Cite a chapter of an edited book in APA style

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Use the following template or our APA Citation Generator to cite a edited book. For help with other source types, like books, PDFs, or websites, check out our other guides. To have your reference list or bibliography automatically made for you, try our free citation generator.

Reference list

Place this part in your bibliography or reference list at the end of your assignment.

Template:

Author Surname, Author Initial. (Year Published). Chapter Title. In Title (p. Pages Used). City: Publisher. Retrieved from http://Website URL

Example:

Keedy, J. (1998). Experience versus Education. In S.  Heller, The Education of a Graphic Designer (1st ed., p. 88). New York: Allworth Press.

In-text citation

Place this part right after the quote or reference to the source in your assignment.

Template:

(Author Surname, Year Published)

Example:

design education today is much more than vocational training, it is a process of discovery and renewal (Keedy, 1998)

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How do I format an in-text citation for an edited book in APA style?

Formatting an in-text citation for an edited book in APA style is similar to citing a journal. The type of publication (book, journal, report, thesis, etc.) is not an essential element in in-text citations in APA. APA recommends using only the contributors’ names and the year in in-text citations.

If the source you want to cite is a chapter in an edited book, write the name(s) of the authors. If you want to cite an entire edited book, include the names of the editors in place of the authors’ names.

Therefore, to format an in-text citation for an edited book in APA style, write the editor’s name or the editors’ names of the book and the year. You need not add the book title in in-text citations.

The in-text citation for an edited book written by a single author will appear this way:

Format

Narrative: Editor’s Surname (Year)

Parenthetical: (Editor’s Surname, Year)

Example

Narrative: Faulkner (2003)

Parenthetical: (Faulkner, 2003)

How do I format a reference list entry for an edited book in APA style?

To format a reference list entry for an edited book in APA, you use a similar format to a reference entry for a book without an editor. However, for an edited book, replace the author’s name details with the editor’s name details and follow the editor’s name(s) with the abbreviation “Ed.” or “Eds.” in parentheses. (Note that the format changes for an authored book that credits an editor on the cover.)

The template and example below show an entry for an edited book without a DOI.

Format

Editor’s Surname, F. M. (Ed.). (Publication Year). Book title in sentence case. Publisher(s).

Example

Papacharissi, Z. (Ed.). (2010). Networked self: Identity, community, and culture on social network sites. Routledge.

Notes

  • If you want to add the DOI of an edited book, add it after the name of the publisher.
  • If there are multiple publishers, separate them with a semicolon (e.g., Routledge; Norton).