How do I cite a book in MLA, APA, Chicago, and Harvard styles?

Has someone ever taken credit for your work? How does it make you feel?

That’s what happens when you use a source to write a paper but don’t cite and reference the author of the source. Citing credible sources avoids plagiarism, builds your credibility, and provides context for your readers.

Cite as you write so that your paper and list of sources are finished at the same time.

A citation is used in the body of a paper, and a reference is used in the list of sources at the end of a paper. Follow the formatting style specified by your instructor.

Parenthetical citations include the author's name unless the author's name is used in the same sentence as the citation.

References are alphabetized and formatted with hanging indents. Each style has a different name for the list of sources.

E-Books

Citations for e-books are written the same as for print books. For the list of sources, some styles require the word "e-book" to be included in the reference, and some require the URL or database link of the source. Check the current edition of the style manual.

In-Text Citations ✏️

An MLA citation for a book is written as follows:

• author's last name (or name of the organization)

• page number(s) for both direct quotes and paraphrases

Example

Your research method will affect the writing style of the final report (Creswell and Guetterman 11).

Works Cited 📖

In MLA style, the source list is called Works Cited. The book title is written in title case (every word capitalized except for articles and prepositions).

Basic Format

Last Name, First Name. Title of Book: Subtitle. # ed., Publisher's Name, Publication Date.

Print Book with Two Authors

Creswell, John W., and Timothy C. Guetterman. Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research. 6th ed., Pearson, 2019.

In-Text Citations ✏️

An APA citation for a book is written as follows:

• author's last name (or name of the organization)

• publication date

• page number(s) for direct quotes but not for paraphrases

Use "p." for one page and "pp." for multiple pages. A comma separates the author's name, the date, and the page number.

Example

Your research method will affect the writing style of the final report (Creswell & Guetterman, 2019).

References 📖

In APA style, the source list is called References. The book title is written in lowercase except for proper nouns, the first word of the title, and the first word of the subtitle.

Basic Format

Last Name, Initial(s). (Publication Date). Title of book: Subtitle (# ed.). Publisher's Name. Digital Object Identifier (DOI) if available

Print Book with Two Authors

Creswell, J. W., & Guetterman, T. C. (2019). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research (6th ed.). Pearson.

In-Text Citations ✏️

Chicago style has two systems: Author-Date (for sciences and social sciences) and Notes and Bibliography (for humanities).

An Author-Date citation for a book is written as follows:

• author's last name (or name of the organization)

• publication date

• page number(s) for both direct quotes and paraphrases

A comma separates the date and the page number.

Example

Your research method will affect the writing style of the final report (Creswell and Guetterman 2019, 11).

Reference List 📖

In the Author-Date system, the source list is called Reference List. The book title is written in title case (every word capitalized except for articles and prepositions).

Basic Format

Last Name, First Name Middle Initial. Publication Date. Title of Book: Subtitle. # ed. Publisher's Location: Publisher's Name.

Print Book with Two Authors

Creswell, John W., and Timothy C. Guetterman. 2019. Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research. 6th ed. New Jersey: Pearson.

In-Text Citations ✏️

The Notes and Bibliography system uses footnotes and endnotes rather than parenthetical citations. A note is indicated by a small (superscript) number above a word and a numbered entry in the page footer. Cite both direct quotes and paraphrases.

Use the note format the first time you cite the source, and if you cite the same source again, use the shortened note and the specific page number. Usually, every source also requires a bibliography entry.

Example

Your research method will affect the writing style of the final report.¹

Note

1. John W. Creswell and Timothy C. Guetterman, Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research (New Jersey: Pearson, 2019), 7-22.

Shortened Note

2. Creswell and Guetterman, Educational Research, 11.

Bibliography 📖

In the Notes and Bibliography system, the source list is called Bibliography. The book title is written in title case (every word capitalized except for articles and prepositions).

Basic Format

Last Name, First Name Middle Initial. Title of Book: Subtitle. # ed. Publisher's Location: Publisher's Name. Publication Date.

Print Book with Two Authors

Creswell, John W., and Timothy C. Guetterman. Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative and Qualitative Research. 6th ed. New Jersey: Pearson, 2019.

In-Text Citations ✏️

A Harvard citation for a book is written as follows:

• author's last name (or name of the organization)

• publication date

• page number(s) for direct quotes but not for paraphrases

Use "p." for one page and "pp." for multiple pages. A comma separates the author's name, the date, and the page number.

Example

Your research method will affect the writing style of the final report (Creswell and Guetterman, 2019).

Reference List 📖

In Harvard style, the source list is called Reference List. The book title is written in lowercase except for proper nouns, the first word of the title, and the first word of the subtitle.

Basic Format

Last Name, Initial(s). (Publication Date). Title of book: Subtitle. # edn. Publisher's Location: Publisher's Name.

Print Book with Two Authors

Creswell, J. W., and Guetterman, T. C. (2019). Educational research: Planning, conducting, and evaluating quantitative and qualitative research. 6th edn. New Jersey: Pearson.

For classwork, you won't need to memorize the details of each style because your instructor will tell you which one to use.

MLA

Citation: (Last Name #)

Reference: Last Name, First Name. Title of Book: Subtitle. # ed., Publisher's Name, Publication Date.

APA

Citation: (Last Name, Date)

Reference: Last Name, Initial(s). (Publication Date). Title of book: Subtitle (# ed.). Publisher's Name. DOI if available

Chicago

Author-Date Citation: (Last Name Date, #)

Author-Date Reference: Last Name, First Name Middle Initial. Publication Date. Title of Book: Subtitle. # ed. Publisher's Location: Publisher's Name.

Notes and Bibliography Citation: Here is some text.¹

Notes and Bibliography Reference: Last Name, First Name Middle Initial. Title of Book: Subtitle. # ed. Publisher's Location: Publisher's Name, Publication Date.

Harvard

Citation: (Last Name, Date)

Reference: Last Name, Initial(s). (Publication Date). Title of book: Subtitle. # edn. Publisher's Location: Publisher's Name.