Citation Guides

Reference Examples: Blog

Klymkowsky, M. (2018, September 15). Can we talk scientifically about free will? Sci-Ed. https://blogs.plos.org/scied/2018/09/15/can-we-talk-scientifically-about-free-will/

Parenthetical Citation: (Klymkowsky, 2018)
Narrative Citation: Klymkowsky (2018)

Reference Examples: Book

The examples at the top of this tab all refer to references to a complete book.
Keep scrolling for examples of how to cite a specific chapter or section from an anthology.

Basic Book in Print or from most Academic Research Databases

If citing a book referenced online, do not include the database name or URL when citing from widely used academic research database (such as any of the EBSCO, Gale, or Sage databases that UMary subscribes to). (APA 9.30)

Reference Example:

Burgess, R. (2019). Rethinking global health: Frameworks of power. Routledge.

Parenthetical Citation: (Burgess, 2019)
Narrative Citation: Burgess (2019)

Authored Book with an Editor Credited on the Cover

It is not necessary to specify the editor in most cases for traditionally published books, and in most cases the editor's name will not even be available unless specially thanked in the acknowledgements or author's note. However, there are some cases where the editor is significant, and should be included, such as in memoirs, textbooks, etc. These items will include the editor's name on the cover, if significant.

Reference Example:

Meadows, D. H. (2008). Thinking in systems: A primer (D. Wright, Ed.). Chelsea Green Publishing.

Parenthetical Citation: (Meadows, 2008)
Narrative Citation: Meadows (2008)

Edited Book without an Author

Reference Example:

Hacker Hughes, J. (Ed.). (2017). Military veteran psychology health and social care: Contemporary approaches. Routledge.

Parenthetical Citation: (Hacker Hughes, 2017)
Narrative Citation: Hacker Hughes (2017)

Translated Book

Reference Example:

Piaget, J., & Inhelder, B. (1969). The psychology of the child (H. Weaver, Trans.; 2nd ed.). Basic Books (Original work published 1966)

Parenthetical Citation: (Piaget & Inhelder, 1966/1969)
Narrative Citation: Piaget and Inhelder (1966/1969)

Ebook or Audiobook Referenced Online, without a DOI

If the ebook or audiobook has no changes from the original (if it is unabridged), there is no need to specify the format, as in the second example here. If the item is abridged, or if there is a specific reason to reference the format (the impact of the narrator's voice in an audiobook, for example). If the item was published in a different year from the original text version of the book, treat the work as republished (see the examples below).

Reference Examples:

Cain, S. (2012). Quiet: The power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking (K. Mazur, Narr.) [Audiobook]. Random House Audio. http://bit.ly/2G0Bpbl

Christian, B., & Griffiths, T. (2016). Algorithms to live by: The computer science of human decisions. Henry Holt and Co. http://a.co/7qGBZAk

Parenthetical Citations: (Cain, 2012; Christian & Griffiths, 2016)
Narrative Citation: Cain (2012) and Christian and Griffiths (2016)

Republished Ebook or Audiobook Referenced Online

Reference Examples:

Freud, S. (2010). The interpretation of dreams: The complete and definitive text (J. Strachey, Ed. and Trans.). Basic Books. (Original work published 1900)

Rowling, J. K. (2015). Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone (J. Dale, Narr.) [Audiobook]. Pottermore Publishing. http://bit.ly/2TcHchx (Original work published 1997)

Parenthetical Citations: (Freud, 1900/2010; Rowling, 1997/2015)
Narrative Citations: Freud (1900/2010) and Rowling (1997/2015)

One Volume from a Multivolume Work

If the volume does not have its own title, include the volume number in parentheses without italics, as in the first example below.

If the volume has its own title, include the volume number and title in italics after the main title, as in the second example below.

Reference Examples:

Fiske, S. T., Gilbert, D. T., & Lindzey, G. (2010). Handbook of social psychology (5th ed., Vol. 1). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470561119

Travis, C. B., & White, J. W. (Eds.). (2018). APA handbook of the psychology of women: Vol. 1. History, theory, and battlegrounds. American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000059-000

Parenthetical Citations: (Fiske et al., 2010; Travis & White, 2018)
Narrative Citations: Fiske et al. (2010) and Travis and White (2018)

Reference Examples: Edited Chapter or Section within an Anthology

Several complete examples of how to cite a specific chapter/section are included below, but be aware that the pattern can be applied in the same way to all of the examples given above. Additional examples can be found in the complete APA Handbook and at the online source for APA Style.

Chapter in a Basic Book in Print or from most Academic Research Databases

Reference Example:

Weinstock, R., Leong, G. B., & Silva, J. A. (2003). Defining forensic psychiatry: Roles and responsibilities. In R. Rosner (Ed.), Principles and practice of forensic psychiatry (2nd ed., pp. 7-13). CRC Press.

