apa reference list no date

APA Citation Guide (7th edition) : No Author, No Date etc.

• What Kind of Source Is This?
• Advertisements
• Books & eBooks
• Book Reviews
• Class Handouts, Presentations, and Readings
• Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
• Government Documents
• Images, Charts, Graphs, Maps & Tables
• Journal Articles
• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Personal Communication (Interviews, Emails)
• Social Media
• Videos & DVDs
• Paraphrasing
• Works Cited in Another Source
• No Author, No Date etc.
• Sample Paper, Reference List & Annotated Bibliography
• Powerpoint Presentations

On This Page

No page numbers.

No Title 

No Database Name

If no author or creator is provided, start the citation with the title/name of the item you are citing instead. Follow the title/name of the item with the date of publication, and the continue with other citation details.

Note : an author/creator won't necessarily be a person's name. It may be an organization or corporation, for example Health Canada or a username on a site such a YouTube.

If no author or creator is provided, use a shortened version of the title where you'd normally put the author's last name. 

If you're citing something which is part of a bigger work, like an article from a magazine, newspaper, journal or encyclopedia, or chapter or short story from a book, put the shortened title in quotation marks in your in-text citation. 

Example, paraphrasing: ("A few words", 2014) 

If you're citing an entire work, like a book, website, video, etc., italicize the shortened title in your in-text citation

Example, 'paraphrasing: ( A few words , 2014)

If and only if an item is signed as being created by Anonymous, use "Anonymous" where you'd normally put the author's name.

Alphabetical Order in References List

When putting works in alphabetical order, ignore initial articles such as "the", "a", or "an". For example the title The best of Canada would be alphabetized as if it started with the word best instead of the word The

If the title begins with a number, alphabetize it as if the number was spelled out. For example the title 5 ways to succeed in business would be alphabetized under F as if it had started with the word Five .

If no date is provided, use the initials n.d. where you would normally put the date.

Also use the initials n.d. if the date of content is difficult to determine, such as on a Wikipedia page.

Page numbers may not be provided for some items, such as online materials. If this is the case:

References List

If a citation would normally include page numbers but none are provided, skip the page numbers in the citation.

In-Text Citation - Quoting Directly

When quoting directly in the text of your paper, you would normally include page numbers if they were given. If there are no page numbers given:

• Indicate the paragraph number instead of the page number with the word "para." before it. For example: (Smith, 2012, para. 3)
• If there are headings, give the name of the heading, followed by the word "section" and the number of the paragraph within the section it is from. For example: (Smith, 2012, Discussion section, para. 3)
• If there is only one paragraph, provide the author's last name and the year and omit the page number

Occasionally an item may not have a title. If you are citing something with no identified title, write a description of the item placed in square brackets. Put this description in brackets where you'd normally put the title.

If you find an article through the  search bar  on the main library page, you might be unsure which database the article is from, because this searches across many different databases.

You can find the name of the database a few ways:

Method 1. Click on the title of the article in the search results list. This will bring you to a page with a description of the article as well as other useful information. Scroll down to the bottom of this list of information, and you should see "Database" listed near the bottom.

Method 2. You can also find the name of the database in the summary of information just below the title of the article in the search results list. It will look something like this:

Notice the name of the database is listed at the end.

• << Previous: Works Cited in Another Source
• Next: Sample Paper, Reference List & Annotated Bibliography >>
• Last Updated: Jan 5, 2024 2:56 PM
• URL: https://columbiacollege-ca.libguides.com/apa

Generate accurate APA citations for free

• Knowledge Base
• APA Style 7th edition

Ordering works on the APA reference page

Published on November 4, 2020 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on January 17, 2024.

An APA Style reference page is ordered alphabetically by the first element in the reference entry , usually the first author’s last name.

• Smith, B. H. precedes Thompson, A. G.

In more complex situations, this basic guideline may not be enough. That’s probably why you’re here, right? Luckily, APA created more detailed guidelines that are outlined in this article.

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text

Upload your document to correct all your mistakes in minutes

Table of contents

Multiple works with the same first author, different authors with the same last name, no author (source title), same author, same date, nothing precedes something, apostrophes, hyphens, parentheses, and brackets, m’, mc, and mac, suffixes (sr., jr., i, ii, iii), frequently asked questions, single-author works.

If the works have just one author, order them based on the publication date, listing the oldest source first. Works with no date come before works with a date. Works that are “In press” come last.

• Warren, K. J. (n.d.)
• Warren, K. J. (2018)
• Warren, K. J. (in press)

Multiple-author works

If the first author is the same, but subsequent authors are different, order the references based on the second author’s last name. If the second author is the same, then order on the third author, and so on. One-author works come before multiple-author works.

• Palmer, T., & Hunt, S.
• Palmer, T., Hunt, S., & Robertson, H.

Are your APA in-text citations flawless?

The AI-powered APA Citation Checker points out every error, tells you exactly what’s wrong, and explains how to fix it. Say goodbye to losing marks on your assignment!

Get started!

Order works from different authors with the same last name based on their initials.

• Theel, M. precedes Theel, P. S.

When the author of a work is unknown, the source title is moved to the author position. In this case, the reference is ordered based on the title. Disregard “A”, “An”, and “The” at the beginning of the title. If the title starts with a numeral, alphabetize it as though it were spelled out.

• How social media influences mental health (ordered on the H of “How”)
• The impact of smartphones on creativity (ordered on the I of “Impact”)
• 10 ways to increase your productivity (ordered on the T of “Ten”)

Works with the same author and date are distinguished with a lowercase letter after the publication year. This letter appears in the APA in-text citation and the reference entry . Order works by that lowercase letter.

• Browning, H. (2020a) precedes Browning, H. (2020b)

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Shorter names precede longer names with which they share all their letters.

• Camp H. G. precedes Campbell A. T.

Disregard apostrophes and hyphens in two-word names, and disregard anything in parentheses (e.g., contributor roles) or brackets (e.g., usernames).

• O’Connor, G. precedes Oetman, H.
• Bloom, S.-J. precedes Bloom, S. P.

Order prefixes such as M’, Mc, and Mac as spelled, not as sounded out.

• MacArthur, B. precedes McCombes, S.
• MacNeil, J. precedes M’Carthy, P.

Works authored by people with the same first and last name, but with a suffix such as Jr., Sr. or I, II, III, are ordered chronologically, oldest first.

• Burrows, L., Sr. precedes Burrows, L., Jr.
• Andrews, K. P., II precedes Andrews, K. P., III

If the author of a work is unknown, order the reference by its title. Disregard the words “A”, “An”, and “The” at the beginning of the title.

• The privacy concerns around social media
• Teens, social media, and privacy

Read more about alphabetizing the APA reference page .

Order numerals as though they were spelled out:

• “20 tips to relax” is ordered on the “T” of “Twenty”.
• “100 cities you should visit” is ordered on the “O” of “One hundred”.

Popular word processors like Microsoft Word and Google Docs can order lists in alphabetical order, but they don’t follow the APA Style alphabetization guidelines .

If you use Scribbr’s APA Citation Generator to create citations, references are ordered automatically based on the APA guidelines, taking into account all the exceptions.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2024, January 17). Ordering works on the APA reference page. Scribbr. Retrieved April 5, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/ordering-references/

Is this article helpful?

Raimo Streefkerk

Other students also liked, setting up the apa reference page | formatting & references (examples), beginner's guide to apa in-text citation, how to format tables and figures in apa style, "i thought ai proofreading was useless but..".

I've been using Scribbr for years now and I know it's a service that won't disappoint. It does a good job spotting mistakes”

APA Referencing Guide

• What is APA Referencing?
• Appropriate Level of Citation
• Paraphrasing
• Direct Quotes
• Two Authors
• Three or More Authors
• Organisations as Author
• Multiple Sources in a Citation
• Reference List Basics
• Journal Article
• Book or Ebook
• Software and Apps
• Legislation
• Figures and Tables Basics
• Figures - Alternatives
• Tables - Alternatives
• Notes - Alternatives
• Single Appendix
• Multiple Appendices
• Video Tutorials

For works with no date, use “n.d.” in the in-text citation and reference list. For works that have been accepted for publication but have not yet been published, use “in press.”

