APA Referencing Examples

APA REFERENCING EXAMPLES
RMIT University Library

Updated: 25 January 2021
Important: This is a guide only. To avoid losing marks:
1. Confirm the referencing requirements of your school with your lecturer, and
2. Use the following source to clarify referencing rules, or if you need further examples.
This guide is based on American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication
manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
APA is an author-date referencing style. You need to follow this style when acknowledging
your information sources.
APA style requires that all references in a document are to be cited in-text, and that all in-
text citations are compiled in a reference list at the end of the document. In-text citations
appear within the body of the document and include details such as author(s) family name,
year of publication, and page number(s) (if applicable). The reference list must provide full
details of all in-text citations and be arranged alphabetically by author.
IN-TEXT CITATIONS
General rules
 When a work has two authors, always cite both family names every time the
reference occurs in the text.
 When a work has three or more authors, cite only the family name of the first author
followed by et al. and the year of publication.
 When using exact words that an author has used, you must enclose these in double
quotation marks “ ” and supply an in-text citation, including page number(s).
 In your writing, you must acknowledge each author or source of information (whether
print or online) either by paraphrasing or using a direct quote.
Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing is when you are expressing the ideas of the author(s) in your own words.
When paraphrasing, use round brackets to add the author(s) family name and the year of
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publication, or use the author’s family name as part of your sentence, followed by the year of
publication in round brackets.
Note: When paraphrasing, the citation details can be placed at the beginning, middle or end
of a sentence.
Citation at the beginning

Brophy (2010) states that student motivation . . .
Citation in the middle

. . . motivation is evident (Brophy, 2010), and as a result, can contribute significantly to
achieving learning goals.
Citation at the end

. . . where a number of subjective experiences can inform motivational outcomes (Brophy,
2010).
Note: Citations can also be structured according to whether they give prominence to the
author (narrative), or to the information being conveyed (parenthetical).
Narrative citations
In his research, Brophy (2010) argues that . . .
Parenthetical citations
. . . findings are based on the qualitative study of behavioural learning (Brophy, 2010).
Including page numbers in a paraphrase citation

When paraphrasing, page numbers may also be included as part of the citation, especially if
it helps the reader to locate the source of the information in a lengthy document.
Note: Including page numbers when paraphrasing is optional, and is NOT a requirement of
the APA referencing style.
To establish a learning community in the classroom, it is important to motivate students by
addressing both individual and collaborative learning goals (Brophy, 2010, pp. 23-24).
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Direct quotes
Direct quotes are used when you are using the exact words of the author(s). Put direct
quotes between double quotation marks and add a page number. Do not overuse direct
quotes.
“Student motivation to learn can be viewed as either a general disposition or a situation-
specific state” (Brophy, 2010, p. 12).
If the work you are referencing does NOT contain page numbers, then use chapter numbers,
section headings and paragraph numbers as part of the in-text reference.
“As the national peak body for early childhood, ECA is a regular, and trusted, contributor to
the public policy debate on all matters affecting young children (birth to eight years) and their
families” (Early Childhood Australia, 2016, Advocacy section, para. 1).
If you omit words from a direct quote, you will need to add a space followed by three ellipsis
dots ( . . . ) and another space.
Cannon (2012) argues that "changes in corporate approaches to such sensitive areas . . .
will require coherent change strategies" (p. 165).
Note: Quotes more than 40 words in length need to be in block form – without using
quotation marks, begin the quote on a new, indented line, and double-space the entire
quote. At the end of the quote, include citation details such as author(s), year and page
number(s) in brackets.
The difference between intrinsic motivation and motivation to learn is closely
related to the difference between affective and cognitive engagement
experiences. Intrinsic motivation refers primarily to affective experience—
enjoyment of the processes involved in engaging in an activity. In contrast,
motivation to learn is primarily a cognitive experience involving attempts to
make sense of the information that an activity conveys, to relate this
information to prior knowledge, and to master the skills that the activity
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develops. (Brophy, 2010, p. 12)
Single author
When paraphrasing, include the author’s family name and year of publication in brackets. Or,
if referring to the author(s) family name in the body of the text, then just include the year of
publication in brackets immediately after the family name.
Studies indicate that . . . (Sullivan, 2013).
Sullivan (2013) states that . . .
When directly quoting, give the page number(s) from the book.
“A major criticism of business is that it abuses its power” (Carroll, 2012, p. 26).
Carroll (2012) contends that “a major criticism of business is that it abuses its power” (p. 26).
Include the author(s) and year of publication in every in-text citation. If multiple narrative
citations are repeated within the same paragraph, the year of publication can be omitted.
Carroll also found that . . .
Two authors
The ampersand symbol (&) is used between the author names only when they appear in
brackets.
Otherwise, just use and to separate author names in the body of the text.
. . . and is vital in order to encode memories (Pastorino & Doyle-Portillo, 2016).
Pastorino and Doyle-Portillo (2016) identify . . .
Three or more authors

