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Getting Started with APA Style

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What is APA Style?
American Psychological Association (APA) style is one of several styles for academic writing. This guide covers frequently used citation forms. The fifth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (BF 76.7 .P83 2001) plus the APA Style Guide to Electronic References (BF76.7 .P835 2007a) are comprehensive resources, available at UBC Okanagan, Koerner, Education, David Lam and the Life Sciences Libraries.

General Rules

  • Double-space your paper, including the reference list.
  • Format reference list entries with a hanging indent (in MS Word 2003 use Format>Paragraph>Special> Hanging; in Word 2007 use Paragraph>Special>Hanging).
  • Arrange reference list entries in alphabetical order by the surname of the first author or by title if there is no author. Use only the initial(s) of the author’s given name, not the full name, with a space between the initials.
  • If the reference list includes two or more entries by the same author(s), list them in chronological order (oldest first). If entries are by the same author with the same year, put them in alphabetical order by first letter of the title. Add a lower case letter (a, b, etc.) after the year, within the parentheses.
  • Capitalize only the first letter of the first word in the article or book title. Proper nouns are also capitalized as well as the word following a colon (subtitle).
  • Italicize journal titles, volume numbers and even the comma following the journal title. Do not italicize issue numbers (i.e., the number which appears in parentheses after the volume number).
  • References cited in the text must appear in the reference list and vice versa. The only exceptions to this rule are personal communications and secondary sources, which are cited in the text only and are not included in the reference list.references included in the body of your essay the reference list at the end of your essay

Citations in Text

  1. When using a direct quotation, include the page number of the quote.
    • Stereotypes have been defined as “generalized and usually value-laden impressions that one’s social group uses in characterizing members of another group” (Lindgren, 2001, p. 1617).
  2. When paraphrasing an idea, the citation will include author(s) and date.
    • Author’s name given in the body of your paper:
      • Lindgren (2001) reported…
    • Author’s name not given in the body of your paper:
      • A study of the comparison process (Lindgren, 2001)
  3. For electronic sources without page numbers, use the paragraph number, preceded by the paragraph symbol ¶ (in Windows press down on Alt and type 0182 on the keypad) or the abbreviation “para.”. If the paragraph number is not apparent, cite the section heading and the paragraph number following it.
    • (Myers, 2000, 5)
    • (Butler, 2000, Conclusion, para. 1)
  4. Order two or more works within the same parentheses as they would appear in the reference list.
    • Past research (Heschl, 2001, 2005; Noonan & Johnson, 2002a, 2002b; Wolchuk et al., 2000) has shown…

Journal Articles
Journal article:
Electronic full text with Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

(Example on p. 7 #1 from the Supplement - Guide to Electronic References)

Rutherford, B. J. (2006). Reading disability and hemispheric interaction on a lexical decision task. Brain and Cognition, 60(1), 55-63. doi:10.1016/j.bandc.2005 .09.013

Direct quotation in text: (Rutherford, 2006, p. 56)

  • Because the DOI can be long, copy and paste whenever possible.
Journal article:
Electronic full text with DOI: 3-6 authors

(p. 7 #1 from the Suppl.)

Rush, K. L., Waldrop, S., Mitchell, C., & Dyches, C. (2005). The RN-BSN distance education experience: From educational limbo to more than an elusive degree. Journal of Professional Nursing, 21(5), 283-292. doi:10.1016/j.profnurs.2005 .07.007

Direct quotation in text (from a passage that spans two pages): First citation: (Rush,
Waldrop, Mitchell, & Dyches, 2005, pp. 283-284) Subsequent: (Rush et al., 2005, p. 283)

  • Always include the journal issue number (if available) along with the volume number.
Journal article:
Electronic full text with no DOI:
Available only with a subscription to the journal – give URL of the journal home page

(p. 7 #2 from the Suppl.)

Mathieson, C. M., Bailey, N., & Gurevich, M. (2002). Health care services for lesbian and bisexual women: Some Canadian data. Health Care for Women International, 23(2), 185-196. Retrieved from http://www.tandf.co.uk /journals/titles/07399332.asp

Citation in text: (Mathieson, Bailey, & Gurevich, 2002)

  • Hint: Google the journal title to locate URL
Journal article:
Electronic full text with no DOI:
Available without a subscription (open access) – give exact URL for the article:
No pagination

(p. 7 #2 from the Suppl.)

