Non-English language and translated sources

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.

Translated works

When citing a translation, credit the  original source by adding the date that it was originallly published at the end of the reference in parentheses. Include both the original date and the date of the translation in the in text citation.

For classical and religious works such as the Bible, or Homer's The Odyssey, cite as a book, but be aware that some reference details may be missing, such as author and/or the publication date.

  • If there is no known author, use the title of the work in the author position.
  • If there is no publication date, use the republication date.
  • If the date is an approximation, use ca. (short for circa) before the year, or range of years if that is provided.
  • When directly quoting a classical or religious work, use  books, chapters, verses, lines, or cantos rather than page numbers.

Translated work with known author and date

Format for in-text citation

(Author family name, translation date/original publication date)

In-text citation example

Camus' (1988/1942) Stranger represents…

OR

In beginning the novel, "Mother died today."(Camus, 1988/1942, p.1), the novel sets up...

Format for reference list

Elements, punctuation and capitalisation

Author. (Year of publication). Title of book (Translator First initial, Family name, Trans.). Publisher. (Original work published XXXX)

Reference list example

Camus, A. (1988). The Stranger.  (M. Ward, Trans.) A. A. Knopf. (Original work published 1942)

Translated work with no author and approximated date

In-text citation example

Beowulf's refusal to hold any weapon (1987/ca. 700–1000 C.E.) sees him...

OR

"Beowulf's part of the jewels" (Beowulf, 1987/ca. 700–1000 C.E., Canto XXXIV), sees the protagonist...

Format for reference list

Elements, punctuation and capitalisation

Title of book. (Translator First initial, Family name, Trans.) .(Year of publication). Publisher. (Original work published XXXX)

Reference list example

Beowulf.  (K. Crossley-Holland, Trans.). Boydell. (Original work published ca.700-1000 C.E.).

Translated work with unknown author and no date

In-text citation example

"You should not lament over the inevitable." (Bhagavad Gita, 2008, Chapter 2, verse 27), illustrates the belief that....

Format for reference list

Elements, punctuation and capitalisation

Title of book (Translator First initial, Family name, Trans.). (Year of publication). Publisher. 

Reference list example

Bhagavad Gita.  (L. L. Patton, Trans.). (2008). Penguin.