APA DOCUMENTATION STYLE

INTRODUCTION
 APA style is a set of guidelines for clear and precise scholarly communication that helps authors, both new
and experienced, achieve excellence in writing.
 APA Style provides a foundation for effective scholarly communication because it helps authors present their
ideas in a clear, concise, and organized manner.
 Uniformity and consistency enable readers to (a) focus on the ideas being presented rather than formatting
and (b) scan works quickly for key points, findings and sources
 Style guidelines encourage authors to fully disclose essential information and allow readers to dispense with
minor distractions, such as inconsistencies or omissions in punctuation, capitalization, reference citations,
and presentation of statistics.
 When style works best, ideas flow logically, sources are credited appropriately, and papers are organized
predictably and consistently
PAPER ELEMENTS AND FORMAT
Consistency in the order, structure, and format of paper elements allow readers to focus on
a paper’s content rather than its presentation.

Paper elements include:

(a) title page, (b) title, (c) author name, (d) author affiliation, (e) author note, (f) running head, (g)
abstract, (h) key words, (i) text (body), (k) reference list, (l) footnotes, (m) appendices, (n)
supplemental materials
Format:
The physical appearance of a paper can enhance the paper’s quality. A well-prepared paper
encourages editors and reviewers to view authors’ work as professional.
Mechanical flaws can lead reviewers or instructors to misinterpret content or question the authors’
expertise or attention to detail, and students may receive a lower grade because of formatting errors.
ORGANIZATION

 In scholarly writing, sound organizational

structure is the key to clear, precise and
logical communication.
 Before beginning to write, consider the
best paper length and structure for your
findings. Ordering your thoughts logically
at both sentence and paragraph levels
will also strengthen the impact of your
writing.
 There are five possible levels of heading
in APA Style, and all topics of equal
importance should have the same level
of heading.
TABLES AND FIGURES
FORMATTING

 Tables may be single, one and a half, or doubled-

spaced, depending on what is best for readability
 Include a table title, table headings, the table
body, and a table note (general, specific,
probability)
 Limit the use of borders or lines to only those
needed for clarity.
 Using tables from another copyrighted source in a
work that will be made public (e.g., blog post,
thesis, or dissertation) requires copyright
permission; note the granted permission in the
table note and include the source in the
references.
TABLE COMPONENTS

The basic components of a prototypical table are shown in table 7.1 (slide 5) and are summarized as follows.
 Number: The table number (e.g., Table 1) appears above the table in bold font

 Title: The table title appears one double-spaced line below the table number in italic title case

 Headings: Tables may include a variety of headings depending on the nature and arrangement of the data. All
tables should include column headings, including a stub heading (heading for the leftmost column). Some
tables also include column spanners, decked heads, and table spanners.
 Body: The table body includes all the rows and columns of a table. A cell is the point of intersection between a
row and a column. The body may be single-spaced, one-and-a-half-spaced, or double-spaced.
 Notes: Three types of notes (general, specific, and probability) appear below the table as needed to describe
contents of the table that cannot be understood from the table title or body alone (e.g. definitions of
abbreviations, copyright attribution). Not all tables include table notes.
THE ELEMENTS OF AN APA REFERENCE ENTRY
THE ELEMENTS OF AN APA REFERENCE ENTRY
THE ELEMENTS OF AN APA REFERENCE ENTRY
If the article has a DOI
(Digital Object Identifier),
the citation does not
require a URL. This article
lists the DOI beneath the
volume and issue
numbers. For journals
paginated by issue,
include the issue number
in parentheses after the
volume number. For an
article with more than
seven authors, list the
first six, followed by an
ellipsis mark (three
spaced periods) and the
last author’s name.
THE ELEMENTS OF AN APA
REFERENCE ENTRY

The above citation derives from the APA model for an online
report. You may need to search on a site to find author, date, and
other information. List an individual author’s last name first. If no
date is given, include n.d. Supplemental information about format
may follow the title. Here, the author is also the Website sponsor
(Feed the Future). When the author is not the sponsor, name the
sponsor after “Retrieved from”. Include the home page URL for
magazine, newspaper, and journal articles (lacking a DOI). Give the
full URL for other sources.
APA STYLE: IN-TEXT CITATIONS

