MHSS Student Research
Guide - APA Format
2
Student Research Guide
Research Success @ Your Library: A Guide for Secondary Students has been developed by the Library and
Learning Resources Department of the Toronto District School Board to support the implementation of the
Ontario secondary school curriculum and to assist students in becoming organized researchers, critical thinkers,
and effective communicators.
Research Success @ Your Library: A Guide for Secondary Students is a major revision of the Student Research
Guide, 2003, written by Rose Dodgson, Cathi Gibson-Gates, Mark Kaminski, Carol Koechlin, Sharon Mills, and
Esther Rosenfeld. The Student Research Guide, 2003 was based on the Independent Study Guide (3 rd ed.),
published by the Toronto District School Board in 1999.
Developers
Tim Gauntley
Jo-Anne LaForty
Esther Rosenfeld
Project Leader
Esther Rosenfeld
District-wide Coordinator
Library and Learning Resources
Design and Layout
Andrea Drysdale
Tim Gauntley
Validators
Kevin Bradbeer
Lisa Czudnochowsky
Lisa Dempster
Rose Dodgson
Bessie Kotsiomitis
Elda Leach
Pierre Mercier
Research Success @ Your Library: A Guide for Secondary Students
© 2005 Toronto District School Board
Reproduction of this document for use by schools within the Toronto District School Board is
encouraged.
For anyone other than Toronto District School Board staff, no part of this publication may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any other means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Toronto District School
Board. This permission must be requested and obtained in writing from:
Toronto District School Board
Library and Learning Resources
3 Tippett Road
Toronto, ON M3H 2V1
Tel: 416-397-2595
Fax: 416-395-8357
Email: curriculumdocs@tdsb.on.ca
Every reasonable precaution has been taken to trace the owners of copyrighted material and to make
due acknowledgement. Any omission will gladly be rectified in future printings.
This document has been reviewed for equity.
Permission has been obtained by the Durham District School Board to use these materials. Information
has been added to meet the needs of students attending Maxwell Heights Secondary School.
Updated August 2014
3
Documentation
What information should you document?
You must cite and document any sources that you have consulted in writing your paper, even if
you put the ideas from these sources in your own words. Because you are borrowing the words,
facts, or ideas of others when you do research, you must tell readers that you have borrowed the
material, and from where you have borrowed it. To make sure your work is honest, rather than
plagiarized, you must give credit to the author for anything you use in your report or essay, not only
direct quotations and paraphrases, but also opinions, ideas, facts, or figures (unless the material is
widely known, such as the date of an event).
You must acknowledge all borrowed material in two locations:
1. Parenthetical citations (i.e., in parentheses) are references to your source, placed within the
text of your report or essay at the end of the quotation or paraphrased sentence. They tell your
readers that the material is borrowed and give detail about the source so that they can locate it.
2. Reference List is the alphabetized list of your sources on a separate page at the end of your
report or essay.
How do you document your sources?
References in APA publications are cited in text by inserting parenthetical citations with an authordate citation system and are listed alphabetically in the reference list. This style of citation briefly
identifies the source for readers and enables them to locate the source of information in the
alphabetical reference list at the end of the article.
For example:
The aesthetic and ideological orientation of jazz underwent considerable scrutiny in the late
1950s and early 1960s (Anderson, 2007).
The parenthetical citation “(Anderson, 2007)” tells readers that the information in the sentence was
borrowed from a work by an author named Anderson published in 2007. If readers want more
information about this source, they can turn to the reference list, where, under the name Anderson,
they would find the following source:
Anderson, I. (2007). This Is Our Music: Free Jazz, the Sixties, and American Culture. Philadelphia:
University of Pennsylvania Press.
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APA – Formatting the Title Page
When setting up the title page for a report or essay, using the APA format, you need to create
a separate title page.
 Set margins for the paper at one inch all around.
 Create a Header – one-half inch from top on the right – type in a key phrase from your essay
title (two or three words). Add five spaces and add the number 1. This header is repeated on
each page with sequential page numbers.
 One third of the way down the page, centre the following information, using double space
throughout:
o
o
o
your full title (capitalize the main words in the title, but do not underline, italicize, or
use bold or oversize type)
your name (author)
your school (institutional affiliation)
1/2”"
Reducing Acid Rain "
1
Reducing Acid Rain with Innovative Technology
Julia Lau
Maxwell Heights Secondary School
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APA: Sample Essay Page and Reference List

Reducing Acid Rain
Set margins for the
paper at one inch
all around.

Centre the title.

Include a header
one-half inch from
top with five spaces
and page number.


