APA
American
Psychological
Association
Quick Style
Guide
Alexander College Writing & Learning Centres
Winter 2016
TABLE OF CONTENTS
APA BASICS
What To Cite
Where To Cite
General Rules For APA
Reliable Web Sources
Figures And Tables
In-text Citations: The Basics
INDIRECT SOURCES: VERY IMPORTANT FOR RESEARCH PAPERS
References: The Basics
IN-TEXT & REFERENCES LISTINGS FOR SOURCES WITH AUTHORS
BOOKS, PRINT OR E-BOOKS
Book With 1 Author
Book With 2 Authors
Book With Multiple Authors
Book: Edited Volume/Collection of Articles (Anthology)
Magazines, Newspapers. Print and Digital Versions
Journal Articles Retrieved From Online (Data Base)
IN-TEXT & REFERENCES LISTINGS FOR SOURCES WITHOUT AUTHORS
Groups, Government Or Organisation As Author
Website
Dictionary Or Encyclopedia
PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS SUCH AS CLASS NOTES
SAMPLE REFERENCES PAGE
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1
APA BASICS
For some social sciences classes (sociology/psychology) and Econ/Commerce courses at
Alexander College instructors will ask you to use APA (American Psychological
Association) style for paper writing and citations.
Citations are an important part of successful academic writing.
◦ They let readers know that your arguments and claims are backed by reliable research
sources.
◦ They also provide your readers information that may be useful for their own research
◦ When writing citations and references, the goal is to provide enough information so
that your readers can find the same sources.
 This is a Quick Guide to APA citations and references.
◦ It contains information on the basic formatting elements for APA Style papers
◦ It contains sample in-text citations and references entries for the resources most
commonly used by students in the sciences and social sciences at Alexander
College.
◦ Failure to correctly cite your sources will result in a ‘0’ for your papers and
an academic alert.
◦ For more complete information, check out these websites – they are the sources
for the information in this booklet:
 http://www.apastyle.org/learn/faqs/index.aspx
 https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
 http://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/writing/apa
 http://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/writing/ has an online-tutorial to walk you through how
to do APA style citations.
◦ This guide also explains how to cite tables, charts, illustrations and other visual
elements in your papers.
WHAT TO CITE
 You must include citations for:
◦ Specific words — these should be in quotation marks.
◦ Summarizing (paraphrasing) the ideas of another writer.
◦ General ideas or concepts of another writer.
◦ Or a particular line of argument, even if you are adding to that line of argument.
WHERE TO CITE
◦ You must put your citations in two places in your paper.
◦ First, you must cite your source in the body of your essay.
◦ The information, called ‘in-text citations’ is placed inside brackets.
2
 The basic format is (author’s LASTname, publication year).
 E.g.: (Smith, 2014).
 Direct quotes must also include the page number.
 E.g.: (Smith, 2014, p. 45)
◦ Second, your sources are listed in the References list at the end of your paper.
◦ For more information about References entries, see page 10.
If your Instructor gives specific instructions for format or citations, follow his or her
guidelines.
FORMATTING RULES FOR APA STYLE
◦ The Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary is the standard spelling reference for
APA journals and books.
Running Head:
◦ This appears at the top of every page, including your title page
◦ In the top, right margin, insert the page number and then type the title of your paper
◦ Note: the running head cannot exceed 50 characters, so you may have to
abbreviate your title.
Title Page:
◦ Your title should be centred in the top half of the page
◦ It should be typed in upper and lower case letters, not all caps
◦ APA titles can take up more than one line, but generally shouldn’t be more than 12
words long
◦ Type your name below the title
◦ Type Alexander College below your name
 Do NOT include the course name, date or your instructor’s name unless your
instructor asks you to include that information.
Abstract
◦ The Abstract appears on the first page immediately following your title page.
◦ An abstract is a concise summary of your research.
◦ i.e., it is the short answer to the question, “what is your paper about?”
◦ Your abstract should contain your research topic, key research questions, the
participants and methods of research (if applicable), results, data analysis, and
conclusions.
