American Psychological Association (APA) style examples
APA style is an author-date citation style. It was developed mainly for use in psychology, but has also been adopted by other disciplines.
There are two major components to the APA author-date style - the in-text author-date citation at the appropriate place within the text of the document, e.g. (Smith, 2010), and the detailed reference list at the end of the document. All in-text citations must have a corresponding reference list entry, and the converse applies for reference list entries.
Use the following instructions and examples as guide for your own referencing using the APA style. This guide is based on more detailed information in:
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In text citing: General notes
- Insert an in-text citation:
- when your work has been influenced by someone else's work, for example:
- when you directly quote someone else's work
- when you paraphrase someone else's work
- The in-text citation consists of:
- author surname(s) (in the order that they appear on the actual publication), followed by the year of publication of the source that you are citing.
- include page or paragraph numbers for direct quotes, and for paraphrasing where appropriate
- The in-text citation is placed immediately after the text which refers to the source being cited
- If quoting or citing a source which is cited within another, secondary reference, mention the source with the secondary reference details: e.g. Smith (as cited in Jones, 2010). Only the secondary reference should be included in the reference list.
Reference list: General notes
- Begin your reference list on a new page and title it 'References.' Centre the title on the page.
- Double-space your reference list and have a hanging indent
- > a hanging indent is where the first line of each reference is fully left justified while subsequent lines are indented to the right. The width of the hanging indent should be 5-7 spaces or 1.25 cm. Hanging indents and double spacing are set by the word processors
- All of the references in the reference list must also be cited in the text.
- All references cited in text must also be included in the reference list (exceptions are unpublished items such as correspondence).
- List the references in alphabetical order by author surname/family name.
- Where there are two articles with the same authors and date, order the references alphabetically by article title and add a letter suffix to the year of publication (e.g. 2003a, 2003b...).
- Provide organisation names in full, unless they are obviously recognisable as abbreviations (e.g. APA for American Psychological Association).
- Do not add full stops to URLs (e.g. http://www.lib.monash.edu.au/)
- Check the reference details against the actual source - you are indicating that you have read a source when you cite it.
- Be consistent with your referencing style across the document.
Author layout guidance
| Where a publication has: |
List authors in the reference list as: |
| one author |
Author, A. A. |
| two authors |
Author, A. A., & Author B. B. |
| three to seven authors |
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author, D. D., Author, E. E., Author, F. F., & Author, G. G. |
| eight or more authors - list first six authors, add three ellipses and the last author |
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author, D. D., Author, E. E., Author, F. F.,...Author, Z. Z. |
| no author |
Transfer the title to the author space |
| a group author |
Spell the name out |
Digital Object Identification (doi) and URLs:
- The digital object identifier (doi) is a unique identifier, and should be provided in the reference where it is available. This alphanumeric string is usually located on the first page with other referencing elements in both print and electronic articles. If no doi is available for an electronic article, provide the URL information in the reference.
- Some other resources, such as books, may also have dois, which should be used where available.
In text citations
| Type of citation |
Example and comments |
| 1 author |
...This was seen in an Australian study (Conger, 1979).
OR
Conger (1979) has argued that...
OR
In 1979, Conger conducted a study which showed that... |
| 2 authors |
...(Davidson & Harrington, 2002).
OR
Davidson and Harrington (2002)... |
| 3 to 5 authors |
Cite all names and publication year the first time, thereafter only
the first name followed by et al.
The first time cited:
...(Brown, Smith, & Jones, 1990).
Brown, Smith, and Jones (1990)...
thereafter:
...(Brown et al., 1990).
Brown et al. (1990)... |
| 6 or more authors |
Cite only the surname of the first author followed by et al. and
the year from the first citation.
Provide all six author names (followed by et al. if more authors) in the
reference list.
.... (Jones et al., 2003).
Jones et al. (2003)... |
Different authors:
same surname |
Add initials to the authors names to distinguish them
P.R. Smith (1923) to distinguish from S. Smith (1945)
...
