Citing Sources: APA Print Sources

How to Reference Print Sources in APA Style

This document is a guideline of how to reference print sources using APA style based on information available at APA Style Guidelines on the American Psychological Association website, and the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition. Many other examples and types of print sources are addressed in both. 

 References for Periodicals

Journal article, one author 

The general format:is:

Author, A. A. (year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume, pp-pp.

Example:

Mellers, B.A. (2000). Choice and the relative pleasure of consequences. Psychological Bulletin, 

     126, 910-920.

Journal article, two to seven authors

Follow this general format, alphabetizing the authors by surname:

Author, A. A., Author B. B., & Author C. C. (year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume, pp-pp.

Example:

Saywitz, K. J., Mannarino, A. P., Berliner., & Cohen, J.A. (2000).  Treatment for sexually abused 

     children and adolescents.  American Psychologist, 55, 1040-1049.

For eight or more authors, list first six alphabetically, insert three ellipses, and add the last author's name.

Journal article, paginated by issue

The general format is:

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year). Title of article.  Title of Periodical , Volume (issue), pp.-pp.

Example:

Klimoski, R., & Palmer, S. (1993). The ADA and the hiring process in organizations. Consulting

      Psychology Journal:  Practice and Research, 42(2), 10-36.

Magazine article

The general format is:

Author, A. A. (year, month, date).  Title of article. Title of Magazine, volume(issue), pp.-pp.

Example:

Kandel, E.R. & Squire, L.R. (2000, November 10). Neuroscience: Breaking down scientific barriers

      to the study of brain and mind. Science, 290, 1113-1120.

Periodical article, no author

The general format is that the title of the article moves to the author position.  Everything else follows the standard format.

In the References list, alphabetize according to the first significant word in the title.

Example:

The new health-care lexicon. (1993, August/September). Copy Editor, 4, 1-2.

Newspaper article

General format follows rules for other periodical articles, except :

• Precede page numbers with p. or pp.

• If article appears on discontinuous pages, give all pages, separated with a comma.

Example:

Schwartz, J. (1993, September  30).  Obesity affects economic, social status.  The Washington

      Post, pp. A1, A4.

Entire issue or special section of a journal

The general format when citing an entire issue is to use the editors of the issue, and title of issue.

Example:

Barlow, D.H. (Ed.). (1991). Diagnoses, dimensions, and DSM-IV: the classification [Special Issue]. 

     Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 100(3).

References for Books

Entire book

The general format is:

Author, A. A. (year).  Title of book. Publisher.

Example:

Beck, C.A.J., & Sales, B.D. (2001). Family mediation: Facts, myths, and future prospects. 

    American Psychological Association.

When citing an edited book, the editors go in the author position, followed by (Ed.) or (Eds.).

Editor, A. A. (Ed.). (year). Title of book. Publisher.

Book chapter from an edited book

The general format starts with the author of the chapter, date, and chapter title, followed by book information.

Author of chapter, A. A. (year). Title of chapter.  In A. A. Editor & B. B. Editor (Eds.), Title of book 

     (pp.-pp.). Publisher.

Example:

Haybron, D. M. (2008). Philosophy and the science of subjective well-being.  In M. Eid & J. Larsen 

     (Eds.), The science of subjective well-being (pp. 17-43). Guilford Press.

In-text Citations

Author- date method
In text citations use a shortened form of the full citation in your Reference List. Any of these examples is acceptable:

Early onset Alzheimer's is linked to three genes (Smith, 2000).

Smith (2000) found that early onset Alzheimer's was linked to three genes.

In 2000, Smith found that early onset Alzheimer's was linked to three genes.

Direct quotation

Follow the above format, including the page number, as well.

Example:

(Smith, 2000, p. 45)

For a lengthy quotation of 40 words or more, omit quotation marks, and display in a free standing blodk of text, indented about 1/2 inch from the left margin, and double spaced.  At the end of the quotation, insert source information in parentheses (author, year, p.) after the final punctuation.

For more examples of how to reference print dources, please see:

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition (BF76.7.P83 2020). Available at the Bellevue University Library.

APA Style Guidelines on the American Psychological Association website, Reference Examples. 

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