LibGuides: Referencing and Avoiding Plagiarism: APA

The American Psychological Association (APA) referencing style is most commonly used in the social sciences. It is currently used for courses such as Psychology, Education, and Learning and Teaching at National College of Ireland.

If you are required to use APA style referencing please ensure you follow the 7th edition guidelines. For more information regarding the 7th edition, you can borrow a copy of the APA Publication Manual from the library (check availability) or see the APA Style website.

The APA style is based on an author-date system which includes in-text referencing throughout the written work and then full referencing details are provided at the end of the work in a list titled Reference List.

NB: Other referencing styles such as Harvard or IEEE may be used by your course – check with your lecturer to confirm which style you are required to use.

Getting Started

When using the APA referencing style, a citation needs to be included in a sentence where you use or refer to information from another source. This consists of a short, basic reference (Author, Year) inserted every time you use or refer to someone else’s work in-text.

Parenthetical vs. Narrative Citations

In APA style, there are two different ways to use in-text citations, parenthetical and narrative:

In parenthetical citations, both the author's name and the publication date are placed in brackets (parentheses). A parenthetical citation is generally placed at the end of the sentence
In narrative citations, the author's name is used as part of the sentence structure and only the publication year is placed in brackets directly after where the author's name is used.

Examples

Parenthetical citation

Young adults are likely to understand the need to be realistic and pragmatic (Santrock, 2019).

Narrative citation

Boyd and Bee (2015) outline that human development is the study of a whole range of changes that occur as they get older.

See here for more information and examples of parenthetical and narrative citations.

When to use et al.

In APA style, if a source has three or more authors, you can use et al. after the first author's surname to save space in text, see example below:

Example:

According to Shaughnessy et al. (2015), all researchers and scientists have their part to play in maintaining the integrity of research.

N.B. All author names must be included in the corresponding reference list entry.

Using Direct Quotations

When a direct quote is used, include the page number(s) the quote was taken from and add it to the in-text citation as shown below. The use of direct quotations should be kept to a minimum in your work, it is better to put information into your own words as much as possible (paraphrase). If you are paraphrasing, you are not required to include the page number(s) in your in-text citation however, you can include them if it would help the reader to locate the quotation within a long or complex work (e.g. a book).

See here for more guidance on using direct quotations.

Example:

“A critical part of the writing process is helping readers place your contribution in context by citing the researchers who influenced you” (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 169).

For additional information on in-text citations, see here.

When using the APA referencing style, a corresponding reference for each source cited in text needs to be included in the reference list at the end of your work. A reference list provides comprehensive details of the sources used throughout your assignment. If a reader wants to know the full details of a source you have used, they can refer to your reference list.

The reference list should be in alphabetical order by author surname, this makes it easier for your reader to locate a source cited in the text of your assignment in your list of references. Do not number or bullet point the reference list in APA style.

Example:

Reference List

Howitt, D. (2018). Introduction to forensic and criminal psychology (6th ed.). Pearson.

Kalat, J. W. (2021). Introduction to psychology (12th ed.). Cengage.

Santoro, H. (2023, January 1). The push for more equitable research is changing the field. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/01/trends-inclusivity-psychological-research

Wood, W. (2017). Habit in personality and social psychology. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 21(4), 389-403. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868317720362

Hanging Indentation:

In your reference list, if an reference entry spans across more than one line, all of the lines after the first line of the entry should be indented one-half inch from the left margin. See here for guidance on how to create a hanging indent in Microsoft Word.

See here for more guidance on APA style reference lists. For an example of a correctly formatted APA style reference list see here.

According to the APA 7th edition guidelines, a specific format should be used throughout your document. It is recommended that the format includes the following:

1 inch margins on all sides of the page (top, bottom, left, and right)
A legible font. For example: 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, 12- point Times New Roman or 11-point Georgia
Use double-spacing for the entire paper (including block quotations and the reference list). Do not add blank lines before or after headings. Do not add extra spacing between paragraphs
Align paragraphs of text to the left margin. Indent the first line of every paragraph of text 0.5 in
Put a page number in the top right corner of every page, including the title page

See the APA style website for additional guidance on paper format.

