Cite using APA

Dictionaries, thesauruses and encyclopedias

Reference list entry

Template

Printed version: Surname, X./Organization. (Year). Entry term. In Title. (edition, p. xx).
Online version: Surname, X./Organisation. (Year). Entry term. In Title. Retrieved date, from URL

Example

American Psychological Association. (2015). Mood induction. In APA dictionary of psychology (2:a uppl., p. 667).

Encyclopædia Britannica. (n.d.). Chavela Vargas. In Britannica Academic. Retrieved 15 December, 2021 from https://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Chavela-Vargas/631948

National Library of Medicine. (n.d.) Common Cold. In MeSH Database. Retrieved March 8, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/68003139

Wasieleski, D. M. (2018). Altruism. In R. Kolb (Ed.), The SAGE encyclopedia of business ethics and society (Vol. 1, pp. 92-95). SAGE Publications, Inc., https://dx.doi.org/10.4135/9781483381503.n35

 

In-text citations

Template

... (Surname/Organisation, Year).

Example

Parenthetical citations 

... might be a mixed infection (National Library of Medicine, n.d.).

... means something else (American Psychological Association, 2015). 

... not correct (Apodaca, 2017).

Narrative citations (when the name is mentioned in the text)

National Library of Medicine (n.d.) defines a common cold as...

American Psychological Association (2015) defines mood induction ...

Apodaca (2017) defines ...

 

Comments

If there is a named author you include the name, otherwise include dictionary, thesaurus or encyclopedia

  • For online works that are continuously updated and versions are not archived use "n.d.".
  • Leave out Dictionary, thesaurus or encyclopedia in the source element in the reference list entry if it is the same as the author.
  • Include edition (if not the first) and page number for printed works. Use the abbreviation "p." (singe page) or "pp." (multiple pages).
  • Include retrieval date (for online works that are not archived)
  • Include DOI or URL (for online works)
  • Note that the Wasieleski example above is structured similarly to a reference list entry for a chapter in an edited book because it has an individual author, the encyclopedia has an editor and the whole book has a publisher. Because this version of the entry is archived, you do not have to include a retrieval date.