Parenthetical Citation: (Weinstock et al., 2003)
Narrative Citation: Weinstock et al. (2003)

Chapter in an Edited Book with a DOI

Reference Example:

Basalm, K. F., Martell, C. R., Jones, K.P., & Safren, S. A. (2019). Affirmative cognitive behavior therapy with sexual and gender minority people. In G. Y. Iwamasa & P. A. Hays (Eds.), Culturally responsive cognitive behavior therapy: Practice and supervision (2nd ed., pp. 287-314). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000119-012

Parenthetical Citation: (Basalm et al., 2019)
Narrative Citation: Basalm et al. (2019)

Chapter in an Edited Book, Republished in Translation

Reference Example:

Heidegger, M. (2008). On the essence of truth (J. Sallis, Trans.). In D. F. Krell (Ed.), Basic writings (pp. 111-138). Harper Perennial Modern Thought. (Original work published 1961)

Parenthetical Citation: (Heidegger, 1961/2008)
Narrative Citation: Heidegger (1961/2008)

Work in an Anthology

Reference Example:

Lewin, K. (1999). Group decision and social change. In M. Gold (Ed.), The complete social scientist: A Kurt Lewin reader (pp. 265-284). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/10319-010 (Original work published 1948)

Parenthetical Citation: (Lewin, 1948/1999)
Narrative Citation: Lewin (1948/1999)

Reference Examples: Thesis or Dissertation

Note that dissertations and theses are cited differently depending on if they are published or unpublished. 

Unpublished Dissertation or Theses

Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis

Reference Example:

Harris, L. (2014). Instructional leadership perceptions and practices of elementary school leaders [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. University of Virginia.

Parenthetical Citation: (Harris, 2014)
Narrative Citation: Harris (2014)

Published Dissertation or Theses

Dissertation or Thesis from a Database

Reference Example:

Hollander, M. M. (2017). Resistance to authority: Methodological innovations and new lessons from the Milgram experiment (Publication No. 10289373) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin-Madison]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Parenthetical Citation: (Hollander, 2017)
Narrative Citation: Hollander (2017)

Dissertation or Thesis Published Online (Not in a Database)

Reference Example:

Hutcheson, V. H. (2012). Dealing with dual differences: Social coping strategies of gifted and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer adolescents [Master's thesis, The College of William & Mary]. William & Mary Digital Archive. https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/bitstream/handle/10288/16594/HutchesonVirginia2012.pdf

Parenthetical Citation: (Hutcheson, 2012)
Narrative Citation: Hutcheson (2012)

Reference Examples: Government or Legal Document

The American Psychological Association bases its guidelines for Legal and Public Documents largely on The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation, published by the Harvard Law Review Association. The APA Manual aims to provide a condensed guideline for the majority of common legal and public document references, but highly recommends that students and faculty who perform extensive work in this area (particularly at a graduate level or higher) have a copy of one of The Bluebook on hand. For a more in-depth breakdown of the specifics of legal and public document references, see chapter 11 of The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, and find a helpful Bluebook quick guide here: The Bluebook Online (legalbluebook.com). The main differences between the standard APA style and the modified "legal style" from the Bluebook are outlined here.

Referencing Legal Materials

U.S. Supreme Court Decision

Decisions from the U.S. Supreme Court are published in the United States Reports, which is abbreviated in legal citations as "U.S."

The examples given here are:

• the decision to eliminate racial segregation in public schools, Brown v. Board of Education, which was published in Volume 347 of the United States Reports, on page 483, in the year 1954, and
• the court decision to legalize same-sex marriage in the United States, Obergefell v. Hodges, which occurred in 2015 and was published in Volume 576 of the United States Reports. This case is too recent to have been published in a paginated volume, and so there is no page number.

U.S. Circuit Court Decision

Decisions from the U.S. Circuit Court are published in the Federal Reporter, which is abbreviated in legal citations as F. (Federal Reporter), F.2d (Federal Reporter, Second Series), or F.3d (Federal Reporter, Third Series).

The example given here is the decision regarding birth defects resulting from medication use during pregnancy, which appeared in Volume 951 of the Federal Reporter, Second Series, on page 1128, and was decided by the 9th Circuit Court in the year 1991.

U.S. District Court Decision

Decisions from the U.S. District Court are published in the Federal Supplement, which is abbreviated in legal citations as F. Supp. (Federal Supplement), F. Supp. 2d (Federal Supplement, Second Series), or F. Supp. 3d (Federal Supplement, Third Series).

The example given here is the decision stating that children with special needs should receive accomodations for services at public after-school-care providers under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which appeared in Volume 133 of the Federal Supplement, Second Series, on page 1034. It was decided by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio in the year 2001.

State Court Decision

Decisions from state supreme courts, state appellate courts, and state trial courts are reported in state-specific reporters, so you will need to do a little bit of research on how to cite a case depending on the state. Beyond a difference in abbreviation and numbering system based on the specific reporters, all three are cited using the same basic template, as seen below.

The example given here was given by the Supreme Court of the State of California in the year 1976. It held that mental health professionals have a duty to protect individuals who are being threatened with bodily harm by a patient. It appeared in three reports, all of which are included in the citation. It appeared in Volume 17 of the California Reports, Third Series (Cal.3d), page 425; Volume 131 of the California Reporter (Cal. Rptr.), page 14; and Volume 551 of the Pacific Reporter, Second Series (P.2d), page 334.

