APA 7
APA 7
General style notes
Before selecting a referencing style, check with your tutor or lecturer for the bibliographic style preferred by the School or Department.
About APA
APA style is widely used in the social sciences and other fields, such as education, commerce and nursing.
APA is an author-date style with two key components:
- Citations in the text, including the name of the author and year of publication.
- Reference list at end of paper, alphabetically listing of all references used in the text.
The purpose of referencing is to acknowledge the source and to enable the reader to trace the sources. Referencing information must be accurate and include all the information required to find the original source.
Access to the full style manual
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Find out where to get a copy
This guide is based on the 7th edition of the APA's style rules which are set out in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition.
The full style manual is not available as a library eBook. Print copies are available from the University of Melbourne library. Consult the official manual for more information.
For more information:
- Information about In-Text Citations and References are also available on the APA Style website.
- APA Style Blog https://apastyle.apa.org/blog
In text citation style notes
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What is an in text citation? How are they formatted?
- Generally consist of the author's family name and the year of publication, enclosed in brackets. eg. (Coates, 2005)
- When a reference has three or more authors, cite the family name of the first author followed by et al. and the year, e.g. (Ng et al., 2007)
- When citing multiple sources in one in-text citation, place citations in alphabetical order. Separate citations with a semi-colon, e.g. (Coates, 2005; McMinn, 2003; Ng & Leung, 2007).
- When multiple references have the same author/s and year of publication, include a lowercase letter after the year. This combination of year and letter is used in both the in-text citation and the reference list. e.g., (Pascoe, 2023a), (Pascoe, 2023b).
- Always give specific page numbers for quotations in the text and include a complete reference in the reference list, e.g.,
- No distinction is made between print and electronic sources when citing in-text.
- If quoting the full title of a reference in the text, the first word of titles and subtitles and all other major words are capitalised and italicised e.g., When The Handicap Principle: A Missing Piece of Darwin's Puzzle was published…
…(Miller, 1994, p. 276)…OR
Miller (1994) found that, "the 'placebo effect,'… in all participants" (p. 245). -
When there are multiple authors
- With three or more authors, cite only the surname of the first author followed by et al. and the year.
- When two sources would both abbreviate to the same “et al.” form, include as many surnames as needed to differentiate between them. If two or more sources have an identical author/authors and publication year, add letters to the years, e.g. (Smith, 1991a).
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Direct quotation of sources (less than 40 words)
These notes apply to the word-for-word reproduction from another author's work.
The quote is fewer than 40 words
- If the quote is fewer than 40 words, incorporate it into the text and use double quotation marks.
- Always provide author, year, and page number or paragraph number for non-paginated material, e.g.
According to Palladino and Wade (2010), "a flexible mind is a healthy mind" (p. 147).
In 2010, Palladino and Wade noted that "a flexible mind is a healthy mind" (p. 147).
"A flexible mind is a healthy mind," according to Palladino and Wade's (2010, p. 147) longitudinal study.
- List the complete reference in the bibliography
- If the quote is at the end of a sentence, close the quote with quotation marks, cite the source in brackets after the quotation marks, and place a full stop after the bracket, e.g.
In fact, "a flexible mind is a healthy mind" (Palladino & Wade, 2010, p. 147).
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Direct quotation of sources (more than 40 words)
- If the quote is more than 40 words, display in a freestanding block of text and omit the quotation marks.
- Start the quote on a new line, and indent about half and inch (equal to a tab space or 1.27cm) from the left margin (in the same position as a new paragraph).
- If there are additional paragraphs in the same quote, indent the first line of each by half an inch (one tab space).
- Double-space the entire quotation. Cite the quoted source, page or paragraph number in brackets after the final punctuation mark.
- Use p. for a single page number (Example: p. 15) and pp. for multiple page numbers (Examples: pp. 125-126).
- If citing an online source without page numbers, cite the paragraph number (Example: para. 4).
- When citing multiple authors after a quotation use the ampersand symbol '&' instead of the word 'and'.
- If the quoted source is cited and included in the introductory sentence only the page or paragraph number is required at the end of the quotation.
