APA Citation Format Simplified

APA (2010)requires a hanging indent and double-spacing for its citations. Always use italics (not underlining) when required. If a magazine or journal does not have a volume number, you must use the p. or pp. abbreviation.

Note: APA 2010 requires you to use DOI (Digital Object identifiers) when possible. APA 2010 Also recommends you use two spaces after a period.

Book / APA FORMAT / EXAMPLE
One Author / Author last name, First initial, Middle initial. (Date). Title of work. Location: Publisher. / Smith, K.C. (2004). Children’s literature of the Harlem renaissance. Bloomington, IN: IndianaUniversity Press.
Two to Seven Authors / Author last name, First initial, Middle initial., & Author last name, First initial, Middle initial. (Date). Title of work. Location: Publisher. / Branson, J. J., & Larson, B. (2003). Educating Rita. New York: Norton.
Eight or More Authors / Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author D. D., Author, E. E., Author, F. F., . . . Last Author, I. I. (Date). Title of work. Location: Publisher. / German, J., Franklin, B., Sweden, A., Joseph, B., Austin, T., Squires, K., . . . Marsh, R. (2008). Effects of family reunions on dysfunctional families. New York: Genealogy Press.
Editor and/or chapter in a book / Author, A.A. (Date). Title of chapter. In A. Editor & B. Editor (Eds.), Title of work(pp xxx-xxx). Location: Publisher. / Arthur, K. (2004). High school reform in Arizona. In A. Squires (Ed.),Dismal state of American education (pp. 56-84). New York: Knopf.
E-book
[When doi (digital object identifiers) is available, you should use it at end of entry as noted in samples] / Possible Formats:
Editor last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Ed.). (Date). Title of work. Location: Publisher. Retrieved from URL.
Author, A. (Date). Title of work. Location: Publisher. Retrieved from URL
Author, B. (Date ) Title of work. Doi:xxxxx
Author, C. (Date) Title of work. Retrieved from URL / Careful, T. (Ed.). (2003). Children and ritalin. Doi: 10.1037/10762-000
Volz, B.D. (Ed.). (2000). Junior genreflecting: A guide to good reads and series fiction for children. EnglewoodCO: Libraries Unlimited. Doi: 10.1036/0071393724
Zimring, C.A. (2005). Cash for your trash: Scrap recycling in America [eBook version]. Retrieved from
Periodical Article / APA Format / Example
Magazine / Author last name, First initial. Middle initial (Year, Month, Day). Title of article. Title of Magazine, Volume number, Pages.
Note: If no volume number is available, use p. or pp. before page numbers. / Bender, M. (2006, December). 2-minute winter warm-ups: Wake up your hibernating muscles, starting now. Health, 20, 38-40.
Journal: Continuous page numbers / Author last name, First initial, Middle initial. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume number, Pages. / Brown, P. (2002). New architecture today. Art Digest, 25, 303-13.
Journal: Separate pagination (each issue starts with page 1) / Author last name, First initial, Middle initial. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume number (Issue number), Pages. / Bellon-Hare, L. M., Garrett, T.M., Roberts, C. L., & Torres-Rivera, E. (2003, March). Open hands, open hearts: Working with native youth in the schools. Intervention in School and Clinic, 38 (4), 225-235.
Article in an online database / Same as print but add doi or electronic retrieval information at end.
If doi is available, add doi to end of entry.
If no doi is available, and it was retrieved online, add the following phrase and the homepage url of the journal, newsletter, or magazine: Use this format: Retrieved from
Note that you do not use a period after the url or the doi / Vissing, Y. (2003, December). The yellow school bus project: Helping homeless students get ready for school. Phi Delta Kappan, 85(4), 321-323. Retrieved from
Kroon, L. (2007). Drug interactions with smoking. American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 64 (18), 1917-1921. doi: 10.2146/ajhp060414
CQ Researcher / This is a government publication. Sample show is an issue from the electronic database without a doi. / Glazer, S. (2006, November 10). Video games. CQ Researcher, 16, 937-960. Retrieved from
Newspaper (Print Version) / Note that you use p. or pp. before page numbers with newspapers.
If an article has discontinuous page numbers, list all page numbers, but separate them with a comma (e.g. pp. A3, A5, A6-7) / Brown, S. (1998, January 25). A new art. Washington Post, p. A4.
Lublin, J. S. (2006, December 11). Untainted firms alter how they offer options. The Wall Street Journal, pp. B1, B3.
Newspaper (Electronic Version) / Give the URL of the home page if available: This strategy allows you to avoid nonworking URLs. / Shin, A. (2006, December 6). Trans fat banned in N.Y. eateries; city health board cites heart risks. The Washington Post. Retrieved from