Indent five spaces
for each paragraph.
1/2”
1”
2
Reducing Acid Rain with Innovative Technology
1”
Can human ingenuity solve acid rain? Acid rain is an environmental issue that
affects plants and animal life, lakes and rivers, buildings and structures, and human
beings. Precipitation that contains acidic gases such as sulphur dioxide or nitrogen
oxide has the potential to cause serious environmental problems. Since the 1960s
scientists have studied the harmful results of acid rain and looked for ways to
reduce harmful atmospheric pollutants (Acid Rain, 2005). The “scientific community
Use 12-point font
and be consistent.
has recognized acid rain as a serious environmental threat and has developed

Double space
throughout.
p.5). In the past few years, technological advancements have successfully reduced

Indent long
quotations five
spaces, with no
quotation marks,
and place a period
at the end.
technological equipment to help reduce pollution into the air.” (Anderson, 2003,
the negative effects of acid rain.
Some large automotive companies have used technology to control dangerous
emissions and are now using energy more efficiently. Others have gone further and
invented cars that emit much less carbon dioxide into the environment. An example
of this environmentally friendly car is the Prius, now marketed by Toyota. According
to Road and Transportation Research (1999), Toyota is significantly reducing
emissions:
The Toyota Hybrid System (THS) consists of a 1.5 litre twin-cam multi-valve
petrol engine, an electric motor and a generator. The two motors drive the front
wheel in continuously varying proportions determined by one of the car's 14
computers. Part of the engine's output (and energy from the regenerative
braking
Reducing Acid Rain
9
References
Anderson, M. (2003). Acid Rain. New York: Gloucester Press.
Acid Rain. (2005). Canadian Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved May 26, 2005,
<canadianencylopedia.ca>
New technology helps to cut emissions. Road and Transport Research, March 1999.
Retrieved May 24, 2005 from <findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3927/is_199903/ai>
Updated August 2014
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APA – Parenthetical Citations
When using ideas from your cited sources directly in your text, use some of the following examples to
maintain the flow of your writing:
 The author argues, refers to, explains, hypothesizes, compares, concludes, etc.
 As the author of the journal article demonstrated, proved, stated, etc.
Include surname(s) and date with a comma between
each.
At that time in history, the world was
believed to be flat (Jones, 2004).
Alternatively, state the author’s surname within the
sentence, followed by the date.
Jones (2004) claimed that…
Direct quotation – provide the author, year, and
specific page number or paragraph for nonpaginated
material.
(Csiki & Chaitin, 2006, p.112)
Direct quotation – alternatively, state the author’s
name in the sentence, followed by the date and then
at the end of the quotation include the page number.
Robbins et. Al (2003) suggested that the
“therapists in dropout…”(p. 541)
If the reference does not have an author, use the title
of the source in its place. The title should be italicized.
(Geological field trips in southern British
Columbia, 2003)
If there is no date of publication, use the abbreviation
(n.d.)
It was common knowledge that the earth
“could not possibly be spherical” (Jones,
n.d.).
If you have two authors – list the primary author/editor McCormack and Jones (2012)
first. Use and in running text and an ampersand (&) in demonstrated…
parenthetical material.
(McCormack & Jones, 2012)
If you have multiple authors (more than three authors).
List the primary author first followed by “et al.” in both
running text and parenthetical material.
Jones et al. found that…
If you use the same information found in multiple
sources, organize the parenthetical citation
alphabetically by author’s last name..
(Cramer, 2002; Jones et. al., 2009; Smith,
2011)
Updated August 2014
(Jones et al., 2000)
7
Parenthetical Citations Continued
General Notes :
If the quotation is 40 words or less, use quotation marks and imbed directly in your text. Place the final
period at the end of the citation.
The current geography of the Maritimes has Prince Edward Island “separated from the mainland of
New Brunswick and Nova Scotia” rather than including the island as a portion of one of the larger
provinces (Ives, 1999, p.2).
If the quotation is over 40 words, you must start the quotation on a new line, indent the quotation about
½ an inch, and omit the quotation marks.
Prince Edward Island is a curved slice of land from three to thirty-five miles wide and about one
hundred and twenty miles long, lying along the southern rim of the Gulf of St. Lawrence and
separated from the mainland of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia by the narrow waters of
Northumberland Strait (Ives, 1999, p.1).
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APA: Reference List General Format
In APA, the list of sources at the end of the paper (bibliography) is called the reference list. The
reference list must include all references cited in the text of your paper.
 The order of references in the reference list is alphabetical, by the last name of the first author
or, if author is not available, by title.
 For the author’s first name use only initials: ‘Smith, J.’ not ‘Smith, Jennifer’
 Second and subsequent lines of each entry are indented 5-7 spaces.
 Double-space between all lines of your work, including references.
 If more than one city of publication is listed in the book you are citing, use the first one listed.
 If there is no date of publication, use the abbreviation “(n.d.)”.
 Give in parentheses, the year the work was published. For magazines, newsletters, and
newspapers, give the exact year and the exact date of the publication: 2002, October 5. If the
date is given by a season, give the year and the season, separated by a comma: (2002, Fall)
Reducing Acid Rain
9
References
Anderson, M. (2003). Acid Rain. New York: Gloucester Press.
Acid Rain. (2005). Canadian Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved May 26, 2005,
canadianencylopedia.ca
New technology helps to cut emissions. Road and Transport Research, March 1999.
Retrieved May 24, 2005 from findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qa3927/is_199903/ai
Rose, A. (n.d.) Acid and Rain: How One Does Not Always Precede the Other. Seattle:
Rolling Stone Press.
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APA: Reference List for PRINTED SOURCES
1. Books
General format
Author(s). (Year of Publication). Title. Place of Publication: Publisher.
One author
Battles, M. (2003). Library: An unquiet history. New York: W.W. Norton.