◦ You may also include possible implications of your research or areas that
could/should be the subject of further study.
◦ The abstract is a single, double-spaced paragraph of approximately 150-250 words,
depending on your instructor’s guidelines.
◦ The word “Abstract” should be centred at the top of the page in regular 12 pt. type
◦ No bold-faced or italic type; not all caps.
3
Paper Formatting
◦ Use an easy to read typeface in 12 point font size.
◦ APA recommends Times New Roman Font
◦ Paper should be “Letter” (8.5”x11”), NOT A4
◦ Margins should be set at 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides.
◦ All pages should have a running header, as instructed above
◦ Double-space throughout the body of your essay.
Using Your Sources
◦ Italicize or underline the titles of books, edited collections, movies, television series,
documentaries, or albums referred to in the body of your essay.
◦ Put “quotation marks” around the titles of journal articles, articles from edited
collections, television series episodes, and song titles referred to in the body of your
essay.
◦ The period follows the in-text citation, except in the case of extended quotations.
◦ E.g.: The implications of this study are that, “despite public perception, the crime rate in Canada is
actually on the decline” (Smith, 2014, p. 45).
◦ Extended quotations are direct quotations of 40 words or more.
◦ They are set out in an indented block as follows:
 Start the quote on a new line, indented ½ inch (1.27 cm) from the left margin
 Omit the quotation marks
 The citation follows the final period of the paragraph.
 Like the body of your essay, extended or block quotes are also double-spaced
Example of Extended Quote:
According to Covey (1989) “principles are not values” (p. 35). It is only by our valuing of the right principles that we
have truth. Covey further argues, “Principles are the territory. Values are maps” (p.35). It is the consistency between
our values and principles that makes for effective living:
The more closely our maps or paradigms are aligned with these principles or natural laws, the more
accurate and functional they will be. Correct maps will infinitely impact our personal and interpersonal
effectiveness far more than any amount of effort expended on changing our attitudes or behaviors.
(Covey,1989, p. 35)
◦ For additional help, see a sample APA formatted paper on the Purdue OWL website:
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/18/
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RELIABLE WEB SOURCES
◦
◦
◦
We recommend using the Alexander College database to access online materials.
◦
These sources will include stable URLs and correctly formatted citations.
If you have not used the AC database, it may be more difficult to track your citation.
◦ Often material only appears online for a limited time, and may not be there when
you need to refer to it again.
◦ We recommend printing the material so that you have a hard copy to refer to.
Use complete URLs or the Digital Object Indicator (DOI), if available, whenever citing
online sources.
◦ Include the date of the last revision (if available).
◦ APA does not require you to include your access date.
FIGURES AND TABLES
◦ Figures are graphs, charts, diagrams, illustrations or photographs.
◦ Tables present data in rows and columns.
◦ The key points of information in your tables and figures must be referred to and
explained in the body of your essay.
◦ Tables and figures should be placed immediately after the paragraph in which they are
mentioned.
◦ All entries must be numbered in order, with separate numbers for tables and
figures. (Table 1, 2, 3 etc., Figure 1, 2, 3 etc.)
◦ When referring to tables and figures in your essay, use these numbers.
 Example: Table 1 indicates the change in …
◦ Each table should have a number and short description flush left above the table.
◦ Every figure must have a number and caption flush left below the figure.
◦ If the tables or figures are from another source, that source must be cited.
◦ Do this by writing Source: followed by the same information that you would include
in an in-text citation, minus the brackets.
◦ A full citation must also appear in your References list.
S
Table 1. Summary of Remediation Process Participation
School Term
Summer 2013
Fall 2013
Winter 2014
Spring 2014
Summer 2014
Students
Referred
20
18
26
32
13
Remediation
Completed
14
13
15
18
7
Percentage
70%
72%
54%
56%
54%
Source: Alexander College Writing & Learning Centre, Vancouver, B.C., Figure 1. Lindsey bat Joseph, Co-ordinator
June 2014.
Source: Angharad Williams, personal photograph.
