Guide to Citing a Chapter in a Book in APA Style (7th Edition)

Citing a chapter from a book can be confusing. The format you use depends on whether the book is “edited” (chapters by different authors) or “authored” (all chapters by the same author). APA 7th Edition rules clarify this distinction.

This guide will walk you through the correct format for both your reference list and in-text citations. We will focus primarily on the common scenario: the edited book chapter.

The Critical Distinction (Edited vs. Authored)

The first step is crucial. You must determine if the book is edited or authored. Making the wrong choice means the entire citation is incorrect.

Edited Books

• An edited book is a collection of chapters.
• These chapters are written by different authors.
• The entire volume is compiled and overseen by one or more editors.
• Rule: If you use a chapter from an edited book, you must create a reference for the specific chapter you used. You cite the chapter’s author, not the book’s editor.

Authored Books

• An authored book is a standard book.
• The same author (or group of authors) wrote all the chapters.
• Rule: If you use a chapter from an authored book, you do not create a separate reference for the chapter. You cite the entire book in your reference list.

Section 2: Reference List Entry for an Edited Book Chapter (The Essential Format)

This is the most frequent and complex type of book chapter citation. It requires information about the chapter’s author(s), the chapter title, the book’s editor(s), and the book’s title.

The General Formula

This formula must be followed exactly for the reference list entry:

Chapter Author, A. A., & Chapter Author, B. B. (Year). Title of chapter in sentence case. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Title of Book in Sentence Case (pp. xx–xx). Publisher. DOI or URL.

Element-by-Element Breakdown

1. Chapter Author(s)

• Start with the author(s) of the specific chapter.
• Use inverted format: Last name, followed by initials.
• Separate multiple authors with commas.
• Use an ampersand (&) before the final author’s name.

  Example: Aron, L., Botella, M., & Lubart, T.

2. Year of Publication

• Place the book’s publication year in parentheses.
• Follow the closing parenthesis with a period.

  Example: (2019).

3. Chapter Title

• Write the chapter title in sentence case.
• Capitalize only the first word of the title, the first word of a subtitle (after a colon), and any proper nouns.
• Do not use italics or quotation marks.
• End with a period.

  Example: Culinary arts: Talent and their development.

4. The “In” Statement and Editor(s)

• Write the word “In”.
• Next, list the initials and then the last name of the book’s editor(s).
• This is the one time you do not invert the names (initials come first).
• Use an ampersand (&) before the final editor’s name.
• Follow the names with the role in parentheses: (Ed.) for one editor or (Eds.) for multiple editors.
• End with a comma.

  Example: In R. F. Subotnik, P. Olszewski-Kubilius, & F. C. Worrell (Eds.),

5. Book Title

• Italicize the book’s full title.
• Use sentence case capitalization.
• If an edition number (other than the first) is needed, place it inside the next set of parentheses, followed by a comma.

  Example: The psychology of high performance: Developing human potential into domain-specific talent

6. Page Range

• Place the inclusive page numbers for the chapter in parentheses.
• Use the abbreviation “pp.”
• If an edition number was included, separate the edition from the page numbers with a comma.

  Example (without edition): (pp. 345–359).

  Example (with edition): (4th ed., pp. 115–129).

7. Publisher

• Write the full name of the publisher.
• Do not include the publisher’s location.

  Example: American Psychological Association.

8. DOI or URL

• If the source has a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), include it as the last element.
• Present the DOI as a hyperlink.
• Do not end the reference with a period.

2.3. Full Example (Edited Book Chapter)

Aron, L., Botella, M., & Lubart, T. (2019). Culinary arts: Talent and their development. In R. F. Subotnik, P. Olszewski-Kubilius, & F. C. Worrell (Eds.), The psychology of high performance: Developing human potential into domain-specific talent (pp. 345–359).⁸ American Psychological Association.

Section 3: In-Text Citations for an Edited Book Chapter

In-text citations for an edited book chapter should credit the author(s) of the chapter, not the book’s editor(s). The format follows the standard APA rules for parenthetical or narrative citations.

