APA Referencing Guide
APA Referencing
APA referencing style is a commonly used citation style, particularly in social sciences. APA referencing shares a lot of similarities with Harvard style of citation. However, there are significant differences as well. The guide below will give you the general format used for citing various sources in APA referencing style.
General APA Referencing Guidelines
When using APA referencing, ensure that your work is typed and double-spaced. The paper should be of standard size (8.5″ x 11″). Your work should be one-inch margin on every side. The font used should be legible. The preferable font when using APA referencing style is Times New Roman Font 12 pt.
Your manuscript should have a page header (‘running head”) at the top of each page. The running head is like the short form of the title of your work; thus it should not be more than 50 characters.
A paper written in APA format has four main sections: the Title Page, the Abstract, Main Body, and the References.
The title page should have the title of the work, the name of the author, and the institutional affiliation. The page header must appear on the title page. Your page header will look as follows:
Running head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER
All the pages that follow after the title page will have a header that looks as follows:
TITLE OF YOUR PAPER
Write your running head in the correct APA referencing format.
The title should be upper and lowercase letters. It must be centered in the top half of the page. According to APA referencing, titles should not exceed 12 words. Avoid abbreviations and words that have no significance to the title. Your entire paper must be double-spaced; the title page is no exception. After the title, type the name of the author: first name, middle initial(s), and last name. Use of titles (Dr.) or degrees (Ph.D.) is prohibited. After the name of the author, type the institutional affiliation. It should state where you did your research.
If you are asked to include an abstract or if the nature of your work requires one, type it on a fresh page. The abstract page must have the page header we mentioned above. On the top of the abstract page, type the word “Abstract” and center it (it should not be underlined, in bold, italics or quotation marks). Write a summary of your research findings below the word “Abstract.” Mention the topic under study, research questions, participants, methodology, results, analysis, and conclusion. You can also add the implications of your study and discuss if there is a need for future work. Your abstract should be a paragraph long. Do not exceed 250 words. Also, do not write anything below 150 words. If you decide to include keywords, indent as if you are beginning a new paragraph, and type the word “Keywords.” Put it in italics and list all your keywords.
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APA Referencing Format
When writing the APA reference list, indent all the sources from the second line henceforth. All the sources in the reference list should be arranged in alphabetical order by the author’s surname. If you used multiples sources by the same author, list them chronologically by the year they were published.
Direct and indirect citations are allowed in APA referencing style.
Direct: ‘Successful people are determined” (Jonas, 2014, p.5).’
Indirect: ‘Jonas (2013) noted that determination is vital for success.’
APA referencing has in-text citations in the body of the written paper and a reference list at the end that gives information about all the sources that were mentioned in the main text.
APA in-text citations follow the author-date format. That means that the last name of the author and the year the source was published should appear in the text. As illustrated above, page numbers should only be included in the in-text citation if you are quoting a source directly. If a source has three or more authors, mention all of them in the first in-text citation. Use et al., for all the subsequent citations.
First citation: Parker, Smith, and Harvey (2007)
Subsequent citations: Parker et al. (2007)
Join the names of the author with the word ‘and’ in the body of the text. Do not do this if you insert parenthesis. An ampersand (&) should be used instead.
Main body: Jenner, Anderson, and Moore (2006) argued that treating people with the narcissistic personality disorder is nearly impossible.
Within parenthesis: In most cases, treating people with a narcissistic personality disorder is nearly impossible (Jenner, Anderson & Moore, 2006).
Books
APA Referencing Format for Books with One or Two Authors
Author surname, initial of first name. (Year). Book title (sentence case). Edition (except the first edition). City of publication: Name of Publisher.
For place/city of publishing” always list the city and the state using the two letter postal abbreviation without periods (Washington, DC).
Example:
Craig, E. (2012). Making perfume. New York, NY: Random House Publishing Group.
Craig, E. (2012). Making perfume. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Random House Publishing Group.
Phil, J. & Cameron, D. (2009). Rethinking schizophrenia: A textbook of psychology. New York, NY: Random House Publishing Group.