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IN-TEXT CITATIONS: THE BASICS
Basic Format for an In-Text Citation:
◦ In-text citations, as the name implies, appear in the body of your essay.
◦ The general APA format is (author’s LAST name, publication year)
 E.g.: (Smith, 2014).
◦ Direct quotes must be placed in “quotation marks” and include the page number.
◦ E.g.: The implications of this study are that, “despite public perception, the crime rate in Canada is
actually on the decline” (Smith, 2014, p. 45).
◦ Note: Some instructors may require you to include the page number even if you are
only summarizing or paraphrasing sources.
Your instructor is always the final authority on how sources are to be cited.
C ITING I NDIRECT S OURCES
◦ This is the most common type of citation in APA papers.
◦ It affects in-text citations only – References lists only YOUR sources
◦ What is an “indirect source?”
•
Sometimes you might use a research source that makes reference to studies
conducted by other researchers.
 Cite your source – the book, article, etc. you are working from
 In your essay, put the publication year of the original study you are citing
in brackets right after the author(s) name(s).
 At the end of the sentence, in the bracket put the words “as cited in”
followed by the authors of the book, article, etc. where you found this
information.
 If it is a direct quote, remember to also include the page numbers
In-text citations:
Two studies (Ballard & Suedfeld, 1988 and Suedfeld, Conway, & Eichorn, 2011) note “substantial
correlations between … (as cited in Aronson, Wilson, Akert, & Fehr, 2007, p. 267).
Seidenberg and McLellan’s (2014) study showed … (as cited in Coltheart, Curtis, Atkins and Haller, 1993).
References:
Aronson, E., Wilson, T.D., Akert, R.M. & Fehr, B. (2007). Social psychology (3rd ed.). Toronto: Pearson Prentice-Hall.
Coltheart, M., Curtis, B., Atkins, P., & Haller, M. (1993). Models of reading aloud: Dual-route and parallel-distributedprocessing approaches. Psychological Review, 100, 589-608.
◦ Note: in both cases, the studies referred to by the authors of our sources are NOT
mentioned in the References list.
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REFERENCES: THE BASICS
◦
◦
The References list is the complete list of all the sources used in your paper.
• It is placed on separate pages at the end of the paper.
Centre the title (References) and space down twice before starting the entries.
• All the texts in the References list should be double-spaced.
• On paragraph settings, set the text to “hanging” by ½ inch (1.27cm) so that the
second and subsequent lines in your entries are indented. (see examples below)
Listing Authors:
◦ Authors' names are inverted (last name first); followed by their initials, regardless
of how they are listed on the source.
◦ Example: on a book cover the author may be listed as James Arthur Jones.
 In References the name will appear as: Jones, J.A.
◦ Sources are listed in alphabetical order starting with the last name of the first
author of each work.
◦
For multiple articles by the same author, or authors listed in the same order, list the
entries in chronological order, from earliest to most recent.
 Example:
 Smith, J. (1995) …
 Smith, J. (2001) …
◦ Use an ampersand (&) to indicate more than one author
◦ Note in APA style, all authors’ names are inverted in the References list.
 Example: White, R. & Haines, F.
◦ Give the last name and initials for all authors up to seven authors.
◦ If there are more than seven authors, list the first six authors followed by an
ellipses and then conclude with the name and initials of the last author.
 Example: a book has been written by Albus Percival Wolfric Brian Dumbledore, Severus
Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Horace Slughorn, Pomona Sprout, Sybill Trelawney, Poppy
Pomfrey, Gilderoy Lockhart, and Filius Flitwick.
 In References, their names would appear as: Dumbledore, A.P.W.B., Snape,
S., McGonagall, M., Slughorn, H., Sprout, P., Trelawney, S., … & Flitwick, F.
Listing Your Sources:
◦ Titles of Journals, Books, Magazines and Newspapers are italicized.
◦ When referring to books, articles, or Web pages, capitalize only:
◦ The first word of a title and subtitle
◦ The first word after a colon or a dash in the title, and proper nouns.
◦ Do not capitalize the second word in a hyphenated compound word
◦ For Journal Titles, use the same punctuation and capitalization as the journal in its title.
