Seneca Libraries APA Style Guide

APA manual book cover
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
REF BF 76.7.P83 2010

In-Text Citation (Parenthetical Citation)

Quick Rules for a References List

Sample References List

JOURNALS & MAGAZINES
 
NEWSPAPERS
 
BOOKS
 
OTHER SOURCES

You must "cite" sources that you have paraphrased, quoted or otherwise used to write your research paper. Cite your sources in two places:

(1) In the body of your paper where you add a brief in-text citation.

(2) In the References list at the end of your paper where you give more complete information for the source.

At the end of my paper, how do I cite:

IN-TEXT CITATION

In-text citations are inserted in the body of your research paper to briefly document the source of your information. Brief in-text citations point the reader to more complete information in the reference list at the end of the paper.

  • In-text citations include the last name of the author followed by a comma and the publication year enclosed in parentheses: (Smith, 2007).
  • If the author's name is not given, then use the first word or words of the title: (Naturopathic, 2007).


Paraphrasing (using your own words)

  • When you write the information in your own words, cite the source as follows:

Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt, 1993).

Or if you use the author's name in the sentence, then, include the year of publication following his/her name:

Hunt (1993) notes that mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research after the publication of John Bowlby's studies.

Quoting directly (taking words directly from a source)

  • When you quote directly from a source, enclose the words in quotation marks and add the page number to the in-text citation:
    Mother-infant attachment has been a leading topic of developmental research since John Bowlby found that "children raised in institutions were deficient in emotional and personality development" (Hunt, 1993, p. 358).

 

  • When you quote from electronic sources that do not provide page numbers (like Web pages), cite the heading and the paragraph number following it:

    Bowlby described "three phases of the separation response: protest, despair, and detachment" (Garelli, 2001, Bowlby's Initial Stance section, para. 3).

Works by More Than One Author

r works with more than one author

When you don't know the author

  • When the author is not named, include the first one, two or three word(s) of the title and the year of publication.
Examples of in-text and reference list citation where the author is unknown


How are these citations inserted in the text?: Examples

Professionals in Naturopathic medicine may suggest lifestyle changes in addition to prescribing alternate medications (Naturopathic, 2007).

Those that do not follow the diet correctly are risking unexpected side effects ("Atkins Cheaters", 2006).

For more information about in-text citation please see the Seneca Guide to Integrating Quotations and Paraphrasing Content (APA Style)

QUICK RULES FOR A REFERENCES LIST


Your research paper ends with a list of all the sources cited in the text of the paper. Here are eight quick rules for this References list.

  1. Start a new page for your References list. Centre the title, References, at the top of the page.
  2. Double-space the list.
  3. Start the first line of each reference at the left margin; indent each subsequent line five spaces (a hanging indent).
  4. Put your list in alphabetical order. Alphabetize the list by the first word in the reference. In most cases, the first word will be the author’s last name. Where the author is unknown, alphabetize by the first word in the title, ignoring the words a, an, the.
  5. For each author, give the last name followed by a comma and the first (and middle, if listed) initials followed by periods.
  6. Italicize the titles of works: books, audiovisual material, internet documents and newspapers, and the title and volume number of journals and magazines.
  7. Do not italicize titles of parts of works, such as: articles from newspapers, magazines, or journals / essays, poems, short stories or chapter titles from a book / chapters or sections of an Internet document.
  8. In titles of non-periodicals (books, videotapes, websites, reports, poems, essays, chapters, etc), capitalize only the first letter of the first word of a title and subtitle, and all proper nouns (names of people, places, organizations, nationalities).
  9. If more than one place of publication is listed give the publisher's home office. If the home office is not given or known then choose the first location listed.

Sample references list

JOURNALS and MAGAZINES: In Print

  • Italicize the name and volume number of the journal or magazine, but not the issue or page numbers.
  • Italicize the journal or magazine title and capitalize all important words within it.
Type of Document References List Entry In-Text Citation

Journal

Article

Paginated

by Issue

 

Example of a journal paginated by issue

Include the issue number only if the page numbering begins at 1 for each issue.

"Quoted passage"

(Marshall, 2008, p. 30)

OR

Paraphrased statement

(Marshall, 2008)

Journal

Article

Not Paginated

by Issue

Example of a print journal not paginated by issue

(Fan, 2008)

Magazine

Article

Weekly

Magazine

Example of citing a magazine article from a weekly magazine

(Pekar, 2008)

Magazine

Article

Monthly

Magazine

Example of citing an article from a monthly magazine

(Anderson & Anderson, 2003)

Article

Not Signed

Example of citing an unsigned article

("Outsmart Your Cravings," 2008)

Use double quotation marks around the title of an article or chapter in your in-text citation.

