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How to Cite an Essay Within a Book in the APA Format

Writers must correctly acknowledge the sources of borrowed words and ideas when writing research papers in order to avoid charges of plagiarism, which, apart from the ethical concerns, can also have serious consequences ranging from loss of credit on the assignment to expulsion from school. Citing an essay within a book requires proper formatting both within the text of your paper and on the References page.

APA in-text citations, whether they appear in signal phrases or parenthetical citations, typically include the author's last name and the year of publication. As explained in the sixth edition, second printing of the "Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association," when you cite an essay within a compilation, you should give the last name of the author of the essay in the citation along with the year the book was published with a comma between. For an article written by Kelly James appearing in a book published in 2011, the citation would appear like this: (James, 2011).

The References page entry begins with the information that appears in the citation, so start with the author of the essay, the last name followed by the first initial with a comma between. After a period, you should place the publication date, in parentheses, ending with a period. The title of the essay appears next followed by a period. Capitalize the first word but no others except proper nouns, and you should not use italics or quotation marks around it. Next write "In" (without the quotation marks) and give the editor, first initial followed by last name. Use "&" (without the quotation marks) between them if you have more than one. Put (Ed.) and a comma to indicate this is an editor, and then give the title of the book, italicized. The page numbers for the essay appear next, in parentheses, after "pp." (without the quotation marks). After a period, the location, a colon and the company appear for print sources. Such an entry might look like this: James, K. (2005). The article's title. In D. Evans & E. Raines (Eds.), The name of the compilation (italicized) (pp. 133-152). New York: Penguin.

Web pages give "Retrieved from" (without the quotation marks) and the URL instead of the publisher details.

Need help with a citation? Try our citation generator .

• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition, 2nd printing); American Psychological Association
• APA Style: Books and Book Chapters: What to Cite
• Purdue Online Writing Lab: Reference List: Books

Kristie Sweet has been writing professionally since 1982, most recently publishing for various websites on topics like health and wellness, and education. She holds a Master of Arts in English from the University of Northern Colorado.

Thursday, February 23: The Clark Library is closed today.

APA Style (7th Edition) Citation Guide: Books & Ebooks

• Introduction
• Journal Articles
• Magazine/Newspaper Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Government & Legal Documents
• Biblical Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Films/Videos/TV Shows
• How to Cite: Other
• Additional Help

Table of Contents

Book in print with one author, book in print more than one author, chapters, short stories, essays, or articles from a book (anthology or collection), article in an online reference book (e.g. encyclopedias, dictionaries).

Note: All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

This Microsoft support page contains instructions about how to format a hanging indent in a paper.

Authors/Editors

An author won't necessarily be a person's name. It may be an organization or company, for example Health Canada. These are called group or corporate authors.

If a book has no author or editor, begin the citation with the book title, followed by the year of publication in round brackets.

If an author is also the publisher, omit the publisher from the reference. This happens most often with corporate or group authors.

When a book has one to 20 authors or editors, all authors' names are cited in the Reference List entry. When a book has 21 or more authors or editors, list the first 19 authors followed by three spaced ellipse points (. . .) , and then the last author's name. Rules are different for in-text citations; please see the examples provided.

Cite author names in the order in which they appear on the source, not in alphabetical order (the first author is usually the person who contributed the most work to the publication).

Capitalize the first letter of the first word of the title. If there is a colon (:) in the title, also capitalize the first letter of the first word after the colon.

Capitalize the first letter of proper names in titles, such as names of places or people. 

Italicize titles of journals, magazines, newspapers, and books. Do not italicize the titles of articles or book chapters.

Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of the article title. If there is a colon in the article title, also capitalize the first letter of the first word after the colon.

Place of Publication

Do not include the publisher location in the reference. Only for works associated with a specific location, like conference presentations, include the location. For cities in the US and Canada list the city name and the province or state code. For other countries, list the city name and the country. Examples: Toronto, ON ; Tokyo, Japan

Electronic Books

Don't include the format, platform, or device (e.g. Kindle) in the reference. Include the publisher name. For audiobooks, include the narrator and audiobook notation.

Ebooks from Websites (not from library databases)

If an ebook from a website was originally published in print, give the author, year, title, edition (if given) and the url. If it was never published in print, treat it like a multi-page website.

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).  Title of book: Subtitle if given  (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher Name.

Mulholland, K. (2003). Class, gender and the family business . Palgrave McMillan. 

