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APA style edition and punctuation
The examples on this page use the APA 7th edition.
Punctuation is important. Use the same punctuation and formatting as the order instructions and examples (commas, full stops and brackets). Use 1 space after any punctuation mark.
Key points
Each source entry may have 4 basic parts:
- Author – the name of the artist or artists, host, producers or director.
- Date – months and days always follow the year of publication.
- Title – upper-case letters for the first word of the title, subtitle and proper nouns.
- Publisher – the music label, production company, broadcaster or hosting organisation. Don't put a full stop at the end of the URL.
Audio and video material
Television broadcasts, films and audio recordings are identified by their producer and (or) director. Use Director, Producer, Uploader or Artist for the author description.
Use Film, TV series, TV episode, Song, Audio podcast episode, Video file, Video (if online only), CD or DVD in square brackets for the description of work.
Order: Authors (Description of authors). (Date). Title of work. (Episode or season number) [Description of work]. Publisher. URL
The episode or season number is optional.
Add the 'description of work' in square brackets after the title and capitalise the first letter.
Use the production company or music label for the publisher.
If there are multiple publishers, separate each publisher with a semi-colon and list them in the order they appear in the source.
Examples
In-text citation
(Guggenheim, 2006).
Reference list
Guggenheim, D. (Director). (2006). An inconvenient truth [Film]. Lawrence Bender Productions; Participant Productions.
Audio material
Audio recordings can include both a track title and the album title, depending on whether you are referencing a song or an entire album.
Order: Authors. (Date). Title of work [Description of work]. Publisher. URL
Use the music label for the publisher.
Example audio recordings
In-text citations
(The Beths, 2018).
(Stevens, 2005).
Reference list entries
The Beths. (2018). Future me hates me [Album]. Carpark Records.
Stevens, S. (2005). Chicago [Song]. On Illinois. Asthmatic Kitty.
TV
Order: Authors (Description of authors). (Date). Title of work (Episode or season number) [Description of work]. Publisher. URL
The episode or season number is optional.
Use the production company for the publisher.
Include the broadcast date for a daily or weekly TV show, such as news or current events.
Daily or weekly broadcast example
In-text citation
(Slater, 2005).
Reference list
Slater, K. (Producer). (2005, March 21). Campbell live [TV broadcast]. TV3.
An entire television series is cited according to the producer. The year is given as a range, if the series has ended, or use 'present' if the series is still in production.
Current series example
In-text citation
(Brooks et al., 1989-present).
Reference list
Brooks, J. L., Groening, M., & Simon, S. (Executive Producers). (1989-present). The Simpsons [TV series]. Twentieth Century Fox.
Single episodes contain the scriptwriters and director in the author position.
Name both the episode title and the series title.
Place executive producers before the series title.
Single episode example
In-text citation
(Vitti & Reardon, 1992).
Reference list
Vitti, J. (Writer), & Reardon, J. (Director). (1992). Mr. Plow (Season 4, Episode 9) [TV series episode]. In J. L. Brooks, M. Groening, & S. Simon (Executive Producers), The Simpsons. Twentieth Century Fox.
Video material
Use the TV episode format for online video clips of a film or television episode and include the video's URL.
Order: Authors [Username]. (Date). Title of work (Episode or season number) [Description of work]. Publisher. URL
The episode and season numbers are optional.
Include the URL if accessed online and for online videos, such as videos on YouTube.
Video example
In-text citation
(Sevillano, 2009).
(Pettigrew, 2013).
Reference list
Sevillano, L. (2009, July 27). APA referencing: The basics [Video]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOEmM5gmTJM
Pettigrew, J. [japettigrew]. (2013, March 16). APA style citation tutorial [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CL2RrT6jFpQ
If both the personal name and username of the creator or uploader is known, give the personal name in the author position followed by the username in square brackets for online videos.
Use the person or group who uploaded the video in the author position, even if they didn't create the work.
You can note the contribution of others who appear in the video in the text of your assignment if desired.
Podcasts
List the podcast host or the executive producer if the host is unknown in the author position. The producer may also be listed if this helps to locate the source. In either case, roles should be denoted in brackets following the name.
Order: Podcast host (Description). (Date). Podcast title [Type of podcast]. Publisher. URL
Use host or hosts in brackets for the description following podcast host.
Include the year or years it was aired – the year it began and 'present' if it is still airing, the year it started and ended or just the year if it only aired during 1 year.
Use the production company or broadcasting company for the publisher.
Examples
In-text citation
(Hickey et al., 2018-present).
(Ballance, 2019).
Reference list
Hickey, B., Mandow, N., & Beckford, G. (Hosts). (2018–present). Two cents worth [Audio podcast]. Radio New Zealand. https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/two-cents-worth
Podcast episode
Use the specific date that the podcast was broadcast for a podcast episode.
Order: Podcast host (Description). (Date). Episode title (episode number). [Type of podcast]. In Podcast title . Publisher. URL
Include the episode number in brackets after the title if the episodes are numbered.
Use Audio podcast, Video podcast or Audio podcast episode in square brackets for the type of podcast.
If you're referencing a podcast episode, use the word 'In' before the podcast title.
List the podcast host or the executive producer if the host is unknown in the author position.
Examples
In-text citation
(Ballance, 2019)
Ballance (2019)
Reference list
Ballance, A. (Host and senior producer). (2019, December 23). Zirconium- shape-shifting time element [Audio podcast episode]. In Elemental. Radio New Zealand. https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/elemental/story/2018725744/zirconium-shape-shifting-time-capsule
Visual works in a book or article
If you retrieved the work from a book or article, begin with the artist's name, the year of creation and the title. If the work does not have a title, then include a description in square brackets in place of a title.
