APA Style Guidelines & Examples (6th edition)

NAIT Library

Table of Contents

Guidelines for In-Text Citations & Reference Lists ........................................................................... 2

Books ........................................................................................................................................... 4

Journal Articles ................................................................................................................................. 8

Periodicals (Newspapers & Magazines) .........................................................................................12

Case Studies ..................................................................................................................................15

Company Profiles or Industry Reports............................................................................................19

Websites .........................................................................................................................................20

Images .........................................................................................................................................22

Lecture Notes & Handouts .............................................................................................................24

Blog Entries ....................................................................................................................................25

Podcasts .........................................................................................................................................26

Videos .........................................................................................................................................27

Government of Canada Documents ...............................................................................................30

Conference Papers .........................................................................................................................36

Wikipedia Entries ............................................................................................................................37

Interviews (Personal Communications) ..........................................................................................38

Blueprints ........................................................................................................................................39

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 APA (sixth edition) Citation Style Guidelines
NAIT Library
Citation styles are standardized systems for crediting and citing sources you’ve used for your
research paper or assignment. Your program or degree will require you to use a specific citation
style. The American Psychological Association (APA) citation style is one of many different
citation styles. Other style options include MLA (Modern Language Association), CSE (Counsel of
Science Editors) and Vancouver.

You must give credit to every source that you use in your research paper. Brief citations included
in the text of your paper are called “in-text” citations (or “parenthetical” citations because they are
in parentheses, or brackets); APA in-text citations are usually made up of the author, date and
page number(s) of the source cited. Full citations are always included in the APA References list
at the end of your paper; full citations include all the citations elements (for example a book
citation includes the author, title, edition, place, publisher and date). Each in-text citation must
appear in the References list, and each entry in the References list must come from an in-text
citation.

These guidelines will help you to cite your research sources according to the APA style. Included
are examples of both in-text citations and References list citations.

These guidelines are based on the sixth edition (2010, second printing) of the Publication Manual
of the American Psychological Association and the FAQs on the APA website
(www.apastyle.org/faqs.html#3).

Important: Always ask your instructor what citation style is required for your assignment.

Overview of Recent APA Changes

The sixth edition of the APA Publication Manual includes two major changes that affect citing your
sources:

1. When citing books published in the U.S., include the U.S. Postal Service abbreviations
for the state of publication. If the publishing city is outside the U.S., include the city and
country. Do not abbreviate the country.

E.g. Upper Saddle River, NJ

Los Angeles, CA
Toronto, Canada

2. When citing articles or e-books from library databases, include the digital object identifier
(DOI) in the citation (e.g. doi: 10.1057/palgrave.kmrp.8500141) and do not include the
URL, date of retrieval or the name of the database. If the DOI is not available, include
the persistent URL of the article or e-book (e.g.
http://libezproxy.nait.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db
=a9h&AN=22299882&site=ehost-live&scope=site).

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 Guidelines for In-Text Citations & Reference Lists
In-Text Citations
 Include the author’s last name, the year of publication, and the page number (for quotes),
either as part of the text of your paper or in parentheses. For example: (Smith, 2011, p. 17).

 If a source has no author or editor, use a few words of the title instead.

 Each in-text citation must lead to the full reference list entry for that source.

Reference Lists
 The references page is usually located at the end of your written document. However, tables
and/or appendices, if used, come after the references page.

 The references page lists only the sources you cited in your paper. Every reference list entry
should have at least one corresponding in-text citation.

 Center the heading, References, at the top of the page.

 Alphabetize entries in the References list by the authors' last names.

 Author's first names are NOT included in the entries; include only the initials of given
name(s). For example: Wells, A.

 If a work has no author, place the title first and use that to alphabetize it within reference list.
If there is no date, use (n.d.). For a full template explaining how to format your citation when
information is missing, visit APA’s reference template PDF: http://blog.apastyle.org/files/how-
to-cite-something-you-found-on-a-website-in-apa-style---table-1.pdf

 The date of publication appears immediately after the first element of the citation (usually the
author’s name). For example, Wells, A. (2005).

 The references list is double-spaced within AND between citation entries.

 Use the hanging indent format: each entry begins flush left, and any additional lines are
indented one-half inch (or five spaces).

 Capitalization matters; only the first word of titles and subtitles is capitalized, in addition to
proper names. However, each significant word in the titles of journals, newspapers and
magazines (for example, Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences) is capitalized and italicized.
Titles of articles from journals are NOT italicized.

 Use only the name of the publishing company (do not include "Company" or "Inc." etc.).

 Do NOT insert a hyphen when dividing a web address (URL) at the end of a link.

 URLs/web addresses should NOT be hyperlinks. Use plain black text.

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 References

Canada. Dept of Finance. (2011). Tax expenditures and evaluations 2010 (Cat. No. F1-

27/2010E-PDF). Retrieved from http://www.fin.gc.ca/taxexp-depfisc/2010/taxexp10-

eng.asp

Dali, S. (1945). [Untitled portrait of a woman]. [Painting]. Retrieved from http://www.dali-

gallery.com/html/galleries/painting17.htm

Datamonitor. (2012). Genesis Energy: Company profile. Retrieved from

http://libezproxy.nait.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db

=bth&AN=73345420&site=ehost-live&scope=site

Heuristic. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary (11th ed.). Retrieved from http://www.m-

w.com/dictionary/heuristic

Kreith, F. & Goswami, D. Y. (Eds.). (2005). The CRC handbook of mechanical engineering (2nd

ed.). Retrieved from http://dx.doi.org.libezproxy.nait.ca/10.1201/9781420041583

Label, W. A. (2010). Accounting for non-accountants: The fast and easy way to learn the basics

(2nd ed.). Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.