Referencing a Report or other "Gray literature"

Report by a Government Agency or other Organization

If multiple agencies worked together on a report, connect the names with an ampersand. If three or more agencies are involved, separate them with a comma as you do with multiple authors for a book or journal article.

Reference Examples:

Australian Government Productivity Commission & New Zealand Productivity Commission. (2012). Strengthening trans-Tasman economic relations. https://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/australia-new-zealand/report/trans-tasman.pdf

Canada Council for the Arts. (2013). What we heard: Summary of key findings: 2013 Canada Council's Inter-Arts Office consultation. http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2017/canadacouncil/K23-65-2013-eng.pdf

National Cancer Institute. (2018). Facing forward: Life after cancer treatment (NIH Publication No. 18-2424). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/life-after-treatment.pdf

Parenthetical Citations: (Australian Government Productivity Commision & New Zealand Productivity Commission, 2012; Canada Council for the Arts, 2013; National Cancer Institute, 2018)
Narrative Citations: Australian Government Productivity Commission and New Zealand Productivity Commission (2012), Canada Council for the Arts (2013), and National Cancer Institute (2018)

Grant

List the principal investigator as the author and include their title in parentheses. List the full range of the project (start and end years) as the date. The funding agency is considered the source/publisher.

Follow the terminology of the grant's origin for your reference and include the number they provide in parentheses after the title of the project. For instance, in the example below, you see the NIH uses project numbers as the language for their labelling system.

Reference Example:

Blair, C. B. (Principal Investigator). (2015-2020). Stress, self-regulation and psychopathology in middle childhood (Project No. 5R01HD081252-04) [Grant]. Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development. https://projectreporter.nih.gov/project_info_details.cfm?aid=947307&icde=40092311

Parenthetical Citation: (Blair, 2015-2020)
Narrative Citation: Blair (2015-2020)

Press Release

Reference Example:

U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2019, February 14). FDA authorizes first interoperable insulin pump intended to allow patients to customize treatment through their individual diabetes management devices [Press release]. https://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm631412.htm

Parenthetical Citation: (U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2019)
Narrative Citation: U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2019)

Basic Templates for Other Document Types

See chapter 11 of the APA Manual for more guidance and specific examples of each.

Reference Examples: Journal/Periodical Article

Regardless of where a journal/periodical article appears (for example, a blog hosted on a news website), its reference entry will follow the same pattern. Depending on the source, the information provided can vary, such as how specific the date is. See the table below for a few examples on the basic template, depending on the information you have to work with.

Continue reading for specific examples for a variety of circumstances.

Basic Journal, Magazine, or Newspaper Article
in Print or from most Academic Research Databases

Do not include the database name or URL when citing from widely used academic research database (such as any of the EBSCO, Gale, or Sage databases that UMary subscribes to). If the item is something that is proprietary to that database or archive (Cochrane Database, UpToDate, a University archive, etc.), include the name of the database in italics as the source (see the next few citation examples for these cases). (APA 9.30)

Reference Examples:

Anderson, M. (2018). Getting consistent consequences. Educational Leadership, 76(1), 26-33.

Goldman, C. (2018, November 28). The complicated calibration of love, especially in adoption. Chicago Tribune.

Parenthetical Citations: (Anderson, 2018; Goldman, 2018)
Narrative Citations: Anderson (2018) and Goldman (2018)

With a DOI

Reference Example:

McCauley, S. M., & Christiansen, M. H. (2019). Language learning as language use: A cross-linguistic model of child language development. Psychological Review, 126(1), 1-51. https://doi.org/10.1037/rev0000126

Parenthetical Citation: (McCauley & Christiansen, 2019)
Narrative Citation: McCauley and Christiansen (2019)

Without a DOI, with a Non-database URL

Reference Example:

Ahmann, E., Tuttle, L. J., Saviet, M., & Wright, S. D. (2018). A descriptive review of ADHD coaching research: Implications for college students. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 31(1), 17-39. https://www.ahead.org/professional-resources/publications/jped/archived-jped/jped-volume-31

Parenthetical Citation: (Ahmann et al., 2018)
Narrative Citation: Ahmann et al. (2018)

From a Proprietary Database: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Reference Example:

Mehrholz, J., Pohl, M., Platz, T., Kugler, J., & Elsner, B. (2018). Electromechanical and robot-assisted arm training for improving activities of daily living, arm function, and arm muscle strength after stroke. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD006876.pub5

Parenthetical Citation: (Mehrholz et al., 2018)
Narrative Citation: Mehrholz et al. (2018)

From a Proprietary Database: UpToDate

Information on UpToDate is proprietary and cannot be found in other publication sources, and so it should include the database name in place of a journal title. It is also designed to change over time so that it is, well, Up-To-Date. For that reason, a retrieval date should be included, and use the year of the most recent update as the publication date.

