3/24/2020 Encyclopedias & Dictionaries - APA Citation Guide (7th edition) - LibGuides at Columbia College (BC)

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Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

This guide shows you how to cite using APA 7th edition

Welcome How Do I Cite? In-Text Citation Reference List & Sample Paper

Annotated Bibliography More Help?

On This Page Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From Library Database - Known Author -
No DOI
Online Encyclopedia or
Dictionary From Library Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).

Database - Known Author - Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name
No DOI (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (edition if given and is not first
Online Encyclopedia or
Dictionary From Library edition, volume number if there is more than one, page range).

Database - Known Author - Publisher Name.

With DOI
Online Encyclopedia or
Dictionary From a Website -
Known Author
Online Encyclopedia or
Dictionary From a Web Site
- Group Author
Wikipedia
Encyclopedia or Dictionary
Entry In Print - Known
Author
Encyclopedia or Dictionary
In Print - Group Author
Tips
Authors/Editors
Maher, J. (2010). Work and mothering. In A. O’Reilly
(Ed.), Encyclopedia of motherhood (Vol. 3, pp. 1278-
Example
1283). SAGE.
(Author's Last Name, Year)
In-Text
Paraphrase Example: (Maher, 2010)
(Author's Last Name, Year, p. page number or section name
and paragraph number)
Example: (Maher, 2010, p. 1279)
In-Text
Quote Note: When there are no visible page numbers or paragraph
numbers, you may cite the section heading and the number of
the paragraph in that section to identify where your quote came
from.

If an encyclopedia or dictionary
entry does not indicate a specific
author or co-authors, begin the
citation with a group author such as
Merriam-Webster or American
Psychological Association, followed
by the year of publication in round
brackets.

Titles

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Capitalize the first letter of the first
Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From Library Database - Known Author -
word of the title of the entry and the With DOI
title of the encyclopedia or
dictionary. Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).

Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name
Capitalize the first letter of proper
names in titles, such as names of (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (edition if given and is not first

places or people. Example: edition). https://doi number

Canada

Publication Information for Stonard, J. (2016). Wall, Jeff(rey). In Grove art online.
Online Encyclopedias and Example
https://doi.org/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T096536
Dictonaries

Include the publisher name for (Author's Last Name, Year)

In-Text
an encyclopedia or dictionary Paraphrase Example: (Stonard, 2016)
where clearly identified, just as with
a book or ebook. If the author and
(Author's Last Name, Year, p. page number or section name and
publisher are the same, omit the
paragraph number)
publisher element.
In-Text Example: (Stonard, 2016, para. 1)
Some electronic content is
Quote Note: When there are no visible page numbers or paragraph
assigned a unique number called a
Digital Object Identifier (DOI). If a numbers, you may cite the section heading and the number of the

DOI is provided for an paragraph in that section to identify where your quote came from.

encyclopedia or dictionary, include

it after the name of the
encyclopedia or dictionary of the
Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From a Website - Known Author
entry and edition beginning with
"https:" Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).Title

You do not need to put a period of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.),

after a DOI number. Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (edition if given and is not first

If you accessed the encyclopedia edition). Retrieved date from url

or dictionary through a website,
provide the url. If the encyclopedia Beck, J., & Foley, D. (2015). Music composition. In The
or dictionary provides stable
Canadian encyclopedia. Retrieved January 20, 2020,
archived versions, link to the latest
Example from
one without "retrieved from"; no
statement of the retrieval date is https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/music-

necessary in this case. A statement composition

of the retrieval date should be

provided for any web pages that (First Author's Last Name & Second Author's Last Name, Year)
In-Text
are dynamic and not archived.
Paraphrase Example: (Beck & Foley, 2015)
When in doubt, provide a retrieval
date to help the reader in case the
(First Author's Last Name & Second Author's Last Name, Year,
entry you use is updated between
In-Text p. page number or section name and paragraph number)
the time you read it and the time
Quote
your reader looks at it. (Beck & Foley, 2012, para. 1)

In-Text Citation - Page Numbers

Page numbers may not be

available for an online dictionary or
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available for an online dictionary or
encyclopedia entry. Here are some Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From a Web Site - Group Author

options if you have no page

Name of Group Author. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial.
numbers and you are quoting
directly:
Count the paragraphs, and use that
number where you'd normally put
the page number. Put the word
"para." in front of it. Example:
(Smith, 2012, para. 3). This
example refers to the third
paragraph in the entry.
Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or
dictionary (edition if given and is not first edition). Retrieved from date
url
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Plagiarism. In Merriam-Webster.com
dictionary. Retrieved January 18, 2020,
Example
from https://www.merriam-
webster.com/dictionary/plagiarism

If the entry has section headings,

you can use those. Encyclopedia (Group author, Year)
In-Text
entries often have section
Paraphrase Example: (Merriam-Webster, n.d.)
headings. Enter the section
heading name, followed by the
(Group author, Year, p. page number or section name and
word "section" and then the
paragraph number)
number of the paragraph within
that section. Example: (Smith, In-Text Example: (Merriam-Webster, n.d., The Kidnapping Roots of
2012, Climate section, para. 2). Quote Plagiarize section)
This example refers to the second
Note: This entry has only section headings so only this
paragraph under the Climate
information can be included the citation.
section of the entry.

If there is only one paragraph and

no headings, as may be the case
for many dictionary entries, skip the
page/paragraph/section information
and give the author's name and
date only. Example: (Smith, 2012)

Formatting

Note: All citations should be double

spaced and have a hanging indent
in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that

each subsequent line after the first
line of your citation should be
indented by 0.5 inches.

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Wikipedia

Title of entry. (Year article was edited, Month Day). In Wikipedia. URL for
archived version of the article

Note: To find and cite the latest archived version, select "view history" in the
Wikipedia entry and choose the most recent date.

Wikipedia may not be considered an acceptable source for a college or

university assignment. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check your
assignment.

Veterinary medicine. (2019, December 29.). In

Example Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?

title=Veterinary_medicine&oldid=931891450

("Title of entry", Year)

In-Text
Paraphrase Example: ("Veterinary Medicine," 2019)

("Title of entry", year, Section Name section, para. Paragraph

Number)

Example: ("Veterinary Medicine," 2019, Paraveterinary Workers

section, para. 1)

In-Text Note: You may cite the section heading and count the number
Quote of the paragraph in that section to identify where your quote
came from. The title of the Wikipedia article and the Section
heading are in title case (i.e. with a capital letter at the
beginning of most words in the title), but only the title of the
article is in quotation marks.

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Encyclopedia or Dictionary Entry In Print - Known Author

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).
Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name
(Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (Volume number, pp. first
page of entry-last page of entry). Publisher Name often shortened.

King, P.N., & Wester L. (1998). Hawaii. In The world book

Example
encyclopedia (Vol. 9, pp. 88-110). World Book.

(Author's Last Name, Year)

In-Text
Paraphrase Example: (King & Wester, 1998)

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. page number or section name

In-Text and paragraph number)
Quote
(King & Wester, 1998, p. 90)

Encyclopedia or Dictionary In Print - Group Author

Name of Group Author. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial.
Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or
dictionary (Volume number if any, pp. first page of entry-last page of
entry or p. page number for one page entry). Publisher Name often
shortened.

Chambers Harrap. (2007). Crop circles. In U. McGovern (Ed.),

Example Chambers dictionary of the unexplained (p. 27).

Chambers.

(Group Author, Year)

In-Text
Paraphrase Example: (Chambers Harrap, 2007)

(Group Author, Year, p. Page Number)

In-Text
Quote Example: (Chambers Harrap, 2007, p. 27)

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