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Mulholland, 2003)

In-Text Quote:

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)

Example: (Mulholland, 2003, p. 70)

Last Name of First Author, First Initial. Second Initial if Given, & Last Name of Second Author, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).  Title of book: Subtitle if given  (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher Name.

Note: Authors' names are separated by commas. Put a comma and an ampersand (&) before the name of the last author cited.

Note : For works with three or more authors, the first in-text citation is shortened to include the first author's surname followed by "et al."

Reference List Example:

Kaakinen, J., Coehlo, D., Steele, R., Tabacco, L., & Hanson, H. (2015). Family health care nursing: Theory, practice, and research (5th ed.). F.A. Davis Company.

In-text Citation

Two Authors/Editors

(Kaakinen & Coehlo, 2015)

Direct quote: (Kaakinen & Coehlo, 2015, p. 57)

Three or more Authors/Editors

(Kaakinen et al., 2015)

Direct quote: (Kaakinen et al., 2015, p. 57)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).  Title of book: Subtitle if given  (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher Name. URL

Example from Website:

Rhode, D. L. (2002). Divorce, American style . University of California Press. http://www.escholarship.org/editions/view?docId=kt9z09q84w;brand=ucpress

Example: (Rhode, 2002)

Example: (Rhode, 2002, p. 101)

If no author or creator is provided, start the citation with the title/name of the item you are citing instead. Follow the title/name of the item with the date of publication, and the continue with other citation details.

Remember: an author/creator may be an organization or corporation, for example Health Canada. If you don't have a person's name as the author, but do have the name of an organization or corporation, put that organization/corporation's name as the author.

If and only if an item is signed as being created by Anonymous, use "Anonymous" where you'd normally put the author's name.

When you have no author, use a shortened version of the title where you'd normally put the author's name.

If you're citing something which is part of a bigger work, like an article from a magazine, newspaper, journal, encyclopedia, or chapter/short story from a book, put the shortened title in quotation marks in your in-text citation:

Example, paraphrase: ("A few words," 2014)

If you're citing an entire work, like a book, website, video, etc., italicize the shortened title in your in-text citation:

Example, paraphrase: ( A few words , 2014)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of chapter, article, essay or short story. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if Given. Editor's Last Name (Ed.),  Title of book: Subtitle if given (edition if given and is not first edition, pp. first page number-last page number). Publisher Name.

Note:  If you have more than one editor list their name(s) after the first editor listed in the book, giving their initials and last name. Put an ampersand (&) before the last editor's name.

When you have one editor the short form (Ed.) is used after the editor's name. If you have more than one editor use (Eds.) instead.

O'Neil, J. M., & Egan, J. (1992). Men's and women's gender role journeys: A metaphor for healing, transition, and transformation. In B. R. Wainrib (Ed.), Gender issues across the life cycle (pp. 107-123). Springer. 

Note: If there is no editor given you may leave out that part of the citation.

(Author's Last Name, Year) 

Example (2 authors): (O'Neil & Egan, 1992)

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number) 

Example (2 authors): (O'Neil & Egan, 1992, p. 998)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if Given. Editor's Last Name (Ed.),  Title of book: Subtitle if given (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher Name. URL or DOI

Caviness, L. B. (2008). Brain-relevant education. In N. J. Salkind (Ed.), Encyclopedia of educational psychology . Sage Publications. https://login.uportland.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.credoreference.com/content/entry/sageedpsyc/brain_relevant_education/0?institutionId=5407

Example (1 author): (Caviness, 2008)

Example (1 author): (Caviness, 2008, Focus on the brain section, para. 2)

Note: When there are no visible page numbers or paragraph numbers, you may cite the section heading and the number of the paragraph in that section to identify where your quote came from.

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APA 7 Style: Citing Books and Sections of Books

• Book with single author
• Book with two authors
• Book with three to twenty authors
• Book with more than 20 authors
• Book with editor
• Book with translator
• Book with organizational author
• Reference book (Dictionary or Encyclopedia)
• Chapter or Essay in a Book
• Article or chapter reprinted in a Coursepack
• Entry with no author
• Entry with no publication date
• Entry in a print reference book (dictionary or encyclopedia)

Book With Single Author

In-text citation.

(Panagia, 2009)

Author's Name: Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of book . Publisher.

Panagia, D. (2009). The political life of sensation . Duke University Press.

