Citation Guide: APA (6th ed., 2010)

Geological field trips in southern British Columbia. (2003). Vancouver, BC: Geological Association of Canada,

Cordilleran Section.

• When a work has no author, cite in text the first few words of the reference list entry (usually the title) and the year.
• Within the body of the paper italicize the title of a book, brochure, or report and capitalize all major words in titles. 
  • In his book Greek Political Thought, Balot (2006) argued that [...].
• In text, you may use a few words of the title if the title is too long.

Reference List

Walker, L.E. (2000). The battered woman syndrome (2nd ed.). New York: Springer.

Monro, V. (1835). A summer ramble in Syria: With a Tartar trip from Aleppo to Stamboul (Vol. 1). Retrieved from

http://books.google.com/books

Blossom, J. (2009). Content nation: Surviving and thriving as social media technology changes our lives and our

future. Retrieved from http://www.wiley.com

Schiraldi, G.R. (2001). The post-traumatic stress disorder sourcebook: A guide to healing, recovery, and growth

[Adobe Digital Editions version]. doi:10.1036/0071393722

• If you retrieved an e-book from a database (e.g. Books24x7, Google Books), add the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) if available, at the end using the format: “doi:xxxxxxx” (6.32, p. 191).
• Can't find the DOI? DOI Lookup.
• If there is no DOI assigned, give the URL of the publisher's home page in place of the DOI. You may need to do a quick web search to locate the home page if you found the book in a library database (e.g. ebrary, Books24x7).
  • There is no period at the end of the URL.

National Council of Welfare (Canada). (2001). Child poverty profile, 1998. Ottawa, ON: National Council of

Welfare.

• A "Group as Author" may be a corporation, an association, a government agency, etc.
• In the example above, author and publisher are identical: 'National Council of Welfare'. In such cases you may use the word "Author" as the name of the publisher.
• Provide the publisher if it is different from the author.

Bucher, K., & Manning, M.L. (2006). Young adult literature: Exploration, evaluation, and appreciation. Upper

Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.

• When a work has two authors, cite both names every time the reference occurs in text.
• When a work has three, four or five authors, name all authors the first time the reference occurs; in the first subsequent citation use only the first author, followed by "et al." and a year. If you mention the same work again within one paragraph, omit the year. E.g.:
  
  • the first time: Smith, Jones, Pearson and Sherwin (1990) found...
  • the second time, as a first citation per paragraph: Smith et al. (1990) found...
  • mentioned again within the same paragraph: Smith et al. found...
• For six or more authors,  cite only the last name of the first author followed by "et al."
• When a work has two or more authors, use the word and in running text and an ampersand & in parenthetical material, in tables, captions, and in the reference list. E.g.:
  • as Bucher and Manning (2006) demonstrated ...
  • as has been shown (Bucher & Manning, 2006) ...
• In the reference list invert all authors' names; give last names and initials for only up to and including seven authors. When authors number eight or more, include the first six authors’ names, then three ellipses (…), and add the last author’s name (6.27, p. 184).

Sharp, S.F., & Eriksen, M.E. (2003). Imprisoned mothers and their children. In B.H. Zaitzow & J. Thomas (Eds.),

Women in prison: Gender and social control (pp. 119-136). London: Lynne Rienner Publishers.

• One editor - use the abbreviation (Ed.). More than one editor - use the abbreviation (Eds.).
• In the example above, 'Sharp & Eriksen' are the authors of the chapter 'Imprisoned mothers and their children', published in the book 'Women in prison: Gender and social control'.
• For a book with no editor, include the word 'In' before the book title.

Louth, S.M., Hare, R.D., & Linden, W. (1998). Psychopathy and alexithymia in female offenders. Canadian

Journal of Behavioural Science, 30(2), 91-98.

• If, and only if, each issue of a journal begins on page 1, give the issue number in parentheses (not italicized) immediately after the volume number (which is italicized). There is no space between the volume and issue number.
• When a work has two authors, cite both names every time the reference occurs in text (6.11, p. 174).
• When a work has three, four or five authors, name all authors the first time the reference occurs; in the first subsequent citation use only the first author, followed by 'et al.' and a year. If you mention the same work again within one paragraph, omit the year. E.g.:
  • the first time: Louth, Hare and Linden (1998) found...
  • the second time, as a first citation per paragraph: Louth et al. (1998) found...
  • mentioned again within the same paragraph: Louth et al. found...