Several books
by same author
Invert all authors’ names and give surnames and initials only.
Capitalize only the first word of the titles and of the subtitle, and any proper nouns.
Omit the publisher’s province, state, or country, if they are well known. Canadian provinces
are abbreviated with two letters (e.g., ON, NB, BC etc.).
Wurman, R.S. (1989). InformationAnxiety. New York: Doubleday.
Wurman, R.S. (2001). InformationAnxiety2. Indianapolis: Que.


Two or more
authors
The author’s name is repeated. If the same author (or coauthors) have several publications
in the same year, list them alphabetically and add an “a,” “b,” and “c,” etc., after the date to
distinguish them.
Burka, J.B., & Yuen, L.M. (1983). Procrastination: Why you do it, what to do about It.
Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.



Put all authors in inverted order and use “&” for “and”. (Use “and” within the text of the
report/essay)
If there are more than six authors, name the first and add “et al.” (“and others”): Burka,
Jane B., et al.
Name all the authors in the first citation. Beginning with second citation, use first author
and add “et al.”
No author, date,
place of
publication, or
page
New York Public Library American history desk reference. (1997). New York: Macmillan.
Second or later
edition
Booth, W.C., Colomb, G.G., & Joseph M. Williams. (2003). The craft of research (2nd ed.)



The title goes first followed by the date in parentheses.
When you make your Reference List, alphabetize the entry by title, ignoring A, An, or The.
Use “n.d.” when works give no date of publication.
Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Edited book
Edition information is put in parentheses. The full name of a university as publisher is
used.
Mintz, A.P. (Ed.). (2002). Web of deception: Misinformation on the Internet. New York:
Information Today.
Multi-volume
work
Sadie, S. (Ed.). (1980). The new Grove dictionary of music and musicians. London:
MacMillan.
Single volume
in a multivolume
work
Naylor, P. R. (1980–81). Footprints at the window: Vol. 3. The York trilogy. New York:
Encyclopedia
article, with
author given
Likens, Gene E. (2001). Acid rain. In World Book. Chicago: World Book.
Updated August 2014
Simon and Shuster.

Note the use of “In” with title of reference book. City and publisher of reference book are given.
10
APA: Reference List for PRINTED SOURCES (cont’d.)
Encyclopedia
article, no
author given
Amaravati Sculpture. (1991). In Encyclopedia Britannica. Vol. 1, p. 311. Chicago:
Encyclopedia Britannica.

Reference
book article
1. Books
The title goes first followed by the date in parentheses.
Draper, J. (1992). Austin Clarke. Black literature criticism. Vol. 3, p. 23. Detroit: Gage
Research.
Dictionary
Tuque. (2004). Canadian Oxford dictionary. (2nd ed.) Toronto: Oxford University Press.
Republished
book
Barzun, J.V. (1994). Simple and direct: A rhetoric for writers. Chicago: University of
Chicago
Press. (Original work published 1985).
Translated
book
Balsamo, L. (1995). Bibliography: History of a tradition. W.A. Pettas (Trans.). Berkeley,
CA:
Doubleday. (Original work published 1990).
Part of a book
(e.g., essay,
story, or poem
in a collection)
Anderson, D. (1975). Real women in fiction, where are you? In E. McCullough (Ed.), The
role of women in Canadian literature (pp. 83–88). Toronto: MacMillan.

