Renner, J. H., & Schmaling, K. (1995). Chronic fatigue syndrome: strategies that work. Patient Care, 29(10), 55. Retrieved March 17, 2002, from InfoTrac Web Expanded Academic ASAP database.
Article from an e-journal collection	Hamilton, C. (1992). A way of seeing: culture as political expression in the works of C.L.R. James. Journal of Black Studies, 22 (3), 429-443. Retrieved February 26, 2003 from JSTOR database.
Article from a free web e-journal	Yu, D. L., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2002, May 8). Preventing Depressive symptoms in Chinese children. Prevention & Treatment, 5, Article 9. Retrieved May 6, 2003, from http://journals.apa.org/prevention/volume5/ pre0050009a.html

Media
(Publication Manual, sec. 4.16H)

Music Score	No example given in APA Publication Manual for music score.
Sound Recording	Writer, A. (Date of Copyright). Title of song [Recorded by artist if different from writer]. On Title of album [medium of recording: CD, record, cassette, etc], Location: Label. (Recording date if different from copyright date)
Video Recording	Bevan, T., Fellner, E., Cavendish, J. (Producers), & Dryburgh, S. (Director). (2001). Bridget Jones's diary [Motion Picture]. United States: Miramax Home Entertainment.
Television	Producer, A. (Executive Producer). (Year, date of broadcast). Title of broadcast [Television broadcast]. Place: Broadcasting Service.

Web/Online
(Publication Manual, sec. 4.16I)

Note: Different web browsers break the text in different places of a URL. The URL should begin on the same line as the rest of the citation information, with a break inserted after a slash, if needed.

Web page	The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press (2002, December 4). What the world thinks in 2002. Retrieved February 26, 2003, from http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=165.
Article from a free web e-journal	Yu, D. L., & Seligman, M. E. P. (2002, May 8). Preventing Depressive symptoms in Chinese children. Prevention & Treatment, 5, Article 9. Retrieved May 6, 2003, from http://journals.apa.org/prevention/volume5/ pre0050009a.html
Article from a full-text database	Hicks, J. E., Jones, J. F. Renner, J. H., & Schmaling, K. (1995). Chronic fatigue syndrome: strategies that work. Patient Care, 29(10), 55. Retrieved March 17, 2002, from InfoTrac Web Expanded Academic ASAP database.
Article from an e-journal collection	Hamilton, C. (1992). A way of seeing: culture as political expression in the works of C.L.R. James. Journal of Black Studies, 22 (3), 429-443. Retrieved February 26, 2003 from JSTOR database.

Government Information
(Publication Manual, sec. 4.16C and Appendix D)

See Citing Government Documents [automated fill-in form from Arizona State University Library]

Unpublished
(Publication Manual 3.102 and 4.16F)

Interview

In APA Style, personal communications are not considered verifiable or recoverable; they should be cited in the text only and not include in the reference list. in text example: (H.C. Payne, personal communication, May 22, 1998)