Example
Jones's (1998) study found the following:
Students often had difficulty using APA style especially when it was their first time citing source. This difficulty could be attributed to the fact that many students failed to purchase a style manual or ask their teacher for help. (p. 199)Block quote with author at beginning
Lyoob, Rossetti and Chen (2013) noted:
Many software providers take advantage of these developing technologies to provide new cloud computing services or transform their existing products to the cloud. Since the term cloud could refer to any infrastructure, platform or software that serves for cloud computing, every component in the cloud may be provided as a service. (p. 34)Block quote with author at the end
Cyber threats are not the only challenge to cloud computing:
While security has been a major topic of interest, reliability is a much bigger concern. Cloud computing is based on Internet access, so a fast and constant Internet connection is critical to cloud computing solutions. Therefore, it is imperative to ensure the enterprise's connectivity to the Internet is well-established and that there are backup connections in case of connectivity failure. (Lyoob, Rosetti, & Chen, 2013 pp. 35-36) -
Direct quotations of online material without pagination
- List author year and page number in brackets
- If paragraph numbers are available, use these when page numbers are absent
- Use the abbreviation para, e.g.
Basu and Jones (2007) went so far as to suggest the need for a new "intellectual framework in which to consider the nature and form of regulation in cyberspace " (para. 4).
- If a subheading is available but no paragraph or page numbers, cite the heading and the numbers of the paragraph following it, e.g.
In their study, Verbunt, Pernot, and Smeets (2008) found that "the level of perceived disability in patients with fibromyalgia seemed best explained by their mental health condition and less by their physical condition " (Discussion section, para. 1).
- If the subheading is too long and unwieldy to use (and there is no paragraph or page numbers) a short title enclosed in quotation marks will suffice, e.g.
"Empirical studies have found mixed results on the efficacy of labels in education consumers and changing consumption behaviour " (Golan, Kuchler, & Kirssof, 2007, "Mandatory Labelling Has Targeted, " para. 4).
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Citing web sites and social media posts
- To cite a web site or a Facebook or Twitter feed as a whole or to discuss it in general, you need only to provide the site URL in parentheses in the text; there is no need for a reference list entry.
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Citing classical, religious and very old works
- For classical, major religious and very old works not included in the reference list, give the year of the translation or version that you used, with the word trans. or version, and give section numbers rather than page numbers, e.g., (Aristotle, trans. 1931); 1 Cor. 13:1 (Revised Standard Version). When the date of the original publication is available, include that date, e.g., James (1890/1983).
Reference list style notes
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General reference list notes
- References cited in the text must be listed in the reference list, and all references listed in the reference list must be cited in the text.
- Order the reference list alphabetically by author surnames:
- Where an item has no author it is cited by its title, and ordered in the reference list alphabetically by the first significant word of the title (not A or The) .
- References by the same single or multiple authors are arranged by year of publication, the earliest first, e.g.,
- Hong, B.H. & Yeung, K.L. (2001)
- Hong, B.H. & Yeung, K.L. (2009)
- References with the same first author and different second or third author are arranged alphabetically by the surname of the second author, or if the same, third, and so on, e.g.,
- Brown, J., Gold, F., & Black, L. (2007)
- Brown, J., Gold, F., & Greene, H. (2006)
- References by the same author (or by the same two or more authors in the same order) with the same publication date are arranged alphabetically by the title (excluding A or The) that follows the date. Lower case letters – a, b, c – are placed immediately after the year in parentheses.
- Smith, J.R. (2008a)
- Smith, J.R. (2008b)
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References with multiple authors
- For a work with up to 20 authors, include all of the names in the reference. When the work has 21 or more authors, include only the first 19 names, an ellipsis(...), and the final name. (see section 9.8, p.286 of the APA Manual).
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Formatting the reference list
- APA requires that the reference list be double-spaced
- Entries in the reference list should have a hanging indent (the second and subsequent lines of the reference must be indented five spaces.) e.g.
American Psychological Association (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington D.C: Author.
- Book titles are italicised, e.g., Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. Chapter or section titles within a larger work are not italicised.
- Translated works: if you used the non-English version of a work, cite using the original title and immediately following that title, give the English translation in brackets. If you used the English translation, just cite the English translation.
