example of research references

Reference Examples

More than 100 reference examples and their corresponding in-text citations are presented in the seventh edition Publication Manual . Examples of the most common works that writers cite are provided on this page; additional examples are available in the Publication Manual .

To find the reference example you need, first select a category (e.g., periodicals) and then choose the appropriate type of work (e.g., journal article ) and follow the relevant example.

When selecting a category, use the webpages and websites category only when a work does not fit better within another category. For example, a report from a government website would use the reports category, whereas a page on a government website that is not a report or other work would use the webpages and websites category.

Also note that print and electronic references are largely the same. For example, to cite both print books and ebooks, use the books and reference works category and then choose the appropriate type of work (i.e., book ) and follow the relevant example (e.g., whole authored book ).

Examples on these pages illustrate the details of reference formats. We make every attempt to show examples that are in keeping with APA Style’s guiding principles of inclusivity and bias-free language. These examples are presented out of context only to demonstrate formatting issues (e.g., which elements to italicize, where punctuation is needed, placement of parentheses). References, including these examples, are not inherently endorsements for the ideas or content of the works themselves. An author may cite a work to support a statement or an idea, to critique that work, or for many other reasons. For more examples, see our sample papers .

Reference examples are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Chapter 10 and the Concise Guide Chapter 10

Related handouts

Common Reference Examples Guide (PDF, 147KB)
Reference Quick Guide (PDF, 225KB)

Textual Works

Textual works are covered in Sections 10.1–10.8 of the Publication Manual . The most common categories and examples are presented here. For the reviews of other works category, see Section 10.7.

Journal Article References
Magazine Article References
Newspaper Article References
Blog Post and Blog Comment References
UpToDate Article References
Book/Ebook References
Diagnostic Manual References
Children’s Book or Other Illustrated Book References
Classroom Course Pack Material References
Religious Work References
Chapter in an Edited Book/Ebook References
Dictionary Entry References
Wikipedia Entry References
Report by a Government Agency References
Report with Individual Authors References
Brochure References
Ethics Code References
Fact Sheet References
ISO Standard References
Press Release References
White Paper References
Conference Presentation References
Conference Proceeding References
Published Dissertation or Thesis References
Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis References
ERIC Database References
Preprint Article References

Data and Assessments

Data sets are covered in Section 10.9 of the Publication Manual . For the software and tests categories, see Sections 10.10 and 10.11.

Data Set References
Toolbox References

Audiovisual Media

Audiovisual media are covered in Sections 10.12–10.14 of the Publication Manual . The most common examples are presented together here. In the manual, these examples and more are separated into categories for audiovisual, audio, and visual media.

Artwork References
Clip Art or Stock Image References
Film and Television References
Musical Score References
Online Course or MOOC References
Podcast References
PowerPoint Slide or Lecture Note References
Radio Broadcast References
TED Talk References
Transcript of an Audiovisual Work References
YouTube Video References

Online Media

Online media are covered in Sections 10.15 and 10.16 of the Publication Manual . Please note that blog posts are part of the periodicals category.

Facebook References
Instagram References
LinkedIn References
Online Forum (e.g., Reddit) References
TikTok References
X References
Webpage on a Website References
Clinical Practice References
Open Educational Resource References
Whole Website References

APA Style (7th ed.)

Paper Formatting in APA 7
Position of the citation
Secondary Referencing
Date of Publication
Page numbers
Citing Sources Multiple Times
Citing from Web pages
Paraphrasing and Summarising
Examples of References in APA (7th ed.) style
Examples of References in APA style
Introduction
Examples of References in APA style (7th edition)
APA Reference Examples A-Z
Comparison of APA 6th and 7th eds

There are many different types of references (e.g. books, journal articles, websites). Click on the type you require below to see the components of the reference with an example.

Journal Articles
Web pages and social media
Newspaper articles

Dictionary or Encyclopaedia

Thesis or dissertation.

Reports and Datasets
Conferences
Images, figures and tables

Exhibitions

Audiovisual and Digital Media
Lecture Notes and Presentations

Author/Editor (Surname, Initials) ,
(Year of publication).
Title (in italics) .
Edition (other than first edition) .

An e-book retrieved from an academic database that does not have a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is referenced as though it were the print version, as above. (A DOI is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies content and provides a persistent link to its location on the internet. DOIs can be found in database records and the reference lists of published works).

Books with a URL or a DOI can be referenced like this:

Author/editor (Surname, Initials)

(Year of publication)

Title of book (in italics)
(Edition) (if not the 1st edition)

Book Chapter

Author of chapter/section (Surname, Initials)
Title of chapter/section.
‘In:’ followed by author/editor of book, (in direct order)
Title of book (in italics) .
(Page reference).

Journal article (print)

Author(s) (Surname, Initials)
Title of article

Title of journal (in italics, first letter of each word should be capitalised, except for words such as and, of, the)

Issue information (volume, issue, pages) (volume in italics)

Journal article (online)

Title of article.
Title of journal (in italics, first letter of each word should be capitalised, except for words such as and, of, the)
Issue information (date, volume, issue no., pages) (volume in italics)

Journal article (database without DOI)

Journal articles retrieved from databases without a DOI can be referenced like a print journal, as above.