Citing Books with Three or More Authors Using APA Referencing
If a book has been authored by three to seven people, follow the following rules: List the names of all the authors in the first citation. For subsequent citations, list the name of the first author followed by ‘et al.’ (which means ‘and others’).
However, when writing the reference section, list all the authors as they appear in the original source.
Author surname, initial of first name., Author surname, initial of first name., and Author surname, initial of first name. (Year). Book Title. City of publication: Name of Publisher.
Example:
Spencer, M., Kirby, A. and Christopher, J. (2009). Climate change. Washington DC: Random House Publishing Group.
Bruce, M., Kennedy, P., Owens, D. and Jonas, K. (2006). Human activities and adverse climatic conditions. Washington, DC: Random House Publishing Group.
Edited Book with One Author or Multiple Authors
Bernard, M. (1997). The unexplored planet. K. V. Kukil (Ed.). New York, NY: Random House Publishers.
Citing a Chapter in an Edited Book Using APA Referencing
For single chapter citations, make sure you add (pp.) to indicate the chapter range. The edition of the book must appear in your citation if you are citing an individual chapter. However, this is not necessary for other books unless they are not in their first edition.
Author surname, initial of first name. (Year). Chapter Title. In: B. B. Editor &C. C. Editor (Eds.), Title of Book (pages of chapter). City of publication: Name of Publisher.
Example:
Fisher, M. (2012). The role of social interventions in treating mental disorders. In: B. R. Weller (Ed.), overcoming mental illness (pp. 23-37). New York, NY: Random House Publishing Group.
Edited Book, Author’s Name Not Given
Whitney, J. R., & Anderson, L. (Eds.). (2005). Women empowerment. New York, NY: Random House Publishing Group.
Citing Multiple Books Authored by the Same Person Using APA Referencing
When writing your essay, differentiate the author’s works using the year of publication. List them chronologically by year of publication. If you use two works authored by the same person and published in the same year, add alphabetical letters (‘a’, ‘b’, ‘c, ‘d’ and so forth) after the year.
Author surname, Initial of first name. (Year of publication). Title of book. Edition (except the first). City of publication: Name of Publisher.
Example:
Cohen, M. (2011). Neurological disorders. New York, NY: Random House Publishing Group.
Cohen, M. (2014). Learning disabilities. New York, NY: Random House Publishing Group.
Cohen, M. (2015a). Psychological disabilities. New York, NY: Random House Publishing Group.
Cohen, M. (2015b). Intellectual disabilities. New York, NY: Random House Publishing Group.
A Translation
Hawkins, S. J. (2004). Brain damage and personality change. (L.P. Farrell & M.W. Douglas, Trans.). New York, NY: Random House. (Original work published 1951)
Multivolume Work
Anderson, W. (Ed.). (2006). Textbook of medical terms (Vols. 1-6). New York, NY: Random House Publishers.
Articles
Citing Print Journals Using APA referencing
When citing journals according to APA referencing, start with the last name of the author, followed by the initial of their first name and the year of publication (in parenthesis). The title of the journal article is put in sentence case. Put the name of the journal in title case and italicize it. Afterward, the volume number is added and italicized.
When citing journals using APA referencing, apply the same rule that was used for books regarding the number of authors. If a journal has been authored by three or more people, list all their names in the first citation. For subsequent citations, list the name of the first author followed by ‘et al’. Nevertheless, list all the authors in the reference list as they appear in the original work. Do not follow this rule for eight or more authors. Instead, format them as shown below and list them in full in the ‘notes’ section.
One Author
Author surname, Initial of first name. (Year). Article Title (in sentence case). Journal name, Volume (Issue), Page/s.
Example:
Crouch, P. (2003). Acute dysfunctional behaviors. Journal of Psychology, 7(5), 25-39.
More Than Seven Authors
1st Author surname, Initial of first name, 2nd Author surname, Initial of first name, 3rd Author surname, Initial of first name, 4th Author surname, Initial of first name, 5th Author surname, Initial of first name, 6th Author surname, Initial of first name, … Last author surname, Initial of first name. (Year). Article Title (in sentence case). Journal name, Volume number (Issue), Page/s.