Narrative Citation:

As Jones (n.d.) stated...

Parenthetical Citation:

... has been shown (Jones, n.d.).

See this citation as a  reference list  entry.

For variations of missing elements please see page 17 of the referencing guide .

American Psychological Association.  (n.d.-a).  APA style .  https://apastyle.apa.org /  

American Psychological Association. (n.d.-b) .  Student sample paper with annotations.  APA Style.  https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/student-annotated.p d f

American Psychological Association. (2020a).  Publication manual of the American Psychological Association  (7th ed.).  https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-0 0 0

American Psychological Association. (2020b, October 21).  Student paper setup guide.  APA Style.  https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/student-paper-setup-guide.p d f

American Psychological Association. (2021a, December).  Sample Tables.  APA Style.   h ttps://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/tables-figures/sample-table s

American Psychological Association. (2021b, December).  Table setup.  APA Style.   https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/tables-figures/tabl e s

American Psychological Association. ( 2022a, July ).  Appropriate level of citation.  APA Style.   https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/appropriate-citati o n

American Psychological Association. ( 2022b, July ).  Elements of reference list entries.  APA Style.  https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/elements-list-ent r y

American Psychological Association. ( 2022c, July ).  Font.  APA Style.  https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/fo n t

American Psychological Association. ( 2022d, July ).  Headings.   APA Style.   https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/headin g s

American Psychological Association. ( 2022e, July ).  Numbers expressed in numerals.  APA Style.   https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/numbers/numera l s

American Psychological Association. ( 2022f, July ).  Numbers expressed in words.  APA Style.   https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/numbers/wor d s

American Psychological Association. ( 2022g, July ).  Paragraph alignment and indentation.  APA Style.  https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/paragraph-form a t

American Psychological Association. ( 2022h, July ).  Paraphrasing.  APA Style.  https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/paraphrasing

American Psychological Association. (2022i, July).  Quotations.  APA Style.  https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/quotatio n s

American Psychological Association. (2022j, July).  Sample papers.  APA Style.  https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/sample-pape r s

American Psychological Association. (2022k, July).  Use of italics.  APA Style.    https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/italics-quotations/itali c s

American Psychological Association. (2022l, August).  Citing multiple works.  APA Style.  https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/basic-principles/multiple-wor k s

American Psychological Association. (2023, March).  About APA style .  https://apastyle.apa.org/about-apa-sty l e

McAdoo, T. (2023, April 7).  How to cite ChatGPT.  APA Style.  https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/how-to-cite-chatgpt

Microsoft. (n.d.-a).  Add a heading.   https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/add-a-heading-3eb8b917-56dc-4a17-891a-a026b2c790 f 2

Microsoft. (n.d.-b).  Change margins .  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/change-the-margins-in-your-word-document-c95c1ea1-70b1-4dde-a1da-f5aa2042c8 2 9

Microsoft. (n.d.-c).  Create a hanging indent.  https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/create-a-hanging-indent-7bdfb86a-c714-41a8-ac7a-3782a91cca d 5

Microsoft. (n.d.-d).  Double-space the lines in a document.  https://bit.ly/3GRcEx u

PSI CHI. (2022, April 5).  Webinar: So you need to write a literature review/key tasks & how to accomplish them 03/16/2022  [Video]. YouTube.   https://youtu.be/LWMf-FYOpJ 8  

• << Previous: No Author
• Next: Multiple Sources in a Citation >>
• Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024 3:14 PM
• URL: https://endeavour.libguides.com/APA_old

• MyExperience

APA Citation Style, Seventh Edition: Webpages with No Date

• In-Text Citation Guidelines
• Reference List Guidelines
• Formatting Guidelines
• Books with One or Two Authors or Editors
• Books with Three to 20 Authors or Editors
• Books with 21 or More Authors
• Chapters in Edited Books
• Entries in Reference Works
• Editions Other Than the First
• Translations
• Journal Articles with One or Two Authors
• Journal Articles with Three to 20 Authors
• Journal Articles with 21 or More Authors
• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Webpages and Websites
• Webpages with No Date
• Social Media Posts
• Blog or Forum Posts
• Online Reference Works
• Films and Television
• Online and Streaming Videos
• Audio Sources
• Electronic Images
• Personal Interviews
• Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers
• Lecture Materials
• Religious and Classical Works
• Secondary Sources
• Theses and Dissertations
• Conference Sessions and Presentations
• Government Reports and Grey Literature
• Business Sources
• Legal Sources
• AI Generated Content

Section 10.16

• When the webpage you are citing does not indicate a date, use "n.d." instead of the year in both the in-text citations and reference entries.

Ask Us - Online Sources

Citing Websites

Webpages and Websites Webpages with No Date  Social Media Posts  Blog or Forum Posts Online Reference Works 

• << Previous: Webpages and Websites
• Next: Social Media Posts >>
• Last Updated: Mar 26, 2024 3:52 PM
• URL: https://library.ulethbridge.ca/apa7style

APA 7th referencing style

• About APA 7th
• Printing this guide
• In-text references
• Direct quotations

Reference list formatting

Difference between reference list and bibliography, order of works with no title, publisher details, publication date, page numbers, multiple works with same author(s) and same year, example reference list.

• Author information
• Additional referencing information
• Using headings
• Book chapter
• Brochure and pamphlets
• ChatGPT and other generative AI tools
• Conferences
• Dictionary or encyclopaedia
• Government legislation
• Journal article
• Lecture notes and slides
• Legal sources
• Newspaper or magazine article
• Other web sources
• Patents and standards
• Personal communication
• Press (media) release
• Secondary source (indirect citation)
• Social media
• Software and mobile apps
• Specialised health information
• Television program
• Works in non-English languages
• Works in non-English scripts, such as Arabic or Chinese
• No specific font type or size required. Recommendations include Calibri size 11, Arial size 11, Lucida size 10, Times New Roman size 12, Georgia size 11 or Computer Modern size 10 (LaTeX).
• The reference list is double spaced  (between each reference AND within the reference).
• A reference list is arranged alphabetically by author last name .
• Each reference appears on a new line.
• Each item in the reference list is required to have a hanging indent .

Zarate, K., Maggin, D. M., & Passmore, A. (2019). Meta‐analysis of mindfulness training on teacher well‐being. Psychology in the Schools , 56(10), 1700–1715. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.22308

• References should not be numbered.
• If a reference has no author, it is cited by title, and included in the alphabetical list using the first significant word of the title.
• If you have more than one item with the same author, list the items chronologically, starting with the earliest publication.
• If there is no date, the abbreviation n.d. may be used.
• Use the full journal name , not the abbreviated name.
• Web addresses or DOIs can either be live links (blue and underlined) or as normal black text with no underline. If the work containing the reference list is to be made available online, use the live link format.
• APA 7th sample papers Includes example papers formatted in the APA 7th style from the American Psychological Association
• A reference list only includes the books, articles, and web pages etc that are cited in the text of the document.
• A bibliography includes all sources consulted, even if they are not cited in the document
• ​ use  sentence case  (the first word uses a capital letter with each subsequent word in lower case). The exceptions are for names eg. countries and after a colon : eg. Writing prose in Australia: Words of wisdom from the best
• do not use single or double quotation marks.
• do not italicise.
• ​ use  sentence case   
• italicise the title 
• should be provided in full (not abbreviated) and use capitals where appropriate (rather than sentence case) eg.  Psychological Review .
• they should be  italicised .
• Website titles should be italicised.  
• add a description of the reference used, including the type of reference in square brackets. For example, [Image of a child playing in outdoor playground]. 
• For social media posts or comments without a title , add up to the first 20 words used in the post or comment and italicise it. Also include a description of the work in square brackets. For example, Join us for the UQ R User Group’s end-of-year event tomorrow! [Facebook post] .
• use the title in place of the author
• list alphabetically
• Use the first significant word of the title. Ignore "A", "And" and "The".

For example, 

The best 10 years of Radio magazine. (2003).  Radio ,  9 (9), 79.

