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Citing Sources

Citation Examples in APA Format

Basic APA Reference Format

The basic APA format for a reference includes 4 elements: author, date, title, and source. The reference might also include a DOI or URL. In this tabbed box, there are specific examples for some of the most used types of references. See your instructor or the 7th Edition of the APA Manual for specific information on other types of resources that are not included in this reference guide.

Follow these guidelines for including DOIs or URLs:

  • If a print work has a DOI include it at the end of the reference. If it does not have a DOI, do not include a DOI or URL.
  • If an online work has a DOI include it at the end of the reference. If an online work has both a DOI and URL, only include the DOI. If an online work does not have a DOI, only include an URL if it leads the reader directly to the source. Do not use database URLs.
  • List DOIs and URLs as hyperlinks.
  • You can shorten a complex DOI

Books

Friedman, T.L. (1999). The lexus and the olive tree. Farrar.

Miller, G. A., Galanter, E., & Pribram, K. H. (1960). Plans and the structure of behavior. Henry Holt and Co. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1037/10039-000

Urry, L. A., Cain, M. L., Wasserman, S.A., Minorsky, P. V., & Reece, J. B. (2017). Campbell biology (11th ed.). Pearson.

Valetk, H. A. (2006). A federal law criminalizing cyberstalking is needed. In J. Carroll (Ed.), Privacy (pp. 214-219). Greenhaven.

Teague, M. (2009, August). Isn’t she lovely? National Geographic, 216(2), 114-125. http://www.nationalgeographic.com

Carmichael, M. (2007, June 4). The changing science of pain. Newsweek. https://www.newsweek.com/new-research-pain-treatment-101725

Yervasi, C. (2008). Ouaga Saga, magical realism, and postcolonial politics. Research in African Literatures, 39(4), 40-57. http://doi.org/d79j4n

Auerbach, J. D. (1986, June 22). Nuclear freeze at a crossroads. The Boston Globe, A19.

Keep in mind that this is for articles that appear on the websites of a Newspaper that also publishes a print newspaper counterpart. If you are looking at a website that provides news only online (such as HuffPost) or through another medium (such as NPR or CNN), please select the Websites tab and review the "Webpage on a News Website" section.

Schwartz, J. (1993, September 29). Obesity affects economic, social status. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1993/09/30/obesity-affects-economic-social-status/87aff38c-a24d-4d5f-99e5-e0d7f73ff9d9

Keep in mind that this is for a webpage that appears on a website that provides news only online (such as HuffPost) or through another medium (such as NPR or CNN). For those citations of articles from news websites that have a print news counterpart (such as the New York Times) please select the "Articles" tab andreview the "Article on a Newspaper Website" section.

Hamilton, J. (2024, June 13). This new brain-mapping device could make neurosurgery safer. NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2024/06/13/nx-s1-4985906/high-resolution-brain-mapping-device-neurosurgery-safer

United Nations. (2020, March 9). Amid COVID-19 constraints, UN women’s commission meets to push gender equality forward. https://news.un.org/en/story/2020/03/1058971

Generally, personal communications are indicated in the body of your writing and not in the reference list (because it is not a retrievable resource). However, if a professor requires that you include them in your reference list, check with that professor for the desired reference format. See the following examples for in-text citations for personal communications:

 

The interviewee explained his ideas (P.T. Samuels, personal communication, October 15, 2008). H. Matthews explained his ideas on the topic (personal communication, July 8, 2009).

Spielberg, S. (Director). (1993). Schindler's list [Film]. Universal Studios.

The Slo Mo Guys [@theslowmoguys]. (2014, January 6). Super hydrophobic surface and magnetic liquid [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i3jA40arq9Y

TEDx Talks [@TEDx]. (2012, January 13). The skill of self confidence | Dr. Ivan Joseph | TEDxRyersonU [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-HYZv6HzAs

Murimirwa, A. (2019, December). How repaying loans with social service transforms communities. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/angie_murimirwa_how_repaying_loans_with_social_service_transforms_communities?language=en&subtitle=en

When referencing generative AI tools such as ChatGPT in APA, do not include any prompt details in the reference. Instead, describe how you used the tool, including your prompt and any relevant parts of the AI's response, in the text of your paper.

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT (July 18 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat