How to Cite a Chapter in a Book APA

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Creating citations for entire books in APA is one thing, but what happens when you need to cite a specific chapter within that book? This EasyBib citation guide will go over the correct way to create an APA chapter citation for chapters from both printed books and digital books, as well as how you can use this information to cite things like sections, paragraphs, pages, and more. The information provided here references the 7th edition of the American Psychological Association’s Publication Manual (this guide is not affiliated with the association).

Looking for lessons about something other than citing a book chapter? At EasyBib, you will find citation tools and an extensive collection of reference guides to help you finish that essay or research paper.

Guide Overview

Two parts to citations for chapters 

Any source used in your paper should have the corresponding citations:

  • In-text citation
  • Full citation in the reference page

In-text citations

The in-text citation is included within the text of your paper. There are two types:

  • Parenthetical citations
  • Narrative citations

Parenthetical citations are placed at the end of a quote or paraphrase. These citations include a few details on the source (usually the author’s name or source title and the year published) within parentheses.

Example:

“When two cultures come together, the words of their languages compete for survival” (Crystal, 2013).

Narrative citations are when part of the source’s information is included within the sentence, so only the year needs to be indicated in parentheses.

Example:

Crystal wrote that “when two cultures come together, the words of their languages compete for survival” (2013).

Next, let’s take a look at how to create full citations or references for a specific chapter.

What you need

The general structure of a full reference for a chapter includes this information:

  • Author’s name or the name of the group author
  • Year published
  • Title of the chapter
  • Editor(s) names
  • Title of the book
  • Publisher name
  • Edition and/or volume number (if applicable)
  • Pages of chapter (pp. #-#)
  • DOI or URL (if applicable)

Let’s look at how these elements fit into different types of source citations.

How to cite a chapter in a printed or online book with all contents written by the same author(s)

If you’re using information from a chapter of a book where one author or a group of authors equally share credit for all contents of the book, then you just cite the book — there’s no need to cite the chapter!

Structure:

Author Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year Published). Title of book in sentence case. Publisher name. DOI or URL

Example:

Ray, R.B. (1985). A certain tendency of the Hollywood cinema, 1930-1980. Princeton University Press.

In-text citation:

Parenthetical citation: (Ray, 1985)

Narrative citation: Ray (1985)

Note that parenthetical in-text citations for direct quotes from the book should also include page numbers:

Parenthetical citation for direct quote: (Lee & Brown, 2000, pg. 44)

For a narrative citation, you can format your citation the same way you would an in-text citation, as long as you include the page number in the sentence. If you do not include the page number in the sentence, place it at the end, like this:

Narrative citation for direct quote:

Mia Lee and Paulo Brown (2000) assert that “future generations will thank us for the care we have taken here” (p. 44).

 

How to cite a chapter in an edited book

If the chapter you are trying to cite has been published within an edited book, then it’s necessary to provide both the author(s) of the chapter and the editor of the book, as well as the appropriate titles.

Structure:

Chapter Author Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year Published). Title of chapter in sentence case. In Editor First Initial, Editor Second Initial, Editor Last Name (Ed.), Title of book in sentence case (Edition, Volume, Page No.). Publisher Name. URL or DOI

Example:

Brooks, V.W. (1962). Preface. In R.S. Milton & L.G. Seymour (Eds.), American literature survey (3rd ed., pp. xvii-xx). Penguin Books.

Notice how both the chapter title (“Preface”) and the specific page numbers (“pp. xvii-xx”) are provided inside of the reference. For this reason, this information does not need to be included in the in-text citation unless a direct quote is being made. If a direct quote is being made, use the format in the section above (“How to cite a chapter in a printed or online book with all contents written by the same author”) to include page numbers.

In-text citation:

Parenthetical citation: (Brooks, 1962)

Narrative citation: Brooks (1962)

Looking to cite something other than a book chapter? EasyBib is your source for comprehensive, easy-to-follow citation and reference guides that can help you finish your essay, paper, or project.

How to cite a chapter in an edited book in another language (not translated)

Write the name of the chapter in its original language, then write the translated name next to it in brackets. Much like citing a book that is in a different language that does not use the Roman alphabet, it is necessary to transliterate the chapter name with the Roman alphabet. The book name does not need to have a translation following it. Because the chapter name and page numbers are included in the reference, the page numbers do not need to be included in an in-text citation unless a direct quote is being made. If a direct quote is being made, use the format in the section above (“How to cite a chapter in a printed or online book with all contents written by the same author”) to include page numbers.

Structure:

Chapter Author Last Name, F. M. (Year). Chapter name [Translated chapter name]. In Editor’s F. M. Last Name (Ed.), Title of book (chapter page range pp. #-#). Publisher. DOI/URL

Example:

Morales, M. (2005). Usando technologia nueva [Using new technology]. In J. Reyes (Ed.), El grande libro de enseñando (pp. 135-150). Libros Importantes.