- Give the publication date (the year the work was copyrighted) in brackets, e.g., (2009). Note: APA uses brackets (…) for standard parts of a reference, e.g., the year of publication, and square brackets […] for information that you have inserted, e.g., format information such as [Audio podcast].
- Inclusive page numbers for all articles and chapters in books should be included in the reference list.
- List page numbers in full (e.g., 132-135, not 132-5).
- Electronic sources: in general, include the same elements, in the same order, as you would for a reference to a printed source and add as much information as needed for others to locate the source.
- DOIs and URLs should both be presented as hyperlinks, i.e. beginning with 'http' or 'https'.
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Abbreviations - what can and can't be
- Journal titles in the reference list must be italicised and be given in title case; do not abbreviate titles (e.g., Journal of Immunology, not J Immunol). Article titles are not italicised.
Acceptable abbreviations in the reference list for parts of books and other publications include:
ed. edition Rev.ed. revised edition 2nd ed. second edition Ed. ( Eds.) Editor (Editors) Trans. Translator(s) n.d. no date p. (pp) page (pages) Vol. Volume (as in Vol. 4) Vols. Volume (as in Vols. 1-4) No. Number Pt. Part Suppl. Supplement Tech. Rep. Technical report
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What material is cited but NOT included in the reference list?
- Personal communications, such as letters, informal email, or private social media posts
- Classical works or major religious texts
- Web sites or Facebook orTwitter feeds when discussed as a whole
These are just cited in the text.
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When a reference has missing information
- If the journal does not use volume, issue, article or page numbers, leave those elements out of the reference
- If the elements (volume, issue, page numbers etc) have not yet been assigned, use the format for advance online publication.
- For more information on what to do if information is missing from a reference, see the APA style blog entry.
Explore resources to enable you to effectively integrate and cite sources into your writing and assessment tasks, visit Academic Skills.
View Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Architectural drawings and plans
Note: You must include the revision number or letter (if there is one) as well as the drawing number. This can be a number or letter after the drawing number (ie. Drawing no. A101 rev. a) or part of the drawing number (ie. Drawing no. A101a)
Format for in-text citation
In-text citation example
The plans for the Melbourne School of Design Building feature the exposed services (Wardle, 2014).
OR
In the locality plan, Wardle (2014) designed the building to be....
Format for reference list
Elements, punctuation and capitalisation
Author. (Year, Month Day). Title of drawing (Drawing/Plan no. xx and revision number or letter [if provided]) [Type of drawing]. Name of Subject LMS site. or http://xxxxx
Reference list example
NADAAA and John Wardle Architects. (2014, January 10). University of Melbourne, Parkville campus, Faculty of Architecture Building and Planning locality plan (Drawing no. AR0100 rev. A) [Construction drawing]. http://archive.abp.unimelb.edu.au/objects/pdfs/Post-construction/Drawings/Architectural-drawings-as-built/AR-0100-A.pdf
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Artificial Intelligence software (eg. ChatGPT)
Use this resource to guide you on how to appropriately acknowledge the use of AI tools and technologies in your assessments.
Check with your lecturers and tutors whether artificial intelligence (AI) text generators are permitted in your assessment tasks. For more information, see the Academic Integrity Statement on Artificial Intelligence Tools and Technologies.
Format for in-text citation
(Author of Generative AI, Year)
In-text citation example
A source prompt “Is it right to use ChatGPT for my assignment?” was entered by the author into the generative chatbot (OpenAI, 2023).
Format for reference list
Author of Large Language Group model. (Year of version used) Title of generative AI/Large Language Model (Month Day version) [Type of software]. URL
Reference list example
OpenAI (2023). ChatGPT (April 12 version) [Large Language Model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat
Style notes for this reference type
- APA 7 Publication Manual, p.338.