Use only the first listed family name followed by et al. and year of publication.
Brown et al. (2010) identified. . .
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Multiple references in same parentheses
List all citations alphabetically, with a semi-colon to separate them.
There are indications that passive smoking is potentially threatening to health (Applebee,
2006; Cookson, 2007; Sheldon & James, 2004).
Multiple works by same author in same year

When an author has published more than one cited work in the same year, distinguish each
work by using a lower-case letter after the year within the brackets (this is also written in the
reference list).
According to Dean (2017a), it was found that . . .
It is suggested that . . . (Dean, 2017b).
Identify works by the same author in the same year by the suffixes a, b, c, etc. after the year.
In the reference list, references by the same author with the same publication year are
arranged alphabetically by the title (excluding A or The) that follows the date.
Dean, E. (2017a). Practice nursing: An action plan for a disparate workforce. Nursing
Standard, 32(3), 25. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.32.3.25.s24
Dean, E. (2017b). Top nursing universities fall short in new ratings. Nursing Standard,
31(44), 9. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.31.44.9.s8
Lead authors are the same in the same year

If there are more than 3 authors and the lead author(s) are the same, but there are also
different contributing authors then cite all authors until a distinction can be made followed
by et al.
Arnaiz, Cochrane, Hastie, et al. (2018) state . . .
Arnaiz, Cochrane, Calizaya, et al. (2018) argue . . .
The reference list would include all authors.
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Arnaiz, M., Cochrane, T., Calizaya, A., & Shrestha, M. (2018). A framework for evaluating
the current level of success of micro-hydropower schemes in remote communities of
developing countries. Energy for Sustainable Development, 44, 55-63.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esd.2018.03.002
Arnaiz, M., Cochrane, T., Hastie, R., & Bellen, C. (2018). Micro-hydropower impact on
communities' livelihood analysed with the capability approach. Energy for
Sustainable Development, 45, 206-210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esd.2018.07.003
No author
If citing a source with no author then use the shortened title of the work in-text if it’s a lengthy
title.
Note: If the title is not italicised in the reference list then use double quotation marks in-text.
An increase in education spending . . . ("Budget to Link," 2016).
The reference list will include the full title in the author position.
Budget to link school spending to outcomes. (2016, May 2). The
Australian. https://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/editorials/budget-to-link-school-
spending-to-outcomes/news-story/b1b98475b68869356cc6540766d6358a
Note: If the title of the work is italicised in the reference list then italicise the title in-text
(except for news articles found on the web with no author, use double quotation marks in-
text and don't italicise the title in the reference list).
Higher education in Australia: the facts. (2004). Business/Higher Education Round Table.
Secondary citation
A secondary citation is used when you acknowledge the work of an author that you have
read about in another author’s work.
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For example, if you read an article written by Hosany and Martin and they cite information
from another study written by Heath and Scott, you would need to acknowledge Heath and
Scott in the text:
Heath and Scott (as cited in Hosany & Martin, 2012) claim that . . .
Early research indicated . . . (Heath & Scott, as cited in Hosany & Martin, 2012).
In the reference list, you need to include the citation information for the Hosany and Martin
article as that is where the Heath and Scott information was sourced:
Hosany, S., & Martin, D. (2012). Self-image congruence in consumer behavior. Journal of
Business Research, 65(5), 685-691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.03.015
Personal communication
Information obtained from personal communication does NOT need to be included in the
reference list, and should only be referenced in-text. Use parenthetical citations in the text
only.
Examples of personal communication include:
 interviews
 conversations
 telephone calls
 letters
 emails
When citing in-text, include the author/lecturer first name initial(s) followed by their family
name, and a precise date of when the communication/lecture took place.
My field placement supervisor commented ‘. . . ‘ (C. M. Burns, personal communication, July
3, 2015).
The details of . . . were confirmed by email (J. Merrick, personal communication, April 25,
2014).
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Electronic sources
Many electronic sources do not provide page numbers, unless they are in PDF format.
Use the name of the section and the paragraph number as part of the in-text reference if
quoting from a website that is NOT a PDF document.
Human Rights Day aims to raise public awareness (United Nations, 2016, Preamble section,
para. 2).
Legal material
Note: The APA referencing style does NOT cover Australian legal material. The citations
below are based on the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (AGLC) referencing style
examples.
Act of Parliament
Include the title of the legislation and the year in italics if referring to an Act in the body of the
text. Otherwise, place the year and section number (s.) (if applicable) in brackets.
It is necessary to also state the jurisdiction of the legislation, either in the body of the text, or
enclosed in brackets e.g. (Cth) for Commonwealth, (Vic) for Victoria, (UK) for United
Kingdom etc.
Note: Include the jurisdiction the first time the act is cited. The jurisdiction can be dropped
with subsequent citations.
Examples:
According to the Victorian Mental Health Act (2014, s. 29) . . .
Victoria’s Mental Health Act (2014, s. 29) states that . . .
By virtue of s. 130.1 of the Mental Health Act 2014 (Vic) . . .
“A person receiving mental health services in a designated mental health service may be
kept in seclusion . . .” (Mental Health Act 2014 (Vic), s. 110).
Cases
When citing a case in-text, it is necessary to include the title of the case in italics followed by
the year in brackets. Alternatively, it is also acceptable to include all case details enclosed in
brackets; italicise only the case title, followed by the year.
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Note: Include the year with the first citation. The year can be dropped in subsequent
citations.
According to the case of Drew v Minister for Health and Ageing (2011) . . .
. . . (Drew v Minister for Health and Ageing, 2011).
THE REFERENCE LIST
General rules
 Use a reference list to include all the publications you have acknowledged at the end
of your work and use the heading “References” (in bold) and centred at the top of a
new page.
 The reference list is arranged alphabetically by author family name.
 If there are multiple entries by the same author, then arrange chronologically starting
with the earliest year of publication.
 If there are several authors with the same family name, then arrange alphabetically
by initials.
 Where an item has no author, it is cited by its title.
 The reference list must be double-spaced, and each entry should have a hanging
indent on the second and subsequent lines (if applicable).
 Italicise all book titles, journal titles and volume numbers, titles of newspapers and
titles of webpages and websites.
Digital object identifier (DOI)

