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Citing Sources within Your Document

The APA's in-text citation system follows a parenthetical format, much like the MLA's, however; it emphasizes authors and dates of publication. The reason for this is that authors and dates of research are important benchmarks denoting relevancy and validity in both the social and the natural sciences.

The format is more complex than the MLA. Each citation includes the last name of the author and the year of publication. In some cases, chapters, paragraphs and page numbers are required. Placed inside parentheses, the citation appears just before the period at the end of the sentence. In the case of quoted material, the citation is placed between the final quotation mark and the period at the end of the sentence.

APA in-text formatting rules are as follows:

• A comma should be placed between the author's name and the year of publication.
• Page numbers are included only when part of a source or a direct quotation is cited and must include abbreviations ("p." or "pp.").
• Footnotes and endnotes are used only when there is a need to provide further information about a particular idea or when specific copyright permission needs to be documented.
• APA also requires cited material to be introduced in the past or present perfect tense. For example: Socrates taught or has taught…

Specific rules depend on whether part or all of a source is being cited as well as whether or not the author's name is mentioned in the sentence where the citation occurs.

Specific rules depend on whether or not an author's name is mentioned in the sentence where the citation occurs. Go to "Examples of APA In-Text Formatting Rules" to view examples of how to apply the basic formatting rules in each of these situations. Go to "Examples of APA Variations to In-Text Formatting Rule" to view specific variations to these rules.

Examples of APA In-Text Formatting Rules

Citing an Entire Source

When citing an entire work, document the last name of the author and the year of publication. No page numbers are necessary. The citation format will vary according to whether the author's name is mentioned in the sentence being cited.

1. Author Name Not Included in Preceding Sentence

Format:
Cite both the last name of the author and the publication date. The citation is placed in parentheses directly following the information being cited. When the citation falls at the end of the sentence, the parenthetical note precedes the end punctuation (the period). Place a comma between the author's name and the date.

Example:

In one such study (Anderson, 1997)...

2. Author Name Included in Preceding Sentence

Format:
When the author's name is mentioned in the sentence, you may omit this name from the parentheses to avoid redundancy, using only the date. The date (in parentheses) should follow directly after mention of the author's name.

Example:

Anderson (1997) determined that...

Citing Part of a Source

When you cite a specific part of a source, document the last name of the author, the year of publication, AND the page numbers (or chapter, section, line numbers) where the cited material may be found. The citation format varies according to whether the author's name is mentioned in the sentence being cited.

1. Author Name Not Included in Preceding Sentence

Format:
Cite all three elements (author name, date, and page numbers or chapter) in parentheses, directly following the information being cited. When the citation falls at the end of the sentence, the parenthetical note precedes the end punctuation (the period). There are two commas, one separating the author's name and the date, and one separating the date and the page number (or chapter, etc.). Page numbers are preceded by a "p." abbreviation; chapter numbers by a "chap." abbreviation.

Note: Other parts of sources that may be cited are volume, book, line, or section numbers, particularly in the case of classical works.

Example:

One important study has examined the genetic issues involved in schizophrenia, indicating that there might be a marker for schizophrenia on chromosome 5 (Sherrington et al., 1989, p. 65).

2. Author Name Included in Preceding Sentence

Format:
Include parenthetical note directly following the author's name along with the year of publication. Place a second parenthetical note directly following the cited material. In this second note, include the page number, preceded by the abbreviation "p." or chapter number preceded by the abbreviation "chap.", etc. When the citation falls at the end of the sentence, the parenthetical note precedes the end punctuation (the period).

Example:

Philip Thomas (1997) attempts to dispel this notion that "psychiatry, like medicine, [is] an area of knowledge unsullied by the complications of society and politics" (p. 4).

APA Directory of Variations to In-Text Formatting Rules

1. Citing an Unknown Author

Format:
In cases where you are citing an anonymous source, or a source for which the author is unknown, use a shortened version of the title. It is important that the shortened title you use points your reader to the appropriate entry in the works cited list. For this reason, you will probably want to include the word in the full title which determines how that title is alphabetized in the works cited list. Also make sure that you punctuate the shortened title appropriately, as with the article title in the example below.

