APA Book Citations
Complete guide to citing books in APA format with examples for every book type
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Published: September 15, 2025
Basic Book Citation
The basic format for citing a book in APA style includes the author, publication year, title, and publisher.
Basic Format
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher.
Example:
Smith, J. A. (2023). Understanding psychology: A comprehensive guide. Academic Press.
Single Author Books
For books with one author, follow the basic format:
Print Book:
Brown, M. K. (2022). Digital transformation in education. University Press.
E-book with DOI:
Davis, L. (2023). Modern research methods. Academic Publishers.
https://doi.org/10.1000/example
https://doi.org/10.1000/example
E-book without DOI:
Johnson, R. (2023). Statistical analysis for beginners. Online Books.
https://www.onlinebooks.com/statistics
https://www.onlinebooks.com/statistics
Multiple Authors
Two Authors:
Smith, J. A., & Brown, M. K. (2023). Collaborative research methods.
Academic Press.
Academic Press.
Three to Twenty Authors:
Adams, B., Davis, C., Johnson, L., & Wilson, R. (2022). Team-based
learning strategies. Educational Publishers.
learning strategies. Educational Publishers.
Twenty-One or More Authors:
Smith, A., Brown, B., Davis, C., Johnson, D., Wilson, E., Taylor, F.,
Anderson, G., Thomas, H., Jackson, I., White, J., Harris, K., Martin, L.,
Thompson, M., Garcia, N., Martinez, O., Robinson, P., Clark, Q.,
Rodriguez, R., Lewis, S., ... Walker, Z. (2023). Large-scale research
collaboration. University Press.
Anderson, G., Thomas, H., Jackson, I., White, J., Harris, K., Martin, L.,
Thompson, M., Garcia, N., Martinez, O., Robinson, P., Clark, Q.,
Rodriguez, R., Lewis, S., ... Walker, Z. (2023). Large-scale research
collaboration. University Press.
Edited Books and Collections
Book with Editor(s):
Smith, J. A. (Ed.). (2023). Contemporary issues in psychology.
Academic Press.
Academic Press.
Multiple Editors:
Brown, M., & Davis, L. (Eds.). (2022). Advances in educational
technology. University Publishers.
technology. University Publishers.
Chapter in Edited Book:
Johnson, R. (2023). Social media and learning. In M. Brown & L. Davis
(Eds.), Advances in educational technology (pp. 45-67).
University Publishers.
(Eds.), Advances in educational technology (pp. 45-67).
University Publishers.
Special Book Types
Translated Book:
Freud, S. (2020). The interpretation of dreams (J. Strachey, Trans.).
Norton. (Original work published 1900)
Norton. (Original work published 1900)
Book with Edition:
Smith, A. (2023). Research methodology (5th ed.). Academic Press.
Book with Volume:
Brown, J. (2022). History of psychology: Vol. 2. Modern developments.
University Press.
University Press.
Republished Book:
Darwin, C. (2020). On the origin of species. Modern Library.
(Original work published 1859)
(Original work published 1859)
In-Text Citation Examples
Parenthetical Citation:
Recent research supports this theory (Smith, 2023).
Narrative Citation:
Smith (2023) argues that this approach is most effective.
Direct Quote with Page Number:
The author states, "This method yields the most reliable results" (Smith, 2023, p. 42).
Chapter Citation:
Johnson (2023) provides detailed analysis of social media effects.