(Jones & S.A. Brown, 1961) to distinguish from (W.O. Brown & Smith,
1985). |
Multiple authors:
ambiguous citations |
If a multiple (3+) author citation abbreviated with et al. looks the
same as another in text citation similarly shortened, add enough surnames
to make a distinction.
...(Brown, Smith, et al., 1998) to distinguish from (Brown,
Taylor, et al., 1998). |
Multiple works:
by same author |
When cited together give the author's surname once followed by the
years of each publication, which are separated by a comma.
... (Stairs, 1992, 1993).
Stairs (1992, 1993)... |
Multiple works
by same author AND same year |
If there is more than one reference by an author in the same year,
suffixes (a, b, c, etc.) are added to the year.
Allocation of the suffixes is determined by the order of the references
in the reference list.
Suffixes are also included in the reference list, and these references
are listed alphabetically by title. If cited together, list by suffix as shown below.
Stairs (1992b)... later in the text ... (Stairs, 1992a).
...(Stairs, 1992a, 1992b). |
| If author name is given as 'anonymous' |
Use Anonymous as the author's name.
... (Anonymous, 1997). |
| Unknown author |
Give the first few words of the title.
If the title is from an article or a chapter
use double quotation marks. If the title is from a periodical, book brochure
or report then use italics.
...the worst election loss in the party's history ("This
is the end," 1968). |
| Corporate or group of authors |
If organization is recognized by abbreviation, cite the first time
as follows:
... (Australian Institute of Health and Welfare [AIHW],
2005)
thereafter
... (AIHW, 2005).
If abbreviation not widely known, give the name in full every time:
... (Australian Research Council, 1996). |
| Multiple references |
List the citations in alphabetical order and separate with semicolons.
... (Burst, 1995; Turner & Hooch, 1982; Zane, 1976). |
| Citing specific parts of a source |
For a direct quote the page number(s) must be given.
Indicate page, chapter, figure, table, etc. as specifically as possible.
Use accepted abbreviations, i.e. chap. or para.
As one writer put it "the darkest days were still
ahead" (Weston, 1988, p. 45).
Weston (1988) argued that "the darkest days were still ahead" (p.
45).
This theory was put forward by Smith (2005, chap. 7) |
| Quote from an electronic source |
Where page numbers are not provided use paragraph numbers.
...(Sturt, 2001, para. 2) |
Personal communication:
for email and other 'unrecoverable' data |
Personal communications are not included in the reference list.
... (R. Smith, personal communication, January 28, 2002).
R. Smith (personal communication, January 28, 2002)... |
| Citation of a secondary source (i.e. a
source referred to in another publication) |
In the reference list you ONLY include the details of the source you
actually read - not the original source.
In the example below, the original source would be Farrow (1968),
which you saw cited in a paper by Ward and Decan (1988).
... (Farrow, 1968, as cited in Ward & Decan, 1988).
Farrow (1968, as cited in Ward & Decan, 1988) ...
Ward and Decan (1988) cited Farrow (1968) as finding... |
Reference list
Scholarly articles
| Type of article |
Reference list example |
| Where a doi is available: |
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of article. Journal Title, volume number(issue number), page-page. doi:xxxx |
| Single author |
Mellers, B. A. (2000). Choice and the relative pleasure of consequences. Psychological Bulletin, 126(6), 910-924. doi: 10.1037//0033-2909.126.6.910 |
| Two to seven authors |
Bechara, A., Damasio, H., & Damasio A. R. (2000). Emotion, decision making and the orbitofrontal cortex. Cerebral Cortex, 10(3), 295-307. doi:10.1093/cercor/10.3.295 |
| More than eight authors |
Wolchik, S. A., West, S. G., Sandler, I. N., Tein, J., Coatsworth, D., Lengua, L., ...Griffin, W. A. (2000). An experimental evaluation of theory-based mother and mother-child programs for children of divorce. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 68(5), 843-856. doi:10.1037//0022-006X.68.5.843 |
Where no doi is available for an online article:
provide the URL of the journal homepage |
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of article. Journal Title, volume number(issue number), page-page. Retrieved from URL.
