Skip to Main Content

APA Citation

Books, Reference Books, Chapters

General information

  • Personal authors and editors: Use only initials of given names. For one/more editor(s) add (Ed.) and (Eds.) after the name(s)
  • Date: if there is no date, use (n.d.). If content may change for an online source, also include a retrieval date (see the dictionary example)
  • Title: Italicize the title, capitalize the first letter of the title, subtitle and of proper nouns
  • Publisher: Use spelling and capitalization as shown, but omit terms such as Co., Inc., LLC. List all publishers mentioned on the copyright page, separated by semicolons. If the author and the publisher are the same, omit the publisher info altogether (as in the WHO example)
  • Link: Always include the DOI if available (print AND online books); DOI hyperlinks use https://doi.org/ as the prefix. If a work shows “http:/dx.doi.org/” or “doi:” or “DOI:” before the DOI number, change it into the proper format in your reference list. If there is no DOI, include the URL for books from an open website, but treat a  book from a database that has no DOI like a print book. Generally, do NOT include the database name; for exceptions, see 9.30 of the manual.

 

Books & ebooks 

Author last name, A. A. (year). Title of work: Subtitle. Publisher (if different from author). 

Author last name, A. A. (year). Title of work: Subtitle. Publisher (if different from author). https:///doi.org/xxx OR https://xxx

 

Example book with a personal author:

Dawson, M. (2011). Selling out or buying in?: Debating consumerism in Vancouver and Victoria 1945-1985. University of Toronto Press.
Rademacher, A. (2017). Building green: Environmental architects and the struggle for sustainability in Mumbai. University of California Press. https://doi.org/10.1525/luminos.42
Niosi, A. (2021). Introduction to consumer behaviour. BCcampus. https://opentextbc.ca/introconsumerbehaviour/

Example book with an editor: 

Coates, C. M., & Wynn, G. (Eds.). (2019). The nature of Canada. On Point Publishing.

Example book non-personal author:

World Health Organization.(2010). Traditional herbal remedies for primary health care. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789290223825
Business Faculty from Ontario Colleges & eCampus Ontario Program Managers. (2018). Fundamentals of business (Cdn. ed.). eCampus Ontario.  https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/businessfuncdn/
 

In-text citations (if quoting, also include the specific part of the source)

... (Dawson, 2018) ... (Rademacher, 2017) ... (Niosi, 2021) ... (Coates & Wynn, 2019) ... (World Health Organization [WHO], 2010) the first time; then abbreviate to (WHO, 2010) ... (Business Faculty from Ontario Colleges & eCampus Ontario Program Managers [Business Faculty], 2018) the first time; then you can shorten to  .... (Business Faculty, 2018).

 

CLICK FOR MORE BOOK AND EBOOK EXAMPLES AND EXPLANATIONS FROM THE APA STYLE WEBSITE

 

Book chapters

CHAPTER author last name, A. A. (Year), Title of chapter. In A. A. last name (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xx-xx). Publisher (if different from author). DOI/URL (if online).

 

Van Neste, A. (2024). Walmart's ocean: Certifications, catch shares, and the ripple effects of corporate governance on marine environments. In B. Elmore, R. S. Gross, & S. Sheu (Eds.), Big box USA: The environmental impact of America's biggest retail stores (pp. 77-110). University of Wyoming Press. 

Snow, N. E. (2024). Motivation to act virtuously. In M. K. Berg & E. C. Chang (Eds.), Motivation and morality: A multidisciplinary approach (pp. 133–156). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000342-006

 

In-text citations (if quoting, also include the specific part of the source)

... (Van Neste, 2024) ... (Snow, 2024) 

 

CLICK FOR MORE BOOK CHAPTER EXAMPLES AND EXPLANATIONS FROM THE APA STYLE WEBSITE

 

Reference book & Wikipedia entries

 

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Canuck. In Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (11th ed., p. 181)

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Canuck. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Canuck

Poutine. (2025, Septermber 17). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Poutine&oldid=1311933880

 

In-text citations (if quoting, also include the specific part of the source)

... (Merriam-Webster, n.d.) ... ("Poutine," 2025) 

 

CLICK FOR MORE DICTIONARY ENTRY AND WIKIPEDIA ENTRY EXAMPLES AND EXPLANATIONS FROM THE APA STYLE WEBSITE

No author

If there is no author, move the title into the author position. 

 

Example book: 

The Good Housekeeping illustrated book of child care: From newborn to preteen. (1995). Hearst. 

 

In-text citations (if quoting, also include the specific part of the source)

... (The Good Housekeeping, 1995).

 

No date

If there is no date, use (n.d.). If content may change for an online source, also include a retrieval date.

 

Example reference book entry:

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Canuck. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved September 17, 2025, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Canuck

 

In-text citations (if quoting, also include the specific part of the source)

... (Merriam-Webster, n.d.)

 

Edition and volume information

Edition information is added in parentheses after the title. If a volume does not have its own title, the volume number is added in parentheses after the title (see Fiske example), but if it has its own title, it is added as a subtitle (see Toner example).

 

Example book and ebook: 

Castro, E. (2010). Publishing a blog with Blogger (2nd ed.). Peachpit.  

Fiske, S. T., Gilbert, D. T., & Lindzey, G. (2010). Handbook of social psychology (5th ed., Vol. 1). John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470561119 

 

Toner, J. P. (Ed.). (2019). A cultural history of the senses: Vol. 1. A cultural history of the senses in antiquity. Bloomsbury Academic.

 

In-text citations (if quoting, also include the specific part of the source)

... (Castro, 2010) ... (Fiske et al., 2010) ... (Toner, 2019).

CLICK FOR DSM &  ICD EXAMPLES FROM THE APA STYLE WEBSITE

CLICK FOR RELIGIOUS WORKS EXAMPLES FROM THE APA STYLE WEBSITE