1. Author named in sentence: Follow the author’s name with the year of publication (in parentheses)
signal phrase

Gifford (2016), writing for Scientific American online, cited an anonymous survey revealing that 29% of polled athletes
confessed to resorting to performance-enhancing drugs.
2. Author named in parentheses: If you do not name the source’s author in your sentence, then you must include the name in
the parentheses, followed by the date and, if you are giving a quotation or a specific piece of information, the page
number. Separate the name, date, and page number with commas.
Cheaters were sometimes flogged or were excluded from the games. They also paid fines that were used to erect Zanes, or
honorific statues in the likeness of Zeus (Cartwright).
3. Two to five authors: If a source has five or fewer authors, name all of them the first time you cite the source.
In a 2007 study of adult voting and volunteering, Hart, Donnelly, Youniss, and Atkins (2007) found that “those who participated
frequently in community service in high school were more likely to volunteer than were those whose community service was
nonexistent or infrequent” (p. 210).
APA STYLE: IN-TEXT CITATIONS

3. Two to five authors: If you put the names of the authors in parentheses, use an ampersand (&) instead of and.

After all, most educators would agree that “a democratic system of governments need – and the United States relies on colleges
to produce – ethical and engaged citizens” (Boyd & Brackmann, 2012, p.39).

Ampersand used within parentheses

After the first time you cite a work by three or more authors, use the first author’s name plus et al.: (Hart et al., 2007).
Always use both names when citing a work by two authors.

4. Six or more authors: For in-text citations of a work by six or more authors, always provide the first author’s name
plus et al. In the reference list, however, list up to seven author names. For more than seven authors, list the first six
authors’ names, followed by an ellipsis mark (three spaced periods) and the last author’s name.

In a retrospective study, Cevik et al. (2013) evaluated the various characteristics of lung and liver hydatid disease in children.
APA STYLE: IN-TEXT CITATIONS
5. Organization as author: Treat the organization as the author, and spell out its name the first time the source is cited. If
the organization is well-known, you may use an abbreviation thereafter.
However, there are other ways of cheating, such as doping – broadly defined by the World Anti-doping Agenda (WADA) as “the
occurrence of one or more of the anti-doping rule violations,” which include the use, attempted use, or “presence of a Prohibited
Substance … in an Athlete’s Sample” (2015, p.18).
Anxiety disorders affect nearly twice as many women as men (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2013).
In subsequent citations, only the abbreviation and the date need to be given: (NIMH, 2013).
6. Unknown author: Give the first one or two important words of the title. Use quotation marks for titles of articles,
chapters, or Web pages, and italics for titles of books, periodicals, or reports.
The transformation of women’s lives has been hailed as “the single most important change of the past 1,000 years” (“Reflections,”
1999, p. 77)
7. Two or more authors with the same last name: If the authors of two or more sources have the same last name, always
include their first initial, even if the year of publication differs.
M. Smith (2008) showed how Mexican migrants with dual citizenship display active civic engagement in U.S. and Mexican
politics.
APA STYLE: IN-TEXT CITATIONS
8. Two or more works by the same author in the same year: Alphabetize the works by their titles in your reference
list, and assign a letter in alphabetical order (for example, 2017a, 2017b). Use that same year-letter designation in
your in-text citation.
J. P. Agarwal (1996b) described the relationship between trade and foreign direct investment (FDI)
9. Two or more sources cited at one time: Cite the authors in the order in which they appear in the list of
references, separated by a semicolon.
Today’s students report that school, family, and peer groups are among the major motivations to volunteer (Boyd & Brackmann,
2012; Law, Shek, & Ma, 2013).
10. E-mails, letters, and conversations To cite information received from unpublished forms of personal com-
munication—such as conversations, letters, notes, and e-mail messages—give the source’s first initial or initials and
last name, and provide as precise a date as possible. Because readers do not have access to them, do not include
personal communications in your reference list.
According to scholar T. Williams (personal communication, June 10, 2010), many students volunteer because they believe in
giving back to the community they grew up in.
11. Specific part of a source Include the chapter (Chapter), page (p.), figure, or table number.
Although social media have had a positive impact on the messaging capabilities of nonprofits, 62% of Americans reported they
are very likely to support causes they learn about through inperson communication channels (Kapin & Ward, 2013, Chapter 1).
 APA STYLE: IN-TEXT CITATIONS
12. Indirect (secondary) source When referring to a source that you know only from reading another source, use the
phrase as cited in followed by the author of the source you actually read and its year of publication.
Marcy L. Reed, president of National Grid, a Massachusetts gas and electric utility, says, “I have to be sure the people we hire
today are fit for tomorrow” (as cited in Supiano, 2013).

