How to Cite a Book in APA 7th Edition Format

How to Cite a Book in APA 7th Edition Format

This guide explains how to cite a book in APA 7th Edition, who uses this style, and when to apply it. APA (American Psychological Association) 7th Edition is the standard citation style for psychology, education, social sciences, and many other disciplines. Students, researchers, and professionals use it to credit sources and present references consistently.

What this guide covers

• General rules for APA 7 formatting
• Step-by-step citation examples for books, journals, websites, and other common sources
• In-text citation formats with examples
• Reference list formatting and a full example
• Common mistakes to avoid

General Rules

APA 7th Edition emphasizes author-date citations and a clear reference list. Use double-spacing and 1-inch margins for entire manuscripts unless your instructor or publisher specifies otherwise.

• Author names: Use last name, initials (e.g., Smith, J. K.). For up to 20 authors, list all names in the reference list; for in-text, list the first author followed by et al. for three or more authors.
• Publication date: Put the year in parentheses immediately after the author (e.g., (2020)).
• Title capitalization: Use sentence case for book and article titles (capitalize only the first word and any proper nouns).
• Italics: Italicize book and journal titles; do not italicize article or chapter titles.
• DOI/URL: Include DOI for works that have one; format as a URL (e.g., https://doi.org/xxxxx). For web pages, include the full URL.

How to Cite by Source Type

1. Books (single author)

Use this format for a standard print book with one author.

Format:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book: Subtitle if any. Publisher.

Example:

Wilson, R. L. (2021). Cognitive approaches to learning. Academic Press.

2. Books (two to 20 authors)

List all authors in the reference list separated by commas and an ampersand before the final author.

Format:

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title. Publisher.

Example:

Brown, T. J., Green, S. R., & White, L. N. (2019). Methods in behavioral research. Sage Publications.

3. Edited book or book chapter

For an edited book, list the editor(s) and include (Ed.) or (Eds.) after their names. For a chapter, cite the chapter author and include chapter title and page range.

Edited book format:

Editor, E. E. (Ed.). (Year). Title of book. Publisher.

Chapter in edited book format:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xx–xx). Publisher.

Example (chapter):

Martinez, L. R. (2018). Memory processes in adults. In J. K. Lee (Ed.), Advances in cognitive psychology (pp. 45–67). University Press.

4. E-books and Kindle

For an e-book with a DOI, include it. If no DOI, provide the publisher. A URL is optional unless the book is from an open-access site.

Format:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher. https://xxxxx

Example:

Nguyen, P. Q. (2020). Digital learning strategies. eLearn Publishing. https://elearn.example.com

5. Journal articles (brief)

Although this guide focuses on books, many readers need journal citation guidance too. Use this concise format for articles.

Format:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Example:

Garcia, M. L. (2022). Social cognition and behavior. Journal of Social Psychology, 34(2), 120–138. https://doi.org/10.1234/jsoc.2022.5678

6. Websites and web pages

For web pages with a specific author, include the author and date. When no date is available, use (n.d.).

Format:

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

Example:

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). APA style guidelines. https://www.apa.org/style

In-Text Citations

APA uses author-date in-text citations. Use parenthetical or narrative forms depending on how you write the sentence.

• Parenthetical citation: Place author and year in parentheses at the sentence end.
• Narrative citation: Use the author in the sentence and put the year in parentheses immediately after the name.

Examples (single author):

(Wilson, 2021) — parenthetical.

Wilson (2021) argues that cognitive strategies improve retention. — narrative.

Examples (two authors):

(Brown & Green, 2019) — parenthetical.

Brown and Green (2019) found... — narrative.

Examples (three or more authors):

(Garcia et al., 2022) — use et al. for three or more authors in every citation.

Direct quotes require a page number or other location identifier:

(Martinez, 2018, p. 52) or Martinez (2018, p. 52).

Reference List

Place the Reference list on a new page titled References (centered, bold optional per instructor). Entries should be alphabetized by the surname of the first author and double-spaced with a hanging indent.

Reference list formatting tips:

• Use a hanging indent for each reference (0.5 inch).
• Alphabetize by the first author’s surname.
• Capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle and proper nouns.
• Include DOIs formatted as URLs, e.g., https://doi.org/10.xxxx.

Complete reference example with several types:

Brown, T. J., Green, S. R., & White, L. N. (2019). Methods in behavioral research. Sage Publications.

Garcia, M. L. (2022). Social cognition and behavior. Journal of Social Psychology, 34(2), 120–138. https://doi.org/10.1234/jsoc.2022.5678

Martinez, L. R. (2018). Memory processes in adults. In J. K. Lee (Ed.), Advances in cognitive psychology (pp. 45–67). University Press.

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). APA style guidelines. https://www.apa.org/style

Common Mistakes

• Incorrect author formatting: Do not use full first names; use initials. Wrong: John Smith. Correct: Smith, J..
• Title capitalization errors: Use sentence case for book titles, not title case. Wrong: The Psychology Of Learning. Correct: The psychology of learning.
• Omitting DOIs or using outdated DOI formats: Always use the DOI as a full URL (e.g., https://doi.org/...).
• Misplacing punctuation and italics: Book titles are italicized; chapter titles are not. Check placement of commas, periods, and parentheses carefully.

Actionable Steps to Create Accurate APA 7 Book Citations

1. Identify the author(s), year, title, edition (if any), and publisher from your book.
2. Use sentence case for the title and italicize it. Include edition only if not the first (e.g., 3rd ed.).
3. Add DOI as a URL when available; otherwise include the publisher. For e-books, include a URL if necessary.
4. Create the in-text citation: author and year; add page number for direct quotes.
5. Verify formatting and alphabetization in your Reference list.

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Quick Checklist Before Submission

• All in-text citations have matching references in the reference list.
• Author names use initials and are spelled consistently.
• Book titles are in sentence case and italicized.
• DOIs are formatted as URLs where applicable.
• Reference list is alphabetized and uses hanging indents.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite an edited book chapter in APA 7th Edition?

Cite the chapter author, year, chapter title, editors, book title (italicized), and page range. Example: Martinez, L. R. (2018). Memory processes in adults. In J. K. Lee (Ed.), Advances in cognitive psychology (pp. 45–67). University Press.

Do I include the publisher location in APA 7 citations?

No. APA 7th Edition no longer requires the publisher location. Include only the publisher’s name (e.g., Academic Press), and add a DOI or URL when available.

Can I use a citation generator to create APA 7 references?

Yes. A reliable citation generator like Rephrasely's citation generator can save time and reduce manual errors. Always double-check the output against APA 7 guidelines, and validate with tools like the plagiarism checker and AI detector if needed.