APA STYLE
Reference Formats
Guide developed and maintained by Prof. Mike Strahan
(revised 04/3/08)

Flash videos explaining how to create special APA reference entries

Important: Effective June 15, 2007, APA style guidelines for electronic resources (section 4.16 of the Manual, pp. 268-281) changed.

Referencing online journal articles and some other materials has changed to emphasize using an assigned DOI (digital object identifier). Date of retrieval is no longer included for materials that are unlikely to be changed or updated (PDF/page images).

Please also see a Flash video explaining how to create a reference entry using the DOI

Introduction

APA Manual (p. 299) indicates that all references are double-spaced within and between references, only one space follows all punctuation (except for abbreviations which do not have spaces), and use "hanging indent" format; that is, the first line is flush along the left margin, and subsequent lines for an entry are indented one-half inch (word processing software default). Depending on individual web browsers, indents may not appear as a true one-half inch. 

Also note that URLs (web addresses) are not underlined, even though some software will automatically underline. However, they should remain as active links.

For information on annotated bibliographies, see How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography from the Olin & Uris Libraries of Cornell University.

For additional information on citing works in-text (parenthetical citations), see Social Sciences: Documenting Sources by Diane Hacker of Prince George's Community College. Note: Does not include 2007 APA Style Guide examples.

Click here for examples of how to caption tables and figures from another source.

 SOURCES

ELECTRONIC		PRINT		NURSING/HEALTH-SPECIFIC UNIQUE SOURCES EXAMPLES (online & print)
	Web Sites/Pages		Books, Chapters, Encyclopedias & Unpublished Theses		Book from STAT!Ref
	Electronic/e-Books, e-Book Chapters, Technical/Research Reports		Articles in Professional/Scholarly Journals		Technical/Research report available on the Web (AHRQ example)
	Online Reference Materials (encyclopedia, dictionary, etc.)		Articles in Popular Magazines		Report authored by organization & available on their web site (no date)
	Online Dissertations & Theses		Newspaper Articles		Cochrane Database report (use DOI)
	Articles in Professional/Scholarly Journals		ERIC Documents		Online article provided/held in CINAHL, no DOI available
	Articles in Popular Magazines		Government Publications & Court Decisions		Message posted to archived electronic mailing list (NAHRS)
	Newspaper Articles		Proceedings of Meetings & Symposia		Additional examples coming soon!!
	ERIC Documents		Doctoral Dissertations	MISCELLANEOUS
	U.S. Government Executive Document				Graphic representation of data
	Message Posted to an Electronic Mailing List (Archived)				Youtube (Video Weblog), Video and Audio Podcasts
	Abstract of a Work in an Online Database				Film
	Conference presentation / PowerPoint slides (online)				Personal & Other Electronic Communications

ELECTRONIC SOURCES 

Web sites/pages

Also note that URLs (web addresses) are not underlined, even though some software will automatically underline. However, they should remain as active links.

Entire web site (as opposed to a specific page on the web site) does not appear in the reference list, but is cited within text as shown in the following sample sentence: 

The International Council of Museums web site provides many links to museums, codes of ethics, and the museum profession (http://www.icom.org/).  

Individual web page with personal author
Since web documents are similar to print, citations to them include the same elements such as author, date, title, place of publication, etc. Note that proper names are capitalized. Date of retrieval is included because the content is likely to change.

Landis, B. (1996). Carlisle Indian Industrial School history. Retrieved September 20, 2001, from

http://home.epix.net/~landis/histry.html 

Individual work/document/web page available on university program or department Web site

Trapp, Y. U. (2005). Multiple intelligences: The learning process in our students. Retrieved July 1,

2006, from Yale University, Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute Web site:

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2001/6/01.06.10.x.html

ELECTRONIC/e-BOOKS

According to the new APA Style Guide to Electronic References (2007), publisher geographical location (city & state) and name are not necessary in references retrieved electronically. However, this information should be included if publisher identity is not clear from the "author, URL, database name, or other reference information" (pp. 1-2).

Another change from 2001 Manual: if you need to continue a web address/URL onto another line, make sure to turn off automatic hyphenation in word processing software, and break before most punctuation, (e.g., a forward slash / ) not after (see example below).

Entire electronic book retrieved from database

Nieswiadomy, R. M. (2008). Foundations of nursing research (5th ed.). Retrieved from

STAT!Ref database.

Entire electronic book - have direct link to item:

Vogel, C. G. (1999). Legends of landforms: Native American lore and the geology of the land.

