Many organizations use the APA (American Psychological Association) format for citing references, especially in scientific fields. This format emphasizes equality so that the initials replace the first name of the author of the source text. APA also features recent research so the date is listed earlier in the citation. Start by formatting the in-text citation first, then create a reference list by listing book entries, journal articles, and other sources.
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Method 1 of 3: Citing Books
Step 1. Use the author's last name to create a reference list entry
In APA style, you only use first and last name initials. Follow the author's last name with a comma, then include the initials of the first and middle names (if both are required).
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For example, your entry will look like this:
Ford, R. G
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If the source has more than one author, separate each name with a comma and the and symbol.
Ford, R. G., Macintosh, J. P., & Rose, P. M
Step 2. Add the year of publication
Place the year in parentheses, and continue with a period. You can find the year of publication on the front or back of the title page.
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Your entry will look like this:
Ford, R. G. (2015)
Step 3. Include the title of the book after it
Type the title in italic text. Use capitalization in a sentence style that requires you to capitalize only the first word (and first name). This capitalization also includes capitalization of the first word after the colon.
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Your quote will look like this:
Ford, R. G. (2015). The benefits of natural grass
Step 4. Enter the location and name of the publisher
Add city of publication, comma, and state abbreviation (if available). After that, enter a colon and type in the name of the publisher. Insert a period after the publisher name.
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Now, your reference list entry should look like this:
Ford, R. G. (2015). The benefits of natural grass. Eugene, Oregon: University of Oregon
- This quote entry is complete if you don't have any other information.
Step 5. Add the edition of the book after the title if the book used is a second or subsequent edition
Enter the edition number in parentheses (eg “2nd, 3rd, and others” or “second, third, fourth” for Indonesian) and the abbreviation "ed." (if you write articles/essays in English). Include the book edition information before the end point in the book title. You can find edition information on the back of the book's title page.
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The quote entry will look like this:
Ford, R. G. (2015). The benefits of natural grass (3rd ed.). Eugene, Oregon: University of Oregon. Or for Indonesian: Ford, R. G. (2015). The benefits of natural grass (third ed.). Eugene, Oregon: University of Oregon
Step 6. Put the name of the translator after the title of the book (if any)
Enter the name of the translator in brackets with the initials, then the last name). Add the abbreviation "Trans." after the translator's name. Translator information is added after the last dot of the book title.
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Your quote entry should look like this:
Ford, R. G. (2015). The benefits of natural grass. (Frank Roberts, Trans.). Eugene, Oregon: University of Oregon
Step 7. Create an in-text citation
This quote is inserted in a sentence that contains reference information. Use the author's last name, both in sentences and in quotation marks before the final punctuation mark. After that, enter the year of publication, comma, and page number (“p.” for English and “p.” for Indonesian). While page numbers are not mandatory unless you add a direct quote, it's a good idea to include this information anyway.
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Your quote will look like this:
As mentioned by Ford (2015, p. 124), AstroTurf is not a great grass alternative
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At the end of the sentence, the quote looks like this:
AstroTurf is not a durable alternative to native grass (Ford, 2015, p. 124)
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If you need to list multiple authors, make a citation like this:
According to Ford, Macintosh, & Rose (2015, p. 88), AstroTurf can harm players
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After the first quote with several authors' names, write the next quote like this:
Based on Ford et al. (2015, p. 75), AstroTurf is very detrimental. Note: for English, “etc.” can be changed to “et al.”
Method 2 of 3: Creating Bibliographic Entries for Journal Articles
Step 1. Begin with the author's last name, followed by the initials of his first name for reference list entries
As with book entries, use the author's last name at the beginning. Insert a comma between the last name and the initials of the first name. Add middle initial if shown in, or middle name.
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The reference page entry will look like this:
Cole, B. R
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If the source text is written by more than one author, list all the authors' names and separate them using a comma and the and symbol. Only use initials for first and middle names, like this:
Cole, B. R., Jackson, G. H., & Briar, J. P
Step 2. Add the year of publication
Insert the year of publication in parentheses. Usually, you can find the year of publication information at the beginning of an article or journal article database entry. Add a period after the closing parenthesis.
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Your reference entry should look like this:
Cole, B. R. (2010)
Step 3. Enter the title of the journal article
Do not print titles in italics, and capitalize sentences. This means that you only capitalize the first letter of the first word, your first name, and the first word after the colon.
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Now, your reference entry should look like this:
Cole, B. R. (2010). Why we should use grass for playing fields
Step 4. Add the journal name after the article title
Capitalize the journal name, and type it in italics. Use a comma after the journal name.
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Your reference entry should look like this:
Cole, B. R. (2010). Why we should use grass for playing fields. Sports Field Journal,
Step 5. Enter the volume, output, and/or page numbers
Several journals are grouped by volume. In this situation, enter the volume number in italics, add a comma, and then type the page number of the article. Other journals are released by issue number. For a journal like this, enter the volume number in italics, the output number in parentheses (without italics), and the page number.
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For journals grouped by volume, your entry will look like this:
Cole, B. R. (2010). Why we should use grass for playing fields. Sports Field Journal, 66, 859-863
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For journals grouped by output, create a reference entry like this:
Cole, B. R. (2010). Why we should use grass for playing fields. Sports Field Journal, 16(6), 20-16
- If that's all the information you have, the quote entry is complete.
Step 6. Add DOI number if available
Most articles have a DOI number or digital object identifier. This number is similar to the ISBN number, but for journal articles. New journal articles usually have that number, but if the source text you're using doesn't have a DOI number, you don't need to add it.