◦ Titles of individual journal articles or essays are in regular type.
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“Parts” of a Standard Journal Entry
The names of the authors are listed
according to how they appear in the
journal article. Each author is listed by
their last name (family name) and then
the author’s initials.
Year of Publication of the
JOURNAL the article appears in.
Coltheart, M., Curtis, B., Atkins, P., & Haller, M. (1993). Models of reading aloud: Dual-route and parallel-distributedprocessing approaches. Psychological Review, 100, 589-608.
Title of the Journal: note that it
is in italics type and so is the
Volume number, while the issue
number (if there is one) appears
next to it in brackets and in
regular type.
Title of the article: note that it is
in regular type and only the first
word in the title & following the
colon (:) are capitalised.
Hansen, B., Skirbekk, B., Oerbeck, B., Wentzel-Larsen, T., & Kristensen, H. (2013). Persistence of sleep problems in
children with anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. Child Psychiatry & Human Development,
44(2), 290-304. Retrieved from:
http://184.71.180.254/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=86177275
&site=ehost-live&scope=site
‘Retrieved from:’ followed by either the DOI
(digital object indicator number) or the
stable URL if not DOI is available
◦
◦
◦
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Page numbers for the full article, not just the page(s)
cited in the body of the essay; also note that even articles
from online data bases have page numbers.
On the following pages we list the sample in-text citation and References entries for
different kinds of sources.
Remember that this booklet is only a Quick Guide for APA Citations.
• If you have any questions, consult the Writing & Learning Centre or one of the
College Librarians.
These websites can also help you:
◦ http://www.apastyle.org/learn/faqs/index.aspx
◦ https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
◦ http://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/writing/apa
ONLINE OR PRINT SOURCES WITH AUTHORS
Notice that the in-text citation pattern is the same for ALL sources.
B OOK
WITH
1 A UTHOR ( ONLINE
OR PRINT )
In-text citations: Summary or Paraphrase: (Covey, 1989)
Direct Quote: (Covey, 1989, p. 35)
References:
Covey, S.R. (1989) The seven habits of highly effective people: Restoring the character ethic. New York: Anchor
Books.
Fernald, L. (2008). Psychology: Six perspectives. Los Angeles: Sage Publications. Retrieved from:
http://184.71.180.254/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=4745
99&site=eds-live&scope=site
◦ For all e-book entries, follow the same pattern for the Reference entry that you would
for any print book.
◦ Add ‘Retrieved from’ and the DOI or stable URL for the book at the end of the citation,
as in the example above.
B OOK
WITH
2 A UTHORS ( ONLINE
OR PRINT )
In-text citations: Summary or Paraphrase: (White & Haines, 2008)
Direct Quote: (White & Haines, 2008, p. 35)
◦ When a work has two authors, cite both names every time.
◦ Use an ampersand (&) in your in-text citations.
◦ Use the word and in the body of your essay.
 Example: As Smith and Jones (2012) argue ...
References:
White, R. & Haines, F. (2008). Crime and criminology (4th ed.). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
B OOK
WITH
M ULTIPLE A UTHORS W RITING T OGETHER ( ONLINE
OR PRINT )
In-text citations: Summary or Paraphrase: (Adler, Mueller, & Laufer, 2007)
Direct Quote: (Adler, Mueller, & Laufer, 2007, p.99)
References:
Adler, F., Mueller, G.O.W., & Laufer, W.S. (2007). Criminology (6th ed.). Toronto: McGraw-Hill.
Special Notes for In-Text Citations with multiple authors:
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◦ When a work has 3, 4 or 5 authors, name all authors the first time you cite the source.
 (Adler, Mueller, & Laufer ,2007)
◦ In the first subsequent citation list the first author, followed by "et al." and a year.
 As Adler et al. (2007) further argue … or (Adler et al., 2007)
◦ If you mention the same work again within one paragraph, omit the year.
 Adler et al. also note that … or (Adler et al.)
