How to Cite a Book Chapter in APA 7th Edition

This guide explains how to format a book chapter citation in APA 7th Edition. Follow the format template below, refer to the real example, and use the step-by-step instructions to build your citation correctly.

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a book chapter in APA 7th Edition:

Template

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), *Title of book* (pp. xx--xx). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

(Garcia, 2020, p. 134)

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Reference list entry

Garcia, M. (2020). Cognitive behavioral interventions for anxiety. In H. L. Thompson & R. J. Davis (Eds.), Handbook of clinical psychology (3rd ed., pp. 125--148). Oxford University Press.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
Identify the chapter author(s)
List the chapter author(s) in the standard APA format: last name, comma, initials.
2
Add the publication year
Place the year in parentheses, followed by a period.
3
Write the chapter title
Use sentence case. Do not italicize or place in quotation marks. End with a period.
4
Add the editor(s) and book title
Write "In" followed by the editor's initials and last name, then "(Ed.)" or "(Eds.)," followed by a comma, the italicized book title in sentence case, and the edition/page range in parentheses.
5
Include publisher and DOI
Add the publisher name followed by a period. Include the DOI as a URL if available.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting to include "In" before the editor(s) name.
Italicizing the chapter title instead of the book title.
Omitting the page range of the chapter.
Not using "(Ed.)" or "(Eds.)" after the editor name(s).
Listing the editor's name in last-name-first format (editors use first initials then last name: In A. B. Editor).

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I italicize the chapter title in APA?

No. In APA style, only the book title is italicized when citing a chapter in an edited book. The chapter title is not italicized and not placed in quotation marks.

How do I format the editor's name in a book chapter citation?

The editor's name is written with initials first, then last name (not inverted). For example: In A. B. Smith (Ed.), ... This is the opposite of the author format.

What if the book chapter is from a book I authored entirely?

If you are citing a chapter from a book where the same person authored the entire book (not an edited volume), cite the whole book instead. The chapter-in-edited-book format is for chapters written by different authors within an edited collection.

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your book chapter:

Chapter author(s)
Year of publication
Chapter title
Editor(s)
Book title
Edition (if not the first)
Page range
Publisher
DOI or URL

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Step-by-Step Guide

Identify the chapter author(s)

List the chapter author(s) in the standard APA format: last name, comma, initials.

Add the publication year

Place the year in parentheses, followed by a period.

Write the chapter title

Use sentence case. Do not italicize or place in quotation marks. End with a period.

Add the editor(s) and book title

Write "In" followed by the editor's initials and last name, then "(Ed.)" or "(Eds.)," followed by a comma, the italicized book title in sentence case, and the edition/page range in parentheses.

Include publisher and DOI

Add the publisher name followed by a period. Include the DOI as a URL if available.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting to include "In" before the editor(s) name.

Italicizing the chapter title instead of the book title.

Omitting the page range of the chapter.

Not using "(Ed.)" or "(Eds.)" after the editor name(s).

Listing the editor's name in last-name-first format (editors use first initials then last name: In A. B. Editor).