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Sociology Research Guide: APA Citation Style

This Research Guide is intended for those in the Bishop's University community who wish to find information resources related to Sociology. This aid provides sources held at or accessible online from the Bishop's Library.

APA Style (7th Edition)

APA Style

Reference list examples

 Click on the following categories for examples

Print

Notes:

  • If a print book has a DOI, you should place it after the publisher. See General Information - DOI section for how to format a DOI
  • While including the publisher's location is no longer required in your references, it should be included if you feel the location is important for the reader to know or if the source is associated with a specific location. For more information on how to format the publisher location in your reference see the General Information - Location section.

Book, one author (p. 321)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of book. Publisher.

Reference List Example

Rogelberg, S. G. (2019). The surprising science of meetings: How you can lead your team to peak performance. Oxford University Press.

Book, 2-20 authors (pp. 286, 321)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year of publication). Title of book. Publisher.

Note: List authors in the order they appear on the book.

Reference List Example

Jackson, C., Kumar, A., & Asghar, R. (2022). Put to the test: Ranking Canada’s universities on their climate change and endowment activities. C. D. Howe Institute.

Book, edition statement (p. 295)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of book (Edition# ed.). Publisher.

Note: You do not include an edition statement if it is a first edition.

Reference List Example

Weiss, J. W. (2022). Business ethics: A stakeholder and issues management approach (7th ed.). Barrett-Koehler Publishers.

Book, edited (pp. 295, 322)

Reference List Format

Editor, A. A., & Editor, B. B. (Eds.) (Year of publication). Title of book. Publisher.

Reference List Example

Marland, A., & Giasson, T. (Eds.). (2020). Inside the campaign: Managing elections in Canada. UBC Press.

Article or chapter in an edited book, two editors (p. 326)

Reference List Format

Chapter Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In A. Editor & B. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. XX-XX). Publisher.

Reference List Example

Vázquez-Maguirre, M. (2020). Sustainable development through Indigenous community-based enterprises. In R. Colbourne & R. B. Anderson (Eds.), Indigenous wellbeing and enterprise: Self-determination and sustainable economic development (pp. 263-281). Taylor & Francis.

Book, group, corporate author, author as publisher (pp. 288, 329)

Reference List Format

Corporate author. (Year of publication). Title of book. Publisher.

Note:

  • When the author and publisher are identical, omit the publisher portion from the citation (p. 324).
  • If the source is a multilevel agency/corporation, list the more specific agency as the author and the parent agency as the publisher.
Reference List Example

National Cancer Institute. (2018). Facing forward: Life after cancer treatment (NIH Publication No. 18-2424). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/life-after-treatment.pdf

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

Book in another language (p. 323)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of book in original language [Translation of title]. Publisher.

Note:

  • When a book is in a different language than your paper, include a translation of the book title in square brackets..
Reference List Example

Piaget, J., & Inhelder, B. (1966). La psychologie de l’enfant [The psychology of the child]. Quadrige.

Book republished in translation (p. 323)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of book (A. Translator, Trans.; Edition# ed.). Publisher.

Reference List Example

Piaget, J., & Inhelder, B. (1969). The psychology of the child (H. Weaver, Trans.; 2nd ed.). Basic Books. (Original work published 1966).

Reference book (i.e. encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc.) (pp. 324-325, 328)

Reference List Format

Editor, A. A. (Year(s) of publication). Title of encyclopedia/dictionary (Vols. #-#). Publisher.

Reference List Example

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596

Encyclopedia entry with individual author (p. 328)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of entry. In Title of encyclopedia (Vol. #). Publisher.

Note: For an unsigned encyclopedia entry, start the reference list entry with the title of the article, followed by the date, etc.

Reference List Example

Gourley, M. M., Mertz, L., & Wexler, B. (2020). Public health. In J. L. Longe (Ed.), The Gale encyclopedia of medicine (6th ed., Vol. 7, pp. 4303-4306). Gale.


eBooks

Electronic Version of a print book (eBook) (p. 321)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of book. Publisher. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxx

Note: When there is no DOI, replace the DOI with a stable URL if one is provided. If the eBook is accessed through an academic database (meaning you need to log in to access it), do not include a URL or the name of the database.