Example:

One anonymous review, appearing in the New York Times Book Review, boldly asserted that "Mrs. Peterkin of South Carolina is one of the first to write a book unaffectedly about negroes, without conscious or unconscious belittling mockery in view of superior white advancement" ("Again" 122).

2. Citing Web or Internet Sources

Format:
When you cite an Internet Source, you need only to use the last name of the author (or the shortened title, if the source is anonymous). Since most sources from the Internet or Web are not paginated in the same way that print sources are, you may forgo the use of page numbers.

Example:

These types of information are indispensable when citing electronic sources (Walker).

3. Citing Author Appearing More than Once in Works Cited

Format:
When you are working with more than one source by the same author in your paper, you need to make sure that you specify which source you are using by citing the shortened version of the title along with the author's name. In a case like this, you do use punctuation, placing a comma between the author's name and the shortened title, but just a space between the shortened title and the page numbers.

Example:

But he ends his article with a tactful, diplomatic suggestion that "the exploration of Negro life and character rather than its exploitation must come from Negro authors themselves" (Brown, "Character" 203).

4. Citing Two or More Authors with Same Last Name in Works Cited

Format:
When your works cited list includes sources written by two (or more) different authors with the same last name, you will need to specify the author's name by including a first initial. (In cases where the authors share the first initial as well, you will need to cite full first names.)

Example:

He asserts that this Creole language has been in use for four centuries in the area (R. Smith 67).

5. Citing Sources with Two or Three Authors

Format:
When you are using a source written by two or three authors cite the last names of all of the authors, being sure to write the names in the same order in the corresponding works cited entry.

Example:

The Gullah Creole was situated in the middle of this debate (Stoney and Shelby 2).

6. Citing Sources with More Than Three Authors

Format:
When you are using a source written by more than three authors, cite the last name of the first author listed on the source and then insert the abbreviation "et al." (Latin for "and others") in the place of the following names.

Example:

This theory was, however, tremendously controversial (Wilder et al. 42).

7. Citing Sources with Corporate Authors

The term "corporate author" refers to groups of people who are responsible for producing documents, whether they be commissions, associations, committees, organizations, or any other like group. When a corporate author (like "American Medical Association") is named on a title page of a work, no individual authors are normally given. The name of a corporate author is treated just like the name of an individual author in the works cited list. See below for the format for parenthetical documentation when citing corporate authors.

Format:
MLA suggests that writers incorporate the name of the corporate author into the sentence in order to avoid having an overly lengthy parenthetical reference at the end of the sentence. (However, including the name in parentheses is allowable as well.)

Example:

The grant proposal submitted by Bas Bleu Theatre Company reflects this need (17).

8. Citing an Indirect "Second-hand" Source

Format:
Remember that you can't treat a source like you have it in hand unless you actually have it in hand (or the electronic equivalent of "in hand," of course). If you want to cite an idea or quote which one of your sources uses, you need to indicate that this is a "second-hand" source by showing in your citation that this information is quoted in (qtd. in) the source you actually have in hand.

Example:

Julia Peterkin, for instance, envisioned the black folk as sufferers in "a patient struggle with fate, and not in any race conflict at all" (qtd. in Clark 219).

Citing Sources at the End of Your Document

The end documentation in the APA system is called a References List. It is located at the end of a document or book and contains all the bibliographic information needed to find out more about cited source material.

This list is a selective bibliography and does not include a full accounting of sources related to or consulted before you began writing your document, but only those actually cited.

Proper APA documentation depends on this list. Without it the in-text citations would make little sense as they would no longer be pointing to corresponding entries in the end documentation.

APA Reference List Formatting

APA References List formatting rules call for the end documentation to begin on a new page at the end of your document and that it carry the next sequential number available. For instance, if your paper is 6½ pages long, the References List should begin on page 8, not halfway down page 7.

Note: Unless informed otherwise, you can count on your instructor not counting the References List in the total page count of an eight page assignment.

