How to cite a book

The book citation pattern in each style, with editions, edited collections and chapters. Paste the ISBN from the back cover and CiteForge fills in the details.

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Authors (or an organisation)
Publication date (leave blank if none)

Reference list entry · APA 7th edition

Your citation appears here as you type, set exactly as it will look in your paper.

In-text citation

Fill in the author and date to see the in-text version.

Book citation templates

APA 7

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book: Subtitle (Edition). Publisher.

MLA 9

Author Surname, First Name. Title of Book: Subtitle. Edition, Publisher, Year.

Chicago

Surname, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year.

Harvard

Surname, Initial. (Year) Title of book. Edition. Publisher.

Example: one author

APA 7th edition

Kimmerer, R. W. (2013). Braiding sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Milkweed Editions.

In-text: (Kimmerer, 2013, p. 45) or Kimmerer (2013, p. 45)

MLA 9th edition

Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. Milkweed Editions, 2013.

In-text: (Kimmerer 45) or Kimmerer (45)

Chicago notes & bibliography

Kimmerer, Robin Wall. Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants. Milkweed Editions, 2013.

Footnote: Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants (Milkweed Editions, 2013), 45.

Harvard (Cite Them Right)

Kimmerer, R.W. (2013) Braiding sweetgrass: Indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teachings of plants. Milkweed Editions.

In-text: (Kimmerer, 2013, p. 45) or Kimmerer (2013, p. 45)

Example: three authors, 10th edition

APA 7th edition

Aronson, E., Wilson, T. D., & Sommers, S. R. (2019). Social psychology (10th ed.). Pearson.

In-text: (Aronson et al., 2019, p. 112) or Aronson et al. (2019, p. 112)

MLA 9th edition

Aronson, Elliot, et al. Social Psychology. 10th ed., Pearson, 2019.

In-text: (Aronson et al. 112) or Aronson et al. (112)

Chicago notes & bibliography

Aronson, Elliot, Timothy D. Wilson, and Samuel R. Sommers. Social Psychology. 10th ed. Pearson, 2019.

Footnote: Elliot Aronson et al., Social Psychology, 10th ed. (Pearson, 2019), 112.

Harvard (Cite Them Right)

Aronson, E., Wilson, T.D. and Sommers, S.R. (2019) Social psychology. 10th edn. Pearson.

In-text: (Aronson, Wilson and Sommers, 2019, p. 112) or Aronson, Wilson and Sommers (2019, p. 112)

Only mention the edition if it isn’t the first. APA writes “(10th ed.)” after the title; MLA writes “10th ed.,” before the publisher.

Example: a chapter in an edited book

When each chapter has its own author, cite the chapter, not the whole book. The book’s editors and the chapter’s page range come after the chapter title.

APA 7th edition

Hall, S. (1996). Who needs identity? In S. Hall & P. du Gay (Eds.), Questions of cultural identity (pp. 1–17). SAGE.

In-text: (Hall, 1996, p. 4) or Hall (1996, p. 4)

MLA 9th edition

Hall, Stuart. “Who Needs Identity?” Questions of Cultural Identity, edited by Stuart Hall and Paul du Gay, SAGE, 1996, pp. 1-17.

In-text: (Hall 4) or Hall (4)

Chicago notes & bibliography

Hall, Stuart. “Who Needs Identity?” In Questions of Cultural Identity, edited by Stuart Hall and Paul du Gay, 1–17. SAGE, 1996.

Footnote: Stuart Hall, “Who Needs Identity?” in Questions of Cultural Identity, edited by Stuart Hall and Paul du Gay (SAGE, 1996), 4.

Harvard (Cite Them Right)

Hall, S. (1996) ‘Who needs identity?’, in Hall, S. and du Gay, P. (eds) Questions of cultural identity. SAGE, pp. 1–17.

In-text: (Hall, 1996, p. 4) or Hall (1996, p. 4)

E-books and audiobooks

APA 7 no longer asks you to say “Kindle version”: cite an e-book like a print book, adding a DOI or URL only if it has one. For audiobooks, APA adds “(Narrator, Narr.)” and “[Audiobook]”. MLA treats the e-book format as a version: “e-book ed.,”.

Questions students ask

Do I need the city of publication?

Not in APA 7 or MLA 9; both dropped it. Chicago 18 also makes it optional. Some Harvard guides still ask for it.

How do I cite a page in a book?

APA: (Kimmerer, 2013, p. 45). MLA: (Kimmerer 45). Chicago: page number at the end of the footnote.

What if the book has an editor but no author?

Put the editor in the author position followed by (Ed.) in APA, or “editor” in MLA: Hall, Stuart, and Paul du Gay, editors.