How to Cite a Book in APA Format
You can manually cite a book in APA format yourself or use a citation tool like Zotero Zotero is a free citation generator. .
- Manual versus Citation Generator
What is the difference between doing it yourself and using Zotero? - Manual Citation
Easy steps with screenshots to help you create a book citation. - Citation Generator
Learn how to use Zotero to make your book citation and reference list. - Common Mistakes
See the errors people often make when citing books. - Quiz
Try some short questions to check your understanding. - FAQs
Get quick answers to common questions. - Comments
Ask a question or share your tips at the bottom of the page.
Manual versus Citation Generaor
You can cite a book in APA format in two ways:
-
Do it yourself.
Enter each part of the citation by hand. - Use a citation tool.
A program like Zotero can build the citation for you.
Both ways have good and bad points:
- Manual citation takes more time, but it helps you understand APA rules.
- Citation tools are faster, but they can make mistakes—so you must check the citation yourself.
It's best to start by citing sources manually.
This helps you learn how citations work.
Later, you can use a tool like Zotero to save time. But always review the results.
This page will show you both ways:
- Manual method: Step-by-step instructions with screenshots to build your citation.
- Citation tool: Step-by-step instructions with screenshots to create a citation and reference list using Zotero.
Cite a Book Yourself (Step-by-Step)
Choose from the options below to manually build your reference. Each step shows how to cite a book in APA format the right way.
Author
Choose the correct category based on how the book presents its authors and/or editors:
Select Author(s) only if one or more named authors wrote the book, with no editor mentioned on the cover, for example, this book with an author only.
Select Author(s)+ Editor(s) if one or more named authors wrote the book, and the editor(s) appear(s) on the cover, for example, this book with an author and an editor.
Choose Editor(s) only if the book credits one or more editors but doesn’t name any author(s), for example, this book with editors only.
One Author
Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the citation as follows:
- Place the author's last name and the publication year inside parentheses.
- Separate them with a comma and a space.
See Figure A1-1.
Narrative In-text Citation
Format the citation as follows:
- Use the author’s last name in the sentence.
- Place the publication year in parentheses right after the name.
See Figure A1-2.
 Figure A1-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation in APA Format |
 Figure A1-2: In-text Narrative Citation in APA Format |
Reference List Entry
Format the author section of the reference as follows:
- Start with the last name, followed by a comma and a space.
- Add the first initial, followed by a period and space.
- If there are more initials, include each one, followed by a period and space.
See Figure A1-3: One author with one initial.
See Figure A1-4: One author with two initials.
Figure A1-3: One Author With One Initial
Figure A1-4: Author With Two InitialsAdding an Editor or Editors
Only the author is mentioned in the in-text citations.
See Figures A1-5 and A1-6.
 Figure A1-5: In-text Parenthetical Citation in APA Format |
 Figure A1-6: In-text Narrative Citation in APA Format |
Place the editor(s) in parentheses after the title as follows:
- Enter the editor’s initials, followed by the last name.
- Insert a comma, then:
- enter Ed. for one editor, or
- enter Eds. for multiple editors
See Figure A1-7: One editor.
See Figure A1-8: Two editors.
Figure A1-7: Author and One Editor
Figure A1-8: Author and Two EditorsTwo Authors
Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the citation within parentheses as follows:
- Enter the last name of the first author, followed by a space.
- Insert an ampersand (&), followed by a space.
- Enter the last name of the second author.
- Insert a comma and a space.
- Enter the publication year.
See Figure A2-1.
Narrative In-text Citation
Format the citation as follows:
- Enter the last names of both authors, separated by "and" as part of the sentence.
- Enter the publication year in parentheses right after the names.
See Figure A2-2.
 Figure A2-1: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Two Authors |
 Figure A2-2: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Two Authors |
Reference List Entry
Format the author section of the reference as follows:
- Enter the last name of the first author, followed by a comma and a space.
- Add the initial(s) of the first author as follows:
- Each initial is followed by a period.
- If there are multiple initials, separate them with a space.
- After the last initial (and period), insert a comma.
- Insert an ampersand (&) with a space before and after it.