- The date is the year of publication of the version used
- The URL should link as closely as possible to the source of the text
- Use the version number provided by the software. (ChapGPT uses the date of use as the current version)
- The author and the publisher are the same so there is no need to list the publisher
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Books and book chapters, theses, online dictionaries and encyclopedias
Author type
Book type
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Conference presentations, proceedings and poster sessions
Conference paper type
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Datasets
Format for in-text citation
In-text citation example
… which has been well supported and illustrated by the data (Noble, 2019)
OR
Statistics from Ayton and Watzl (2007) indicate that…
Format for reference list
Elements, punctuation & capitalisation
With DOI
Author, A. A. (year). Title of data set [Data set]. Publisher Name or Source of Unpublished Data. https://doi.org/xxxxxxxxx
Without DOI
Author, A. A. (year). Title of data set [Data set]. Publisher Name or Source of Unpublished Data. URL
Reference list example
With DOI
Noble, C.(2019). Impacts of habitat disturbance on population health of Bornean frogs [Data set]. Imperial College London. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3485086
Without DOI
Ayton, J.& Watzl, R. (2007). A bibliography of polar medicine related articles [Data set]. Australian Antarctic Data Centre. https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/records/medical_bibliography
Make sure to look at the style notes
Style notes for this reference type
- The date for a published data set is the year of publication, for unpublished data, the date should be the year of collection.
- Include a retrieval date only if the data set is designed to change over time.
- The title of the data set should be italicized.
- A DOI for datasets should be included as part of the reference. If there is no DOI, include the URL of the webpage where the data is indexed.
- The recommended format for including DOI in references is https://doi.org/xxxxxxxxxx
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Figures and images (graphs, flow charts, charts, illustrations, drawings)
Figure type - figure/image you have reproduced
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Figure/Image reproduced from a book
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Figure/Image reproduced from a website
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Figure/Image reproduced from a database
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Figure/Image reproduced from a musical score
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Figure/Image reproduced to be included in a work you are publishing
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Figure/Image reproduced from a journal article
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Images generated by Artificial Intelligence
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Figure/Image you have created
Figure type - figure/image you have referred to
Indigenous knowledge or oral traditions
The APA Manual, 7th edition (p.260) states that the ways in which the Traditional Knowledge or Oral Traditions of Indigenous people are cited depends on whether, or how they have been recorded.
If the material is not recorded, a variation of the personal communication reference type may be used, describing the source and providing context for its origin.
If the information has been recorded and is recoverable by readers, it should be cited in the text and an entry in the correct format for the type of source (eg. audio, video, book, interview transcript) should be included in the reference list. If appropriate and available, the author or creator's Nation, Country and /or language group can be recorded in parentheses adjacent to the author information.
Care should be taken that the information is appropriate to share and/or publish before citing works, and that it is represented or reproduced accurately. It may also be appropriate to consider the copyright ownership of material representing the cultural heritage of Indigenous Peoples.
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Journal and magazine articles
Journal article type
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Legislation and cases (Australian)
The APA style guide refers readers wishing to reference legal materials to The Bluebook: A uniform system of citation; however, The Bluebook is unsuitable for use in Australia. The fourth edition of the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (AGLC4) should be used for reference list entries for Australian and international legal materials. The examples in this guide are based on AGLC4 style.
Acts
Format for in-text citation
(Name of Act, Year (Jurisdiction) s #)
*see the list of AGLC jurisdiction abbreviations
In-text citation example
Monies levied may then be used by ministers (Major Bank Levy Act 2017 s 3)...
OR
Under the Major Bank Levy Act 2017 (Cth) s 3 ministers may calculate the sum...
Note: s # in the citation refers to the section number, so section 55 is s 55 in the citation
Format for reference list
Elements, punctuation & capitalisation
Short Title of Act Year (Jurisdiction abbreviation)
*see the list of AGLC jurisdiction abbreviations
Reference list example
Major Bank Levy Act 2017 (Cth)
Make sure you read the style notes below
Bills
Format for in-text citation
(Name of Bill Year (Jurisdiction) s #)
Note: s # in the citation refers to the section number, so section 55 is s 55 in the citation
*see the list of AGLC jurisdiction abbreviations
In-text citation example
In order to regulate how fast water is taken from catchments, and when (Water Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 (Vic.)).
OR
The provisions of the Water Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 (Vic) enable regulation of...
Format for reference list
Elements, punctuation & capitalisation
Title of Bill Year ( Jurisdiction abbreviation) Section (if applicable)
Reference list example
Water Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 (Vic)
Make sure you read the style notes below
Cases
Format for in-text citation
(Name of Case, year)
In-text citation example
OR
Dutton v Republic of South Africa (1999) saw the laws around extradition challenged...
