The American Psychological Association (APA) citation style is widely used in social sciences, education, and business. When citing a book in APA style, it is essential to include the author's last name, first initial, publication year, book title, and publication information. The basic format for citing a book is as follows: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher.
APA Citation Book Format
The APA citation book format requires attention to detail to ensure accuracy. For a book with a single author, the citation includes the author’s last name, first initial, publication year, book title in title case and italicized, and the publisher’s name. For example: Smith, J. (2020). The psychology of learning. Routledge.
Multiple Authors
When a book has multiple authors, the APA style requires listing all authors up to seven. If there are more than seven authors, list the first six authors, followed by an ellipsis, and then the last author’s name. For instance, a book with three authors would be cited as: Johnson, K., Williams, P., & Thompson, R. (2019). Social sciences research methods. Sage Publications.
| Author(s) | Example Citation |
|---|---|
| One author | Smith, J. (2020). The psychology of learning. Routledge. |
| Two authors | Johnson, K., & Williams, P. (2019). Social sciences research methods. Sage Publications. |
| Three to seven authors | Johnson, K., Williams, P., Thompson, R., Brown, T., Davis, E., & Lee, S. (2019). Social sciences research methods. Sage Publications. |
| More than seven authors | Johnson, K., Williams, P., Thompson, R., Brown, T., Davis, E., Lee, S., ... & Hall, J. (2019). Social sciences research methods. Sage Publications. |
Special Cases in APA Citation
There are special cases to consider when citing books in APA style, such as editions, translations, and editors. For a book with an edition, the citation would include the edition number after the title: Smith, J. (2020). The psychology of learning (2nd ed.). Routledge. For a translated work, the translator’s name is included: Garcia, M. (2020). The art of living (A. Johnson, Trans.). Penguin Books.
Editors and Chapters
When citing a chapter in an edited book, the citation includes the chapter author’s name, chapter title, book title, editor’s name, and publication information. For example: Williams, P. (2019). Learning theories. In K. Johnson (Ed.), Social sciences research methods (pp. 15-30). Sage Publications.
- Book with a DOI: If the book has a DOI (digital object identifier), it is included at the end of the citation: Smith, J. (2020). The psychology of learning. Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780203712161
- No DOI or ISBN: If the book does not have a DOI or ISBN, this information is omitted from the citation.
What is the APA citation style used for?
+The APA citation style is primarily used in social sciences, education, and business to format citations and bibliographies. It provides a standardized way to credit sources and maintain academic integrity.
How do I cite a book with multiple authors in APA style?
+For books with up to seven authors, list all authors’ last names and first initials, separated by commas, and use an ampersand before the last author’s name. For books with more than seven authors, list the first six authors, followed by an ellipsis, and then the last author’s name.
What information is required to cite a book chapter in APA style?
+To cite a chapter in an edited book, you need the chapter author’s name, chapter title, book title, editor’s name, publication year, and page numbers of the chapter. The format is as follows: Author, A. A. (Year). Chapter title. In Editor, E. E. (Ed.), Book title (pp. xx-xx). Publisher.