Journal article (with DOI)

Issue information (date, volume , issue no., pages) (volume in italics)

Journal article (21 or more authors)

List the first nineteen authors followed by three spaced ellipsis points (...) and then the last author's name.

Journal article (pre-publication)

“Pre-print”, “In press” and “advanced online publication” usually refer to articles that have been accepted for publication, but may not yet have been assigned to a publication volume/issue. These articles can be cited using the year of online publication and the DOI.

Issue information (date, volume, issue no., pages) (if any available)
Advance online publication.

arXiv is a collection facility for scientific 'e-prints'. Some of them have been published and some have not. APA recommends updating your references when you're close to finishing your assignment. If you've cited a preprint that has since been published, cite the published journal article.

In the example below, you will see that the title is in italics. This is because it hasn't yet been accepted in a journal and is, therefore, considered a stand-alone work.

Journal Article (with article numbers, not page numbers)

If the journal article has an article number instead of a page range, include the word “Article” and then the article number instead of the page range.

Journal Title (in italics)
Volume , (in italics)
Article number

Magazine Article

(Year of publication, Month day)
Title of magazine (in italics, first letter of each word should be capitalised, except for words such as and, of, the)
Page numbers (if available)

Author (Surname, Initials or Organisation name)
(Year) (Month Day, if applicable).
Title of webpage (in italics)
Website name (if applicable and different to author)

If no date can be established, use n.d. to indicate no date in the citation and the reference.

Author of message
(Year, Month Day).
Title of message
Title of blog

X (formerly known as Twitter)

Author and/or [screen name]

(Year, Month day) tweet posted
full text of tweet (If a tweet is longer than 20 words, write the first 20 words)

Author and/or [given name]
(Year, month day)
Title of page or post (first 20 words)
[Facebook status update].
For individual authors, provide their full first name in square brackets after their initial as this is their social media identity information.
For the title, provide the name of the page or the content or caption of the post (up to the first 20 words).

LinkedIn Profile

Author (name associated with the account)
Title of page ( Use the page title in the reference (e.g., “Home,” “About,” “Jobs”).)
[LinkedIn page].
Retrieved date from: URL ( Provide a retrieval date because the content is designed to change over time and is not archived)

(Year posted, month day)

Content of the post (up to the first 20 words, in italics)

[Photograph/Video/Story]. (description of post)

Author and/or [Username]
Content of the post up to the first 20 words. Count a URL or other link, a hashtag, or an emoji as one word each, and include them in the reference if they fall within the first 20 words. Do not italicize emojis.
[Video] description of the audiovisuals

Wikipedia is a free online encyclopaedia, created and edited by volunteers around the world. It is not a scholarly source, so your lecturer may not be happy for you to use it as a source in your assignments. Scholarly assignments should generally rely on peer-reviewed and other scholarly work vetted by experts in the field. However, it may be a good starting point for you in your research to find citations to original source materials that you do want to use.

Wikipedia is a constantly changing site, so cite an archived version of the page, if you can (select 'view history' and then the date of the version you used). If it doesn't have a permanent link to an archived version of the page, include a URL for the entry and the retrieval date.

Date of last update (year, month day)
Title of wiki (in italics)
URL (include Retrieved date, if necessary)

Newspaper article (print)

Author (Surname, Initials) (if name of writer not given, start with the name of the Newspaper (in italics))
(Year of publication, Month day).
Title of article
Title of newspaper (in italics) .
Page reference.

Newspaper article (online)

Author (Surname, Initials)

Author of entry (if there is one) (Surname, initials)
Title of entry.
‘In:’ Editor (initial and surname) (Ed.)
Title of dictionary or encyclopaedia (in italics) .
(Edition, page numbers of entry)

Author (Surname, Initials)
(Year of submission).
Title of thesis (in italics) .
(Type of thesis or dissertation) e.g. Unpublished Master's thesis
Degree awarding body
Name of database or archive. URL (if published)

Title of data (version) (in italics)
[Type of work] (i.e. dataset)

Government Publication

Name of Government Department
Title (in italics)
(Report Series and number) (if available)
Publisher (if in print)
URL (if online)

Company Report

Title of report . (in italics)
Publisher or URL

Name of authority or organisation.
Number and title of standard (in italics) .
Publisher
URL (if accessed online)

Conference Paper (in edited book)

Title of the contribution paper
In: Name of editor or conference chair (Initial, Last name (Ed (s).)
Title of conference proceedings (in Italics)
(Page numbers)
URL or DOI (if available)

Conference Paper (Journal)

Author of paper
Title of paper
Title of Journal (in italics)
Issue information (volume, issue, date)

Conference Paper or Poster Presentation

(Year, month day of conference).