Eight or more authors:
Barnes, M. P., Brady, P., Adams, H., Wilson, R., Williams, S., Garfield, A.,…Shaw, L.P. (2013). Alternating mood states. Journal of Psychology, 6(4), 77-92.
Complete author list: Barnes, M. P., Brady, P., Adams, H., Wilson, R., Williams, S., Garfield, A., Olsen, T., Dawkins, M. E., Gilmore, J., Scott, D., Shaw, L.P.
Citing Journal Articles Accessed on a Website or Database using APA Referencing
When citing an online journal, the in-text citations are similar to those of a print article. However, there are a few differences in the reference list. The difference is that when using APA referencing, you should give the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) of the source you used. If the DOI is not provided, cite the URL of the source.
Author surname, Initial of first name. (Year). Article Title. Journal name, Volume (Issue), Page/s. DOI: DOI link
Author surname, Initial of first name. (Year). Article Title. Journal name, Volume (Issue), Page/s. Retrieved from: URL.
Example:
Garwood, J. (2007). Eating disorders. Journal of Psychology, 4(7), 12-28. http://doi.org/jgarwoodeatingdisorders
Garwood, J. (2007). Eating disorders. Journal of Psychology. 4(7), 12-28. Retrieved from: http://www.journalofpsychology.com/jgarwoodeatingdisorders
Citing a Print or Online Newspaper Using APA Referencing
Online newspapers and magazines are cited the same way as journal articles with some variations in format. For instance, p. or pp. comes before page numbers for a newspaper reference.
Author surname, Initial of first name. (Year). Article title. Newspaper name, Page/s.
Author surname, Initial of first name. (Year). Article Title. Newspaper name. Retrieved from:
Example:
Randall, P. (2014, November 15). Unusual eating behaviors among teenage girls. Healthy Mind Magazine, p.3.
Parker, M. (2013, February 16). Anorexia. The New York Times. Retrieved from www.thenewyorktimes.com/anorexia2013
Online sources
Citing Websites Using APA Referencing
Make sure you establish the authorship of a website if you use it as a source. The authorship might be credited to a person, organization or a website name. If the date has not been provided, write ‘n.d’ instead of the year.
Author/Source if no specific author (Year). Web document/page Title. Retrieved from: URL.
Example:
MentalHealth (2014). Overcoming disproportionate concerns about food and weight. Retrieved from: www.mentalhealtharticles.com/overcomingdisproportionateconcernsaboutfoodandweight
APA Referencing Format for Social Media
Provide a retrieval date for sources that experience dramatic changes such as live feeds. However, do not follow this rule, if the post has a set date.
Author Surname, Initial of first name. (Year, Day Month). Title of page/ up to the first 40 words of post [Social media format]. Retrieved from: URL.
Example:
Brown, R. (2015, September 12). Mental Health group [Facebook]. Retrieved from: www.facebook.com/mentalhealthgroupbrownr2015
Images/visual mediums
Citing Films/Videos/Motion Picture Using APA Referencing
General format
Producer’s surname, initial of first name, & Director’s surname, initial of first name (Director). (Year). Film/video/DVD title [format]. Country of origin: Film studio or maker.
Example:
Robbins, L. (Producer) & Stanley, C. (Director). (2008). Two Sides [film]. USA: Willey Studios.
If a movie or video has limited availability in the sense that it cannot be distributed beyond certain jurisdictions, add the distributer name, full address, and zip code after your citation.
Perkins, N. (Producer) & Franklin, D. (Director). (2005). Mirage [Motion Picture]. (Available from Willey’s University Pictures, 400 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN 40900)
Citing YouTube Videos Using APA Referencing
Username of contributor. (Year, Day Month). Video Title, Series Title (if relevant). [type of medium]. Retrieved from: URL.
Example:
Healthyminds. (2010, 15 February). Exercise and improved concentration. Better Focus 5. [YouTube video]. Available at: www.youtube.com/ healthymindsexercise [Accessed 24 August 2013].
Citing Broadcasts Using APA Referencing
Television Broadcast
Executive Producer’s surname, initial of first name (Executive Producer). (Year, Month Day). Name of programme [Medium]. City of recording: Network.
Example:
Lucas, F. (Producer). (2011, June 5). Healthy you [Television broadcast]. New York, NY: Central Broadcasting Network.