Reference Example:

Morey, M. C. (2019). Physical activity and exercise in older adults. UpToDate. Retrieved July 22, 2019, from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/physical-activity-and-exercise-in-older-adults

Parenthetical Citation: (Morey, 2019)
Narrative Citation: Morey (2019)

21 or More Authors

Reference Example:

Kalnay, E., Kanamitsu, M., Kistler, R., Collins, W., Deaven, D., Gandin, L., Iredell, M., Saha, S., White, G., Woolen, J., Zhu, Y., Chelliah, M., Ebisuzaki, W., Higgins, W., Jnowiak, J., Mo, K. C., Ropelewski, C., Wang, J., Leetmaa, A., . . . Joseph, D. (1996). The NCEP/NCAR 40-year reanalysis project. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 77(3), 437-471. http://doi.org/fg6rf9

Parenthetical Citation: (Kalnay et al., 1996)
Narrative Citation: Kalnay et al. (1996)

Combination of Individual and Group Authors

Use the name of the group author as written in the source's byline. "The members of" is how this particular source stylized the group author's name, it is not standard for how group authors are introduced.

Reference Example:

De Vries, R., Nieuwenhuijze, M., Buitendijk, S. E., & the members of Midwifery Science Work Group. (2013). What does it take to have a strong and independent profession of midwifery? Lessons from the Netherlands. Midwifery, 29(10), 1122-1128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2013.07.007

Parenthetical Citation: (De Vries et al., 2013)
Narrative Citation: De Vries et al. (2013)

Advanced Online Publication

If the final version of the article is available to you, this should be used as a priority. However, cite the version you actually use in your project, even if the final version is published before you submit your project. If the final published version is unavailable for some reason, the final, peer-reviewed manuscript is sometimes available from a variety of places for free, and is an acceptable substitute if necessary.

Reference Example:

Huestegge, S. M., Raettig, T., & Huestegge, L. (2019). Are face-incongruent voices harder to process? Effects of face-voice gender incongruency on basic cognitive information processing. Experimental Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1027/1618-3169/a000440

Parenthetical Citation: (Huestegge et al., 2019)
Narrative Citation: Huestegge et al. (2019)

Translated from Another Language

Reference Example:

Piaget, J. (1972). Intellectual evolution from adolescence to adulthood (J. Bliss & H. Furth, Trans.). Human Development, 15(1), 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1159/000271225 (Original work published 1970)

Parenthetical Citation: (Piaget, 1970/1972)
Narrative Citation: Piaget (1970/1972)

Editorial

Follow the reference format for the publication type in which the editorial appears. This example shows an editorial from a journal, but editorials can also be found in newspapers, magazines, and other types of publication.

Editorials are often not signed. In this case, follow the general APA guidelines for an Unknown or Anonymous Author, which says to replace the author's name with the title of the editorial in Parenthetical and Narrative citations (APA Manual 8.14), and place the title of the work before the date in the reference entry (APA Manual 9.12).

Reference Example:

Cuellar, N. G. (2016). Study abroad programs [Editorial]. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 27(3), 209. https://doi.org/10.1177/1043659616638722

Parenthetical Citation: (Cuellar, 2016)
Narrative Citation: Cuellar (2016)

Reference Examples: News Publication

Basic Newspaper Article in Print or from most Academic Research Databases

Do not include the database name or URL when citing from widely used academic research database (such as any of the EBSCO, Gale, or Sage databases that UMary subscribes to). (APA Manual 9.30)

Reference Example:

Goldman, C. (2018, November 28). The complicated calibration of love, especially in adoption. Chicago Tribune.

Parenthetical Citation: (Goldman, 2018)
Narrative Citation: Goldman (2018)

Online Newspaper Article

Newspaper Articles published both in print and online follow the APA guidelines for Periodicals, more examples of which can be found on the "Journal/Periodical Article" tab.

Reference Example:

Guarino, B. (2017, December 4). How will humanity react to alien life? Psychologists have some predictions. The Washington Post. https://washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/12/04/how-will-humanity-react-to-alien-life-psychologists-have-some-predictions

Hess, A. (2019, January 3). Cats who take direction. The New York Times, C1.

Parenthetical Citation: (Guarino, 2017; Hess, 2019)
Narrative Citation: Guarino (2017) and Hess (2019)

Webpage on a News Website

Newspaper Articles originally published online by news organizations (such as CNN, BBC, etc.,) follow the APA guidelines for Webpages and Websites, more examples of which can be found on the "Websites & Social Media" tab.

Reference Example:

Avramova, N. (2019, January 3). The secret to a long, happy, healthy life? Think age-positive. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/03/health/respect-toward-elderly-leads-to-long-life-intl/index.html

Bologna, C. (2018, June 27). What happens to your mind and body when you feel homesick? HuffPost. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/what-happens-mind-body-homesick_us_5b201ebde4b09d7a3d77eee1

Parenthetical Citation: (Avramova, 2019; Bologna, 2018)
Narrative Citation: Avramova (2019) and Bologna (2018)

Reference Examples: Personal Communication

"Personal Communications" is a wide term in APA style which covers anything that cannot be recovered later by readers. This includes emails, text messages, online chats or DMs, personal interviews, telephone conversations, live speeches, unrecorded classroom lectures, memos, unpublished letters, and so on. Whenever possible, go to the source of the information rather than using a personal communication citation. For example, if you learned about something during a classroom lecture, but the information is being quoted from the textbook, look up the information in the textbook  and cite that instead of the lecture.

