How to Cite a Book in APA Format

The American Psychological Association requires specific formatting and style for its publications. The field of psychology, however, is not the only field that follows the APA Manual. Many of the other social sciences, including education and sociology, also use this structure for writing. When a book or other source is referenced in the text of a paper, a citation is necessary to show that the information is borrowed and is not original thinking. Although there are many details to learn, citing a book is a good starting place for using APA.

Instructions

  1. In-Text Citations for a Book

    • 1

      Cite a direct quote. When a line is borrowed exactly from a reference, it must be marked as such. Place the information in quotation marks. Add a space after the ending quotation. A basic book citation is written inside parentheses, with the author's last name, the publishing year and the page from which the quote was taken. Be sure to add a comma and space after the author's name and the year, and insert a small p and a period and space before the page number. End the citation with a period outside of the parentheses. "For example, a direct quote should look like this." (Smith, 2012, p. 12).

    • 2

      Cite a paraphrase. If information from a reference is restated in your own words, it must still include a citation, as it is not your idea. The statement does not need to be placed inside quotation marks; the citation will show that it is a paraphrase. At the end of the sentence, do not put a period. Instead, add a space and a citation like that used for a direct quote. A page number is not necessary for paraphrased information. Place a period after the citation. A paraphrased sentence should look like this (Smith, 2012).

    • 3

      Cite a block quote. When a direct quote is longer than 40 words, it must be written in a separate block of text. To do this, introduce the quote by using the author's name, followed by the publishing date in parentheses. A short introductory phrase, such as "Smith (2012) said," is sufficient. After the phrase, insert a colon and enter down to the next line. Tab one time and begin the direct quote. Each line of the quote should be tabbed once, so that the it forms a block shape, separate from the rest of the text. Do not use quotation marks. At the end of the quote, use a period, insert a space and identify the page number from the book inside parentheses. The ending of a block quotation would look like this. (p. 12)

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