Retrieved from http://www.netlibrary.com/AccessProduct.aspx?ProductId=28788

Entire electronic book - direct link unavailable or URL leads to information on how to obtain the item. Note use of "Available from" instead of "Retrieved from":

Gonzalez-Mena, J. (2007). Diversity in early care and education: Honoring differences. Available

from http://mhprofessional.com/product.php?isbn=007722289X

Electronic book chapter

Symonds, P. M. (1958). Human drives. In C. L. Stacey & M. DeMartino (Eds.), Understanding human

motivation (pp. 11-22). Retrieved from PsycBOOKS database.

Entire electronic technical or research report - available on the web (not through a university):

Russo, C. A., & Jiang, H. J. (2006). Hospital stays among patients with diabetes, 2004

(Statistical Brief #17). Retrieved from Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality:

http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb17.jsp

Individual document/report/web page authored by an organization and available on organization Web site, no publication date:

Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration. (n.d.).  Handbook of

accreditation. Retrieved from http://www.acpha-cahm.org/forms/acpha/acphahandbook04.pdf

Individual work/document/web page available on university program or department Web site
Note: Date of retrieval is included because content is likely to be changed.

Trapp, Y. U. (2005). Multiple intelligences: The learning process in our students. Retrieved July 1,

2006, from Yale University, Yale-New Haven Teachers Institute Web site:

http://www.yale.edu/ynhti/curriculum/units/2001/6/01.06.10.x.html

Individual work/document/web page, no author identified, no date 

Most improved elementary schools in math: Survey results. (n.d.). Retrieved July 1, 2006, from 

       http://www.sharingsuccess.org/code/highperf/2002-03/es_math/msi/effectivepractices.htm

Online Reference Materials
Note: Date of retrieval is provided because the most recent date for changes may not be evident.
Also, provide source home page URL, not the address which takes you directly to an entry.

Online Encyclopedia

Boss brass. (2007). In H. Kallmann & G. Potvin (Eds.), Encyclopedia of music in Canada. Retrieved

July 26, 2007, from http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/

Online Dictionary

Terrorism. (2002). In The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy. Retrieved July 20, 2007, from

http://www.bartleby.com/59/

Dissertations & Theses

Master's thesis retrieved from a database (considered published)

Saarivirta-Kolpack, M. (2006). A history of early teacher training practices at

Northern (Michigan University), 1899-1953. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations

& Theses. (AAT 1439820)

Dissertation retrieved from institutional/university web site

Bartel, T. M. C. (2005). Factors associated with attachment in international adoption (Doctoral

dissertation, Kansas State University, 2005). Retrieved from http://krex.ksu.edu/dspace

/bitstream/2097/131/1/TeresaBartel2005.pdf

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  Articles in Professional/Scholarly Journals

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Articles in Popular Magazines
Note: Most popular magazine articles do not have a DOI assigned.

Article in a popular magazine retrieved from a web site, no DOI, freely available, format differs from print version or page numbers not indicated.
For the majority of popular magazine articles located directly on a publisher's web site, formats often differ from the original published version. Volume, issue, and page numbers often are not provided. If they are not used, the name of the periodical is all that can be provided in the reference. Note that the URL should link directly to the article, not the publisher's home page.

Article in a popular magazine, no DOI assigned, retrieved from an online database.
When an article without a DOI is retrieved through an online database, note the source database which holds the article. For example, if you searched ReadersGuideAbs and located an online article from General OneFile, you indicate the OneFile database name.
Also, the URL is not included.

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Article in a newspaper retrieved from an online database (e.g., Access World News); no DOI available.

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Abstract of a work in an online database

Although referencing the full-text of an article is preferred, abstracts may be used as sources.

Johnson, P.D. (1998). Rural stroke caregivers: A qualitative study of the positive and

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PRINT SOURCES (NON-ELECTRONIC)

Books, Book Chapters, & Unpublished Theses

Book, no author or editor

Place title in the author’s position; alphabetize by the first significant word in the title; cite in text using a few words of the title, or the whole title if it is short, in place of the author’s name.

Professional guide to diseases. (1982). Springhouse, PA: Intermed Communications.

Book, one author

McKibben, B. (1992). The age of missing information. New York: Random House.  

Book, multiple authors

Larson, G. W., Ellis, D. C., & Rivers, P. C. (1984). Essentials of chemical dependency

     counseling. New York: Columbia University Press.

Edited book (editor in place of author)

Inness, S. A. (Ed.). (1998). Delinquents and debutantes: Twentieth-century American girls’

     cultures. New York: New York University Press.

Edited book, multiple authors (editor in place of authors)

Moriarty, L. J., & Carter, D. L. (Eds.). (1998). Criminal justice technology in the 21st

     century.  Springfield: Charles C. Thomas.

Book, subsequent edition (2nd, 3rd, etc.)

Lemay, L. (1997). Teach yourself web publishing with HTML 4 in a week (4th ed.).

Indianapolis: Sams.net.