When a personal communication is needed, they are not included in the reference list, because they cannot be retrieved later. When citing either in a parenthetical or narrative citation, give the initials and last name of the communicator, and provide as exact a date as possible. It is assumed that you as the paper's writer is the other side of the communication, so there is no need to specifically say that.

Narrative Citation Example: E. M. Paradis (personal communication, August 8, 2019)
Parenthetical Citation Example: (T. Nguyen, personal communication, February 24, 2020)

Reference Examples: Physical Object (Artwork)

Audio-only, visual-only, and audiovisual media is cited following the same format, they are only presented separately on this guide for ease of searching. Follow the template(s) below as needed, and consult the table here to determine which contributor should be listed as the "author" in the reference.

Template for Referencing a Whole Work

This includes entire musical albums, television shows as a whole, films, entire podcasts, etc.

Template for Referencing a Part of a Whole

This includes a single song from an album, an episode of a television show or podcast, etc.

Artwork in a Museum or on a Museum Website

This format applies to all types of physical museum artwork, including paintings, sculptures, photographs, prints, drawings, and installations. Be sure to specify the medium or format in square brackets following the title.

If the piece is untitled, follow how the museum lists the piece ("Van Gogh No. 7" or something like it), or simply describe the piece within square brackets in place of a title.

Reference Examples:

Delacroix, E. (1826-1827). Faust attempts to seduce Marguerite [Lithograph]. The Louvre, Paris, France.

Wood, G. (1930). American gothic [Painting]. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States. https://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/6565

Parenthetical Citations: (Delacroix, 1826-1827; Wood, 1930)
Narrative Citations: Delacroix (1826-1827) and Wood (1930)

Infographic

Reference Examples:

Rossman, J., & Palmer, R. (2015). Sorting through our space junk [Infographic]. World Science Festival. https://www.worldsciencefestival.com/2015/11/space-junk-infographic/

Parenthetical Citations: (Rossman & Palmer, 2015)
Narrative Citations: Rossman and Palmer (2015)

Photograph Not Connected to a Museum

Reference Example:

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

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

Parenthetical Citation: (McCurry, 1985; Rinaldi, 2016)
Narrative Citation: McCurry (1985) and Rinaldi (2016)

Reference Examples: Presentation (Live)

This page addresses how to cite live presentations viewed in person at a conference or symposium or via webinar, whether live or recorded. Conference papers and presentations that have been published in a journal or book should be cited as the format in which they were published.

Conference Session and Presentation Template:

Conference Session

Reference Example:

Fistek, A., Jester, E., & Sonnenberg, K. (2017, July 12-15). Everybody's got a little music in them: Using music therapy to connect, engage, and motivate [Conference session]. Autism Society National Conference, Milwaukee, WI, United States. https://asa.confex.com/asa/2017/webprogramarchives/Session9517.html

Parenthetical Citation: (Fistek et al., 2017)
Narrative Citation: Fistek et al. (2017)

Paper Presentation

Reference Example:

Maddox, S., Hurling, J., Stewart, E., & Edwards, A. (2016, March 30-April 2). If mama ain't happy, nobody's happy: The effect of parental depression on mood dysregulation in children [Paper presentation]. Southeastern Psychological Association 62nd Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, United States.

Parenthetical Citation: (Maddox et al., 2016)
Narrative Citation: Maddox et al. (2016)

Poster Presentation

Reference Example:

Pearson, J. (2018, September 27-30). Fat talk and its effects on state-based body image in women [Poster presentation]. Australian Psychological Society Congress, Sydney, NSW, Australia. http://bit.ly/2XGSThP

Parenthetical Citation: (Pearson, 2018)
Narrative Citation: Pearson (2018)

Symposium Contribution Template:

Symposium Contribution

Reference Example:

De Boer, D., & LaFavor, T. (2018, April 26-29). The art and significance of successfully identifying resilient individuals: A person-focused approach. In A. M. Schmidt & A. Kryvanos (Chairs), Perspectives on resilience: Conceptualization, measurement, and enhancement [Symposium]. Western Psychological Association 98th Annual Convention, Portland, OR, United States.

Parenthetical Citation: (De Boer & LaFavor, 2018)
Narrative Citation: De Boer and LaFavor (2018)

Reference Examples: Reference Work

Reference works are generally cited as a typical book, but there are a few differences due to the entry-organization system of dictionaries, encyclopedias, etc.

Note that specific entries do not need to be specified within parenthetical/narrative citations, only in the complete reference in the reference list. Any required mention of the specific entry should be worked into the text itself.

Dictionary, Thesaurus, or Encyclopedia

Online reference works are usually continuously updated and the versions are not archived (such as the Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary), and so no publication date is available, and a retrieval date should be used. Stable, archived, or printed versions of a reference work have a distinct publication date, and do not require a retrieval date (as in the last example here).

