APA Reference Format Simplified
APA (2010) requires a hanging indent and double-spacing for its references. Always use italics, not underlining, when required
(for example, with book and journal titles). If a magazine or journal does not have a volume number, you must use the p. or pp.
abbreviation for page(s).
Note: APA 2010 requires you to use DOIs (Digital Object Identifiers) when possible. APA 2010 also recommends you use two spaces after a period.
Book
APA FORMAT
EXAMPLE
One Author
Author last name, First initial. Middle initial.
(Year). Title of work. Location: Publisher.
Smith, K.C. (2004). Children’s literature of the Harlem
renaissance. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
Two to Seven Authors
Author last name, First initial. Middle initial., &
Author last name, First initial, Middle
initial. (Year). Title of work. Location:
Publisher.
Branson, J. J., & Larson, B. (2003). Educating Rita. New York:
Norton.
Eight or More Authors
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author
D. D., Author, E. E., Author, F. F., . . . Last
Author, I. I. (Year). Title of work.
Location: Publisher.
German, J., Franklin, B., Sweden, A., Joseph, B., Austin, T.,
Squires, K., . . . Marsh, R. (2008). Effects of family
reunions on dysfunctional families. New York: Genealogy
Press.
Editor and/or Chapter in
a Book
Author, A.A. (Year). Title of chapter. In A. Editor
& B. Editor (Eds.), Title of work (pp. xxxxxx). Location: Publisher.
Arthur, K. (2004). High school reform in Arizona. In A. Squires
(Ed.), Dismal state of American education (pp. 56-84).
New York: Knopf.
E-book
Possible Formats:
Editor last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Ed.).
(Year). Title of work. Location:
Publisher. Retrieved from URL
Author, A. (Year). Title of work. Location:
Publisher. Retrieved from URL
Author, B. (Year) Title of work. doi:xxxxx
Author, C. (Year) Title of work. Retrieved from
URL
Careful, T. (Ed.). (2003). Children and ritalin. doi:
10.1037/10762-000
(When a DOI [digital object
identifier] is available, you
should use it at end of entry as
noted in samples)
Rev. 2009/Based on 6th edition of APA Manual (2010)
Volz, B.D. (Ed.). (2000). Junior genreflecting: A guide to good
reads and series fiction for children. Englewood CO:
Libraries Unlimited. doi: 10.1036/0071393724
Zimring, C.A. (2005). Cash for your trash: Scrap recycling in
America [eBook version]. Retrieved from
http://site.ebrary.com/lib/cgcc
Periodical Article
Magazine
APA Format
Author last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year, Month Day).
Title of article. Title of Magazine, volume number, pages.
Note: If no volume number is available, use p. or pp. before page numbers.
Journal: Continuous
Page Numbers
Journal: Separate
Pagination (each issue
starts with page 1)
Author last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year). Title of
article. Title of Journal, volume number, pages.
Article in an Online
Database
Same as print journal article but add doi or electronic retrieval
information at end.
 If doi is available, add doi to end of entry.
 If no doi is available and it was retrieved online, add the
following phrase and the homepage url of the journal,
newsletter, or magazine using this format: Retrieved
from http://www.xxxxxxxx
 Note that you do not use a period after the url or the doi
CQ Researcher
(subscription database
example)
Newspaper (print
version)
Newspaper (electronic
version)
Author last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year). Title of
article. Title of Journal, volume number (Issue number),
Pages.
Example
Bender, M. (2006, December). 2-minute winter
warm-ups: Wake up your hibernating
muscles, starting now. Health, 20, 3840.
Brown, P. (2002). New architecture today. Art
Digest, 25, 303-313.
Bellon-Hare, L. M., Garrett, T.M., Roberts, C. L.,
& Torres-Rivera, E. (2003). Open hands,
open hearts: Working with native youth
in the schools. Intervention in School
and Clinic, 38 (4), 225-235.
Vissing, Y. (2003). The yellow school bus project:
Helping homeless students get ready for
school. Phi Delta Kappan, 85 (4), 321323. Retrieved from
http://www.ebscohost.com
Kroon, L. (2007). Drug interactions with smoking.