Article or chapter in an edited book

Hartley, J. T., Harker J. O., & Walsh, D. A. (1980). Contemporary issues and new

     directions in adult development of learning and memory. In L. W. Poon (Ed.),

     Aging in the 1980s: Psychological issues (pp. 239-252). Washington, DC:

     American Psychological Association.

Report from a private organization (author & publisher same)

National League for Nursing. (1990). Self-study report for community health

     organizations (Pub. No. 21-2329). New York: Author.

Entry in an encyclopedia

This includes both general and specialized encyclopedias. If an entry does not have a byline, begin the reference with the entry title and publication date.

Moore, C. (1991). Mass Spectrometry. In Encyclopedia of chemical technology

     (4th ed.) (Vol. 15, pp. 1071-1094). New York: Wiley.

Entry in Mental Measurements Yearbook (MMY)

Title of the review and authorship appears in italics at the beginning of the review narrative (example provided below). Also note that many entries published in MMY contain more than one review.

Review of the Comprehensive Assessment of School Environments by NANCY L.
ALLEN, Research Scientist, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, NJ:

Allen, N. L. (1992). Review of the Comprehensive Assessment of School Environments. In J. J.

Kramer & J. C. Conoley (Eds.), The eleventh mental measurements yearbook. Lincoln,

NE: Buros Institute, University of Nebraska Press.

Unpublished master’s thesis

Paulosky, K. A. (1997). Knowledge and attitudes of pain and activities of nurse

     administrators. Unpublished master’s thesis, Northern Michigan University,

     Marquette, Michigan.

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Article in a journal (continuous pagination throughout volume)

Burke, R. J., Shearer, D., & Deszca, E. (1984). Correlates of burnout phases among police

     officers. Group and Organizational Studies, 9, 451-466.

Article in a journal (paginated by issue)

Berkerian, D. A. (1993). The ADA and the hiring process in organizations. Consulting

     Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 45(2), 10-36.

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Article in a Newspaper (Discontinuous pages)

Von Drehle, D. (2000, January 15). Russians unveil new security plan. The Washington

     Post, pp. A1, A21.

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ERIC Documents

ERIC Document (without document report number)

Jung, S. M. (1986). The role of accreditation in directly improving educational quality.

Washington, DC: Council on Postsecondary Accreditation. (ERIC Document

Reproduction Service No. ED267055)

ERIC Document (with document report number)

Kirsner, S. A., & Bethell, S. (1992). Creating a flexible and responsive learning

       environment for general mathematics students (Report No. NCRTL-RR-92-7).

       East Lansing, MI: National Center for Research on Teacher Learning. (ERIC

       Document Reproduction Service No. ED347093)

ERIC Document - unpublished conference paper

Shaw, C. L. M. (1997, November). Customer satisfaction: communication training

       and the help-desk hot-line. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the

       National Communication Association, Chicago, IL. (ERIC Document

       Reproduction Service No. ED416553)

ERIC Document - published conference paper

Lucas, L. A. (1998). Issues in the creation and coordination of an academic computing

       help desk. In Association of Small Computer Users in Education: Proceedings of

       the ASCUE Summer Conference, North Myrtle Beach, SC (pp. 87-92). (ERIC

       Document Reproduction Service No. ED425722)

ERIC Document - Master's thesis

Bastolla, R. (1994). Whole language and Basal readers. Master's thesis, Kean

College. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED366923)

ERIC Document - doctoral dissertation

Clark, J. L. (1983). Values and academic achievement among rural Indian high

school students in North Dakota. Doctoral dissertation, University of

North Dakota. (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED242469)

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Government Publications & Law

U.S. Government executive document

Note that the agency publication number may appear on the document or in the online catalog.

Administration on Aging. (1984). Alzheimer's disease handbook (DHHS Publication

     No. OHDS 84-20813). Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office.

U.S. Government Congressional document

For legislative materials such as hearings, reports, bills, etc., provide title, Congress, session, page of the document where the hearing begins (usually 1), and date.  Other examples appear in the APA Publication Manual (5th ed.) on pp. 256-258.

Charter schools: Hearing before the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Youth, and

     Families of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, House of Representatives,

     105^th Cong., 1 (1998).

Michigan Government executive document

Office of International Development. (1985). Investor's guide to Michigan. Lansing:

     Michigan Department of Commerce.

Court decision

United States v. Nixon, 418 U.S. 683 (1974).  

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Published Proceedings

Published proceedings, published contributions to a symposium, article or chapter in an edited book. Capitalize the name of the symposium, which is a proper name.

Barlow, D. H., Chorpita, B. F., & Turovsky, J. (1996). Fear, panic, anxiety, and disorders of

     emotion. In R. Dienstbier (Ed.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation: Vol. 43. Perspectives on

     anxiety, panic, and fear (pp. 251-328). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.