Book With Two Authors

(Aronowitz & Giroux, 1991)

Author's Last Name, First Initial., & Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of book . Publisher.

Aronowitz, S., & Giroux, H. A. (1991). Postmodern education: Politics, culture, and social criticism.  University of Minnesota Press.

Article or Chapter in Edited Book

(Martino & Berrill, 2007)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Article title. In Editor’s First Initial and Last Name (Ed.), Title of book (pp. #-#). Publisher.

Martino, W., & Berrill, D. (2007).' Dangerous pedagogies': Exploring issues of sexuality and masculinity in male teacher candidates' lives. In K. Davison & B. Frank (Eds.), Masculinities and schooling: International practices and perspectives (pp. 13-34). Althouse Press.

• For a book with one editor, use the abbreviation "Ed." For a work with multiple editors, use the abbreviation "Eds." The first and last page numbers of the article are listed after the title of the book, just before the publisher.

Book With Three to Twenty Authors

In the first reference for a work with three or more authors, use the surname of the first author followed by et al.

(Illston et al., 1979)

Provide last name and initials for all authors (up to twenty authors).

Author's Last Name, First Initial., Author's Last Name, First Initial., & Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication).  Title of book. Publisher.

Illston, J. M., Dinwood, J. M., & Smith, A. A. (1979).  Concrete, timber, and metals: The nature and behaviour of structured materials . Van Nostrand Reinhold.

• Do not change the order of authors in a multi-authored work; the first author in the list is the lead author. For example, do not change Lee, Brown, & Green to Brown, Green, & Lee; Lee must be listed first.

Book With More Than 20 Authors

For a work with more than 20 authors, use the surname of the first author followed by et al.

(Eves et al., 2019).

For a work with more than 20 authors, list the first 20 authors and insert ellipses. After the ellipses, write the last author's name.

Author's Last Name, First Initial., Author's Last Name, First Initial., (list first 20 authors), . . . Final Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of Book . Publisher.

Eves G., Dunaway, Z., Wilkins, R., Thompson, L., Martin, K., Corp, J., Leonard, F., Xi, F., Smith, S., Patel, S., Arnott, A., MacQuarrie, C., Stafa, A., Alam, J., Zuckerman, J., Brownlee, R., Lane, H., Goldman, H., Eamon, S., Ginter, T., . . . Goulding, N. (2019).  How to succeed in university. First Line Press.

Electronic Book

Online only: in-text citation.

(Stevens, n.d.)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication).  Title.  URL

Stevens, K. (n.d.).  The dreamer and the beast.    http://www.onlineoriginals .com/showitem.asp?itemID=321 

Also in Print: In-Text Citation

If the book you are referencing is identical to the print version, there is no need to mention the e-reader or platform you used to access it. If, however, you are citing a special e-book version of the text, you should mention the platform.

(Chong, 2012)

(Downey & Baumann, 2004)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication).  Title. [E-reader file type]. Publisher. URL

Chong, K. (2012).  My year of the racehorse: Falling in love with the sport of kings.  [Kindle Edition]. Greystone Books. https://www.amazon.ca/My-Year-Racehorse-Falling-Sport-ebook/dp/B0073JCWB6

Downey M., Baumann A. O., & Nursing Study Sector Corporation. (2004).  The international nursing  labour market.  [Gibson Library Connections]. Nursing Study Sector Corporation. http://books2.scholarsportal.info/viewdoc.html?id=27776   

• When a URL is too long to fit on one line, create a break where there is punctuation (period, slash, dash).  As you can see in the example, the punctuation starts the next line.  Do not end the URL with a period if it is not in the original.
• If the electronic book provides a doi (digital object identifier), it will go in place of the URL. 

Book with Editor

(Gibbs, 2001)

Editor's Last Name, First Initial. (Ed.). (Year of Publication). Title of book . Publisher.

Gibbs, J. T. (Ed.). (2001). Children of color: Psychological interventions with culturally diverse youth. Jossey-Bass.

• Use the abbreviation "Ed." in parentheses after the editor's name.If there is more than one editor, use the abbreviation Eds. in parentheses after listing all of the authors' names.

Article or Chapter in a Coursepack

An in-text citation for an article or chapter in a coursepack includes the original source publication date and the reprint date.

