This guide covers the 6th edition of APA Style. The 7th edition came out in October 2019. For information on the 7th edition, please visit The OWL at Purdue until this guide is updated.
"The references of your paper are the foundation on which your work is built. They provide the scientific background that justifies the research you have undertaken and the methods you have used. They provide the context in which your research should be interpreted. They should not be collected as an afterthought when your research project is complete. A literature search and reading of the relevant references should be the starting points of any research project."
- Howell, Simon. "References." How to write a paper. Ed. George M. Hall. 3rd ed. London: BMJ Books, 2003. 51.
"As a community of students and scholars, The University strives to set and maintain the highest standards of academic integrity. All members of the university community are expected to exhibit honesty and competence in academic work. This responsibility can be met only through earnest and continuing good faith effort on the part of all students and faculty."
The Lowdown, "Student Academic Conduct Policy"
Publication Manual of the American Psychological AssociationAPA (American Psychological Association) style is commonly used in the social sciences. The APA released a 6th edition of their publication manual in 2010, which contains many updates from the previous edition.
Page numbers refer to the relevant page in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed.
Book (p. 203):
Takahashi, S. (2009). The manga guide to statistics. San Francisco, CA: No Starch Press.
Book chapter in an anthology (p. 204):
Vessey, D. (2001). Hey-diddley-ho neighboreenos: Ned Flanders and neighborly love. In W. Irwin, M. T. Conrad, & A. J. Skoble (Eds.),
The Simpsons and philosophy (pp. 202-214). Chicago, IL: Open Court.
Article in a reference book (p. 203):
Chapman, R. (2000). GI Joe. In T. Pendergast & S. Pendergast (Eds.), St. James encyclopedia of popular culture (Vol. 2, pp. 229-230).
Detroit, MI: St. James Press.
Journal article with DOI (p. 198):
Shepherd, L. & Kuczynski, A. (2009). The use of emotive imagery and behavioral techniques for a 10-year-old boy's nocturnal fear
of ghosts and zombies. Clinical Case Studies, 8(2), 99-112. doi:10.1177/1534650108329664
Journal article with no DOI listed (p. 199):
Mabry, R., & Deiermann, P. (2009). Of cheese and crust: A proof of the pizza conjecture and other tasty results.
American Mathematical Monthly, 116(5), 423-438.
Deno, S. (1985). Curriculum-based measurement: The emerging alternative.
Exceptional Children,52(3), 219-232. Retrieved from http://www.cec.sped.org
Magazine article - accessed online (p. 200):
Kushner, D. (2009, September). Tricked-out golf carts swarm Florida communities. Wired 17(10). Retrieved from
http://www.wired.com/magazine
Magazine article - accessed in print (p. 200):
Reyes, P. (2010, August). Paradise swamped: The boom and bust of the middle-class dream. Harper's Magazine, 321(1923), 39-48.
Newspaper article - accessed online (p. 200):
Kepner, T. (2004, October 21). Back from dead, Red Sox bury Yanks and go to series. The New York Times. Retrieved from
http://www.nytimes.com.
Newspaper article - accessed in print (p. 200):
Itzkoff, D. (2010, July 20). Banned TV episode has its day on DVD. The New York Times, pp. C1, C5.
Entire website (ref.):
To cite an entire website, give the URL of the site in the text of your paper. It is not necessary to put cite it in the references section. Only include retrieval dates for sites that change frequently, such as wikis.
Example: The APA style website gives examples of references (http://apastyle.org).
Article on a website (ref.):
Welch, C. (2009, September 9). Web goes nuts for 'crasher squirrel.' Retrieved from
http://www.cnn.com/2009/US/09/09/minnesota.crasher.squirrel/
Article from an online reference work (p. 205):
Boondoggle. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster's online dictionary. Retrieved from http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/boondoggle