You can find an examples of papers formatted using the 7th edition of APA here. Also check out the Student Paper Setup Guide

For further guidance on APA style, see these resources below:

APA - Core Sources

Use the same format for both print books and eBooks. If an eBook is from an academic research database (APA PsycBooks, Proquest Ebook Central, EBSCOhost etc.) and has no DOI, end the book reference after the publisher name - the reference in this case is the same as a print book. See here for more information on including database information in references.

Components of a Book/eBook Reference

Examples

Book/eBook - One author
Kalat, J. W. (2021). Introduction to psychology (12th ed.). Cengage.

Book/eBook - Two authors
Howitt, D., & Cramer, D. (2020). Research methods in psychology (6th ed.). Pearson.

Book/eBook - Three or more authors
Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., & Sommers, S. R. (2020). Social psychology (10th global ed.). Pearson.

Book/eBook - Corporate author
American Psychiatric Association. (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.).

N.B. When the author and the publisher are the same (e.g. American Psychological Association), the name is listed as the author only to avoid repetition in the reference.

Further Guidance on Referencing eBooks

If an eBook has a DOI, include the DOI in the reference after the publisher name as shown in the example below:

eBook - With DOI
Jackson, L. M. (2019). The psychology of prejudice: From attitudes to social action (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000168-000

When referencing an eBook that is not from an academic research database (e.g. Google Books, DOAB etc.), include a stable URL (Permalink) in the reference after the publisher name as shown in the example below:

eBook - With URL (Permalink)
Huron, D. (2024). The science of sadness. MIT Press. https://directory.doabooks.org/handle/20.500.12854/146745

Components of an Edited Book/eBook Reference

Examples

Chapter of an edited book/eBook - One author
Sturgis, P. (2020). Surveys and sampling. In G. M. Breakwell, D. B. Wright, & J. Barnett (Eds.), Research methods in psychology (5th ed., pp. 373-393). Sage.

Chapter of an edited book/eBook - Two authors
Freeman, L., & Sullivan, C. (2019) Thematic analysis. In C. Sullivan, & M. A. Forrester (Eds.), Doing qualitative research in psychology: A practical guide (2nd ed., pp. 161-184). Sage.

Whole edited book/eBook
Gale, C., Hooper, C. M., Laver-Bradbury, C., & Thompson, M. (Eds.). (2021). Child and adolescent mental health: Theory and practice (3rd ed.). Routledge.

Components of a Journal Article Reference

Examples

Journal article – One author
Wood, W. (2017). Habit in personality and social psychology. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 21(4), 389-403. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868317720362

Journal article – Two authors
Huppatz, K., & Ross-Smith, A. (2017). A discipline at the crossroads? Using a gender-inspired paradigm to reposition the sociology of work and employment. Journal of Sociology, 53(4), 756-770. https://doi.org/10.1177/1440783317743810

Journal article – Three or more authors
Hakanen, J. J., Peeters, M. C. W., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2018). Different types of employee well-being across time and their relationship with job crafting. Journal of Occupation Health Psychology, 23(2), 289-301. https://doi.org/10.1037/ocp0000081

N.B. If an online/electronic journal article does not have a DOI and is from an academic database accessed via the library (e.g. APA PsycArticles), end the reference after the page range do not include a URL.

Components of a Conference Paper Reference (Published in a journal/proceedings)

N.B. Conference proceedings published in a journal follow the same format as journal articles.

Other Examples

Conference presentation - Paper/poster etc.

APA 7th edition components	Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year of conference, Month Day(s)). Title of paper/poster (in italics) [Type of contribution]. Title of Conference, Location.
Example	Feeney, J. (2023, August 29-30). Using population cohort data to investigate the relationship between stress and healthy brain ageing [Conference presentation]. Neuroscience Ireland Conference 2023, Dublin, Ireland.

N.B. Describe the presentation in square brackets after the title (e.g. [Conference presentation], [Paper presentation], [Poster presentation] etc.).