(Morgan, 2006/2013)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Article Title. In Editor's First Initial and Last Name (Ed.), Title of Coursepack (pp. #- #). Publisher. (Reprinted from Original publication title, page range, original author or editor, original publication date, original publisher)

Morgan, G. (2013). Mechanization takes command: Organizations as machines. In B. Ahlstrand   (Ed.), ADMN 2410H: Organization theory (pp. 31-50). CSPI - Coursepack. (Reprinted from Images of organization, pp. 19-38, by G. Morgan, 2006, Sage   Publications)

• For a book with one editor, use the abbreviation "Ed." For a work with multiple editors, use the abbreviation "Eds." The coursepack page numbers are listed after the title of the book, just before the city of publication. The original source page numbers are listed in the reprint information. Any in-text citation that includes a page reference (i.e. for a direct quotation) should refer to the coursepack page numbers. The reprint information is usually listed on the first page of the article or chapter in the coursepack.

Book With Translator

Eisenstein (1943/1968)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Republication). Title of Book (Translator’s First Initial. and Last Name, Trans.). Publisher. (Original work published YEAR).

Eisenstein, S. (1968). Film sense (J. Leyda, Trans.). Faberand Faber. (Original work published 1943).

• The translator's name is followed by "Trans." and placed in parentheses after the title. Because the example for a translated book is of a republished work, date of original publication and date of republication are given.

Book with Organizational Author

Associations, corporations, study groups, and government agencies are some examples of what is considered a group author. Only list individual authors if they are listed on the cover or title page of the work; otherwise, list organizational author in reference list and in-text citations.

If there is a readily identified abbreviation, in the first in-text citation the full name of the organization is given in full, with the abbreviation in square brackets:

(American Psychological Association [APA], 2010)

Subsequent references use the abbreviation:

(APA, 2010)

For in-text citations, where the organization has no abbreviation (Trent University, City of Oshawa), the full name of the organization continues to be given: (Trent University, 2010)

Name of Group or Corporate Author. (Year of Publication). Title of Book (Edition #). Publisher and/or URL

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).  https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

• Do not abbreviate the name of the group in the reference.
• In this case the corporate author is also the publisher. Do not list publisher if the same as author. The APA (2020) manual (7th edition) lists its correct reference listing on the interior cover of its print manual, and it includes a doi, as shown above.

Reference Book

(Coleman, 1994)

Editor's Last Name, First Initial. (Ed.). (Year of Publication). Title of Book . Publisher.

Coleman, A. M. (Ed.). (1994). Companion encyclopedia of psychology . Routledge.

Entry in an Online Reference Book (Dictionary or Encyclopedia)

Often we wish to cite information, such as a definition or particular facts about a topic, and we need to cite an entry in a reference work, such as an encyclopedia or dictionary.

When the entry has no named author, begin the reference with the group or organization that created the reference work. If the reference work has an editor, include this information before the title of the reference work.

Entry in an Online Reference Book with No Author

(Cambridge University Press, 2015)

Institution or organization name. (Year). Title of entry. In Name of editor (ed.),  Title of reference work. URL

Cambridge University Press. (2015). Cognitive dissonance. In R. Audi (ed.), The Cambridge dictionary of philosophy.  https://www-cambridge-org.proxy1.lib.trentu.ca/core/books/cambridge-dict...

Entry in an Online Reference Book with No Publication Date

Many online reference works are continuously updated and thus do not have a publication date. In this case, use n.d. to indicate that there is no publication date, but also include the date on which you retrieved the information in your reference.

(American Psychological Association, n.d.)

Institutional or Group Author. (n.d.). Title of entry. In Title of reference work . Retrieved Month Day, year, from URL

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Cognitive dissonance. In APA dictionary of psychology . Retrieved July 8, 2020, from  https://dictionary.apa.org/cognitive-dissonance

Entry in a Print Reference Book (Dictionary or Encyclopedia)

(Merriam-Webster Incorporated., 2008).

Institution or Group Author. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial and Last Name (Ed.), Title of reference work (edition and pp. #-#). Publisher.

Merriam Webster Incorporated. (2008). Cognitive dissonance. In Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary (11th ed., p. 240). Merriam-Webster Incorporated.

• Plagiarism and grammar
• Citation guides

Cite a Book

Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper

Citing books in apa, print books with one author:.

APA citation format:

Author Last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year Published). Title of work . Publisher.

Moriarty, L. (2014). Big little lies . G. P. Putnam’s Sons.

Print books with two or more authors:

Last name, First initial. Middle initial., Last name, First initial. Middle initial., & Last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Date). Title . Publisher.