American Journal of Health-System
Pharmacy, 64 (18), 1917-1921. doi:
Author last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year). Title of
article. Title of Publication, volume number, pages.
Retrieved from http://xxxxxxxx
10.2146/ajhp060414
Glazer, S. (2006). Video games. CQ Researcher,
16, 937-960. Retrieved from
http://library.cqpress.com.
Author last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year, Month Day).
Title of article. Title of Newspaper, Pages.
Brown, S. (1998, January 25). A new art. The
Washington Post, p. A4.
Note that you use p. or pp. before page numbers with newspapers.
If an article has discontinuous page numbers, list all page numbers,
but separate them with a comma (e.g. pp. A3, A5, A6-7)
Same as print newspaper, but give the URL of the home page if
available: This strategy allows you to avoid nonworking URLs.
Lublin, J. S. (2006, December 11). Untainted
firms alter how they offer options. The
Wall Street Journal, pp. B1, B3.
Shin, A. (2006, December 6). Trans fat banned in
N.Y. eateries: City health board cites
heart risks. The Washington Post.
Retrieved from http://proquest.umi.com
Rev. 2009/Based on 6th edition of APA Manual (2010)
Encyclopedia
APA Format
Example
One or More Authors
Author last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year). Entry title.
In A.A. Editor (Ed.), Title of publication (Vol. #, pp.).
Location: Publisher.
Hernandez, J., & Squires, R. (1999). House plants.
In T. Z. Zollinger (Ed.),The encyclopedia of
botany (Vol. 7, pp. 45-75). New York:
Macmillan.
No Author
Entry title. (Year). In B. B. Editor (Ed), Title of publication (Vol.
#, pp.). Location: Publisher.
Achievement gap. (2006). In L.B. Johnson (Ed.),The
encyclopedia of education. Retrieved from
http://find. galegroup.com
(The sample shown is an electronic example, which includes URL or doi
rather than location and publisher)
Web Site Article
With Author
APA Format
Author last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Date of
web page). Title. Retrieved from URL
Note: If content may change over time on a Web page
(such as a wiki), you can include a retrieval date. If
content will not change, you do not need to include the
retrieval date.
Example
American Library Association YALSA (2005).
Outstanding books for the college bound.
Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/
yalsa/booklists/obcb
Jameson, E. (n.d.). NCH FACT sheets on
homelessness. Retrieved August 12,
1999, from http://nch.ari.net/facts.html
With No Author
Article title. (Date). Retrieved from URL
The trials and tribulation of the homeless on the
streets of Phoenix. (2003, October 13).
Retrieved from http://www.save.the.
homeless.org/trials.html
Entire Website
Note: With APA, when citing an entire Website (and not
a specific document on the website), you may cite it in
your parenthetical in-text citation and not include it on
your References page.
Example of in-text reference: The Mark Twain
Page discusses the significance of Twain’s works,
especially relating his stories to the political
controversies of his day. It especially
emphasizes racial issues (http://www.ualbertta.
ca/_dawe/twain.html).
Rev. 2009/Based on 6th edition of APA Manual (2010)
Other Source Types
APA Format
Example
Lecture or Address
(unpublished paper/poster
presentation)
Film, Movie, or Video
Presenter, A. A. (year, Month). Lecture title. Type of
presentation (paper/lecture/poster) presented at
the meeting of Organization Name, Location.
Goddard, T. (2001, October). Phoenix today.
Honors Forum Lecture presented at the
MCCCD Honors Program Forum, Phoenix
College.
Nevins, S. (Producer), & Anderson, J. (Director).
(2006). Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on
Goldwater. [DVD]. United States: HBO
Documentary Films.
Music Recording
Writer, A. A. (Copyright year). Title of song [Recorded by
B. B. Artist if different from writer]. On Title of
album [Medium]. Location: Label. (Date of
recording if it differs from copyright year).
