How to Cite an Encyclopedia Using the APA Format

APA citation style includes encyclopedia references.

The American Psychological Association (APA) established citation rules that apply to every type of reference work. APA citation style applies to encyclopedia sets, articles cited from online encyclopedias and articles in encyclopedias. APA in-text citations must be included in a reference list and vice versa, according to Cornell University Library. Embed APA style in-text citations within sentences.

Instructions

In-Text Citation

1. 

   Enter an author's last name first, followed by the first name.

   Begin an APA style in-text citation for an encyclopedia with an author by entering the author's last name and the book's year of publication. Place the name and year in parentheses at the end of a quote or paraphrase of material not commonly known. For example, an encyclopedia entry for author Noel King and a volume with a 1994 publication date will read: "when unable to understand the directions (King 1994)." Do not use quotations marks unless directly quoting the text.

2. 

   Include a portion of an encyclopedia title with no author.

   Write an in-text citation for an encyclopedia with no author by entering three or four words of the volume's title. Capitalize each word and italicize for a book title. Insert a comma before the closing quotation. Add the year of publication. Place the citation in parentheses. This type of citation will read: ("World Encyclopedia Religion," 1943)

3. Cite anonymous authors similarly to in-text citations for a work with no author. Enter three or four words from the encyclopedia's title, capitalizing each word except articles. Place "Anonymous" and the publication year in parentheses. Do not use quotation marks. Add a comma after "Anonymous." This type of in-text citation will read: Encyclopedia of Reptiles (Anonymous, 2005).

Reference List

1. Alphabetize reference list entries, placing last names first followed by a comma and the author's first name. According to Cornell University Library, if a work has no author, place the entry alphabetically according to title.

2. Include all elements for encyclopedia references. Cornell University Library lists author(s) and/or editor(s), publication date and place, title and publisher. If referencing an online encyclopedia, add the article retrieval date.

3. Cite an encyclopedia set with a specific format. Enter the last name first followed by a comma and the first name. Add a comma. Encyclopedia sets usually list editors instead of authors. Place "Eds" with a period inside parentheses and a period outside the closing parenthesis. Enter the title with the first word and only proper nouns capitalized. Italicize the title. Place edition and volume numbers in parentheses, closing with a period. Enter the city of publication followed by a colon and the publisher. End with a period. Cornell provides an example of a reference entry for an encyclopedia set (ignore quotations). "Sadie, S., & Tyrrell, J. (Eds.). (2002). The new Grove dictionary of music and musicians (2nd ed., Vols. 1-29). New York: Grove."

4. Enter reference information for an article from an online encyclopedia. Begin with the title of the article followed by a period. Do not place the article title in quotation marks. Enter the publication date in parentheses followed by a period. Add the name of the encyclopedia, beginning with the word "In" (not in quotations). Follow with the title in italics. Enter the retrieval date in the following way: "Retrieved June 2, 2009, from (full URL). Cornell's example of an online encyclopedia reference: "Containerization. (2008). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved May 6, 2008, from http://search.eb.com" Do not close the entry with a period after the URL. Omit quotation marks.

5. Cite an encyclopedia article in the same way as an encyclopedia set with one difference. After the encyclopedia title, enter the volume number followed by a comma and the page number(s) in parentheses. Use "pp." to designate page numbers. Cornell University Library provides an example of an encyclopedia article: "Kinni, T. B. (2004). Disney, Walt (1901-1966): Founder of the Walt Disney Company. In Encyclopedia of Leadership (Vol. 1, pp. 345-349). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage Publications." Do not use quotation marks.

References

• Cornell University Library: Citation Management: APA Citation Style
• Estrella Mountain Community College: APA Citation Formats