Reference List Example

Wiatr, J. J. (2022). Political leadership between democracy and authoritarianism: Comparative and historical perspectives. Verlag Barbara Budrich. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv27tctmb


Print

Note: Include a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) for both print and online resources, if provided. When there is no DOI, replace the DOI with a stable URL if one is provided. If no DOI or stable URL is available and the resource was accessed through an academic database, do not include a URL or the name of the database.

Journal article, single author

Reference List Format

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume#(issue#), page-page. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxx

Reference List Example

Anderson, M. (2018). Getting consistent with consequences. Educational Leadership, 76(1), 26-33.

Journal article, 2 authors (p. 317)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume#(issue#), page-page. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxx

Reference List Example

Gooding, L. F., & Springer, D. G. (2020). Music therapy knowledge and interest: A survey of music education majors. Journal of Music Therapy, 57(4), 455-474.

Journal article, 3 to 20 authors (p. 317)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., & Author, D. D. (Year of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume#(issue#), page-page.

Note: Keep authors in the order they are listed on the source.

Reference List Example

Homan, K., & Hosack, L. (2019). Gratitude and the self: Amplifying the good within. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 29(7), 874-886. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2019.1630345

Journal article, 21 or more authors (p. 317)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author, D. D., Author, E. E., Author, F. F., . . . Author, L. L. (Year of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume#(issue#), page-page.

Note: List the first 19 authors, followed by ellipses, then list the last author listed on the resource.

Reference List Example

Pepetone, A., Vanderlee, L., White, C. M., Hammond, D., & Kirkpatrick, S. I. (2021). Food insecurity, food skills, health literacy and food preparation activities among young Canadian adults: A cross-sectional analysis. Public Health Nutrition, 24(9), 2377-2387.

Magazine articles (p. 320)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Magazine, volume#(issue#), page-page.

Note: Give the full date shown on the publication (year, month day). For articles without an author, start the reference list entry with the title of the article, followed by the date, and so on. .

Reference List Example

Simons, J. (2023, February 13). Keeping AI in check: Why ChatGPT’s creator is pro-regulation. TIME Magazine, 201(5-6), 60-61. Shorts story. (2024, March). Sports Illustrated, 135(2), 20.

News articles (p. 320)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Newspaper, page-page.

Note:

  • Give the full date shown on the publication (year, month day).
  • If an article appears on broken pages, give all page numbers, and separate broken pages with a comma.
Reference List Example

Jaakson, R. (2024, January 31). Electoral reform needed. National Post, A9.

Shwartz, J. (1993, September 30). Obesity affects economic, social status. The Washington Post, A1-A7, A9.


Online

Note:

  • Online resources refer to all material in electronic format. This usually means items that are retrieved from the Internet (either from Web, or from an online database).
  • DOI: digital object identifier. A DOI is a unique alphanumeric string assigned to identify content and provide a persistent link to its location on the Internet. When a DOI is available include it at the end of the reference.
  • See the General Information - DOI section for how to format the DOI.

Journal Article with DOI (p. 317)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume#(issue#), page-page. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxx

Reference List Example

Homan, K., & Hosack, L. (2019). Gratitude and the self: Amplifying the good within. Journal of Human Behavior in the Social Environment, 29(7), 874-886. https://doi.org/10.1080/10911359.2019.1630345

Journal article retrieved online, but without DOI (p. 317)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume#(issue#), page-page. URL

Note: For articles that have not been assigned a DOI and it was retrieved online through an open access website/database, provide the URL. If a journal article was found through an academic database, meaning you need to log in to access it, do not include a URL.

Reference List Example

Dunne, C. (2020). To improve the health of Indigenous people in Canada, we must confront racism. British Columbia Medical Journal, 62(7), 225–226. https://bcmj.org/editorials/improve-health-indigenous-people-canada-we-must-confront-racism

Journal Article, more than 21 authors (p. 317)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author, D. D., Author, E. E., Author, F. F., . . . Author, L. L. (Year of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume#(issue#), page-page. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxx

Note: List the first 19 authors, followed by an ellipses, then list the last author listed on the source. Keep the authors listed in the order they appear on the source.