General Reference Examples:

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). APA dictionary of psychology. Retrieved June 14, 2019, from https://dictionary.apa.org/

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved May 5, 2019, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/

Zalta, E. N. (Ed.). (2019). The Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy (Summer 2019 ed.). Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2019/

Specific Entry Reference Examples:

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Positive transference. In APA dictionary of psychology. Retrieved August 31, 2019, from https://dictionary.apa.org/positive-transference

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Self-report. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved July 12, 2019, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/self-report

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/

Parenthetical Citations: (American Psychological Association, n.d.; Merriam-Webster, n.d.; Zalta, 2019)
Narrative Citation: American Psychological Association (n.d.), Merriam-Webster (n.d.), and Zalta (2019)

Diagnostic Manual (DSM, ICD)

It is common, but not required, to specify the edition and full title of a diagnostic manual in the text. Generally, include a citation for a manual the first time it is mentioned in the text, even if not yet citing it specifically. This is only needed the first time, subsequent general mentions do not require a citation unless you are specifically quoting or paraphrasing from the text.

General Reference Examples:

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). , https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

World Health Organization. (2019). International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems (11th ed.). https://icd.who.int/

Specific Entry Reference Examples:

American Psychiatric Assocation. (2013). Anxiety Disorders. In Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596.dsm05

World Health Organization. (2019). 2A85.8 Mantle cell lymphoma. In International statistical classification of diseases and related health problems (11th ed.). https://icd.who.int/browse11/I-m/en#/http://id.who.int/icd/entity/1804127841

Wikipedia entry

Be careful about including Wikipedia as a reference in your projects. In recent years, Wikipedia as an organization has made efforts to improve the reliability of the information in their entries, but there is still a lot of misinformation floating about. It's a good call to always check with your professor before including Wikipedia as an official reference. (It can be a great place to find references, though! Check the references list at the end of the entry.)

Reference Example:

List of oldest companies. (2019, January 13). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_oldest_companies&oldid=878158136

Parenthetical Citation: ("List of Oldest Companies," 2019)
Narrative Citation: "List of Oldest Companies" (2019)

Reference Examples: Review

Because reviews are published in a variety of sources, including journals, magazines, newspapers, websites, blogs, etc., the reference format should follow the type of source. The only difference is that after the title of the review itself, within square brackets, enter the following:
[Review of the (type of item) Title of item, by Item's author or primary contributor]. Then continue the reference as usual.

Film Review Published in a Journal

Reference Example:

Mirabito, L. A., & Heck, N. C. (2016). Bringing LGBTQ youth theater into the spotlight [Review of the film The year we thought about love, by E. Brodsky, Dir.]. Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity, 3(4), 499-500. https://doi.org/10.1037/sgd0000205

Parenthetical Citation: (Mirabito & Heck, 2016)
Narrative Citation: Mirabito and Heck (2016)

Book Review Published in a Newspaper

Reference Example:

Santos, F. (2019, January 11). Reframing refugee children's stories [Review of the book We are displaced: My journey and stories from refugee girls around the world, by M. Yousafzai]. The New York Times. https://nyti.ms/2HIgjk3

Parenthetical Citation: (Santos, 2019)
Narrative Citation: Santos (2019)

TV Series Episode Review Published on a Website

Note that in this example, the title of the review is given in italics because it is a webpage on a website, and as the title of the show appears within the title of the review, it appears in reverse italics and sentence case. See the APA Manual Section 6.23 for more information.

Reference Example:

Perkins, D. (2018, February 1). The good place ends its remarkable second season with irrational hope, unexpected gifts, and a smile [Review of the TV series episode "Somewhere else," by M. Schur, Writer & Dir.]. A.V. Club. https://www.avclub.com/the-good-place-ends-its-remarkable-second-season-with-i-1822649316

Parenthetical Citation: (Perkins, 2018)
Narrative Citation: Perkins (2018)

Reference Examples: Scripture and Classical Works

Poetry, religious texts and classical works (such as ancient philosophers, poets, and historians) are often cited in ways that differ from the usual means of citation, regardless of which style manual you are using. Theological texts can also include non-traditional means of publishing, as in the case of papal encyclicals. Provided here are the most commonly needed citation examples, but there is also a much more expanded guide designed for our Theology and Philosophy departments, which includes guidance from The SBL Handbook of Style. See the "Theological/Philosophical Citations" page on this guide.

Many poetic, scriptural and classical works possess their own numbering system based on sections, lines, chapters, verses, etc., rather than page numbers. As seen in the examples below, APA style makes use of the traditional numbering system rather than page numbers whenever possible.

Religious Work

Reference Example:

King James Bible. (2017). King James Bible Online. https://www.kingjamesbibleonline.org/ (Original work published 1769)

The Qur'an (M. A. S. Abdel Haleem, Trans.). (2004). Oxford University Press.

The Torah: The five books of Moses (3rd ed.). (2015). The Jewish Publication Society. (Original work published 1962)

Parenthetical Citation: (King James Bible, 1769/2017; The Qur'an, 2004; The Torah, 1962/2015)
Specific Passage Citation: (King James Bible, 1769/2017, 1 Cor. 13:1)
Narrative Citation: King James Bible (1769/2017), The Qur'an (2004), and The Torah (1962/2015)

Ancient Greek or Roman Work

Reference Example:

Aristotle. (1994). Poetics (S. H. Butcher, Trans.). The Internet Classics Archive. http://classics.mit.edu/Aristotle/poetics.html (Original work published ca. 350 B.C.E.)

Parenthetical Citation: (Aristotle, ca. 350 B.C.E./1994)
Specific Passage Citation: (Aristotle, ca. 350 B.C.E./1994, Part IV)
Narrative Citation: Aristotle (ca. 350 B.C.E./1994)

Shakespeare

Reference Example:

Shakespeare, W. (1995). Much ado about nothing (B. A. Mowat & P. Werstine, Eds.). Washington Square Press. (Original work published 1623)

Parenthetical Citation: (Shakespeare, 1623/1995)
Specific Passage Citation: (Shakespeare, 1623/1995, 1.3.36-37)
Narrative Citation: Shakespeare (1623/1995)

Referencing Poetry

In the majority of cases, poetry is cited following the usual APA guidelines for its format (whether published in a book, online, as a part of an analogy, etc.). Longer poems that are well-known can also come with their own numbering system, like scriptural sources, and in that case it is recommended that you cite using the numbering system they provide. This may include citing by line, stanza, canto, etc.

Reference Examples: Video Recordings

Audio-only, visual-only, and audiovisual media is cited following the same format, they are only presented separately on this guide for ease of searching. Follow the template(s) below as needed, and consult the table here to determine which contributor should be listed as the "author" in the reference.

Template for Referencing a Whole Work

This includes entire musical albums, television shows as a whole, films, entire podcasts, etc.

Template for Referencing a Part of a Whole

This includes a single song from an album, an episode of a television show or podcast, etc.

Film or Video

It is not necessary to include the means by which you watched a film (streaming, on DVD, etc.). However, if there is a significance to the format (DVD commentary, for example), you can specify that in the item description following the title. See the 2nd and 3rd examples here.

Reference Examples:

Forman, M. (Director). (1975). One flew over the cuckoo's nest [Film]. United Artists.

Fosha, D. (Guest Expert), & Levenson, H. (Host). (2017). Accelerated experiential dynamic psychotherapy (AEDP) supervision [Film; educational DVD]. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/pubs/videos/4310958.aspx

Jackson, P. (Director). (2001). The lord of the rings: The fellowship of the ring [Film; four-disc special extended ed. on DVD]. WingNut Films; The Saul Zaentz Company.

Parenthetical Citations: (Forman, 1975; Fosha & Levenson, 2017; Jackson, 2001)
Narrative Citations: Forman (1975), Fosha and Levenson (2017), and Jackson (2001)

TV Series

Reference Example:

Simon, D., Colesberry, R. F., & Kostroff Noble, N. (Executive Producers). (2002-2008). The wire [TV series]. Blown Deadline Productions; HBO.

Parenthetical Citation: (Simon et al., 2002-2008)
Narrative Citation: Simon et al. (2002-2008)

Episode from a TV Series

Reference Examples:

Barris, K. (Writer & Director). (2017, January 11). Lemons (Season 3, Episode 12) [TV series episode]. In K. Barris, J. Groff, A. Anderson, E. B. Dobbins, L. Fishburne, & H. Sugland (Executive Producers), Black-ish. Wilmore Films; Artists First; Cinema Gypsy Productions; ABC Studios.

Oakley, B. (Writer), Weinstein, J. (Writer), & Lynch, J. (Director). (1995, May 21). Who shot Mr. Burns? (Part one) (Season 6, Episode 25) [TV series episode]. In D. Mirkin, J. L. Brooks, M. Groening, & S. Simon (Executive Producers), The Simpsons. Gracie Films; Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

Parenthetical Citations: (Barris, 2017; Oakley et al., 1995)
Narrative Citations: Barris (2017) and Oakley et al. (1995)

TED Talk

Reference Examples:

Giertz, S. (2018, April). Why you should make useless things [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/simone_giertz_why_you_should_make_useless_things

TED. (2012, March 16). Brené Brown: Listening to shame [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psN1DORYYV0

Parenthetical Citations: (Giertz, 2018; TED, 2012)
Narrative Citations: Giertz (2018) and TED (2012)

Webinar

Reference Example:

Goldberg, J. F. (2018). Evaluating adverse drug effects [Webinar]. American Psychiatric Association. https://education.psychiatry.org/Users/ProductDetails.aspx?ActivityID=6172

Parenthetical Citation: (Goldberg, 2018)
Narrative Citation: Goldberg (2018)

YouTube Video (or other streamed video)

Reference Examples:

Cutts, S. (2017, November 24). Happiness [Video]. Vimeo. https://vimeo.com/244405542

Fogarty, M. [Grammar Girl]. (2016, September 30). How to diagram a sentence (absolute basics) [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/deiEY5Yq1ql

University of Oxford. (2018, December 6). How do geckos walk on water? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm1xGfOZJc8

Parenthetical Citations: (Cutts, 2017; Fogarty, 2016; University of Oxford, 2018)
Narrative Citations: Cutts (2017), Fogarty (2016), and University of Oxford (2018)

Reference Examples: Websites and Social Media

Use the poster's (or commenter's) real name, if provided, followed by the username in brackets, if provided. If only the username is available, do not place it in brackets, and capitalize the first letter of the username.