- Type the last name of the second author followed by a comma and a space.
- Add the initials of the second author, following the same rules.
- After the last initial (and period), add a space.
See Figure A2-3.
Figure A2-3: Two AuthorsAdding an Editor or Editors
Only the authors are mentioned in the in-text citations. See Figures A2-4 and A2-5.
 Figure A2-4: In-text Parenthetical Citation in APA Format |
 Figure A2-5: In-text Narrative Citation in APA Format |
Place the editor(s) in parentheses after the title as follows:
- Enter the editor’s initials, followed by the last name.
- Insert a comma, then:
- enter Ed. for one editor, or
- enter Eds. for multiple editors
See Figure A2-6: One editor.
See Figure A2-7: Two editors.
Figure A2-6: Two Authors and One Editor
Figure A2-7: Two Authors and Two EditorsThree to Twenty Authors
Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the citation within parentheses as follows:
- Enter the last name of the first author, followed by a space.
- Add "et al." followed by a comma and a space.
- Add the publication year.
See Figure A3-1.
Narrative In-text Citation
Format the citation as follows:
- Enter the last name of the first author, followed by "et al." as part of the sentence.
- Add the publication year in parentheses after the name.
See Figure A3-2.
 Figure A3-1: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Three Authors |
 Figure A3-2: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Three Authors |
Reference List Entry
Format the author section of the reference as follows:
- For each author except the last:
- Enter the last name, followed by a comma and a space.
- Add the initials of the author's given names as follows:
- Each initial is followed by a period.
- Separate multiple initials with a space.
- After the last initial, add a comma and a space.
Examples: "Li, R., " "Xi, A. B., " "Yi, D. O. K., " - Before the last author, insert an ampersand (&) followed by a space.
- Type the last name and initials of the last author except do not insert a comma for the last initial. Only add a period followed by a space.
Figure A3-3 shows an example of the reference list entry for three authors.
Figure A3-3: Three AuthorsFigures A3-4 and A3-5 show example in-text citations for twenty authors.
 Figure A3-4: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Twenty Authors |
 Figure A3-5: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Twenty Authors |
Figure A3-6 shows an example of the reference list entry for twenty authors.
Figure A3-6: Twenty AuthorsUse the same format for any number of authors from three to twenty. Just change how many names you include.
Adding an Editor or Editors
Only the authors are mentioned in the in-text citations.
See Figures A3-7 and A3-8.
 Figure A3-7: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Three Authors |
 Figure A3-8: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Three Authors |
Place the editor(s) in parentheses after the title as follows:
- Enter the editor’s initials, followed by the last name.
- Insert a comma, then:
- enter Ed. for one editor, or
- enter Eds. for multiple editors
See Figure A3-9: One editor.
See Figure A3-10: Two editors.
Figure A3-9: Three Authors and One Editor
Figure A3-10: Three Authors and Two EditorsTwenty-One or More Authors
Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the citation within parentheses as follows:
- Enter the last name of the first author, followed by a space.
- Insert "et al." followed by a comma and a space.
- Enter the publication date.
See Figure A20-1.
Narrative In-text Citation
Format the citation as follows:
- Enter the last name of the first author, followed by "et al." as part of the sentence.
- Add the publication date in parentheses after the name.
See Figure A20-2.
 Figure A20-1: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Twenty Plus Authors |
 Figure A20-2: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Twenty Plus Authors |
Reference List Entry
Format the author section of the reference as follows:
- For each of the first 19 authors:
- Enter the last name of the author, followed by a comma and a space.
- Add the initials of the author's given names as follows:
- Add a period after each initial.
- Separate multiple initials with a space.
- After the last initial, add a comma and a space.
Examples: "Li, R., " "Xi, A. B., " "Yi, D. O. K., " - Insert an ellipsis (…) followed by a space.
- Enter the last name and initials of the last author (same format as the others) except do not insert a comma after the last initial. Only add a period followed by a space.
See Figure A20-3.
Figure A20-3: Twenty Plus AuthorsAdding an Editor or editors
Only the authors are mentioned in the in-text citations.
See Figures A20-4 and A20-5.