The work by Supiano would be included in the reference list, but the work by Marcy L. Reed would not.
13. Electronic source Cite the author’s last name or the name of the site’s sponsor (if an author’s name is not avail-
able) and the publication date. If the document is a PDF (portable document format) file with stable page numbers,
cite the page number. If the source has paragraph numbers instead of page numbers, use para. instead of p.
Back in 773 b.c., athletes stood in front of the bronze icon “Zeus the Oath Giver” and “swore an oath to the god of thunder
vowing they would follow the regulations of the Olympics and play fair” (Phippen, 2016, para. 1)

Note: If the specific part lacks page or paragraph numbering, cite the heading and the number of the paragraph
under that heading where the information can be found. If the heading is long, use a short version in quotation
marks. If you cannot determine the date, use the abbreviation n.d. in its place: (International Olympic Committee,
n.d.).
APA STYLE: IN-TEXT CITATIONS

14. Two or more sources in one sentence Include a parenthetical reference after each fact, idea, or quotation you
have borrowed.

In its 2012 Annual Member Survey, reported that student participation is increasing in the
Compact institutions, a fact that stands in marked contrast to the flat or even decreasing rates reported by other
sources measuring rates across all institutions (DiBlasio, 2011).

15. Sacred or classical text Cite these within your text only, and include the version you consulted as well as any
standard book, part, or section numbers.

The famous song sets forth a series of opposites, culminating in “a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of
peace” (Eccles. 3:8, King James Bible)
APA documentation style requires a list of references where readers can find complete bibliographical information about
the sources referred to in your project. The list should appear at the end of your research project, beginning on a new page
titled “References.”

Authors of Any Source

1. One author
Sagawa, S. (2010). The American way to change: How national service and volunteers are transforming
America. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
2. Two to seven authors Precede the final name with an ampersand (&).
Kapin, A., & Ward, A. S. (2013). Social change anytime everywhere: How to implement online multichannel
strategies to spark advocacy, raise money and engage your community. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
Çevik, M., Eser, I., & Boleken M. (2013). Characteristics and outcomes of liver and lung hydatid disease in
children. Tropical Doctor, 43(3), 93–95. doi:10.1177/0049475513493415