Goldin, C. D., & Katz, L. F. (2008). The race between education and technology . Belknap Press of Harvard University Press.

Matthews, G., Smith, Y., & Knowles, G. (2009). Disaster management in archives, libraries and museums . Ashgate.

Full versions of E-books:

E-books are generally read either on a website, on an e-reader, or on a database.

Author Last Name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year Published). Title of work . https://doi.org/xxxx or http://xxxx

Auster, P. (2007). The Brooklyn follies . http://www.barnesandnoble.com/

To cite your ebooks automatically, use the “Book” form at CitationMachine.com, click “Manual entry mode,” and click the “E-book” tab. Everything will be properly formatted following APA bibliography guidelines.

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APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Article or Chapter in an Edited Book

• General Style Guidelines
• One Author or Editor
• Two Authors or Editors
• Three to Five Authors or Editors

Article or Chapter in an Edited Book

• Article in a Reference Book
• Edition other than the First
• Translation
• Government Publication
• Journal Article with 1 Author
• Journal Article with 2 Authors
• Journal Article with 3–20 Authors
• Journal Article 21 or more Authors
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Basic Web Page
• Web page from a University site
• Web Page with No Author
• Entry in a Reference Work
• Government Document
• Film and Television
• Youtube Video
• Audio Podcast
• Electronic Image
• Twitter/Instagram
• Lecture/PPT
• Conferences
• Secondary Sources
• Citation Support
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Formatting Your Paper

About Citing Books

For each type of source in this guide, both the general form and an example will be provided.

The following format will be used:

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase) - entry that appears in the body of your paper when you express the ideas of a researcher or author using your own words.  For more tips on paraphrasing check out The OWL at Purdue .

In-Text Citation (Quotation) - entry that appears in the body of your paper after a direct quote.

References - entry that appears at the end of your paper.

Information on citing and several of the examples were drawn from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).

Numbers in parentheses refer to specific pages in the manual.

Subject Guide

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Reference List: Books

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Note:  This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style  can be found here .

The following contains a list of the most commonly cited print book sources. E-books are described on our "Electronic Sources" page . For a complete list of how to cite print sources, please refer to the 7 th edition of the APA Publication Manual. 

Note: If available, APA 7 requires a DOI for all works that have one — whether print or digital. If a print work does not have a DOI do not include it in the reference citation.

Basic Format for Books

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle . Publisher Name. DOI (if available)

Stoneman, R. (2008). Alexander the Great: A life in legend . Yale University Press.

Edited Book, No Author

Editor, E. E. (Ed.). (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle . Publisher. DOI (if available)

Leitch, M. G., & Rushton, C. J. (Eds.). (2019).  A new companion to Malory . D. S. Brewer.

Edited Book with an Author or Authors

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (E. Editor, Ed.). Publisher. DOI (if available)

Malory, T. (2017). Le morte darthur (P. J. C. Field, Ed.). D. S. Brewer. (Original work published 1469-70)

A Translation

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (T. Translator, Trans.). Publisher. (Original work published YEAR) DOI (if available)

Plato (1989). Symposium (A. Nehamas & P. Woodruff, Trans.). Hackett Publishing Company. (Original work published ca. 385-378 BCE)

Note : When you cite a republished work, like the one above, in your text, it should appear with both dates: Plato (385-378/1989)

Edition Other Than the First

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (# edition). Publisher. DOI (if available)

Belcher, W. (2019). Writing your journal article in twelve weeks: A guide to academic publishing success (2nd ed.). University of Chicago Press.

Article or Chapter in an Edited Book

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (pp. pages of chapter). Publisher. DOI (if available)

Note : When you list the pages of the chapter or essay in parentheses after the book title, use "pp." before the numbers: (pp. 1-21). This abbreviation, however, does not appear before the page numbers in periodical references. List any edition number in the same set of parentheses as the page numbers, separated by a comma: (2nd ed., pp. 66-72).

Armstrong, D. (2019). Malory and character. In M. G. Leitch & C. J. Rushton (Eds.), A new companion to Malory  (pp. 144-163). D. S. Brewer.

Multivolume Work

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (Vol. #) . Publisher. DOI (if available)

David, A., & Simpson, J. (Eds.). (2006). The Norton anthology of English literature: The Middle Ages (8 th ed.,Vol. A). W. W. Norton and Company.

Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / How to Cite an eBook in APA

How to Cite an eBook in APA

In this guide, you will go through the basic steps of citing an e-book according to the 7th edition of the official Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2020a) , Chapter 10.2. The association is not affiliated with this guide. This guide will also point out changes to e-book referencing guidelines between the 6th and 7th edition of the Publication Manual .

Guide Overview

6th edition vs. 7th edition, basic e-book citation structures, citing an authored e-book with a doi or url, citing an e-book without a doi or url, citing a republished e-book, citing a translated e-book, citing an e-book: reference overview, what you need.

Before we begin, it might be helpful to explain the key changes in e-book citation structure that happened with the publication of the APA’s 7th edition.

In the new edition, an e-book citation looks more similar to a print book citation in the ways that they are referenced. The biggest difference now is that an e-book reference includes the URL or DOI if available.

Here are the two specific changes:

• The platform, device, or format no longer needs to be included. (e.g., [Kindle version])
• The publisher name is included as it would be in a printed book citation.

Reference Page Structure:

Author Last Name, First Initial, Middle Initial. (Year Published). Title of e-book in sentence case. Publisher Name. DOI or URL

The example above is not only appropriate for e-books, but is also the basic structure used for any authored print book that has a DOI.

In-text citation structure:

• Parenthetical citation : (Author Last Name, Year Published)
• Narrative citation : Author Last Name (Year Published)

E-Book Citation Examples

Clark, M. & Phelan, J. (2020). Debating rhetorical narratology: On the synthetic, mimetic, and thematic aspects of narrative. The Ohio University Press. https://doi.org/10.26818/9780814214282

In-text citation examples:

• Parenthetical citation : (Clark & Phelan, 2020)
• Narrative citation : Clark & Phelan (2020)

If you are trying to reference an electronic book that does not have a known DOI or URL, then you may end the reference after the publisher name. This is also the case for e-books that are sourced from academic research databases.

Author Last Name, First Initial, Middle Initial. (Year Published). Title of e-book in sentence case. Publisher Name.

Cialdini, R. B. (2009). Influence: The psychology of persuasion. Harper Collins E-books.

• Parenthetical citation : (Cialdini, 2009)
• Narrative citation : Cialdini (2009)

Author Last Name, First Initial, Middle Initial. (Year Published). Title of e-book in sentence case. Publisher Name. DOI or URL (Original work Published Year)

Wells, H.G. (1992). The war of the worlds. Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/36/36-h/36-h.htm (Original work published 1898)

Notice how the in-text citations include both the original publication date and the e-book publication date, separated by a slash with no spaces.

• Parenthetical citation : (Wells, 1898/1992)
• Narrative citation : Wells (1898/1992)

If the e-book has been translated from its original version, provide the name of the translator(s) in parenthesis after the work’s title.

Author Last Name, First Initial, Middle Initial. (Year Published). Title of e-book in sentence case (First Initial Last Name of Translator, Trans.) . Publisher Name. DOI or URL

Yoshimoto, B. (2015). Kitchen (M. Backus, Trans.). Grove Atlantic. https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/kitchen-15

• Parenthetical citation : (Yoshimoto, 2015)
• Narrative citation : Yoshimoto (2015)

For more citation examples for different types of books (e.g., 2 authors, found on a database, multi-work volumes, etc.), visit the EasyBib guide on creating an APA book citation .

To create an e-book citation, you will need the following information on your source:

• First Name Initial and Last Name of the author(s)
• Year Published
• Title of the e-book
• Translator name (if applicable)
• Publisher name
• DOI or URL (if applicable)
• For republished books ONLY: Year the original work was published

American Psychological Association. (2020a). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

American Psychological Association. (2020b). Style-Grammar-Guidelines. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/basic-principles/parenthetical-versus-narrative

Published July 29, 2014. Updated March 24, 2020.

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Elise Barbeau. Michele Kirschenbaum is a school library media specialist and the in-house librarian at EasyBib.com. Elise Barbeau is the Citation Specialist at Chegg. She has worked in digital marketing, libraries, and publishing.

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Multiple Authors
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Parenthetical Citations
• Reference Page
• Sample Paper
• APA 7 Updates
• View APA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all APA Examples

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To cite an ebook in APA style, you need to have basic information including the book’s author or editor, publication year, title, publisher, and URL. The templates for in-text citation and reference list entry of an ebook along with examples are given below for one author:

In-text citation template and example:

Author Surname (Publication Year).

Freeman (2021)

Parenthetical

(Author Surname, Publication Year)

(Freeman, 2021)

Reference list entry template and example:

Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year) . Book title. Publisher. URL

Freeman, B. (2021). Infinite . Thomas & Mercer. https://www.amazon.com/Infinite-Brian-Freeman-ebook/dp/B081Z5VNJH/ref=reads_cwrtbar_5/146-1368705-3384623?pd_rd_w=3QM8k&pf_rd_p=0285128d-50e0-4388-acba-48a4a1f64720&pf_rd_r=V8G7YR82TF8VXMHVT4KX&pd_rd_r=7090822f-473a-4259-99e1-914b53cfd458&pd_rd_wg=tNYqu&pd_rd_i=B081Z5VNJH&psc=1&asin=B081Z5VNJH&revisionId=e9fb30e6&format=1&depth=1

The book title should be in sentence case and italics. It is not necessary to mention the format, platform, or device of the ebook in the reference.

To cite a book chapter with an editor and/or a translator in APA style, you need to have basic information including the authors, publication year, chapter title, editors and/or translators, book title, publisher, and page numbers. The templates for in-text citation and reference list entry of a book chapter with an editor and/or a translator along with examples are given below:

Author Surname (Original Publication Year/Republished Year)

Badiou (2003/2013)

(Author Surname, Original Publication Year/Republished Year)

(Badiou, 2003/2013)

Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Chapter title: Subtitle. (F. Translator, Trans.). In F. Editor (Ed.), Book title (pp. #–#). Publisher. (Original work published year).

Badiou, A. (2013). The writing of the generic. (B. Bosteels, Trans.). In N. Power& A. Toscano (Eds.), On Beckett (pp. 1–36). Clinamen. (Original work published 2003).

The chapter title is in sentence case. The translator’s name is set in parenthesis along with the word “Trans.” Follow initial followed by the surname for the translator. The word “In” is used before the editor’s name. Note that the style for setting the editor’s name is the initial of the first name followed by the surname. Use “(Ed.)” after the editor’s name. The book title is set in italics. Include page numbers in parenthesis after the book title with “pp.” before the page range. Include the publication year of the original work in parenthesis.

To cite sources that have authors with the same last name (surname) but different first initials, you need to follow the guidelines below.

Sources with one author

Include the first author’s first initial in all in-text citations, even if the sources have different publication years.

J. Chen (2011), T. Chen (2012), and X. Chen (2007)

Parenthetical:

(J. Chen, 2011; T. Chen, 2012; X. Chen, 2007)

Note that in parenthetical citations, in-text citations are arranged alphabetically according to the initial.

Sources with two authors

Include the first initials only for the first authors with the same surnames in all in-text citations. Even if the second authors are different people with different initials, do not include the initials of the second author.

J. Chen and Lung (2012), T. Chen and Lung (2011), and X. Chen and Lung (2007)

(J. Chen & Lung, 2012; T. Chen & Lung, 2011; X. Chen & Lung, 2007)

Note that in parenthetical citations, in-text citations are arranged according to the initials of the first author.

Sources with multiple authors

Use only the first author’s name followed by et al. If two or more sources have the same last name for the first author, differentiate them by including the first initials for the first authors.

J. Chen et al. (2012), T. Chen et al. (2011), and X. Chen et al. (2007)

(J. Chen et al., 2012; T. Chen et al., 2011; X. Chen et al., 2007)

Reference list entry example for alphabetization:

Arrange works by first authors with the same surname and different initials alphabetically by first initial(s), without considering the number of authors.

Chen, J. (2011).

Chen, J., & Lung, M. (2011).

Chen, J., Lung, M., & Xia, L. (2011).

Chen, T. (2012).

Chen, T., & Lung, N. (2012).

Chen, T., Lung, N., & Xia, P. (2012).

Chen, X. (2007).

Chen, X., & Lung, O. (2007).

Chen, X., Lung, O., & Xia, A. (2007).

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Benefits of Citing Book in APA Form for Reader

A PA format stands for the American Psychological Association form, a guideline for formatting academic documents such as research papers, essays, and theses. It is to cite social science disciplines such as psychology, sociology, and education.

APA format specifies guidelines for various elements of an academic paper, including the title page, abstract, body, and reference page. The APA form intends to provide consistency in academic writing, making it easier for readers to understand the analysis presented in a paper. It also helps authors ensure that their work meets the standards of their field. 

