APA-4 Documenting sources

APA-4b: APA list of references

APA-4bAPA list of references.

As you gather sources for an assignment, you will likely find sources in print, on the Web, and in other places. The information you will need for the reference list at the end of your paper will differ slightly for some sources, but the main principles apply to all sources: You should identify an author, a creator, or a producer whenever possible; give a title; and provide the date on which the source was produced. Some sources will require page numbers; some will require a publisher; and some will require retrieval information.

Directory to APA reference list models

General guidelines for the reference list

Section APA-4b provides specific requirements for and examples of many of the sources you are likely to encounter. When you cite sources, your goals are to show that the sources you’ve used are reliable and relevant to your work, to provide your readers with enough information so that they can find your sources easily, and to provide that information in a consistent way according to APA conventions.

In the list of references, include only sources that you have quoted, summarized, or paraphrased in your paper.

General guidelines for listing authors

The formatting of authors’ names in items 1-12 applies to all sources in print and on the Web—books, articles, Web sites, and so on. For more models of specific source types, see items 13-69.

1. Single author

2. Two to seven authors List up to seven authors by last names followed by initials. Use an ampersand (&) before the name of the last author. (See items 3-5 for citing works with multiple authors in the text of your paper.)

3. Eight or more authors List the first six authors followed by three ellipsis dots and the last author’s name.

Tøttrup, A. P., Klaassen, R. H. G., Kristensen, M. W., Strandberg, R., Vardanis, Y., Lindström, Å., . . . Thorup, K. (2012). Drought in Africa caused delayed arrival of European songbirds. Science, 338, 1307. doi:10.1126/science.1227548

4. Organization as author

5. Unknown author Begin the entry with the work’s title.

6. Author using a pseudonym (pen name) or screen name Use the author’s real name, if known, and give the pseudonym or screen name in brackets exactly as it appears in the source. If only the screen name is known, begin with that name and do not use brackets. (See also items 47 and 68 on citing screen names in social media.)

7. Two or more works by the same author Use the author’s name for all entries. List the entries by year, the earliest first.

Heinrich, B. (2009). Summer world: A season of bounty. New York, NY: Ecco.

Heinrich, B. (2012). Life everlasting: The animal way of death. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

8. Two or more works by the same author in the same year List the works alphabetically by title. In the parentheses, following the year add “a,” “b,” and so on. Use these same letters when giving the year in the in-text citation. (See also APA-5b and item 9.)

Bower, B. (2012a, December 15). Families in flux. Science News, 182(12), 16.

Bower, B. (2012b, November 3). Human-Neandertal mating gets a new date. Science News, 182(9), 8.

9. Editor Begin with the name of the editor or editors; place the abbreviation “Ed.” (or “Eds.” for more than one editor) in parentheses following the name. (See item 10 for a work with both an author and an editor.)

10. Author and editor Begin with the name of the author, followed by the name of the editor and the abbreviation “Ed.” For an author with two or more editors, use the abbreviation “Ed.” after each editor’s name: Gray, W., & Jones, P. (Ed.), & Smith, A. (Ed.).

11. Translator Begin with the name of the author. After the title, in parentheses place the name of the translator (in normal order) and the abbreviation “Trans.” (for “Translator”). Add the original date of publication at the end of the entry.

12. Editor and translator If the editor and translator are the same person, the same name appears in both the editor position and the translator position.

Girard, R., & Williams, J. G. (Ed.). (2012). Resurrection from the underground (J. G. Williams, Trans.). East Lansing: Michigan State University Press. (Original work published 1996)

Articles and other short works

Citation at a glance: Article in a journal or magazine
Citation at a glance: Article from a database

13. Article in a journal If an article from the Web or a database has no DOI, include the URL for the journal’s home page.

a. Print

b. Web

c. Database

14. Article in a magazine If an article from the Web or a database has no DOI, include the URL for the magazine’s home page.