Gabora, L. (2007). Self-other organization: Why early life did not evolve through natural
selection. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 241(3), 443-450. Retrieved from
http://cogprints.org/5583/01/soo.htm

Direct quotation in text: (Gabora, 2007, ¶ 5) or (Gabora, 2007, Introduction, para. 5)

  • Note that the URL is not underlined
Journal article:
Electronic full text with no DOI: Only available from a database: More than 6 authors

Bottorff, J. L., McCullum, M., Balneaves, L. G., Esplen, M. J., Carroll, J., Kelly, M., et al. (2005).
Establishing roles in genetic nursing: Interviews with Canadian nurses. The
Canadian Journal of Nursing Research
, 37(4), 96-115. Retrieved from IngentaConnect
database.

Citation in text: (Bottorff et al., 2005)

  • “With the exception of …documents of limited circulation delivered by electronic
    databases … the database name is no longer a necessary element of the reference”
    (p. 3 from the Suppl.)
Journal article:
Paper copy:
Discussed in a secondary source

(p. 247 #22)
Kolb, B., & Cioe, J. (1998). Absence of recovery or dendritic reorganization after neonatal
posterior parietal lesions. Psychobiology, 26(2), 134-142.
Citation in text: Diamattia and Kesner’s study (as cited in Kolb & Cioe, 1998)…
Magazine article:
Paper copy

(p. 241 #6)

Henry, W. A., & Mehta, N. S. (1990, April 9). Beyond the melting pot. Time, 135, 28-31.

Citation in text: (Henry & Mehta, 1990)

Advertisement
(p. 241 #6, pp. 226-227, & p. 95)

Canon: The new Elura series camcorders [Advertisement]. (2004, May/June). Canadian
Geographic
, 124(3), 79.

Citation in text: (Canon: The new Elura, 2004)

Newspaper article:
Electronic full text:
Retrieved from a database:
No author

(p. 279 #88)

Scientists say music manipulates shoppers. (2000, September 14). The Ottawa Citizen, p. A20.
Retrieved from Canadian Newsstand database.

Citations in text: (“Scientists Say,” 2000)

Books & Book Sections
Book: 1-2 authors
(p. 248)

Mitchell, J. J. (2001). The mental and emotional life of teenagers. Calgary, AB: Detselig
Enterprises.

Citation in text: (Mitchell, 2001)

Book: 3-6 authors
(p. 248)

Murphy, M. A., Lai, D., & Sookraj, D. (1997). Evaluation of the neighborhood (congregate)
meal program: Final report
. Kelowna, BC: Kelowna Home Support Society.

Citations in text:
First Citation:
(Murphy, Lai, & Sookraj, 1997)
Subsequent: (Murphy et al., 1997)

Book: Group author:
Author as publisher: 5th edition

(p. 248 #24 & p. 210)

American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological
Association
(5th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Citations in text:
First citation: (American Psychological Association [APA], 2001)
Subsequent: (APA, 2001)

Edited book
(p. 249 #25)

Hare, R. D., & Schalling, D. (Eds.). (1978). Psychopathic behaviour: Approaches to research.
Chichester, NY: Wiley.

Citation in text: (Hare & Schalling, 1978)

Chapter in an edited book
(p. 252 #34)
Note: Error in #34 in APA Manual.
No comma before ampersand
with two authors in standard order.

Gabora, L. (2001). The beer can theory of creativity. In P. Bentley & D. Corne (Eds.),
Creative evolutionary systems (pp. 147-161). San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann.

Citation in text: (Gabora, 2001)

Chapter in an edited book:
Reprinted from another source

(p. 255 #40)

Piaget, J. (1988). Extracts from Piaget’s theory. In K. Richardson & S. Sheldon (Eds.),
Cognitive development to adolescence: A reader (pp. 3-18). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
(Reprinted from Manual of child psychology, pp. 703-732, by P. H. Mussen, Ed.,
1970, New York: Wiley)

Citation in text: (Piaget, 1970/1988)

Encyclopedia article
(p. 254 #38)

Lindgren, H. C. (2001). Stereotyping. In The Corsini encyclopedia of psychology and behavioral
science
(Vol. 4, pp. 1617-1618). New York: Wiley.

Citation in text: (Lindgren, 2001)

Book with no author or editor
(p. 249 #26)

Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary (10th ed.). (1993). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.