Article

Signed

Anonymous

Example of citing an article that is signed Anonymous

(Anonymous, 2008)

Photo/

Graphic

from a

Magazine

Reproduced

in Your

Research

Paper

In-Text Citation Only

  • References for photos/graphics are placed directly below the photo in the body of your research paper.

Basic format for graphs, charts, maps, drawings, and photographs is:

Figure X. Description of the figure. Adapted from "Title of Article", by A. A. Author, and B. B. Author, year, day, (magazine) or year (journal), Title of Magazine or Journal, volume number, page(s). Copyright year by name of copyright holder.

Example of image from Sports Digest

NOTE: If you refer to the photo later in the text of your paper use the figure number and a description.

NEWSPAPERS: In Print

  • For newspaper articles, precede pages by "p." for a single page or "pp." for more than one page.
  • Italicize the newspaper title and capitalize all important words within it.
Type of Document References List Entry In-Text Citation

Newspaper Article

 

Example of citing a newspaper article from The Toronto Star

If the article appears on discontinuous page numbers, list all page numbers separated by commas, e.g., A9, A11, A13.

(Schiller, 2008)

Newspaper Article

Unknown
Author

Example of a newspaper article with an unknown author

("Ontario has enough", 2004)

JOURNAL, MAGAZINE AND NEWSPAPERS ARTICLES: From a Library Database

To cite journal, magazine and newspaper articles from a library database:

  • Begin by citing the article as you would a print article. Follow examples provided under Journals and Magazines: In Print and under Newspapers: In Print.
  • Some electronic content is assigned a unique number called a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). If a DOI is provided for an article, include it after the page number(s) of the article as doi:doi number (you do not need to put a period after a DOI number).
  • If no DOI number is given, Seneca Libraries recommends that you add Retrieved from ______________ database as opposed to the URL for an article or database. This is to avoid difficulties with links.
  • Note: If you would like to look up an article from a DOI number, click here and enter the DOI number where indicated.
Type of Document References List Entry In-Text Citation

Journal Article

from a
Library Database

with a DOI

Example of an article from Land Use Policy with a DOI

When citing an article from a database, start by following formats for a print journal, magazine, or newspaper article.

First in-text citation:

(Bryan, Ward, & Hobbs, 2008)

Subsequent in-text citations:

(Bryan et al., 2008)

Journal Article

from a
Library Database

without a DOI

(Snow, 2008)

Review Article

Article with
a Title

citation example of a review article with a title

(Ashman, 2006)

Review Article

Article with
No Title

Example of citing a book review  article where the article has no title

(Kessel, 2007)

JOURNAL, MAGAZINE AND NEWSPAPER ARTICLES: From the Internet

For articles accessed directly from the Internet (and not from a library database):

 

Type of Document References List Entry In-Text Citation

Internet

Article

Newspaper

Example of an article from the online version of Globe and Mail newspaper

(Campbell, 2008)

Internet

Article

Journal

Example of citing a journal article from the internet

(Bolduc, 2008)

BOOKS: In Print

Basic Format (One Author)

Example of a book with one author

Type of Document References List Entry In-Text Citation

Second

or

Later

Edition

Example of citing the seventh edition of Canadian advertising in action

The abbreviation ed. stands for edition. If a book is a first edition, you do not need to list the edition in your citation.

(Tuckwell, 2006)

Two to

Seven

Authors

Example of a book with two authors

(Ansel & Stoklosa, 2006)

For in-text examples with three or more authors see "Works by More Than One Author" table

More

Than

Seven

Authors

example of a citing a book with more than seven authors

For six or more authors:

(Brown et al., 2008)

For more information on in-text citation for more than one author see "Works by More Than One Author" table

Unknown

Author

Example of a book where the author is not known

(Best Cover Letters, 2008)

Use the first few words of the title, omitting initial articles such as "The"

Corporate

Author

 

example of citing a book with a corporate author

(National Fire Protection Association, 2006)

Multi-

Volume

Work

with

Editors

(Ettinger & Feldmen, 2000)

Article/

Chapter/

Essay/

Short Story

from an

Edited Work

(Eamer, 2007)

Encyclopedia /Dictionary

Signed

Article

Example of an entry from World Book Encyclopedia that is signed

(King & Wester, 1998)

Encyclopedia /Dictionary

Unsigned

Article

Example of a citation of an encyclopedia article with no authors given

("Crop circles", 2007)

Use double quotation marks around the title of an article or chapter

Government

Document

Example of a government document from Health Council of Canada

When the author is also the publisher, put the word "Author" in the publisher position.

(Health Council of Canada, 2007)

Statistics
Canada

Document

Example of a citation for a Statistics Canada document

(Statistics Canada, 2008)

BOOKS: From a Library Database - eBooks and Reference Information

Type of Document References List Entry In-Text Citation

Online Book (eBook)

Originally
Published
in Print

  • Begin by citing the book in the same way you would
    cite a book in print . Do not include place of publication
    and name of publisher for eBooks.
  • Add a DOI number if one is provided
  • If no DOI number is provided, Seneca Libraries
    recommends that you include a retrieval statement:
    Retrieved from ________database.

