APA citation style

A guide to citing sources using APA Style, 7th edition

Course materials

Class lectures

Unpublished works that cannot be retrieved by readers (e.g. emails, class lectures, presentations) are cited as “personal communication” and are only cited in the text of your paper, not in your reference list.

In-text citation format:

(Author, A. A., personal communication, Month day, year)

Sample in-text citation:

(Buckle, J., personal communication, January 15, 2019)

Slides or notes posted on a course website (e.g., Brightspace)

If the information is posted on a course site (e.g. Brightspace, or Library’s Course Resources site) that the audience you are writing for has access to, such as your Instructor or fellow students, provide the name of the site and it’s URL. Your course instructor is the author. If there is no formal title, include a description of the work in square brackets.

Citation format:

Author, A. A. (Year, Month day). Title of lecture or [Description]. Name of Site. Login page URL.

Sample reference list entry:

Bodner, J. (2019, November 6). [PowerPoint slides on fieldwork]. Brightspace.https://online.mun.ca/d2l/loginh/

Datasets

APA suggests that the author, dataset title, repository and Persistent identifier be included. The Dataverse Project suggests that the UNF (universal numerical fingerprint) also be included to all the citation to be machine readable.

Citation Format:

Author/data Creator. (date). Title of dataset (accession number if available) [Data set]. Name of repository where dataset was found. PID/URL/DOI

Sample reference list entry:

O’Donohue, W. (2017). Content analysis of undergraduate psychology textbooks (ICPSR 21600; Version V1) [Data set]. ICPSR. https://doi.org/10.3886/ICPSR36966.v1

In this example, ICPSR is the publisher. If it were a dataset in MUN’s dataverse it would be Memorial University Dataverse Collection.

Dictionary or encyclopedia entries

If no author is available, begin with the title, followed by the date. Provide the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) as a hyperlink if it has one. If accessed through a library database, do not include URL or database name. If accessed through the internet, include a non-database URL. If an online source has no page numbers, leave that out.

Citation format:

Author, A. A. if available. (Year). Title of entry. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of dictionary/ encyclopedia (pp. page #s). Publisher/s. DOI or URL if applicable

Sample reference list entries:

Facial expression. (2007). In G. R. VandenBos (Ed.), APA dictionary of psychology (pp. 362-363). American Psychological Association.

Roesch, S. (2006). Coping mechanisms. In Y. K. Jackson (Ed.), Encyclopedia of multicultural psychology. Sage Publications. http://doi.org/10.4135/9781412952668

Dissertations and theses

Print dissertations and theses

Citation format:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of dissertation/thesis [Unpublished doctoral dissertation OR master's thesis]. Name of University.

Sample reference list entry:

Knight, J. C. (2011). The association of continuity of family physician care with health care services utilization and costs in Newfoundland and Labrador [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Memorial University of Newfoundland.

Dissertations and theses accessed from a library database

If accessed through the library, include the publication number and the database name. Do not include a URL.

Citation format:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of dissertation/thesis (Publication No. #) [Doctoral dissertation OR master’s thesis, University Name]. Database Name.

Sample reference list entry:

Rusch, L. C. (2010). Depression stigma reduction: The impact of models of depression on stigma and treatment seeking (Publication No. 3373881 [Doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Dissertations and theses accessed online

If accessed through an online repository, digital archive or other open-access source, include the source name and URL.

Citation format:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of dissertation/thesis [Doctoral dissertation OR master's thesis, University Name]. Source. URL

Sample reference list entry:

Sadatcharam, K. (2019). Assessing potential applications of multi-coil and multi- frequency electromagnetic induction sensors for agricultural soils in western Newfoundland [Master’s thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland]. Memorial University Research Repository. http://research.library.mun.ca/id/eprint/13806

Unpublished interviews

Quotations from people you interviewed (e.g., research participants) do not need to be cited in your reference list and also differ from how “personal communications” are cited. State in the text of your paper that the quotation is from someone you interviewed. When quoting a research participant, abide by any ethical agreements about confidentiality or anonymity. See section 8.36 (page 278) of the APA Manual for more information.

Sample in-text citation:

Gordon Pennell, a life-long resident of Corner Brook, was interviewed in his home about what it was like growing up on the west side during the late 1950s and 1960s. Mr. Pennell described “rock fights” between children from the Country Road neighbourhood and children “from the other side of the brook.”

Report by government agency or other organization

Include a report number if it has one. If the author and publisher are the same, leave out publisher name to avoid repetition. You may use a shortened URL generated by a link shortener. Either the long or short URL is acceptable.

Citation format:

Government Department/Organization/Committee. (Year, Month day). Title of document or report. (Report no. #). Publisher. URL

Sample reference list entry:

Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Health and Community Services. (2009, June). Newfoundland and Labrador gambling prevalence study. https://www.health.gov.nl.ca/health/ publications/2009_gambling_study.pdf