How to Use the APA Citation Format

If you’re curious about how to cite a book in APA, this is the right section. Although many college students find it hard to cite books, there are several ways to get this done. We’ll list helpful tips below.

Paraphrasing and Reference List 

When writing data, the author’s last name and year of publication are still included in brackets, without including the page number. Example: (Smith, 2019) or Smith (2019) argued that…

A reference list is a separate page at the end of the paper that lists all data cited within. It is organized alphabetically by the author’s last name, year of publishing, the title of the work, plus publication information.

Use Proper Formatting 

APA citation needs a specific form for the referencing list, including double spacing, hanging indentation, and italicizing book and journal titles. When citing electronic sources, the author’s name, publication year, or title must be there, followed by a URL.

Outsource Your APA Style Papers 

Some find it hard to cite books in APA, especially if they are new or are unfamiliar with the guidelines. Suppose you’re a student like this who wants to get your paper written in APA format , or you need just a quality essay. In that case, you can always outsource it to academic platforms where you have an opportunity to hire a writer to help you get this done in record time. 

On these platforms, students choose writers who have years of experience. They have skills in all types of citations, like APA, so you’ll get proper value for the service. 

Use In-text Citations and Direct Quotes 

When listing ideas from a source within the text, the author’s last name and the year of publication are in brackets. For example, (Smith, 2019).

Direct quotes must be enclosed in quotation marks. Also, include the page number where quotes are found. For example, “This is a direct quote” (Smith, 2019, p. 10).

The Benefits of Citing Your Books With APA 

The APA form is essential to academic research and publication, as it promotes consistency, accuracy, and professionalism. Here are some of the benefits of using this citation for your books.

• Clear and Consistent: It provides clear guidelines for citing data that promote reference consistency.
• Avoid Plagiarism: It helps writers to avoid plagiarism by referencing their data accurately.
• Easy to Follow: It provides specific guidelines for in-text citations, reference lists, and other formatting requirements that are easy to follow.
• Widely Accepted: It is accepted across disciplines, including social sciences, education, nursing, psychology, and other fields.
• Boost Reliability: By citing sources according to APA guidelines, writers prove their professionalism by showing that they have conducted thorough probing and are well-versed in the relevant literature.
• Allows Replication: It allows other researchers to replicate the study by providing clear guidelines on how to cite the data.
• Provides a Standard Form: It provides a standard form for referencing data, which makes it easy for readers to locate the data cited in a particular work.

Why APA Citation is Used in Books Across Several Disciplines 

Writing has different citation forms, but the APA form is widely accepted because it cuts across various disciplines. Here are reasons why it is so popular in the academic sector.

Standardization

APA form provides a standard way of referencing data recognized by many disciplines. Using a common format helps ensure everyone is on the same page regarding referencing data.

Clarity and Accuracy

APA form aims to promote clarity in reference data. This is important in all aspects, ensuring readers can verify the data cited in a given work. It certifies that they can easily understand the information presented. This clearness ensures correctness since the readers know exactly what they’re reading.

Range 

One can use the APA form for different data varieties, which include books, journals, articles, and websites. APA has a range wide enough to cut across several disciplines for any type of research. One of the reasons why the APA form is so broad is that it provides specific guidelines for referencing different types of data. For example, when referencing a college book , the author’s name, publication date, book title, and publisher information when referencing a college book.

Historical Use

APA form has been used for over 80 years, making it a well-established citation form. Due to how long it has existed in academic publishing, APA is now a standard in the educational sector. The APA created the guidelines to address the need for consistency and standardization.

The first APA Publication Manual aired in 1952, with the latest being the 7th, published in 2019. Over the years, the APA form has improved to show changes in academic publishing.

Flexibility 

While APA form has specific guidelines for referencing data, it also allows variation. This means researchers can adapt it to suit the requirements of their discipline.

Conclusion 

There are many benefits to citing books in APA form for readers. The use of APA promotes accuracy across disciplines. By referencing data in APA form, readers verify the data cited in a given work, ensuring that the data is correct. This is important in a study where accuracy is crucial.

APA helps to boost clarity in analysis, making it easier for others to build upon previous work. The APA form’s uniformity also helps ensure everyone is on the same page regarding citing data. It is crucial that everyone learns how this works to ensure smooth reading.

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