How to cite a book chapter in APA 7

References and in-text citations for chapters and entries

This guide explains how to create the APA reference and in-text citations for an authored chapter, dictionary entry, encyclopedia entry, or wiki entry. For an edited book, begin the reference with the chapter author rather than the book editors.

When one author or group wrote every chapter, normally reference the whole book and identify the chapter only in the citation when needed.

Basic structure

Chapter Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xx–xx). Publisher. DOI or URL

Do not italicize the chapter title. Italicize the book title. Editors use initials before surnames because they appear in the source element rather than the author position.

Edited book chapter example

The example details are illustrative.

Reference

Vega, L. M. (2022). Critical reading in the classroom. In P. Soto & N. Ruiz (Eds.), Methods for university learning (pp. 35–52). Pathway Press.

Parenthetical citationThe source is identified in parentheses, normally with the author and year: (Perez, 2024).

(Vega, 2022)

Narrative citationThe author is part of the sentence and the year appears in parentheses: Perez (2024).

Vega (2022)

Dictionaries, encyclopedias, and wikis

An entry with its own author follows a structure similar to a chapter. When no individual is named, a group may occupy the author position.

For a Wikipedia entry, cite the archived or permanent version you used. If a stable version is unavailable, include a retrieval date because the entry may change.

Do not identify an ebook platform when its content is equivalent to print. Include a DOI when one exists.

More chapter and entry examples

All publication details in these examples are illustrative.

Chapter in an edited ebook

Reference

Roldan, M. C. (2023). Learning through projects. In L. Gil (Ed.), Active practices in higher education (pp. 77–96). Horizon Press. https://example.com/books/active-practices/chapter-4

Parenthetical citation:The source is identified in parentheses, normally with the author and year: (Perez, 2024). (Roldan, 2023)

Narrative citation:The author is part of the sentence and the year appears in parentheses: Perez (2024). Roldan (2023)

Work in an anthology

Reference

Castillo, A. (2020). The school courtyard. In E. P. Molina (Ed.), Anthology of university stories (pp. 41–48). Southern Letters. (Original work published 1985)

Parenthetical citation:The source is identified in parentheses, normally with the author and year: (Perez, 2024). (Castillo, 1985/2020)

Narrative citation:The author is part of the sentence and the year appears in parentheses: Perez (2024). Castillo (1985/2020)

Dictionary entry with a group author

Reference

Academy of Contemporary Language. (n.d.). Information literacy. In Dictionary of academic terms. Retrieved August 4, 2026, from https://example.com/dictionary/information-literacy

Parenthetical citation:The source is identified in parentheses, normally with the author and year: (Perez, 2024). (Academy of Contemporary Language, n.d.)

Narrative citation:The author is part of the sentence and the year appears in parentheses: Perez (2024). Academy of Contemporary Language (n.d.)

Encyclopedia entry with an individual author

Reference

Guerrero, N. L. (2022). Collaborative learning. In J. L. Rivas (Ed.), Encyclopedia of learning sciences (Vol. 1, pp. 112–118). Knowledge Press.

Parenthetical citation:The source is identified in parentheses, normally with the author and year: (Perez, 2024). (Guerrero, 2022)

Narrative citation:The author is part of the sentence and the year appears in parentheses: Perez (2024). Guerrero (2022)

Wikipedia entry

Reference

Cooperative learning. (2024, May 10). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cooperative_learning&oldid=1220000000

Parenthetical citation:The source is identified in parentheses, normally with the author and year: (Perez, 2024). (“Cooperative learning,” 2024)

Narrative citation:The author is part of the sentence and the year appears in parentheses: Perez (2024). “Cooperative learning” (2024)

How to check the reference

• The chapter has its own author and belongs to an edited book.
• Editors appear after In and do not replace the chapter author.
• The chapter title is not italicized, and the book title is italicized.
• You included the chapter page range.
• The in-text citation uses the chapter author rather than the editors.

See the other APA reference types.