Creating Bibliographies using APA Style, 5th Edition

A brief guide to creating a bibliography using the APA 5th Edition (American Psychological Association) style. For further help consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edition), or The Little, Brown Handbook - ask for these publications at the Reference Desk.

As with making any bibliography, arrange the entries alphabetically by the author's last name. Remember to double-space and indent after the first line.

Books
Journals
Websites

General Book Format

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Use capital letter also for first word of subtitle.

Location: Publisher.

One author

Evans, P.M. (2001). Controlling people: How to recognize, understand, and deal with people who try to

control you. Avon, MA: Adams Media.

Two to six authors

White, R.W., & Watt, N.F. (1973). The abnormal personality (4th ed.). New York: Ronald Press.

Two or more books by the same author

To cite two or more books by the same author, give the author's name in all references, and arrange by year of publication, the earliest first.

Jacobs, J.B. (1977). Stateville: The penitentiary in mass society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Jacobs, J.B. (1989). Drunk driving: An American dilemma. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Corporate author

United States. Bureau of Justice Statistics. (1988). Report to the nation on crime and justice.

Washington, DC: United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics.

Unknown author

The Times Atlas of the World (9th ed.). (1992). New York: Times Books.

Editors

Fox, R. W., & Lears, T. J. J. (Eds.). (1993). The power of culture: Critical essays in American history.

Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Entry in an encyclopedia

Bergmann, P.G. (1993). Relativity. In The new encyclopaedia Britannica (Vol. 26, pp. 501-508).

Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica.

General periodical (journal) Format

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (1994). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume
(issue), page number-page number.

Journal article

Armour, M.P. (2002). Alternative routes to professional status: Social work and the new careers program

under the office of economic opportunity. Social Services Review, 76(2), 229-255.

Journal article - Two to six authors

Boyle, J. & Haines, S. (2002). Severe traumatic injury: Some effects on family caregivers. Psychological

reports, 90, 415-425.

Electronic version of journal article that differs from print version

Crystal, J. (2001). Criminal justice in the Middle East. Journal of Criminal Justice, 29(6), 469-483. Retrieved June 4,

2002, from Academic Search Premier database.

Website

From University Website

Meyer, P. (1995). Public Journalism and the Problem of Objectivity. Retrieved June 4, 2002, from University of
North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Journalism and Mass Communication Web site:

http://www.unc.edu/~pmeyer/ire95pj.htm

Stand-alone document, no author identified, no date

A science odyssey: People and discoveries: Sigmund Freud. (n.d.). Retrieved July 13, 2002, from
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/entries/bhfreu.html

For further help

Go to APA Style's homepage, or ask at the Circulation Desk for:

the APA Style Guide: Publication manual of the American Psychological Association, Call Number: R 808.06 P976 2001,
or The Little, Brown Handbook, Call Number: R 808.042 F786li