7. Unknown author or editor Start with the title. When alphabetizing, use the first important word of the title (excluding
articles such as The, A, or An).
(5th ed.). (2012). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
. (1969). New York, NY: World.
3. Eight or more authors List the first six authors, an ellipsis mark (three spaced periods), and the final author.
Plummer, C. A., Ai, A. L., Lemieux, C., Richardson, R., Dey, S., Taylor, P., . . . Hyun-Jun, K. (2008).
Volunteerism among social work students during Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Journal of Social Service Research,
34(3), 55–71. doi:10.1080/01488370802086328
4. Organization as author When the publisher is the author, use Author instead of repeating the organization’s name
as the publisher.
(2013). Dashed expectations. Boston, MA: Author.
5. Two or more works by the same author List the works in publication date order, with the earliest one first.
Sacks, O. (2012). Hallucinations. New York: Knopf.
Sacks, O. (2017). The river of consciousness. New York: Knopf
6. Two or more works in one year by the same author Alphabetize by title, and attach a letter to each entry’s year of
publication, beginning with a. Intext citations must use the letter as well as the year.
Agarwal, J. P. (1996a). Does foreign direct investment contribute to unemployment in home countries? An
empirical survey (Discussion Paper No. 765). Kiel, Germany: Institute of World Economics.
Agarwal, J. P. (1996b). Impact of Europe agreements on FDI in developing countries. International
Journal of Social Economics, 23(10/11), 150–163.
8. Basic entry for a book
Vance, J. D. (2016). Hillbilly elegy: A memoir of a family and culture in crisis. New York: HarperCollins.
9. Book on a Web site In place of the publisher, provide the book’s DOI, or if there is no DOI, the Web site’s home
page URL.
Shariff, S. (2009). Confronting cyber-bullying: What schools need to know to control misconduct and avoid legal consequences.
doi:10/1017/CBO9780511551260
Gaskell, E. C. (1855). North and south. Retrieved from http://books.google.com
10. Book in an online database In place of the publisher, provide the book’s DOI, or if there is no DOI, the URL of the
database’s home page.
Winnicott, D. W. (2016). Hallucination and dehallucination. doi:10.1093/med:psych/9780190271374.003.0063
Embry, J. L. (Ed.). (2013). Oral history, community, and work in the American West. Retrieved from www.jstor.org
11. E-book Include the e-book version (for example, Kindle or Nook). In place of the publisher, provide the DOI, or if
there is no DOI, the home page URL from which you downloaded the book.
McCann, C. (2013). TransAtlantic [Kindle version]. Retrieved from https://www.amazon.com
16. One volume of a multivolume work If the volume has its own title, put it before the title of the
whole work.
(Vol. 12). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
17. Brochure, pamphlet, fact sheet, or press release If there is no date of publication, put n.d. in
place of the date. If the publisher is an organization, list it first, and name the publisher as Author
(not italicized).
A consumer’s guide to postal services and products [Brochure]. Washington,
DC: Author.
The Nott Memorial: A national historic landmark at Union College. [Pamphlet].
Schenectady, NY: Author.
18. Policy brief or white paper
Cramer, K., Shelton, L., Dietz, N., Dote, L., Fletcher, C., Jennings, S., . . . Silsby, J. (2010).
. Retrieved from Corporation for National and
Community Service website: http://www.volunteeringinamerica.gov/assets/resources /
IssueBriefFINALJune15.pdf
19. Basic entry for a selection in an edited book or anthology The selection’s author, year of publication,
and title come first, followed by the word In and information about the edited book. The page numbers of
the selection are placed in parentheses after the book’s title.
Angell, M. (2012). The crazy state of psychiatry. In Brooks, D. (Ed.), (pp. 6–
28). New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin.
20. Part of a book on a Web site
Owen, S., & Kearns, R. (2006). Competition, adaptation and resistance: (Re)forming health
organizations in New Zealand’s third sector. In Milligan, C., & Conradson, D. (Eds.),
(pp. 115–34). Retrieved from
http://books.google.com
21. Part of a book in an online database Provide a DOI, or if there is no DOI, provide the home page URL of
the database.
White, C. (2013). Using oral history to record the story of the Las Vegas African American community.
In J. L. Embry (Ed.), (pp. 150–74).
Retrieved from www.jstor.org
22. Part of an e-book Provide a DOI, or if there is no DOI, provide the home page URL from which you
downloaded the item.
Díaz, J. (2016). Ordinary girls. In J. Franzen & R. Atwan (Eds.),
[Nook version]. Retrieved from https://www.barnesandnoble.com
23. Introduction, preface, foreword, or afterword List the author and the section cited.
Folger, T. (2012). Foreword. In D. Ariely (Ed.),
. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin.
24. Published letter Begin with the letter writer’s name, treating the addressee as part of the title
(Letter to . . .).
Lewis, C. S. (1905). Letter to his brother. In Walter Hooper (Ed.),
(pp. 2–3). New York, NY: HarperCollins.
 ARTICLES IN PERIODICALS
29. Basic entry for a journal article Italicize the periodical title and the volume number. Provide the issue
number not italicized—in parentheses after the volume number, with no space between them. A DOI ends the
entry if available.
Masters, K., & Hooker, S. (2013). Religiousness/spirituality, cardiovascular disease, and cancer: Cultural integration for
health research and intervention. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 81(2), 206–216.
doi:10.1037/a0030813
30. Journal article on a Web site Provide a DOI if available. If not, give the URL of the journal’s home page.
Zhang, P., & McLuhan, E. (2013). Media ecology: Illuminations. Canadian Journal of Communication, 38(4). Retrieved
from http://www.cjc-online.ca
31. Journal article in an database Provide the DOI, if available. If not, include the home page URL of the
database.
Brown, T. S. (2013). The sixties in the city: Avant-gardes and urban rebels in New York, London, and West Berlin.
Journal of Social History, 46(4), 817–842. doi:10.1093/jsh/sht007
Gore, W. C. (1916). Memory, concept, judgment, logic (theory). Psychological Bulletin, 13, 355–358. Retrieved from
http://psycnet.apa.org
 Articles in periodicals (cont.)
32. In-press journal article Include the designation in press (not italicized) in place of a date.
Schwartz, S., & Correll, C. Efficacy and safety of atomoxetine in children and adolescents with attention
deficit/hyperactivity disorder: Results from a comprehensive metaanalysis and metaregression. Journal of the American
Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry. Retrieved from http://www .jaacap.org/inpress