The page itself should be formatted in the following way:

• The title of the page-References List-should be centered one inch from the top of the page.
• Double space between the title and the first entry, then double space all entries.

Individual entries should be formatted in the following way:

• The first line of an entry is flush with the left margin.
• When the entry has a second line, give that line a hanging indent five spaces in from the margin.
• Entries are listed alphabetically by author: last name first.
• Use only one space after periods and colons.
• Spell out months containing up to four letters; abbreviate all others to three letters (i.e., July, Dec.).

Select from the links below to view examples of the basic References List formatting rules and specific variations to these rules.

Note: These directories include only the most common formatting rules. If what you are looking for is not covered in them, please click on Additional APA Resources for more information. When formatting online Web site and Internet sources becomes confusing, clarify expectations with your instructor.

APA Directory of Reference List Formatting Rules

Books and Book Parts

1. Books

Format:
Last Name, Initial Author, & followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year of Publication). Title. Place of Publication: Publisher.

Example:

Abelson, R., & Friquegnon, M. (1982). Ethics for modern life.New York: St. Martin's Press.

2. Edited Books

Format:
Last Name, Initial of Editor, & followed by last names and initials of other editors if any (Ed. or Eds.). (Year of Publication). Title. Place of Publication: Publisher.

Example:

Clynes, M. (Ed.). (1982). Music, mind and brain: The neurobiology of music. New York: Plenum.

3. Revised Editions

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, & followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year of Publication). Title (Number of edition or Rev. ed.). Place of Publication: Publisher.

Example:

Starke, M. (1997). Strategies for college success(3rd ed.). New York: Prentice Hall.

4. Chapter or Article in an Edited Book

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author of Chapter or Article, & followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year of Publication). Title of chapter or article. In Initials and Last Name of First Editor & Initials and Last Name of Second Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pages in book where article or chapter is located). Place of publication: Publisher.

Example:

Tollifson, J. (1997). Imperfection is a beautiful thing:On disability and mediation. In K. Fries (Ed.), Staring back(pp. 105-112). New York: Plume.

Journals, Magazines and Newspapers

1. Journal Articles with Continuous Pagination

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, & followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year of Publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume, Page Numbers.

Example:

Martin, J. (1997). Inventing sincerity, refashioning prudence:The discovery of the individual in Renaissance Europe. American Historical Review, 102, 1309-1342.

2. Journal Articles with Non-Continuous Pagination

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year of Publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), Page Numbers.

Example:

Meyer, D. S. (1992). Star wars, Star Wars, and American political culture. Journal of Popular Culture, 26(2), 99-115.

3. Abstracts

Note: APA carefully notes that it is generally preferable to read and cite original articles or documents, however, writers sometimes find the need to cite an abstract rather than the original source they describe.

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, & followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year of Publication). Title of abstract [with "Abstract" in brackets if it does not appear in the periodical title]. Title of Abstract Collection, Volume Number if applicable, Abstract Number.

Example:

Mortimer, James A. & Pirozzolo, Francis J. (1985). Remote effects of head trauma. Alzheimer's disease: Abstracts ofthe psychological and behavioral literature, 201.

4. Magazine Articles

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, & followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year of Publication, Month and Day of Publication). Title of article. Title of Magazine, Volume Number, page numbers.

Example:

Lankford, K. (1998, April). The trouble with rules of thumb.Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, 52, 102-104.

5. Newspaper Articles

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, & followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year, Month and Day of Publication). Title of article. Title of Newspaper, page numbers, continued page numbers [if article is on non-consecutive pages].

Example:

Brody, J. E. (1995, February 21). Health factor in vegetables still elusive. New York Times, p. C1.

6. Book Reviews

Note: See APA's Publication Manual for formats of film and video reviews.

Format:
Last Name of Reviewer, Initials of Reviewer. (Year of Publication of the Review). Title of the review [Review of the book Title of the book]. Title of the Periodical in Which the Review is Published, Volume (Issue Number), Page Numbers.