Morris, E. A. (2009, July 2). The danger of safety [Web log message]. Retrieved from

http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/the-danger-of-safety

Shang-Ping, X., Deser, C., Vecchi, G., Jian, M., Haiyan, T., & Wittenberg, A. (2010). Global

warming pattern formation: Sea surface temperature and rainfall. Journal of Climate,

23(4), 966-986. doi:10.1175/2009JCLI3329.1

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 Books
 Print
 Electronic (eBook)
 Article or Chapter in Anthology or Edited Book

Print Book
Citation elements required and general format:

Author(s) or editor(s). (Year). Title of book: Subtitle of book (Edition). City, State

abbreviation or Country of publication: Publisher.

Reference list citation examples - Book

One author:
Label, W. A. (2010). Accounting for non-accountants: The fast and easy way to learn the

basics (2nd ed.). Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks.

One editor:
Smither, J. W. (Ed.). (1998). Performance appraisal: State of the art in practice. San

Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Multiple authors:
Murray, R. B., Zentner, J. P., & Yakimo, R. (2009). Health promotion strategies through

the life span. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Multiple editors:
Baker, A., Dutton, S., & Kelly, D. (Eds.). (2004). Composite materials for aircraft

structures (2nd ed.). Reston, VA: American Institute of Aeronautics and

Astronautics.

No author or editor:
New concise world atlas. (2007). New York, NY: Oxford University Press.

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 In-text citation examples - Book
One author named in your paper:
Smyth (2008, p. 40) reported that …
OR:
Smyth (2008) indicated that “insert quote here” (p. 40).

One author not named in the text of your paper:

… as one researcher reported (Smyth, 2008, p. 40).
OR:
This case indicated that “insert quote here” (Smyth, 2008, p. 40).

Two authors named in the text of your paper (use the word “and”
between the authors’ names in the text of your paper; use the ampersand “&” in the in-
text citation brackets):

Research by Smyth and Hanson (2007) indicated “quote here” (p. 59).
OR:
Smyth and Hanson concluded the same (2007, p. 59).

Two authors not named in the text of your paper:

The researchers concluded the same facts (Smyth & Hanson, 2007, p. 59).
OR:
The researchers (Smyth & Hanson, 2007) concluded “insert quote here” (p. 59).

Three to five authors:

Research by Blaine, Hobbs, Adamson, Berry and Kal (1993, p. 45) is positive.
OR:
… as concluded by the researchers (Blaine, Hobbs, Adamson, Berry & Kal,
1993, p. 45). In subsequent citations, use only the first author’s name followed
by “et al.” (Blaine et al., 1993, p. 45).

No author:
… according to the British map (New concise world atlas, 2004, p. 15).

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 Electronic Book (eBook)
Citation elements required and general format:

Author(s) (if editor, include (Ed.) after name). (Year). Title of eBook: Subtitle of eBook

(Edition). [Type of eReader version]. Retrieved from URL of book

Reference list citation examples – eBook

If using a handheld eReader, include information about this version in square brackets.

One editor, no DOI (eBook found in Knovel database):

Kutz, M. (Ed.). (2009). Eschbach’s handbook of engineering fundamentals (5th ed.).

Retrieved from

http://www.knovel.com.libezproxy.nait.ca/web/portal/browse/display?_EXT_KNO

VEL_DISPLAY_bookid=2441

One author, no DOI (eBook read on Kindle Fire):

Glazer, H. (2011). High performance operations: Leverage compliance to lower costs,

increase profits, and gain competitive advantage. [Kindle eBook version].

Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/High-Performance-Operations-

Competitive-ebook/dp/B005R4NO6Q/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-

text&ie=UTF8&qid=1328566689&sr=1-3

In-text citation examples – eBook

When citing an eBook from a handheld eReader, do not use device-specific page numbers, as
these can vary. Use only real page numbers that reflect the numbering of print books. If the real
page numbers are unavailable, leave them out.

One editor, real page numbers available:

Kutz (2009, p. 260) illustrated that …
OR:
… as was demonstrated previously (Kutz, 2009, p. 261).

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 Article or Chapter in Anthology or Edited Book

You cite an article, book chapter, or case study found in a source in both the references
list and in an in-text citation.

Citation elements required and general format:

Author(s) or editor(s) of the chapter or entry or case study. (Year of book). Title of chapter

or entry or case study. In First initial. Last name, & First initial. Last name (Eds.),

Title of book (pp. xx-xx). City, State abbreviation or Country of publication:

Publisher.

Reference list citation examples – Chapter in a Book, etc.

Entry in an anthology (where H. LaFollette is the editor of the book):
Warren, M. A. (2007). On the moral or legal status of abortion. In H. LaFollette (Ed.),

Ethics in practice (pp.126-136). Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing.

Case study in a textbook (where J. Ness is the author of the book):

Pederson, S. (2008). The XYZ Group. In J. Ness, Cases in digital processing (pp.11-20).

Saskatoon, Canada: CDMA Publishing.

In-text citation examples – Chapter in a Book, etc.

One author, entry in an anthology:
Warren (2007, p. 132) illustrated that …
OR:
… as research demonstrated in the previous ten years (Warren, 2007, p. 132).

