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Quinebaug Valley Campus Library

Quinebaug Valley Citing Sources - APA Style

What are References?

References are the full citations of sources used in your paper. At the end of your paper, you'll have a reference list that will include all of the full citations of sources referenced in your paper. 

APA citations follow a very particular system that must be adhered to exactly. This consistency helps your professor and future readers efficiently and accurately access the materials you used. This page includes:

  • Information on how to use DOIs, URLs, and Permalinks in APA
  • Examples of how to create different references:
    • Books
    • Articles and Webpages
    • Audiovisual Materials (movies, videos, images)
  • Examples of special cases (e.g. what to do if the author has two last names). 

For information on how to format your reference list, check out the Formatting Page on this guide. 

DOIs, URLs, and Permalinks

For any source you cite, you will need to record where you found the information. For digital and online sources, this means including a DOI or Permalink URL.

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a unique identifier for a digital object (such as an online article or e-book) similar to an ISBN (International Standard Book Number) on a book. DOIs are used to permanently link documents on the web and help readers find them even if the document's physical location changes.

Permalink URLs

A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is the string of data that tells your internet browser where to go (literally an internet address). However, when using search engines or databases, temporary session URLs are created. Permalinks (or stable URLs) are links that remain constant and stable over time. Permalinks are the best way to return to an e-resource at a later date and should be used in citations. All library databases provide a way to generate or copy a permalink to aid in the retrieval of digital resources. 

Reference Examples - Books

Citation Formula:

Author's Last Name, First Initial, Middle Initial if given. (Year of Publication). Title of book: Subtitle (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher.

Examples:

Silko, M. (2007) Ceremony (2nd ed.). Penguin Books. https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/47415

Stevenson, B. (2014) Just mercy: A story of justice and redemption. Scribe Publications.

Remember: Only capitalize the first letter of the title and subtitle. All other words appear in lowercase. 

Citation Formula:

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial if given., & Second Author's Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial if given. (Year of Publication). Title of book: Subtitle if given (edition if given and is not first edition). Publisher.

Examples:

Schmidt, N. A., & Brown, J. M. (2017). Evidence-based practice for nurses: Appraisal and application of research (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.

Morgan, P. D., McNeill, J. R., Mulcahy, M., & Schwartz, S. B. (2022). Sea and land: An environmental history of the Caribbean. Oxford University Press.

Remember: Only capitalize the first letter of the title and subtitle. All other words appear in lowercase. 

Citation Formula:

Author's Last Name, First Initial, Middle Initial if given. (Publication Year). Title of chapter. In Editor's First Initial, Middle Initial if given. Editor 's Last Name (Ed.), Title of book: Subtitle if given (Edition if given, Volume Number if given, pp. Page Range). Publisher. 

Examples:

Johnson, H. M. (2020). Unspeakable conversations. In A. Wong (Ed.) Disability visibility: First-person stories from the twenty-first century (pp. 3-27). Vintage Books.

Balsam, K. F., Martell, C. R., Jones K. P., Safren, S. A. (2019). Affirmative cognitive behavior therapy with sexual and gender minority people. In G. Y. Iwamasa & P.A. Hays (Eds.), Culturally responsive cognitive behavior therapy: Practice and supervision (2nd ed., pp. 287-314). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000119-012

Important: When using a source from a library database (for example: Opposing Viewpoints) use the Permalink provided.

Citation Formula:

Author's Last Name, First Initial, Middle Initial if given. (Year of Publication). Title of book: Subtitle. Publisher. https://doi.org/xx.xxxxxxxxxx OR URL of the home page of the e-book provided.

Examples:

Dolmage, J. T. (2017). Academic ableism: Disability and higher education. University of Michigan Press. https://library.oapen.org/handle/20.500.12657/47415

Lodge, S. (2024). The mysterious case of the Victorian female detective. Yale University Press. https://doi.org/10.12987/9780300280517

Remember: Only capitalize the first letter of the title and subtitle. All other words appear in lowercase. 

Reference Examples - Articles & Webpages

Citation Formula:

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial given. (Publication Year, Month and Day if given). Article title: Subtitle if given. Journal Title, Volume Number (Issue number if given), page # - page #. https://doi.org/xx.xxxxx.

Examples:

Moriña, A. (2024). When what is unseen does not exist: Disclosure, barriers and supports for students with invisible disabilities in higher education. Disability & Society, 39(4), 914-932. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2022.2113038

Jia, N., Luo, X., Fang, Z. & Liao, C. (2024). When and how artificial intelligence augments employee creativity. Academy of Management Journal, 67(1), 5-32. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2022.0426

Bonus Tip: You can think of the Volume and Issue like Seasons and Episodes. The volume is the season and the issue is the episode. So, Volume 1, Issue 4 would be equal to Season 1, Episode 4. 

Citation Formula:

Author's Last Name, First Initial, Middle Initial if given. (Year, Month and Day if given). Title of article. Title of Newspaper. https://xxxxxx.