Reference List Example

Wiskunde, B., Arslan, M., Fischer, P., Nowak, L., Van den Berg, O., Coetzee, L., Juárez, U., Riyaziyyat, E., Wang, C., Zhang, I., Li, P., Yang, R., Kumar, B., Xu, A., Martinez, R., McIntosh, V., Ibáñez, L. M., Mäkinen, G., Virtanen, E., . . . Kovács, A. (2019). Indie pop rocks mathematics: Twenty One Pilots, Nicolas Bourbaki, and the empty set. Journal of Improbable Mathematics, 27(1), 1935–1968. https://doi.org/10.0000/3mp7y-537

Online magazine article (p. 320)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Magazine, volume#(issue#). URL

Reference List Example

Chotiner, I. (2022, August 18). Science vs. ideology: Psychologists fight back about the misuse of research. Monitor on Psychology, 39(6). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2008/06/ideology

Online newspaper article (p. 320)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Newspaper. URL

Note: This type of reference is used for news sources that also have a print equivalent. See below for news sources that are only online.

Reference List Example

Smellie, S. (2024, February 18). Low income-support programs pushing people into homeless encampments. The Gazette. https://montrealgazette.com/news/national/low-income-support-programs-pushing-people-into-homeless-encampments

Note: For articles without an author, start the reference list entry with the title of the article, followed by the date, and so on.

Online news website article (p. 351)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Online News Source. URL

Note: This type of citation is used for articles in online news sources that are only published online. For example: CNN, Vox, Buzzfeed News.

Reference List Example

Avramova, N. (2019, January 3). The secret to a long, happy, healthy life? Think age-positive. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2019/01/03/health/respect-toward-elderly-leads-to-long-life-intl/index.html



Video or DVD (pp. 342-343)

Reference List Format

Director, A. A. (Director). (Year of production). Title of DVD [Discription]. Production Company.

Reference List Example

Scorsese, M. (Director). (1992). Taxi driver [Film]. Bill/Phillips Productions; Italo-Judeo Production.

Jackson, P. (Director). (2001). The lord of the rings: The fellowship of the ring [Film; four-disc special extended ed. on DVD]. WingNut Films; The Saul Zaentz Company.


YouTube video (or other streaming video) (p. 344)

Reference List Format

Uploader's Username. (Year, Month Day). Title of Video [Discription]. Title of streaming site. URL

Note: The uploader of the video should be credited as the author even if they did not create the work. This is for retrievability purposes.

Reference List Example

SciShow. (2024, March 12). Everything we’ve learned about cancer | Compilation [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/GkxrJSTLH_s?si=sRrmx5ZgFBchXMWR

Music album (pp. 344-345)

Reference List Format

Writer, A. A. (Copyright year). Title of song [Recorded by A. A. Artist]. On Title of album [Medium/Format]. Location *: Music Label. (Recording date).

Note:

  • You may provide the name of the recording artist or group as the author.
  • It is no longer necessary to include how you listened to the album in your reference.
Reference List Example

Arctic Monkeys. (2013). AM [Album]. Domino.

Bowie, D. (2016). Blackstar [Album]. Columbia.

Song or track associated with an album (p. 345)

Reference List Format

Artist, A, A./Group. (Year). Title of song [Song]. On Title of album. Music Label.

Reference List Example

Journey (1981). Don't stop believin' [Song]. On Escape. Columbia.

Beethoven, L. van. (2012). Symphony No. 3 in E-flat major [Song recorded by Staatskapelle Dresden]. On Beethoven: Complete symphonies. Brilliant Classics. (Original work published 1804)

Single episode of a TV series (p. 343)

Reference List Format

Writer, A. A. (Writer), & Director, B. B. (Director). (Year). Episode title [TV series episode]. In C. C. Producer's Name (Executive producer), TV show. Production Company.

Reference List Example

Goldberg-Meehan, S. (Writer), & Halvorson, G. (Director). (2001). The one with the rumor [TV series episode]. In K. Bright (Executive producer), Friends. Bright/Kauffman/Crane Productions; Warner Bros. Television.



Podcast or podcast episode (p. 345)

Reference List Format

Host, A. A., & Host, B. B. (Hosts). (Active Years). Podcast [Audio podcast]. Production Company. URL.

Single episode:

Host, A. A. (Host). (Year, Month Day). Episode title (No. Episode number if available) [Audio podcast]. In Title of podcast. Production Company. URL

Note: If the URL is unknown because the podcast was accessed through an app, omit the URL.