The only 10 recipes you'll ever need. (1998).  Good Housekeeping ,  227 (3).

• List multiple publisher names in the order in which they appear, separated by semicolons. 
• For publisher names, words like "Co.", "Publishers" or "Inc." should not be included. For example, use Springer, not Springer Publishers.
• Places of publication are not included.
• Do not include publisher name if it is the same as the author.
• Use n.d. if there is no date available
• Use in press when the work is accepted for publication but has not been published
• When the work has been published online prior to publication , include the year of when it was added online.
• When a month, date or season is used, use (Year, Month Date) or (Year, Season). For example, (2019, November 8) or (2019, Autumn/Winter).
• If a "Last Updated" date in used, include this as the publication date. This is only when the information has been clearly changed, not just reviewed.
• For online works that are meant to be changed regularly eg. Facebook, dictionary entry, use Retrieved Month, Date, Year, from Web address. For example, Retrieved November 8, 2019, from https://www.facebook.com/uniofqldlibrary
• Use the full page range and full page numbers eg. 121-138
• For an online publication that uses article numbers or similar, include Article then the article number in the Page Number place. For example, Article e09645731
• Page numbers are included when you are referring to a section of a greater work eg. book chapter, journal article.
• Use pp. for book chapter  page numbers but not for journal articles.
• Arrange works with the same author(s) and same year alphabetically by title in the reference list. This then determines which references uses a, b, c etc.
• Add the relevant letter after the year (which is also used for corresponding in-text references). The first reference listed in the reference list uses "a", second uses "b" etc.

Yang, Q., & Harris, J. G. (2010a). Dynamic range control for audio signals using fourth-order level estimation  [Paper presentation]. 129th Audio Engineering Society Convention, San Francisco, CA.

Yang, Q., & Harris, J. G. (2010b). A higher-order spectro-temporal integration model for predicting signal audibility  [Paper presentation]. International Conference on Acoustics, Speech, and Signal Processing, Dallas, TX. 

(Yang & Harris, 2010a)

(Yang & Harris, 2010b)

• If the date is n.d . (for no date), include a dash then the relevant letter at the end eg. n.d.-a. It will appear before any specified years.
• If the date is " in press ", include a dash then the relevant letter at the end eg. in press-a. It will appear after any specified years.
• If a month and day are included , references with just a year are first , followed by specified dates in chronological order. For example:-

(Taylor, 2019a)

(Taylor, 2019b, May 14)

(Taylor, 2019c, August 3)

• This applies to all reference types with the same author(s) and year.

Ballard, T., Yeo, G., B. Vancouver, J., & Neal, A. (2017). The dynamics of avoidance goal regulation [Advance online publication]. Motivation and Emotion , 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11031-017-9640-8

Brown, C. G. (2020). Ethical and legal considerations for using mind–body interventions in schools. In Promoting mind–body health in schools: Interventions for mental health professionals. (pp. 113-128). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000157-008

Carson-Chahhoud, K. V., Ameer, F., Sayehmiri, K., Hnin, K., van, A. J. E., Sayehmiri, F., Brinn, M. P., Esterman, A. J., Chang, A. B., & Smith, B. J. (2017). Mass media interventions for preventing smoking in young people. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (6). http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD001006.pub3/abstract

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2000). Beyond boredom and anxiety . Jossey-Bass. (Original work published 1975).

Dravsnik, J., Signal, T., & Canoy, D. (2018). Canine co‐therapy: The potential of dogs to improve the acceptability of trauma‐focused therapies for children. Australian Journal of Psychology, 70 , 208-216. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/ajpy.12199

Leigh, J. (2010). Self-determined mindfulness and attachment style in college students (Publication Number 305210119) [Doctoral dissertation, Indiana State University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Malcolm, L. (2002-present). All in the mind [Audio podcast]. https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/allinthemind/

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy. (n.d.). Wikipedia . Retrieved November 20, 2019, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mindfulness-based_cognitive_therapy&oldid=905716408

O’Brien, B. (2017, May 5). NVivo 11 training - full video (5/4/17) - updated [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNo-Qxsp-mk

Office of Fair Trading. (2018, August 17). Community groups key to seniors staying engaged [Press release]. https://www.qld.gov.au/law/laws-regulated-industries-and-accountability/queensland-laws-and-regulations/fair-trading-services-programs-and-resources/fair-trading-latest-news/media-statements/community-groups-key-to-seniors-staying-engaged

Quealy-Gainer, K. (2014, 16 April). I kill the mockingbird by Paul Acampora (review). Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books , 67 (10), 494-494. https://doi.org/10.1353/bcc.2014.0415

Rappaport, J., & Dubin, C. S. (1983, January 24). Say no more (Season 11, Episode 12) [Television series episode]. In B. Metcalfe, M*A*S*H . 20th Century Fox Television; CBS.

Shapiro, R. E., & Cowan, R. (2017, January 10). Key points about caffeine and migraines . American Migraine Foundation. https://americanmigrainefoundation.org/resource-library/caffeine-and-migraine/

Siegal, Z. V., Teasdale, J. D., & Williams, G. M. G. (2011). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy: Theoretical rationale and empirical status. In S. C. Hayes, V. M. Follette, & M. M. Linehan (Eds.), Mindfulness and acceptance: Expanding the cognitive-behavioral tradition (pp. 45-65). Guilford Publications. https://books.google.com.au/books?id=Tr0N7aGgAS4C

Simon, P., & Garfunkel, A. (1965). The sounds of silence. On Wednesday Morning, 3 A.M. [Song]. Columbia.

U2. (1988). Rattle and hum [Album]. Island; Sun Studio; Point Depot; Danesmoat; STS Studio; A&M Studios; Ocean Way.

University of Queensland Library [@UQ_Library]. (2017, October 4). Turtles down by UQ St Lucia lakes today. Air conditioned library or enjoying the sun and the view - tough choice! [Image attached] [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/uqlibrary/status/915782138905034752

University of Queensland Library. (2017, October 4). The winners of the 2017 Queensland Literary Awards will be revealed at tonight’s ceremony. Good luck to all shortlisted writers! [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/pg/uniofqldlibrary/posts/

Zachary, K. C. (2018). Treatment of seasonal influenza in adults. UpToDate . Retrieved May 3, 2018, from https://www-uptodate-com.ezp3.library.uq.edu.au/contents/treatment-of-seasonal-influenza-in-adults

• << Previous: Direct quotations
• Next: Author information >>
• Last Updated: Mar 26, 2024 5:00 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.uq.edu.au/referencing/apa7

APA Citation Style 7th Edition: No Author, No Date etc.

• Advertisements
• Books & eBooks
• Book Reviews
• Class Handouts, Presentations, and Readings
• Encyclopedias & Dictionaries
• Government Documents
• Images, Charts, Graphs, Maps & Tables
• Journal Articles
• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Personal Communication (Interviews, Emails)
• Social Media
• Videos & DVDs
• Paraphrasing
• No Author, No Date etc.
• Sample Papers
• Annotated Bibliography

On This Page

No page numbers.

No Title 

No Database Name

If no author or creator is provided, start the citation with the title/name of the item you are citing instead. Follow the title/name of the item with the date of publication, and the continue with other citation details.

Note : an author/creator won't necessarily be a person's name. It may be an organization or corporation, for example Health Canada or a username on a site such a YouTube.

If no author or creator is provided, use a shortened version of the title where you'd normally put the author's last name. 

If you're citing something which is part of a bigger work, like an article from a magazine, newspaper, journal or encyclopedia, or chapter or short story from a book, put the shortened title in quotation marks in your in-text citation. 

Example, paraphrasing: ("A few words", 2014) 

If you're citing an entire work, like a book, website, video, etc., italicize the shortened title in your in-text citation

Example, 'paraphrasing: ( A few words , 2014)

If and only if an item is signed as being created by Anonymous, use "Anonymous" where you'd normally put the author's name.

Alphabetical Order in References List

When putting works in alphabetical order, ignore initial articles such as "the", "a", or "an". For example the title The best of Canada would be alphabetized as if it started with the word best instead of the word The

If the title begins with a number, alphabetize it as if the number was spelled out. For example the title 5 ways to succeed in business would be alphabetized under F as if it had started with the word Five .