a. Print

b. Web

c. Database

15. Article in a newspaper

a. Print

b. Web

16. Abstract Add the label “Abstract,” in brackets, after the title.

a. Abstract of a journal article

Morales, J., Calvo, A., & Bialystok, E. (2013). Working memory development in monolingual and bilingual children [Abstract]. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 114, 187-202. Retrieved from http://www.sciencedirect.com/

b. Abstract of a paper

Denham, B. (2012). Diffusing deviant behavior: A communication perspective on the construction of moral panics [Abstract]. Paper presented at the AEJMC 2012 Conference, Chicago, IL. Retrieved from http://www.aejmc.org/home/2012/04/ctm-2012-abstracts/

17. Supplemental material If an article on the Web contains supplemental material that is not part of the main article, cite the material as you would an article and add the label “Supplemental material” in brackets following the title.

Reis, S., Grennfelt, P., Klimont, Z., Amann, M., ApSimon, H., Hettelingh, J.-P., . . . Williams, M. (2012). From acid rain to climate change [Supplemental material]. Science 338(6111), 1153-1154. doi:10.1126/science.1226514

18. Article with a title in its title If an article title contains another article title or a term usually placed in quotation marks, use quotation marks around the internal title or the term.

Easterling, D., & Millesen, J. L. (2012, Summer). Diversifying civic leadership: What it takes to move from “new faces” to adaptive problem solving. National Civic Review, 20-27. doi:10.1002/ncr.21073

19. Letter to the editor Insert the words “Letter to the editor” in brackets after the title of the letter. If the letter has no title, use the bracketed words as the title (as in the following example).

Lim, C. (2012, November-December). [Letter to the editor]. Sierra. Retrieved from http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra/

20. Editorial or other unsigned article

The business case for transit dollars [Editorial]. (2012, December 9). Star Tribune. Retrieved from http://www.startribune.com/

21. Newsletter article Cite as you would an article in a magazine, giving whatever publication information is available (volume, issue, page numbers, and so on).

Scrivener, L. (n.d.). Why is the minimum wage issue important for food justice advocates? Food Workers—Food Justice, 15. Retrieved from http://www.thedatabank.com/dpg/199/pm.asp?nav=1&ID=41429

22. Review Give the author and title of the review (if any) and, in brackets, the type of work, the title, and the author for a book or the year for a film. If the review has no author or title, use the material in brackets as the title.

23. Published interview Begin with the person interviewed, and put the interviewer in brackets following the title (if any).

Githongo, J. (2012, November 20). A conversation with John Githongo [Interview by Baobab]. The Economist. Retrieved from http://www.economist.com/

24. Article in a reference work (encyclopedia, dictionary, wiki)

a. Print See also item 32 on citing a volume in a multivolume work.

Konijn, E. A. (2008). Affects and media exposure. In W. Donsbach (Ed.), The international encyclopedia of communication (Vol. 1, pp. 123-129). Malden, MA: Blackwell.

b. Web

Ethnomethodology. (2006). In STS wiki. Retrieved December 15, 2012, from http://www.stswiki.org/index.php?title=Ethnomethodology

25. Comment on an online article Begin with the writer’s real name or screen name. If both are given, put the real name first, followed by the screen name in brackets. Before the title, use “Re” and a colon. Add “Comment” in brackets following the title.

Danboy125. (2012, November 9). Re: No flowers on the psych ward [Comment]. The Atlantic. Retrieved from http://www.theatlantic.com/

26. Testimony before a legislative body

Carmona, R. H. (2004, March 2). The growing epidemic of childhood obesity. Testimony before the Subcommittee on Competition, Foreign Commerce, and Infrastructure of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/t040302.html

27. Paper presented at a meeting or symposium (unpublished)

Karimi, S., Key, G., & Tat, D. (2011, April 22). Complex predicates in focus. Paper presented at the West Coast Conference on Formal Linguistics, Tucson, AZ.

28. Poster session at a conference

Lacara, N. (2011, April 24). Predicate which appositives. Poster session presented at the West Coast Conference on Formal Linguistics, Tucson, AZ.