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 Journal Articles
 Print Journal Article
 Online Journal Article with a DOI (Digital Object Identifier)
 Online Journal Article without a DOI

Print Journal Article

Citation elements required and general format for journal paginated by volume (page
numbers continue throughout year):

Author(s). (Year). Title of journal article: Subtitle of article. Title of Journal, Volume

number, page number(s).

Citation elements required and general format for journal paginated by issue (each
issue begins with page 1):

Author(s). (Year). Title of journal article: Subtitle of article. Title of Journal, Volume

number(issue number), page number(s).

Reference list citation examples – Journal Article

In APA style, every author or editor’s name is inverted (the last name comes first); use only the
initials for the first and middle names. Only capitalize the first word of the title, subtitle, and any
proper nouns. If the author is unknown, begin with the title.

Two or more authors, issue number not included:

Kim, Y., & Wells, A. (2005). The impact of forest density on property values. Journal of

Forestry, 103, 146-151.

Two or more authors, issue number included:

Shang-Ping, X., Deser, C., Vecchi, G., Jian, M., Haiyan, T., & Wittenberg, A. (2010).

Global warming pattern formation: Sea surface temperature and rainfall. Journal

of Climate, 23(4), 966-986. doi:10.1175/2009JCLI3329.1.

No Author:
Order in the oil sands. (2008). Petroleum Journal, 174(6), 15-21.

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 In-text citation examples – Journal Article
One author named in your text:
Smyth (2008, p. 40) found that…
OR:
Smyth (2008) indicated that “insert quote here” (p. 40).

One author not named in your text:

… as one researcher reported (Smyth, 2008, p. 40).
OR:
This case indicated that “insert quote here” (Smyth, 2008, p. 40).

Two authors named in your text:

Smyth and Hanson (2007) reported “insert quote here” (p. 59).
OR:
Smyth and Hanson (2007, p. 59) demonstrated that …

Two authors not named in your text:

The researchers concluded the same facts (Smyth & Hanson, 2007, p. 59).
OR:
The researchers (Smyth & Hanson, 2007) concluded “insert quote here” (p. 59).

No author:
… as was reported in the final study (“Order in the oil sands,” 2008, p. 17).

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 Online Journal Article (With DOI / Digital Object
Identifier)
Citation elements required and general format for journal paginated by volume (page
numbers continue throughout year):

Author(s). (Year). Title of journal article. Title of Journal, Volume, page number(s).

doi:DOI of article

Citation elements required and general format for journal paginated by issue (each
issue begins with page 1):

Author(s). (Year). Title of journal article. Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), page number(s).

doi:DOI of article

Reference list citation example – Online Journal Article with DOI

Multiple authors, issue number not included (article found in Nursing and
Allied Health database):

Street, M. E., Volta, C., Ziveri, M. A., Viani, I., & Bernansconi, S. (2009). Markers of

insulin sensitivity in placentas and cord serum of intrauterine growth-restricted

newborns. Clinical Endocrinology, 71, 394-399. doi:10.1111/j.1365-

2265.2009.03533.x

In-text citation examples – Online Journal Article with DOI

Multiple authors:
New research published by Street, Volta, Ziveri, Viani, and Bernansconi
concluded “insert quote here” (2009, p. 200).
OR:
… as the researchers concluded (Street et al., 2009, p. 200).

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 Online Journal Article (Without DOI / Digital Object
Identifier)
Citation elements required and general format for journal paginated by volume (page
numbers continue throughout year):

Author(s). (Year). Title of journal article. Title of Journal, Volume, page number(s).

Retrieved from URL of the article

Citation elements required and general format for journal paginated by issue
(each issue begins with page 1):

Author(s). (Year). Title of journal article. Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), page number(s).

Retrieved from URL of the article

Reference list citation examples – Online Journal Article without

DOI
One author (article found in Applied Science and Technology database):
Teska, K. (2010). Cases of misplaced technology. Mechanical Engineering, 132(6), 47.

Retrieved from http://go.galegroup.com.libezproxy.nait.ca/ps

/i.do?id=GALE%7CA235630942&v=2.1&u=naitl_main&it=r&p=AONE&sw=w

In-text citation examples – Online Journal Article without DOI

One author:
… and the research was supported by Drummond (2009, p. 18).
OR:
… the researcher concluded that “insert quote here” (Drummond, 2009, p. 18).

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 Periodicals (Newspapers & Magazines)
 Print Newspaper Article
 Online Newspaper Article
 Online Magazine Article

Print Newspaper Article

Citation elements required and general format. Unlike a journal article, p. or pp.
precedes page numbers for a newspaper reference in APA style. Single pages take p.
(for example: p. B2) and multiple pages take pp. (for example: pp. A4-A3).

Author(s). (Year, Month Day). Title of journal article. Title of Newspaper, page number(s).

Reference list citation examples – Newspaper article

One author:
Kleiss, K. (2010, October 12). Housing plan overturns decades of practice. Edmonton

Journal, pp. A1-A3.

No author:
Mandel received council support (2010, October 2). Edmonton Journal, p. B4.

In-text citation examples – Newspaper article

One author:
… as reported in the Edmonton Journal (Kleiss, 2010, p. A1).
OR:
Kleiss discounted the statistics (2010, p. A3).

No author:
… As reported in the Edmonton Journal (“Mandel,” 2010, p. B4).
OR:
… as reported in 2010 (“Mandel,” p. B4).