• For six or more authors, cite only the last name of the first author followed by 'et al.' and a year (6.12, p. 175).
• When a work has two or more authors, use the word and in running text and an ampersand & in parenthetical material, in tables, captions, and in the reference list. E.g.:
  • as Louth, Hare and Linden (1998) demonstrated ...
  • as has been shown (Louth, Hare & Linden, 1998) ...
• In the reference list invert all authors' names; give last names and initials for only up to and including seven authors. When authors number eight or more, include the first six authors’ names, then three ellipses (…), and add the last author’s name (6.27, p. 184).

Journal Article - Electronic (6.32, pp. 189-192)
 Retrieved from a database, such as PsycINFO, Academic Search Premier, JSTOR, etc. or on the internet

Turner, J. (2007). Justice and emotions. Social Justice Research, 20(3), 288-311.

doi:10.1007/s11211-007-0043-y

Walters, W. (2008). Bordering the sea: Shipping industries and the policing of stowaways. Borderlands

E- Journal, 7(3), 1-25. Retrieved from http://www.borderlands.net.au/index.html

Ledger, W., Wiebinga, C., Anderson, P., Irwin, D., Holman, A., & Lloyd, A. (2009). Costs and outcomes

associated with IVF using recombinant FSH. Reproductive BioMedicine Online, 19(3), 337-342. Retrieved

from http://www.rbmonline.com/

• For electronic versions based on a print source (such as PDF), include page numbers (6.32, p. 189).
• The retrieval date is not required unless the source material is likely to change over time.
• Generally it is not necessary to include information about which database it was retrieved from (6.32, p. 192).
• When a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is available, include the DOI right after the volume/issue number using the format: “doi:xxxxxxx” (6.32, p. 191).
• Can't find the DOI? DOI Lookup.
• If there is no DOI assigned, give the URL of the journal’s home page in place of the DOI. You may need to do a quick web search to locate the journal's website address if you found the article in a library database (e.g. Academic Search Premier, ScienceDirect).
  • There is no period at the end of the URL. 
• Many electronic sources do not provide page numbers. In this case, use paragraph numbers preceded by the abbreviation 'para.' (Rule 6.05 pp. 171-172).
• If a source contains neither page nor paragraph numbers, cite the heading (shorten the heading if it is long) (Rule 6.05 pp. 171-172).

All four pillars needed to combat drug scourge. (2004, May 15). The Vancouver Sun, p. C6.

Freeze, C. (2009, October 7). ‘Toronto 18’ leader pleads guilty. The Globe and Mail. Retrieved from

http://www.theglobeandmail.com

• In text, if the article does not have an author, use a title (shorten, if necessary). Put the title in quotes.
• If an article appears on discontinuous pages (e.g. starts on p.D1 and continues on p.D5), give all page numbers, separated by a comma.
• To cite a "letter to the editor", include the text [Letter to the editor] in square brackets, right after the title of the letter and before the title of the newspaper. There is no period after the title of the letter.
• If you retrieved the article from a database (e.g. Canadian Newsstand, CBCA), add the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) at the end using the format: “doi:xxxxxxx” (6.32, p. 191).
• Can't find the DOI? DOI Lookup.
• If there is no DOI assigned, give the URL of the newspaper’s home page in place of the DOI. You may need to do a quick web search to locate the home page if you found the article in a library database (e.g. Canadian Newsstand, PressDisplay).
  • There is no period at the end of the URL.

Morell, V. (2006, March). Wolves of Ethiopia. National Geographic, 209, 124-135.

Mauro, S. (2009, November). A red tail returns. Aviation History 20(2). Retrieved from

http://www.aviationhistory.org/am_aviation_history_magazine.html

• Give the date shown on the publication: month for monthlies / month and day for weeklies.
• If you retrieved the article from a database (e.g. Canadian Reference Centre, CBCA), add the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) at the end using the format: “doi:xxxxxxx” (6.32, p. 191).
• Can't find the DOI? DOI Lookup.
• If there is no DOI assigned, give the URL of the magazine’s home page in place of the DOI. You may need to do a quick web search to locate the home page if you found the article in a library database (e.g. MasterFile Premier, CBCA).
  • There is no period at the end of the URL.