If no date is provided, use the initials n.d. where you would normally put the date.

Also use the initials n.d. if the date of content is difficult to determine, such as on a Wikipedia page.

Page numbers may not be provided for some items, such as online materials. If this is the case:

References List

If a citation would normally include page numbers but none are provided, skip the page numbers in the citation.

In-Text Citation - Quoting Directly

When quoting directly in the text of your paper, you would normally include page numbers if they were given. If there are no page numbers given:

• Indicate the paragraph number instead of the page number with the word "para." before it. For example: (Smith, 2012, para. 3)
• If there are headings, give the name of the heading, followed by the word "section" and the number of the paragraph within the section it is from. For example: (Smith, 2012, Discussion section, para. 3)
• If there is only one paragraph, provide the author's last name and the year and omit the page number

Occasionally an item may not have a title. If you are citing something with no identified title, write a description of the item placed in square brackets. Put this description in brackets where you'd normally put the title.

If you find an article through the  search bar  on the main library page, you might be unsure which database the article is from, because this searches across many different databases.

You can find the name of the database a few ways:

Method 1. Click on the title of the article in the search results list. This will bring you to a page with a description of the article as well as other useful information. Scroll down to the bottom of this list of information, and you should see "Database" listed near the bottom.

Method 2. You can also find the name of the database in the summary of information just below the title of the article in the search results list. It will look something like this:

Notice the name of the database is listed at the end.

• << Previous: Paraphrasing
• Next: Sample Papers >>
• Last Updated: Apr 2, 2024 11:08 AM
• URL: https://libguides.msubillings.edu/apa7

APA (7th Edition) Referencing Guide

• Information for EndNote Users
• Authors - Numbers, Rules and Formatting
• In-Text Citations

Everything must match!

Setting out the reference list, example reference list, apa 7th reference lists.

• Books & eBooks
• Book chapters
• Journal Articles
• Conference Papers
• Newspaper Articles
• Web Pages & Documents
• Specialised Health Databases
• Using Visual Works in Assignments & Class Presentations
• Using Visual Works in Theses and Publications
• Using Tables in Assignments & Class Presentations
• Custom Textbooks & Books of Readings
• ABS AND AIHW
• Videos (YouTube), Podcasts & Webinars
• Blog Posts and Social Media
• First Nations Works
• Dictionary and Encyclopedia Entries
• Personal Communication
• Theses and Dissertations
• Film / TV / DVD
• Miscellaneous (Generic Reference)
• AI software
• APA Format for Assignments
• What If...?
• Other Guides

Notes on the layout for your reference list:

Layout of page:

• The reference list starts on a new page, after your assignment and before any appendices. Place the word "References", centered, in bold, at the top of the page. APA does not require other formatting for the title of your reference page (like underlining), but check with your lecturer.
• Each entry in the reference list has a hanging indent , so that the first line of the entry is flush with the left margin, but all other lines are indented (this is the opposite of the paragraph structure in the body of your essay). Tip: You can do this easily by selecting your references, and pressing Ctrl + T on a PC, or Command (⌘) + T on a Mac. (For Word Online, see the instructions for creating a hanging indent here: https://libanswers.jcu.edu.au/faq/266638 ).

Order of references:

• For APA the reference list is arranged in alphabetical order of authors' surnames.
• Arrange by first author's name, then by second author if you have the same first author, etc. ( check the page on Authors for how to lay out the reference if you have more than one author ).
• If a reference has no author , list it alphabetically according to the title. Ignore the words 'A', 'An' and 'The' at the beginning of a corporate author or title for deciding where it fits alphabetically.
• N.B. A year without a date is considered to be "older" than a year with a date ("nothing comes before something"), so 2018 will go before 2018, September - and a month without a day will go before a month with a day, so 2018, September will go before 2018, September 12. Please note that the year only is required in-text, so you will need to follow the advice below whenever you have multiple citations in the same year.
• N.B. If you have a full date, only use the title to order the references if the date is identical. Always use 'a', 'b', etc after the year, if more than one work has been published by the same author in the same year, as this is used in the in-text referencing, e.g. (2019a, April 12), (2019b, March 23). For example:

Queensland Health. (2017a, April 9). Managing your asthma symptoms . https://www.health.qld.gov.au/news-alerts/news/managing-asthma-symptoms

Queensland Health. (2017b, August 23). Five things you might not know about asthma . https://www.health.qld.gov.au/news-alerts/news/5-things-you-might-not-know-about-asthma

Format of titles:

• APA uses sentence case for all titles except for journal titles.
• Begin each title and subtitle with a capital letter, but only names should be capitalised for all titles other than journal titles.

Below is an example of a reference list formatted in APA style.  Mouse over the references to find more information about writing a reference list.

This list has been single spaced for this guide, but you will probably be asked to double-space your assignment, and that includes the reference list.

Note: the DOIs and URLs in the reference list above should be hyperlinked to the appropriate page, but the code for hyperlinking and the code for mouseover text was not compatible. In your reference list, make sure your DOIs and URLs are hyperlinked to the relevant page.

Click to play in full screen

• << Previous: In-Text Citations
• Next: Books & Book Chapters >>
• Last Updated: Apr 5, 2024 11:19 AM
• URL: https://libguides.jcu.edu.au/apa

• Research Guides
• Citing Your Sources

Citing Your Sources: APA (7th)

• Citing Basics
• Writing & Citing
• Chicago: Author-Date (17th)
• Chicago: Notes (17th)
• Citation Tools

About APA Style

Developed by the American Psychological Association, this style is most widely used for research papers in psychology and social sciences.

Citing a source in this style consists of two parts:

• An in-text citation
• A reference list entry

See How to Format In-Text Citations ,  How to Format the Reference List , and the Examples  in the left navigation for details.

How to Format In-Text Citations

For more detailed information see Chapter 8 of the  Publication Manual .

An in-text citation provides your reader with two pieces of information:

• The last name(s) of the author(s)  from the corresponding reference list entry
• The date  of the cited information

Standard Formatting of the In-Text Citation

Myrick (2015) examined the guilty pleasures of watching Internet cats.

Viewing online cats could help to regulate emotions, much like pet therapy in real life (Myrick, 2015).

• 2 authors: cite both names every time.
• 3 or more authors: include the name of the first author only and "et al." (even for the first instance). If shortening the authors leads to multiple references with the same author-date form, use as many subsequent names as needed to make it unique.

(Hinsch & Sheldon, 2013) ... Hinsch and Sheldon (2013) found....

(Nabi et al., 2006) ..... Nabi et al. (2006) demonstrated ....

(J. Moher, 2012 )

(M. Moher & Feigenson, 2013)

Children with bipolar disorder are treated in similar ways as adults (National Institute of Mental Health, 2015).

Polls show that black workers approve of labors unions more than white workers ("Black Workers Matter," 2016).

• No Date : use n.d. in place of the date.

When to Include Page Numbers

For more detailed information see Publication Manual sections 8.23-8.36.

When paraphrasing , APA style does not require page numbers in the in-text citation. However, authors are encouraged to include page numbers if it will help the reader locate the relevant information in longer texts. Consult with your professor regarding the need for page numbers for paraphrased information.

For direct quotations , the author, year and page number must be included. The page number can be given in parentheses at the end of the exact quotation or incorporated into the in-text citation.

Newman (1994) concluded "sibling conflict is so common that its occurrence is taken for granted" (p. 123).

Such findings have prompted one researcher to conclude, “Sibling conflict is so common that its occurrence is taken for granted” (Newman, 1994, p. 123).

For direct quotations from sources without page numbers , there are several possible approaches:

• provide a heading or section name
• give an abbreviated heading or section name, using quotation marks to indicate it has been abbreviated
• provide a paragraph number (manually count the paragraphs if not they are not numbered)
• provide a heading or section name in combination with a paragraph number

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020, Watch for Symptoms section)

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020, "What is the Difference" section)

(Smith, 2016, para. 1)

(Lee 2015, Discussion section, para. 4)

How to Format the Reference List

For more detailed information see Chapter 9 of the  Publication Manual .