 Figure A20-4: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Twenty-one or More Authors |
 Figure A20-5: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Twenty-one or More Authors |
Place the editor(s) in parentheses after the title as follows:
- Enter the editor’s initials, followed by the last name.
- Insert a comma, then:
- enter Ed. for one editor, or
- enter Eds. for multiple editors
See Figure A20-6: One editor.
See Figure A20-7: Two editors.
Figure A20-6: Twenty-one or More Authors and One Editor
Figure A20-7: Twenty-one or More Authors and Two EditorsOne Editor
Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format an in-text citation within parentheses as follows:
- Enter the editor's last name and the publication date.
- Separate them with a comma and a space.
See Figure E1-1.
Narrative In-text Citation
Format an in-text citation as follows:
- Use the editor's last name in the sentence.
- Place the publication date in parentheses right after the name (separated by a space).
See Figure E1-2.
 Figure E1-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation in APA Format for One Editor |
 Figure E1-2: In-text Narrative Citation in APA Format for One Editor |
Note: The format of the in-text citation is the same as for a single authored book.
Reference List Entry
Format the editor section as follows:
- Enter the editor's last name, followed by a comma and a space.
- Add the editor’s initial(s), each followed by a period and a space.
- After the initials, add (Ed.) — short for Editor — in parentheses, followed by a period.
See Figure E1-3: One author with one initial.
See Figure E1-4: One author with two initials.
Figure E1-3: One Editor with One Initial
Figure E1-4: One Editor with Two InitialsTwo Editors
Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the citation within parentheses as follows:
- Enter the last name of the first editor.
- Insert an ampersand (&) with a space before and after it.
- Enter the last name of the second editor.
- Insert a comma and a space.
- Enter the date of publication.
See Figure E2-1.
Narrative In-text Citation
Format the citation as follows:
- Enter the last names of both editors, separated by "and" as part of the sentence.
- Enter the publication date in parentheses.
See Figure E2-2.
 Figure E2-1: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Two Editors |
 Figure E2-2: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Two Editors |
Reference List Entry
Format the editor section as follows:
- Enter the last name of the first editor, followed by a comma and a space.
- Add the initial(s) of the first editor as follows:
- Each initial is followed by a period.
- If there are multiple initials, separate them with a space.
- After the last initial (and period), insert a comma.
Examples: "Li, R.," "Xi, A. B.," "Yi, D. O. K.," - Insert an ampersand (&) with a space on either side.
- Enter the last name of the second editor as described for the first except do not insert a comma for the last initial Only add a period and a space.
- Enter (Eds.) followed by a period and a space.
See Figure E2-3.
Figure E2-3: Reference List Entry for Two EditorsThree to Twenty Editors
Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the citation within parentheses by entering the following:
- last name of the first editor, followed by a space.
- "et al." followed by a comma and a space.
- publication date.
See Figure E3-1.
Narrative In-text Citation
Format the citation as part of the sentence by entering the following:
- last name of the first editor, followed by a space
- et al. then a comma and a space
- publication date
See Figure E3-2 for an example.
 Figure E3-1: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Three to Twenty Editors |
 Figure E3-2: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Three to Twenty Editors |
Reference List Entry
Format the author section as follows:
- For each editor except the last editor:
- Type the last name of the editor, followed by a comma and a space.
- Enter the initials of the editor's given names as follows:
- Add a period after each initial.
- If more than one initial, separate the initials with a space.
- After the last initial, add a comma then a space.
Examples: Li, R., Xi, A. B., Yi, D. O. K., - Insert an ampersand (&) followed by a space.
- Type the last name of the last editor as described for the previous editors except do not insert a comma for the last initial. Only add a space.
- Add the abbreviation for editors in parentheses (Eds.) followed by a period and space
See Figure E3-3 for an example.
Figure E3-3: Three EditorsFigures E3-4 and E3-5 show example in-text citations for twenty editors.
|
Figure E3-4: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Twenty Editors |
Figure E3-5: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Twenty Editors |
Figure E3-6 shows an example of the reference list entry for twenty editors.
