Skip to Main Content

APA 7th referencing style Examples

This is a guide to using the APA 7th referencing style from the American Psychological Association. It is based on the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

One author

Elements of the reference

Author(s) of book – family name and initials. (Year). Title of book - italicised. Publisher. DOI or Web address - if available
In-text

(Swartz, 2019)

OR

Swartz (2019) 
Reference list

Swartz, W. (2019). Descriptive psychology and the person concept: Essential attributes of persons and behavior. Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2017-0-00372-5
EndNote reference type Book

Two authors

Elements of the reference

Author(s) of book – family name and initials, use & for multiple authors. (Year). Title of book - italicised. Publisher. DOI or Web address - if available
In-text reference

Always list the authors in the order in which they appear in the publication.

Cite both authors for each use of reference.

Examples:

(Whittingham & Coyne, 2019)

OR

Whittingham and Coyne (2019) 
Reference list

Whittingham, K., & Coyne, W.  (2019). Acceptance and commitment therapy: The clinician's guide for supporting parents​. Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2017-0-01265-X

 
EndNote reference type Book

Three to twenty authors

Elements of the reference

Author(s) of book – family name and initials, use & for multiple authors. (Year). Title of book - italicised. Publisher. DOI or Web address - if available
In-text reference

Cite last name of first author followed by “et al.”

(Sheldon et al., 2019)

Sheldon et al. (2019) found that....
Reference list

Sheldon, P., Rauschnabel, P. A., & Honeycutt, J. M. (2019). The dark side of social media: Psychological, managerial, and societal perspectives. Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2017-0-04063-6
EndNote reference type Book

Twenty one or more authors

Elements of the reference

Author(s) of book – family name and initials (for first 19 authors), . . . final author - family name and initial(s). (Year). Title of book – italicised. Publisher. DOI or Web address - if available
In-text reference

Cite last name of first author followed by “et al.”

(Harris et al., 2019)

Harris et al. (2019) found that....
Reference list

Harris, K., Johnson, W., Matthews, L., Wilson, K., Lewis, S., Bailey, T., Kelly, M., Norris, O., James, P., Harrison, I., Grant, Q., Vince, J., Patterson, Y., Carson, H., Allison, T., Lang, R., Roberts, G., Gordon, N., Yates, J., . . . Holland, F. (2019). Brisbane city history. University of Queensland.
EndNote reference type Book

No author

Elements of the reference

Title of book - italicised (Year). Publisher. DOI or Web address - if available
In-text reference

Cite in the text the first few words of the title and the year. Italicise the book title.

Management is defined as (CCH Macquarie Dictionary, 1993)

OR

CCH Macquarie Dictionary (1993) defines…
Reference list

The CCH Macquarie dictionary of business. (1993). CCH Australia.
EndNote reference type Book

Author identified as anonymous

Elements of the reference

Anonymous - only if author is specifically named as “Anonymous”. (Year). Title of book - italicised. Publisher. DOI or Web address - if available
In-text reference

(Anonymous, 1996)

Use only if author is specifically named as “Anonymous”
Reference list

Anonymous. (1996). Primary colors: A novel of politics. Random House.
EndNote reference type Book

Book by an organisation or institution (group author)

Elements of the reference

Author(s) of book – family name and initials, use & for multiple authors. (Year). Title of book - italicised. Publisher. DOI or Web address - if available
In-text reference

(Queensland Health, 2002)

Queensland Health (2002) recommends that….
Reference list

Queensland Health. (2002). Best practice guidelines for the management of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents. 

If the author name is the same as the publisher, omit the publisher.
EndNote reference type

Book

Add a comma , after each group author eg. Queensland Health, in the Author field

eBook from database eg. Proquest, Ebsco

Elements of the reference

Author(s) of book – family name and initials. (Year). Title of book - italicised. Publisher. DOI or Web address - if stable
In-text

(Khan, Kunz, Kleijnen & Antes, 2011)

OR

Khan, Kunz, Kleijnen and Antes (2011)
Reference list

Khan, K., Kunz, R., Kleijnen, J., & Antes, G. (2011). Systematic reviews to support evidence-based medicine : how to review and apply findings of healthcare research. CRC Press.
EndNote reference type Book

Do not include the name of the database.

End the reference after the publisher name if there isn't a stable web address or DOI (like a print book reference).

Different editions

Elements of the reference

Author(s) of book – family name and initials, use & for multiple authors. (Year). Title of book - italicised (Edition number ed.). Publisher. DOI or Web address - if available
In-text reference

(DeHart, Sroufe, & Cooper, 1995)

DeHart, Sroufe, and Cooper (1995) state the idea that…
Reference list

The edition statement is placed after the title of the work. This is not necessary for a first edition.

DeHart, G. B., Sroufe, L.A., & Cooper, R. G. (1995). Child development: Its nature and course (4th ed.). McGraw-Hill.
EndNote reference type Book

Edited book

Elements of the reference

Editor(s) of book – family name and initials, use & for multiple editors. (Ed. or Eds.). (Year). Title of book - italicised. Publisher. DOI or Web address - if available
In-text reference

Treat multiple editors same as multiple authors

(Luiselli, 2017)

OR 

Luiselli (2017)
Reference list

Luiselli, J.K. (Ed.). (2017). Applied behavior analysis advanced guidebook: A manual for professional practice. Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/C2016-0-01055-0

If the book's chapters are written by different authors to the editor(s), you must reference each chapter you use as a book chapter.
EndNote reference type Edited book

Translation of a book

Elements of the reference

Author(s) of book – family name and initials, use & for multiple authors. (Year). Title of book - italicised (Translator name - first initial. last name, Trans.; Edition - if available). Publisher. (Original work published Year). DOI or Web address - if available
In-text reference

Include original year of publication and year of translated publication.

(Ylinen, 2007/2008)
Reference list

Ylinen, J. (2008). Stretching therapy: For sport and manual therapies (J. Nurmenniemi, Trans.). Churchill Livingstone. (Original work published 2007)
EndNote reference type

Book

Enter translator’s name in Translator field

Add Original work published Year to Original Publication field