Proceedings published regularly

Treat regularly published proceedings as periodicals. If only an abstract of the article appears in the proceedings, indicate such information in brackets after the article title.

Wassenaar, L. I., & Hobson, K. A. (1998). Natal origins of migratory monarch butterflies at

     wintering colonies in Mexico: New isotopic evidence. Proceedings of the National Academy of

     Sciences, USA, 95, 15436-15439.

Posters

Raspe, P. D. (1991, April). Relationship among given names in the Scilly Isles. Poster

     session presented at the annual meeting of the American Association of Physical

     Anthropologists, Milwaukee, WI.
 

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Doctoral Dissertations Abstracted in Dissertation Abstracts International

Doctoral dissertation abstracted in Dissertation Abstracts International (DAI) and obtained on university microfilm.

Houseman, C. A. (1985). An investigation of  nurses' interpersonal needs and their

     willingness to self-disclose. Dissertation Abstracts International, 51 (01), 543B.

     (University Microfilms No. AAD93-15947)

Doctoral dissertation abstracted in Dissertation Abstracts International (DAI) and obtained from the university

Gould, J. B. (1999). Symbolic Speech: Legal mobilization and the rise of collegiate hate

     speech codes (Doctoral dissertation, University of Chicago, 1999). Dissertation Abstracts

     International, 60 (02), 533A.

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MISCELLANEOUS SOURCES   

Graphic representation of data derived from a data set / data bank

When a graphic (graph, map, chart, etc.) is generated/created from a data set/data bank available online, use the following to reference the result. Since data sets/banks are frequently updated, provide the URL of the initial web page used to generate the graphic.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. (2007).

[Graph showing trends data of diabetes awareness, Michigan vs. Nationwide trends 1990-

2002, percentage of respondents 18 and older who reported they have been diagnosed with

diabetes]. Behavioral Risk Facto Surveillance System. Trends Data. Retrieved from

http://apps.nccd.cdc.gov /brfss/Trends/TrendData.asp

Youtube-type Video Weblog Post

Goyen, A. (2007, February 22). Downtown Marquette dog sled races [Video file]. Video posted

to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW3CNCGGgTY

University of Chicago. (2007, December 12). European cartographers and the Ottoman world,

1500--1750 [Video file]. Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xax5d4IKqrQ

Television Feature, Video Podcast (series title is not italicized)

ABC News (Producer). (2007, September 21). Good Morning America. Person of the Week. Dying professor's

lecture of a lifetime. Podcast retrieved from ABC: http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/PersonOfWeek

/Story?id=3633945&page=1

Audio Podcast (series title is not italicized)

Duchon, R. (2007). Ashes to hope: Overcoming the Detroit riots. U.P. Family Still Struggles to

Deal With Pressure of '67 Riot. Podcast retrieved from http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net

/production/mp3/michigan/local-michigan-608722.mp3

Motion Picture

Mass, J. B. (Producer), & Gluck, D. H. (Director). (1987). Deeper into hypnosis

     [Motion Picture]. United States: Prentice-Hall.

Personal & Other Communications

M. Strahan (personal communication, January 19, 2000).

NURSING/HEALTH-SPECIFIC UNIQUE SOURCES

According to the new APA Style Guide to Electronic References (2007), publisher geographical location (city & state) and name are not necessary in references retrieved electronically. However, this information should be included if publisher identity is not clear from the "author, URL, database name, or other reference information" (pp. 1-2).

Another change from 2001 Manual: if you need to continue a web address/URL onto another line, make sure to turn off automatic hyphenation in word processing software, and break before most punctuation, (e.g., a forward slash / ) not after.

Entire electronic book retrieved from database

Nieswiadomy, R. M. (2008). Foundations of nursing research (5th ed.). Retrieved from

STAT!Ref database.

Entire electronic technical or research report - available on the web (not through a university):

Russo, C. A., & Jiang, H. J. (2006). Hospital stays among patients with diabetes, 2004

(Statistical Brief #17). Retrieved from Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality:

http://www.hcup-us.ahrq.gov/reports/statbriefs/sb17.jsp

Individual document/report authored by an organization and available on organization Web site, no publication date:

Accreditation Commission for Programs in Hospitality Administration. (n.d.).  Handbook of

accreditation. Retrieved from http://www.acpha-cahm.org/forms/acpha/acphahandbook04.pdf

Article with no DOI assigned; content retrieved from an online database which provides article.
When an article without a DOI is retrieved through an online database, note the source database which holds the article.

Tang, P., Yuan, W., & Tseng, H. (2005). Clinical follow-up study on diabetes patients

participating in a health management plan. Journal of Nursing Research, 13(4),

253-261. Retrieved from CINAHL database.

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