Trankle, S. A., & Haw, J. (2009). Predicting Australian health behaviour from health beliefs. Electronic Journal of Applied Psychology, 5(2), 9-17. Retrieved from http://ojs.lib.swin.edu.au/index.php/ejap/ |
| Where no doi is available for a print article |
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of article. Journal Title, volume number(issue number), page-page.
Crowden, A. (2008). Professional boundaries and the ethics of dual and multiple overlapping relationships in psychotherapy. Monash Bioethics Review, 27(4), 10-27. |
Magazine articles
| Type of article |
Reference list example |
| Online |
Author, A. A. (year, month of publication). Title of article. Magazine Title, volume number(issue number), page-page. Retrieved from URL
Novotney, A. (2010, January). Integrated care is nothing new for these psychologists. Monitor on Psychology, 41(1). Retrieved from www.apa.org/monitor |
| Print |
Author, A. A. (year, month of publication). Title of article. Magazine Title, volume number(issue number), page-page.
Wilson, D. S., & Wilson, E. O. (2007, November 3). Survival of the selfless. NewScientist, 196(2628), 42-46. |
Newspaper articles
| Type of article |
Reference list example |
| Online |
Author, A. A. (year, month date of publication). Title of article. Newspaper Title. Retrieved from URL
Gadher, D. (2007, September 2). Leap in gambling addiction forecast. The Sunday Times. Retrieved from http://www.timesonline.co.uk |
| Print |
Author, A. A. (year, month of publication). Title of article. Magazine Title, volume number(issue number), page-page.
Packham, B. (2010, January 18). Bullies to show concern: schools to try Euro method that lets thugs off the hook. Herald-Sun. p. 6. |
Books and book chapters
Editions: No edition information is required for first editions.
Publication location: Publisher locations in the U.S.A. should include the city and the abbreviated version of the state (e.g. NY for New York); elsewhere in the world, include the city and country. Where more than one location is provided, use the first location listed.
| Type of book |
Reference list example |
| Print book |
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of book. Location of publication: Publisher.
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of book (edition). Location of publication: Publisher.
Mook, D. (2004). Classic experiments in psychology. Westport, CT: Greenwood. |
Edited book
Use the author rules as listed above. Where there is an editor instead of an author, follow the author rules, but also include the abbreviation 'Ed.' or 'Eds.' in parentheses following the editor names: e.g. Editor, A. A., & Editor, B. B. (Eds.). |
Editor, A. A., & Editor, B. B. (Eds.). (year of publication). Title of book (edition). Location of publication: Publisher.
Williams, J. M. (Ed.). (2006). Applied sport psychology: personal growth to peak
performance (5th ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Lee-Chai, A. Y., & Bargh, J. A. (Eds.). (2001). The use and abuse of power: Multiple
perspectives on the causes of corruption. New York: Psychology Press. |
Electronic book
The URL provided should be the website of the main publisher or provider. If you accessed the e-book via the catalogue, check the catalogue record to find the publisher or provider (where the full text is available from). Tip: conduct a web search - provide a URL that your readers will be able to find the book from, e.g. via psycBOOKS: http://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycbooks/index.aspx Googlebooks: http://www.google.com.au/ |
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of book (edition). Retrieved from URL
OR
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of book (edition). doi:xxxx
Editor, A. A., & Editor, B. B. (Eds.). (year of publication). Title of book (edition). Retrieved from URL
OR
Editor, A. A., & Editor, B. B. (Eds.). (year of publication). Title of book (edition). doi:xxxx
Bennett, P. (2006). Abnormal and clinical psychology: an introductory textbook (2nd ed.). Retrieved from http://www.eblib.com/
Marlatt, G. A., & Witkiewitz, K. (Eds.). (2009). Addictive behaviors: new readings on etiology, prevention, and treatment. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/pubs/databases/psycbooks/index.aspx |
| Chapter in a print book |
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of chapter. In A. Editor & B. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. xxx-xxx). Location of publication: Publisher.
Ramsey, J. K., & McGrew, W. C. (2005). Object play in great apes: studies in nature and captivity. In A. D. Pellegrini & P. K. Smith (Eds.), The nature of play: Great apes and humans (pp. 89-112). New York, NY: Guilford Press. |
| Chapter in an electronic book |
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of chapter. In A. Editor & B. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. xxx-xxx). Retrieved from URL
OR
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year of publication). Title of chapter. In A. Editor & B. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. xxx-xxx). doi:xxxx
Branch, S., Ramsay, S., & Barker, M. (2008). The bullied boss: a conceptual exploration of upwards bullying. In A. Glendon, B. M. Thompson, & B. Myors (Eds.), Advances in organisational psychology (pp. 93-112). Retrieved from http://www.informit.com.au/humanities.html |
Generic webpage
Notes:
- Use n.d. (no date) where no publication date is available.
- Where no author is available, transfer the organisation behind the website, or the title, to the author space.
| Type of webpage |
Reference list example |
| Generic webpage |
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of work. Retrieved from URL |
| Webpage: association as author |
Australian Psychological Society. (2010). Bushfire resources: Psychological preparedness and recovery. Retrieved from http://www.psychology.org.au/bushfires/ |
Other resources
| Type of resource |
Reference list example |
| Audiovisual (videos, DVDs, music recordings) |
Producer, A. A. (Producer), & Director, B. B. (Director). (Year of publication). Title of work [type of material]. Location: Publisher/ Studio/ Label.
Cohen, A., Starbuck, S., Roberts, S., Schreuders, T., & Heron, Z. (Producers & Directors) (2001). Brain story [videorecording]. U.K.: BBC. |
| Blog entry and online discussion boards and lists |
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of post [description of form]. Retrieved from http://www.xxxx
Peele, S. (2010, January 10). The most important psychology article of the 21st century: the U.S. isn't discovering how mental illness works, it's spreading it worldwide [Web log post]. Retrieved from http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/addiction-in-society/201001/the-most-important-psychology-article-the-21st-century |
| Conference Proceedings (unpublished)
For published conference proceedings:
Use book chapter format for one-off publications.
Cite regular publications as per scholarly journal articles. |
Paper presentation or poster session:
Presenter, A. A. (Year, Month). Title of paper or poster. Paper or poster session presented at the meeting of Organisation Name, Location.
Jodell, F., Russell, F., Tepper, K., Todd, P. & Zahora, T. (2009, September). Joined at the hip: partnerships between librarians and learning skills advisers. Poster session presented at the International Congress of Medical Librarianship, Brisbane. |
| Lecture notes |
Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of notes. Unpublished manuscript, unit code, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
McGrath, B. (2007). Lecture 7: Arrays and matrices [PowerPoint slides]. Unpublished manuscript, ENG1060, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
McGrath, B. (2007). Lecture 7: Arrays and matrices [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from ENG1060, Monash University Studies Online: http://muso.monash.edu.au |
| Podcast / vodcast |
Producer, A. A. (Producer). (Year, Month Day). Title of podcast. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://xxxx
Png, V. & Dharmarajah, J. (Presenters). (2008, October/ November). Effective PowerPoint presentations. [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://mpa.monash.edu.au/compass_online/podcast-index.html |
| Technical report |
Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work (Report No. xxx). Location: Publisher.
Tayama, T. (2006). Velocity influence on detection and prediction of changes in color and motion direction (Report No. 38, 1-20). Sapporo, Japan: Psychology Department, Hokkaido University.
Australian Government Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. (2008). The road home: a national approach to reducing homelessness. Retrieved from http://www.fahcsia.gov.au/sa/housing/progserv/homelessness/whitepaper/Documents/default.htm |
| Thesis |
Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of thesis or dissertation (Doctoral dissertation or master's thesis). Retrieved from Name of database. (Accession or Order no.)
Bozeman, A. Jr. (2007). Age of onset as predictor of cognitive performance in children with seizure disorders. (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from Proquest Dissertations and Theses. (UMI 3259752)
Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of thesis or dissertation (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation or master's thesis). Name of Institution, Location.
Imber, A. (2003). Applicant reactions to graduate recruitment and selection. (Unpublished Doctoral dissertation.) Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. |
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