Format for reference list
Elements, punctuation & capitalisation
Case name (Year) Volume Law Report Abbreviation Starting Page Number
Reference list example
Dutton v Republic of South Africa (1999) 162 ALR 625
Style Notes
- AGLC is a footnoting style. We have adapted it for APA. The reference list follows AGLC style, but the citations are formatted in APA style.
- Use short titles only if a case is well known.
- Case names and legislation in the text should be italicised
- See AGLC4 Rule 3.1.3 for a list of Jurisdiction abbreviations
- Refer to the following rules in AGLC4 :
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Manuscripts and advance online publications
Manuscript type
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Maps
Map type - map that you have reproduced
Map type - map that you have referred to
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Music Scores
Musical scores are not discussed in the manual used in the compilation of the APA 7th examples for this module. Our librarians suggest the following, however we advise that you check with your subject guideline or tutor for recommended format.
Format for in-text citation
In-text citation example
"It's Alright With Me" (Porter, 1953) was also used in High Society.
OR
Porter (1953) wrote "It's Alright With Me" for the musical Can-Can.
Format for reference list
Elements, punctuation and capitalisation
Composer, A. A., & Composer, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of publication [Medium]. Publisher name.
Reference list example
Stravinsky, I. (1975). Rite of spring [Score]. Hansen House.
If the score is part of a collection or anthology:
Whitfield, N., & Strong, B. (1966). I heard it through the grapevine [Score]. In Motown anthology (pp.98–104). Hal Leonard.
If there is an editor:
Porter, C. (1953). It's all right with me [Score]. In W. L. Simon (Ed.), Treasury of great show tunes (pp.104–110). Reader's Digest.
Make sure you read the style notes below
Reference list style notes
- APA Style Blog
- Basically, a musical score is similar to a book. The composer is entered into the author element, the date when the work was created into the date element (if known), the title of the work, then the publisher of the work.
- A description related to the type of medium may be needed and included in square brackets behind the title and before the period. Examples of medium: score, choral score, miniature score, orchestral score, libretto, song lyrics, etc.
- The title of the work is italicised.
- If you are using a reprint of an old score, there is no need to include the information about the original publishing company, but do include the original publication date in parentheses after the period of the source, e.g. (Original work published 1966).
- Often correct details for referencing items can be found on the Library catalogue record.
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Newspaper articles
Newspaper article type
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Non-English language sources
- Cite the version of the work you used, if you used the English translation, cite this version.
- If you use a non-English work, cite the author, date, title and source of the work in the original language. You must include an English translation of the title in square brackets, directly after the title and before the full stop. Refer to the examples.
- If you are only using a section of a source, e.g., a chapter in an edited book, you only need to translate the chapter title, not the book title as well. The translation does not need to be literal. The purpose is to give the reader a sense of what the work is about.
- Note: If the work uses a non-Latin alphabet (e.g., Arabic, Farsi, Mandarin, Japanese, Russian) an extra step is required. Non-Latin alphabets are not used in the reference list in APA Style, so the title needs to be transliterated (that is, converted to the alphabet you are using to write the paper). This is followed by the English translation, in square brackets. For in-text citations, the family of organisation name(s) is used as usual, but must be provided in Latin alphabet. Refer to the examples.
Pinyin is the official romanization system for Standard Mandarin Chinese. One site that converts from Chinese characters to Pinyin is the Chinese-Pinyin Converter.
For example:
Japanese language examples
Amano, N., & Kondo, H. (2000). Nihongo no goi tokusei [Lexical characteristics of Japanese language] (Vol. 7). Sansei-do.
OR
Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (1997, June 12). Peru jiken chosa iinkai no hokoku ni tsuite no Ikeda Gaimu Daijin no kishakaiken [Press interview with Foreign Minister Ikeda on the report of the investigation committee on the Peru Incident]. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Retrieved from http://www.mofa.go.jp/mofaj/gaiko/hoka/peru/ index.html
Original Chinese-language reference
何應欽, 張菀玲, 洪繼開, & 楊喬凱. (2020). 高績效理財專員之個人商業模式與 職能基礎的探討-以ks 銀行為研究對象. Commerce & Management Quarterly, 21(2), 111–145.