Examples:

Lubell, S. (2025, January 25). The design legacy of Los Angeles that fell to the fires. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/15/arts/design/fires-architecture-burned-neutra-ain.html

Miller, K. (2025, January 14). 'The pipelines are drying up': Why teacher salaries are catastrophic for the profession. The Boston Globe. https://www.bostonglobe.com/2025/01/14/business/teacher-salaries-pay-k-12-jobs/

Remember: Only capitalize the first letter of the title and subtitle. All other words appear in lowercase. 

Citation Formula:

Author's Last Name, First Initial, Middle Initial if given. (Year, Month and Day if given). Title of page. Site name. https://xxxxxx.

Examples:

Little, D. (2024, January 31). Defining disciplinary research in the social sciences. Understanding Society. https://understandingsociety.blogspot.com/2024/01/defining-disciplinary-research-in.html

Hart, M. (2007, December 25). The Project Gutenberg mission statement. Project Gutenberg. https://www.gutenberg.org/about/background/mission_statement.html

Citation Formula:

Group or Organization Name. (Year, Month and Day if given). Title of page. https://xxxxxx.

Example:

Mayo Clinic. (2023, November 18). Stress basics. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/basics/stress-basics/hlv-20049495

If the webpage does not have a date:

  • Use (n.d.) instead of a publication date.
  • Additionally, include a retrieval date before the URL using this formula: "Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL". For example:

Connecticut State Community College. (n.d.) Become a CT state student. Retrieved January 21, 2025 from https://ctstate.edu/admissions-registration/become-a-student

Remember: Do not use acronyms or shortened names in your full citation. 

Reference Examples - Audiovisual Materials

Citation Formula:

Author's Last Name, First Initial, Middle Initial if given OR Organization Name. [Username, if different from author's name]. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/xxxxx

Examples:

IBM Technology. (2022, March 31). Machine Learning vs Deep Learning [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/q6kJ71tEYqM?si=CjUH1wWdXWXG7eJ8

McCabe, J. [How to ADHD]. (2023, June 13). The Unexpected Side Effects of Pushing Yourself to the Limit [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/9m8yVhf0Bt8?si=Re5Rjo4j7wwjmddW

If the creator's real name is not known or not provided:

  • Do not abbreviate the username or screen name.
  • Use this citation formula: Username. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. YouTube. https://youtu.be/xxxx

Citation Formula:

Creator's Last Name, First Initial, Middle Initial if given OR Organization Name. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. Site name. URL.

Examples:

Wright, M. (2021, July). How every child can thrive by five. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/molly_wright_how_every_child_can_thrive_by_five

NBC News. (2024, July 31). How climate change is speeding up the great Arctic melt [Video]. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/now/video/how-climate-change-is-speeding-up-the-great-arctic-melt-216145989522

Citation Formula:

Director's Last Name, First Initial, Middle Initial if given. (Director) (Publication Year). Title of film [Film]. Production company.

Examples:

Ward, S. & Younger, J. (Directors) (2024). Odysseus returns [Film]. PBS. 

Langworthy, G. & Henein M. (Directors) (2009). Vanishing of the Bees [Film]. Hive Mentality Films; Hipfuel Films. 

Citation Formula:

Creator's Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial if given. (Year). Title [Description of format]. Publisher or venue, Location of publisher or venue.

Examples:

Casas, R. (1899). After the Ball [Oil painting on canvas]. Museu de Montserrat, Monserrat, Spain. https://www.museudemontserrat.com/en/magic-lantern/rcasasportraitsfrommodernism/110/after-the-ball/697

J_Alves. (2010). Sucrose (sugar) [Clip art]. Openclipart. https://openclipart.org/detail/62515/sucrose-sugar

For images or photographs that do not have a title:

  • For untitled images or photographs, include a description in square brackets in place of a title. For example:

Balilty, O. (2007). [Photograph of a lone Jewish woman challenging Israeli security officers in the West Bank]. The Pulitzer Prizes. https://www.pulitzer.org/winners/oded-balilty

Special Cases

The author has two last names. For example: Gabriel García Márquez.

  • Include both last names in full and italicize the first name. For example:

  • García Márquez, G. (1967). One hundred years of solitude. Harper Perennial. 

The author's last name begins with a lowercase letter. For example: Simone de Beauvoir. 

  • Do not capitalize the first letter of the last name. For example:

  • de Beauvoir, S. (2009). The second sex (C. Borde & S. M. Chevallier, Trans.). Knopf. (Original work published 1949).

The author only goes by one name. For example: Homer.

  • Use only the given name. Do not use any initials. For example:

  • Homer. (1996) The odyssey (R. Fagles, Trans.) Penguin Books. (Original work published ca. 700 B.C.E.)

The source was published by an organization, group, or company. For example: American Psychiatric Association.

  • Use the full name of the organization. Do not abbreviate any words. For example:

  • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.) https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books/9780890425596