Television Series
Peterson, G. R. (Producer). (2004). Friendly neighbors [Television series]. Hollywood, CA: Beverly Hills Broadcasting Company.
Single Episode of a Television Series
Writer surname, Initial of first name, & Director surname, Initial name of director. Episode title [Television series episode]. In P. Producer (Producer), Title of series. City, state of origin: Studio or distributor.
Wright, R. M. (Writer), & Emerson, B. C. (Director). (1997). Red planet [Television series episode]. In J. Jackson (Producer), Exploring Mars. Los Angeles, CA: Willey’s Studios.
Citing Print or Online Images/Photographs Using APA Referencing
Surname of artist/photographer, initial of first name). (Year of production). Image Title. [type of medium] City where image original can be found: Place/institution where image can be found.
Surname of artist/photographer, initial of first name). (Year of production). Image Title. [type of medium]. Retrieved from: URL.
Example:
Howard, H. (2003). The two-edged sword. [Photograph]. New York: City Photography Library.
Howard, H. (2003). The two-edged sword. [Photograph]. Retrieved from: www.cityphotos.comhhowardtwoedgedsword
Citing Podcasts Using APA Referencing
Name of Broadcaster/author. (Year, Month Day). Title of programme, title of series (if relevant). [type of medium]. Retrieved from: URL.
Example:
Edwards, F. (2014, June 14). Sleep and Memory [Episode 4]. Improved Brain Function. Podcast retrieved from: www.brainypodcasts.com/healthymindssleepandmemory
Audio Podcast
Bennett, M., & Scott, G. (2003, June 6). Oats for breakfast. Health @ Healthy Eating Podcast. Podcast retrieved from http://health.healthy.eating/podcast.htm
Other source types
Citing Online or Print Reports Using APA Referencing
Organisation/author. (Year). Title of report in full. Place of publication: Name of Publisher.
Organisation/author. (Year). Title of report in full. Retrieved from: URL.
Example:
Jack and Johnson. (2012). A report on new treatment modalities for personality disorders. New York: Random House Publishers.
Jack and Johnson. (2012). A report on new treatment modalities for personality disorders. Retrieved from www.jaandjorantreatmentmodalitiesdisorders.com
Citing Dissertations Using APA Referencing
Author surname, initial of first name. (Year). Dissertation title. Level. University name (official name)
Example:
Stern, H. (2004). Emotional Disabilities. Masters level. Howard University
Citing Government/Official Publications Using APA Referencing
Organisation/author. (Year). Title of report in full. Place of publication: Name of Publisher.
Organisation/author. (Year). Title of report in full. Retrieved from: URL.
Example:
USA Government. (2015). Drug Abuse and Criminality. Washington: Government Publications.
Citing presentations/lectures using APA referencing
Author surname, Initial of first name. (Year). Title of Presentation/lecture [file format]. Retrieved from: URL (if accessed online).
Example:
Humphreys, G. (2012). Bipolar Disorder [PowerPoint presentation].
Citing Music Using APA Referencing
Surname of performer/writer, initial of first name. (Year). Title of song [Recorded by artist if they are different from the song writer]. On Title of album [Medium of recording]. City published: music label.
Example:
Whitmore, J. (2001). Dreamer [Recorded by Charles Morton]. On Delirious. [CD]. New York, USA: Dexterity Music.
Citing Dictionaries Using APA Referencing
Name of publisher. (Year). Title of dictionary in full. Place of publication: Name of Publisher.
Example:
Smith. (2011). Smith’s new dictionary. New York: Random House Publishers.
Citing Computer Programs/Software Using APA Referencing
Programming languages and standard office software such as Excel and Word are not cited.
Name of company or person who made the Software/program. (Year). Software Name (Version if applicable). [type of software]. Retrieved from: URL if applicable.
Example:
Anderson, H. (2010). ExerciseGur [mobile software]. New York: Worth.
If the software was downloaded from a web site provide the version of the software and the year when it is available.
Anderson, H. (2010). ExerciseGur (Version 10) [mobile software]. Available from http://www.innovativesolutions.gur/exer/
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