The reference list provides the full details on the sources you used in the research for your paper.

Each entry should include the following reference components:

See the examples in the left navigation for the required elements for each type of source. Continue reading below for details on formatting each reference component and ordering the reference list.

Formatting of Reference Components

For more information see: Publication Manual , 9.7-9.12.

• Invert the names of all authors (the last name followed by initials).
• Keep author names in the order they appear on the document.
• Put commas between the names, even when there are only two authors.

Dillard, J. P., & Shen, L. Guastello, D., Braun, S., Gutierrez, J., Johnston, K., & Olbinski, B.

• For multiple authors include all names for two to 20 authors. For 21 or more, give the first 19 names, follow by an ellipsis and the final author's name (do not include an ampersand).

National Institute of Mental Health.

Black workers matter.

For more information see: Publication Manual , 9.13-9.16.

(2016, January). (2016, March 7). (2016, Summer).

• End the component with a period.

For more information see: Publication Manual , 9.18-9.22.

• Capitalize the first word of the title, subtitle, and any proper nouns.
• Do not enclose in quotation marks or italicize.

Factors influencing infants’ ability to update object representations in memory.

• Capitalize the first word of title, subtitle, and any proper nouns.
• Italicize the title.

The media equation: How people treat computers, television, and new media like real people and places.

For more information see: Publication Manual , 9.23-9.42.

See the examples linked in the left navigation.

Formatting and Ordering the Reference List

For more information see: Publication Manual , 9.43-9.52.

General Guidelines

• Start a new page for the reference list.
• Center the word "References" in bold at the top of the page.
• Double space the entries.
• Use the hanging indent feature of your word processor to indent the second and subsequent lines of the entries.

Brown, L. (2016). Brownfield, G. (2015). Browning, R. (2013).

Order of Works with the Same First Author

Brown, L. (n.d.) Brown, L. (2013). Brown, L. (2016).

Oliver, M. B. (2003). Oliver, M. B., Ash, E., & Woolley, J. K. (2013). Oliver, M. B., Ash, E, Woolley, J. K., Shade, D. D., & Kim, K. (2014).

Feigenson, L., & Carey, S. (2003). Feigenson, L., & Carey, S. (2005).

Bartsch, A. (2012a). As time .... Bartsch, A. (2012b) Emotional gratification...

Order of Works by Authors with Same Last Name

Alphabetize by first initial.

Moher, J. (2012). Moher, M., & Feigenson, L. (2013).

Order of Works by Group Authors

Alphabetize by the first significant word; do not abbreviate name.

Moher, J. (2012). National Institute of Mental Health. (2015). Oliver, M. B. (2003).

Order of Works with No Author

Alphabetize by the first significant word in the title. For numbers, alphabetize as though they were written out.

Black workers matter. (2016, March 7) Moher, J. (2012). Oliver, M. B. (2003). The 100 Best Black Movies of the 21st Century. (n.d.).

How do I deal with ___?

Text citation:

Reference List:

National Institute of Mental Health. (2015). Bipolar disorder in children and teens [Brochure]. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/bipolar-disorder-in-children-and-teens/qf-15-6380_152267.pdf

Black workers matter. (2016, March 7). The Nation, 302 (10), 16, 18.

No publication date

Use the abbreviation n.d.

American Psychological Association (n.d.) explains that the symptoms of acute stress are often short-term, such as upset stomach.

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Stress: The different kinds of stress. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/stress-kinds.aspx

Dates for online sources

Do not use the copyright date found in the footer of the website. Use the "last updated" date on the page you are citing. If there no indication of when the page was published/updated, use n.d. (no date).

If you are citing a source that is designed to change or is continually updated and does not provide access to archived versions, use n.d. and include the retrieval date before the URL.

Missing citation elements for websites

see APA's  Missing Reference Information

Can't find an example reference in the Publication Manual

If there is no example of the type of source you want to cite, create a citation using the four basic elements:

• author: Who is responsible for this work?
• date: When was this work published?
• title: What is this work called?
• source: Where can I retrieve this work?

For more information, see APA's Elements of Reference List Entries .

Using a source quoted in a secondary source

( Publication Manual , 8.6)

It is best to use the original source, but if you cannot obtain it or it is in a language you don't read, you may cite it secondarily by including the secondary source in the reference list and mentioning the original work in the text.

Goldman and Goldman's 1988 study (as cited in Linebarger, 2001) found ....

Linebarger, D. L. (2001). Learning to read from television: The effects of using captions and narration. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93 (2), 288-298. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.93.2.288

Examples: Books, Chapters

For more information see: Publication Manual , 9.29 and 10.2.

Author, A. A. (Year).  Title of work . Publisher Name. DOI or URL

• Write the publisher name as shown on the work on the copyright page. Do not include designations of business structure (e.g., Inc., Ltd., etc.).
• If the work is published by an imprint or division, use that name as the publisher.
• If author and publisher are the same, omit the publisher name from the reference.
• If there are multiple publishers listed, include all of them, separated by semicolons
• Include the DOI at the end of the citation, even if you used the print.

Engle, S. (2015).  The hungry mind: The origins of curiosity in childhood . Harvard University Press.

Subrahmanyam, K., & Šmahel, D. (2011). Digital youth: The role of media in development . Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-6278-2

Edited Book

For more information see:  Publication Manual , 9.29 and 10.2, examples 23-26.

Editor, A. A. (Ed.). (Year). Title of work . Publisher Name. DOI or URL

If the book has a DOI, include it at the end of the citation, even if you used the print.

Cheng, J. T., Tracy, J. L., & Anderson, C. (Eds.). (2014).  The psychology of social status . Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-0867-7

Chapter in Book

For more information see:  Publication Manual , 9.28 and 10.3.

• If the work has multiple editions or volumes, include them as listed above; if not, skip those elements.
• Include DOI or URL, if available.

Hane, A. A., & Fox, N. A. (2016). Studying the biology of human attachment. In J. Cassidy & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications  (3rd edition, pp. 223–241). Guilford Press.

Entry in a Reference Book

For more information see: Publication Manual , 9.28 and 10.3.

• If there is no author, start the reference with the title of the entry.
• Include edition, volume, and DOI or URL, if applicable.

Kornell, N. (2013). Discrimination learning: Training methods. In H. Pashler (Ed.), Encyclopedia of the mind (pp. 250–252). Sage Reference. 

Examples: Articles

Journal article.

For more information see: Publication Manual , chapter 9.25, 9.30, and 10.1.

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article.  Journal Title,   vv (ii), pp.–pp. https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxxxxx

• The vv is the volume number, ii is the issue number, and pp is the pages.
• Reproduce the journal title as shown on the work; do not abbreviate it.
• Italicize the journal number. Put the issue number immediately after the volume without a space and enclosed in parentheses.
• For articles with article numbers instead of page numbers, replace the page numbers with the word "Article" and the number.
• If retrieved from a library database, do not include its name or article URL.
• If a DOI is not listed, search metadata at  Crossref . If you don't find one, skip it.

Zaki, S.R. & Kleinschmidt, D. (2014).  Procedural memory effects in categorization: evidence for multiple systems or task complexity?  Memory and Cognition , 42 (3), 508–524. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-013-0375-9

Starr, L. R., Stroud, C. B., Shaw, Z. A., & Vrshek-Schallhorn, S. (2020). Stress sensitization to depression following childhood adversity: Moderation by HPA axis and serotonergic multilocus profile scores. Development and Psychopathology . Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579420000474

Shook, N. J., Fitzgerald, H. N., Boggs, S. T., Ford, C. G., Hopkins, P. D., & Silva, N. M. (2020). Sexism, racism, and nationalism: Factors associated with the 2016 US presidential election results? PLOS ONE , 15 (3), Article e0229432.

Magazine Article

For more information see:  Publication Manual , 9.25, 9.30, and 10.1, example 15.

Author, A. A. (Year, Month). Title of article.  Magazine Title,   vv (ii), pp.–pp. DOI or URL.

• If there is no volume and issue, follow the magazine title with a period and include the URL.

