Book/Ebook References
Use the same formats for both print books and ebooks. For ebooks, the format, platform, or device (e.g., Kindle) is not included in the reference.
This page contains reference examples for books, including the following:
- Whole authored book
- Whole edited book
- Republished book, with editor
- Book published with new foreword by another author
- Several volumes of a multivolume work
1. Whole authored book
Jackson, L. M. (2019). The psychology of prejudice: From attitudes to social action (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000168-000
Sapolsky, R. M. (2017). Behave: The biology of humans at our best and worst. Penguin Books.
Svendsen, S., & Løber, L. (2020). The big picture/Academic writing: The one-hour guide (3rd digital ed.). Hans Reitzel Forlag. https://thebigpicture-academicwriting.digi.hansreitzel.dk/
- Parenthetical citations: (Jackson, 2019; Sapolsky, 2017; Svendsen & Løber, 2020)
- Narrative citations: Jackson (2019), Sapolsky (2017), and Svendsen and Løber (2020)
- Provide the author, year of publication, title, and publisher of the book. Use the same format for both print books and ebooks.
- Use the copyright date shown on the book’s copyright page as the year of publication in the reference, even if the copyright date is different than the release date.
- Include any edition information in parentheses after the title, without italics.
- If the book includes a DOI, include the DOI in the reference after the publisher name.
- Do not include the publisher location.
- If the ebook without a DOI has a stable URL that will resolve for readers, include the URL of the book in the reference (as in the Svendsen and Løber example, which is from the iBog database, where ebooks are referred to as “internetbooks”). Do not include the name of the database in the reference.
- If the ebook is from an academic research database and has no DOI or stable URL, end the book reference after the publisher name. Do not include the name of the database in the reference. The reference in this case is the same as for a print book.
2. Whole edited book
Hygum, E., & Pedersen, P. M. (Eds.). (2010). Early childhood education: Values and practices in Denmark. Hans Reitzels Forlag. https://earlychildhoodeducation.digi.hansreitzel.dk/
Kesharwani, P. (Ed.). (2020). Nanotechnology based approaches for tuberculosis treatment. Academic Press.
Torino, G. C., Rivera, D. P., Capodilupo, C. M., Nadal, K. L., & Sue, D. W. (Eds.). (2019). Microaggression theory: Influence and implications. John Wiley & Sons. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119466642
- Parenthetical citations: (Hygum & Pedersen, 2010; Kesharwani, 2020; Torino et al., 2019)
- Narrative citations: Hygum and Pedersen (2010), Kesharwani (2020), and Torino et al. (2019)
- Use the abbreviation “(Ed.)” for one editor and the abbreviation “(Eds.)” for multiple editors after the editor names, followed by a period. In the case of multiple editors, include the role once, after all the names.
- Include any edition information in parentheses after the title, without italics.
- If the book includes a DOI, include the DOI in the reference after the publisher name.
- Do not include the publisher location.
- If the ebook without a DOI has a stable URL that will resolve for readers, include the URL of the book in the reference (as in the Hygum and Pedersen example, which is from the iBog database). Do not include the name of the database in the reference.
- If the ebook is from an academic research database and has no DOI or stable URL, end the book reference after the publisher name. Do not include the name of the database in the reference. The reference in this case is the same as for a print book.
3. Republished book, with editor
Watson, J. B., & Rayner, R. (2013). Conditioned emotional reactions: The case of Little Albert (D. Webb, Ed.). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. http://a.co/06Se6Na (Original work published 1920)
- Parenthetical citation: (Watson & Rayner, 1920/2013)
- Narrative citation: Watson and Rayner (1920/2013)
- The book by Watson and Rayner was originally published in 1920. It was edited by Webb and republished in 2013.
- Sometimes an authored book also credits an editor on the cover. In this case, include the editor in parentheses without italics after the book title.
- Provide the year of the republication in the main date element of the reference. Provide the year of original publication at the end of the reference in parentheses after the words “Original work published.”
- Both publication years appear in the in-text citation, separated with a slash, with the earlier year first.
4. Book published with new foreword by another author
Kübler-Ross, E. (with Byock, I.). (2014). On death & dying: What the dying have to teach doctors, nurses, clergy & their own families (50th anniversary ed.). Scribner. (Original work published 1969)
- Parenthetical citation: (Kübler-Ross, 1969/2014)
- Narrative citation: Kübler-Ross (1969/2014)
- Use this format when a person other than the original author has added a new part to the work, such as a foreword or introduction.
- Provide the author of the whole book in the main author element of the reference. Then provide the name of the person who wrote the foreword, introduction, or other new part, in parentheses, after the word “with.” In the example, Byock wrote a new foreword to the book by Kübler-Ross.
- When citing the main book, include only the name of the book author in the in-text citation.
- When citing the foreword or introduction, include the name of the author of that part in the in-text citation:
- Parenthetical citation of foreword: Workers in the medical community should “listen to the people who need our help and respond with all the knowledge and skill we can bring to bear” (Kübler-Ross, 1969/2014, foreword by Byock, p. xv).
- Narrative citation of foreword: Byock stated that Kübler-Ross’s (1969/2014) work “challenged the authoritarian decorum and puritanism of the day” (p. xii).
5. Several volumes of a multivolume work
Harris, K. R., Graham, S., & Urdan T. (Eds.). (2012). APA educational psychology handbook (Vols. 1–3). American Psychological Association.
- Parenthetical citation: (Harris et al., 2012)
- Narrative citation: Harris et al. (2012)
- Provide the name(s) of the editor(s)-in-chief as the editors of the work, even if the volume editors are different.
Learn more
Book/ebook references are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 10.2 and the Concise Guide Section 10.2
This guidance has been revised from the 6th edition.