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Now your quote should look like this:
Cole, B. R. (2010). Why we should use grass for playing fields. Sports Field Journal, 66, 859-863. doi:10.1434234234
Step 7. Use web links for online articles that do not have a DOI number
URLs help readers find the source article you are using. Add the phrase "Retrieved from" (or "Accessed from" in Indonesian) and the URL address at the end of the entry.
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For articles with publicly accessible URLs, your entry will look like this:
Cole, B. R. (2010). Why we should use grass for playing fields. Sports Field Journal, 66, 859-863. Accessed from
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If the source text does not have a publicly accessible URL, use the journal's main page:
Cole, B. R. (2010). Why we should use grass for playing fields. Sports Field Journal, 66, 859-863. Accessed from
Step 8. Make in-text citations to sentences containing the reference information
If you use the author's last name in a sentence, you don't need to add it again in the quote. Just place a quote after his last name. Otherwise, enter the author's last name, comma, year of publication, comma, and page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence. You must include page numbers if inserting direct quotes. Otherwise, page number information is optional.
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If the author's name is already mentioned in the sentence, your quote will look like this:
As stated by Cole (2013, p. 45), AstroTurf is not suitable for coating the field
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At the end of the sentence, the quote will look like this:
AstroTurf is not a durable substitute for real grass (Ford, 2015, p. 124)
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If you need to list multiple authors, make a citation like this:
According to Cole, Jackson, & Briar (2014, p. 58), AstroTurf is less suited to scoring goals
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After the first citation with multiple authors, use "et al." or "etc." for the next quote:
According to Cole et al. (2014, p. 66), AstroTurf is a problem for soccer players
Method 3 of 3: Creating Another Bibliographic Entry
Step 1. Cite essays in books as well as journal articles for reference list entries
While you won't include all of the same information, essays in books have the same citation format. Use the author's name, date, and title of the essay, then add the name of the book. Add the word “In” (English) or “In” (Indonesian) and the names of the editors, followed by a comma and the title of the book. After that, include the location and publisher of the book.
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The reference entry for the essay will look like this:
Braxton, N. K. (2011). Finding the right playing field. In J. L. Washington and M. P. Hicks (Editors), AstroTurf versus real grass: The dilemma (55-74). Miami, Oklahoma: Small Town Press
- You need to enter "Eds." (or “Editors” for Indonesian) in parentheses to inform readers that the aforementioned names are editors. The number shown in parentheses after the title (in italics) is the page number for the essay in the book.
Step 2. Note whether the dissertation used is unpublished (if you wish to cite it)
Often times, you will need to cite a dissertation like a book, but add the phrase "Unpublished doctoral dissertation" (or "Unpublished dissertation") in parentheses after the title if the dissertation is not published. After that, enter the name of the institution, a comma, and its location.
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The base quote entry would look like this:
Harbor, L. R. (2010). Astroturf and the playing field (Unpublished dissertation). University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
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If the dissertation is published, include a "Doctoral dissertation" (or "Doctoral dissertation"), a period, the phrase "Retrieved from" and a database. You also need an accession or sequence number (in parentheses), like this:
Price, H. F. (2012). Why AstroTurf should be outlawed (Doctoral dissertation). Accessed from the Sports Central Database. (244412321)
Step 3. Add the name of the organization first if the organization is the author
Some of the informative pamphlets and documents are written by organizations or companies. Instead of individual names, use organization names. If the document has a separate author, include his or her name at the end of the citation, after the publication location.
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Your quote will look like this:
The Society for the Best Playing Fields. (2009). Data on injuries across different types of fields. Eugene, Oregon: G. H. Roberts
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Follow the same method for government documents, but add the publication number (in parentheses) after the title, and insert the publisher at the end of the entry:
National Institute of Sports. (2001). Study of various types of turf for playing fields (DHHS Publication No. ADM 553234-131). Washington, DC: U. S. Government Printing Office
Step 4. Add the URL at the end of the excerpt for the web page
If you are using an online report or document, list the author's name and date of publication first. After that, enter the document title in italic text. Finally, add the phrase "Retrieved from" and the URL of the page.
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For example, you could create an entry like this:
Vicks, H. R. & Jackson, G. H. (2014). The advantages of AstroTurf. Accessed from
Step 5. Add in-text citations to quoted sentences
When creating an in-text citation, you can use the author's name in the sentence. In this case, the citation is added right after the author's name (in parentheses), without the author's last name. Otherwise, the citation is enclosed in parentheses at the end of the sentence. Enter the author's last name, comma, date of publication, comma, and page number. Use page numbers if you are adding direct quotes. Otherwise, you're not required to include page numbers, but it would be better if they were added.
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If the author's name is already added in the sentence, use this format:
According to Ford (2015, p. 124), AstroTurf is not the right grass alternative
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At the end of the sentence, the quote will look like this:
AstroTurf is not a durable substitute for real grass (Ford, 2015, p. 124)
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If you need to add multiple authors, list them like this:
Based on Ford, Macintosh, & Rose (2015, p. 88), AstroTurf can harm players
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After the first citation with multiple authors, insert "et al." or "etc." (for Indonesian) in the following quote:
According to Ford et al. (2015, p. 75), AstroTurf is very detrimental
Tips
- If you need more information, see the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association or Purdue's Online Writing Lab articles at
- You can also use automated citation generator websites like https://www.calvin.edu/library/knightcite/, https://www.lib.ncsu.edu/citationbuilder/, or even a word processing program on a computer.