Epley, N., Savitsky, K., & Kachelski, R. A. (1999, Sept./Oct.). What every skeptic should know about subliminal persuasion. Skeptical Inquirer , 23 (5), 40–45, 58.

Weir, K. (2016, December). Policing in black & white. Monitor on Psychology , 47 (11). https://www.apa.org/monitor/2016/12/cover-policing

Newspaper Article

For more information see: Publication Manual , 9.25, 9.30, and 10.1, example 16.

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article.  Newspaper Title,  pp. xx. URL

• For newspapers, include "p." or "pp." before the page numbers.
• If the article appears on discontinuous pages, give all page numbers, separated by a comma.
• If retrieved online, include the URL.

Engel, S., & Sandstrom, M. (2010, July 22). There's only one way to stop a bully [Op-ed]. The New York Times , A23.

Carey, B. (2014, September 4). Why flunking exams is actually a good thing. The New York Times . https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/07/magazine/why-flunking-exams-is-actually-a-good-thing.html

Examples: Web, Blogs, Social Media

For more information see: Publication Manual , 10.16, 9.13, 9.15, 9.16.

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page . Site Name. URL

• Use the webpage format only if there is no other reference type category that fits the work (e.g., journal article, online newspaper, blog, etc.)
• Include the retrieval date if the page is designed to change over time and is not archived, following this format: Retrieved Month Day, Year, from https://xxx.xxx.xxx
• If the author and site name are the same, omit the site name.

Black, M., & Lee, T. (n.d.). Geography of poverty: A journey through forgotten America . MSNBC. http://www.msnbc.com/interactives/geography-of-poverty/index.html

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.).  CDC COVID data tracker . Retrieved September 8, 2020 from https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/

For more information see:  Publication Manual , 10.1, example 17 and 9.8.

Author, A. A. [username]. (Year, Month Day). Title. Blog Title . URL

• If the author's username and real name are known, provide the real name, followed by the username in square brackets. Otherwise, use the username (without brackets).

Clark, C. (2016, May 19). Cyber psychology part I - why the best memes go viral. BrainBlogger . http://brainblogger.com/2016/05/19/internet-psychology-part-i-why-the-best-memes-go-viral/

Social Media

For more information see: Publication Manual , 10.15 and 9.8.

Author, A. A. [@username]. (Year, Month Day). Title . [Type of content]. Social Media Site Name. URL

• The title is the first 20 words of a posting. If there are no words, provide a short description in brackets.

Obama, B. [@POTUS44]. (2015, June 26).  Today is a big step in our march toward equality. Gay and lesbian couples now have the right to marry [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/614435467120001024

Examples: Data Sets and Reports

For more information see: Publication Manual , 10.9.

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of data set   (Version x.x) [Type of material]. Publisher Name. DOI or URL

If the author is the same as the publisher, omit the publisher name.

Schmidt, W. (2013). Mathematics teaching in the 21st century [Data file and codebook]. ICPSR. http://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR34430.v1

For more information see: Publication Manual , 10.4

Author, A. A. (Year, Month day). Title of report (Report No. xxx). Publisher Name. DOI or URL.

Gray, L., & Taie, S. (2015, April). Public school teacher attrition and mobility in the first five years: Results from the first through fifth waves of the 2007-08 beginning teacher longitudinal study: First look (NCES 2015-337). National Center for Education Statistics. https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2015/2015337.pdf

Examples: Music, Film, TV, Images

For more information see: Publication Manual , 10.13 and pp. 341-342.

Recording Artist, A. A. (Year). Title of song [Song]. On Title of Album . Recording Label.

• For classical works, give the composer as the author and note the recording artist or group in square brackets after the title. Use the publication date of the recording you used, but provide the year of the original composition in parentheses at the end of the reference. The in-text citation includes both dates, for example, Bach (1721/2010).
• If there are multiple recording labels, separate with a semicolon.

Beyoncé. (2016). Sorry [Song]. On Lemonade . Parkwood; Columbia.

For more information see: Publication Manual , 10.12.

Director, D. D. (Director). (Year). Title of film [Film]. Production Studio.

Coogler, R. (Director). (2018). Black panther  [Film]. Marvel Studios; Walt Disney Pictures.

Online Video

For more information see: Publication Manual , 10.12

Author, A. A. [Screen name]. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. Streaming Site. URL

Who you put as the author depends on where you viewed the video. If a person or organization that posted the video is needed to find the exact version you viewed, such as on YouTube, use that user account as the author.

Stanford University [Stanford]. (2005, June 12).  Steve Jobs' 2005 Stanford commencement address [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UF8uR6Z6KLc

Jobs, S. (2005, June). How to live before you die [Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/steve_jobs_how_to_live_before_you_die

Television Series Episode

Writer, W. W. (Writer), & Director, D. D. (Director). (Year, Month Day). Title of episode (Season x, Episode x) [TV episode]. In E. E. Executive Producer (Executive Producer), Title of television series.  Production Company.

Averill, M. (Writer), & Silberlin, B. (Director). (2014, October 27). Chapter three (Season 1, Episode 3) [TV series episode]. In J. Snyder Urman, B. Silverman, G. Pearl, & J. Granier (Executive Producers), Jane the virgin. Poppy Productions; RCTV; Electus; CBS Television Studios; Warner Bros. Television.

For more information see: Publication Manual ,10.14

Artist, A. A. (Year of creation). Title of work [Type of Work]. Museum, Museum Location. URL

• If the image comes from a print source, cite that work (no need to include details about the image; just cite the page number in the in-text citation).
• For infographics, maps, photographs, and PowerPoint slides, replace Museum and Museum Location with the name of the site where the image was retrieved.
• If the work does not have a title, describe it in square brackets.

Lawrence, J. (1940-1941). They also made it very difficult for migrants leaving the South. They often went to railroad stations and arrested the Negroes wholesale, which in turn made them miss their train: The migration series  [Painting]. Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY, United States. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/78540

Examples: Unpublished/Archival

Interview/discussion.

For more information see: Publication Manual , 8.8 and 8.8

Personal communication including unpublished interviews and class discussions are cited in the text only because they do not provide recoverable data that readers can access. An example of an in-text citation would be:

(M. S. Mandel, personal communication, May 15, 2020).

Manuscript/Archival Material

For more information see: APA Style , Archival Documents and Collections

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of material . Name of Collection (Call number, Box number, File name or number, etc.). Name of Repository, Location.

If there is no title on the document, include a description of the material in square brackets.

Cook, D. (1973, March).  Black culture-Imamu Baraka . Black Student Union and Afro-American Society Collection (MC218, box 2, folder 56). Williams College Archives and Special Collections, Williamstown, MA, United States.

Crampton, S. (2001, July 10). Interview by C. R. Alberti. [Tape recording]. Oral History Collection. Williams College Archives and Special Collections, Williamstown, MA, United States. 

Tague W. T. (1970, April). [Photograph of Lansing Chapman rink]. Photograph Collection (General) (MC214). Williams College Archives and Special Collections, Williamstown, MA, United States.

Need More Info?

• APA Style Website Official companion to the Publication Manual . The Style and Grammar Guidelines section provides explanations and examples of common questions. The Blog gives guidance on topics not fully covered in the manual.

What Needs to be Cited?

• Exact wording taken from any source, including freely available websites
• Paraphrases of passages
• Summaries of another person's work
• Indebtedness to another person for an idea
• Use of another student's work
• Use of your own previous work

You do not need to cite common knowledge .

• << Previous: ACS
• Next: Chicago: Author-Date (17th) >>
• Last Updated: Mar 12, 2024 5:40 PM
• URL: https://libguides.williams.edu/citing

• WorldCat Discovery
• Course and Subject Guides
• Journal Finder
• New Books Feeds
• Course Reserves
• Room Reservations
• Faculty and Graduate Services
• Available Computers
• Events and Workshops
• Copyright and Fair Use
• Interlibrary Loan
• Request Forms
• Library Policies
• Borrowing & Access Policies
• Library Building
• American University of Sharjah

APA 7th Edition Citation Style

No author / no date.