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 Online Newspaper Article
Citation elements required and general format:

Author(s). (Year, Month Day). Title of article: Subtitle of article. Title of Newspaper[Edition

if applicable], page number(s) or section letter(s). Retrieved from URL of article

Reference list citation examples – Online Newspaper Article

Do not abbreviate the month when citing online magazines. Include p. or pp. for page number(s).

One author (article found in Canadian Newsstand database):

Jack, I. (1998, October 24). Cleaner gasoline will cost jobs industry. Financial Post

[Weekly Edition], p. 3. Retrieved from

http://search.proquest.com.libezproxy.nait.ca/docview/442171876?accountid=12

654

In-text citation examples – Online Newspaper Article

One author:
Jack (1998, p. 2) found that cleaner gasoline was more expensive.
OR:
… as the author concluded (Jack, 1998, p. 2).

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 Online Magazine Article
Citation elements required and general format:

Author(s). (Year, Month Day). Title of article: Subtitle of article. Title of Magazine,

Volume(Issue), page number(s). Retrieved from URL of article

Reference list citation examples – Online Magazine Article

Do not abbreviate the month when citing online magazines.

One author (article found in Academic Search Complete database):

Weinman, J. J. (2008, May 5). Where should we put the violins? A debate over how to

place orchestras’ string section heats up in the classical world. Maclean’s,

121(17), 54. Retrieved from

http://libezproxy.nait.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/

login.aspx?direct=true&db=a9h&AN=31900477&site=ehost-live&scope=site

In-text citation examples – Online Magazine Article

One author:
… as Weinman successfully debated the topic (2008, p. 54).
OR:
A recent article debated the topic once again (Weinman, 2008, p. 54).

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 Case Studies
 Harvard Business School
 Ivey Business School
 Textbook Case Study
 Online Case Study

Harvard Business School Case Study

Citation elements required and general format:

Author(s). (Year). Title of case study. HBS No. number of case study. City,

State abbreviation or Country of publication: Publisher.

Reference list citation examples – Harvard Business School Case

Study
One author:
Smith, S. (2003). Leadership. HBS No. 7-806-122. Boston, MA: Harvard Business School

Publishing.

Two authors:
Eisenmann, T., & Herman, K. (2006). Google, Inc. HBS No. 9-806-105. Boston, MA:

Harvard Business School Publishing

In-text citation examples – Harvard Business School Case Study

One author:
…as the case study concluded (Smith, 2003, p. 6).
OR:
Smith reported (2003, p. 6) that the data was flawed.

Two authors:
Eisenmann and Herman did agree on the research findings (2006, p. 11).
OR:
… as both researchers agreed (Eisenmann & Herman, 2006, p. 11).

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 Ivey Business School Case Study
Citation elements required and general format:

Author(s). (Year). Title of case study. Ivey ID: number of case study. City,

State abbreviation or Country of publication: Publisher.

Reference list citation example – Ivey Business School Case Study

Two authors:
Heisz, M., & Leech, L. (2005). Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 - Understanding the

requirements and the Canadian response. Ivey ID: 9B05B009. London, Canada:

Ivey Publishing.

In-text citation examples – Ivey Business School Case Study

One author:
… as Byron concluded in the case study (2010, p. 105).
OR:
The case study concluded the same results (Byron, 2010, p. 105).

Two authors:
Heisz and Leech concluded similar findings (2005, p. 491).
OR:
… and the American researchers agreed (Heisz & Leech, 2005, p. 491).

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 Textbook Case Study
Citation elements required and general format:

Author(s) or editor(s) of the chapter or entry or case study. (Year of

book). Title of chapter or entry or case study. In First initial. Last

name, & First initial. Last name (Eds.), Title of book (pp. xx-xx).

City, State abbreviation or Country of publication: Publisher.

Reference list citation example – Textbook Case Study

One author:
Pederson, S. (2008). The XYZ Group. In J. Ness, Cases in digital processing (pp.11-20).

Saskatoon, Canada: CDMA Publishing.

In-text citation examples – Textbook Case Study

One author:
the argument for “insert quote here” … (Pederson, 2008, p. 11).
OR:
Pederson’s statement that “insert quote here” (2008, p. 15) still holds true today.

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 Online Case Study
Citation elements required and general format:

Author(s). (Year). Title of case study: Subtitle of case study. Title of Journal,

Volume(issue), page number(s). Retrieved from URL of the article (case

study)

Reference list citation examples – Online Case Study

Two authors (case study is from Business Source Complete database):
Schiehll, E., & Andre, P. (2003). Corporate governance and the information gap: The use

of financial and non-financial information in executive compensation. Ivey

Business Journal, 67(6), 1-6. Retrieved from

http://libezproxy.nait.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/

login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=10508033&site=ehost-live&scope=site

In-text citation examples – Online Case Study

Two authors:
Schiehll and Andre (2003, p. 15) demonstrated that …
OR:
… as the researchers concluded last year (Schiehll & Andre, 2003, p. 15).

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 Company Profiles or Industry Reports
Citation elements required and general format:

Author(s). (Year). Title of company profile or industry report. Retrieved from URL of the

article (case study)

Reference list citation examples – Online Company Profile or

Industry Report
Use the corporate author (for example, Datamonitor).