Novel or play
(anthology)
For reference and books, provide the page numbers of the entire piece or section you are
citing.
Serling, R. (1988). The twilight zone. In R. Smith (Ed.), Modern American plays. New
York:
Scribner’s.
Government
publication
Ontario Ministry of Education (2002). The Ontario Curriculum, Grades 11 and 12:
Interdisciplinary Studies. 2002. Toronto: Queen’s Printer for Ontario.
Pamphlet
Updated August 2014
Essential skills: Skills to build on. (n.d.). Human Resources and Skills Development
Canada.
11
2. Periodicals: Magazines,
Newspapers, and Journal Articles
APA: Reference List for PRINTED SOURCES (cont’d.)
General
format
Author(s). (Date). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Issue number, page
numbers.
Magazine or
newspaper
article, with
author
Morrow, Lance. (1991, February 4). The fog of war. Time, 136, 61–62.
Tuck, Simon. (2005, June 17). CRTC turns radio on its head with landmark satellite ruling.
Globe and Mail, pp. B1, B3.




Magazine or
newspaper
article, with no
author
Give the periodical title in full, in upper-case and lower-case letters, and use italics.
Give the volume number in italics, but do not use the abbreviation “Vol.” before the number.
Use the abbreviation “p.” or “pp.” for newspaper articles, but not for magazines and journals.
If an article is not printed on consecutive pages, give all page numbers, separated by commas.
Let go of the tension in your life. (2005, April/May). Connect Magazine, 11.
Canadians Abroad Deserve Better. (2005, June 17). [Letter to the editor]. Toronto Star,
p. A24.

Review of a
book, movie,
etc.
The title goes first followed by the date in parentheses.
McQuillin, A. (2005, May). [Review of the book In praise of slowness: How a worldwide
movement is challenging the cult of speed]. Shambala Sun, 45.

Omit the name of the author of the work being reviewed. Identify the medium in brackets.
Article in a
scholarly
journal with
continuous
pagination
Bakaršić, K. (1994, Autumn). The libraries of Sarajevo and the book that saved our lives.
Article in a
scholarly
journal that
pages each
issue
separately
Albada, K. F. (2000). The public and private dialogue about the American family on
Abstract in an
abstracts
journal
McCabe, D. L. (1993). Faculty responses to academic dishonesty: The influence of
New Combat: A Journal of Reason and Resistance, 13–15.

Omit A, An, or The in the journal title.
television. Journal of Communication 50 (4), 79–110.

To identify different issues of a journal that does not number page continuously throughout the
year, include the volume number in italics followed by the issue number in parentheses.
student
honour codes. Research in Higher Education 34, 647–58. Abstract obtained from
Current Index to Journals in Education 1994, 26. Abstract No. EJ471027.
Updated August 2014
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1. Books
APA: Reference List for ELECTRONIC SOURCES
General
format
Author(s). (Year of Publication). Title. Publisher. Retrieval Information
Online book
Wells, H.G. (1895). The time machine. Project Gutenberg archive. Etext 35. Retrieved
from http://gutenberg.org/etext/35

Online
encyclopedia
The URL of an Internet site is not italicized. There is no period after the URL.
Sentman, E. Aardvark. (2005). In Grolier multimedia encyclopedia. Retrieved from
http://gme.grolier.com
CD-ROM
article
Ardvaark. (1999). World Book multimedia encyclopedia. CD-ROM. Chicago: World Book.
Online poem
or play
Avison, M. The Dumbfounding. In I. Lancashire (Ed.), Representative poetry online:
Canadian poets. Retrieved from
http://library.utoronto.ca/canpoetry/avison/poem2.htm
Updated August 2014
13
2. Periodicals: Magazines,
Newspapers, and Journal Articles
APA: Reference List for ELECTRONIC SOURCES (cont’d.)
General
format
Author(s). (Date). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume no., page
numbers.
Retrieval information
Magazine
article found
in an online
subscription
database
Lanken, D. (1996, March-April). When the earth moves. Canadian Geographic, 66–73.
Newspaper
article found
in an online
subscription
database
Angier, N. (1993, April 13). Chemists learn why vegetables are good for you. Toronto Star.
Reference
article found
in an online
subscription
database
Magazine
article found
on the Web
Benjamin Franklin. (2003). Discovering World History. Retrieved from
Retrieved from http://www.search.epnet.com
Retrieved from http://www.virtualnews.com
http://www.galenet.gale.com
Abilock, D. (1997, November-December). The gestalt of online searching. Multimedia
Schools
[online]. Retrieved from http://www.infotoday.com/MMSchools/nov97/story.htm
Article
found in an
online
scholarly
journal
Tolson, N. (1998). Making books available: The role of early libraries, librarians, and
booksellers in the promotion of African American children’s literature. African
American
Review 32, 9–12. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/search
Online
abstract
Nastali, D., & Boardman, P. (2001). Searching for Arthur: Literary highways, electronic
byways, and cultural back roads. Arthuriana 11(4), 108-22. Abstract retrieved from
http://www.smu.edu/arthuriana/
Online
government
publication
U.S. Centre for Disease Control. National Centre for Chronic Disease Prevention and
Health
Promotion (2002, June). Diabetes Public Health Resource FAQs About Diabetes.
Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/faqs.htm
Updated August 2014
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3. Internet, Newsgroups, Email,
and Other Online Resources
APA: Reference List for ELECTRONIC SOURCES (cont’d.)
General
format
Author(s)/Name of sponsoring institution or organization. (Date). Title of Site
or
Page. Editor. Retrieval information
Website
Schrock, K. (2001). Kathy Schrock’s guide for educators. Retrieved from
http://www.discoveryschool/schrock.com
Website
(no author)
Bartleby.com: Great books online (2005). Retrieved from http://www.bartleby.com/