Conference proceedings - Whole edited book

APA 7th edition components	Editor Surname, Initial(s). (Ed(s).). (Year of publication). Title of book series: Vol. (in italics). Title of proceedings. Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxx
Example	Tang, H. (Ed.). (2023). Lecture notes in computer science: Vol.13976. Research in computational molecular biology. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-29119-7

Conference proceedings - Chapter of an edited book

APA 7th edition components

Author Surname, Initial(s)., Author Surname, Initial(s)., & Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In Editor Initial(s). Surname (Ed(s).), Title of book series: Vol. (in italics). Subseries (in italics) (pp. page numbers of chapter). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxx

Example

Mahmud, T., Barua, K., Barua, A., Das, S., Basnin, N., Hossain, M. S., Andersson, K., Kaiser, M. S., & Sharmen, N. (2023). Exploring deep transfer learning ensemble for improved diagnosis and classification of Alzheimer’s disease. In F. Liu, Y. Zhang, H. Kuai, E. F. Stephen, & H. Wang (Eds.), Lecture notes in computer science: Vol. 13974. Brain informatics (pp. 109–120). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43075-6_10

Components of a Webpage Reference

Examples

Webpage
Santoro, H. (2023, January 1). The push for more equitable research is changing the field. American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/monitor/2023/01/trends-inclusivity-psychological-research

Document from a webpage (PDF etc.)
Sweeney, J. (2013). A strategic review of further education and training and the unemployed. Department of Education and Skills. https://www.education.ie/en/Publications/Education-Reports/A-Strategic-Review-of-Further-Education-and-Training-and-the-Unemployed.pdf

N.B. For corporate/organisational authors, if the author of the webpage and the site name are the same, omit the publisher/website name to avoid repetition in the reference.

Components of a Online News Article/Blog Reference

Examples

Online news article
O’Connell, J. (2018, May 19). Jennifer O’Connell: Why do we live in a culture that venerates stress? The Irish Times. https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/jennifer-oconnell-why-do-we-live-in-a-culture-that-venerates-stress-1.3491747

Blog
Shepard, B. (2022, December 15). How does music affect your brain? Livescience. https://www.livescience.com/how-does-music-affect-your-brain

APA - Additional Sources

Psychological Test/Scale (in a Database)

APA 7th edition components	Author Surname, Initial(s)., Author Surname, Initial(s)., Author Surname, Initial(s)., & Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year of publication). Title of Test/Measure (in italics) [Database record]. Name of Database. https://doi.org/xxxx
Example	Pekaar, K. A., Bakker, A. B., van der Linden, D., & Born, M. P. (2018). Rotterdam Emotional Intelligence Scale [Database record]. APA PsycTests. https://doi.org/10.1037/t66601-000

Facebook

APA 7th edition components	Author Surname, Initial(s). (Date of publication). Title of post (first 20 words, in italics) [Description of content] [Post type]. Platform name. URL
Example	Psychology Today. (2023, February 1). Developing greater self-discipline, research shows, can deliver benefits including better health and a reduced propensity for risky behavior [Image attached] [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/15687708844/posts/pfbid02dmRXgCsvjTr9SqXnkJAtH2Qndu 7AHr8CSGboDsE73jTXKEVwsA68pRyhGtNdTMkUl/?sfnsn=mo

X/Instagram/TikTok

APA 7th edition components	Author Surname, Initial(s) [X handle]. (Date of publication). Title of post (first 20 words, in italics) [Description of content] [Post type]. Platform name. URL
Example	American Psychological Association [@APA]. (2025, March 29). #Kindness toward others can boost our physical and mental health—and research suggests an uptick in generosity in recent years [Image attached] [Post]. X. https://x.com/APA/status/1905999159011770539

N.B. The referencing format used for X (Twitter) is also used for Instagram and TikTok.

Youtube - Video

APA 7th edition components	Author Surname, Initial(s). (Date of publication). Title of video (in italics) [Video]. Site name. URL
Example	Little, B. (2016, July 19). Who are you, really? The puzzle of personality [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYvXk_bqlBk

TV - Series

APA 7th edition components	Author Surname, Initial(s). (Executive Producers). (Date aired). Title of series (in italics) [TV series]. Production company or companies (separated by a semicolon).
Example	Lynch, D. & Frost, M. (Executive Producers). (1990–1991). Twin peaks [TV series]. Lynch/Frost Productions; Propaganda Films; Spelling Television.