Books and other long works

Citation at a glance: Book

29. Basic format for a book

a. Print

b. Web (or online library)Give the URL for the home page of the Web site or the online library.

c. E-bookGive the version in brackets after the title (“Kindle version,” “Nook version,” and so on). Include the DOI or, if a DOI is not available, the URL for the home page of the site from which you downloaded the book.

Wolf, D. A., & Folbre, N. (Eds.). (2012). Universal coverage of long-term care in the United States [Adobe Digital Editions version]. Retrieved from https://www.russellsage.org/

d. DatabaseGive the URL for the database.

Beasley, M. H. (2012). Women of the Washington press: Politics, prejudice, and persistence. Retrieved from http://muse.jhu.edu/

30. Edition other than the first Include the edition number (abbreviated) in parentheses after the title.

Harvey, P. (2013). An introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, history, and practices (2nd ed.). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

31. Selection in an anthology or a collection An anthology is a collection of works on a common theme, often with different authors for the selections and usually with an editor for the entire volume.

a. Entire anthology

b. Selection in an anthology

32. Multivolume work If the volumes have been published over several years, give the span of years in parentheses. If you have used only one volume of a multivolume work, indicate the volume number after the title of the complete work; if the volume has its own title, add that title after the volume number.

a. All volumes

Khalakdina, M. (2008-2011). Human development in the Indian context: A socio-cultural focus (Vols. 1-2). New Delhi, India: Sage.

b. One volume, with title

Jensen, R. E. (Ed.). (2012). Voices of the American West: Vol. 1. The Indian interviews of Eli S. Ricker, 1903-1919. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.

33. Introduction, preface, foreword, or afterword

Zachary, L. J. (2012). Foreword. In L. A. Daloz, Mentor: Guiding the journey of adult learners (pp. v-vii). San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

34. Dictionary or other reference work

Leong, F. T. L. (Ed.). (2008). Encyclopedia of counseling (Vols. 1-4). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Nichols, J. D., & Nyholm, E. (2012). A concise dictionary of Minnesota Ojibwe. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

35. Republished book

Mailer, N. (2008). Miami and the siege of Chicago: An informal history of the Republican and Democratic conventions of 1968. New York, NY: New York Review Books. (Original work published 1968)

36. Book with a title in its title If the book title contains another book title or an article title, do not italicize the internal title and do not put quotation marks around it.

Marcus, L. (Ed.). (1999). Sigmund Freud’s The interpretation of dreams: New interdisciplinary essays. Manchester, England: Manchester University Press.

37. Book in a language other than English Place the English translation, not italicized, in brackets.

Carminati, G. G., & Méndez, A. (2012). Étapes de vie, étapes de soins [Stages of life, stages of care]. Chêne-Bourg, Switzerland: Médecine & Hygiène.

38. Dissertation

a. Published

Hymel, K. M. (2009). Essays in urban economics (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (AAT 3355930)

b. Unpublished

Mitchell, R. D. (2007). The Wesleyan Quadrilateral: Relocating the conversation (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). Claremont School of Theology, Claremont, CA.

39. Conference proceedings

Yu, F.-Y., Hirashima, T., Supnithi, T., & Biswas, G. (2011). Proceedings of the 19th International Conference on Computers in Education: ICCE 2011. Retrieved from http://www.apsce.net:8080/icce2011/program/proceedings/

40. Government document If the document has a number, place the number in parentheses after the title.

U.S. Transportation Department, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration. (2012). Emergency response guidebook 2012. Washington, DC: Author.

U.S. Census Bureau, Bureau of Economic Analysis. (2012, December). U.S. international trade in goods and services, October 2012 (Report No. CB12-232, BEA12-55, FT-900 [12-10]). Retrieved from http://www.census.gov/foreign-trade/Press-Release/2012pr/10/

41. Report from a private organization If the publisher and the author are the same, begin with the publisher. For a print source, use “Author” as the publisher at the end of the entry (see item 4); for an online source, give the URL. If the report has a number, put it in parentheses following the title.