International Federation of Library Association and Institutions. (2003, February 03). Library & information

science: Citation guides for electronic documents. Retrieved from http://ifla.org/I/training/citation/citing.htm

• When citing a web site in the Reference List, provide as much as possible of the following information:
  
  • Author's name (if available).
  • Date of publication or update in parentheses (if available). If there is no date, use '(n.d.)' instead.
  • Title or description of document.
  • Title of complete work (if relevant), in italics or underlined.
  • URL.
• When making in-text citations, use paragraph numbers (abbreviated to “para.”) if page numbers are not available. If there are no paragraph numbers, use the heading. The heading may be shortened if necessary.
• Do not include retrieval dates unless the source material is likely to change over time (e.g. blogs, wikis).
• There is no period after the URL.
• Do not insert a hyphen when breaking a long URL.

Spearing, M. (2004, May). Eating disorders: Facts about eating disorders and the search for solutions. Retrieved

from http://www.nimh.nih.gov/publicat/eatingdisorders.cfm

Jess. (2009, April 18). Some things I have learned about teens [Web log post]. Retrieved from

http://coollibrarianblog.blogspot.com/2009/04/some-things-i-have-learned-about-teens.html

• For blogs, include the name of the blog to which the entry was posted, if this information is not part of the URL. If the author’s full name is unavailable, use the screen name.
• When quoting, use paragraph numbers (abbreviated to “para.”) in the in-text citation if page numbers are not available. If there are no paragraph numbers, use the heading. The heading may be shortened if necessary.
• Do not insert a hyphen when breaking a long URL.

Benton Foundation. (1998, July 7). Barriers to closing the gap. In Losing ground bit by bit: Low-income

communities in the information age (chap.2). Retrieved from http://www.benton.org/publibrary/losing-

ground/two.html

• 'Barriers to closing the gap' is the title of Chapter 2 of the Web document 'Losing ground bit by bit'.
• When making in-text citations, use paragraph numbers (abbreviated to “para.”) if page numbers are not available. If there are no paragraph numbers, use the heading. The heading may be shortened if necessary.
• Provide a URL that links directly to the chapter or section.
• Do not insert a hyphen when breaking a long URL.

GVU’s 10th WWW user survey. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.gvu.gatech.edu/user_surveys/survey-1998-10/

• When making in-text citations, use paragraph numbers (abbreviated to “para.”) if page numbers are not available. If there are no paragraph numbers, use the heading. The heading may be shortened if necessary.

Sadie, S. (Ed.). (2000). The new Grove dictionary of music and musicians (2nd ed., Vols. 1-29). New York:

Grove's Dictionaries.

Zalta, E. N. (Ed.). (2007). The Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. Retrieved from http://plato.stanford.edu/

• If you retrieved the entry from a database (e.g. Gale Virtual Reference Library), add the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) at the end using the format: “doi:xxxxxxx” (6.32, p. 191).
• Can't find the DOI? DOI Lookup.
• If there is no DOI assigned, give the URL of the publisher's home page in place of the DOI. You may need to do a quick web search to locate the home page if you found the article in a library database (e.g. Oxford Reference Online, Gale Virtual Reference Library).
  • There is no period at the end of the URL.

Firdion, J.M. (2004). Foster care. In Encyclopedia of homelessness (Vol. 1, pp. 167-170). Thousand Oaks, CA:

Sage Publications.

Etzkowitz, H. & Dzisah, J. (2009). University–industry relationships. In J.B. Callicott & R. Froderman (Eds.),

Encyclopedia of environmental ethics and philosophy (Vol. 2, pp. 344-346). Retrieved from

http://www.gale.cengage.com/.

• If there is no author or editor of the entry, as in the last example, place the title in the author position.
• If an online version refers to a print version, include the edition number after the title.

Skala, C. (2003). Optimizing basic French skills utilizing multiple teaching techniques. Retrieved from ERIC

database. (ED498566)

Gladu, A. (Producer), & Brodeur. M. (Director). (2001). Dance of the warrior [Motion picture]. Canada: National

Film Board.