Figure E3-6: Twenty EditorsTwent-One or More Editors
Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the citation within parentheses as follows:
- Enter the last name of the first editor, followed by a space.
- Insert "et al." followed by a comma and a space.
- Enter the publication date.
See Figure E21-1.
Narrative In-text Citation
Format the citation as follows:
- Enter the last name of the first editor, followed by "et al." as part of the sentence.
- Enter the publication date within parentheses.
See Figure E21-2.
 Figure E21-1: APA Formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Twenty Plus Editors |
 Figure E21-2: APA Formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Twenty Plus Editors |
Reference List Entry
Format the author section as follows:
- For each of the first 19 editors:
- Enter the last name of the editor, followed by a comma and a space.
- Enter the initials of the editors's given names as follows:
- Add a period after each initial.
- Separate multiple initials with a space.
- After the last initial, add a comma and a space.
Examples: "Li, R., " "Xi, A. B., " "Yi, D. O. K., " - Insert an ellipsis (…) followed by a space.
- Enter the last name and initials of the last editor (same format as the others) except do not insert a comma after the last initial. Only add a period followed by a space.
- Insert "(Eds.)" followed by a period and space.
See Figure E21-3.
Figure E21-3: Twenty Plus EditorsDate
When you cite a book in APA format, the date is typically the year of publication. However, variations may occur, such as when no date is available.
Year Only
Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the citation within parentheses as follows:
- Type the author's (or editor's) last name, followed by a comma and a space.
- Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).
See Figure Y-1 for an example.
Narrative In-text Citation
Format the citation as follows:
- Type the author's (or editor's) last name as part of the sentence followed by a space.
- Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).
See Figure Y-2 for example.
 Figure Y-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation with Year Only Date |
 Figure Y-2: In-text Narrative Citation with Year Only Date |
Reference List Entry
Format the date section of the citation as follows:
- Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page) within parentheses.
- Immediately after the parentheses, enter a period followed by a space.
See Figure Y-3 for an example.
Figure Y-3: Reference List Entry with Year Only DateYear and Month
Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the in-text citation within parentheses as follows:
- Type the author's (or editor's) last name, followed by a comma and a space.
- Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).
See Figure YM-1 for an example.
Narrative In-text Citation
Format a narrative in-text citation as follows:
- Type the author's (or editor's) last name as part of the sentence followed by a space.
- Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).
See Figure YM-2 for example.
 Figure YM-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation with Publication Date |
 Figure YM-2: In-text Narrative Citation with Publication Date |
Reference List Entry
Format the date section of the citation within the parentheses as follows:
- Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).
- Immediately after the year, enter a comma followed by a space.
- Enter the month in full (do not abbreviate).
See Figure YM-3 for an example.
Figure YM-3: Reference List Entry with Year and Month DateYear, Month, and Day
Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the citation within parentheses as follows:
- Type the author's (or editor's) last name, followed by a comma and a space.
- Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).
See Figure YMD-1 for an example.
Narrative In-text Citation
Format the citation as follows:
- Type the author's (or editor's) last name as part of the sentence followed by a space.
- Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).
See Figure YMD-2 for example.
 Figure YMD-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation with Publication Date |
 Figure YMD-2: In-text Narrative Citation with Publication Date |
Reference List Entry
Format the date section of the citation within the parentheses as follows:
- Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).
- Immediately after the year, enter a comma followed by a space.
- Enter the month in full (do not abbreviate) followed by a space.
- Enter the day (dd).
See Figure YMD-3 for an example.
Figure YMD-3: Reference List Entry with Date (Year, Month, and Day).Year and Season
Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the citation within parentheses as follows:
- Type the author's (or editor's) last name, followed by a comma and a space.
- Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).
See Figure YS-1 for an example.
Narrative In-text Citation
Format the citation as follows:
- Type the author's (or editor's) last name as part of the sentence followed by a space.
- Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).
See Figure YS-2 for example.
 Figure YS-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation with Publication Date (Year Only) |
 Figure YS-2: In-text Narrative Citation with Publication Date (Year Only) |
Reference List Entry
Format the date section of the citation within the parentheses as follows:
- Enter the year (from the copyright date on the book's copyright page).
- Immediately after the year, enter a comma followed by a space.
- Enter the season.
- Enter a full stop and space after the parentheses.
See Figure YS3 for an example.
Figure YS3: Reference List Entry with Date (Year and Season)No Date Available
Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the citation within parentheses as follows:
- Type the author's (or editor's) last name, followed by a comma and a space.
- Enter n.d.
See Figure YND-1 for an example.
Narrative In-text Citation
Format the citation as follows:
- Type the author's (or editor's) last name as part of the sentence followed by a space.
- Enter n.d. within parentheses.
See Figure YND-2 for example.
 Figure YND-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation with Unknown Date. |
 Figure YND-2: In-text Narrative Citation with No Date |
Reference List Entry
Format the date section of the citation as follows:
- Enter n.d. within parentheses.
- Enter a full stop and space after the parentheses.
See Figure YND-3 for an example.
Figure YND-3: Reference List Entry with No Date(Smith, 2020, Winter).
(Smith, n.d.).
Title
When you cite a book in APA format, make sure the title follows APA’s sentence case rules and is italicized.
Title Only
Reference List Entry
Format the title section of the reference entry as follows:
- Enter the title in sentence case (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns).
- Format in italics.
- Do not italicize the period after the title.
See Figure T-1 for an example.
Figure T-1: APA Formatted Title in a Reference ListTitle and Subtitle
Reference List Entry
Format the title section of the reference entry as follows:
- Enter the title in sentence case (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns).
- Format in italics.
- Enter a colon (in italics) followed by a space.
- Enter the subtitle in sentence case and italicized.
- Enter a period after the subtitle but do not italicize, followed by a space.
See Figure TS-1 for an example.
Figure TS-1. APA Formatted Title and Subtitle in a Reference ListTitle and Edition
Reference List Entry
Format the title section of the reference entry as follows:
- Enter the title in sentence case (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns), italicized and followed by a space.
- Enter the edition number in ordinal form (e.g., 2nd, 3rd etc) followed by space, the abbreviation 'ed' and a period, all within parentheses, and not italicized.
- Enter a period after the parentheses, followed by a space.
See Figure TE-1 for an example.
Figure TE-1: APA Formatted Title and Edition Number in a Reference ListTitle and Volume
Reference List Entry
Format the title section of the reference entry as follows:
- Enter the title in sentence case (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns), italicized and followed by a space.
- Enter the volume abbreviation (Vol.) followed by a space and the volume number, all within parentheses, and not italicized.
- Enter a period after the parentheses, followed by a space.
See Figure TV-1 for an example.
Figure TV-1. APA Formatted Title and Volume Number in a Reference ListSource
To cite a book in APA format, the source section requires the publisher's name in title case, followed by a period. If available, include the DOI or URL.
Printed Book
Reference List Entry
Format the source section of the reference entry as follows:
- Enter the publisher's name as shown in the book. This is usually title case.
- Enter a period after the publisher's name.
See Figure SP-1 for an example.
Figure SP-1: Publisher Name in an APA Formatted Reference ListOnline Book with DOI
Reference List Entry
Format the source section of the reference entry as follows:
- Enter the name of the publisher followed by a period, then a space.
- Enter the DOI in the format https://doi.org/xxxxx
- Do not add a period after the DOI.
See Figure SD-1 for an example.
Figure SD-1: DOI in an APA Formatted Reference ListFigure SD-2 shows a completed reference list entry containing a DOI.
Figure SD-2: Reference List Entry in APA format with a DOIOnline Book without DOI
Reference List Entry
Format the source section of the reference entry as follows:
- Enter the name of the publisher followed by a period, then a space.
- Copy and paste the URL from the source webpage
- Do not add a period after the URL.
See Figure SU-1 for an example.
Figure SU-1: URL in an APA Formatted Reference ListCite a Book in APA Format Using Zotero - a Free Citation Generator
Adding the Book's Reference Details to the Zotero Library
There are several ways to add a book’s citation details to your Zotero library, but the easiest is to use the book’s ISBN. This is an efficient way to cite a book in APA format without having to enter a lot of detail.
