APA Referencing Guide

7th edition
Table of Contents
1. Introduction to the APA Referencing Style .............................................................................................3
1.1 What is the APA Referencing Style? ........................................................................................................... 3
1.2 Why do I need to cite my sources? ............................................................................................................. 3

2. In-text Citations ......................................................................................................................................4

2.1 Integral and non-integral in-text citations ................................................................................................. 4
2.2 Sources with one author ............................................................................................................................. 5
2.3 Sources with two authors ........................................................................................................................... 5
2.4 Sources with three or more authors ........................................................................................................... 5
2.5 Sources with a group author ....................................................................................................................... 5
2.6 Sources with no identified author or date .................................................................................................. 6
2.7 Citing multiple sources ................................................................................................................................ 6
2.8 Citing a secondary source ........................................................................................................................... 6
2.9 Direct quotations ......................................................................................................................................... 7
2.10 Citing a specific part of a source ............................................................................................................... 8

3. Reference List .........................................................................................................................................9

3.1 Formatting and Presentation.................................................................................................................... 10
3.2 Books / E-books ......................................................................................................................................... 10
3.2.1 Books with one author ...................................................................................................................... 11
3.2.2 Books with two authors .................................................................................................................... 11
3.2.3 Books with three or more authors.................................................................................................... 11
3.2.4 Edited books ...................................................................................................................................... 11
3.2.5 Chapter in edited books .................................................................................................................... 12
3.3 Journal Articles .......................................................................................................................................... 13
3.3.1 Journal articles with one author ....................................................................................................... 13
3.3.2 Journal articles with two authors ..................................................................................................... 13
3.3.3 Journal articles with multiple authors .............................................................................................. 14
3.3.4 Journal article with no identified author .......................................................................................... 14
3.4 Online Sources ........................................................................................................................................... 15
3.4.1 Websites ............................................................................................................................................ 15
3.4.2 Entries in online Encyclopaedias and dictionaries ........................................................................... 15
3.4.3 YouTube videos ................................................................................................................................. 16
3.4.4 Blog posts .......................................................................................................................................... 16
3.5 Other Sources ............................................................................................................................................ 17
3.5.1 Newspaper articles ............................................................................................................................ 17
3.5.3 Magazine articles ............................................................................................................................... 17
3.5.3 Entries in a print dictionary ............................................................................................................... 17
3.5.4 Images, figures and tables ................................................................................................................ 18
3.5.5 Other audio-visual media .................................................................................................................. 20
3.6 Reference list entries with missing elements ........................................................................................... 21

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1. Introduction to the APA Referencing Style

1.1 What is the APA Referencing Style?

The APA referencing style is the official referencing style of the American Psychological
Association (APA). This referencing style is widely used in writings in the social sciences. For
more information regarding the APA style, please visit http://www.apastyle.org.

1.2 Why do I need to cite my sources?

It is important, both ethically and legally, to use the specified standardised style of your field
of study when producing academic work in order to acknowledge and give credit to the
original author of the sources you have used. Furthermore, by properly citing your sources
you are enabling the reader to locate the provided source of information.

The two ways in which sources should be cited in your work are:

1. Providing in-text citations in your writing. These should include the last name of the
author(s), the year of publication, and page number if you are directly quoting information.

2. Including the source in a reference list on a new page at the end of your document. The
reference list should include all the sources used in your work in an alphabetical order.

In-text citation
According to Gallaghan (2014), students attending online courses often…
In a study conducted by (Harris, 2016), children learned...
Corresponding
Gallaghan, S. (2014). An overview of online learning. Oxford University Press.
Reference List entry

NB A reference list should only include works that are cited in your body of work in order to
support ideas and claims. Works that you read for background or further reading but are not
cited in your work should not be included unless you are specifically asked to provide a
bibliography and not a reference list.

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2. In-text Citations
The APA referencing style implements the author-date method of in-text citation. This means
that an in-text citation which includes the last name of the author(s) and the year of
publication of the source should appear within the body of the work each time you
incorporate information through paraphrasing, summarising or quoting. When referring to or
quoting a specific part of a source, you should also provide a page number.

Examples of in-text citations

Smith (2019) argues that students who are active learners and take responsibility for their
learning can challenge themselves.

Plagiarism is defined at the “the act of presenting the words, ideas, or images of another
author as your own” (Rosso, 2020, p. 24).

2.1 Integral and non-integral in-text citations

In-text citations may be integral or non-integral, depending on whether the name of the
author is a grammatical part of a sentence.