33. Abstract of a journal article For an abstract that appears in the original source, add the word Abstract in brackets after
the title (Burnby and Chen examples). If the abstract appears in a source that is different from the original publication,
first give the original publication information for the article, followed by the publication information for the source of the
abstract (Murphy example). If the dates of the publications differ, cite them both, with a slash between them, in the in-text
citation: Murphy (2003/2004).
Burnby, J. G. L. (1985, June). Pharmaceutical connections: The Maw’s family [Abstract]. , 15(2), 9–11.
Chen, Y. (2013). Partnership and performance of community-based organizations: A social network study of Taiwan [Abstract].
Journal of Social Service Research, 39(5). doi:10.1080/01488376.2013.829164
Murphy, M. (2003). Getting carbon out of thin air. , 6, 14–16. Abstract retrieved from Fuel and Energy
Abstracts, 45(6), 389.
O’Leary, A., & Wolitski, R. J. (2009). Moral agency and the sexual transmission of HIV. Psychological Bulletin, 135, 478–494.
Abstract retrieved from http://psycnet.apa.org
ARTICLES IN PERIODICALS (CONT.)

34. Article in a magazine or newspaper Add the month for magazines published monthly or the month and day for
magazines published weekly. Note that the volume and issue numbers are also included.
McLean, B. Yahoo’s geek goddess. Vanity Fair, 641, 68.
For newspaper articles, use p. or pp. (not italicized) with the section and page number. List all page numbers,
separated by commas, if the article appears on discontinuous pages: pp. C1, C4, C6.
Fitzsimmons, E. G. Winter storms grip U.S., knocking out power and grounding flights. The
New York Times, p. N23
35. Magazine or newspaper article on a Web site For a magazine article, include the volume and issue numbers
(Courage example). For a newsletter article, include the full URL (Latour example).
Courage, K. . Genetic cures for the gut. Scientific American, 309(6). Retrieved from
http://www.sciam.com Streitfeld, D. (2013, December 16). Amazon strikers take their fight to Seattle. The
New York Times. Retrieved from ‘http://www.nytimes.com
Latour, M. From farm to closet: Do you know where your wool comes from? Conservancy Talk
Newsletter, The Nature Conservancy. Retrieved from http://blog.nature.org/conservancy/2013/09/03/farm-to-closet-
do-you-know-where-your-wool-comes-from/
ARTICLES IN PERIODICALS (CONT.)

36. Magazine or newspaper article in an online database Include database information for archival material not
easily found elsewhere. Give the URL of the database’s home page.
Culnan, J. Madison to celebrate arrival of first air mail plane. Wisconsin State Journal, p. A1.
Retrieved from Wisconsin Historical Society database: http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/WLHBA

37. Review
Solow, R. Alan Greenspan is still trying to justify his bad decisions. [Review of the book The Map and the
territory: Risk, human nature, and the future of forecasting, by A. Greenspan]. New Republic. Retrieved from
www.newrepublic.com

38. Editorial or letter to the editor Note the use of brackets to identify the genre.
Glaeser, E. L. High value in unpaid internships [Opinion]. The Boston Globe, p. A15.

