APA Format: Listing Publication Information for Books               


 

There are four main elements of a reference to an entire book: (1) the authors and/or editors; (2) the publication date; (3) the title; (4) and the publication information. Consider the following example:



Lanham, Richard A. (1987). Revising prose (2nd ed.). New

      York: MacMillan.


List the name(s) of the authors at the head of the entry, last name first. If the book has one or more editors, place the editor's name or names in the author position followed by (Ed.) or (Eds.), respectively. Conclude this element with a period.

Next, list in parentheses the year the book was copyrighted, and conclude the element with a period. Capitalize just the first word of the title and of the subtitle (if present), and all proper names. Italicize the title. List any additional necessary information for identification in parentheses following the title (i.e. 2nd ed., Vol. 3, etc.). Use arabic numbers rather than roman numerals in two-part titles unless the published title uses roman numerals. Conclude this element with a period.

List the city, and if the city is not well known, list the state or country as well. Use the standard state abbreviations of the U.S. Postal Service. Type a colon after the location. List the publisher's name in as short a form as possible--spell out university and associated presses, but omit such terms as Inc., Co., etc. If two or more locations are listed, give the location which is listed first. Conclude this element with a period.

For more specific information, consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (Fifth Edition).  

 

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