The last name of the author(s) appears in the running text, and the date appears in
parentheses immediately after the author’s name for an integral citation. The author’s name
can be included in the sentence in any place it makes sense.

Both the author and the date, separated by a comma, appear in parentheses for a non-
integral citation.

Examples
Integral in-text citation: Fen and Turner (2016) demonstrate that overall population growth
has slowed in developed countries over the past fifty years.

Non-integral in-text citation: Overall population growth has slowed in developed countries
over the past fifty years (Fen & Turner, 2016).

NB In non-integral in-text citations, you should replace the word ‘and’ with an ampersand (&)
between the authors’ name for a work with two authors.

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2.2 Sources with one author

Integral in-text citation Jefferson (2014)

Non-integral in-text citation (Jefferson, 2014)

2.3 Sources with two authors

Both names need to be mentioned every time the source is cited in the text.
Integral in-text citation Koehl and Rosso (2017)
Non-integral in-text citation (Koehl & Rosso, 2017)

2.4 Sources with three or more authors

You should provide the name of the first author followed by ‘et al.’ (from the Latin ‘et alia’
meaning ‘and others’).
Integral in-text citation Yang et al. (2017)
Non-integral in-text citation (Yang et al., 2017)

NB ‘et al.’ is only used in in-text citations. You should provide the name of all authors in the
corresponding reference list entry.

2.5 Sources with a group author

Integral in-text citation Harvard University (2020)

Non-integral in-text citation (Harvard University, 2020)

If you wish to define an abbreviation for a group author, both the group author and
abbreviation should be included the first time the in-text citation appears. For all subsequent
mentions, you should use the abbreviation only.
First Citation
Integral in-text citation American Psychological Association (APA, 2020)
Non-integral in-text citation (American Psychological Association [APA], 2020)
Subsequent Citations
Integral in-text citation APA (2020)
Non-integral in-text citation (APA, 2020)

NB In the corresponding reference list entry, you should not abbreviate the group author
name.

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2.6 Sources with no identified author or date
For sources with an unknown author, you should include the title (or a shortened version of
it) and year of publication in the in-text citation. Italicise the title in the in-text citation if it is
also italicised in the reference list entry (e.g. book or periodical titles) or use double quotation
marks if it is not (e.g. article or book chapter titles). For works with no date, please use ‘n.d.’.
No author
Integral in-text citation “Sensory Memory” (2019)
Non-integral in-text citation (“Sensory Memory”, 2019)
No date
Integral in-text citation Krachenski (n.d.)
Non-integral in-text citation (Krachenski, n.d.)

2.7 Citing multiple sources

If multiple sources share the same viewpoint, you can list them together at the relevant point
in the sentence.
In non-integral citations, please list the in-text citations in alphabetical order separating them
with semicolons (;). The order in which the sources appear is less important in integral in-text
citations.
Integral in-text citation Suliman (2018), Gutierrez (2012), and Medina and Reyes (2019)
Non-integral in-text citation (Gutierrez, 2012; Medina and Reyes, 2019; Suliman, 2018)

2.8 Citing a secondary source

You may wish to cite a work which you have seen being mentioned by another author but
that you have not actually read yourself. This is called a secondary source.
The in-text citation for secondary sources should include both the author of the work you
have read and the one you have not read but you have seen being mentioned.
Integral in-text citation McMahon (2000, as cited in Peterson, 2017)
Non-integral in-text citation (McMahon, 2000, as cited in Peterson, 2017)

Author mentioned in the book: McMahon (2000)

Book you are reading: Peterson (2017)
NB In your corresponding reference list entry, you should provide the details only of the item
which you have read.

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2.9 Direct quotations

A direct quotation is a verbatim reproduction of information from another work. The use of
direct quotations should be scarce and, instead, paraphrasing or summarising sources should
be preferred as this allows you to fit material to the context of your essay and writing style.
When quoting directly, you should always provide the author, year, and add the page number
on which the information can be found.

▪ Short direct quotations

For quotations of fewer than 40 words, you should add double quotation marks around the
words and incorporate the quote into your body of work. The last name of the author(s), year
of publication and page number(s) need to be included in both integral and non-integral in-
text citations for short direct quotes. In integral in-text citations, the page number or other
location information in parentheses after the quotation.

Examples
Integral in-text citation: Knight and Trowler (2000) note that “the ways in which academic
staff experience their work often inhibit them from taking up what the research consensus
suggests are ways to be better teachers” (p. 69).

Non-integral in-text citation: It has been noted that “the ways in which academic staff
experience their work often inhibit them from taking up what the research consensus
suggests are ways to be better teachers” (Knight & Trowler, 2000, p. 69).

▪ Long direct quotations

For longer direct quotations (over 40 words), you should not use quotation marks but,
instead, you should start a block quotation on a new line and indent the whole block 0.5
inches (1.27cm) from the left margin. The block quotation should be double spaced.
You can either cite the source in parentheses after the quotation’s final punctuation (non-
integral in-text citation) or cite the author and year in the narrative before the quotation and
place only the page number in parentheses after the quotation’s final punctuation (integral
in-text citation).

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Examples

Integral in-text citation:

Flores et al. (2018) described how they addressed potential researcher bias when working
with an intersectional community of transgender people of colour:
Everyone on the research team belonged to a stigmatized group but also held
privileged identities. Throughout the research process, we attended to the ways in
which our privileged and oppressed identities may have influenced the research
process, findings, and presentation of results. (p. 311)

Non-integral in-text citation:

The potential researcher bias when working with an intersectional community of transgender
people of colour has been described as follows:
Everyone on the research team belonged to a stigmatized group but also held
privileged identities. Throughout the research process, we attended to the ways in
which our privileged and oppressed identities may have influenced the research
process, findings, and presentation of results. (Flores et al., 2018, p. 311)

NB When providing a page number, use "p." for a single page; for multiple pages use “pp.”
and separate the page range with a dash (e.g. pp. 29-30).

2.10 Citing a specific part of a source

You may wish to cite a specific part of a source, regardless of whether quoting information or
not (e.g. if you want to refer to a specific table or image in a source). In this case, including a
page number is also recommended.

If you are quoting or citing a specific part of a source but there are no visible page numbers
in the source you are using, please cite any identifiable information such as the paragraph
number, section heading, PowerPoint slide number, etc.
Examples: Smith (2016, Hospital Experiences section, para. 2)
(Smith, 2016, Hospital Experiences section, para. 2)

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3. Reference List
Each distinct in-text citation in your work must have a corresponding entry in a reference list
at the end of your document. The reference list provides a reliable way for readers to locate
the sources your work has cited.

A reference list entry generally has four elements: the author, date, title, and source. Each
element answers a question:
▪ author: Who is responsible for this work?
▪ date: When was this work published?
▪ title: What is this work called?
▪ source: Where can I retrieve this work?

If available, a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is provided to help the reader easily locate a
source as it provides a unique series of numbers, letters and symbols used to permanently
identify an article or document and link to it on the web.
In the APA referencing style, you should include the DOI in the reference list entry for all print
or online works that have one. If an online work has a URL but no DOI, please include the URL
in the reference list entry.

Sample paragraph and corresponding reference list

Plagiarism is defined as “the act of presenting the words, ideas, or images of another as your
own” (Rosso, 2020, p. 24). To avoid plagiarism, students should give proper credit to the
sources from which they have gathered information, whether they are quoting the material
directly or paraphrasing. However, Barker and Ferreri (2019) argue that the use of direct
quotes in an essay should be limited.

References

Barker, K., & Ferreri, R. (2019). Author guidelines for electronic references. Journal of

Asynchronous Education, 13(2), 92-96. https://doi.org/10.1037/00000428-0

Rosso, F. (2020). Introduction to academic writing (2nd ed.). Heinemann Publications.

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3.1 Formatting and Presentation

▪ Start the reference list on a new page after the text and before any tables, figures,
and/or appendices.
▪ Label the reference list ‘References’, capitalised, in bold, and centred.
▪ Double-space all reference list entries (including between and within references).
▪ Use a hanging indent for all references; this means that the first line of each reference
is flush left, and any subsequent lines are indented by 0.5 inches (1.27cm).
▪ Arrange entries in alphabetical order by the last name of the first author followed by
the initials of the author’s given name(s). Entries by authors who have the same initial
and last name should be organised chronologically, with the oldest presented first.

3.2 Books / E-books

The author’s last name
should appear first, followed
by a comma and the author’s
initials. All initials should be
followed by a period.
The year of publication Book titles should be italicised. Capitalise the
should appear within first word of the title and all other proper
parentheses. The nouns. If the book has an edition number,
parentheses should be include the ordinal number and ‘ed.’ (e.g.
followed by a period. 2nd ed.,7th ed.) within parentheses. The
title or brackets enclosing the edition should
be followed by a period.