When citing electronic journal articles, you MUST include a digital object identifier (DOI) if
stated. A DOI is a unique identifier that is assigned to individual journal articles and provides
a persistent link to online content.
The recommended DOI format should appear in your reference list as:
https://doi.org/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
If no DOI is assigned, include the journal’s homepage URL instead.

Note: There is no full stop after the URL, and the hyperlink is removed.
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Books
Book
Do NOT include the publisher location.
List all authors, placing an ampersand symbol (&) before the last name.
Sullivan, E. J. (2013). Becoming influential: A guide for nurses (2nd ed.). Pearson.
Kraemer, W. J., Fleck, S. J., & Deschenes, M. R. (2016). Exercise physiology: Integrating
theory and application (2nd ed.). Wolters Kluwer.
E-book
If a DOI or URL is available include it after the publisher name, otherwise reference it as per
a Book example.
Watkins, J. (2017). Laboratory and field exercises in sport and exercise biomechanics.
Routledge. https//doi.org/10.4324/9781315306315
Book with an edition number

Include the edition number followed by the abbreviation ed. in brackets after the book title. If
the book is a first edition, or no edition is stated, do NOT include the edition number.
Mash, E. J., & Wolfe, D. A. (2013). Abnormal child psychology (5th ed.). Wadsworth.
Chapter in an edited book

An edited book will generally be comprised of chapters written by several authors. When
citing in-text, you will need to attribute the authors of the specific chapter you are
referencing, NOT the editors of the entire work.
Author(s) of the chapter, year of publication, and title of the chapter precede the details
about the book editors and title of the book. Following the word In is the editor(s) initials then
family names.
Also, enclose in brackets the edition number (if applicable), and include the page numbers of
the chapter directly after the title.
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Schirm, V. (2013). Quality of life. In I. M. Lubkin & P. D. Larsen (Eds.), Chronic illness:
Impact and interventions (8th ed., pp. 183-206). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Chapter in an authored book