[Paper presentation or Poster presentation or Conference presentation]

Title of conference: Subtitle of conference
Location of Conference

Images, illustrations, photos (print)

If you are citing an illustration, figure, diagram or table, start with the source in which it appeared. For example, i f you are referencing an image printed in a book, you first mention the image in-text, indicating the name and creator of the image, and the book in which it can be found, along with the page details. The reference list entry will be for the whole article or book.

In-text citation:

Reference List:

In the reference list, you list the book in which the image is found:

When you include an image or photo in your text, as well as citing the source, you will also need to include a caption and list it in a Table of Figures ( click here for more information ). Images you created yourself don't have to be cited, but should still be included in the list of figures.

Image, illustration, photo or table (online)

Creator (Surname, initial(s))
[Internet handle] (if appropriate)
Title of image, figure, illustration or table
[Type of image]. (image, chart, diagram, graph, illustration or photograph)

Hosting service (e.g. Instagram, Flickr)

Photographs (Online Collection)

Photographer
Title of photograph (if applicable)
[ Title of collection]

If you viewed an image in person rather than online (e.g. in a museum or gallery), the source information is different. You will need to include the name and location of the institution where you viewed the image.

(Year of creation) (if available)
Title of the work (in italics)
[Format description] (in square brackets)

If you haven't seen the artwork in person and saw it online, add the website URL at the end of your reference.

Originator (Name of organisation)
Sheet number, scale.
Publisher (if different from author)
URL (if viewed online)

It can often be hard to find accurate information about images accessed online. However, if you do need to cite an image with no author, date or title listed, there are ways around this. For untitled images, include a description of the image, in square brackets, where the title would usually go. If there is no publication date, add “n.d.” in place of the date, and add the date that you accessed the image.

Curator(s) (Surname, Initial(s)) .
(Year or years ran).
Exhibition Title [Exhibition].
Museum name,
City, Country.
URL of exhibition website (if available)

When the curator is unknown, move the title of the exhibition to the author position of the reference.

Exhibition Catalogue

Artist (Surname, Initial) (or Gallery/Institution).
(Year, Month).
[Exhibition catalogue].

Director(s) (Surname, Initial) (Director)
(Year of original release).
[Description]. (e.g. Film)
Production Company

Film (from Streaming Service)

Only specify how you watched a film (e.g. Netflix, Amazon Prime, Disney+, HULU, etc.) when it is important to indicate a specific version. Put this information in square brackets following the word, "Film" and a semicolon.

(Year) (in round brackets)

Online Video

Creator (Surname, Initial). [Screen name].
(Year, Month day).
Title of video [Video]

Hosting Website

TV Programme

Executive Producer(s) (Executive Producer(s)).

(Years - it aired, use present if still airing ).

Title (in italics) [TV series].

Production Company;

Broadcaster name

Episode of a TV Series

Writer (surname and initial(s)) & Director (surname and initial(s))
(Date of broadcast or copyright)
Title of episode

(Series number, episode number) (in round brackets)

[TV series episode]
Executive Producer(s) (initials and surname)
Series title (in italics)
Production company

Radio Programme (Online)

Name of announcer

(Year, Month Day of broadcast).

Title of programme (in italics)

[Description i.e. Radio broadcast ].

Name of site that published the broadcast

URL of broadcast

Name of host (Host)

(Dates) Provide the span of years during which the podcast aired here; if ongoing give the year of first broadcast and word “- present”.

Title of podcast (in italics)

[Audio or Video Podcast]

Publisher/production company

For specific ‘ Podcast episodes ’, provide the precise date on which the podcast episode first aired. Supply the episode number after the episode title, if available, in brackets. Indicate the type of podcast episode in square brackets, e.g. [Audio podcast episode] or [Video podcast episode]. Write the word “In” and then the title of the podcast in italics. Give the Publisher or Production company and the URL.

Lecture Notes

Notes you took during a lecture or class handouts that are not posted online are not retrievable by someone else, so do not belong in your reference list. Instead, you treat them like personal communication and just refer to them in your text.

Lecture Notes or Powerpoint Slides (online)

Lecturer (Surname, Initial(s))

Title of item [Class handout or PowerPoint slides]. (in italics).

Platform or Institution (e.g. ATU).

Recorded Lectures/Talks

Name of Speaker

(Date) (in round brackets) (Provide as specific a date as possible; in the example, only the year and month are available.)

Title of video (in italics)

TED Conferences

When the TED Talk is on YouTube, list the owner of the YouTube account (here, TED) as the author to aid in retrieval. Credit YouTube as the publisher of the TED Talk and then provide the URL. When the speaker is not listed as the author, integrate their name into the narrative if desired:

Online Course or Massive Open Online Course (MOOC)

Author (Surname, Initial(s))

Title of course (in italics)

Site that holds the course

A lecture from an online course cites the instructor for the particular lecture in the author part of the reference and the names of all the lecturers in the source element. The URL given should be to the main page of the course.

Open Educational Resource

(Year added with Month day, if available).
Retrieved date from URL ( When contents of a page are meant to be updated over time but are not archived, include a retrieval date in the reference.)