How to Cite an Edited Book in APA Format

Citing an edited book in APA format requires listing the editors rather than authors, the book title, publisher, and year of publication. Edited books are collections of chapters written by different authors, compiled by one or more editors.

Basic Edited Book Citation Format

The standard APA 7th edition format for an edited book citation is:

Reference list entry:

Editor, A. A. (Ed.). (Year). Title of book. Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Parenthetical in-text citation: (Editor, Year)

Narrative in-text citation: Editor (Year)

In-Text Citation Examples

When you reference an edited book within your paper, you have two options:

• Parenthetical: The essays explored various approaches to qualitative research (Denzin & Lincoln, 2018).
• Narrative: Denzin and Lincoln (2018) compiled essays on qualitative research approaches.

Common Variations

Multiple Editors

For two editors, list both with an ampersand. Use (Eds.) instead of (Ed.).

Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (Eds.). (2018). The SAGE handbook of qualitative research (5th ed.). SAGE Publications.

Edited Book with Edition or Volume

Include the edition or volume number in parentheses after the title, not italicized.

Barkley, R. A. (Ed.). (2015). Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder: A handbook for diagnosis and treatment (4th ed.). The Guilford Press.

Edited Book with a DOI

When a DOI is available, include it at the end of the reference.

Gross, J. J. (Ed.). (2014). Handbook of emotion regulation (2nd ed.). The Guilford Press. https://doi.org/10.1080/example

Tips for Citing Edited Books

• Use (Ed.) for one editor and (Eds.) for multiple editors after the editor names.
• Cite specific chapters separately if you are referencing content from a particular chapter rather than the book as a whole.
• Include edition and volume information in parentheses after the title when applicable.
• List up to 20 editors in the reference entry.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should I cite the entire edited book or a specific chapter? If you reference the book as a whole, cite the editors. If you reference a specific chapter, cite the chapter author and include the editors in the reference.

How do I distinguish an edited book from an authored book? An edited book includes (Ed.) or (Eds.) after the names. An authored book does not include this notation.

What if the editor is also the author of a chapter? Cite the chapter separately with the editor as chapter author, and include the editors in the “In” portion of the chapter reference.