If the book is an authored (NOT edited) work, then reference it as a whole work, NOT by the
book chapter.
Translated book
Include the translator(s) in brackets after the title, as well as the year the work was originally
published (if applicable) after the publication details.
Piaget, J. (2007). The child’s conception of the world (J. Tomlinson & A. Tomlinson, Trans.).
Rowman & Littlefield. (Original work published 1929)
Journal articles
Journal article with up to 20 authors

When including journal articles in the reference list, you must italicise the title of the Journal
and volume number, and include the digital object identifier (DOI) at the end of the
reference (if stated).
Include all author names in the reference list, placing an ampersand symbol (&) before the
last name.
Demacheva, I., Ladouceur, M., Steinberg, E., Pogossova, G., & Raz, A. (2012). The applied
cognitive psychology of attention: A step closer to understanding magic
tricks. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 26, 541-549. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.2825
Journal article with 21 more authors

List the first 19 authors followed by three ellipsis points (. . .) then the last author.
Kalnay, E., Kanamitsu, M., Kistler, R., Collins, W., Deaven, D., Gandin, L. Iredell, M., Saha,
S., White, G., Woollen, J., Zhu, Y., Chelliah, M., Ebisuzaki, W., Higgins, W.,
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Janowiak, J., Mo, K. C., Ropelewski, C., Wang, J., Leetmaa, A., . . . Joseph, D.
(1996). The NCEP/NCAR 40-year reanalysis project. Bulletin of the American
Meteorological Society, 77(3), 437-472. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-
0477(1996)077<0437:TNYRP>2.0.CO;2
Journal article without DOI

Walker, B., & Buchbinder, R. (1997). Most commonly used methods of detecting spinal
subluxation and the preferred term for its description: A survey of chiropractors in
Victoria, Australia. Journal of Manipulative & Physiological Therapeutics, 20(9), 583-
589.
Newspaper articles
Newspaper article, online

Baird, J. (2016, November 4). There’s no such thing as ‘just a nurse’. The Sydney Morning
Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/why-we-need-to-listen-to-nurses-when-
talking-about-health-20161103-gshfq1.html
Newspaper article, print

If the article is spread across discontinuous pages, provide all page numbers separated by a
comma e.g. pp. 2, 4, 8-9.
Parnell, S. (2016, November 16). Medicare freeze no check on GP visits. The Australian, 1,
5.
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Legal material
Note: The APA referencing style does NOT cover Australian legal material. The citations
below are based on the Australian Guide to Legal Citation (AGLC) referencing style
examples.
Act of Parliament
The title of the legislation and year are to be italicised.
Include the jurisdiction of the legislation in brackets e.g. (Cth) for Commonwealth, or the
State abbreviation.
If a specific section of the legislation is used, this can be highlighted by using an s. for
section.
If the legislation is obtained from an electronic source, add a retrieval statement to the
reference.
Mental Health Act 2014 (Vic) s. 115.1. http://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/
Legal cases
For court decisions the elements to include are: title of the case in italics, year in brackets,
volume number, reporter abbreviation, and starting page number.
If a case is obtained from an electronic database, add a retrieval statement.
Drew v Minister for Health and Ageing (2011) 56 AAR 227.
http://www.westlaw.com.au/maf/wlau/app/document?
docguid=I49472f517b6911e18eefa443f89988a0
Audiovisual media
Audio podcast
Include details of the host in the author position. Otherwise, list the executive producer(s) or
producer(s) as author.
Italicise the podcast title and describe the form type inside square brackets e.g. [Audio
podcast].
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Swannell, C. (Host). (2019, November 25). The effect of codeine rescheduling, with Dr Keith
Harris [Audio podcast]. https://staging.mja.com.au/podcast/211/11/mja-podcasts-
2019-episode-51-effect-codeine-rescheduling-dr-keith-harris
Video podcast
Include details of the host in the author position. Otherwise, list the executive producer(s) or
producer(s) as author.
Italicise the video podcast title and describe the form type inside square brackets e.g. [Video
podcast].
Taylor, A. (Host). (2016, August 30). Gene editing made simple [Video podcast].
https://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/gene-editing-made-simple/11016800
Streaming video from a library database