Reference List Example

Acaster, J. (Host). (2021-present). Perfect sounds [Audio podcast]. BBC Sounds. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p089rfmk/episodes/downloads?page=1

Kenzora, K. (Host). (2020, July 22). The L.A. riots (No. 28) [Audio podcast]. In History of the 90s. Curiouscast.

Whalen, J. R. (Host). (2022, August 15). How ‘quiet quitting’ is changing the workplace [Audio podcast episode]. In WSJ Your Money Briefing. WJS Podcasts. https://www.wsj.com/podcasts/your-money-matters/how-quiet-quitting-is-changing-the-workplace/2f879ca4-0942-4841-97ce-e832a334e27a

Course pack (https://apastyle.apa.org/)

Reference List Format

Author of Aticle, A. A. (Year). Title of article in the course pack. In A. Professor's Last Name (Ed.), Course name, (page range in the couse pack). University.

Note: The name of the course instructor followed by (Ed.), is listed after the title of the source. If the author of the source and the course instructor are the same, the name should appear twice in the citation.

Reference List Example

O'Kelly, M. (2020). Community success: Rethinking public services in academic libraries. In K. Bradley (Ed.), ILT104: Information literacy and critical thinking, (pp. 34–41). Bishop’s University.

Class PowerPoint slides (p. 347)

Reference List Format

Professor, A, A. (Year). Title of song [Song]. On Title of slides [Discription]. Course management system. URL.

Reference List Example

Bromby, D. (2019). Plagiarism and citing sources [PowerPoint Slides]. Moodle. https://moodle.ubishops.ca/



Online Encyclopedia entry (pp. 324, 328-329)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A. (Year). Encyclopedia term. In B. B. Editor (Ed.), Encyclopedia Title. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL.

Note: When the online encyclopedia is stable or archived, include the date of publication and omit the retrieval date from the reference. If the online encyclopedia is updated/modified regularly, use “n.d.” for the date and include the date you accessed the item.

Reference List Example

Graham, G. (2005). Behaviorism. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), The Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy (Fall 2007 ed.). https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2005/entries/behaviorism/

Kesteman, J.-P. (n.d.). Sherbrooke. In The Canadian encyclopedia. Retrieved August 22, 2022 from www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sherbrooke

Corporate author, report filed online (pp. 329-330)

Reference List Format

Corporate author. (Year). Title of report (Report No. #). Publisher. URL.

Reference List Example

Canadian Human Rights Commission. (2021, June). Anti-racism action plan: Progress report (Report No. HR2-12E-PDF). https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2021/ccdp-chrc/HR2-12-2021-1-eng.pdf

Webpage (p. 351)

Reference List Format

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of document/webpage Title of website. URL

Reference List Example

Bradley, K. (2022, July 12). Books/eBooks. Sociology research guide. https://ubishops.libguides.com/c.php?g=603671&p=4183402

World Health Organization. (n.d.). Our work. https://www.who.int/our-work

Note: When the author and the title of the website are the same, omit the “title of website” portion of the reference.

Review of a book (pp. 334-335)

Reference List Format

Reviewer, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of review. [Review of the book Title of the book, by A. A. Author & B. B. Author]. Title of Journal, volume#(issue#), page-page. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxxxxxx

Reference List Example

Schatz, B. R. (2000, November 17). Learning by text or context? [Review of the book The social life of information, by J. S. Brown & P. Duguid]. Science, 290(5495), 1304. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.290.5495.1304

Example of an online document with no author or date indicated (p. 352)

Reference List Format

Title of webpage. (n.d.). Title of website. URL

Reference List Example

Library Learning Commons. (n.d.). Bishop’s University. https://www.ubishops.ca/library/

Generative AI (ChatGPT) (APA Style Blog)

Reference List Format

Creator of AI tool. (Year of version used). Title of AI tool (version of tool) [Large language model]. URL

OpenAI. (2023).  ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model].  https://chat.openai.com/chat


General Information

Formatting author names:

  • Use one space between the author's first and middle initial: Authorlast, F. M.
  • When an author has a first name that is hyphenated, keep the hyphen before the second hyphenated name (e.g. Sutherland, L.-A. for Lee-Ann Sutherland). The exception to this is if the second name is not capitalized. If the second name is not capitalized, treat it like there is only one name (e.g. Raboso, L. for Lee-ann Raboso).
  • For names with suffixes (Jr., Sr., II, III), separate it with a comma (e.g. Author, A. A., Jr.)

Capitalization:

  • Titles of books, chapters, articles and websites should only have the first word, proper nouns and the first word after a colon (:) capitalized.  Do not capitalize every word in titles.
  • Journal, newspaper and magazine titles should be capitalized.

*Location (p. 297): 

  • Works associated with a specific location (conferences, presentations), should still include a location statement in the reference.
  • For North American cities, list the city location of the publisher followed by a comma, then the state/province abbreviation, followed by the country: Sherbrooke, QC, Canada 
  • If the publisher is located outside of North America, list the city followed by a comma, then the country's name, London, England

DOIs:

How to format a DOI in your references:

  • If the DOI is not already formatted like a URL, take the DOI number and place it after https://doi.org/ For example:

doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2013.06.017 → https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2013.06.017

Incorrect ways to format a DOI in your reference:

…doi:10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225

...doi:http://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225

...Retrieved from http://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225

Hyperlinks:

  • All hyperlinks must retain: https://
  • Active links can remain hyperlinked, meaning they can be underlined in blue
  • Non-active links should not be hyperlinks meaning they should be black without underlining (right-hand click on link to remove the hyperlink)

What is an in-text citation? (pp. 262-263)

In-text citations are briefer versions of citations or references to sources consulted and/or paraphrased that appear within the body of your text. In-text citations direct the reader to the complete citation in the References list at the end of the document. In-text citations are usually the last name of the author followed by a comma and the year of publication. They may appear in parenthesis or are built into the sentence structure of your text.

NOTE: ALWAYS cite the work of individuals whose ideas, theories, or research have directly influenced your work. Whether it is word for word (see quotation rules above), paraphrasing or even referring to someone else’s ideas, it MUST be cited so as to indicate that the preceding information is not your original thought.

If you are quoting directly from the text, then you need to include the page number of the quote in your in-text citation.  If you are paraphrasing the text, it is recommended that you include the page number, but it is not required (p. 269). 

Reference list entry:

Herbst-Damm, K. L., & Kulik, J. A. (2005). Volunteer support, marital status, and the survival times of terminally ill patients. Health Psychology, 24(2), 225-229. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225
Parenthetical in-text citation: (Herbst-Damm & Kulik, 2005)
Narrative in-text citation: Herbst-Damm and Kulik (2005)

Citing Specific Parts of a Source (pp. 264-267)

To quote a specific part of a source, identify the author(s), the date of publication, and information about the specific part (e.g. pages, paragraphs, sections, tables, figures, time stamps, slide numbers). When paraphrasing, it is not required to include the specific part; however, it helps the reader find the relevant portion of the text in the original source material. You can do this in a number of ways:

Direct quoting examples:

“Reaction times were slower at night” (Walkerm 2018, p. 15).

“Inner speech is a paradoxical phenomenon” (Alderson-Day & Fernyhough, 2015, p. 957).

Paraphrasing examples:

Walker (2018) compared reaction times and found that… (p. 15).

In a 2018 study of reaction times, Walker found that… (p. 15).

In a recent study of reaction times (Walker, 2018) it was found that …

Prior to this, Shimamura (2017) had shown… (pp. 10-12).

Comparative analysis reveals… (Shadid, 2020, paras. 2-3)

Common misconceptions can include… (Thompson, 2023, Slide 4)

Citing a specific part of a source (p. 264)

To cite a specific source (chapter, figure, quotation, table, etc...), in the text of your paper, identify the author(s) and year of publication. Also indicate the specific location of the information you are citing, like the page, paragraph, timestamp, etc.

Example: (Cheek, 1981, p. 332)

Example: Prior to this, Shimamura (1989) had shown... (pp.10-12).

There are different rules on how to cite a source with multiple authors. See below for more information.

NOTE: Religious and classical works may use numbered parts that are common across editions, which could require you to cite something other than the page number. For more information see page 264 of the APA publication manual.

Personal Communications (pp. 260-261)

Personal communications, such as emails, interviews, private letters, online forums, etc., citations are not included in the reference lists because they do not provide recoverable information. However, an in-text citation should be used. In the text, give the initials as well as the surname of the communicator and provide as exact a date as possible.