E DITED V OLUME /C OLLECTION [ AKA “A NTHOLOGY ”] ( ONLINE
OR PRINT )
◦ An edited volume or collection (often called an anthology) is a collection of stories,
articles, plays, poems etc. by different authors not writing together.
◦ Usually an edited volume has an editor or a compiler.
◦ Articles are cited by their author(s) NOT the editor(s) so the same rules apply for
in-text citations as for books noted above.
In-text citations: Summary or Paraphrase: (Anagnost, 1989);
Direct Quote: (Anagnost, 1989, p. 211)
References:
Anagnost, A. (1989) Prosperity and Counterprosperity: The moral discourse on wealth in post-Mao China. In A. Dirlik
& M. Meisner, (Eds.), Marxism and the Chinese Experience, .210-234. Armonk: M.E. Sharpe, Inc.
◦ Note: the editors are included in the References listing after the author and title of
the article, before the title of the collection. (‘Eds.’ is the abbreviation for ‘editors’).
 Their names are NOT inverted: List their initials, followed by their last names.
◦ The Reference includes the entire page range of the article.
A RTICLE
◦
FROM
M AGAZINE
OR
N EWSPAPER ( ONLINE OR PRINT )
For online versions of magazines and newspapers, there usually aren’t any pages so
you only need the author(s) last name(s) and the publication year in the in-text citation.
In-text citations: Summary, Paraphrase or online Direct Quote: (Teitel, 2012), (Hutchinson, 2012).
Direct Quote (print): (Teitel, 2012, p. 68), (Hutchinson, 2012, p.A1)
References: (Print)
Hutchinson, G. (2012 , October 29). Nothing bold at Liberal meet. National Post, A1, A4.
Teitel, E. (2012 October 29). Bullied to death. Maclean’s, 68-70.
References: (Online)
Hutchinson, G. (2012, October 29). Nothing bold at Liberal meet. National Post. Retrieved from:
http://www.nationalpost.com
Teitel, E. (2012 October 23) Bullied to death. Maclean’s. Retrieved from: www2.macleans.ca
10
P RINT J OURNAL A RTICLE R ETRIEVED FROM
◦
AN
O NLINE D ATA B ASE
In-text citations for print or online journals is the same as newspapers and magazines
In-text citations:
Summary or Paraphrase: (Hansen,Skirbekk, Oerbeck, Wentzel-Larsen & Kristensen, 2013)
Direct Quote: (Hansen,Skirbekk, Oerbeck, Wentzel-Larsen & Kristensen, 2013, p. 299)
References:
Hansen, B., Skirbekk, B., Oerbeck, B., Wentzel-Larsen, T., & Kristensen, H. (2013). Persistence of sleep problems in
children with anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. Child Psychiatry & Human Development,
44(2), 290-304. Retrieved from:
http://184.71.180.254/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=86177275
&site=ehost-live&scope=site
◦ If there is a digital object indicator for the article (DOI) cite that instead of the full URL.
◦ If no DOI has been assigned for the article then add ‘Retrieved from’ followed by the
stable URL for the article.
ONLINE OR PRINT SOURCES: NO AUTHORS
G ROUPS , G OVERNMENT
OR
O RGANIZATION
AS
A UTHOR ( ONLINE
OR PRINT )
◦ Sometimes a book will be published by a government department or by some other
organisation.
• The individual writers who produced the book are not identified.
• Use the name of the agency, organisation, etc. that published the book.
In-text citations: Summary or Paraphrase: (Vanier Institute of the Family, 2000)
Direct Quote: (Vanier Institute of the Family, 2000, p. 40)
References:
The Vanier Institute of the Family (2000). Profiling Canada’s families II. Nepean: Author.
◦ Note: in APA, since the document is produced by the same organisation that publishes
it, you are permitted to simply list “author” as the publisher.
A RTICLES
FROM
W EBSITES
◦ Websites don’t have page numbers, so the in-text citation for summaries, paraphrases or
direct quotes is the same.
◦ If an author is identified, always use his/her name in the citations
• If no author is listed, use the title of the section of the website you are quoting
 The heading may be shortened if necessary.