Company profile (from Business Source Complete database):

Datamonitor. (2012). Genesis Energy: Company profile. Retrieved from

http://libezproxy.nait.ca/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=

true&db=bth&AN=73345420&site=ehost-live&scope=site

In-text citation examples – Online Company Profile or Industry

Report
When citing more than one work by the same author published in the same year, differentiate
using letters of the alphabet in order from a to z.

One author
It was indicated that… (Datamonitor, 2011).
OR:
… as Datamonitor’s industry report concluded last year (2010).

Two or more works with same author published in same year

The Datamonitor company profile (2011a) demonstrated that …in comparison to
the numbers given in the industry report (2011b).

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 Websites
If you are citing an entire website, you do not have to include a citation for the website in
the list of references. You must, however, identify the source by providing the address of
the website in your paper.

In-text citation examples – Whole website

Kidspsych is a wonderful interactive web site for children (http://www.kidspsych.org).

Webpage or Document from a Website

If you are not able to find all of the information identified in the general format, include all
that is available from the source. Please note that you only need to include retrieval
dates for websites with content that changes frequently and without warning (such
as wikis). Only include the date of publication or revision if it is clearly listed.

Citation elements required and general format:

Author(s). (Year). Title of webpage or document: Subtitle. Retrieved from URL that goes

directly to the document

Reference list citation examples – Webpage or Document from a

Website
One author:
McGrath, J. (2008). How do dogs perceive time? Retrieved from

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/dogs-perceive-time.htm

No author:
New child vaccine gets funding boost. (2001). Retrieved from

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/health/story_13178.asp

No date (use n.d.):

Heuristic. (n.d.) In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary (11th ed.).

Retrieved from http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/heuristic

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 In-text citation examples – Webpage or Document from a Website
One author:
… as McGrath stated (2008).
OR:
… as stated by the researcher (McGrath, 2008).

No author, no page number:

… was fully explained (“New Child Vaccine,” 2010).
OR:
The “New Child Vaccine” site (2010) indicated that …

No author, page number is available:

… the study indicated that “insert quote here” (“How Do Dogs,” 2008,
p. 5).
OR:
“How Do Dogs” (2008) argued that “insert quote here” (p. 5).

No author, no page number, paragraph number available:

This term is defined as “insert quote here” ("Heuristic," n.d., para. 1).
OR:
The “Heuristic” encyclopedia entry defined the term as “insert quote here” (n.d.,
para. 1).

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 Images
Citation elements required and general format:

Creator(s) of the image or artwork. [Screenname if applicable]. (Year image was created,

Month Day if available). [Description] OR Title of image or artwork [Type of work].

Retrieved from URL

Reference list citation example – Image or Artwork

If the work is untitled, provide a description of the image in square brackets.

Photograph, one creator:

D’Arco, M.P. [martinimike]. (2010, November 24). What’s in my fridge November 2010

[Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/martinimike/

5204582875/

Artwork, one creator:

Van Gogh, V. (1889). The starry night [Painting]. Retrieved from

http://www.vangoghgallery.com/catalog/Painting/508/Starry-Night.html

Diagram, no date:

Earthbound Farm. (n.d.). Post-consumer recycled PET lifecycle [Diagram]. Retrieved

from http://www.ebfarm.com/planet/sustainability

Artwork, no title:

Dali, S. (1945). [Untitled portrait of a woman] [Painting]. Retrieved from http://www.dali-

gallery.com/html/galleries/painting17.htm

In-text citation examples – Image or Artwork

In-text citations for images include the creator’s last name, the title of the image, and the year the
image was created, either as part of the text of your paper or in parentheses. If you have
copyright permissions and are including an image in the text of your paper, you may instead
indicate the image in-text by referring to it as Figure 1, 2, or 3 and so on. Place the image as
close to its in-text citation as possible, and attribution information beneath the image used.

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 One creator, image NOT included in text of paper:
The estimated value of The Starry Night (Van Gogh, 1889) has undergone an
enormous shift since it was first painted …
OR:
Painted in 1889, The Starry Night (Van Gogh) was originally valued at …

One creator, image included in text of paper:

… as can be seen in photographs taken shortly after the storm died down (see
Figure 1).
OR:
In its wake, the storm left behind trees and city infrastructure coated with ice (see
Figure 1), with an estimated cost of…

One creator, general captions format:

When you include a third-party image in your paper or presentation you must provide
proper attribution in order to demonstrate copyright compliance. Ideally, attribution will
include title, author, and source (and license, if applicable). APA does not have set
guidelines for copyright attribution, so it is important to a) include all necessary
information and b) use internally consistent formatting in your paper or presentation.

Visit NAIT Library’s Attribution Examples for Images guide for more information:
http://www.nait.ca/libresources/instruct/AttributionsComplete.pdf

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 Lecture Notes & Handouts
If you are citing information from your personal notes, treat it as a personal
communication; refer to it only in-text, not in the reference list. Official lecture notes or
handouts from your instructor should be cited both in-text and in the reference list.

Citation elements required and general format for online resource:

Author(s). (Year). Title of handout or presentation [Type of resource]. Retrieved from

from URL

Citation elements required and general format for print resource:

Author(s). (Year). Title of handout or presentation [Type of resource]. Program or

Department, Name of Institution, City, State Abbreviation or Country.

Reference list citation examples –Handouts

Presentation from instructor, online:

Smith, J. A. (2012). Biggest engineering mistakes of the 21st century [Powerpoint

presentation]. Retrieved from http://moodle.nait.ca/course/view.php?id=7076

Handout from instructor, offline:

Smith, P. R. (2012). Robot boss battles [Class handout]. Instrumentation Engineering

Technology, NAIT, Edmonton, Canada.

