How to Write an APA Style Bibliography

List the author’s last name., List the publication date., Enter the title of the source., Include the publisher's location and name., Write out publication titles in full., Add the volume, issue, and page numbers for periodicals., Add the URL for...

8 Steps 4 min read Medium

Step-by-Step Guide

  1. Step 1: List the author’s last name.

    For each source, list the author’s last name and first initials.

    Use a comma to separate the author’s last name and initials.

    Then, place a period after the initials.

    If you need to list two authors for the same source, then use an ampersand between the two authors’ names instead of using the word and.

    If you need to list three to seven authors' names for one source, then place commas between the authors’ names and place an ampersand before the last author's name.To list more than seven authors, add a comma between the authors' names, then use an ellipses to stand in for any authors between the sixth author and the final author.

    Place an ampersand before the final author's name as jedo and Tata so when you go to think everything is about your legs and John Kerry then it is very difficult to find the Simpsons. well.Example of one author:
    Krauss, L.

    M. (1993).

    Example of two authors:
    Wegener, D.

    T., & Petty, R.

    E. (1994).

    Example of three or more authors:
    Kernis, M.

    H., Cornell, D.

    P., Sun, C.

    R., Berry, A., Harlow, T., & Bach, J.

    S. (1993).

    Example of more than seven authors:
    Miller, F.

    H., Choi, M.

    J., Angeli, L.

    L., Harland, A.

    A., Stamos, J.

    A., Thomas, S.

    T., . . .

    Rubin, L.

    H. (2009).

    Book title.

    New York, NY:
    BasicBooks.
  2. Step 2: List the publication date.

    After the author’s name, list the date that the material was copyrighted.

    For unpublished works, give the date that the material was written.

    Write the year out in full, in parentheses, followed by a period.Example, book: (1999).

    Example, newspaper, magazine, newsletter: (1993, June).

    Example, daily or weekly periodicals: (1994, September 28).

    Example, for a work with no date given: (n.d.) , After the date, the next item in each of your references should be the title of the source followed by a period.

    Also make sure that you only capitalize the first word in the title and the subtitle, if there is one.Italicize book titles.

    For example, Call of the wild.

    Do not italicize journal, newspaper, or magazine titles.

    Just include these as normal text.

    For example, “Making the grade in chemistry:
    A story of trial and error.” , You only need to include the publisher's location and name for books.

    After you list a book title, list the place of publication of the book.

    Include the city and state for U.S.

    Publications, or the city, state (or province) and country name for non-U.S.

    Publications.

    Follow this with a colon, then the name of the publisher.

    Follow the publisher's name with a period.Example:
    Boston, MA:
    Random House.

    Example:
    New York, NY:
    Scribner.

    Example:
    Palmerston North, New Zealand:
    Dunmore Press. , After the title of an article, include the name of the publication.

    Use the full name of the journal, magazine, or newspaper, and use the same capitalization and punctuation that the publication uses.

    Capitalize all major words in publication titles and italicize the publication's name as well.For example, ReCall instead of RECALL, and Knowledge Management Research & Practice, not Knowledge Management Research and Practice.

    Use the ampersand if the journal does, instead of spelling out the word and. , Following the publication name, include the volume number, then the issue number in parentheses, and then the page numbers of the section you referenced in your essay.

    Make sure that you italicize the volume number, but not the issue number or page numbers.

    Follow up the last page number with a period.Title of Periodical, volume number (issue number), pages referenced.

    For example, Psychology Today, 72 (3), 64-84 or The Statesman Journal, 59(4), 286-295. , When citing an article or other source that you found online, it is helpful to include the url.

    At the end of your reference, include the words "Retrieved from" and then provide the url.Example:
    Eid, M., & Langeheine, R. (1999).

    The measurement of consistency and occasion specificity with latent class models:
    A new model and its application to the measurement of affect.

    Psychological Methods, 4, 100-116.

    Retrieved from http: // www.apa.org/journals/exampleurl You do not need to include your date of access for APA references.
  3. Step 3: Enter the title of the source.

  4. Step 4: Include the publisher's location and name.

  5. Step 5: Write out publication titles in full.

  6. Step 6: Add the volume

  7. Step 7: and page numbers for periodicals.

  8. Step 8: Add the URL for online publications.

Detailed Guide

For each source, list the author’s last name and first initials.

Use a comma to separate the author’s last name and initials.

Then, place a period after the initials.

If you need to list two authors for the same source, then use an ampersand between the two authors’ names instead of using the word and.

If you need to list three to seven authors' names for one source, then place commas between the authors’ names and place an ampersand before the last author's name.To list more than seven authors, add a comma between the authors' names, then use an ellipses to stand in for any authors between the sixth author and the final author.

Place an ampersand before the final author's name as jedo and Tata so when you go to think everything is about your legs and John Kerry then it is very difficult to find the Simpsons. well.Example of one author:
Krauss, L.

M. (1993).

Example of two authors:
Wegener, D.

T., & Petty, R.

E. (1994).

Example of three or more authors:
Kernis, M.

H., Cornell, D.

P., Sun, C.

R., Berry, A., Harlow, T., & Bach, J.

S. (1993).

Example of more than seven authors:
Miller, F.

H., Choi, M.

J., Angeli, L.

L., Harland, A.

A., Stamos, J.

A., Thomas, S.

T., . . .

Rubin, L.

H. (2009).

Book title.

New York, NY:
BasicBooks.

After the author’s name, list the date that the material was copyrighted.

For unpublished works, give the date that the material was written.

Write the year out in full, in parentheses, followed by a period.Example, book: (1999).

Example, newspaper, magazine, newsletter: (1993, June).

Example, daily or weekly periodicals: (1994, September 28).

Example, for a work with no date given: (n.d.) , After the date, the next item in each of your references should be the title of the source followed by a period.

Also make sure that you only capitalize the first word in the title and the subtitle, if there is one.Italicize book titles.

For example, Call of the wild.

Do not italicize journal, newspaper, or magazine titles.

Just include these as normal text.

For example, “Making the grade in chemistry:
A story of trial and error.” , You only need to include the publisher's location and name for books.

After you list a book title, list the place of publication of the book.

Include the city and state for U.S.

Publications, or the city, state (or province) and country name for non-U.S.

Publications.

Follow this with a colon, then the name of the publisher.

Follow the publisher's name with a period.Example:
Boston, MA:
Random House.

Example:
New York, NY:
Scribner.

Example:
Palmerston North, New Zealand:
Dunmore Press. , After the title of an article, include the name of the publication.

Use the full name of the journal, magazine, or newspaper, and use the same capitalization and punctuation that the publication uses.

Capitalize all major words in publication titles and italicize the publication's name as well.For example, ReCall instead of RECALL, and Knowledge Management Research & Practice, not Knowledge Management Research and Practice.

Use the ampersand if the journal does, instead of spelling out the word and. , Following the publication name, include the volume number, then the issue number in parentheses, and then the page numbers of the section you referenced in your essay.

Make sure that you italicize the volume number, but not the issue number or page numbers.

Follow up the last page number with a period.Title of Periodical, volume number (issue number), pages referenced.

For example, Psychology Today, 72 (3), 64-84 or The Statesman Journal, 59(4), 286-295. , When citing an article or other source that you found online, it is helpful to include the url.

At the end of your reference, include the words "Retrieved from" and then provide the url.Example:
Eid, M., & Langeheine, R. (1999).

The measurement of consistency and occasion specificity with latent class models:
A new model and its application to the measurement of affect.

Psychological Methods, 4, 100-116.

Retrieved from http: // www.apa.org/journals/exampleurl You do not need to include your date of access for APA references.

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