Example:

Rose, T. (1998, February 24). Blues sisters [Review of the book Blues legacies and black feminism: Gertrude "Ma" Rainey,Bessie Smith, and Billie Holliday]. Village Voice, 8, 139-141.

Monographs

Note: Monographs are documented in several different ways, depending on how they are bound and paginated.

1. Monograph with Issue & Serial Number

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, & followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year of Publication). Title. Title of Monograph Series, Volume Number (Issue Number, Serial Number).

Example:

Scott, J.P. (1976). The process of primary socialization incanine and human infants. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 28 (1, Serial No. 189).

2. Monograph Bound Separately as a Journal Supplement

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year of Publication). Title of monograph. Title of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number, Supplement or Part Number if applicable).

Example:

Parsons Project in Language and Communication of Mentally Retarded Children. (1963). Language studies of mentally retarded children; a report. Journal of Speech and Hearing Disorders MonographSupplement, 10.

3. Monograph Bound into a Journal with Continuous Pagination

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, & followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year of Publication). Title of monograph [Monograph]. Title of Journal, Volume Number, Page Numbers.

Example:

Seeger, J. (2004). Adapting writing voice for a computer environment [Monograph]. Computers and Composition, 2, 201-218.

Dissertations and Theses

Note: Formats for dissertations depend on whether the dissertation is published or unpublished, and whether or not it is abstracted in Dissertation Abstracts International (DAI).

1. Unpublished Master's Thesis

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author. (Year of Submission of Master's Thesis). Title of thesis. Unpublished master's thesis, Name of University, Place of University.

Example:

Hughey, A. C. (1933). The treatment of the Negro in South Carolina fiction. Unpublished master's thesis, Universityof South Carolina.

2. Unpublished Dissertation

Format:
Author's Last Name, Initials. (Year of Submission of Dissertation). Title of dissertation. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Name of University, Place of University.

Example:

Beilke, D. (1997). Cracking up the south: Humor and identity in southern Renaissance fiction. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin, Madison.

3. Dissertations Abstracted in Dissertation Abstracts International (DAI) from University Microfilm

Note: Master's theses abstracted in Masters Abstracts International follow a similar format. See APA's Publication Manual (pp. 260-262) for details.

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author. (Date of Submission of Dissertation). Title of dissertation. Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume Number, Abstract Number that includes the letter A for Humanities or B for Sciences. (University Microfilms Number)

Example:

Newman, M. C. (1998). Psychosocial development and depression in elderly nursing home residents. Dissertation Abstracts International, 59, 3350B. (UMI No. AAG9840397)

4. Dissertations Abstracted in Dissertation Abstracts International (DAI) from a University

Note: Master's theses abstracted in Masters Abstracts International follow a similar format. See APA's Publication Manual (pp. 260-262) for details.

Format:
Last Name, Initial of Author. (Date of Submission of Dissertation). Title of dissertation (Doctoral dissertation, Name of University, Date of Submission of Dissertation). Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume Number, Page Numbers.

Example:

Temple, L. (1998). The relationship between cognitive construct systems and attitudes toward mental illness. (Doctoral dissertation, Colorado State University, 1998). Dissertation Abstracts International, 59, 5594.

Technical and Research Reports

Note: Following are the formatting rules for some of the more common types of reports you may need to document. APA also offers formats for reports from the National Technical Information Service (NTIS), from the Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC), from government reports not available from the GPO and from private organizations.

1. General Reports

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, & followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year of Publication). Title of report (Number Assigned to the Report). Place of Publication: Publishing Agency, Department, Office, or Institute.

Example:

Favat, F. A. (1977). Child and tale: The origins of interest. (NCTE Research Rep. No. 19). Urbana, IL: National Council of Teachers of English.

2. Government Printing Office (GPO) Reports

Format:
Name of Group Author. (Year of Publication). Title of report (Number Assigned to the Report). Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office.

Example:

National Advisory Mental Health Council. (1995). Basic behavioral science research for mental health: A national investment. (NIH Publication No. 95-3682). Washington, DC: Government Printing Office.

