How to reference a book?

By HotBotUpdated: June 28, 2024

Referencing a book correctly is crucial for academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism. Whether you're a student, researcher, or writer, knowing how to properly cite a book in your work is essential. This guide will cover the most common citation styles and provide detailed instructions for each.

Understanding Citation Styles

Different disciplines use different citation styles. The most commonly used styles are:

• APA (American Psychological Association)
• MLA (Modern Language Association)
• Chicago/Turabian
• Harvard

Each of these styles has its own set of rules for referencing books, which will be outlined below.

APA Style

APA style is commonly used in the social sciences. The basic format for referencing a book in APA style is:

Author, A. A. (Year of Publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Publisher.

Here is an example:

Smith, J. (2020). Understanding Psychology. Pearson.

Specific Cases in APA

When referencing an edited book, the format changes slightly:

Editor, E. E. (Ed.). (Year of Publication). Title of work. Publisher.

Example:

Doe, J. (Ed.). (2018). Advances in Behavioral Science. Academic Press.

For a chapter in an edited book:

Author, A. A. (Year of Publication). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of work (pp. pages of chapter). Publisher.

Example:

Brown, L. (2019). Cognitive development in children. In S. White (Ed.), Child Psychology (pp. 45-67). Routledge.

MLA Style

MLA style is often used in the humanities. The basic format for referencing a book in MLA style is:

Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year of Publication.

Example:

Fitzgerald, F. Scott. The Great Gatsby. Scribner, 2004.

Specific Cases in MLA

For an edited book:

Editor's Last Name, First Name, editor. Title of Book. Publisher, Year of Publication.

Example:

Johnson, Mark, editor. Modern American Poetry. HarperCollins, 1995.

For a chapter in an edited book:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Chapter." Title of Book, edited by Editor's First Name Last Name, Publisher, Year of Publication, pages.

Example:

Smith, John. "The Role of Symbolism in Literature." Literary Analysis, edited by Jane Doe, Penguin, 2010, pp. 25-44.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Chicago and Turabian styles are widely used in history and the arts. The basic format for referencing a book in Chicago style is:

Author's Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.

Example:

Williams, John. History of Ancient Civilizations. New York: Oxford University Press, 2015.

Specific Cases in Chicago/Turabian

For an edited book:

Editor's Last Name, First Name, ed. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.

Example:

Taylor, Sarah, ed. Explorations in Anthropology. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2012.

For a chapter in an edited book:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Chapter." In Title of Book, edited by Editor's First Name Last Name, pages. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.

Example:

Davis, Michael. "Economic Theories of the 20th Century." In Modern Economic Thought, edited by Lisa Green, 75-98. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2008.

Harvard Style

Harvard style is used in various academic fields. The basic format for referencing a book in Harvard style is:

Author's Last Name, First Initial(s). Year of Publication. Title of Book, edition. Place of Publication: Publisher.

Example:

Jones, R. 2016. Introduction to Environmental Science, 2nd ed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Specific Cases in Harvard

For an edited book:

Editor's Last Name, First Initial(s). ed. Year of Publication. Title of Book, edition. Place of Publication: Publisher.

Example:

Miller, T. ed. 2011. Contemporary Sociology, 3rd ed. London: Routledge.

For a chapter in an edited book:

Author's Last Name, First Initial(s). Year of Publication. 'Title of Chapter', in Editor's First Initial(s). Last Name (ed.) Title of Book, edition. Place of Publication: Publisher, pages.

Example:

Clark, P. 2013. 'Urban Development in the 21st Century', in B. White (ed.) Urban Studies, 4th ed. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp. 55-72.

Uncommon Yet Important Details

Sometimes, you may need to reference books with multiple authors, no authors, or even books in different languages. Here are some guidelines:

Multiple Authors

For books with multiple authors, list all the authors' names in the order they appear on the title page:

Author1, A. A., Author2, B. B., & Author3, C. C. (Year of Publication). Title of Book. Publisher.

Example:

Johnson, R., Smith, L., & Williams, K. (2014). Advanced Physics. McGraw-Hill.

No Author

If a book has no identifiable author, use the title in place of the author:

Title of Book. (Year of Publication). Publisher.

Example:

The Elements of Style. (2000). Longman.

Books in a Different Language

When referencing books in a different language, include the original title and provide an English translation if necessary:

Author, A. A. (Year of Publication). Original Title [Translated Title]. Publisher.

Example:

Garcia, M. (1998). Cien años de soledad [One Hundred Years of Solitude]. HarperCollins.

Digital and E-books

With the rise of digital media, referencing e-books has become equally important. Here’s how to cite them:

APA Style for E-books

Author, A. A. (Year of Publication). Title of work. Retrieved from URL

Example:

Doe, J. (2015). Modern Fiction. Retrieved from http://www.example.com

MLA Style for E-books

Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. E-book ed., Publisher, Year of Publication.

Example:

Orwell, George. 1984. E-book ed., Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017.

Chicago Style for E-books

Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. URL.

Example:

Lewis, C. S. The Chronicles of Narnia. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. http://www.example.com

Harvard Style for E-books

Author’s Last Name, First Initial(s). Year of Publication. Title of Book. [e-book] Place of Publication: Publisher. Available at: URL [Accessed Day Month Year].

Example:

Brown, D. 2013. Inferno. [e-book] New York: Random House. Available at: http://www.example.com [Accessed 20 July 2022].

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