APA Citation Style for Books

This PDF document provides examples of how to properly format book citations in a References list. (To view this document, you will need the Adobe Reader software - a free download available from http://www.adobe.com .)

In-text Parenthetical References

A standard in-text parenthetical reference for a book includes the author's (or editor's) last name, date of publication, and the page number. The period goes after the reference. For example,

"While senior citizens comprise about 36 percent of the U.S. adult population, it's estimated that they represent 56 percent of consumer fraud victims" (Bertrand, 1999, p. 21 ).

If you use a signal phrase that includes the author's (or editor's) name, you need two in-text parenthetical references. The date of publication goes directly after the author's name and the page number goes at the end. For example,

According to Marsha Bertrand (1999), "While senior citizens comprise about 36 percent of the U.S. adult population, it's estimated that they represent 56 percent of consumer fraud victims" (p. 21).

For a book with	you will use	Your in-text parenthetical reference would look like this:
two authors/editors	both last names.	(Gilbert & Jacobs, 1995, p. 21)
three authors/editors	all three last names.	(McCarthy, Thompson, & Young, 1999, p. 131)
more than three authors/editors	the last name of the first author/editor followed by "et al."	(Wright et al., 2000, p. 332)
a corporate author	the name of the corporation, association, or committee (minus any initial articles - A, An, The)	(American Medical Association, 2002, p. 251)
no author	the title of the book (if brief) or the first word/few words of the title in italics.	(Double Vision, 1982, p. 118) (Report, 1997, p. 72)

Formatting Long Quotes APA Style

If a quote you are using in your paper is 40 or more words long, you need to insert it as a block quote. On a new line, indent one-half inch from the left margin (one tab). Double space the quote and do not include quotation marks. Place the in-text parenthetical reference at the end of the last line of the quotation. Insert the period before the reference. Below is an excerpt from a research paper that includes a block quote.

On the phone, at the door, and through the mail, senior citizens are often the targets of con artists and scams.

The experience of being defrauded is devastating for a senior citizen. Senior citizens don't have the time or ability to work to replace lost funds. Many times, because of these frauds, their standard of living is severely affected. They may lose their home or be forced to sell it. Their families are also affected when they're called on to support a once self-supporting family member. (Bertrand, 1999, p. 21)

Senior citizens do not have to become victims of fraud. By taking a few precautions and not letting greed overcome common sense, they can be safe.

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