3. University Reports

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, & followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year of Publication). Title of report (Report Number). Place of Publication: University and Specific Department Publishing the Report.

Example:

Iran-Nejad, A., Clore, G.L., & Vondruska, R.J. Affect: A functional perspective (Tech. Rep. No. 222). Champaign, IL: University of Illinois, Center for the Study of Reading.

Unpublished Manuscripts and Papers

Note: Formats for unpublished manuscripts and papers vary according to what stage of the publication process they are in.

1. Unpublished Manuscripts

Format:
Author's Last Name, Author's Initials followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Date on the Manuscript). Title of manuscript. Unpublished manuscript.

Example:

Ipock, E., & Street, S. (1999). Early childhood development: A new perspective. Unpublished manuscript.

2. Unpublished Manuscripts Citing a University

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Date on the Manuscript). Title of manuscript. Unpublished manuscript, Name and Place of University.

Example:

Thomas, L., & Hudgeons, S. (1999). Suicidal behavior and adolescence. Unpublished manuscript, University ofEastern Colorado.

3. Unpublished Papers Presented at a Meeting

Format:
Last Name of Author/Presenter, Initials of Author/Presenter (followed by last names and initials of other author/presenters, if any). (Year, Month and Day of Presentation). Title of paper. Paper presented at organization, and place of presentation.

Example:

Nesbitt, L. (1999, May 20). Writing the personal in public: The Ceilidh Web forum in the composition classroom. Paper presented at the Computers and Writing Conference, Rapid City, South Dakota.

4. Manuscripts in Progress or Submitted for Publication

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Date on the Manuscript). Title of manuscript. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Example:

Nesbitt, L.N. (1998). Julia Peterkin and the problem of authority. Manuscript submitted for publication.

Media Sources

In papers, we often find ourselves citing sources that aren't written documents. Some common non-print sources are:

1. Film

Format:
Last Name, Initial of Director, and Producer if available (Function). (Date of film release). Title of the film [Motion Picture]. Country or place of origin: Studio or Distributor.

Example:

Cholodenko, L. (Producer). (1998). High art. [Motion Picture]. United States: October Films.

2. Television Broadcast

Note: See APA's Publication Manual for formats of a Television Series or a Single Episode from a Television Series.

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Producer (Function). (Year, Month and Day of Broadcast). Title [Television Broadcast]. Place of Recording: Television Service or Network.

Example:

Aspell, P. (Executive Producer). (1995, March 15). Nova [Television Broadcast]. Boston: WGBH.

3. Music Recording

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Writer. (Date of Copyright). Title of song [Recorded by artist if different from writer]. On Title of CD [Medium of recording: compact disk, record, cassette, etc.]. Location: Label. (Recording date if different from copyright date).

Example:

Griffith, N. (1991). The power lines. On Late night grande hotel [CD]. Universal City, CA: MCA Records.

4. Poster Session

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Presenter, & followed by last names and initials of other presenters if any. (Year, Month of Presentation). Title. Poster session presented at organization, place of presentation.

Example:

Goff, B.F., & Goodrich, D.C. (1998, June). Integrated observations of semi-arid land-surface-atmosphere interactions. Poster session presented at a special symposium of the American Meteorological Society, San Diego, CA.

Legal Materials

1. Court Decisions

Note: APA lists different formats for different types of court cases. Consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association or The bluebook: A uniform system of citation (APA's source for legal reference formats) for greater specificity.

Format:
Name v. Name, Volume Source Page (Court Location and Date).

Example:

Meyer v. State of Nebraska, 262 U.S. 390 (S.Ct. 625 1923).

2. Statutes

Note: APA lists different formats for different types of statutes. Consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association or The bluebook: A uniform system of citation (APA's source for legal reference formats) for greater specificity.

Format:
Name of Act, Volume Source Section Number (Year).

Example:

Farm Credit Act. 42 U.S.C.A. sec. § 410 (1959).