General Principles

• Always use the chapter author’s last name and the year of the book.
• For three or more authors, use the first author’s name followed by et al.
• For all direct quotations, you must include a page number or other locator.

Paraphrasing or Summarizing

• When simply referring to an idea, use the author and year.
  • Parenthetical Citation: The development of talent is a complex interaction of environmental and genetic factors (Aron et al., 2019).
  • Narrative Citation: Aron et al. (2019) argued that talent development is a complex interaction of environmental and genetic factors.

Direct Quotations

• Include the chapter author, year, and the exact page number.
• Use “p.” for a single page and “pp.” for a page range.
  • Parenthetical Citation: The authors concluded that structured practice is essential for development in the culinary arts (Aron et al., 2019, p. 351).
  • Narrative Citation: Aron et al. (2019) stated that “structured practice is essential for development in the culinary arts” (p. 351).

Citing Chapters in an Authored Book (The Simplified Case)

If the entire book was written by the same person(s), your citation process is much simpler.

Reference List Entry (Authored Book)

• Cite the entire book. Do not mention the chapter title or page range.
• The format is the standard book citation.
  • Formula: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book in sentence case. Publisher.
  • Example: Kearney, M., & Simpson, N. (2020).¹¹ Mindfulness for clinical practice. Oxford University Press.

In-Text Citation (Authored Book)

• Cite the author(s) and year of the whole book.
  • Standard Citation: (Kearney & Simpson, 2020)
  • Narrative Citation: Kearney and Simpson (2020) suggested…
• Referring to a Specific Chapter or Page: If you want to direct the reader to a particular part, add the location to the in-text citation only.
  • Referring to a Chapter: (Kearney & Simpson, 2020, Chapter 2)
  • Referring to a Section: (Kearney & Simpson, 2020, pp. 42–43)
  • Direct Quote: “Mindfulness significantly reshapes the clinical course of depression” (Kearney & Simpson, 2020, p. 42).

Dealing with Ebook Chapters and Missing Information

Citation is sometimes complicated by digital formats or missing data.¹⁴

Ebooks and DOIs

• The format for ebook chapters is the same as for print.
• If a DOI is available, include it at the end.
• If there is no DOI, but the chapter is from a non-database website (like an author’s page), include the URL.
• Do not include the name of the database if you accessed the chapter through a subscription-based academic database (e.g., EBSCOhost, ProQuest).

No Page Numbers

• For online sources, sometimes chapters lack page numbers.
• If you quote directly, use an alternative locator in your in-text citation:
  • Chapter or Section: (Author, Year, Chapter 5)
  • Paragraph Number: Count the paragraphs and use the abbreviation “para.” (Author, Year, para. 4)
  • Section Heading: Use a short version of the heading in quotation marks. (Author, Year, “Key Findings” section)

Missing Chapter Author

• If a chapter is unsigned in an edited book (rare, but possible), the title of the chapter moves to the author position.
• Reference List Format: Title of chapter. (Year). In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xx–xx). Publisher.
• In-Text Citation: Use the title in the in-text citation. Put the chapter title in quotation marks, using Title Case capitalization. (“Title of Chapter,” Year)

Summary Checklist for APA Chapter Citation

Use this quick checklist to ensure accuracy before submitting your paper.

Component	Edited Book Chapter	Authored Book Chapter
Reference List Entry	Create a reference for the specific chapter.	Create a reference for the entire book.
Reference List Author	Chapter Author(s) (Inverted).	Book Author(s) (Inverted).
Italics	Chapter title is not italicized. Book title is italicized.	Book title is italicized.
In-Text Citation	Use the Chapter Author and Year.	Use the Book Author and Year.
In-Text Page No.	Required for direct quotes: (Author, Year, p. X).	Required for direct quotes: (Author, Year, p. X).
Editor’s Name	Editor’s name and role is included in the Reference List only.	Editor’s name is not included unless the book is a collection with an editor instead of an author.

By following this guide and paying close attention to the small details like capitalization, italics, and punctuation, you can master APA 7th Edition book chapter citations. Good luck!