In-text citation examples –Handouts

Handout/presentation:
John Smith indicated that … (2012).
OR:
… as the handout emphasized (Smith, 2012).

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 Blog Entries
If you are not able to find all of the information identified in the general format, include
only what is available from the source.

Citation elements required and general format:

Author(s). (Year, Month Day of the blog entry). Title of blog entry:

Subtitle of entry. [Web log message]. Retrieved from URL

Reference list citation examples – Blog Entry

One author:
Morris, E. A. (2009, July 2). The danger of safety [Web log message].

Retrieved from http://freakonomics.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/02/the-danger-

of-safety

In-text citation examples – Blog Entry

One author:
… as Morris indicted in his blog (2009, July 2).
OR:
… as the blogger emphasized (Morris, 2009, July 2).

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 Podcasts
If you are not able to find all of the information identified in the general format, include
only what is available from the source. Use the URL that points to the podcast
homepage rather than the individual podcast episode, as the homepage link is more
likely to remain stable and active.

Citation information required and general format:

Author(s), (Author responsibility such as Author, Host, or Producer). (Year,

Month Day of publication or production). Title of podcast: Subtitle of

podcast [Audio podcast]. Retrieved from the URL for podcast homepage

Reference list citation examples – Podcast

One author, host or producer:
McDonald, B. (Host). (2012, November 7). The ocean of life [Audio podcast]. Retrieved

from http://www.cbc.ca/quirks/

In-text citation examples – Podcast

One author, host or producer:
… according to the discussion in McDonald’s podcast (2012).
OR:
… according to the discussion in the podcast (McDonald, 2012).

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 Videos
 Streaming Video from Library Database
 Streaming Video from the Open Web (YouTube, Vimeo, etc.)
 Movie in Theatre or on DVD/VHS

Streaming Video Retrieved from a Library Database

Streaming videos are delivered through the web. Many are available through subscription
databases, such as Films on Demand. Some streaming videos were first published in
another medium, such as DVD. If you are not able to find out all the information identified
in the general format, include only what is available from the source.

Citation information required and general format:

Name of Producer(s) or Director(s). (Responsibility such as Producer or Director). (Year,

Month Day of production). Title of streaming video: Subtitle of streaming video

[Video]. Retrieved from URL

Reference list citation examples – Streaming Video

One producer:
Cambridge Educational. (Producer). (2006). Information literacy: The perils of online

research [Video]. Retrieved from http://digital.films.com.libezproxy.nait.ca/

PortalPlaylists.aspx?aid=6122&xtid=35675

Producer and director:

Paterson, N. (Producer & Director). (2005). The ghost in your genes [Video]. Retrieved

from https://www.nait.ca/portal/server.pt/gateway/PTARGS_0_0_5108_0_0_43/

http://www.nait.ca/secure/student/library/videoplayer.htm?vname=mp4:/private/1

09743h.mp4&w=640&h=480

In-text citation examples – Streaming Video

Producer or director:
…as reported in Paterson’s (2005) video.
OR:
…as described in the T-Rex video (University of Chicago, 2009).

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 Streaming Video Retrieved from Open Web (YouTube,
Vimeo, etc.)
Streaming videos are delivered through the web, for example those available on
YouTube. Some streaming videos were first published in another medium, such as DVD.
Locating a video on the open web often depends upon knowing the name or screenname
of the the person who posted the video. Use the poster’s name for author; if there is no
real name, use the screen name in its place, without brackets.

If you are not able to find out all the information identified in the general format, include
only what is available from the source.

Citation information required and general format:

Last name, First initials. [Screen name]. (Year, Month Day). Title of streaming video:

Subtitle of streaming video [Video file]. Retrieved from URL

Reference list citation examples – Streaming Video

Real corporate name given:
Government of Alberta. [YourAlberta]. (2012, September 11). Reclamation in Alberta’s

boreal forest [Video file]. Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ6AYnrKh7c

Real name given:

Braden, W. [WillBraden]. (2007, May 24). Henri [Video file]. Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M7ibPk37_U

No real name; screen name only:

SevereAvoidance. (2012, October 17). More grumpy cat [Video file]. Retrieved from

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9jc-w49pVs

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 Motion Pictures
If you are not able to find out all the information identified in the general format, include
only what is available from the source.

Citation information required and general format:

Name of Producer(s) or Director(s). (Responsibility such as Producer or Director). (Year).

Title of movie [Motion picture]. Country of Origin: Studio.

Reference list citation examples – Motion Pictures

One director:
Moore, M. (Director). (2009). Capitalism: A love story [Motion picture]. USA: Alliance

Films.

Producer and director:

Unger, B. (Producer), & Scott, T. (Director). (1995). Crimson Tide [Motion picture]. USA:

Touchstone Home Entertainment.

In-text citation examples – Motion Pictures

When citing dialogue between two or more speakers, indicate who is speaking by including the
character name before each new dialogue line in a block quote.

Quoting dialogue between two or more characters:

JESSEP: “You want answers?”

KAFFEE: “I think I’m entitled to.”

JESSEP: “You want answers?”

KAFFEE: “I want the truth!”

JESSEP: “You can’t handle the truth!” (Sorkin, 1992).

