Citing a Book in APA Format: A Comprehensive Guide

The American Psychological Association (APA) style guide provides a standardized method of citing sources in academic writing. When citing a book in APA format, specific guidelines must be followed to ensure accuracy and consistency. This guide provides an overview of how to properly cite a book in APA style, along with examples and additional tips.

Basic Format for Citing a Book

The basic format for citing a book in APA style includes the following elements:

Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Publication Year). Book Title. Edition (if applicable). Publisher.

• Example: Jackson, L. M. (2019). The psychology of prejudice: From attitudes to social action. (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association.

Parenthetical Citations

In-text citations in APA style typically appear within parentheses and include the author's last name and the publication year.

• Example: (Jackson, 2019)

Narrative Citations

Narrative citations mention the author's last name and the publication year within the text of your paper.

• Example: Jackson (2019) argues that prejudice is a complex phenomenon influenced by various factors.

Citing a Book with Multiple Authors

If a book has two authors, list both authors' last names and first initials in the citation. If there are three or more authors, include the first author's last name followed by "et al."

• Example: (Jackson & Smith, 2019)

Citing an Edited Book

For an edited book, include the editors' names in the citation, followed by "Ed." or "Eds." in parentheses after the book title.

• Example: (Atkinson & Rayner, Eds., 1974)

Citing a Chapter in an Edited Book

To cite a chapter in an edited book, include the chapter author's name, publication year, chapter title, editor's name, book title, and page numbers of the chapter.

• Example: (Bartol & Bartol, 2005, Chapter 1, in Weiner & Hess, Eds., The Handbook of Forensic Psychology)

Citing a Translated Book

If citing a book that has been translated from another language, include the translator's name and the original publication year in the citation.

• Example: Freud, S. (1914). The psychopathology of everyday life (A. A. Brill, Trans.). T. Fisher Unwin. (Original work published 1901).

Citing a Multivolume Work

When citing a multivolume work, include the volume numbers in parentheses after the book title.

• Example: (Harris, Graham, & Urdan, Eds., 2012, Vols. 1-3)

Citing an Ebook or Audiobook

For an ebook or audiobook, follow the same format as a print book, but include the publisher's name and URL or audiobook platform in the citation.

• Example: Rowling, J. K. (2015). Harry Potter and the sorcerer's stone. Pottermore Publishing. http://bit.ly/2TcHchx (Original work published 1997)

Additional Tips

• Double-space your reference list.
• Indent the second and subsequent lines of each reference.
• Use a hanging indent for your reference list.
• Include a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) if available.
• If a book has been accessed via an online database, include the full URL at the end of the reference.

Remember to consult the APA style guide for more detailed information and examples on citing books and other resources.