3. Legislative Materials

Note: APA lists different formats for different types of legislative materials (like enacted bills and resolutions, unenacted bills and resolutions, federal reports and documents, testimony at hearings, and full hearings). Consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association or The bluebook: A uniform system of citation (APA's source for legal reference formats) for greater specificity.

Format (for enacted bills and resolutions):
Resolution Number, Congress Number, Number of Congressional Session, Volume Source Page (Year) (enacted).

Example (enacted resolutions):

S. Res. 223, 103d Cong., 2nd Sess., 140 Cong. Rec. 6871 (1993)(enacted).

4. Administrative and Executive Materials

Note: APA lists different formats for different types of Administrative and Executive Materials. Consult the APA Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association or The bluebook: A uniform system of citation (APA's source for legal reference formats) for greater specificity.

Format (for Executive Orders):
Executive Order Number, Volume Number of C.F.R. Pages (Year).

Example(enacted resolutions):

Exec. Order No. 12149, 3 C.F.R. 420-22 (1979).

Electronic and Portable Databases Sources

1. Computer Software

If an individual does not have rights to the program, software, or language, then begin the entry with the name of the program, etc. The publisher is the organization that produces the software. If you refer to a specific version not included in the program's name, this information goes last.

Format:
Last Name of Author if available, Initials of Author, followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year of Publication). Title of Program and Version if Version is part of the program title [Computer software]. Place of Publication: Publisher. Version if Version is not part of the title

Example:

Adobe Photoshop 7 [Computer software]. (2002). San Jose, CA: Adobe Systems Incorporated.

2. Abstracts on CD-ROM

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year of Publication or of Latest Update). Title of abstracted article [Abstract]. Title of Abstract Collection, Volume Number(Issue Number), Page Numbers. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from On-line Service or Database: Subcategory in Database if applicable: Item Number or Availability Information.

Example:

Oliverio, A. & Lauderdale, P. (1998). Rationalizing a social problem: Mental health and the case of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder [Abstract]. Paper presented to the American Sociological Association. Retrieved June 18, 2003, from Cambridge Scientific Abstracts: Sociological Abstracts: 98S37256.

3. Other Material on CD-ROM

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year of Publication or of Latest Update). Title of article. Title of Original Source, Volume Number(Issue Number), Page Numbers. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from On-line Service or Database: Subcategory in Database if applicable: Item Number or Availability Information.

Example:

Kohn, A. (2000, March 20). Poor teaching for poor students: More reasons to boycott the MCAS tests. Boston Globe, 3rd. Ed., p. All. Retrieved June 18, 2002, from Dialog@CARL: 10580004.

Internet Sources

1. Online Abstracts

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Date of Publication or of Latest Update). Title of Abstract [Abstract]. Title of Abstract Collection, Volume Number (Issue Number), Page Numbers (if given). Retrieved Month Day, Year, from the World Wide Web: URL

Example:

Oliverio, A. (1997). The state of injustice: The politics of terrorism and the production of order [Abstract]. International Journal of Comparative Sociology, 38, 1-2. Retrieved March 25, 2000, from the World Wide Web: http://www.yorku.ca/faculty/academic/ishwaran/ ijcsabst.htm#The State.

2. Online Journal Articles

APA lists different formats for subscriber-based journals and general access journals. The following is an entry for a general access journal article

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year). Title of article. Journal Title, Volume (Issue), Page numbers (if given). Retrieved Month Day, Year, from : URL

Example:

Loker, W. M. (1996). "Campesinos" and the crisis of modernization in Latin America. Journal of Political Ecology, 3.1, 69-88. Retrieved March 23, 2000, from: http://www.library.arizona.edu/ej/ jpe/volume_3/ascii-lokeriso.txt

3. Online Magazine Articles

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year of Publication or of Latest Update). Title of article. Title of Magazine, Volume Number, Page Numbers (if given). Retrieved Month Day, Year, from the World Wide Web: URL

Example:

Kongshem, L. (1997, January). Censorware: How well does Internet filtering software protect students? Electronic School. Retrieved March 20, 2000, from the World Wide Web: http://www.electronic-school.com/0198f1.html

4. Online Newspaper Articles

Note: When you access an online newspaper, read its user's guide to find out how long articles remain accessible online. If the time is fixed, then only give the URL to the paper's homepage. From the homepage, interested readers can find the link to the paper's electronic archives and find out if the article can be viewed or purchased.