Personal Communications
(an interview you conduct
yourself, memos, email, phone
conversations, private
letters, etc.)
A Review
Producer, A. A. (Producer), & Director, B. B (Director).
(Year). Title of motion picture [Medium of motion
picture]. Country of origin: Studio.
You cannot include personal interviews on the References
page because this information is not “retrievable” by other
researchers. You must cite them in the text as shown:
(First initial. Middle initial. Last name, personal
communication, Month Day, Year)
NOTE: In in-text citations, include side and band or
track numbers: “Billie’s Blues” (Holiday, 1991, track 5).
Again, for personal communications, use in-text
citation only, no reference.
(L. Hogan, personal communication, August 18,
1999)
Reviewer’s Last Name, First initial. Middle initial. (Date).
Title of review [Review of the book/film/DVD/
article Title of book, by A. A. Author]. Title of
Kauffman, R. (2001, March 6). A new look
[Review of the book The color purple, by
A. Walker]. New Books Review, pp. 239240.
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of post [Description
of form]. Retrieved from http;/www.xxxx
Ziegler, J. (2004, November 12). Re: Arizona
homeless information source [Online
forum comment]. Retrieved from
http://forums.homelessness
/arizona/phoenix/issues/
msg1123494085458903.html?15
complete work, vol.# (if any), pp. xxx-xxx.
Online Posting (message to a
newsgroup, online forum, or
discussion group).
Holiday, B. (1991). Billie’s blues. On Lady Day:
The best of Billie Holiday. [CD]. New
York: Sony.
Note: Due to nature of posting, always include a url.
Rev. 2009/Based on 6th edition of APA Manual (2010)
Radio or Television Program
Set up is similar to a chapter in a book: list script writer
and director in the author position. List producer
(if name is available) in the editor position.
Writer Last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Writer), &
Director Last name, First initial. Middle initial.
(Director). (Date). Program title [Medium]. In P.P.
Producer (Producer), Series or show title.
Location: Network or station name.
Rev. 2009/Based on 6th edition of APA Manual (2010)
Shatner, J. (Writer), & Haffner, C. (Director).
(1993, April 6). Frederick Douglas
[Television broadcast.] In Civil War
journal. Los Angeles: Arts and
Entertainment Network.
Tessler, V. (Writer), & Sojourner, J. (Director).
(2002, January 25). Death and love
[Radio broadcast]. In Weekend edition
Saturday. Phoenix, AZ;: KJZZ.
CAN MEDICATION CURE OBESITY IN CHILDREN?
List of references
begins on a new
page. Heading is
centered.
12
References
Berkowitz, R. I., Wadden, T. A., Tershakovec, A. M., & Cronquist,
J. L. (2003). Behavior therapy and sibutramine for the
treatment of adolescent obesity. Journal of the American
Medical Association, 289, 1805-1812.
List is alphabetized
by authors’ last
names. All authors’
names are inverted.
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
Critser, G. (2003). Fat land. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
The first line of an
entry is at the left
margin; subsequent
lines indent ½".
Duenwald, M. (2004, January 6). Slim pickings: Looking beyond
ephedra. The New York Times, p. F1. Retrieved from http://
nytimes.com/
Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation. (2004, February). The role of
media in childhood obesity. Retrieved from http://www.kff
.org/entmedia/7030.cfm
Hilts, P. J. (2002, March 20). Petition asks for removal of diet
drug from market. The New York Times, p. A26. Retrieved from
http://nytimes.com/
Double-spacing is
used throughout.
Hoppin, A. G., & Taveras, E. M. (2004, June 25). Assessment and
management of childhood and adolescent obesity. Clinical
Update. Retrieved from http://www.medscape.com
/viewarticle/481633
McDuffie, J. R., Calis, K. A., Uwaifo, G. I., Sebring, N. G., Fallon,
E. M., Hubbard, V. S., & Yanovski, J. A. (2002). Three-month
tolerability of orlistat in adolescents with obesity-related
comorbid conditions. Obesity Research, 10, 642-650.
Source: Diana Hacker (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2006).