What You Need from the Book
| Element | Where to find it |
|---|
| Author(s) or Editor(s) | Title page, copyright page |
| Year of publication | Copyright page (most recent edition year) |
| Title and subtitle | Title page |
| Edition (if not first) | Title page or cover |
| Publisher name | Title page or copyright page |
| DOI or URL (for ebooks) | Publisher website or library record |
Use the copyright page year, not the print year on the cover
The copyright year on the reverse of the title page is the authoritative publication date. A book's cover or spine may show a reprint year that differs. For editions, use the date of the specific edition you are citing.
Whole Book — All Styles
The example used throughout: Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow (Penguin Books, 2011).
APA 7th
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Penguin Books.
MLA 9th
Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. Penguin Books, 2011.
Harvard
Kahneman, D. (2011) Thinking, fast and slow. London: Penguin Books.
Chicago NB (Bibliography)
Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. Penguin Books, 2011.
Chicago Author-Date (References)
Kahneman, Daniel. 2011. Thinking, Fast and Slow. Penguin Books.
Vancouver
1. Kahneman D. Thinking, fast and slow. Penguin Books; 2011.
IEEE
[1] D. Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow. New York, NY, USA: Penguin Books, 2011.
Edited Book
An edited book has an editor (or editors) responsible for the volume, rather than a single author who wrote the whole text.
APA 7th
Sternberg, R. J., & Kaufman, S. B. (Eds.). (2011).
The Cambridge handbook of intelligence. Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511977244
MLA 9th
Sternberg, Robert J., and Scott Barry Kaufman, editors.
The Cambridge Handbook of Intelligence. Cambridge University Press, 2011.
Harvard
Sternberg, R.J. and Kaufman, S.B. (eds.) (2011)
The Cambridge handbook of intelligence. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Chapter in an Edited Book
When citing a specific chapter, you need both the chapter author's name and the editor's name.
APA 7th
Mayer, R. E. (2011). Applying the science of learning to multimedia instruction. In J. P. Mestre & B. H. Ross (Eds.),
The psychology of learning and motivation (Vol. 55, pp. 77–108). Academic Press.
MLA 9th
Mayer, Richard E. "Applying the Science of Learning to Multimedia Instruction."
The Psychology of Learning and Motivation, edited by Jose P. Mestre and Brian H. Ross, Academic Press, 2011, pp. 77–108.
Harvard
Mayer, R.E. (2011) 'Applying the science of learning to multimedia instruction', in Mestre, J.P. and Ross, B.H. (eds.)
The psychology of learning and motivation, vol. 55. London: Academic Press, pp. 77–108.
Chicago NB (Footnote)
Richard E. Mayer, "Applying the Science of Learning to Multimedia Instruction," in
The Psychology of Learning and Motivation, ed. Jose P. Mestre and Brian H. Ross, vol. 55 (Academic Press, 2011), 77–108.
Translated Book
APA 7th
Freud, S. (1955).
The interpretation of dreams (J. Strachey, Trans.; 2nd ed.). Basic Books. (Original work published 1900)
MLA 9th
Freud, Sigmund.
The Interpretation of Dreams. Translated by James Strachey, 2nd ed., Basic Books, 1955.
Ebooks and Kindle
For ebooks with a DOI or stable URL, add it at the end of the reference. For Kindle books without stable pagination, some styles recommend omitting page numbers and using chapter numbers instead for pinpoint references.
APA 7th — Ebook with DOI
Sinek, S. (2009).
Start with why: How great leaders inspire everyone to take action. Portfolio/Penguin. https://doi.org/10.0000/xxxxx
Subsequent Editions
APA 7th (Edition)
American Psychiatric Association. (2022).
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787
Harvard (Edition)
Giddens, A. (2006)
Sociology. 5th edn. Cambridge: Polity Press.
First edition — do not include "1st ed."
Only include edition information if it is the second edition or later. The first edition is the default and need not be specified in any citation style.
No Author
APA 7th — No Author (Title Begins Entry)
The Chicago manual of style (17th ed.). (2017). University of Chicago Press.
Harvard — Organisation Author
World Health Organization (2019)
Global status report on alcohol and health. Geneva: WHO.