Chinese-language reference after transliteration
He, Y., Zhang, Y., & Yang, Q. (2020). Gāo jì xiào lǐ cái zhuān yuán zhī gè rén shāng yè mó shì yǔ zhí néng jī chǔ de tàn tǎo yǐ yín háng wèi yán jiū duì xiàng [Discussion on the personal business model and functional basis of high-performing financial professionals - KS bank as the research object]. Commerce & Management Quarterly, 21(2),111–145.
Patents and standards
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Personal communications (interviews, letters, emails)
You may need to consult more than one section to accurately represent the source used (eg. number of authors and source descriptions)
Format for in-text citation
In-text citation
(A.A. Author, personal communication, Month Day, Year)
In-text citation example
Eg.…the evidence was inconclusive (J. Smith, personal communication, March 21, 2019).
Format for reference list
Elements, punctuation & capitalisation
Not required as personal communications, such as letters and emails are not accessible by the audience for your work. The work should be acknowledged in the text.
Style notes for this reference type
- APA 7 Publication Manual, p.179.
- Examples of personal communications include interviews, private letters, and email correspondence.
- An in-text citation to personal communications should include the initials and full surname of the person and date details. For example: (J. Smith, personal communication, March 21, 2019).
- Privacy settings define if content is referenced as a ‘personal communication’. Restricted content that is not published or findable is referenced as personal communications. Content which is accessible to others cannot be defined as a personal communication, except for content which may be held in an archive, repository, gallery, museum, or library.
- Personal communications are not included in the reference list as they are not published or findable by others. However, if you would like to include a personal interview as part of your APA reference list, a general structure for the reference is to include the interviewee, the date of the interview, and the type of interview. For example: Last name, Initial. (Year, Month date). Interview type [email, phone, personal interview, personal interview with [third party Initial. Last Name].
- If there is any additional contextual information that is significant to this communication, please include it in the citation.
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PhD and Master's theses
You may need to consult more than one section to accurately represent the source used (eg. number of authors and source descriptions)
Format for in-text citation
In-text citation example
Willis (1997) has shown…
OR
…was found (Willis, 1997).
OR
Willis (1997, p.26) proposes…
Format for reference list
Elements, punctuation & capitalisation
For an unpublished thesis (thesis in print form):
Author, A. A. (Year). Title [Unpublished doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis]. Institution issuing degree.
For a thesis available through a database service, such as ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database, include the name of the database and the accession or order number in the reference:
Author, A. A. (Year). Title (Accession or Order No.)[Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, Institution issuing degree]. Name of Database.
For a thesis from an institutional database:
A Author, A. A. (Year). Title [Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, Institution issuing degree]. URL (persistent identifier)
For a thesis available on the web:
Author, A. A. (Year). Title [Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, Institution issuing degree]. URL
When citing the abstract for a thesis, as from Dissertation Abstracts International:
Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Dissertation Abstracts International: Section. Title of section, Volume(Issue), Number of abstract.
Reference list example
Kilpatrick, H. (2019). Writing with feeling: Practising angers in late-medieval English chronicles. [Doctoral dissertation, University of Melbourne]. http://minerva-access.unimelb.edu.au/handle/11343/235596
OR
Willis, J. (1997). Women in architecture in Victoria 1905-1955. Their education and professional life. [Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Melbourne].
Make sure to look at the style notes
Style notes for this reference type
- APA 7 Publication Manual, pp.333–334.
- Italicise the title of the thesis, unless citing only the abstract.
- Capitalisation: Capitalise only the first word of the title and of the subtitle, if any, and any proper nouns.
- If pages are being directly referenced in the text, include the cited page number/s in the in-text citation after the year.
- Print format: Unpublished theses retrieved from the issuing university have the name of the issuing university in the Source part of the reference.
- A dissertation or thesis is considered published when it is available from a database, institutional repository, or archive. Place in square brackets after the title both the type of thesis and the institution awarding the thesis.
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Reports (Government, Company, Annual and Industry)
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Tables
You may need to consult more than one section to accurately represent the source used (eg. number of authors and source descriptions)
Format for in-text citation
In-text citation
An in-text citation is not used. A note underneath the table is used instead.
Referring to tables in-text
As shown in Table 5...
OR
Please refer to Table 4 for ...
