Quick Reference

Introduction to APA Style

This quick reference guide contains guidelines for the most common citations needed in APA style. If your source does not match any of these, please consult the Purdue OWL APA guide or any of the resources listed at the end of this guide for more information.

In APA style, use parenthetical (in-text) citations to refer to the works of others. These in-text citations direct your reader to the full citation in the Works Cited page at the end of the paper.

Journal Articles

Author, A. A., & Author B. B. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume number, (issue number), page range. doi:xx.xxxx or URL

Example

Wooldridge, M. B., & Shapka, J. (2012). Playing with technology: Mother-toddler interaction scores lower during play with electronic toys. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 33(5), 211-218. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2012.05.005

Books

Author, A. A., & Author B. B. (Year). Title of Book. Publisher. doi:xx.xxxx or URL

Example

Jackson, L. M. (2019). The psychology of prejudice: From attitudes to social action (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000168-000

Book Chapters

Author, A. A., & Author B. B. (Year). Title of chapter. Title of book (pp. xxx-xxx). Publisher. doi:xx.xxxx or URL

Example

Aron, L., Botella, M., & Lubart, T. (2019). Culinary arts: Talent and their development. In R. F. Subotnik, P. Olszewski-Kubilius, & F. C. Worrell (Eds.), The psychology of high performance: Developing human potential into domain-specific talent (pp. 345–359). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000120-016

Reports

Author, A. A., & Author B. B. (Year). Title of report. Publisher. (Report No. xxx) URL

Example

National Cancer Institute. (2019). Taking time: Support for people with cancer (NIH Publication No. 18-2059). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/takingtime.pdf

Theses/Dissertations

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of dissertation/thesis {Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, Name of Institution]. Name of Database. URL

Example

Kabir, J. M. (2016). Factors influencing customer satisfaction at a fast food hamburger chain: The relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty (Publication No. 10169573) [Doctoral dissertation, Wilmington University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

Webpages

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of webpage/site/post. [Format description]. Name of Website (if different from author). URL

Example

Bologna, C. (2019, October 31). Why some people with anxiety love watching horror movies. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/anxiety-love-watching-horror-movies_l_5d277587e4b02a5a5d57b59e