Need more examples? Check out APA's Common Reference Examples Guide:
DOI’s now have a standardized, hyperlinked format in APA. Use https://doi.org in front of the number rather than only using the label, “DOI.” In most cases, if an article has no DOI you do not need to include it or the URL in the citation, nor do you need to include the database information.
Your goal with citations is for your audience to be able to find the resource you used for themselves. Library databases can only be accessed by members of the college and only current members (for example, you won't be able to use Xula's databases once you aren't enrolled as a student or employed by the college). Therefore, leave the database information or database specific URL off any journal article citations you found using the library. Your reader will use their own library access to find the article.
In most cases, if an article doesn't have a DOI you cite it as if it were a print article without the database information or database specific url. However, if you found the article in a place others can access without signing in, such as PubMed, the journal's homepage, Google Scholar, or an institutional repository, include the link at the end of the citation where the DOI would go.
Journal articles have extra information. You can find most of this information in tiny print at the beginning or end of the first page of the article PDF. Citations should include volume numbers and issue numbers if the journal has one. Notice that the page numbers in a journal citation do not have a pp. in front of them like a book chapter does. That’s just one of those quirky things about APA.
This example is a straightforward citation of a book with one author. Notice how this citation only requires four pieces of information – the author, publication date, title of the book, and the publisher name. Books may also require an editor(s), translator(s), edition, volume number, or DOI.
You can often find the publication date on the back of the title page, which is called the verso.
Click on the citation elements in the interactive below for more information on formatting book elements:
For up to 20 authors, list each author before the title. Authors or editors’ names at the beginning of a citation are inverted. This formatting helps with the alphabetization of the References list.
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., and Author, C. C.
If there are 21 or more authors, include the names of the first 19 authors. After the 19 author use an ellipses, then add the final author after the ellipses.
When a book has an editor, it usually means that the chapters or articles in the book are written by different authors or by a group author. You will want to cite the specific chapter you’re using rather than the whole book. Look for the editor information on the title page. If the book has an edition, include it in the parenthesis preceding the pages numbers. It should look like this:
If you viewed a book or book chapter online, include the DOI if there is one.
If you viewed the ebook through a library database or through a service you pay for, you do not need to include a URL or the database information if the ebook has no DOI. Just cite it like a print book.
If you viewed the ebook on an open platform with a stable URL that anyone can access for free, include the URL after the publisher information. If there is no stable URL, cite it like a print book.
If the author is listed as anonymous, put anonymous in the author name slot.
If there is no author, you can move the title to the beginning of the citation in place of the author. The publication date remains in the second position.
Books usually have at least 4 pieces of information - the author, publication date, title of the book, and the publisher name. Books may also require an editor(s), translator(s), edition, volume number, or DOI.
Much of the information you need will be on the title page of the book, such as the author/editor/translator, the title, and the publisher name. You can often find the publication date on the back of the title page, which is called the verso. Sometimes the publisher information is found here as well instead of the title page.
Your goal with citations is for your audience to be able to find the resource you used for themselves. Library databases can only be accessed by members of the college and only current members (for example, you won't be able to use Xula's databases once you aren't enrolled as a student or employed by the college). Therefore, leave the database information or database specific URL off any magazine article citations you found using the library. Your reader will use their own library access to find the article.
An online newspaper article is an electronic version of an article that is also found in print. These days, it can be difficult to distinguish whether a particular article you find online is also offered in print. Generally, big print publications, such as the New Yorks Times, Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal will be cited as online newspaper articles if you found them using Google or another search engine. Try looking at the about section or the site summary in a Google search to determine if a news site only publishes online. If it does use the webpage on a news site citation.
Your goal with citations is for your audience to be able to find the resource you used for themselves. Library databases can only be accessed by members of the college and only current members (for example, you won't be able to use Xula's databases once you aren't enrolled as a student or employed by the college). Therefore, leave the database information or database specific URLs off any news article citations you found using the library. Your reader will use their own library access to find the article.
If you are able to find the page number, issue, or volume, include these in the citation. Otherwise, the citation ends with the Newspaper name.
Treat news websites like webpage citations. The title of the article is italicized while the name of the news site is not.
A website is when you are referring to an entire website and all that is in it. For example, the APA Style website (apastyle.apa.org).
A webpage is one specific page or section within a website. For example, the Spotlight on Student Researcher's of Color page on the APA website (apa.org).
Other web sources, such as blogs and webpages on a news site also follow the webpage citation format.
If you are citing an entire website instead of a page or section, you don’t need a reference entry. Simply put the url in parenthesis after the sentence referring to the website. For example, the APA Style website has many reference examples and tutorials for you to refer to if you get stuck while citing using APA (https://apastyle.apa.org).
Author, A. A. (year, month day). Title of webpage. Website Name. http://xxxxxxxx
Organization A. (year, month day). Title of webpage. Website Name. http://xxxxxxxx
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019, September 13). Key facts about influenza (flu). cdc.gov/flu/about/keyfacts.htm
Title of webpage. (year, month day). Website Name. http://xxxxxxxx
Author, A. A. (n.d.). Title of webpage. Website Name. http://xxxxxxxx
A webpage on a news site is a news article found on a news site that does not also offer a print version of the article. These days, it can be difficult to distinguish whether a news site or a particular article is also offered in print. Generally, big print publications, such as the New Yorks Times, Washington Post, and The Wall Street Journal will be cited as online newspaper articles rather than webpages if you found them using Google or another search engine. Try looking at the about section or the site summary in a google search to determine is a news site only publishes online.