 

Example of the ebook Java for Dummies that was originally in print

 

 

 

 

 

(Burd, 2007)

Article/
Chapter/
Essay/
Short Story

from an Online Book (eBook)

example of citing a chapter from a an online book

(McCorduck, 2004)

Page/Article

from a Reference Database

The Seneca Libraries have paid for access to several reference databases, including: Access Science - McGraw-Hill Encyclopedia of Science and Technology, Britannica Online, Canadian Encyclopedia Online, Dictionary of Canadian Biography, Financial Post Advisor, Oxford Art Online, etc. These databases provide quick, factual information.

Example of citing a page or article from a reference database

Use double quotation marks around the title of the article

 

("Climate", 2008)


BOOKS: From the Internet

  • If the book was originally published in print and if publication information is available, begin by citing the material as you would cite material from a book in print. End the reference with a retrieval statement: Retrieved Month day, year, from http://_______ (you do not need to end the URL with a period)
  • If the book is an internet-only publication (has not been published in print), treat it as you would a multi-page internet document. Refer to the section Material From the Internet.

OTHER SOURCES: Material from the Internet

  • Use n.d. (no date) when a publication date or date of latest revision is not
    provided.
  • If necessary, break the URL after the double slash following http://
    before a slash or before a period
  • Give a retrieval date (i.e., the date the Web site was viewed) as the content
    of Web sites may change over time.

Basic Format (Corporate Author)

Example of a web site with a corporate author

If the article has no date look for publication or copyright dates at the bottom of the page.

Type of Document References List Entry In-Text Citation

Internet Document

One Author

Example of an internet document Children's literature web guide

(Brown, 2001)

Internet Document

Unknown Author

Example of an document from a website where the author is unknown

When no author is given, begin with the title of the article or document. Use n.d. if a publication or copyright date is not given.

(Thomson/CCBN, 2009)

Use italics for the title of the article or document

Chapter or Section

from an Internet Document

Chapter or Section from an Internet Document

First in-text citation:

(Norris,Nixon, & Murray, 2006)

Subsequent in-text citations:

(Norris et al., 2006)

Posting from a Job website Example of a posting from Workopolis

Use italics for the title of the job posting

(Field Service Technician, 2010)

Online Video

(YouTube)

Example of a citation for an online video from YouTube

Treat the user name the same as you would an author's name

(Kimchieffect, 2007)

Statistics Canada Online Document Example of a Statistics Canada online document

(Statistics Canada, 2007)

Online Image

Reproduced in Your Research Paper

In-Text Citation Only

  • References for images are placed below the image in your research paper.
  • Look for the copyright date and name of the copyright holder at the bottom of the website home page.


  • The basic format for graphs,charts,maps,drawings, and photographs is:

    Figure X. Description of the image. Adapted from "Title of Web Document," by A.A. Author (if given), publication date (if given), Title of Website. Retrieved Month, day, year, from http:// www.websiteaddress.com. Copyright date by name of copyright holder.

    Example of an online image citation

OTHER SOURCES: Video recording/DVD, TV Broadcast, Interviews & Email

Type of Document References List Entry In-Text Citation

Video

Recording

/DVD

 

Example of a citation of a DVD

 

Start with the title of the video recording or DVD when no director, producer or writer's name is known

(Era of Viruses, 2006)

Use italics for the title of the video recording or DVD

Television Series

Episode

 

Example of citing an episode of a television series

Start with the title of the episode when no director, producer or writer's name is known

(War Against Tobacco, 2000)

Omit initial articles such as "The"

Use italics for the title of the episode

Presentation Slides

(Power
Point)

Example of citing presentations slides retrieved from a web site

(Otis, 2009)

Work Quoted Within Another Source

In the References List you list the work you actually read as opposed to the work that is being quoted. In this example there was a quote from Freud within a book by Benjamin:

Example of a citation for the book A bried history of modern psychology

 

 

 

Freud (as cited in Benjamin, 2007, p. 118)

Interview or Email

Example of citing personal communications


The following resources were used in compiling this style guide:

 

Citation for the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 6th edition and the APA style guide to electronic resources

Other APA Resources

Seneca Guide to Integrating Quotations & Paraphrasing Content (APA Style) Canadian content
Provides instructions on how to create in-text citations in a research paper using the APA style.

APA In-Text Citations (from Diana Hacker's Pocket Style Manual)
How to create in-text citations for direct quotes and for ideas and information taken from works of others.

APA Style Sample Paper
An example of an experiment paper formatted in APA Style.

Frequently Asked Questions about APA Style
Frequently asked questions regarding the APA citation style with answers provided by the American Psychological Association.