Updated: Dec. 18, 2019
To ensure consistency for students, modifications to citation examples are made
only between semesters.
This guide is representative of the 6th edition Publication Manual of APA.
APA examples are not exhaustive and focus on referencing and citations. Assistance from your professor and/or Writing Centre is suggested for clarification.
Users are responsible for interpretation of APA style guidelines and to seek further assistance when necessary.
Effective October 1, 2019.
Georgian will be adopting the 7th edition Publication Manual of APA in September 2020. (posted February 24, 2020)
APA reference page entries for electronic journal, newspaper or magazine articles from a library database will typically include:
When using a database that does not contain mostly articles, newspapers, etc. (such as DSM or Natural Standard) or one that looks more like an encyclopedia, please see the section on Specialty Databases & Resources.
Reference page entry:
Graser, M. (2013, October 29). Man on 'fire': Lionsgate marketing chief Tim Palen has drawn fans into a complementary world alongside the 'Hunger Games' universe. Variety, 321(17), 30. Retrieved from http://variety.com/2013/biz/news/lionsgates-tim-palen-crafts-stylish-universe-for-hunger-games-catching-fire-1200772931/
In-text citation:
(Graser, 2013)
Note: This article was found within the MultiSearch database, but because it does not have a DOI listed, we had to search for the article on the web and provide that URL to ensure our reader could access it. Review Articles: Where do I find... below for more details.
Reference page entry:
McKernan, B. (2014, April 4). London’s first cat café offers purr-fect brew for feline fans. The Press. Retrieved from http://www.ctvnews.ca/world/london-s-first-cat-cafe-offers-purr-fect-brew-for-feline-fans-1.1761047
In-text citation:
(McKernan, 2014)
Note: Please check the News articles section for more examples of how to cite news articles in various formats.
Reference page entry:
Boudarbat, B. (2008). Field of study choice by community college students in Canada. Economics of Education Review, 27(1), 79-93. Retrieved from http://www.journals.elsevier.com/economics-of-education-review/
In-text citation:
(Bourdarbat, 2008)
Caution: This article was found within the MultiSearch database, but because it does not have a DOI listed, we had to search for the article on the web and provide that URL to ensure our reader could access it. Review Articles: Where do I find... below for more details.
When searching in Library databases, do not copy & paste a link from the browser URL / address bar.
Reference page entry:
Coristine, L. E., & Kerr, J. T. (2011). Habitat loss, climate change, and emerging conservation challenges in Canada. Canadian Journal of Zoology, 89(5), 435-451. doi: 10.1139/z11-023
In-text citation:
(Coristine & Kerr, 2011)
Note: See Articles: Where do I find... for tips about how to find the DOI for your article.
The above parts go together in the following way to create an APA reference page entry:
Subapriya, K. K. (2009). The importance of non-verbal cues. ICFAI Journal of Soft Skills, 3(2), 37-42.
DOI is the short form for "Digital Object Identifier", a unique number (eg: 10.1037.a0034500) given to SOME resources, designed to help find a particular items quickly. DOIs are sometimes used in citations.
In library databases, look for the DOI in your results list:
If a DOI is available, you do not need to use "Retrieved from..." in your citation, just use the DOI.
Article on a regular webpage:
For a regular webpage, you can usually copy & paste the URL from your browser for the "Retrieved from" URL.
Library Databases:
APA guidelines state that if a DOI is not available, you must use the URL of the homepage where the article is available by a search - to avoid adding a URL that won't work for your reader.
Caution: When searching in Library databases, do not copy & paste a link from the browser URL / address bar. - These links are temporary and may not work if you come back to them later!
MultiSearch, August 2016
When a source has only one author, prepare your reference list entry by typing the author's name in the format Lastname, Initials.
In this example, your reference page entry would start with the author's names in this format:
Schneider-Mayerson, M.
Your in-text citation for one author is quite simple:
(Schneider-Mayerson, 2013)
If your source has two authors, format the authors' names (Lastname, Initials) and include with an & in between.
Your reference page entry will start with:
Schöpfel, J. & Leduc, C.
In-text citation:
(Schöpfel & Leduc, 2012)
If your source has 3 to 5 authors, format the authors' names as shown (Lastname, Initials), and insert all authors' names before the date, including an "&" before the last author:
In this example, your reference page entry would start with the authors' names in this format:
Bush, A.A., Nipperess, D.A., Duursma, D.E., Theischinger, G., Turak, E. & Hughes, L.
If you have 3-5 authors: the first time you use an in-text citation, include all authors' last names.
(Bush, Nipperess, Duursma, Theischinger, Turak & Hughes, 2014)
In the next or any other instances, use only the first author's last name and add "et al.", with the date:
(Bush et al., 2014)
If you have 6 or more authors, use only the first author's last name and add "et al." with the date when writing your in-text ctiation:
(Bush et al., 2014)
If your source has more than 8 authors, include the first six authors' names in the correct format (Lastname, Initials), then add a ... and include the last author's name.
In this example, the reference page entry authors' names would look like this:
Ngongo, P.B., Priddy, F., Park, H., Becker, J. Bender, B., Fast, P., ... Mebrahtu, T.
TIP: You may need to click on the article title (as above) to see all authors' names and retrieve the last author for your reference page entry.
In-text citation:
(Ngongo et al., 2012)
Many Library databases, including MultiSearch, can help you generate a basic APA citation. There are also citation generators available on the web that can also be helpful. However...
Any automatically generated citation has the potential to contain errors.
You must check the citation carefully to avoid errors.
Watch for problems such as: