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Basic Structure

Article Within a Book

Citation for a Translated Book

Citation for a Multivolume Work

Citation for an Ebook or Audiobook

More Tips

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Citing a book in APA format involves creating an in-text citation that refers to a source listed on your reference page.APA formatis the official style of theAmerican Psychological Associationand is used in both academic and professional writing.

Before you create a reference page for your papers, essays, articles, or reports, it is important to learn how to format your citations inproper APA style. This style dictates certain rules and guidelines for different types of references, including books.

Not all book citations are the same in APA style. The format may vary depending on a number of factors including the type of book and number of authors.

At a GlanceIf you are writing a paper in psychology or another social science, you will need to know how to create citations for books and other sources you plan to use as references. The format for your citations will vary somewhat depending on the type of book. For example, a citation for a book with a single author is a little different than an edited book that includes multiple authors. Most sources include the author’s last name and first initials, publication year, book title, edition, and publisher.

At a Glance

If you are writing a paper in psychology or another social science, you will need to know how to create citations for books and other sources you plan to use as references. The format for your citations will vary somewhat depending on the type of book. For example, a citation for a book with a single author is a little different than an edited book that includes multiple authors. Most sources include the author’s last name and first initials, publication year, book title, edition, and publisher.

APA Book Citation: Basic Structure

Thebasic structureof a book reference should list the author’s last name, the first initial of their first name, the first initial of their middle name (if applicable), publication year, book title, edition (if it isn’t the first), and publisher.

This is the same format for both books and ebooks. If the source has a DOI link, that should also be included at the end of the reference.

The following example shows one citation with a DOI hyperlink and the second without. Note the punctuation and style. The year of publication is in parentheses. The book title is italicized and in sentence case, and the edition information is in parentheses.

Book Citations in APAJackson, L. M. (2019).The psychology of prejudice: From attitudes to social action(2nd ed.). American Psychological Association.https://doi.org/10.1037/0000168-000Rogers, C. R. (1961).On becoming a person.Houghton Mifflin.

Book Citations in APA

Jackson, L. M. (2019).The psychology of prejudice: From attitudes to social action(2nd ed.). American Psychological Association.https://doi.org/10.1037/0000168-000Rogers, C. R. (1961).On becoming a person.Houghton Mifflin.

Jackson, L. M. (2019).The psychology of prejudice: From attitudes to social action(2nd ed.). American Psychological Association.https://doi.org/10.1037/0000168-000

Rogers, C. R. (1961).On becoming a person.Houghton Mifflin.

This basic format can be used for many types of books that have a single author or multiple authors. However, you may need to use one of the following formats for books that are edited, have no author, are translated, or require some specialized formatting.

Edited books with one or more authors will include the names of the editors in the citation. It should follow the basic structure of a book reference but also include the first name initial, last name, and “Ed.” for one editor or “Eds.” for multiple editors in parentheses after the book title. Use an ampersand to separate multiple authors and multiple editors.

Adler, A. (1956).The individual psychology of Alfred Adler: A systematic presentation of selections from his writings.(H. L. Ansbacher, & R. R. Ansbacher, Eds.). Basic Books.Marson, G., Keenan-Miller, D., & Costin, C. (2020).The binge eating prevention workbook.(M. Solis, Ed.). New Harbinger Publications.

Adler, A. (1956).The individual psychology of Alfred Adler: A systematic presentation of selections from his writings.(H. L. Ansbacher, & R. R. Ansbacher, Eds.). Basic Books.

Marson, G., Keenan-Miller, D., & Costin, C. (2020).The binge eating prevention workbook.(M. Solis, Ed.). New Harbinger Publications.

If the book is anything other than the first edition, it should also be noted in parentheses after the title of the book, with no italics. Remember, you don’t need to include the publisher’s location.

Atkinson, J. W., & Rayner, J. O. (Eds.). (1974).Motivation and achievement.V. H. Winston.

Citation for an Article Featured in an Edited Book

Citing an Article in a BookBartol, C. R., & Bartol, A. M. (2005). History of forensic psychology. In I. B. Weiner, & A. K. Hess (Eds.),The Handbook of Forensic Psychology(pp.1-27). Wiley.

Citing an Article in a Book

Bartol, C. R., & Bartol, A. M. (2005). History of forensic psychology. In I. B. Weiner, & A. K. Hess (Eds.),The Handbook of Forensic Psychology(pp.1-27). Wiley.

The first initials and last name of the translator and the notation “Trans.” should then be included in parentheses. Next, provide the publisher and the original year of publication.

Citing a TranslatorFreud, S. (1914).The psychopathology of everyday life(A. A. Brill, Trans.). T. Fisher Unwin. (Original work published 1901).

Citing a Translator

Freud, S. (1914).The psychopathology of everyday life(A. A. Brill, Trans.). T. Fisher Unwin. (Original work published 1901).

If you’re referencing a republished book, the in-text citation should include both the original and republished date. For example, if you were to reference the publication above in text, you would write “(Freud, 1901/1914)” for a parenthetical citation.

You list the specific volumes in parentheses, using a hyphen between digits. You then list the name of the publisher.

Citing a Multivolume WorkHarris, K. R., Graham, S., & Urdan T. (Eds.). (2012).APA educational psychology handbook(Vols. 1–3). American Psychological Association.

Citing a Multivolume Work

Harris, K. R., Graham, S., & Urdan T. (Eds.). (2012).APA educational psychology handbook(Vols. 1–3). American Psychological Association.

If the ebook or audiobook is also in print and the content is the same, you can cite it the same way you would a print book. However, with audiobooks, you might wish to call out specific information such as the narrator’s name.

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

Citing an Audiobook

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)

In-text citations of an audio source should also add the relevant time or time ranges of the information you are citing. This should be listed as hours, minutes, and seconds.

More Tips for APA Book Citations

It may seem like there’s a lot of information to keep in mind as you cite books in APA style. But remember, the more you practice, the easier it gets!

As you use citations throughout your paper, you’ll want to make sure you keep track of them separately so you can add them to your reference page at the end.

Citations vs. ReferencesTraditionally the term “citation” is used to refer to an in-text source, while “reference " is the correct term for a source listed on the reference page of an APA format paper.

Citations vs. References

Traditionally the term “citation” is used to refer to an in-text source, while “reference " is the correct term for a source listed on the reference page of an APA format paper.

The following are some helpful tips to keep in mind as you write an APA-style reference paper:

SummaryAPA citations are an integral part of writing in APA style. It’s best to consult the latest edition of the “Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association"to stay up to date on all guidelines and helpful tips.

Summary

APA citations are an integral part of writing in APA style. It’s best to consult the latest edition of the “Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association"to stay up to date on all guidelines and helpful tips.

3 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 7th ed. American Psychological Association; 2020.APA Style.How to cite translated works.American Psychological Association.Book/ebook references.

3 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American Psychological Association.Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 7th ed. American Psychological Association; 2020.APA Style.How to cite translated works.American Psychological Association.Book/ebook references.

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

American Psychological Association.Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 7th ed. American Psychological Association; 2020.APA Style.How to cite translated works.American Psychological Association.Book/ebook references.

American Psychological Association.Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 7th ed. American Psychological Association; 2020.

APA Style.How to cite translated works.

American Psychological Association.Book/ebook references.

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