Format for reference list
Elements, punctuation & capitalisation
Include a reference for the original source of the table (see book, book chapter, journal article, report , website, etc.)
Make sure to look at the style notes
Multiple sources
If you create your own table by compiling data from multiple sources, cite each source in the table note.
Table note from journal article
Table No.
Title of table.
Note. From/Adapted from "Title of Journal Article" by A. A. Author, Year, Title of Journal, Volume, p. xx. Copyright Year by Name of Copyright Holder.
Table note from book
Table No.
Title of table.
Note. From/Adapted from Book Title (p. xx) by A. A. Author, Year, Publisher. Copyright Year by Name of Copyright Holder.
Table note from website
Table No.
Title of table.
Note. From/Adapted from Title by A. A. Author. URL. Copyright Year by Name of Copyright Holder.
Table note from multiple sources
Table No.
Title of table.
Note. Data for … from Author (Year), for … from Author (Year), and for … from Author (Year).
Table note in a work to be published
Table No.
Title of table.
Note. From/Adapted from Title by A. A. Author, Year, Publisher. Copyright Year by Name of Copyright Holder. Reprinted [or Adapted] with permission.
Example - reproduced table
Table 1
Contributions of to Year-end Growth in State Leading Indexes
Note. From Monthly bulletin of economic trends: Economic activity in the major states by Melbourne Institute, https://melbourneinstitute.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/3125470/STATE_MBET_July2019.pdf. Copyright 2019 by Melbourne Institute.
Example - table created with data from multiple sources
Table 2
Melbourne traffic
Note. Data for CBD traffic from City of Melbourne (2018), and for commuting distance from ABS (2018).
Style notes for this reference type
- APA 7 Publication Manual, p.194–224.
- Definition
Tables are defined as numerical values or textual information arranged in an orderly display of columns and rows. Any other type of illustration is a figure. - Table numbers
Tables should be numbered in the order in which they appear in the text e.g., Table 1, Table 2. In the text, refer to tables by their number (“as shown in table 3”) as opposed to general references (“as shown in the table below”). - In-text citation
There is no in-text citation. Instead, a note should be included the bottom of the table to acknowledge that it is from another source. The word ‘Note’ is included at the start in italics. - Adapted vs reprinted
If you make any changes to the tables (additions, reformatting) include the words 'Adapted from' in the note. If you copy the table without changes use 'From'.
Source: APA Style blog. - Copyright
If the table is in a work that will be published, you must seek permission from the copyright holder. This permission must also be included in the table note using the words, ‘Reprinted [or Adapted] with permission.’ Examples of published works:- Thesis in University of Melbourne repository
- Journal article
- News item on website
In university coursework, you generally do not need to ask the author for permission, contact the Copyright Office if you are unsure.
Source: APA Style blog.
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Treaties and International Conventions
You may need to consult more than one section to accurately represent the source used (eg. number of authors and source descriptions)
Format for in-text citation
In-text citation example
The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966) was ratified by Belize…
OR
Australia included a list of reservations (International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, 1966)...
Format for reference list
Elements, punctuation and capitalisation
Name of Treaty or Convention, Month Day, Year, URL
Reference list example
International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, December 16, 1966, https://www.ohchr.org/en/instruments-mechanisms/instruments/international-covenant-civil-and-political-rights
OR
Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, January 22, 2021, https://treaties.un.org/doc/Treaties/2017/07/20170707%2003-42%20PM/Ch_XXVI_9.pdf
Make sure you read the style notes below
Reference list style notes
- APA 7 Publication Manual, p.368
- References for treaties and conventions should include the name of the treaty or convention, in Title Case, the signing or approval date and a URL if available.
- APA 7 includes guidance for treaties and international conventions under legal references. Most legal reference entries begin with the title of the work; as a result, most in-text citations consist of the title and year. (p. 357)
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University course materials (Slides and Lecture Notes)
Reference type
Course material type
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Video, film and sound recordings
Reference type
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Webpages
Webpage type
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Working papers
Format for in-text citation
In-text citation example
…has already been calculated (Wittwer, 2020).