Page from a
Website
The title goes first followed by the date in parentheses.
Canadian Mental Health Association. (2012). Schizophrenia. Retrieved from
http://www.cmha.ca
Newsgroup
Powers, A. (2005, April 15). FAQs: Bob Dylan. Fwd. J. Howells. Message posted to
news://rec.music.dylan
Painting or
sculpture
Kaufman, S. (1993). Japanese crane in snow [Painting]. Retrieved from
http://search.corbis.com/default.asp?i=10898330&vID=1&rID=101
Photograph
SM3A: Installation of the fine guidance sensor. (1999, December, 19–27). [Photograph].
Retrieved from www.spacetelescope.org/images/medium/ sts103_501_026.jpg
Diagram or
map
Aboriginal peoples circa 1823. (2005). Atlas of Canada. Retrieved from
http://www.atlas.gc.ca/images/shared/tmp/map81511205122955017.gif
Film or film
clip
Hyland, M. (Director). (1994). The Internet goes multimedia [Film clip]. Retrieved from
www.archives.cbc.ca
Sound
recording
or sound
clip
Radio or
television
show
Spry, G. (1970). Envisioning a global network. Retrieved from www.archives.cbc.ca
Sexton, P. (2005, June 29). Hellhounds on his trail: The Robert Johnson story. Retrieved
Updated August 2014
from www.bbc.co.uk/radio2/r2music/documentaries/robertjohnson.shtml?focuswin
15
APA: Reference List for OTHER MEDIA and HUMAN SOURCES
Film or video
recording
Brooks, M. (Director/Writer). (1974). Young Frankenstein [Motion picture]. Perf. Gene Wilder,
Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman. Twentieth Century Fox, U.S.

A film citation must include the title, director, studio, and year of release. You may include other
relevant information such as names of the writer or performers. Below, compare the same film on
DVD or video where you include the medium and the release date (if relevant).
Brooks, M. (Director/Writer). (1974) Young Frankenstein [Motion picture]. Perf. Gene Wilder,
Peter Boyle, Marty Feldman, Cloris Leachman. Twentieth Century Fox, U.S. DVD.
(1998).
Television or
radio program
Bali, Masterpiece of the Gods. (2002). National Geographic [Television Program]. NBC.
Sound
recording
Bach, J. S. (1735). Italian Concerto in F Major. Perf. Angela Hewitt. Cond. Claudio Abbado.
Berlin Philharmonic. Deutsche Grammophon, 1985. CD 419 218-2 GH.
Performance
(play, opera,
ballet, or
concert)
Bouchard, M. (2002). Lilies. Dir. Suzanne Smith. Theatre Passe Muraille, Toronto, May 10,
2002.
Mehta, Z. (2001). Cond. Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Roy Thomson Hall, Toronto, May 1,
2001.
Musical
composition
Beethoven, L. van. (1813). Symphony no. 7 in A, op. 92.
Painting,
sculpture, or
photograph
Rembrandt van Rijn. (1660) Self Portrait, 1660. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

When you cite a photograph of a work of art found in a publication, add the necessary publication
details.
Rembrandt van Rijn. (1660) Self Portrait, 1660. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. In
Schama, S. (1999). Rembrandt’s Eyes. New York: Random House. 640.
Speech,
academic talk,
or course
lecture
Rosenfeld, E. (2005, February 5) Address: Ontario School Library Association. Annual
Interview

convention. Toronto, ON.
Treat a formal interview as a speech above. Do not include a personal interview in reference list.
Interviews should be cited in the text only:
Research is about thinking (T. Gauntley and J. LaForty, personal interview, 2005,
August 31).
Updated August 2014