Encyclopedia / APA Format / Example
One or more Authors / Author last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Date). Article title. In A.A. Editor (Ed.), Title of publication (Vol., pp.). Location: Publisher. / Hernandez, J., & Squires, R. (1999). House plants. In T. Z. Zollinger (Ed.),The encyclopedia of botany (Vol. 7, pp. 45-75). New York: Macmillan.
No Author / Article title. (Date). Article title. In B. B. Editor (Ed), Title of publication (Vol., pp.). Location: Publisher.
Note that the sample shown is an electronic example. / Achievement gap. (2006). In L.B. Johnson (Ed.),The encyclopedia of education. Retrieved from galegroup.com
Web Site Article / APA Format / Example
With Author / Author last name, First initial, Middle initial. (Date of web page). Title. Retrieved from URL
Note: If source may change over time on a Web page (such as a wiki), you can include a retrieval date. If source will not change, you do not need to include the retrieval date. / American Library Association YALSA (2005). Outstanding books for the college bound. Retrieved from yalsa/booklists/obcb
Jameson, E. (n.d.). NCH FACT sheets on homelessness. Retrieved August 12, 1999, from
With no Author / Article title. (Date). Retrievedfrom URL / The trials and tribulation of the homeless on the streets of Phoenix. (2003, October 13). Retrieved from
Entire Website / Note: With APA, when citing an entire Website (and not a specific document on the website), you may cite it in your parenthetical in-text citation and not include it on your References page. / Example of in-text reference: The Mark Twain Page discusses the significance of Twain’s works, especially relating his stories to the political controversies of his day. It especially emphasizes racial issues ( ca/_dawe/twain.html).
Other Source Types / APA Format / Example
Lecture (or Address)(unpublished paper/poster presentation) / Presenter A. A. (year, Month). Lecture Title. Paper or poster session presented at the meeting of Organization Name, Location. / Goddard, T. (2001, October). Phoenix Today. Honors Forum Lecture presented at the MCCCD Honors Program Forum, PhoenixCollege.
Film (Movie) or Video / Producer, A. A. (Producer), & Director, B. B (Director). (Year). Title of motion picture [Motion picture}. Country of origin: Studio. / Nevins, S. (Producer), & Anderson, J. (Director). (2006). Mr. Conservative: Goldwater on Goldwater. [DVD]. United States: HBO Documentary Films.
Music Recording / Writer, A. (Copyright year). Title of song [Recorded by B. B. Artist if different from writer]. On Title of album [Medium}. Location: Label. (Date of recording if it differs from copyright year). / Holiday, B. (1991). Billie’s blues. On Lady Day: The best of Billie Holiday. [CD]. New York: Sony.
NOTE: In your in-text citations, include side & band or track numbers: “Billie’s Blues” (Holiday, 1991, track 5).
Personal Communications
[such as Interview (you conduct yourself), memos, email, phone conversations, private letters, etc.] / You cannot include personal interviews on the References page. You must cite them in the text as shown in this example:
(L. Hogan, personal communication, August 18, 1999) / NOT Permitted on the References page because this information is not “retrievable” by other researchers.
A Review / Reviewer’s Last Name, First initial. (Date). Title of review [Review of the book Title of book, by A. A. Author]. Title of complete work, xx, xxx-xxx. / Kauffman, R. (2001, March 6). A new look [Review of the book The color purple, by A. Walker]. New Books Review, pp. 239-240.
Online Posting (Message to a newsgroup, online forum, or discussion group). / Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of post [Description of form]. Retrieved from http;/
Note: In discussion boards, the title of the post is referred to as the “thread”).
Note: Due to nature of posting, include a url. / Ziegler, J. (2004, November 12). Re: Arizona homeless information source.[Online forum comment]. Retrieved from /arizona/phoenix/issues/ msg1123494085458903.html?15
Radio or Television Program / Set up is similar to a chapter in a book: list script writer and director in the author position. List producer (if name is available) in the editor position. / Shatner, J. (Writer), & Haffner, C. (Director). (1993, April 6). Frederick Douglas. [Television broadcast.] In Civil War Journal. Los Angeles: Arts and Entertainment Network.
Tessler, V. (Writer), & Sojourner, J. (Director). (2002, January 25). Death and love. [Radio broadcast]. In Weekend Edition Saturday. Phoenix, Arizona: KJZZ.

Rev. 2009/Based on 6th edition of APA Manual (2010)