Producer or director:
…as reported in Moore’s (2009) video.
OR:
…as described in Crimson Tide (Unger & Scott, 1995).

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 Government of Canada Documents
 Online and Print Publications
 Government of Canada Reports
 Statistics Canada Publications
 Statistical Tables: CANSIM & Summary Tables
 Provincial Government Reports
 Court Decisions

Government of Canada – Publications (Online & Print)

If you are not able to find out all the information identified in the general format, include
only what is available from the source.

Citation information required and general format for online documents:

Canada. Government Department. (Year of publication). Title of report: Subtitle of report

(Catalogue or Publication No. ##, if provided). Retrieved from URL

Citation information required and general format for print documents:

Canada. Government Department. (Year of publication). Title of report: Subtitle of report

(Catalogue or Publication No. ##, if provided). Location: Publisher.

Reference list citation examples – Government of Canada –

Publications (Online & Print)
Online:
Canada. Dept of Finance. (2011). Tax expenditures and evaluations 2010 (Cat. No. F1-

27/2010E-PDF). Retrieved from http://www.fin.gc.ca/taxexp-

depfisc/2010/taxexp10-eng.asp

Offline:
Canada. Dept of Finance. (2011). Tax expenditures and evaluations 2010 (Cat. No. F1-

27/2010E-PDF). Ottawa, Canada: Queen’s Printer.

In-text citation examples – Government of Canada – Publications

(Online & Print)
In-text citations include the country, government department name and year of publication.

…as reported by the Canadian Department of Finance (2011).

OR:
…as described in the government report (Canada, Dept of Finance, 2011).

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 Government of Canada – Reports
If you are not able to find out all the information identified in the general format, include
only what is available from the source.

Citation information required and general format:

Government Department. (Year of publication). Title of report: Subtitle of report

(Catalogue or Publication No. ##, if provided). Retrieved from URL

Reference list citation examples – Government of Canada - Reports

In APA style, the government department name comes first followed by the date of publication in
parentheses.

Government department:
Industry Canada. (2010). State of retail: The Canadian report 2010. Retrieved

from http://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/retra-comde.nsf/eng/h_qn00281.html

Government department, branch, service, or Office:

Environment Canada. Sustainable Development Office. (2010). Planning for a

sustainable future: A federal sustainable development strategy for Canada

(Catalogue No. En4-136/2010E-PDF). Retrieved from

http://www.ec.gc.ca/dd-sd/F93CD795-0035-4DAF-86D1-

53099BD303F9/FSDS_v4_EN.pdf

In-text citation examples – Government of Canada - Reports

In-text citations include the government department name and year of publication either as part of
the text of your paper or in parentheses.

Government department:
…as reported by Industry Canada (2010).
OR:
…as described by the Sustainable Development Office in the recent government
report (Environment Canada, 2010).

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 Government of Canada – Statistics Canada Publications
If you are not able to find out all the information identified in the general format, include
only what is available from the source.

Citation information required and general format:

Statistics Canada. (Year of publication). Title of publication: Subtitle of publication

(Catalogue or Publication No. ##). Retrieved from URL

Reference list citation examples -- Government of Canada -

Statistics
In APA style, the government department name comes first followed by the date of publication in
parentheses.

Statistics Canada. (2007). 2006 community profiles: Edmonton (Catalogue No. 92-591-

XWE). Retrieved from http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-

pd/prof/ 92-591/index.cfm?Lang=E

In-text citation examples -- Government of Canada - Statistics

In-text citations include the government department name and year of publication either as part of
the text of your paper or in parentheses.

…as reported by Statistics Canada (2007).

OR:
…with these findings (Statistics Canada, 2007).

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 Government of Canada – Statistical Tables (CANSIM &
StatsCanada
CANSIM tables are dynamic and, as such, no date should be attributed to them. Instead,
use the abbreviation “n.d.” You will also need to include the date you retrieved the tables.

Summary tables from Statistics Canada are static. Use their “date modified” as your date
of publication. You do not need to include the date you retrieved the tables.

If you are not able to find out all the information identified in the general format, include
only what is available from the source.

Citation information required and general format for CANSIM tables:

Statistics Canada. (n.d.). Title of the statistical table: Subtitle of statistical table, CANSIM

(database). Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL.

Citation information required and general format for Statistics Canada summary tables:

Statistics Canada. (n.d.). Title of the statistical table: Subtitle of statistical table. Retrieved

from URL.

Reference list citation examples – Statistical Tables

CANSIM table:
Statistics Canada. (n.d.). Table 303-0045 Footwear production, by type of footwear,

semi-annual (pairs), CANSIM (database). Retrieved October 29, 2012, from

http://www5.statcan.gc.ca/cansim/a26?lang=eng&retrLang=eng&id=3030045&ta

bMode=dataTable&srchLan=-1&p1=-1&p2=9

Summary table:
Statistics Canada. (2012). Heritage institutions, summary statistics. Retrieved from

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/arts64a-eng.htm

In-text citation examples – Statistical Tables

…as recorded in the Statistics Canada summary table (2012).
OR:
…as shown by the data (Statistics Canada, n.d.).

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 Provincial Government Reports
If you are not able to find out all the information identified in the general format, include
only what is available from the source.

Citation information required and general format:

Province. Ministry, Department or Agency. (Year of publication). Title: Subtitle.

Retrieved from URL

Reference list citation examples – Provincial Government Reports

In APA style, the province and government ministry or agency name come first followed by the
date of publication in parentheses.