That’s the method shown below.
How to Input an Identifier (e.g., ISBN) into Zotero
- Open the Zotero application if not already open.
- Select the "Add Item(s) by Identifier" in the Zotero toolbar (See Figure Z1).
- Type or paste the identifier (e.g., ISBN) for the book you want to add.
Ensure there are no extra spaces or characters. - Press Enter. Zotero will automatically retrieve the bibliographic details for the book and add it to your library.
This helps you to easily cite a book in APA format.
Figure Z1: Enter an Identifier to Add an Item in Zotero- Check that the imported details (e.g., title, author, and publication year) are correct. If needed, edit any incorrect formatting.
Figure Z2 shows an example where the subtitle is not in APA format (it should be in sentence case) and the word "english" should be capitalized.
Figure Z2: Incorrect Formatting in Zotero Generated Citation Details- Click in the title box (See Figure Z3). Correct any formatting errors.
Figure Z3: Correct APA Formatting for the TitleSelecting an Item from the Zotero Library
- Place the Cursor at the location in your Word document where you want to insert the parenthetical in-text citation.
The citation should be placed at the end of the relevant sentence or clause, before the punctuation.
See Figure Z4 for example.
Figure Z4: Selection Point for Parenthetical In-text Citation- Click on the Zotero tab in the Word toolbar.
- Click the Add/Edit Citation button to open the citation tool.
See Figure Z5 for example.
Figure Z5: Selection to Add Citation- Click on the drop-down arrow in the red Zotero citation bar.
The following viewing options are displayed:- The currently selected item from the Zotero library
- Classic view which displays all items in the Zotero library
Figure Z6: Display Drop-down List- Choose Classic View to open the full Zotero library list for manual selection.
See Figure Z7 for example.
Figure Z7: Classic View Choice in Drop-down List- Find the reference you want to cite in the Zotero Classic View window.
Click on the correct reference to highlight it. - Click OK to insert the citation into your document.
Note: Do not select Omit Author as this is a parenthetical citation. See Figure Z8 for an example.
Figure Z8: Selecting an Item from the Zotero Library for Citation- Ensure the parenthetical in-text citation has been inserted in the correct format (see Figure Z9).
- Correct any errors in the APA formatted citation.
Figure Z9: Parenthetical In-text Citation- Place the Cursor at the location in your Word document where you want to insert the narrative in-text citation (see Figure Z10).
- Click on the Zotero tab in the Word toolbar.
- Click the Add/Edit Citation button to open the citation tool.
- Click on the drop-down arrow in the red Zotero citation bar.
- Choose Classic View to open the full Zotero library list for manual selection.
Figure Z10: Insertion Point for a Narrative In-text Citation- Find the source you want to cite in the Zotero Classic View window.
Click on that source to highlight it. - Select Omit Author so only the year appears in the citation.
- Click OK to insert the citation into your document.
See Figure Z11 for an example.
Figure Z11: Selecting an Item for a Narrative In-text Citation- Enter the author’s name before the parentheses as part of the sentence.
- Correct any errors in the APA formatted citation.
See Figure Z12 for an example.
Figure Z12: Narrative In-text CitationAdd the Reference List
- Place cursor on the References page.
- Select Add/Edit Bibliography
Note: Zotero uses the term "Bibliography". APA uses the term "References".
See Figure Z13 for example.
Figure Z13: Select Add/Edit BibliographyFigure Z14 shows a reference list generated by Zotero. Zotero does a good job. However, it does occasionally produce errors which need to be corrected (see Figure Z15).
Figure Z14: Zotero Generated Reference List in APA Format
Figure Z15: Errors in Zotero Generated Reference ListEdit a Reference List Entry
- Select the Add/Edit Bibliography button in the Zotero group (See Figure Z16).
Figure Z16: Select Add/Edit Biography Button in the Zotero Group- Select the book in the References in Bibliography panel (see Figure 17).
- Correct the citation details in the Editing Pane.
- Select OK.
The citation detail will be automatically corrected in the References list.
Figure Z17: Edit Book Citation in Zotero LibrarySee Zotero documentation for further information.