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of the book (# ed.). Publisher. DOI or
URL
For sources with multiple Include a DOI if available (can be Include the name of the
authors, add a comma after added as active hyperlink or plain publisher followed by a
each preceding author’s text). Include a URL only for e- period.
initials. Add a comma and an books that are not retrieved from
ampersand before the final academic research databases. A
author’s name. DOI or URL should not be followed
by a period.

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3.2.1 Books with one author
Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of book (edition number if relevant). Publisher. DOI
or URL (if available)

Brown, L. S. (2018). Feminist therapy (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association.

https://doi.org/10.1037/0000092-000

3.2.2 Books with two authors

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of the book (edition number if
relevant). Publisher. DOI or URL (if available)

McMillan, K., & Weyers, J. D. B. (2011). How to write essays and assignments. Pearson.

3.2.3 Books with three or more authors

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year of publication). Title of the book (edition
number if relevant). Publisher. DOI or URL (if available)

Staden, I., McLean, J., Bergsma, G., Dowman, B., Petrie, K., Higgens, D., McCloud, R., Jessop,
L., & Duncan, P. (2017). An introduction to quantitative analysis in finance. Houghton.

Provide last names and initials for up to and including 20 authors. When there are 21 or more
authors, include the first 19 authors’ names, insert an ellipsis (…) instead of an ampersand,
and then add the final author’s name.

Wu, R., Ray, A., Shorbe, J., Bonny, P., Llamas, K., Taylor, J., Bean, N., Abdullah, A., Agus,
S., O'Donel, A., Holt, I., Sutton, P., Ricci, F., Walsh, K., William, A. N., Tucker, C. S. M.,
Pritchett, M., Richardson, S. M., Mitch, N., ... Xu, W. (2010). Nature. Elsevier Press.

3.2.4 Edited books

Editor, A. A. (Ed.). (Year). Title of the book (edition number if relevant). Publisher. DOI or URL
(if available)

Kesharwani, P. (Ed.). (2020). Nanotechnology based approaches for tuberculosis treatment

(3rd ed.). Oxford Academic Press.

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3.2.5 Chapter in edited books
Author, A.A., & Author, B.B of the chapter. (Year of publication). Title of the chapter. In A. A.
Editor & B. B. Editor of the book (Eds.), Title of the book (edition number if relevant,
pp. #–# page range of the chapter). Publisher. DOI or URL (if available)

Aron, L., Botella, M., & Lubart, T. (2019). Culinary arts: Talent and their development. In R. F.
Subotnik, P. Olszewski-Kubilius, & F. C. Worrell (Eds.), The psychology of high
performance: Developing human potential into domain-specific talent (pp. 345–359).
American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000120-016

Dillard, J. P. (2020). Currents in the study of persuasion. In M. B. Oliver (Ed.), Media effects:
Advances in theory and research (4th ed., pp. 115–129). Routledge.

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3.3 Journal Articles

The author’s last name The year of publication Capitalise the first Capitalise all major
should appear first, followed should appear within word of the title and words. The name of the
by a comma and the author’s parentheses. all other proper periodical (journal)
initials. All initials should be The parentheses should nouns. The title should appear in italics
followed by a period. be followed by a period. should be followed by and be followed by a
a period. comma.

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of the article. Name of the Periodical,
volume(issue), #–#. DOI

The volume number The issue number Include the article Include a DOI if available. It is
should be in italics. should be enclosed in page range, using a acceptable to leave the
Do not put a space parentheses but should dash (-) between the hyperlink active (in blue font
between the volume not be in italics. Add a page numbers. The and underlined) or present it
number and the comma after the page range should be as plain text that is not
parentheses around parentheses. If there is followed by a period. underlined. The DOI should
the issue number. no issue number, not be followed by a period.
follow the volume
number with a comma.

3.3.1 Journal articles with one author

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of the article. Name of the Periodical, volume(issue),
#–#. DOI (if available)

Nakley, S. (2015). On the unruly power of pain in Middle English drama. Literature
and Medicine, 33(2), 302-325. https://doi.org/10.1353/lm.2015.0022

3.3.2 Journal articles with two authors

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of the article. Name of the Periodical,
volume (issue), #–#. DOI (if available)

Norcross, J. C., & Wampold, B. E. (2011). What works for whom: Tailoring psychotherapy to
the person. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 67, 127–132.