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In-text citations: Summary, Paraphrase or Direct Quote: (“Around the Mission”, 2013)
References:
“Around the Mission.” (2013 February 25). Retrieved from http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/missions/expedition3435/default.asp
D ICTIONARY
◦
OR
E NCYCLOPEDIA ( ONLINE
OR PRINT )
For these references, list the entry’s name in the brackets, along with the publication
year. For example, we looked up the word “hunker” in the dictionary:
In-text citation:
The popular meaning of ‘hunker’ is "to settle in or dig in for a sustained period" and usually refers to taking shelter or
waiting through something unpleasant or difficult but it originally meant "to crouch" or "to squat” (Hunker, 2006).
References:
Hunker. (2012) Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online. Retrieved from: www.meriam-webster.com

For other resources such as print dictionaries, encyclopedias, thesaurus’, the Bible, etc.,
check the APA style guides at http://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/writing/apa or
http://owl.english.purdue.edu
PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS SUCH AS CLASS NOTES
◦ Unpublished, unrecoverable personal communications, such as personal class notes
are not included in the reference list because they do not provide recoverable data.
◦ Cite in-text only.
Recommended: Refer to the lecture in the body of your essay (no citation required)
In a lecture in a Sociology 210 class on July 8, 2014 Dr. Elic Chan noted ….
Alternative, in-text citation:
The college administrator agreed that many students were “accidentally plagiarising” because they
lacked a clear understanding of how to cite sources correctly (J. Crandall, personal communication,
July 28, 2014).
On the following page is a sample References list for most of the individual sources listed
above.
 Notice they are now in alphabetical order according to the authors’ last names or
the title of the source when no author is listed.
 All authors are listed by family name and initials only – no personal names.
 Notice that within individual entries, the authors are listed in the order they appear on the
cover or title page of the source.
 The page is double-spaced.
 All entries use a ‘hanging indent’ of 0.5 inches (1.27 cm).
 Note which parts of each entry are in italics.
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References
Adler, F., Mueller, G.O.W., & Laufer, W.S. (2007). Criminology (6th ed.). Toronto: McGraw-Hill.
Anagnost, A. (1989) Prosperity and Counterprosperity: The moral discourse on wealth in post-Mao China. In A. Dirlik
& M. Meisner, (Eds.), Marxism and the Chinese Experience, 210-234. Armonk: M.E. Sharpe, Inc.
“Around the Mission.” (2013 February 25). Retrieved from http://www.asc-csa.gc.ca/eng/missions/expedition3435/default.asp
Coltheart, M., Curtis, B., Atkins, P., & Haller, M. (1993). Models of reading aloud: Dual-route and parallel-distributedprocessing approaches. Psychological Review, 100, 589-608.
Covey, S.R. (1989) The seven habits of highly effective people: Restoring the character ethic. New York: Anchor
Books.
Fernald, L. (2008). Psychology : Six perspectives. Los Angeles: Sage Publications. Retrieved from:
http://184.71.180.254/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=e000xna&AN=4745
99&site=eds-live&scope=site
Gilbert, N. (2012). Thackeray Sturges and the scandal of censorship. PMLA 127(3), 542-557.
Hansen, B., Skirbekk, B., Oerbeck, B., Wentzel-Larsen, T., & Kristensen, H. (2013). Persistence of sleep problems in
children with anxiety and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders. Child Psychiatry & Human Development,
44(2), 290-304. Retrieved from:
http://184.71.180.254/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=86177275
&site=ehost-live&scope=site
Hunker. (2012) Merriam-Webster Dictionary Online. Retrieved from: www.meriam-webster.com
Hutchinson, G. (2012, October 29). Nothing bold at Liberal meet. National Post. Retrieved from:
http://www.nationalpost.com
Teitel, E. (2012, October 29). Bullied to death. Maclean’s, 68-70.
The Vanier Institute of the Family (2000). Profiling Canada’s families II. Nepean: Author.
White, R. & Haines, F. (2008). Crime and criminology (4th ed.). South Melbourne: Oxford University Press.
13