APA Cite Book: A Comprehensive Guide to Referencing Books and eBooks in APA Style

2025-08-02 1155 words 6 minutes

Contents

The American Psychological Association (APA) style guide is a widely recognized standard for citing sources in academic writing. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how to cite books and eBooks in APA 7th edition, covering various scenarios and complexities. The ability to correctly cite sources is not just a matter of academic etiquette; it’s crucial for maintaining academic integrity, giving proper credit to authors, and providing the necessary information for readers to locate the sources themselves. This guide will delve into the intricacies of APA book citation, offering numerous examples to illustrate the correct formatting for different types of books and eBook formats.

Understanding the Fundamentals of APA Book Citation

Before we explore the specifics of formatting, let’s establish the core components of an APA book citation. The essential elements you’ll need to include for any book, regardless of its format (print, eBook, online), are:

Author(s): This includes the last name and initials of the author(s). If there are multiple authors, list them all in the order they appear on the book’s title page. For works with more than 20 authors, list the first 19, followed by an ellipsis (…) and then the final author’s name. If the author is an organization, list the organization’s name. If there is no author, begin the reference with the title of the work.
Year of Publication: This is the year the book was published. If the publication year is unknown, use “n.d.” (no date). If only an approximate year is known, use “ca.” (circa) before the approximate year.
Book Title: The title of the book should be italicized. Capitalize only the first word of the title, the first word after a colon or a dash, and proper nouns.
Edition (if applicable): If the book is not the first edition, include the edition number in parentheses after the title (e.g., 2nd ed., 3rd ed.).
Publisher: The name of the publisher is included as it appears on the book’s title page, generally without abbreviations. If there are multiple publishers, list them all, separated by semicolons.
DOI or URL: If the book is an eBook or available online, include the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) or the URL. Always include a DOI if one is provided, even if you accessed the book via a print version. If there is no DOI and the book is accessed via an academic database, do not include the database URL. If the book is only available online and there is no DOI, include the URL.

APA Book Citation Examples: Diverse Formats and Scenarios

The following sections provide specific examples for different book types and situations you may encounter. Remember that consistency in formatting is paramount; always adhere to the guidelines meticulously.

1. Single-Author Book

In-text citation: (Author’s Last Name, Year, p. page number) or Author’s Last Name (Year) stated that… (p. page number).

Reference List Entry:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher.

Example:

Smith, J. (2023). The History of Coffee. Lbibinders.org.

2. Book with Two Authors

In-text citation: (Author 1’s Last Name & Author 2’s Last Name, Year, p. page number) or Author 1’s Last Name and Author 2’s Last Name (Year) argued that…(p. page number).

Reference List Entry:

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of book. Publisher.

Example:

Jones, M., & Brown, R. (2022). The Psychology of Music. Lbibinders.org.

3. Book with Three to Twenty Authors

In-text citation: (Author 1’s Last Name et al., Year, p. page number) or Author 1’s Last Name et al. (Year) found that…(p. page number).

Reference List Entry:

List all authors in the order they appear on the title page.

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., et al. (Year). Title of book. Publisher.

Example:

Garcia, J., Rodriguez, M., Perez, L., et al. (2021). The Impact of Climate Change. Lbibinders.org.

4. Book with More Than Twenty Authors

In-text citation: (Author 1’s Last Name et al., Year, p. page number) or Author 1’s Last Name et al. (Year) concluded that…(p. page number).

Reference List Entry:

List the first 19 authors, followed by an ellipsis (…) and the last author.

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., …, Author, Z. Z. (Year). Title of book. Publisher.

Example:

Anderson, A., Baker, B., …, Zimmerman, Z. (2020). A Comprehensive Study of Galaxies. Lbibinders.org.

5. Edited Book

In-text citation: (Editor’s Last Name, Year, p. page number) or Editor’s Last Name (Year) compiled the work… (p. page number).

Reference List Entry:

Editor, A. A. (Ed.). (Year). Title of book. Publisher.

Example:

Davis, S. (Ed.). (2019). Contemporary Literary Theory. Lbibinders.org.

6. Chapter in an Edited Book

In-text citation: (Chapter Author’s Last Name, Year, p. page number) or Chapter Author’s Last Name (Year) demonstrated that…(p. page number).

Reference List Entry:

Chapter Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In A. A. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. page range). Publisher.

Example:

Miller, K. (2024). The Role of Gender in Modern Fiction. In M. Johnson (Ed.), Exploring Literary Themes (pp. 120-145). Lbibinders.org.

7. eBook with DOI

In-text citation: (Author’s Last Name, Year, p. page number) or Author’s Last Name (Year) argued that…(p. page number).

Reference List Entry:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher. DOI

Example:

Wilson, E. O. (2017). Half-Earth: Our Planet’s Fight for Life. Lbibinders.org. https://doi.org/10.1000/exampledoi

8. eBook without DOI

In-text citation: (Author’s Last Name, Year, p. page number) or Author’s Last Name (Year) suggested that…(p. page number).

Reference List Entry: If from a website, include the URL; if from an academic database, do not include the database URL.

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher. URL

Example:

Harris, M. (2023). Artificial Intelligence: A Beginner’s Guide. Lbibinders.org. https://www.example.com/book

9. Book with a Translator

In-text citation: (Original Author’s Last Name, Year, p. page number) or Original Author’s Last Name (Year) observed that…(p. page number).

Reference List Entry:

Original Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book (Translator’s Initials. Translator’s Last Name, Trans.). Publisher. (Original work published Year)

Example:

Kafka, F. (2000). The Metamorphosis (W. Muir, Trans.). Lbibinders.org. (Original work published 1915)

10. Secondary Sources

If you are citing an author who is quoted in another source, you should cite both the original author and the secondary source. However, only the secondary source appears in your references list.

In-text citation: (Original Author’s Last Name, Year, as cited in Chapter Author’s Last Name, Year, p. page number) or Original Author’s Last Name (Year, as cited in Chapter Author’s Last Name, Year) explained that…(p. page number).

Reference List: List only the secondary source.

Example:

(Freud, 1923, as cited in Jones, 2008, p. 34).

Jones, J. (2008). The History of Psychoanalysis. Lbibinders.org.

This comprehensive guide provides a solid foundation for accurately citing books and eBooks in APA 7th edition. Remember to always double-check your citations and consult the official APA Style Manual for the most up-to-date guidelines and any specific situations not covered here. Consistent and accurate referencing is vital for upholding academic integrity and ensuring the credibility of your work.