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3.3.3 Journal articles with multiple authors

Author, A. A., Author, B. B, & Author, C. C. (Year of publication). Title of the article. Name of
the Periodical, volume(issue), #–#. DOI (if available)

Torrance, M., Thomas, G. V., & Robinson, E. J. (1999). Individual differences in the writing
behaviour of undergraduate students. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 69,
189-199.

Provide last names and initials for up to and including 20 authors. When there are 21 or more
authors, include the first 19 authors’ names, insert an ellipsis (…) instead of an ampersand,
and then add the final author’s name.

Kalnay, E., Kanamitsu, M., Kistler, R., Collins, W., Deaven, D., Gandin, L., Iredell, M., Saha, S.,
White, G., Woollen, J., Zhu, Y., Chelliah, M., Ebisuzaki, W., Higgins, W., Janowiak, J.,
Mo, K. C., Ropelewski, C., Wang, J., Leetmaa, A., . . . Joseph, D. (1996). The NCEP/NCAR
40-year reanalysis project. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 77(3),
437–471. http://doi.org/fg6rf9

3.3.4 Journal article with no identified author

When a journal has no identified author, the reference list entry should begin with the title
of the article.

Supporting healthy and normal physiologic childbirth: A consensus statement by ACNM,

MANA, and NACPM. (2013). Journal of Perinatal Education, 22(1), 14-18.

14
3.4 Online Sources

3.4.1 Websites

Author, A. A. or Group Author. (Year, Month Day). Title. Website name (if different to
author). URL

Machado, J., & Turner, K. (2020, March 7). The future of feminism. Vox.
https://www.vox.com/identities/2020/3/7/21163193/international-womens-day-
2020

World Health Organization. (2018, May 24). The top 10 causes of

death. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-
death

NB When the author and website name are the same (as in the second example), you
should omit the website name to avoid repetition.

3.4.2 Entries in online Encyclopaedias and dictionaries

Author, A. A. / Group Author. (Year). Word defined. In Title. Publisher (if different to author).
Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL

Since entries in online dictionaries are updated over time and are not archived, you should
include a retrieval date in the reference. Including this date indicates to readers that the
version of the work they retrieve may be different from the version you used.
Remember that you should specify (n.d.) if no date is present in the entry.

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Geriatric. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved March 4,

2021, from https://www.merriamwebster.com/dictionary/geriatric

NB When the author and publisher are the same (as in the example), you should omit the
name of the publisher to avoid repetition.

15
3.4.3 YouTube videos

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title [Video]. YouTube. URL

You should use the name of the account that uploaded the video as the author. If both an
author’s username and real name are known, provide the real name of the individual or
group, followed by the username in square brackets.

American Psychological Association. (2014, March 19). Measuring and analyzing human
behavior in the world of gaming [Video]. YouTube.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPZAo1L63

Fogarty, M. [Grammar Girl]. (2020, March 10). ‘Pandemic’ vs. ‘epidemic’—

What's the difference? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsbgO

3.4.4 Blog posts

Author A, A. (Year, Month Day). Title. Blog Name. URL

Ouellette, J. (2019, November 15). Physicists capture footage of quantum knots unraveling
in superfluid. Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/science/2019/11/study-you-
can-tie-a-quantum-knot-in-a-superfluid-but-it-will-soon-untie-itself/

16
3.5 Other Sources

3.5.1 Newspaper articles

Author, A.A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Newspaper, #–# if available. URL (if
retrieved online)

Reynolds, G. (2019, April 9). Different strokes for athletic hearts. The New York Times, 44-45.

Smith, T. (2016, May 25). Psychiatry handbook linked to drug industry. The New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/25/05/psychiatry-handbook

3.5.3 Magazine articles

Author, A.A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Magazine, volume(issue), page
number. DOI or URL (if available)

Bustillos, M. (2013, March 19). On video games and storytelling: An interview with Tom
Bissell. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/books/page-turner/on-
videogames

Lyons, D. (2009, June 15). Don't ‘iTune’ us: It’s geeks versus writers. Guess who’s
winning. Newsweek, 153(24), 27.

3.5.3 Entries in a print dictionary

Author, A. A. / Group Author. (Year). Word defined. In Title (edition, page number). Publisher
(if different to author).

Brown, J. (2019). Assimilate. In Collins English dictionary (8th ed., p. 72). HarperCollins.

17
3.5.4 Images, figures and tables

Images and figures may include graphs, images, charts, maps, screenshots, photographs,
drawings or any other illustrations whereas tables include text and/or numbers that are
arranged in columns and rows. Remember that any visuals used in your work should enhance
the reader’s understanding of the content and should not merely be included for visual
interest purposes.