39. Supplemental online magazine content A description in brackets such as online exclusive indicates that the
material is distributed only in online venues.
Kluger, J. [Online exclusive]. Time. Retrieved from http:/www.time.com
GOVERNMENT WORKS

40. Government document When no author is listed, use the government agency as the author.
U.S. Bureau of the Census. (1976). Historical statistics of the United States: Colonial times to 1970. Washington, DC:
Government Printing Office.

41. Government document on a Web site

National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States. (2004). The 9/11 Commission report. Retrieved from
http://www.gpoaccess.gov/911/index.html

42. Congressional Record For enacted resolutions or legislation, give the number of the congress after the number
of the resolution or legislation, the Congressional Record volume number, the page number(s), and year, followed
by (enacted).
H. Res. 2408, 108th Cong., 150 Cong. Rec. 1331–1332 (2004) (enacted).

Give the full name of the resolution or legislation when citing it within your sentence, but abbreviate the name
when it appears in a parenthetical in-text citation: (H. Res. 2408, 2004). 368, 2013
 ACADEMIC WORKS
43. Report or working paper If the issuing organization numbered the report, include that number in parentheses after the
title.
Forbes, K. J., & Klein, M. W. (2013). Pick your poison: The choices and consequences of policy responses to crises. (MIT Sloan Research
Paper No. 5062-13). Cambridge, MA: Sloan School of Management.

44. Conference presentation Treat published conference presentations as a selection in a book (no. 19), as a periodical
article (no. 29), or as a report (no. 43), whichever applies. For unpublished conference presentations, provide the author, the
year and month of the conference, the italicized title of the presentation, and the presentation’s form, forum, and place.
Manka, K. (2012, January). Hollywood vs. Silicon Valley. Keynote address presented at the Davos World Economic Forum 2012, Davos, Switzerland.
Merkel, A. (2012, January). Do we dare more Europe? Opening speech presented at the Davos World Economic Forum 2012, Davos, Switzerland.

45. Dissertation or dissertation abstract Use this format for an unpublished dissertation.
Lederman, J. (2011). Critical, third-space phenomenology as a framework for validating college composition placement. (Unpublished doctoral
dissertation). Indiana University, Indiana, PA.

If you used an abstract from Dissertation Abstracts International, treat the entry like a periodical article.
Leger-Rodriguez, T. N. (2011). Paraprofessional preparation and supervision in special education. Dissertations Abstracts International, 71, 2846.

46. Published dissertation from a database Include the dissertation file number at the end of the entry.
Gorski, A. (2007). The environmental aesthetic appreciation of cultural landscapes (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations
and Theses database. (UMI No. 1443335)
WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES

47. Basic entry for a whole Web site or independent online work Do not include an entry in the references list. In
the body of your paper, give the Website’s name and home page URL; for example:

48. Basic entry for a page, report, or part of a Web site Include the Web site sponsor in the retrieval statement
unless the author of the work is also the sponsor. Here, the author is the World Health Organization, and the
sponsor is BPD Sanctuary.
ICD-10 criteria for borderline personality disorder. Retrieved from BPD Sanctuary
website: http://www.mhsanctuary.com/borderline/icd10.htm
49. Document on a university’s Web site Include relevant information about the university and department in the
retrieval statement.
Islamism in Turkey: Beyond instrument and meaning. Economy and Society, 31, 85–111. Retrieved from
University of California–Berkeley, Department of Sociology website:
http://sociology.berkeley.edu/public_sociology_pdf/tugal.pps05.pdf
50. Online document lacking a date Use the abbreviation n.d. (no date) for any undated document.
Center for Science in the Public Interest. (n.d.). Food additives to avoid. Retrieved from Mindfully.org website:
http://www.mindfully.org/Food/Food-Additives-Avoid.htm
WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES

51. Post on a blog This model is for a blog post. For an example of a video blog post, see the second example; use
the description “video file.” For a comment, use the same format but substitute “Blog comment” for “Blog post.”
Kashin, K. (2013, March 25). App stats: Fowler and Hall on “Do legislators cater to the priorities of their constituents?” [Blog
post]. Retrieved from Social Science Statistics Blog website: http://www.iq.harvard.edu/blog/sss
Freeman, M. (2013, July 19). Christian Science Monitor staff photographer. [Video file] Retrieved from Christian Science
Monitor website: http://www.csmonitor.com/Mandela-and-Africa-in-the-American-imagination
52. Post on Tumblr If the post has a title, put it after the date and before “[Blog post].”
Gill, N. (2017, May 6). [Blog post]. Retrieved from meanwhilepoetry.tumblr.com/post/160386126728/falling-out-of love-with-
someone-who-was-once-your
54. Entry in a wiki Check with your instructor before using a wiki as a source. If there is no DOI, use “Retrieved
from” with the Web site name and the URL of the entry. For Wikipedia articles, see no. 27.
Matsumoto, D., & Ekman, P. (2008.) Facial expression analysis. doi:10.4249/scholarpedia.4237
55. Personal page on a social media site
Kron, S. (n.d). Susan Kron [Facebook page]. Retrieved November 25, 2013, from
http://www.facebook.com/susan.kron.35
WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES
53. Post to an electronic mailing list, newsgroup, or forum Provide the message’s author, its date, and its subject
line as the title. For a post to a mailing list, provide the description Electronic mailing list message in brackets. For a
post to a newsgroup or discussion forum, give the identifying information Online forum comment in brackets.
Conclude either entry with the words Retrieved from, followed by the URL of the archived message.
Phaltan, N. (2013, December 13). NY Times article on what fuel poor need. [Electronic mailing list message]. Retrieved from
http://lists.bioenergylists.org/pipermail/stoves_lists.bioenergylists.org/2013-December/007752.html
Reysa, G. (2014, January 1). Stealing heat from a woodstove for water heating. [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from
http://lists.bioenergylists.org/pipermail/greenbuilding_lists.bioenergylists.org/2014-January.txt

56. Post on Facebook

Nguyen, V. T. (2017, May 14). My favorite picture of my mother and me [Facebook post]. Retrieved from
http://www.facebook.com/pg/vietnguyenauthor/posts/?ref=page_internal

57. Post on Twitter (tweet) Click on the tweet’s dropdown menu to obtain its URL.
Trump, D. [@realDonaldTrump]. (2017, May 12). The Fake Media is working overtime today! [Tweet]. Retrieved from
http://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/862999243560288256
WEB AND SOCIAL MEDIA SOURCES

58. Post on Instagram

Seco, F. [francisco_seco]. (2017, May 26). Sigrid [Photograph]. Retrieved from
https://www.instagram.com/p/BUjhvb1jLAo/?taken-by=francisco_seco
59. Post on Snapchat Because a “snap” disappears after viewing and readers cannot access it,
do not include it in the references list. Instead, in the body of your paper, mention its author
and date and describe it. If you have a screen shot of the snap, you can include it as a figure
with a caption indicating source information.
60. E-mail or text message E-mail, text messages, or other non-archived personal
communication should be cited in the body of your text but not given in the references list (see
in-text citation entry no. 10, on p. 330).
OTHER ELECTRONIC SOURCES

61. Digital file on your computer Use the citation format of the most closely related type of source. Indicate the type
of file in brackets [Word file, MP3 file, PDF file, and so on], or if the format is unclear, use [Digital file].
Mars, B. (2012). Locked out of heaven. On Unorthodox jukebox [MP3 file]. New York: Atlantic Records.
62. Computer software or video game Cite only specialized software. Familiar software such as Microsoft Word
doesn’t need to be cited.
A hat in time. (2014). [Video game]. Copenhagen, Denmark: Gears for breakfast.
63. Mobile application The first citation shows an entry from a reference app; the second shows a whole specialty
app. Common whole apps like Facebook and Twitter do not need to be included in the references list.
Castigate. (2017). In English definition dictionary, WordReference [Mobile application software]. Retrieved from
https://play.google.com/store?hl=en
New Yorker. (2017). Goings on (Version 5.0) [Mobile application software]. Retrieved from https://play.google.com/store?hl=en
VISUALS, AUDIO, AND OTHER MEDIA
64. Photograph, work of art, graph, map, or other visual If you have reproduced a visual, give the source information with
the caption (for an example, see p. 363). Also include a reference-list entry. See no. 65 for online visuals.
Smith, W. E. (1950). Guardia Civil, Spain [Photograph]. Minneapolis, MN: Minneapolis Institute of Art.
Colonial Virginia [Map]. (1960). Richmond: Virginia Historical Society.