Ford Foundation. (2012, November). Eastern Africa. Retrieved from http://www.fordfoundation.org/pdfs/library/Eastern-Africa-brochure-2012.pdf

Atwood, B., Beam, M., Hindman, D. B., Hindman, E. B., Pintak, L., & Shors, B. (2012, May 25). The Murrow Rural Information Initiative: Final report. Pullman: Murrow College of Communication, Washington State University.

42. Legal source The title of a court case is italicized in an in-text citation, but it is not italicized in the reference list.

Sweatt v. Painter, 339 U.S. 629 (1950). Retrieved from Cornell University Law School, Legal Information Institute website: http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0339_0629_ZS.html

43. Sacred or classical text It is not necessary to list sacred works such as the Bible or the Qur’an or classical Greek and Roman works (such as the Odyssey) in your reference list. See item 19 in APA-4a for how to cite these sources in the text of your paper.

Web sites and parts of Web sites

Citation at a glance: Section in a Web document

note: In an APA paper or an APA reference list entry, the word “website” is spelled all lowercase, as one word.

44. Entire Web site Do not include an entire Web site in the reference list. Give the URL in parentheses when you mention it in the text of your paper. (See item 13.)

45. Document from a Web site List as many of the following elements as are available: author’s name, publication date (or “n.d.” if there is no date), title (in italics), publisher (if any), and URL. If the publisher is known and is not named as the author, include the publisher in your retrieval statement.

Wagner, D. A., Murphy, K. M., & De Korne, H. (2012, December). Learning first: A research agenda for improving learning in low-income countries. Retrieved from Brookings Institution website: http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2012/12/learning-first-wagner-murphy-de-korne

Gerber, A. S., & Green, D. P. (2012). Field experiments: Design, analysis, and interpretation. Retrieved from Yale Institution for Social and Policy Studies website: http://isps.yale.edu/research/data/d081#.UUy2HFdPL5>w

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2012, December 10). Concussion in winter sports. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/Features/HockeyConcussions/index.html

46. Section in a Web document Cite as you would a chapter in a book or a selection in an anthology (see item 31b).

Pew Research Center. (2012, December 12). About the 2012 Pew global attitudes survey. In Social networking popular across globe. Retrieved from http://www.pewglobal.org/2012/12/12/social-networking-popular-across-globe

Chang, W.-Y., & Milan, L. M. (2012, October). Relationship between degree field and emigration. In International mobility and employment characteristics among recent recipients of U.S. doctorates. Retrieved from National Science Foundation website: http://www.nsf.gov/statistics/infbrief/nsf13300

47. Blog post Begin with the writer’s real name or screen name. If both are given, put the real name first, followed by the screen name in brackets. Add the date of the post (or “n.d.” if the post is undated). Place the label “Blog post” in brackets following the title of the post. If there is no title, use the bracketed material as the title. End with the URL for the post.

Kerssen, T. (2012, October 5). Hunger is political: Food Sovereignty Prize honors social movements [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.foodfirst.org/en/node/4020

48. Blog comment Cite as a blog post, but add “Re” and a colon before the title of the original post and the label “Blog comment” in brackets following the title.

Studebakerhawk_14611. (2012, December 5). Re: A people’s history of MOOCs [Blog comment]. Retrieved from http://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/library-babel-fish/people’s-history-moocs

Audio, visual, and multimedia sources

49. Podcast

Schulz, K. (2011, March). Kathryn Schulz: On being wrong [Video podcast]. Retrieved from TED on http://itunes.apple.com/

Taylor, A., & Parfitt, G. (2011, January 13). Physical activity and mental health: What’s the evidence? [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from Open University on http://itunes.apple.com/

50. Video or audio on the Web

Kurzen, B. (2012, April 5). Going beyond Muslim-Christian conflict in Nigeria [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD8MIJOA050

Malone, T. W. Collective intelligence [Video file]. Retrieved from http://edge.org/conversation/collective-intelligence

Bever, T., Piattelli-Palmarini, M., Hammond, M., Barss, A., & Bergesen, A. (2012, February 2). A basic introduction to Chomsky’s linguistics [Audio file]. Retrieved from University of Arizona, College of Social & Behavioral Sciences, Department of Linguistics website: http://linguistics.arizona.edu/node/711

51. Transcript of an audio or a video file

Malone, T. W. Collective intelligence [Transcript of video file]. Retrieved from http://edge.org/conversation/collective-intelligence

Glass, I. (2012, September 14). Back to school [Transcript of audio file No. 474]. In This American life. Retrieved from http://www.thisamericanlife.org/

52. Film (DVD, BD, or other format) Give the director, producer, and other relevant contributors, followed by the year of the film’s release and the title. In brackets, add a description of the medium. Use “Motion picture” if you viewed the film in a theater; “Video file” if you downloaded the film from the Web or through a streaming service such as Netflix; “DVD” or “BD” if you viewed the film on DVD or Blu-ray Disc. For a motion picture or a DVD or BD, add the location where the film was made and the studio. If you retrieved the film from the Web or used a streaming service, give the URL for the home page.

Affleck, B. (Director). (2012). Argo [Motion picture]. Burbank, CA: Warner Bros.

Ross, G. (Director and Writer), & Collins, S. (Writer). (2012). The hunger games [Video file]. Retrieved from http://netflix.com/

53. Television or radio program

a. Series

Hager, M. (Executive producer), & Schieffer, B. (Moderator). (2012). Face the nation [Television series]. Washington, DC: CBS News.

b. Episode on the air

Harleston, R. (Host). (2012, December 1). Federal role in support of autism [Television series episode]. In Washington journal. Washington, DC: C-SPAN.

c. Episode on the Web

Morton, D. (Producer). (2012). Fast times at West Philly High [Television series episode].In M. Hager (Executive producer), Frontline. Retrieved from http://www.wgbh.org/

Glass, I. (Host). (2012, November 23). Little war on the prairie (No. 479) [Radio series episode]. In This American life. Retrieved from http://www.thisamericanlife.org/

54. Music recording

Chibalonza, A. Jubilee. (2012). On African voices [CD]. Merenberg, Germany: ZYX Music.

African voices [CD]. (2012). Merenberg, Germany: ZYX Music.

55. Lecture, speech, or address

Verghese, A. (2012, December 6). Colonialism and patterns of ethnic conflict in contemporary India. Address at the Freeman Spogli Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA.

Donovan, S. (2012, June 12). Assisted housing mobility in challenging times [Video file]. Address at the 5th National Conference on Assisted Housing Mobility, Urban Institute, Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://www.urban.org/events/HUD-Secretary-Shaun-Donovan-Speaks-on-Housing-Mobility.cfm

56. Data set or graphic representation of data (graph, chart, table) Give information about the type of source in brackets following the title. If there is no title, give a brief description of the content of the source in brackets in place of the title. If the item is numbered in the source, indicate the number in parentheses after the title. If the graphic appears within a larger document, do not italicize the title of the graphic.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Economic Research Service. (2011). Daily intake of nutrients by food source: 2005-08 [Data set]. Retrieved from http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/food-consumption-and-nutrient-intakes.aspx

Gallup. (2012, December 5). In U.S., more cite obesity as most urgent health problem [Graphs]. Retrieved from http://www.gallup.com/poll/159083/cite-obesity-urgent-health-problem.aspx

57. Mobile application software (app) Begin with the developer of the app, if known (as in the second example). Add the label “Mobile application software” in brackets after the title of the program.

MindNode Touch 2.3 [Mobile application software]. (2012). Retrieved from http://itunes.apple.com/

Source Tree Solutions. (2012). mojoPortal [Mobile application software]. Retrieved from http://www.microsoft.com/web/gallery/

58. Video game Begin with the creator of the video game, if known. Add the label “Video game” in brackets after the title of the program. If the game can be played on the Web or was downloaded from the Web, give the URL instead of publication information.