• APA 7th Edition Guide
• Annual Report
• Article, Journal (Print)
• Article, Journal (with DOI)
• Article, Journal (without DOI)
• Books and ebooks
• Book, Chapter in edited work
• ChatGPT or other AI software
• Dissertation / Thesis
• Dissertation / Thesis (Database)
• Newspaper Article
• Newspaper Article (Database & Website)
• Personal communication (emails, interviews, class lectures)
• Reference Work: Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Thesarus (Print)
• Reference Work: Encyclopedia, Dictionary, Thesarus (Online)
• Religious Works
• Social Media
• Translated Work
• Video, Online
• Wikipedia Article

Newspaper article (from the newspaper’s website) with no author

Proper Bibliographic Reference Format:

• Bibliographic references are double-spaced and indented half an inch after the first line.
• If there is no author, the article title comes first.
• For titles of newspapers, use italics and "headline" style capitalization.
• Use the URL of the homepage of the newspaper to avoid non-working URLs.
• It is no longer necessary to include the date of retrieval.

Barcelona to ban burqa in municipal buildings. (2010, June 14).  Retrieved from http://gulfnews.com

In-Text Citations:

• Citations are placed in the context of discussion using the author’s last name and date of publication.
• When a work has no identified author, cite in text the first few words of the article title using double quotation marks, “headline- style” capitalization, and the year.

(“Barcelona to Ban Burqa,” 2010)

• Alternatively, you can integrate the citation into the sentence by means of narrative.
• There must be a total match between the reference list and the parenthetical citation, so the article title must stand in place of an author’s name in the essay.

“Barcelona to Ban Burqa” (2010) contends that the move is aimed at all dress that impedes identification.

Website with no author and no date

• If there is no date, use the abbreviation n.d.

United Arab Emirates architecture. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.uaeinteract.com/

• When a work has no identified author, cite in text the first few words of the article title using double quotation marks, “headline-style" capitalization, and the year.

(“United Arab Emirates Architecture,” n.d.)

“United Arab Emirates Architecture” (n.d.) describes building materials used in early settlements.

Journal or magazine article (from library database or online) with no author

• For titles of journals or magazines, use italics and "headline" style capitalization.
• Use the URL of the homepage of the journal or magazine to avoid non-working URLS

Famine relief: Just a simple matter of supplying food? (2002). Nutrition Noteworthy , 5(1). Retrieved from http://escholarship.org/uc/uclabiolchem_nutritionnoteworthy

• When a work has no identified author, cite in text the first few words of the article title using double quotation marks, “headline” style capitalization, and the year.

(“Famine Relief,” 2002)

“Famine Relief” (2002) examines the causes of poverty and famine in Africa.

Works With an Anonymous Author

When a work’s author is designated as “Anonymous,” cite in text the word Anonymous followed by a comma and the date:

(Anonymous, 2010)

In the reference list, an anonymous work is alphabetized by the word Anonymous

Anonymous. (2010). Food safety shake-up needed in the USA. The Lancet , 375(9732), 2122. Retrieved from http://www.thelancet.com

• << Previous: Newspaper Article (Database & Website)
• Next: Personal communication (emails, interviews, class lectures) >>
• Last Updated: Sep 14, 2023 1:28 PM
• URL: https://aus.libguides.com/apa7th

© 2020  American University of Sharjah . All Rights Reserved.

Privacy Policy

Return to AUS

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Reference List: Electronic Sources

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Note:  This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style  can be found here .

Important Note: Some electronic citations necessitate the use of brackets. APA style dictates that brackets should directly surround their content without spaces (e.g., [bracketed content] should look like this). When possible, include the year, month, and date in references. If the month and date are not available, use the year of publication. Additionally, APA 7 th  edition no longer requires the use of “Retrieved from” before URLs or DOIs; special exceptions, however, are made for resources that are unarchived. Including the retrieval date for these sources indicates to readers that the version of the work they retrieve may be different than what was originally used. 

Please note: the following contains a list of the most commonly cited electronic sources. For a complete list of how to cite electronic sources, please refer to the 7 th edition of the APA Publication Manual.

Webpage or Piece of Online Content

If the page names an individual author, cite their name first:

Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of page . Site name. URL

Price, D. (2018, March 23). Laziness does not exist . Medium. https://humanparts.medium.com/laziness-does-not-exist-3af27e312d01

If the resource was written by a group or organization, use the name of the group/organization as the author. Additionally, if the author and site name are the same, omit the site name from the citation.

Group name. (Year, Month Date). Title of page . Site name. URL

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (2019, November 21). Justice served: Case closed for over 40 dogfighting victims . https://www.aspca.org/news/justice-served-case-closed-over-40-dogfighting-victims

If the page's author is not listed, start with the title instead. Additionally, include a retrieval date when the page's content is likely to change over time (like, for instance, if you're citing a wiki that is publicly edited).

Title of page . (Year, Month Date). Site name. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL

Tuscan white bean pasta.  (2018, February 25). Budgetbytes. Retrieved March 18, 2020, from  https://www.budgetbytes.com/tuscan-white-bean-pasta/

If the date of publication is not listed, use the abbreviation (n.d.). 

Author or Group name. (n.d.).  Title of page . Site name (if applicable). URL

National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). Mental health conditions . https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions

Wikipedia Article

APA 7 treats Wikipedia articles as special instances of entries in reference works. Thus, there are a few differences between reference entries for pages on Wikipedia and those for generic webpages.

Title of article. (Year, Month Date). In  Wikipedia.  URL of archived version of page

Quantum mechanics. (2019, November 19). In Wikipedia . https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quantum_mechanics&oldid=948476810

Wikipedia articles often update frequently. For this reason, the date refers to the date that the cited version of the page was published. Note also that the manual recommends linking to the archived version of the page, rather than the current version of the page on the site, since the latter can change over time. Access the archived version by clicking "View History," then clicking the date/timestamp of the version you'd like to cite.

Online Scholarly Journal Article: Citing DOIs

Please note: Because online materials can potentially change URLs, APA recommends providing a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), when it is available, as opposed to the URL. DOIs are an attempt to provide stable, long-lasting links for online articles. They are unique to their documents and consist of a long alphanumeric code. Many—but not all—publishers will provide an article's DOI on the first page of the document.

Note also that some online bibliographies provide an article's DOI but may "hide" the code under a button which may read "Article" or may be an abbreviation of a vendor's name like "CrossRef" or "PubMed." This button will usually lead the user to the full article which will include the DOI. Find DOIs from print publications or ones that go to dead links with doi.org's "Resolve a DOI" function, available on the site's home page .

APA 7 also advises writers to include a DOI (if available), even when using the print source.

Article from an Online Periodical with DOI Assigned

Lastname, F. M., & Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Vol.( Issue), page numbers. DOI

Drollinger, T., Comer, L. B., & Warrington, P. T. (2006). Development and validation of the active empathetic listening scale. Psychology & Marketing, 23 (2), 161-180. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20105

Article from an Online Periodical with no DOI Assigned

If an online scholarly journal article has no DOI and is published on a website, include the URL. If an online scholarly article has no DOI and is published on a database, do not include a URL or any database information. The only exception is for databases that publish articles that are in limited circulation (like ERIC) or that are only available on that particular database (like UpToDate). Note that retrieval dates are required for unarchived sources that are likely, or intended, to change over time. 

Perreault, L. (2019). Obesity in adults: Role of physical activity and exercise. UpToDate . Retrieved January 12, 2020, from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/obesity-in-adults-role-of-physical-activity-and-exercise

APA 7 th edition does not provide guidance on how to cite abstracts. However, if you only use information from the abstract but the full text of the article is also available, we advise you to add "[Abstract]" after the article or source name. If the full text is not available, you may use an abstract that is available through an abstracts database as a secondary source.

Online News Article

Note:  The format for this type of source depends on whether your source comes from a site with an associated newspaper.

If the source  does  come from a site with an associated newspaper, leave the title of the article unformatted, but italicize the title of the newspaper.

Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of article. Title of Publication . URL

Richards, C. (2019, December 9). Best music of 2019: Lana Del Rey sings lullabies about the end of America. Washington Post . https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/best-music-of-2019-lana-del-rey-sings-lullabies-about-the-end-of-america/2019/12/06/6e82c5ec-15d8-11ea-a659-7d69641c6ff7_story.html

On the other hand, if the source  doesn't  come from a site with an associated newspaper, italicize the title of the article, but leave the name of the site unformatted.

Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of article . Name of publishing website. URL

Jones, J. (2020, May 10). Why flats dominate Spain's housing market . BBC. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200506-why-do-flats-dominate-spains-housing-market

Electronic or Kindle Books

It is not necessary to note that you have used an eBook or audiobook when the content is the same as a physical book. However, you should distinguish between the eBook or audiobook and the print version if the content is different or abridged, or if you would like to cite the narrator of an audiobook.

Lastname, F. M. (Year).  Title of book . Publisher. URL

Lastname, F. M. (Year).  Title of book [eBook edition]. Publisher. URL

Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of book (N. Narrator, Narr.) [Audiobook]. Publisher. URL (if applicable)

Dissertation/Thesis from a Database

Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of dissertation or thesis (Publication No.) [Doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis, Name of Institution Awarding Degree]. Database Name.

Duis, J. M. (2008). Acid/base chemistry and related organic chemistry conceptions of undergraduate organic chemistry students  (Publication No. 3348786) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Northern Colorado]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Entry in an Online Dictionary, Thesaurus, or Encyclopedia with a Group Author

Note:  An online dictionary, thesaurus, or encyclopedia may be continuously updated and therefore not include a publication date (like in the example below). If that’s the case, use “n.d.” for the date and include the retrieval date in the citation.

Institution or organization name. (Year). Title of entry. In Title of reference work . URL

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Braggadocio. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary . Retrieved January 13, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/braggadocio

Entry in an Online Dictionary, Thesaurus, or Encyclopedia with an Individual Author

Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of entry. In F. M. Lastname (Ed.), Title of reference work (edition). Publisher. URL or DOI

Martin, M. (2018). Animals. In L. A. Schintler & C. L. McNeely (Eds.), Encyclopedia of big data . SpringerLink. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32001-4_7-1

Note: If the dictionary, thesaurus, or encyclopedia does not include an edition, simply skip that step.

Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group (Year). Title of dataset (Version No.) [Data set]. Publisher. DOI or URL

Grantmakers in the Arts. (2019). Arts funding trends, United States, 1994-present (ICPSR 37337) [Data set]. National Archive of Data on Arts & Culture. https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/NADAC/studies/37337

Graphic Data (e.g. Interactive Maps, Infographics, and Other Graphic Representations of Data)

Give the name of the organization or individual followed by the date and the title. If there is no title, in brackets, you should provide a brief explanation of what type of data is there and in what form it appears. Include the URL and the retrieval date if there is no publication date.

HatchMed. (2017). 8 ways to improve patient satisfaction [Infographic]. HatchMed.com. https://www.hatchmed.com/blog/2017/1/30/8-ways-to-improve-patient-satisfaction

Google. (n.d.). [Google Map of Purdue University]. Retrieved January 12, 2020, from https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4237095,-86.9233886,17z

Qualitative Data and Online Interviews

If an interview is not retrievable in audio or print form, cite the interview only in the text (not in the reference list) and provide the month, day, and year in the text. If the interview transcript is published in an online periodical, like a magazine, cite the interview the same way you would cite the medium where it is published, as shown below:

Schulman, M. (2019, December 8). Peter Dinklage is still punk rock. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/peter-dinklage-is-still-punk-rock

If it is an audio file or transcript published in a database, credit the interviewee as the author and use the following model:

Paynter, W. (1970, September 17). Interview with Will Paynter [Interview]. Studs Terkel Radio Archive; The Chicago History Museum. https://studsterkel.wfmt.com/programs/interview-will-paynter

Online Lecture Notes and Presentation Slides

When citing online lecture notes, be sure to provide the file format in brackets after the lecture title (e.g. PowerPoint slides, Word document).

Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of presentation [Lecture notes, PowerPoint slides, etc]. Publisher. URL

Smith, C. (2017, October 13). AI and machine learning demystified [PowerPoint slides]. SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/carologic/ai-and-machine-learning-demystified-by-carol-smith-at-midwest-ux-2017

Computer Software/Downloaded Software

Do not cite standard office software (e.g. Word, Excel) or programming languages. Provide references only for specialized software.

Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group. (Year). Title of software (Version No.). Publisher. URL

Maplesoft. (2019). Maple companion (Version 2.1.0). Cybernet Systems Co. https://www.maplesoft.com/products/MapleCompanion/

E-mails are not included in the list of references, though you should parenthetically cite them in your main text:

(E. Robbins, personal communication, January 4, 2001).

Online Forum or Discussion Posting

Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group [username]. (Year, Month Date). Title of post [Online forum post]. Publisher. URL

Stine, R. L. [RL__Stine]. (2013, October 23). I’m R.L. Stine and it’s my job to terrify kids. Ask me anything! [Online forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1p32dl/

Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group [@username]. (Year, Month Date). Content of the post up to the first 20 words [Tweet]. Site Name. URL

Note : If the tweet includes images, videos, or links to other sources, indicate that information in brackets after the content description. Also attempt to replicate emojis if possible.

National Geographic [@NatGeo]. (2020, January 12). Scientists knew African grays are clever, but now they’ve been documented assisting other members of their species—even strangers [Tweet; thumbnail link to article]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/NatGeo/status/1216346352063537154

Twitter Profile

Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group [@username]. (n.d.). Tweets [Twitter profile]. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL

MLA Style [@mlastyle]. (n.d.). Tweets [Twitter profile]. Retrieved January 12, 2020, from https://twitter.com/mlastyle

Facebook Post

Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group. (Year, Month Date). Content of the post up to the first 20 words [Type of post]. Site Name. URL

Note: If the Facebook post includes images, videos, or links to other sources, indicate that information in brackets after the content description. Also attempt to replicate emojis if possible.

U.S. Department of the Interior. (2020, January 10). Like frosting on a cake, snow coats and clings to the hoodoos at Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah [Image attached] [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/USInterior/photos/a.155163054537384/2586475451406120/?type=3&theater

Facebook Page

Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group. (n.d.). Home [Facebook page]. Site name. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL

Little River Canyon National Preserve (n.d.). Home [Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved January 12, 2020 from https://www.facebook.com/lirinps/

Instagram Photo or Video

Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group [@username]. (Year, Month Date). Content of the post up to the first 20 words [Type of post]. Site Name. URL

BBC [@bbc]. (2020, January 12). Skywatchers have been treated to the first full moon of 2020-known as a “wolf moon”-at the same time as a [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/B7OkWqbBwcf/

Blog Post  

Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of post. Publisher . URL

Axelrod, A. (2019, August 11). A century later: The Treaty of Versailles and its rejection of racial equality. Code Switch, NPR . https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2019/08/11/742293305/a-century-later-the-treaty-of-versailles-and-its-rejection-of-racial-equality

YouTube or other Streaming Video

Last Name, F. M. [Username]. (Year, Month Date). Title of video [Video]. Streaming Service. URL

Lushi, K. [Korab Lushi]. (2016, July 3). Albatross culture 1 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AMrJRQDPjk&t=148s

Note : The person or group who uploaded the video is considered the author. If the author’s name is the same as the username, you can omit the [Username].

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Date). Title of talk [Video]. TED. URL

Al-Mutawa, N. (2010, July). Superheroes inspired by Islam [Video]. TED. https://www.ted.com/talks/naif_al_mutawa_superheroes_inspired_by_islam#t-4909

Or (if on YouTube)

Username. (Year, Month Date). Title of talk [Video]. YouTube. URL

Tedx Talks. (2011, Nov. 15). TEDxHampshireCollege - Jay Smooth - How I learned to stop worrying and love discussing race [Video]. YouTube.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbdxeFcQtaU

Podcast Episode

Host, A. A. (Host). (Year, Month Date). Title of episode (No. if provided) [Audio podcast episode]. In Name of podcast . Publisher. URL

Prime, K. (Host). (2019, March 29). For whom the cowbell tolls [Audio podcast episode]. In Radiolab . WNYC Studios. https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/whom-cowbell-tolls