Manhattan77. (2007, February 25). Ghost Towns and Death Valley [Video file]. Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGCnyH6n2sw&feature=video_response

• There is no period after the title.
• If the author's full name is unavailable, use a screen name.
• Do not insert a hyphen when breaking a long URL.

Seidenberg and McClelland's study showed (as cited in Coltheart, Curtis, Atkins, & Haller, 1993) that [...]

Coltheart, M., Curtis, B., Atkins, P., & Haller, M. (1993). Models of reading aloud: Dual-route and parallel-

distributed-processing approaches. Psychological Review, 100, 589-608.

• What you have in hand (Coltheart) is 'the secondary source', and the original work that has been cited in your source (Seidenberg) is 'the primary source'.
• In the reference list give the secondary source (the one you have in hand; the one you consulted).
• In text, name the primary source (Seidenberg), and give the citation to the secondary source: ('as cited in...')

Iyengar, S. S., & DeVoe, S. E. (2003). Rethinking the value of choice: Considering cultural mediators of intrinsic

motivation. In R. Dienstbier (Ed.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation: Vol. 49. Cross-cultural differences

in perspectives on the self (pp. 129-174). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.

Shennan, S. (2008).  Canoes and cultural evolution. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105,

3416-3420. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0800666105

• Published conference proceedings may be cited either like chapters in edited books (first example) or like journal articles (second example). This will depend on whether the publication is treated as a series (e.g. has an ISBN and an editor) or as a periodical (i.e. it is published annually).
• For unpublished conference papers and contributions see Rule 7.04, p.206.
• Capitalize the name of the symposium, conference or meeting.

In his interview M.S. Bloomberg (personal communication, April 22, 2007) talks about...

• Personal communications may be letters, e-mails, interviews, telephone conversations, etc.
• Some forms of personal communication are recoverable, and these should be referenced as archival material (See Rule 7.10, pp.212-214 for examples of archival material).
• Unpublished, unrecoverable personal communications are not included in the reference list because they do not provide recoverable data. Cite in text only.
• Cite information from your own class notes as a personal communication and refer to it only in the body of your paper (e.g. In a lecture on September 23, 2007 to a PSYC 103 class, Professor Brown said... ).
• Published interviews are included in the reference list. If the published interview has a title, include it after the year. Give further description in [brackets] if necessary. Provide the original source where the interview was published (e.g. a print journal article with one author, a website, etc.) and choose the format accordingly. If the published interview lacks a title, give a description of the interview in [brackets].
• See Rule 7.11, pp. 214-215 for citing messages posted to newsgroups, online forums and electronic mailing lists.

Tables and Figures - Charts, Graphs, Maps, Photographs, etc. (Chapter 5, pp. 125-167)

• Include the word Note. before your citation.
• The citation follows a different format from the other examples listed here, and is placed below the table or figure.
• Use this citation form for tables or figures from another source which you reprint.

If you need to cite a source from a Custom Courseware package, here are two suggestions. However, our strong recommendation is to first check with your instructor.

1. Find the full citation where the article, chapter, etc. was originally published, and cite accordingly. The full citations may be included on the first page of the coursepack. If not, search a relevant database or the library catalogue, or ask a librarian.

2. Treat the Courseware package as an anthology, and the instructor who did the compilation as a book editor/compiler. Therefore, treat the article, chapter, etc. as if it was part of an anthology, or edited book. Most probably you will not have the page numbers, since the Custom Courseware is not a true publication and is not paginated throughout. You will also have to include the name of the compiler, the title of the Courseware, the name of the course (e.g. CMNS 210), the semester (e.g. Spring 2010) and the publisher (Simon Fraser University). Bear in mind that someone trying to find the article/chapter from a coursepack you cited might not have access to the same coursepack.

• Basics of APA Style Tutorial from the APA.
• What’s New in the 6th Edition Tutorial from the APA.
• APA Formatting and Style Guide (6th ed.) from Purdue University. Includes images of APA style formatting for titles pages, running head, sample papers, tables and other information.
• How to cite business sources in APA (5th ed.). From McGill University.
   
• Sample Paper from the APA, with examples of many APA rules.
• SFU Psychology Department: APA Style for papers. Sample APA research paper.