Please note that this section provides guidance for unpublished works only (e.g. student
assignments). For information on how to use and cite figures in works that are going to be
published, the APA manual provides comprehensive formatting and referencing advice,
including details on writing copyright statements.

You can use images, figures, and tables in your work in two ways:
1. Place all visuals on a separate page after the reference list.
2. Embed each figure within the text.
It is advisable to check with your tutor whether placing images or figures in your work is
accepted, and, if so, which of the two options would be preferred.

Visuals included (and not simply cited) in your work should contain the following components:
▪ Number: The figure number (e.g. Figure 1) or table number (e.g. Table 3) appears above
the figure/table title and image in bold font. You should number figures/tables in the
order in which they are mentioned in your paper.
▪ Title: The figure/table title appears on the next double-spaced line below the figure/table
number. The title should be in italics and all major words should be capitalised.
▪ Image/Figure/Table: Add the visual you wish to include.
▪ Legend (if applicable): Any present figure legend or key should be positioned within the
borders of the figure and explains any symbols used in the figure image.
▪ Note: A note can appear below the figure/table to describe contents of the figure that
cannot be understood from the figure title, image, and/or legend alone. If no notes are
applicable, simply use the word "Source:" and provide the author date, and page number
(if extracting an image from a book or journal article).

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In-text citations
Visuals included in your work
Visuals simply cited in your work
(not included in your work)
…occupational groups' smoking habits (Figure 1)
Table 1 contrasts the success rates...
Edwards et al. (2012) illustrate how the smoking habits of… (p. 332).
West (2006) contrasts the success rates... (p. 459).

Reference list

If you include or refer to a visual from a book or journal article (in which the visual
is not credited to a separate creator or illustrator), simply reference the book or journal article
in which the image was printed as explained in sections 3.2 and 3.3 of this guide.

If referencing an image from an online source, you should follow the following format:

Author/Creator. (Year) Title [Medium: Photograph, Graph, Clip art, Painting, etc.]. Name of
Website. URL

West, R. (2006). Catastrophic pathways to smoking cessation: Findings from

Visuals from a
national survey. British Medical Journal, 332(7539), 458
journal article
460. https://doi.org/10.1321012E

Visuals from a book Edwards, R., Peace, J., & Stanley, J. (2012). Nicotine & Tobacco Trends.
Macmillan.

Rossman, J., & Palmer, R. (2017). Space junk [Infographic]. World Science
Visuals from online
Festival. https://www.worldsciencefestival.com/2015/11/space-
sources
junk/infographic/

19
3.5.5 Other audio-visual media

Audio-visual sources such as films, interviews, songs, TED talks, PowerPoint slides, webinars,
etc. can be somewhat confusing to cite; however, the following format is typically used for all
media:

Author, A. (Role if necessary). (Year). Title [Format]. Source. URL

Examples

▪ Film
Davidson, J. (Director). (1999). B. F. Skinner: A fresh appraisal [Film]. Davidson Films.

▪ Lecture notes / PowerPoint slides

Housand, B. (2016). Game on! Integrating games and simulations in the classroom
[PowerPoint slides]. SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/brianhousand/game-on-
iagc-2016/

▪ Map
Cable, D. (2013). The racial dot map [Map]. University of Virginia, Weldon Cooper Center for
Public Service. https://demographics.coopercenter.org/Racial-Dot-Map

▪ Song
Childish Gambino. (2018). This is America [Song]. RCA.

▪ Webinar
Goldberg, J. F. (2018). Evaluating adverse drug effects [Webinar]. American Psychiatric
Association. https://education.psychiatry.org/Users/ProductDetails.aspx?

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3.6 Reference list entries with missing elements

Sometimes the information needed to create a reference list entry is missing or unknown. In
this case, there are various solutions to adapt the reference.

Missing element Solution

Author Provide the title, date, and source.
Title. (Date). Source.
Date Provide the author, write “n.d.” for “no date,” and then provide the title
and source.
Author. (n.d.). Title. Source.
Title Provide the author and date, describe the work in square brackets, and
then provide the source.
Author. (Date). [Description of work]. Source.

Important note
1. Any colour coding or highlighting appearing in in-text citations or reference list entries in this
guide has been used merely for emphasis and should not be implemented in your own work.
2. This Referencing Guide covers the basics of how to reference correctly using the APA referencing
style. For information on how to reference types of sources which are not covered in this short
guide, please consult the official APA Publication Manual or visit http://www.apastyle.org.

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