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Citation Guide

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Additional Resources

Guide for General References 

More Reference Examples

Citing eBooks

Citing Databases

Citing Websites

Citing Archival Documents & Collections

APA 7th edition: Online Sources

According to the seventh edition of the APA manual, when available, you should include the DOI (digital object identifier) in the form of a URL (starting with https://...) for print and electronic sources in the reference entry. The DOI number is placed at the end of the entry without ending punctuation:

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume(issue). https://doi.org/xxxxx

More notes on online sources:

  • Include a DOI for all works that have a DOI, regardless of whether you used the online version or the print version. When a DOI is not available, and a URL is included, do not include retrieval dates unless the source material may change over time (e.g., wikis). A URL specifies the location of digital information on the internet and can be found in the address bar of your internet browser. URLs in references should link directly to the cited work when possible.
  • If an online work has a URL but no DOI, include the URL in the reference as follows:
    • For works without DOIs from websites (not including academic research databases), provide a URL in the reference (as long as the URL will work for readers).
    • For works without DOIs from most academic research databases, do not include a URL or database information in the reference because these works are widely available. The reference should be the same as the reference for a print version of the work.
    • For works from databases that publish original, proprietary material available only in that database (such as the UpToDate database) or for works of limited circulation in databases (such as monographs in the ERIC database), include the name of the database or archive and the URL of the work. If the URL requires a login or is session-specific (meaning it will not resolve for readers), provide the URL of the database or archive home page or login page instead of the URL for the work. See the page on including database information in references for more information. 
  • When citing an entire website when you are not quoting from, but rather making reference to an entire website, it is sufficient to give the address of the site in just the text. No entry in the reference list is necessary.
  • In general, it is not necessary to include database (EBSCO, JSTOR) information.

Additional DOI Information

APA 7th edition: Common Online Sources

Journal Article Online citation diagrammed

Journal article elements highlighted

If the book does not have a DOI and is an ebook from an academic research database, end the book reference after the publisher name. Do not include database information in the reference.  Include a URL for ebooks from other websites. Do not put a period after the DOI or URL.

APA eBook Diagrammed

ebook citation source

Website citation diagrammed

Webpage for Purgatory Resort

APA 7th edition: More Online Examples

 

 

Multi-Document Published on the Internet

 

If the document is composed of multiple web pages, give the URL of the home page or entry page for the document. If no publication or "last modified" date is apparent, use n.d. in place of the publication date. Retrieval dates: include only if the work is unarchived and designed to change over time. Most references do not include retrieval dates. 

Multi-document online citation diagrammed

 

Specific Chapter or Section of Document Published on the Internet

 

Give chapter or section numbers (if available) in place of page numbers. Provide the URL that points to the first page of the chapter or section you are citing. Retrieval dates: include only if the work is unarchived and designed to change over time. Most references do not include retrieval dates. 

 

Specific document on a webpage, no date, retrieved, from, citation diagrammed

 

Full-text Newspaper Article, no Author, Retrieved from an Online Database

 

Provide the URL of the newspaper home page when the online version of the article is available by search to avoid nonworking URLs. 

Newspaper online no author citation diagrammed

 

Entry in an Online Reference Work, no Author or Editor

 

If the online version refers to an existing print edition, include the edition number of the print version after the title. Retrieval dates: include only if the work is unarchived and designed to change over time. Most references do not include retrieval dates. 

Online reference entry citation diagrammed

Film or video

 

For a motion picture, the first executive producer and the first director should be listed as the responsible parties. If one of these parties fulfilled multiple creative roles in the film, all such roles should be listed. If credits for director and producer are not available, provide the name of the individual or organization most responsible for the work.

APA Motion Picture Diagrammed

 

Software

 

Do not italicize the names of software, programs, or languages. Include the version number (if any) in parentheses immediately after the title. Also, provide the location and name of the organization that produced the work (if applicable).  

Computer software citation diagrammed

 

 

Message Posted to a Newsgroup, Online Forum, or Discussion Group

 

NOTE: For the following three entries, Provide the author's full name (if available) in the form of last name followed by first initials. If only a screen name is available, provide the screen name in place of the author. Include the exact date of the posting followed by the subject line of the message or "thread." Also, if available, provide the name of the list to which the message was posted if this information is not already included in the URL.

Message posted to an online forum citation diagrammed

 

Blog Post

 

Blog post citation diagrammed

 

YouTube / Video Blog Post

 

YouTube post citation diagrammed

 

Images from a Website / Image Database

 

Image from a database citation diagrammed