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year, Month Day of Publication). Title of article. Newspaper Title, pages or indicator of length if available. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from the World Wide Web: URL

Example:

Pentz, M. (2000, March 21). Theaters receive guarantee. Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved March 23, 2000, from the World Wide Web: http://www.abqjournal.com/

5. Online Database Articles

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year, Month and Day). Title of article. Journal Title, Volume Number (Issue Number), Page numbers if given. Retrieved Month Day, Year from URL, from Title of database.

Example:

Schraw, G., & Graham, T. (1997). Helping gifted students develop metacognitive awareness. Roeper Review, 20, 4-8. Retrieved June 11, 2004, from http://web19.epnet.com, from the Expanded Academic ASAP database.

6. Online Works

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year of Publication). Title of work. Publisher or Organization that placed work online. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from the World Wide Web: URL

Example:

Darwin, Charles. (1859). The origin of species. An Online Library of Literature. Retrieved March 20, 2000, from the World Wide Web: http://www.literature.org/Works/Charles-Darwin/origin/

7. Parts of Online Works

Note: When parts of works come from searchable online reference works, as in the example below, give the URL that will lead your reader to the main search page. They can then type in your search term or article title.

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. For unsigned reference entries give title of the entry before year. (Year of Publication). Title of entry if there's a signed author for it. In Source (edition). Producer-- optional. (Reprint or other original source information if any is available). Retrieved Month Day, Year, from the World Wide Web: URL

Example:

Hypertext. (No date). In Tech Encyclopedia. CMP's TechWeb. (Article reprinted from Computer Desktop Encyclopedia). Retrieved March 20, 2000, from the World Wide Web: http://www.techweb.com/encyclopedia/

8. Web Sites and Pages

Note: Internet sources should provide a title for the Web Page, a date (either of publication, update or retrieval), and its URL address. Page authors should be identified if possible. If the URL is incorrect or incomplete, the reference list will not be considered accurate. This is the most crucial element of the citation.

Format:
Last Name, Initials of Author, followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Date of Publication or Latest Update, if there is no date use "n.d."). Title of article if any. Retrieved Month and Day, Year, from URL.

Example:

Karper, E. (2002). Using American Psychological Association Format, Updated to 5th Edition. Retrieved September 12, 2002, from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html

Online Communications

1. Email Sources

Here's the APA's official stance on email, as taken from their page of Recommeded Electronic Reference Formats:

First, a cautionary note: It is possible to send an email note disguised as someone else. Authors-not journal editors or copy editors-are responsible for the accuracy of all references, which includes verifying the source of email communications before citing them as personal communications in manuscripts.

Email communications from individuals should be cited as personal communications, as noted in APA's Publication Manual (5th ed., p. 214). The format in text (personal communications are not cited in the reference list) is as follows: L. A. Chafez (personal communication, March 28, 1997).

The APA doesn't address the issue of archived email discussion lists, bulletin boards, and USENET groups. But based on their concern with authenticity and their fears that messages can be forged and masqueraded, strictly speaking, if you follow APA guidelines, any messages from such sources will need to be described as a personal communication. As a researcher and writer, however, you should download and save all such messages.

Example:

According to Eric Crump, Web designer for the National Council of Teachers of English, "there are people at schools without writing centers who need help with academic papers" (personal communication, March 5, 2000).