Example: When T. K. Lutes responded to my email (personal communication, April 18, 2006), he told me that...

Example: I was told through an email (T. K. Lutes, personal communication, September 28, 1998) that it was important to...

Multiple authors (pp. 266-267)

For 2 authors, identify both authors each time you cite the work in your text. For sources with 3 authors or more, identify only the first author followed by “et al.”

Number of Authors Parenthetical in-text citation Narrative in-text citation
Two authors (Nightlinger & Littlewood, 1993) Nightlinger and Littlewood (1993)
Three or more authors (Johnson et al., 1999) Johnson et al. (2020)

Groups (corporations, associations, etc.) as authors (p. 266)

Spell out the complete name the first time you cite the work and include the abbreviation within brackets followed by a comma.

Citation Level Parenthetical in-text citation Narrative in-text citation
First in-text citation (Canadian Council for the Arts [CCA], 2005) Canadian Council for the Arts (CCA, 2005)
Subsequent in-text citation (CCA, 2005) CCA (2005)

Anonymous author(s) or no author(s) (pp. 264-265)

When an author is not named or unknown (i.e. no author is listed on the work, as with a religious work), include the title and year of publication in the in-text citation. Use the first few words of the reference list entry (usually the title) in place of an author. Use double quotation marks around the title of an article or chapter, and italicize the title of a magazine, newspaper, journal, book, brochure or report.

Example of book with no author: (Interpersonal Skills, 2019).

Example of article with no author: (“Understanding Sensory Memory,” 2018).

If the author is overtly designated as “Anonymous,” use the word “Anonymous” in place of the author.

Example: (Anonymous, 2017)

Font and typeface (p. 44)

12-point Times New Roman remains the recommended font however, additional fonts are acceptable:

  • 11-point Arial
  • 11-point Calibri
  • 11-point Georgia
  • 10-point Lucida Sans

Indentation (p. 39, pp. 45-46)

Indent the first line of each paragraph with a 0.5 inch indent. For consistency use the tab key. The remaining lines should be flush with the left margin. The title page (p. 30), abstract (p. 38), quotations (p. 46), headings (pp. 47-48), and reference list citations (p. 40) have separate rules governing indentation.

Justified Alignment (p. 45)

Do not justify lines, except in page headers; that is, do not use the word processing feature that adjusts spacing between words to make all lines the same length. Do not use hyphens to break up words at the end of lines.

Line Spacing (p. 45)

Use double-spacing for all parts of the paper, including the title page and the reference list.

Margins (p. 45)

Use a margin of at least 1 inch on all four sides of each page. The top margin limit does not apply to the page header.

Student Paper Cover Page (p. 30)

Elements to include on a student title page: Title of paper, author names, author affiliation, course number/code and name, instructor name, assignment due date, and running head (if the professor requests one).

Title of paper:

  • Include 3-4 blank lines at the top of the page before writing the title of your paper. Capitalize all major words in titles (do not capitalize words like "a", "the", "in", "of", etc.)
  • Title should be centered and in bold font.

Author names:

  • One double-spaced blank line should be placed between the title of the paper and the author names.
  • Center the author names.

Author affiliation

  • On a new line, students should include the university/institution where the student attends, as well as the department. For example: Department of Education, Bishop's University.
  • Center the affiliation.

     

Example of title page:

Page numbers and running head/headers for student papers (p. 37)

Running heads are no longer required for student papers unless the professor requests one. However, students still need to include the page number on the top-right hand side of the screen. Place the page number in the header box.

For example, the header on a student paper should be formatted like so:

Student Paper Running Head

For more information on how to format a running head, check out the APA Style website

Punctuation spacing (p. 154)

Place one space after:

  • the end of a sentence and the start of the next sentence.
  • commas, colons, and semicolons
  • periods that separate parts of a reference citation
  • periods following the initials in personal names (e.g.: Jones, T. J.)