Citation in text: (Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 1993)

Published conference proceedings
(p. 259 #49)

Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1991). A motivational approach to self: Integration in personality. In R. Dienstbier (Ed.), Nebraska Symposium on Motivation: Vol. 38. Perspectives on motivation (pp. 237-288). Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press.

Citation in text: (Deci & Ryan, 1991)

Multi-volume work
(p. 250 #28)
Koch, S. (Ed.). (1959-1963). Psychology: A study of science (Vols. 1-6). New York: McGraw-Hill.
Citation in text: (Koch, 1959-1963)
Entry in an online dictionary:
No author: Retrieved from a subscription database:
Content could be updated, so include date of retrieval

(p. 15 #23 from the Suppl.)

Globalization. (2005). In J. Scott & G. Marshall (Eds.), A dictionary of sociology. Available May 14, 2006, from http://www.oxfordreference.com

Citation in text: (Globalization, 2005)

  • Use “available” rather than “retrieved” when the URL leads to a search page rather than
    to the material itself (p. 10 #6 from the Suppl.).
Electronic book:
Retrieved from a database

(p. 10 #7 from the Suppl.)

Dasgupta, P. (2000). Social capital: A multifaceted perspective. Retrieved from NetLibrary
database.

Citation in text: (Dasgupta, 2000)

Annual report:
Paper copy

(p. 256 #41)

British Columbia Ministry of Health (1999). Provincial Health Officer’s Annual Report.
Victoria, BC: Author.

Citation in text: (British Columbia Ministry of Health, 1999)

Annual report:
Retrieved from the internet:
Content not likely to change, so no need to include retrieval date

(p. 18 #30 from the Suppl.)

WestJet Airlines. (2005). 2005 WestJet annual report. Calgary, AB: Author. Retrieved from
http://www.westjet.com/pdffile/WestJet2005AR.pdf

Citation in text: (WestJet Airlines, 2005)

Book review:
Retrieved from a journal:
Paper copy

(p. 14 #19 from the Suppl.)

Church, S. (2006). A relevant overview of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders
[Review of the book Postpartum mood and anxiety disorders: A clinician’s guide].
British Journal of Midwifery, 14(4), 232.

Citation in text: (Church, 2006)

Test review:
Retrieved from
a database

(p. 14 #19 from the Suppl.)

O’Grady, K. E. (1986). [Review of the test Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction].
In The tenth edition of the mental measurements yearbook. Retrieved from Mental
Measurements Yearbook database.

Citation in text: (O’Grady, 1986)

ERIC document :
Electronic full text :
Give exact URL for the document

(p. 20 #36 from the Suppl.)

Peterson, L. (1999). Transforming the daily life of the classroom: The District Six laptop project
(ERIC Document Reproduction Services No. ED437028). Retrieved from ERIC:
http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICDocs/data/ericdocs2sql/content_ storage_01/
0000019b/80/15/ff/f2.pdf

Citation in text: (Peterson, 1999)

Dissertation:
Retrieved from a database

(p. 10 #8 from the Suppl.)
Note: Example from the Suppl. does
not include the word database.
Aguiar, L. (2001). The ‘dirt’ on the contract cleaning industry in Toronto: Cleanliness and work
reorganization. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. (AAT NQ67931)
Citation in text: (Aguiar, 2001)
Brochure:
Corporate author

(p. 251 #33)
University of British Columbia Okanagan. (2006). Faculty of health and social development
[Brochure]. Kelowna, BC: Author.
Citation in text: (University of British Columbia Okanagan, 2006)
Web Documents
Web article:
No author: No date:
Content could change, so include retrieval date

(p. 23 #46 from the Suppl.)
The intelligence of dogs. (n.d.). Retrieved October 17, 2006, from
http://www .petrix.com/dogint/
Citation in text: (The Intelligence of Dogs, n.d.)
Web report:
Author different from the provider (p. 275):
Content not likely to change, so no need to include retrieval date

(p. 20 #36 from the Suppl.)
Shields, M., & Wilkins, K. (2006). Findings from the 2005 National Survey of the Work and Health
of Nurses (Report No. 83-003-XPE). Retrieved from Canadian Institute for Health
Information: http://secure.cihi.ca/cihiweb/products /NHSRep06_ENG.pdf
Citation in text: (Shields & Wilkins, 2006)
Web report:
Author same as provider:
Content not likely to change