In-text citation:

Parenthetical citation: (Morales, 2005)

Narrative citation: Morales (2005)

How to cite a chapter in an edited and translated book

If you’re using a chapter from an edited and translated book, be sure to include the names of both the translator and editor. If someone is both the translator and editor, you can include their name twice. Also, for works that have been republished from another language, include the original year published at the end of the citation. Again, because the chapter name and page numbers are included in the reference, the page numbers do not need to be included in an in-text citation unless a direct quote is being made. If a direct quote is being made, use the format in the section above (“How to cite a chapter in a printed or online book with all contents written by the same author”) to include page numbers.

Structure:

Chapter Author Last Name, F. M. (Year). Chapter name (Translator F. M. Last Name, Trans.). In Editor F. M. Last Name (Ed.), Title of book (chapter pages range pp. #-#). Publisher. (Original work published Year)

Example:

Han, T. (2014). The night the tiger was caught (1922-1923) (J. S. Noble, Trans.). In X. Chen (Ed.), The Columbia anthology of modern Chinese drama (pp. #-#). Columbia University Press.

In-text citation:

Parenthetical citation: (Han, 2014)

Narrative citation: Han (2014)

Here is a video that explains how to cite a chapter in APA style:

References

American Psychological Association. (2020a). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

American Psychological Association. (2020b). Style-grammar-guidelines. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/basic-principles/parenthetical-versus-narrative

Brooks, V.W. (1962). Preface. In R.S. Milton & L.G. Seymour (Eds.), American literature survey (3rd ed., pp. xvii-xx). Penguin Books.

Crystal, D. (2013). The story of English in 100 words. St. Martin’s Press.

Ray, R.B. (1985). A certain tendency of the Hollywood cinema, 1930-1980. Princeton University Press.

Published October 31, 2011. Updated April 9, 2020.

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Elise Barbeau. Michele Kirschenbaum is a school library media specialist and the in-house librarian at EasyBib.com. Elise Barbeau is the Citation Specialist at Chegg. She has worked in digital marketing, libraries, and publishing.

 

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

Citation Examples

 

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How do I cite a chapter in an edited book in APA style?

To cite a book chapter in APA style, you need to have basic information including the author(s), publication year, chapter title, editor(s), and publisher. The templates for in-text citations and reference list entries of a book chapter with one author and one editor along with examples are given below.

Citing a chapter in an edited book in APA style

In-text citation templates and examples:

Narrative

Author Surname (Publication Year)

Broadhead (2010)

Parenthetical

(Author Surname, Publication Year)

(Broadhead, 2010)

Reference list entry template and example:

Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Chapter title: Subtitle. In F. Editor Surname (Ed.), Book title (pp. #–#). Publisher.

Broadhead, P. (2010). Building friendships through playful learning in the early years. In J. Moyles (Ed.), The excellence of play (pp. 216–228). McGraw-Hill.

Both the chapter title and the book title are set in sentence case; however, the book title is set in italics. The word “In” is used before the editor’s name. Note that the style for setting the editor’s name is the initial of the first name followed by the surname. Use “(Ed.)” after the editor’s name. Enclose page information after the book title in parenthesis.

How do I cite a book chapter in APA when the book includes an editor and/or translator?

To cite a book chapter with an editor and/or a translator in APA style, you need to have basic information including the authors, publication year, chapter title, editors and/or translators, book title, publisher, and page numbers. The templates for in-text citation and reference list entry of a book chapter with an editor and/or a translator along with examples are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

Narrative

Author Surname (Original Publication Year/Republished Year)

Badiou (2003/2013)

Parenthetical

(Author Surname, Original Publication Year/Republished Year)

(Badiou, 2003/2013)

Reference list entry template and example:

Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Chapter title: Subtitle. (F. TranslatorSurname, Trans.). In F. EditorSurname (Ed.), Book title (pp. #–#). Publisher. (Original work published year).

Badiou, A. (2013). The writing of the generic. (B. Bosteels, Trans.). In N. Power & A. Toscano (Eds.), On Beckett (pp. 1–36). Clinamen. (Original work published 2003).

The chapter title is in sentence case. The translator’s name is set in parenthesis along with the word “Trans.” Follow the first initial with the surname for the translator. The word “In” is used before the editor’s name. Note that the style for setting the editor’s name is the initial of the first name followed by the surname. Use “(Ed.)” after the editor’s name. The book title is set in italics. Include page numbers in parentheses after the book title with “pp.” before the page range. Include the publication year of the original work in parenthesis.