Include the video title in italics and describe the form type inside square brackets e.g.
[Video].
Provide the URL login page.
Informit EduTV. (2016, May 31). Revolution school: Ep. 1 of 4 [Video].
http://edutv.informit.com.au
YouTube video
Include the video title in italics and describe the form type inside square brackets e.g.
[Video].
Provide the exact URL in the retrieval statement.
Primal Pictures. (2014, September 19). Primal’s 3D atlas of human anatomy [Video].
YouTube. https://youtu.be/g-BtsX3bGvs
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Webpages and social media
Webpage
If citing information taken directly from a webpage include author(s) if applicable, or if no
author(s) are stated then use a company or organisation name, followed by the year in
brackets.
If no year is stated then use n.d. for no date.
Early Childhood Australia. (2016). Early Childhood Australia’s advocacy: Advocacy goals.
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/our-work/early-childhood-australias-
advocacy/
Webpage document
When citing documents sourced from a website include author(s) if applicable, or if no
author(s) are stated then use a company or organisation name, year in brackets, title of
document and a retrieval statement in the form of a URL.
World Health Organization. (2016). WHO guideline on the use of safety-engineered syringes
for intramuscular, intradermal and subcutaneous injections in health-care settings.
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/250144/1/9789241549820-eng.pdf
Facebook
If citing information taken directly from a Facebook post include author(s) if applicable, or if
no author(s) are stated then use a company or organisation name, followed by the year,
month and day in brackets, include the first 20 words of the post as the title in italics, if the
post contains an image or video include it in square brackets, describe the form type in
square brackets e.g. [Status update], include Facebook as the source and provide a URL to
the post.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation. (2020, November 28). Workplace mental
health hazards injure thousands of workers each year, just like physical hazards but
they often fly under the [Image attached] [Status update]. Facebook.
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https://www.facebook.com/AustralianNursingandMidwiferyFederation/photos/
a.136188899856341/1935273223281224/
Twitter
If citing information taken directly from a tweet include author(s) if applicable, or if no
author(s) are stated then use a company or organisation name, followed by the Twitter
handle in square brackets, include the year, month and day in brackets, followed by the first
20 words of the tweet as the title and hashtag(s) in italics, if the post contains an image or
video include it in square brackets, describe the form type in square brackets e.g. [Tweet],
include Twitter as the source and provide a URL to the tweet.
Obama, B. [@BarackObama]. (2016, May 18). It’s time for Senate leaders to put politics
aside and fill the Supreme Court vacancy #DoYourJob [Image attached] [Tweet].
Twitter. https://twitter.com/BarackObama/status/732589315478290432
Blog post
If referencing a blog post include the following: the author(s) name, year of publication,
month, day, title of blog post, blog title (italicised) and a retrieval statement in the form of a
URL
Bratianu, P. (2015, June 10). Why workplace stress impacts nurses. Ausmed.
https://www.ausmed.com/articles/stress-in-nursing/
Other sources
Conference proceedings
For proceedings use the same format for a book or book chapter e.g. author(s), year of
publication, title of conference paper, editor(s), title of book in italics, page number(s) in
brackets, publisher and DOI.
Katashev, A., Romberg, K., Danielsson, A., & Saraste, H. (2015). Application of 3D scanner
for estimation of chest movement in scoliotic patients. In H. Mindedal & M. Persson
(Eds.). 16th Nordic-Baltic Conference on Biomedical Engineering: 16 NBC & 10.
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MTD 2014 joint conferences (pp. 63-66). Springer International Publishing.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-12967-9
Course materials
Only include a full reference to lecture notes or class materials that are behind a login screen
(such as Canvas) if you are writing for an audience that will be able to retrieve them.
Otherwise, cite it as a personal communication.
Examples of course materials are:
 lecture recordings
 PowerPoint slides from lectures
 practical/laboratory manuals
Lee, M. (2017, May 10). Maslow’s hierarchy [Lecture recording]. Canvas@RMIT University.
https://rmit.instructure.com
Draper, B. (2017). Postural assessment [PowerPoint slides]. Canvas@RMIT University.
https://rmit.instructure.com
Thesis
For a thesis sourced from an institutional repository, use the following format: author, year
of publication in brackets, title in italics, identify the type of work and institution in square
brackets e.g. [Doctoral dissertation, RMIT University] or [Master’s thesis, RMIT University],
repository/archive name and include a retrieval statement in the form of a URL.
Wang, H. (2015). Protein degradation pathways in hepatic ER stress and insulin resistance
[Doctoral dissertation, RMIT University]. RMIT Research Repository.
http://researchbank.rmit.edu.au/view/rmit:161444
For a thesis sourced from a library database include the following information: author, year
of publication in brackets, title in italics, accession or order number in brackets, type of work
and institution in square brackets, and the name of the database.
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Sutherland, A. M. (2016). Technology for single cell protein analysis in immunology and
cancer prognostics (Order No. 3738948) [Doctoral dissertation, California Institute of
Technology]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
Standards
Provide the title in italics, the standard number in brackets and a URL.
Standards Australia. (2014). Sterile acupuncture needles for single use (AS ISO Standard
No. 17218:2014). https://infostore.saiglobal.com/en-us/Standards/AS-ISO-17218-
2014-111547_SAIG_AS_AS_233329/
PowerPoint slides
If referencing a PowerPoint presentation that has been published and sourced online (e.g.
SlideShare), include the following: the author(s) name, year of publication, title of the slide
presentation in italics, a description of the form type inside square brackets e.g. [PowerPoint
slides], Publisher name, and a retrieval statement in the form of a URL.
Haavik, H. (2014). How to confidently communicate the science of chiropractic [PowerPoint
slides]. SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/heidihaavik/how-to-confidently-
communicate-the-science-of-chiropractic
Report, government or corporate