Use no spaces before or after:

  • internal periods in abbreviations (example: U.S.)
  • colons in ratios (example: 3:4)
  • hyphens (example: in-class)

Reference list page (pp. 283-307)

Rules to follow:

  • No matter what you do, BE CONSISTENT.
  • The information you provide in a reference list must help answer the following questions:
    • Who wrote it?
    • When did they write it? What is it called?
    • Where can I go to find it?
  • Choose sources judiciously and include only the sources that you used in the research and preparation of the paper.
  • Start the reference list on a new page.
  • Type the word References centered at the top of the page.
  • Double- space all lines in reference list. (see sample paper on p. 59).
  • Set the first line of each entry flush with the left margin and subsequent lines are indented (5 or 7 spaces or ½ an inch).
  • Arrange entries in alphabetical order. One-author entries precede multiple-author entries that begin with the same last name.
  • List author’s surname first, then initials of given names after. e.g.: Jones, T. J.
  • In a reference to a work with no author, move the title to the author position, before the date of publication.
  • Alphabetize works with no author by the title ignoring any initial A, An, or The or the equivalent in another language.
  • If no date is available, write “n.d.” in parentheses where the date would normally go.
  • Capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle, if any, and any proper nouns.
  • Italicize books and journal titles. Do not italicize journal article titles.

Quotations (p. 270)

When directly quoting a source of information, i.e., using the exact words of another, follow the rules above for an in-text citation and include the page number or paragraph number (preceded by “p.” for a single page and “pp.” for multiple pages with the page range separated by a dash: “-“) where the direct quote appears. For sources without page numbers, select a logical replacement (depending on the type of source). Common replacements for the page numbers could be: a paragraph number, chapter number, heading name, verse or section number. For sources without an author, check for an organizational author (example: Government of Canada). If the author is truly unknown, use the title or the first few words of the title. APA has different rules to follow depending on the length of the quote.

Quotations—short (p. 271)

Quotations of fewer than 40 words should be incorporated into the text and enclosed by double quotation marks. When quoting, always provide the author, year and specific page citation.

Examples:

Summarizing the recommendations from commissions dating back more than 50 years, it becomes clear that major changes are needed “in order to bring about meaningful equality in Indigenous women’s lives” (Stanton, 2022, pp. 205-206).

When discussing how to move beyond inquiries and commissions “governments must acknowledge that structural violence, stemming from racism and sexism, exists, and we must address the systemic discrimination endemic in our society” (Stanton, 2022, p. 205).

Stanton (2022) asks the important question, “What is it about Canadians that make us think we are somehow exceptional?” (p.7).

 

Quotations—long (p. 272)

Quotes longer than 40 words must be presented as a block of text. This is achieved by starting the long quote on a new line and formatting the margins of the direct quote to be 0.5 inches from the rest of the text. Do not use quotation marks for long quotes and place the period at the end of the long quote, before the in-text citation instead of after as is the case for shorter quotes. The text preceding the long quote should introduce the quote and the quote should be preceded by a colon (:).

Ellipsis points within quotations (p. 275)

Ellipsis points are used to indicate that you have omitted material from a quotation; use three spaced ellipsis points (…) within a sentence. Use four points (….) to indicate any omission between two sentences.

Brackets within quotations (p. 275)

Square brackets are used "to enclose material such as an addition or explanation you have inserted in a quotation."

Quoted material within quotations (p. 277)

Enclose direct quotations within a block quotation in double quotation marks. Use single quotation marks to embed a quotation within a quotation that is already enclosed by double quotation marks.

Example: Miele (1993) found that “the ‘placebo effect,’ which had been verified in previous studies, disappeared when [only the first group’s] behaviours were studied in this manner” (p. 276).

Quoting Online Sources (pp. 273-274)

Generally, the rules for citing electronic resources in your paper are the same as those for non-electronic sources. When dealing with electronic sources, page numbers are often not provided. Therefore, when quoting an electronic source, enclose the chapter, section or paragraph (if available) in place of a page number. For paragraphs, use the abbreviation “para.”

Example: According to Myers (2006, para. 5) the most appropriate…

Example: (Beutler, 2000, Conclusion section, para. 1).

Quotations that Contain Citations to Other Works (p. 276)

When quoting material that contains embedded citations, include the citations within the quotation. Do not include these works in the reference list unless you cite them as primary sources elsewhere in your paper. In the following example, Panero et al. (2016) would appear in the reference list, but the Stanislavski citations would not:

Example: Actors “are encouraged to become immersed in a character’s life (Stanislavski, 1936/1948, 1950), an activity that calls for absorption” (Panero et al., 2016, p. 234).

Click here for more information on quoting in APA

Online Resources
APA Resources in the LLC

References

References

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

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