Common Mistakes When Citing a Book in APA Format
- Capitilizing every word (except for minor words) in the book title instead of using sentence case.
Example: "How to Cite a Book in APA Format" instead of "How to cite a book in APA format" - Not italicizing the title.
Example: "How to cite a book in APA format" instead of "How to cite a book in APA format" - Inserting a period after a DOI or URL.
Example: "https://doi.org/10.1037/0000418-000." instead of "https://doi.org/10.1037/0000418-000" - Using "and" instead of "&" in a parenthetical in-text citation.
Example: "(Li and Ng, 2016)" instead of "(Li & Ng, 2016)" - Using "&" instead of "and" in a narrative in-text citation.
Example: " As Li & Ng (2016) note" instead of "As Li and Ng (2016) note" - Including the location of the publisher.
Example: " Lee, C. (2010). Change. Boston, MA: Insight Press." instead of
" Lee, C. (2010). Change. Insight Press."
N.B. APA sixth edition required location of the publisher. - Not beginning a subtitle with a capitalized word.
Example: " Memory: a very short introduction." instead of " Memory: A very short introduction." - Including the names of three or more authors instead of using "et al." in in-text citations.
Example: " (Smith, Jones, & Lee, 2020)" instead of "(Smith et al., 2020)"
Example: "As Smith, Jones, and Lee (2020) noted" instead of "As Smith et al. (2020) noted"
N.B. APA sixth edition required the last names of up to five authors to be included in in-text citations. - Not spacing initials of the author in the reference list entry.
Example: "Nguyen, T.M." instead of " Nguyen, T. M." - Not including the full citation of an in-text citation in the reference list or having a reference list entry without the corresponding in-text citation.
Quiz
Summary
You can cite a book in APA format by either:
- Manually formatting the citation (good for learning APA rules), or
- Using a citation generator like Zotero (faster, but needs checking for accuracy).
Manual Citation Method
Construct the citation step by step, carefully following the rules to cite a book in APA format:
- Author format: Choose based on the number of authors/editors (e.g., two authors use “&” in parentheses, “and” in narrative).
- Date: Choose the correct date format (e.g., year only, or year, month, and day).
- Title: Enter in sentence case and italics; include volume number if needed.
- Source: Add publisher name and DOI (if available).
Using Zotero (Free Citation Generator)
Steps:
- Add the book to Zotero using its ISBN.
- Check and correct any formatting errors (e.g., title in sentence case).
-
Insert in-text citations into your Word document using Zotero.
- Add a reference list by placing the cursor on your References page and clicking Add/Edit Bibliography.
Zotero simplifies citation but still requires review for APA accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
When, why, and how do I include a page number (or page numbers) when I cite a book in APA format?
When, why, and how do I include a page number (or page numbers) when I cite a book in APA format?
Include a page number when:
- You quote directly from a source.
- You paraphrase a specific part of a long source (like a book or report).
- You want to point the reader to the exact location of the information.
This will help your reader find the original text quickly.
APA style uses the abbreviations p. (for a single page) and pp. (for multiple pages), which are added to in-text citations.
Parenthetical in-text citation
Learning is a social process” (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 56).
Group performance improved with feedback (Lopez & Smith, 2020, pp. 132–133).
Narrative in-text citation
Vygotsky (1978) explained that “learning is a social process” (p. 56).
According to Lopez and Smith (2020), performance improved when feedback was given (pp. 132–133).
What symbol is used to define the page range?
What symbol is used to define the page range?
An en dash (not a hyphen) is used for the page range, for example, 132–133.
See how to insert an en dash.
I have three references I want to cite. How do I do that?
I have three references I want to cite. How do I do that?
Parenthetical in-text citation
List all three in the same set of parentheses, separated by semicolons and in alphabetical order by the author's surname, for example,
(Brown, 2019; Chen, 2021; Smith, 2020)
Narrative in-text citation
Mention each source in the sentence itself. They can appear in any order, for example,
Chen (2021), Smith (2020), and Brown (2019) all support this finding.
Note: This formatting applies to any number of sources.
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