65. Photograph, work of art, graph, map, or other visual on a Website Give the source information following the figure
caption. Also include a reference-list entry.
Chicago [Map]. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.mapquest.com

66. Advertisement Include the word advertisement within brackets.

Acura. (2014, April) [Advertisement]. Retrieved from www.nytimes.com
Progressive Insurance. (2014, February 18). [Advertisement]. Atlantic City, NJ: WMGM-TV

67. Film or DVD Begin with the cited person’s name and, if appropriate, a parenthetical notation of his or her role. After the
title, identify the medium, followed by the country and name of the distributor. (For online video, see nos. 68 and 69)
Goldsman, A. (Writer), Goldsman, A. (Director), & Goldsman, A., Platt, E., Tadross, M., & Allard, T. (Producers). (2014). Winter’s
tale [Motion picture]. United States: Warner Brothers Pictures.
VISUALS, AUDIO, AND OTHER MEDIA

68. Film or video on a Web site For an online speech, see no. 75.
Orr, M. (2013, December 20). The soul of the square [Video file]. Retrieved from www.nytimes
69. Video on YouTube
Blank on Blank. (2017, January 24). Oliver Sacks on ripe bananas. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HbaazbdIR_g
70. Radio or television broadcast For a radio broadcast, treat the host as author (Van Zandt example).
For an entire television series, treat the producer as author (Ashford example). For a single episode, use
the writer and director as authors and the producer as editor (Bensinger example). See no. 71 for a radio
or television program on the Web.
Van Zandt, S. (Host). (2012, April 10). Underground garage [Radio broadcast]. Washington, DC: WKGO Radio.
Ashford, Michelle (Producer). (2013). Masters of sex [Television series]. New York, NY: Showtime.
Bensinger, T. (Writer), & Fywell, T. (Director). (2013). All together now [Television series episode]. In M. Ashford
(Producer), Masters of sex. New York, NY: Showtime.
71. Radio or television program on the Web
Reitman, J. (Director), & Novak, B. J. (Writer). (2007). Local ad [Television series episode]. In S. Carrell,
M. Kaling, L. Eisenberg, & G. Stupnitsky (Producers), The office [Video podcast]. Retrieved from
http://www.nbc.com/the_office/video/episodes.shtml
72. Audio podcast
Glass, I. (Host). (2013, November 8). The seven things you’re not supposed to talk about. This
American life [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from http://www.thisamericanlife.org
73. CD or audio recording See no. 61 for an MP3 or no. 72 for an audio podcast.

Springsteen, B. (2014). 41 shots ( title of piece) [Recorded by B. Springsteen]. On High hopes [CD] (title
of album). New York, NY: Columbia Records.

74. Musical composition

Salonen, E. (2010). NYX [Musical composition]
OTHER MISCELLANEOUS SOURCES

75. Lecture, speech, or address List the speaker; the year, month, and date (if available); and the italicized title of the
presentation. Include location information when available. (For online versions, add “Retrieved from” and the URL.)
Saunders, G. (2013, May 11). Becoming kinder. Commencement address given at Syracuse University,
Syracuse, NY.
76. Personal interview Like other unpublished personal communications, personal interviews are not included in the
reference list. See in-text citation entry no. 10
77. Live performance
Parker, T., Stone, M., & Lopez, R. (Authors), Nicholaw, C., & Parker T. (Directors). (2014, March 4). The Book
of Mormon [Theatrical performance]. Eugene O’Neill Theatre, New York, NY.

78. Presentation slides

Volunteering Australia Inc. (2009). Volunteering: What’s it all about? [PowerPoint slides]. Retrieved from
http://www.volunteeringaustralia.org/files/WZ7K0VWICM/Volunteering%20/
what_s%20it%20all%20about.ppt
SAMPLE RESEARCH PROJECT IN APA STYLE