(p. 23 #46 from the Suppl.)
Statistics Canada. (2005). Access to health care services in Canada (Report No. 82-575-XIE).
Retrieved from
http://www.statcan.ca/english/freepub/82-575-XIE /82-575-XIE2006002.htm
Citation in text: (Statistics Canada, 2005)
Blog posting
(p. 24 #49 from the Suppl.)
Kiume, S. (2007, August 17). Loneliness isn’t good. Message posted to
http://www .psychcentral.com/blog/
Citation in text: (Kiume, 2007)
Legal Documents
Legislation:
Revised Statutes of Canada:
Retrieved from the internet

(p. 404 #11)
Criminal Code, R.S.C. c. C-46 (1985). Retrieved October 20, 2006, from http://laws .justice.
gc.ca/en/C-46/index.html
Citation in text: (Criminal Code, 1985)
Legislation:
Revised Statutes of British Columbia:
Retrieved from a database

(p. 404 #10)
University Act, R.S.B.C. c. 468 (1996). Retrieved October 23, 2006, from QP LegalEze database.
Citation in text: (University Act, 1996)
Case law:
Supreme Court of Canada Reports:
Retrieved from the internet

(pp. 399-400 #1)
R. v. Latimer, 1 S.C.R. 3 (2001). Retrieved October 23, 2006, from
http://scc.lexum .umontreal.ca/en/2001/2001scc1/2001scc1.html
Citation in text: (R. v. Latimer, 2001)
Video clip:
Retrieved from the internet

(p. 23 #46 from the Suppl.)
Norton, R. (2006, November 4). How to train a cat to operate a light switch [Video file].
Video posted to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vja83KLQXZs
Citation in text: (Norton, 2006)
Audio clip (podcast):
Retrieved from the internet

(p. 22 #44 from the Suppl.)
Green, C. D. (Producer). (2006, October 9-15). Thomas Blass on Stanley Milgram’s shocking
studies of obedience. This Week in the History of Psychology. Podcast retrieved from
http://www.yorku.ca/christo/podcasts/
Citation in text: (Green, 2006)
Motion picture
(p. 266 #65)
Davidson, F. (Producer), & Davidson, J. (Director). (1999). B. F. Skinner: A fresh appraisal
[Motion picture]. United States: Davidson Films.
Citation in text: (Davidson, 1999)
Single episode from a television series
(p. 267 #68)
MacIntyre, L. (Reporter). (2006). Money, truth and spin [Television series episode].
In H. Cashore (Producer), The fifth estate. Toronto, ON: Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation.
Citation in text: (MacIntyre, 2006)
Notes, Handouts & Your Essays From Last Year
Personal communication
(p. 214)
Includes letters, phone calls, email messages, and interviews. Because they include
“unrecoverable data,” they are NOT included in the reference list.
Citation in text: M. Burton (personal communication, August 1, 2006)…
Class notes
(p. 214)
Cite information from your own personal notes from a lecture as a personal communication
and refer to it only in the body of your essay.
Citation in text: In a lecture on November 16, 2002, to a PSYC 235 class, Professor Smith
said…
Class handout: Has title
(p. 258 #46)
Woodworth, M. (2006). Psychopaths [Class handout]. Kelowna, BC: University of British
Columbia Okanagan, PSYC 355.
Citation in text: (Woodworth, 2006)
Lecture notes posted to WebCT
(p. 13 #15 from Suppl.)
Cioe, J. (2006). The normal distribution [Course notes]. Retrieved from e-Learning @ UBC Web
site: http://www.ecourses.ubc.ca
Citation in text: (Cioe, 2006)
PowerPoint presentation posted to WebCT
(p. 14 #18 from Suppl.)
Cioe, J. (2006). Biological foundations of sexuality [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from
e-Learning @ UBC Web site: http://www.ecourses.ubc.ca
Citation in text: (Cioe, 2006)
Custom Course Materials:
Reprint from another source

(p. 255 #40)
Redfield, R. (2007). The folk society. In N. Netting (Ed.), Custom course materials SOCI 355
(pp. 56-71). Kelowna, BC: University of British Columbia Okanagan, Bookstore.
(Reprinted from American Journal of Sociology, 52(4), 293-308, 1947).
Citation in text: (Redfield, 1947/2007)
Essay: Self-citation
(p. 262 #56)
Janke, R. (1997). Librarians are novel lovers: An exploration of our risqué professional
stereotypes. Unpublished graduate essay, University of British Columbia, Vancouver.
Citation in text: (Janke, 1997)

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