OR
Wittwer (2020) confirms that the bushfires were…
Format for reference list
Elements, punctuation & capitalisation
Working Paper with DOI
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C.C. (Year, Month). Title of work. (Working Paper No. #). https://doi.org/xxxxxxxxx
Working Paper without DOI
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C.C. (Year, Month). Title of work. (Working Paper No. #). URL
Reference list example
Givord, P. (2020, April). How a student’s month of birth is linked to performance at school: New evidence from PISA (OECD Education Working Papers No. 221). https://doi.org/10.1787/19939019
OR
Wittwer, G. (2020, March). The 2019-20 Australian Economic Crisis Induced by Bushfires and COVID-19 from the Perspective of Grape and Wine Sectors (CoPS Working Paper No. G-299). https://www.copsmodels.com/ftp/workpapr/g-299.pdf
OR
Huong, D., Donoghoe, M., Hughes, N., & Goesch, T. (2018, November). A micro-simulation model of irrigation farms in the southern Murray-Darling basin [Working paper]. Australian Bueau of Agricultural and Resource Economics and Sciences. https://www.agriculture.gov.au/abares/research-topics/working-papers/micro-simulation-model-irrigation-farms
Make sure to look at the style notes
Style notes for this reference type
- APA 7 Publication Manual, p. 330, examples 50 to 59
- Working papers are treated like issues briefs. If they have a number, this should be included in brackets after the title.
- If the working paper has no number, include the description of working paper in square brackets after the title.
- If the working paper will be taken down from the host site, state the retrieved from details before the URL
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Quick Guide to APA
Download the Quick Guide to APA for a handy guide to the style, with a summary of the main elements and examples of the most commonly cited reference types.
Sample reference list
Reference List
1964 Labour Party Manifesto. (n.d.). Retrieved August 9, 2020, from http://www.labour-party.org.uk/manifestos/1964/1964-labour-manifesto.shtml
Ancher, M., Murray and Woolley, Pty. Ltd. (1981). University of Melbourne master plan report 1981. University of Melbourne. http://hdl.handle.net/11343/130079
Costello, A., Abbas, M., Allen, A., Ball, S., Bell, S., Bellamy, R., Friel, S., Groce, N., Johnson, A., Kett, M., Lee, M., Levy, C., Maslin, M., McCoy, D., McGuire, B., Montgomery, H., Napier, D., Pagel, C., Patel, J., … Patterson, C. (2009). Managing the health effects of climate change. Lancet and University College London Institute for Global Health Commission. The Lancet, 373(9676), 1693–1733. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(09)60935-1
CSIRO. (2021). Our Knowledge, Our Way guidelines. CSIRO. Retrieved April 8, 2022, from https://www.csiro.au/en/research/indigenous-science/indigenous-knowledge/our-knowledge-our-way
Fuimaono, R. S. (2012). The asset-based community development (ABCD) approach in action: An analysis of the work of two NGOs in Samoa: a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Masters of Philosophy in Development Studies at Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand [PhD Thesis]. Massey University.
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. (2021, May 25). Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada [Navigation page - institutional profile]. https://www.canada.ca/en/indigenous-northern-affairs.html
Larrikins in Brunswick. (1908, September 18). Age. http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article202181168
Lowe, M., Whitzman, C., & Giles-Corti, B. (2013). Integrated planning for healthy communities: Does\ Victorian state legislation promote it. Proceedings of the State of Australian Cities Conference, Sydney, Australia, 26–29.
McFarlane, B. (1984). Homes fit for heroines: Housing in the twenties. In Matrix, (Ed.), Making Space: Women and the Man-Made Environment (pp. 26–36). Verso.
Spencer, J. C. (1964). Stress & release in an urban estate, a study in action research. [London] Tavistock Publications. http://archive.org/details/stressreleaseinu00spen
Tengan, C., & Aigbavboa, C. (2017). Level of stakeholder engagement and participation in monitoring and evaluation of construction projects in Ghana. Procedia Engineering, 196, 630–637. https://doi.org/10/gmfv62
Vilar, K., & Cartes, I. (2016). Urban design and social capital in slums. Case study: Moravia’s neighborhood, Medellin, 2004-2014. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 216, 56–67. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sbspro.2015.12.008
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Further help
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Social media posts, blog and forum posts, YouTube videos and mobile apps
Reference type
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter post
Blog post
YouTube video or other streaming video
Online Forum
Mobile Apps
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