Format visual material found in books, articles or other source types according to normal APA style for a secondary source.
APA in-text citations: Reference within a source (secondary source)
You should mention the artist in the text or in your in-text citation, but only give the primary source which contains the visual material in your reference list.
Order: Artists. (Year of creation). Title. Publisher. DOI or URL
Include the DOI if it is available or the URL if accessed online.
Examples
In-text citations
The 1912 oil on canvas painting The fate of animals by Marc (as cited in Hughes, 1991, p. 23) shows…
(Marc, 1912, as cited in Hughes, 1991, p. 23).
(Jevbratt, 2005
Jevbratt (2005)
(Chan, 2007)
Chan (2007)
(Rousseau, 1896)
Rousseau (1896)
Reference list entries
Chan, P. (2007, April 10). Stedelijk Museum - Amsterdam 17.03.2007 [Video file]. YouTube. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhqWXdznSmY
Hughes, R. (1991). The shock of the new: Art and the century of change. Thames and Hudson.
Jevbratt, L. (2005). Migration [Digital visualisation of the internet]. http://128.111.69.4/~jevbratt/1_to_1/3/migration/
Rousseau, H. (1896). The ship in a storm [Oil on canvas]. Musee de L'Orangerie. http://www.oxfordartonline.com/
Works in a museum or gallery
When the date of creation is approximated, use 'ca.', which stands for the Latin word 'circa', meaning about or approximately.
Order: Artists. (Year of creation). Title [description]. Institute and location. DOI or URL
Include the URL if accessed online.
Examples
In-text citations
(MacDiarmid, 1945)
MacDiarmid (1945)
(Burt, ca. 1935)
Burt (ca. 1935)
Reference list entries
Burt, G. (ca. 1935). Concrete mixer [Photograph negative]. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand.
MacDiarmid, D. (1945). The immigrant [Painting]. The New Dowse Museum, Lower Hutt, New Zealand.
Works in a museum or gallery – temporary exhibition
Cite works in an exhibition similar to works in a museum or gallery and include the exhibition name in italics after the word 'In'.
Include a description of the exhibition and the date in square brackets.
Order: Artists. (Year of creation). Title [description]. In Exhibition name [description with exhibition date]. Museum or gallery name, location. URL
Include the URL if available.
Example
Robinson, P. (2008). Softrock baroque [Polystyrene installation]. In Snow ball blind time [Exhibition, 13 Sep – 23 Nov 2008]. Govett Brewster Art Gallery, New Plymouth, New Zealand.
Art exhibition
Order: Curators. (Year of exhibition). Title of exhibition [Description]. Museum or gallery name, location. URL
Place the curator or curators in the author position.
Use the year or range of years of the exhibition for the year or exhibition.
Include the URL for the exhibition if available.
Examples
In-text citations
(Design for Eternity, 2015–2016)
Design for Eternity (2015–2016)
(Martinez & Douar, 2018–2019)
Martinez and Douar (2018–2019)
Reference list entries
Design for eternity: Architectural models from the ancient Americas [Exhibition]. (2015–2016). The Met Fifth Avenue, New York, NY, United States. https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2015/design-for-eternity
Martinez, J.-L., & Douar, F. (2018–2019). Archaeology goes graphic [Exhibition]. The Louvre, Paris, France. https://www.louvre.fr/en/expositions/archaeology-goes-graphic
Image, figure or table
APA Style has strict rules about crediting images, figures or tables that have been reproduced or copied. If your assignment will be professionally published, include a footnote stating that you have permission to use the image with the full reference. If your assignment will be submitted to your lecturer only, treat the image as a direct quotation. Provide a citation in the caption, with author, year and page number. The source should also have an entry in the reference list according to its type, such as book, journal article or other source.
Using your own photography work
You do not need to include a reference listing or in-text citation for a photograph if it is your own work and has not been published. However, for APA Style, you should format photographs as figures.
Images missing information
No creator
If you cannot identify an individual creator, but the work is associated with a particular group or organisation, use that name as the 'group author.'
Royal New Zealand Ballet. (n.d.). [Untitled image of dancer from Sleeping Beauty]. Royal New Zealand Ballet. http://www.nzballet.org.nz/node/845
If there is no group author, place the title of the work in the author position.
No year of creation
If you cannot find a year of creation for a work, use 'n.d.', which stands for 'no date'.
[Untitled illustration of fern]. (n.d.). Tourism Export Council. http://www.tourismexportcouncil.org.nz/wp-content/header-images/fern-page-image.jpg
If the source details give you an approximate date, you can include it in brackets with 'ca.' (circa) before the year.
Burt, G. (ca. 1935). Concrete mixer [Photograph negative]. Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand.
No title
If the work has no title, you can include a descriptive title of your own in square brackets.
Royal New Zealand Ballet. (n.d.). [Untitled image of dancer from Sleeping Beauty]. Tourism Export Council. http://www.nzballet.org.nz/node/845
[Untitled illustration of fern]. (n.d.). Tourism Export Council. http://www.tourismexportcouncil.org.nz/wp-content/header-images/fern-page-image.jpg
Referencing disclaimer
This page is a guide to proper referencing. Your course, department, school or institute may prescribe specific conventions. Their recommendations supersede these instructions. If your questions are not covered here, ask your course coordinator or ask on our Academic Q&A forum.
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