Most social media posts and comments do not have titles, so if a title isn't available, provide up to the first 20 words instead. Replicate emojis, if possible in the format you are using, or describe them within square brackets, if not. Include a description of any audiovisuals within square brackets, as well.

Comment on an Online Periodical Article or Post

Follow the text of the post used in place of the title with the term "Comment on the article" and the title of the article being commented on within quotation marks and in sentence case, all of which enclosed within square brackets. See the example below.

Provide the specific URL to the comment itself, if available (this can usually be found by clicking on the timestamp on the comment).

Reference Example:

KS in NJ. (2019, January 15). From this article, it sounds like men are figuring something out that women have known forever. I know of many [Comment on the article "How workout buddies can help stave off loneliness"]. The Washington Post. https://wapo.st/2HDToGJ

Parenthetical Citation: (KS in NJ, 2019)
Narrative Citation: KS in NJ (2019)

Mobile App

Reference Example:

Epocrates. (2019). Epocrates medical references (Version 18.12) [Mobile app]. App Store. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/epocrates/id281935788?mt=8

Parenthetical Citation: (Epocrates, 2019)
Narrative Citation: Epocrates (2019)

Entry in a Mobile App Reference Work

Reference Example:

Epocrates. (2019). Interaction check: Aspirin + sertraline. In Epocrates medical references (Version 18.12) [Mobile app]. Google Play Store. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.epocrates&hl=en_US

Parenthetical Citation: (Epocrates, 2019)
Narrative Citation: Epocrates (2019)

Social Post on Platform with Handles - Instagram, X (Twitter), Reddit, etc.

Reference Examples:

APA Education [@APAEducation]. (2018, June 29). College students are forming mental-health clubs - and they're making a difference @washingtonpost [Thumbnail with link attached] [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/apaeducation/status/1012810490530140161

Bandlands National Park [@BadlandsNPS]. (2018, February 26). Biologists have identified more than 400 different plant species growing in @BandlandsNPS #DYK #biodiversity [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/BadlandsNPS/status/968196500412133379

White, B. [@BettyMWhite]. (2018, June 21). I treasure every minute we spent together #koko [Image attached] [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/BettyMWhite/status/1009951892846227456

Zeitz MOCAA [@zeitzmocaa]. (2018, November 26). Grade 6 learners from Parkfields Primary School in Hanover Park visited the museum for a tour and workshop hosted by [Photographs]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/BqpHpjFBs3b/

The New York Public Library [@nypl]. (n.d.). The raven [Highlight]. Instagram. Retrieved April 16, 2019, from https://bitly.com/2FV8bu3

National Aeronautics and Space Administration [nasa]. (2018, September 12). I'm NASA astronaut Scott Tingle. Ask me anything about adjusting to being back on Earth after my first spaceflight! [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/9fagqy/im_nasa_astronaut_scott_tingle_ask_me_anything/

Parenthetical Citations: (APA Education, 2018; Badlands National Park, 2018; White, 2018; Zeitz MOCAA, 2018; The New York Public Library, n.d.; National Aeronautics and Space Administration, 2018)
Narrative Citations: APA Education (2018), Badlands National Park (2018), White (2018), Zeitz MOCAA (2018), The New York Public Library (n.d.), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (2018)

Social Post on Platform without Handles - Facebook, Tumblr, LinkedIn, etc.

Reference Examples:

Gaiman, N. (2018, March 22). 100,000+ Rohingya refugees could be at serious risk during Bangladesh's monsoon season. My fellow UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Cate Blanchett is [Image attached] [Status update]. Facebook. http://bit.ly/2JQxPAD

National Institute of Mental Health. (2018, November 28). Suicide affects all ages, genders, races, and ethnicities. Check out these 5 Action Steps for Helping Someone in Emotional Pain [Infographic]. Facebook. http://bit.ly/321Qstq

Parenthetical Citations: (Gaiman, 2018; National Institute of Mental Health, 2018; News From Science, 2018)
Narrative Citations: Gaiman (2018), National Institute of Mental Health (2018), and News From Science (2018)

Webpage on a Website with a Group Author

Note that when the group author and site name are the same, you can omit the site name from the source section of the citation.

Reference Examples:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, January 23). People at high risk of developing flu-related complications. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/high_risk.htm

World Health Organization. (2018, March). Questions and answers on immunization and vaccine safety. https://www.who.int/features/qa/84/en/

Parenthetical Citations: (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018; World Health Organization, 2018)
Narrative Citations: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2018) and World Health Organization (2018)

Webpage on a Website that Requires a Retrieval Date

Include a retrieval date when the contents of the page are designed to change frequently, and is not archived, such as a weather report or ongoing news updates.

Reference Example:

U.S. Census Bereau. (n.d.). U.S. and world population clock. U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved July 3, 2019, from https://www.census.gov/popclock/

Parenthetical Citation: (U.S. Census Bureau, n.d.)
Narrative Citation: U.S. Census Bureau (n.d.)