Provincial government ministry:

Alberta. Municipal Affairs. (2010). High-intensity residential fires. Retrieved form

http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/1147.cfm

Provincial government agency:

Alberta. Advanced Education and Technology (2010). Tuition-free

regulation balances quality and affordability. Retrieved from

http://alberta.ca/acn/201012/29597A8E8DE56-E179-BCBC-

F3873E2D2FEB0194.html

In-text citation examples – Provincial Government Reports

In-text citations include the province and government ministry or agency name and year of
publication either as part of the text of your paper or in parentheses.

Provincial government agency or ministry:

…as reported by Alberta Advanced Education and Technology (2010).
OR:
…as announced by the ministry in the press release (Alberta, Municipal Affairs,
2010).

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 Court Decisions
If you are not able to find out all the information identified in the general format, include
only what is available from the source.

Citation information required and general format:

Name v. Name, Year Court Number.

Reference list citation examples – Court Decisions

Supreme Court of Canada:
Mustapha v. Culligan of Canada Ltd., 2008 SCC 27.

Court of Queen’s Bench -- Alberta:

D’Aoust v. Lindsay, 2000 ABQB 52.

In-text citation examples – Court Decisions

In-text citations include case name, year, and paragraph numbers of citing a direct quote. In the
second and subsequent in-text citations, you may use an abbreviation of the case name.

… as the “distinction between physical and mental injury is elusive and arguably
artificial in the context of tort” (Mustapha v. Culligan, 2008, pa. 8).
AND:
…additionally, “must show that it was forseeable that a person of ordinary
fortitutde would suffer serious injury from seeing the flies in the bottle of water”
(Mustapha, 2008, pa. 18).

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 Conference Papers
If you are not able to find out all the information identified in the general format, include
only what is available from the source.

Citation information required and general format of paper with DOI:

Author, A. A. (YEAR, month). Paper title. Paper presented at Title of

Conference/Symposium, City, State. doi: DOI of paper

Citation information required and general format of paper without DOI:

Author, A. A. (YEAR, month). Paper title. Paper presented at Title of

Conference/Symposium, City, State. Retrieved from URL

Reference list citation examples – Conference Papers

.
Conference paper found online, no DOI:
Keshavarzi, R., Mohammadi, S., & Bayesteh, M.S. (2012, June). Hydraulic fracture

propagation in unconventional reservoirs: The role of natural fractures. Paper

presented at the 46th U.S. Rock Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium,

Chicago, IL. Retrieved from

http://www.onepetro.org.libezproxy.nait.ca/mslib/app/Preview.do?

paperNumber=ARMA-2012-129&societyCode=ARMA

In-text citation examples – Conference Papers

…as reported by Keshavarzi, Mohammadi, and Bayesteh (2012).
OR:
…such as the research reported on last year at the U.S. Rock
Mechanics/Geomechanics Symposium (Keshavarzi, Mohammadi, & Bayesteh,
2012).

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 Wikipedia Entries
Most scholarly research should rely on peer-reviewed or other academic works. Ensure
that the use of Wikipedia entries is approved by your Instructor.

Citation elements required and general format:

Title of Wikipedia article. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL.
.

Reference list citation examples – Wikipedia

Wikipedia entries are dynamic and created as a collaborative effort. As such, no one author can
be given credit for any entry and no creation date can be determined. Because of their dynamic
nature, the citation for any Wikipedia entry must contain a retrieval date, which indicates
when the information was accessed.

Flightless bird. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved March 5, 2013, from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flightless_bird

In-text citation examples – Wikipedia

As Wikipedia entries are collaboratively authored, in-text citations refer to the title of the Wikipedia
entry.

As indicated by the “Flightless bird” (n.d.) entry…

OR:
Flightless birds are defined as … (“Flightless bird,” n.d.).

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 Interviews (Personal Communications)
Includes personal interviews, telephone conversations, e-mail messages, private letters,
etc.

Cite personal communications in text only. Give the initials as well as the surname of the
communicator and provide an exact date, if possible.

No personal communication is included in your reference list, unless the communication

is recoverable (e.g., an archived interview transcript); in this case the materials should be
cited as archival materials (see section 7.10 of the official APA Manual). For an example
of blueprints, see page 39 of this document.

In-text citation example – Personal Communications

The cost of corn in America has been rising substantially as cars running on
biofuels have risen in popularity (G. A. Smith, personal communication, October
5, 2012).
OR:
G. A. Smith (personal communication, October 5, 2012) argues that the
popularity of biofuel vehicles has triggered a rise in the cost of corn.

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 Blueprints
If the blueprints were accessed through a private engineering/architectural company,
follow the format below and modify retrieval information to: Retrieved from Name of
contact, company name, OR government department.

Citation elements required and general format:

Author(s). (Year, Month Day). Title of drawing (Drawing/Plan No. ##, if provided)

[Technical drawing]. Retrieved from URL of drawing

Reference list citation examples – Blueprints

Alberta Transportation and Utilities, Technical Standards Branch. (1999, April 20).

Concrete slope protection (Drawing No. S-1409-99) [Technical drawing].

Retrieved from http://www.transportation.alberta.ca/

Content/doctype30/production/s1409-99-rev5.pdf

In-text citation examples – Blueprints

…as indicated by the standard for concrete slope protection (Alberta
Transportation, 1999)…
OR:
Alberta Transportation’s standards indicate that … (1999).

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