APA Style - How to Document Information

This guide is based on the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed. For more details and examples, consult the APA publication manual (REF BF76.7 P83 2010).

Reference List | Parenthetical Citations

Citing Library Database Articles in a Reference List

Articles found in library databases are referenced in the same way as print articles. If the article is easily located, you do not need to include database information or a URL. Database information may be included if the article is difficult to find, but is not mandatory.

Basic Format
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Date). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume number(Issue number), page range.

Note: The title of the periodical and the volume number are italicized.

Example
Gielen, Anne C., Kerkhofs, M., & Van Ours, J. (2010). How performance related pay affects productivity and employment. Journal of Population Economics, 23(1), 291-301.

Notes

Date for journals may include month and year or just the year
Date for magazine and newspaper articles may include day, month and year
If pagination is continuous throughout the volume of a journal, issue number may be omitted from citation

Journal Article - journal with non-continuous pagination within each volume
Buell, C. (2001, August). Enhancing content literacy in physical education. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance, 72(6), 32-37.

Journal Article - journal with continuous pagination within each volume (no issue cited)
Bodnar, J. (2001). Saving Private Ryan and Postwar Memory in America. American Historical Review, 106, 805-817.

Magazine Article - publication date includes month, day and year
Novak, M. (2001, September 3). The Stem-Cell Slide. National Review, 53(17), 17-18.

Newspaper Article- publication date includes month, day, and year, no volume or issue number
Pincus, W. (2001, August 25). Panel asked to defer anti-leak bill hearing. The Washington Post, p. A4.

Citing Library Database Articles in Text

Your citation enables your reader to identify the source of information in the Reference List at the end of your paper. Use this method of citation, and insert the author and date into the text at appropriate points. Reference citations in the text of your paper direct your reader to the full entry in the Reference List.

Citation includes author's name or first one or two words of web page title, year of publication, then page numbers if available.
If your source lacks an author, cite the first one or two words of the title.
If source has 3-5 authors, include all authors' names in the citation. In subsequent citations, cite the first author followed by "et al."
Page numbers: Articles retrieved from library databases may be html files, html files with embedded page numbers or PDF files. Only include page numbers in your citation for articles available as PDF files or html files with embedded page numbers. Do not use page numbers generated by a print-out of the article.

Basic Formats
(Author's Last Name, Year of publication)
(Author's Last Name, Year of publication, Page number)
(Year, page range)
(Page number)

Work by One Author
In a recent study of reaction times, Rogers (1994) described the method...

Work by One Author, specific page cited
This is the definition of the eyewitness (Bekerian, 1993, p. 575)

Work by Two Authors
(Walker & Allen, 2004)

Work by Three to Five Authors (first reference in text - all authors included)
"The most effective way of teaching Spanish…is not by rote" (Valdés, Lozano, García-Moya, 1982).

Work by Three to Five Authors (subsequent references in text - one author et al.)
...others have made this point well (Valdés et al., 1981).

Work by Six of More Authors
...a recent study confirms this (Jones et al., 1988).

Work with No Author (Newspaper article)
("New Drug," 1993, p. C3).

References
American Psychological Association (2009). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed). Washington, DC: Author.

For more information and examples, please consult the APA manual, available in Ely Library’s reference collection (REF BF76.7 P83 2010).

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Last updated January 19, 2010