2. Postings to News, Forum or Discussion Groups

Format:
Last Name or Screen Name of Author, Initials of Author, followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year, Month and Day of Publication). Subject of message. Message posted to Name of list or forum, archived at URL

Example:

Hyde, L. (2004, June 11). Re: Congress - an affont to our democracy. Message posted to Google Newsgroup: soc.politics: alt.history.future, archived at http://groups.google.com/groups?dq=&hl=en&lr=&ie= UTF-8&threadm=f925918f.0406110232.1d59a039%40 posting.google.com&prev=/groups%3Fhl%3Den%26lr%3D%26ie%3 DUTF-8%26group%3Dsoc.politics

3. Discussion List Messages

Format:
Last Name or Screen Name of Author, Initials of Author, followed by last names and initials of other authors if any. (Year, Month and Day of Publication). Subject of message. Message posted to Name of list or forum, archived at URL

Example:

RROYAR. (1998, February 28). Internet linked courses. Message posted to Alliance for computers and writing, archived at http://groups.yahoo.com/computersandwriting/message/42

APA Directory of How to Arrange References List Entries

1. Unknown or Anonymous Authors

Note: Organize alphabetically. When a work is signed "Anonymous", include it in the lead spot where an author's name would normally appear. When a work is of unknown origin, use the first word of its title, excluding definite or indefinite articles which may be transposed to the end of the title. Legal works should be treated in this manner as well.

Example:

Abelson, R., & Friquegnon, M. (1982). Ethics for modern life. New York: St. Martin's Press.

Anonymous, (1929). A passing race. Canadian Magazine, 71, 34.

Passing Race, A, (1929). A passing race. Canadian Magazine, 71, 34.

Wells v. Seeger, 359 F. Supp. 1608 (1992).

Yeats, W. B., (1977). The collected poems of W. B. Yeats. New York: Macmillan, 125.

2. Sole Author of One Work & First Co-Author of Another

Note: Individually authored works always precede co-authored works.

Example:

Shor, I., (1986). Culture wars: School and society in the conservative restoration, 1969-1982. Boston: Routledge and K. Paul, 55.

Shor, I. & Paul Friere, (1987). A pedagogy of liberation: Dialogues on transforming education. New York: Bergin and Garvey, 112-115.

3. Multiple Works by the Same Author(s)

Note: Multiple works are listed according to earliest date of publication. All things being equal, this rule holds as well for multiple works authored by an identical line-up of co-authors.

Example:

Peterkin, J., (1927). Black april. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 48.

Peterkin, J., (1928). Scarlet sister Mary. Indianapolis: Bobbs-Merrill, 92.

4. Multiple Works with Same First Author and Different Co-Authors

Note: Multiple works by the same first author, followed by a line-up of different multiple co-authors, are listed alphabetically by the second author, rather than by date of publication. (If the first two authors are the same, move to the third name, etc.)

Example:

Smith, M., Brown, N., & Black, L. (1993). Fake title one.
New York: Macmillan, 57.

Smith, M., White, Q., & Toggle, V. (1989). Fake title two. Boston: Bedford, 32-36.

5. Multiple Works with Same Author(s) and Years of Publication

Note: Multiple works with identical author(s) and year of publication are alphabetized by the first significant word in the title. Lowercase letters (a, b, c, etc.) are then assigned to the year of publication.

Example:

Smith, S., Wesson, P., & Winchester, T. (1988a). First fake title. New York: Macmillan, 324.

Smith, S., Wesson, P., & Winchester, T. (1988b). Second fake title. New York: Macmillan, 76.

Smith, S., Wesson, P., & Winchester, T. (1988c). Third fake title. New York: Macmillan, 101-103.

Additional APA Resources

Printed Resources:

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, fifth edition. (2001).

Electronic Resources:

The official American Psychological Association Web site, updated regularly, is the comprehensive guide to all things APA: the organization, its journals, products and services.

The official APA Electronic Reference Formats addresses issues regarding how to cite online and Internet sources.

Columbia Guide to Online Style is the best alternative. Though not officially recognized by the APA, this site has long provided guidelines for those seeking to document specific electronic sources using the APA style sheet.

The beauty of CGOS comes from the sophisticated Internet understanding brought to the table by its authors, Janice Walker and Todd Taylor. If you adopt CGOS, use the APA style for all print and traditional sources, and apply CGOS guidelines for any online or electronic sources, including software and CD-ROM databases.