Radio - Broadcast

APA 7th edition components	Author Surname, Initial(s). (Date aired). Title of broadcast (in italics) [Radio broadcast]. Name of Radio Station. URL (if online)
Example	Wright, E. (2012, June 24). Crowd psychology [Radio broadcast]. BBC Radio 3. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01jyzf

Podcast

APA 7th edition components	Author Surname, Initial(s). (Host(s)). (Date aired). Title of episode (in italics) [Audio podcast]. Name of Podcast. URL
Example	Vedantam, S. (Host). (2018, May 15). The surprising benefit of moving and grooving with your kid [Audio podcast]. National Public Radio. https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2018/05/15 /610448906/the-surprising-benefit-of-moving-and-grooving-with-your-kid

Computer Software

APA 7th edition components	Corporate Author or Named Author. (Year of release). Title of Computer Software (in italics) (Version number) [Computer software]. URL
Example	IBM (2022). IBM SPSS Statistics (Version 29.0) [Computer software]. https://www.ibm.com/ie-en/products/spss-statistics

N.B. Generally, common or standard software (e.g. SPSS, Word, Excel, Java, Adobe, Photoshop etc.) does not need to be referenced.

Encyclopedia/Dictionary - Print

APA 7th edition components	Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year of publication). Title of entry. In Editor Initial(s). Editor Surname, & Editor Initial(s). Editor Surname (Eds.) (if applicable), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (in italics) (edition if given). Publisher.
Example	Gorman, L. (2011). Online social networking. In G. Ritzer, & J. M. Ryan (Eds.), The concise encyclopedia of sociology. Wiley-Blackwell.

Encyclopedia/Dictionary - Online

APA 7th edition components

Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year of publication). Title of entry. In Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (in italics). Retrieved date, from URL

Example

American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Anxiety. In APA dictionary of psychology. Retrieved June 16, 2023, from https://dictionary.apa.org/anxiety

N.B. When an online reference work (e.g. APA Dictionary of Psychology) is continuously updated, use "n.d." as the year of publication and include a retrieval date.

Legislation - Act

APA 7th edition components	Title (include section of legislation if specified in-text), Source (if available), (Year of publication). URL (if available)
Example	Social Welfare Act, Government of Ireland, (2017). http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2017/act/38/enacted/en/html

Legislation - EU Directive

APA 7th edition components	European Union Author(s). (Year of publication). Title of Directive (in italics). [Details of Directive]. URL
Example	European Parliament, Council of the European Union. (2014). Directive 2014/95/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 22 October 2014 amending Directive 2013/34/EU as regards disclosure of non-financial and diversity information by certain large undertakings and groups. [EU Directive 2014/95/EU]. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legalcontent/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX%3A32014L0095

Thesis/Dissertation - Print

APA 7th edition components	Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year of submission). Title of thesis/dissertation (in italics). [Unpublished doctoral/master’s/bachelor’s thesis/dissertation]. Name of Institution.
Example	Campbell, H. (2015). Educational techniques: The effects of questioning on the recall of information [Unpublished bachelor's dissertation]. National College of Ireland.

Thesis/Dissertation - Online

APA 7th edition components	Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year of publication). Title of thesis/dissertation (in italics) [Doctoral/Master’s/Bachelor’s thesis/dissertation, Awarding institution]. Database/repository. URL
Example	Matthews, J. (2022). The impact of access to verbal language on working memory: A study of working memory on profoundly deaf adults [Bachelor's dissertation, National College of Ireland]. NORMA. https://norma.ncirl.ie/5662/

N.B. It is generally not recommended to reference undergraduate or postgraduate theses/dissertations – it is better practice to access the sources they have used and reference those sources directly.

Diagram/Chart/Image/Table - Print/Online

APA 7th edition components

Follow the format for the type of source from which the diagram/chart/image/ table is taken, i.e. a book/eBook, journal article, (document from a) webpage etc.

Lecture Notes

APA 7th edition components	Author Surname, Author Initial(s). (Year of notes). Title of lecture (in italics) [Format]. Faculty/School, Institution.
Example	Hargreaves, A. (2017). Social psychology [Powerpoint slides]. School of Business, National College of Ireland.

N.B. It is not recommended to directly reference lecture notes or slides; ideally, you should be using these as a starting point to explore the resources discussed and highlighted in class.

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NCI LIBRARY

Referencing and Avoiding Plagiarism: APA

Getting Started

APA - Core Sources

APA - Additional Sources

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