Firaxis Games. (2010). Sid Meier’s Civilization V [Video game]. New York, NY: Take-Two Interactive. Xbox 360.

Atom Entertainment. (2012). Edgeworld [Video game]. Retrieved from http://www.addictinggames.com/

59. Map

Ukraine [Map]. (2008). Retrieved from the University of Texas at Austin Perry-Castañeda Library Map Collection website: http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/cia08/ukraine_sm_2008.gif

Syrian uprising map [Map]. (2012, October). Retrieved from http://www.polgeonow.com/2012/10/syria-uprising-map-october-2012-7.html

60. Advertisement

VMware [Advertisement]. (2012, September). Harvard Business Review, 90(9), 27.

61. Work of art or photograph

Olson, A. (2011). Short story [Painting]. Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, IL.

Crowner, S. (2012). Kurtyna fragments [Painting]. Retrieved from http://www.walkerart.org/

Weber, J. (1992). Toward freedom [Outdoor mural]. Sherman Oaks, CA.

62. Brochure or fact sheet

National Council of State Boards of Nursing. (2011). A nurse’s guide to professional boundaries [Brochure]. Retrieved from https://www.ncsbn.org/

World Health Organization. (2012, September). Road traffic injuries (No. 358) [Fact sheet]. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs358/en/index.html

63. Press release Generally, list the organization responsible for the press release. Give the exact date.

Urban Institute. (2012, October 11). Two studies address health policy on campaign trail [Press release]. Retrieved from http://www.urban.org/publications/901537.html

64. Presentation slides

Boeninger, C. F. (2008, August). Web 2.0 tools for reference and instructional services [Presentation slides]. Retrieved from http://libraryvoice.com/archives/2008/08/04/opal-20-conference-presentation-slides

65. Lecture notes or other course materials Cite materials that your instructor has posted on the Web as you would a Web document or a section in a Web document (see item 45 or 46). If the materials are handouts or printouts, cite whatever information is available in the source. Cite the instructor’s personal notes or material that is not posted (such as slides) as personal communication in the text of your paper (see items 15 and 16).

Blum, R. (2011). Neurodevelopment in the first decade of life [Lecture notes and audio file]. In R. Blum & L. M. Blum, Child health and development. Retrieved from http://ocw.jhsph.edu/index.cfm/go/viewCourse/course/childhealth/coursePage/lectureNotes/

Personal communication and social media

66. E-mail E-mail messages, letters, and other personal communication are not included in the list of references. (See item 15 for citing these sources in the text of your paper.)

67. Online posting If an online posting is not archived, cite it as a personal communication in the text of your paper and do not include it in the list of references. If the posting is archived, give the URL and the name of the discussion list if it is not part of the URL.

McKinney, J. (2006, December 19). Adult education-healthcare partnerships [Electronic mailing list message]. Retrieved from http://www.nifl.gov/pipermail/healthliteracy/2006/000524.html

68. Twitter post (tweet) Use the author’s real name, if it is given, and put the screen name in brackets exactly as it appears in the source (including capitalization and punctuation). If only the screen name is known, begin with that name and do not enclose it in brackets. Include the entire text of the tweet as the title, followed by the label “Tweet” in brackets; end with the URL.

CQ Researcher. (2012, December 5). Up to 80 percent of the 600,000 processed foods sold in America have sugar added to their recipes. See http://bit.ly/UmfA4L [Tweet]. Retrieved from https://twitter.com/cqresearcher/status/276449095521038336

69. Facebook post Use the author’s name exactly as it appears in the post. In place of a title, give a few words of the post followed by the label “Facebook post” in brackets. Include the date you retrieved the source and the URL for the poster’s Facebook page. If you are citing a personal Facebook page that will not be accessible to your readers, cite it as personal communication in your text, not in the reference list (see item 15).

U.S. Department of Education. (2012, October 9). They are resilient [Facebook post]. Retrieved October 15, 2012, from http://www.facebook.com/ED.gov