How to Document Sources in APA Style

How to Document Sources in APA Style
by Heather A. Fowler

The latest American Psychological Association Publication Handbook gives instructions for citing almost any imaginable information source – and in the age of Cultural Studies that uses TV and film for a resource and the internet, there are more places to find information for papers than ever. This article touches on only a few of the most common: books, magazine articles, online journals, internet forum postings, television episodes, and major motion pictures.

1. Books
* Book authors or editors
* Date of publication
* Book title
* Publisher Information

Example:

Ruditis, P. (Ed.) (2004) Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Watchers Guide, Vol. 3. New York, Pocket Books.

Jowett, L. (2005). Sex and the Slayer: A Gender Studies Primer for the Buffy Fan. Middletown, CT: Wesleyan University Press.

2. Magazine Articles
* Author name
* Date of publication
* Title of Article
* Title of Magazine
* Edition of Magazine
* Pages

Example:

Cook, A. (2006, June). Know What You’re Signing. Writer’s Digest, 86, 38-39.

3. Online Journals/Articles
* Link to a specific article, rather than the general website address.
* Make certain to use functional URL’s.
* Author’s name
* Date of publication or update or date of retrieval, in parentheses
* Title
* Title of site, in italics or underlined
* Other relevant information (volume number, page numbers, etc.)
* Retrieval date statement
* URL

Example:

Sanderson, Peter. (2003). Comics in Context #9: San Diego 2003: Day Three: Worlds of Whedon. IGN Comics Review,
September 5, 2003. Retrieved April 10, 2006 from http://filmforce.ign.com/articles/436/436976p2.html.

Heinecken, D. (2004). Fan Readings of Sex and Violence on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Slayage: The Online International Journal of Buffy Studies, 11&12. Retrieved April 6, 2006 from http://www.slayage.tv/essays/slayage11_12/heinecken.html.

4. Internet Forum Postings

* Name of poster
* Date of posting
* Subject of post, if given
* Post number or page
* URL of forum

Example:

80sbabygirl. (2002) If Spuffy was a romantic relationship, we don’t want to be in one. Ever. [Page 2]. Message posted to
http://www.fanform.net/buffy.

5. Television Series Episodes
* Writer’s name
* Director’s Name
* Date of episode
* Title of episode
* [Television Series Episode] or [Television Series] if referencing the series in its entirety
* Producer’s name or Production company name
* City of Production
* Name of distributor

Example:

DeKnight, S. (Writer), & Gershman, M. (Director). (2002). Seeing Red [Television Series Episode]. In Mutant Enemy’s
(Producers) Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Los Angeles, 20th Century Fox Broadcasting Company.

6. Major Motion Pictures
* Producer’s name
* Director’s name
* Date of release
* Date of film
* [Motion Picture]
* Country of origin
* Motion picture studio

Example:

Winkler, I. (Producer), & Scorsese, M. (Director). (1990). Goodfellas [Motion Picture]. United States: Warner Bros.