Include the author(s) if stated; otherwise add the company, organisation or government
department, followed by the year of publication in brackets.
As the document is a report, the title is italicised and, if there is a report number, place it in
brackets immediately after the title.
If the report has been sourced online make sure to include a retrieval statement.
Only identify the publisher as part of the retrieval statement if the publisher has NOT been
identified as the author.
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Australian Institute of Health and Welfare. (2016). Hospital resources 2014–15: Australian
hospital statistics (Health services series No. 71, Cat. No. HSE 176).
http://www.aihw.gov.au/publication-detail/?id=60129556122
Student’s own work

You should include the use of scholarly sources in your written assessments to adhere to
best academic integrity practice. Citing yourself as an authority on your own opinion should
be avoided.
Note: Check first with your lecturer, or teacher, if it is permissible to cite your previously
submitted work.
Remember that when submitting work, you will be asked to agree to the Assessment
Declaration.
The Publication manual of the American Psychological Association does not provide
information on how to cite your own work. The following is based on how to cite dissertations
and theses.
If you cite or quote your previous work, treat yourself as the author and your own previous
course work as an unpublished paper.
In the reference list include: student name, year of previous work, title of previous work
(italicised), Unpublished paper (in square brackets) and institution name.
Smith, J. (2018). An analysis of personality theory [Unpublished paper]. RMIT University.
Images and tables

APA includes the following within the definition of images and figures:
 graphs
 charts
 maps
 posters
 drawings
 photographs
 tables
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General rules
 Number figures consecutively in italics throughout your work using Arabic numerals,
1, 2, 3 and so on, taking care to order them as they appear within the text.
 The first figure is labelled Figure 1, the second, Figure 2, the third, Figure 3 and so
on.
 Do NOT label figures with suffix letters such as Figure 5a, instead use, Figure 5.1.
 Above the figure include:
o the figure number (in bold)
o a brief title of the image (in italics)
 Below the figure place a caption that includes:

o a note providing a brief description
o if the image is not original work, then source details from where it was
derived.
In-text citation
When citing figures in the text of your work, you need to acknowledge them in two places:
1. within the written body of your paper, as you would for a normal in-text reference,
2. and in the figure layout include figure number, brief title and notes.
Within the written body of your paper, cite the figure as you would for a normal in-text
reference.
Refer to the figure by its assigned number. Do NOT refer to the figure as “the Figure
above/below”, or “the Figure on page 17”.
For example:
As shown in Figure 1, the data indicates . . .
Figure 2 illustrates . . .
. . . as shown in the data (see Table 5).
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Figure from a book / journal article
A figure from a book/journal article will include a double-spaced caption with the following
elements above the figure: label of figure in bold (e.g. Figure 1) followed by the title of the
figure (in italics).
Below the figure, include a note that has a brief but descriptive phrase, as well as:
 book title in italics with proper nouns capitalised, or article title in double quotation
marks “ ” and preceded with the word From
 author(s) initials followed by family name, preceded with the word by
 year of publication
 journal title in italics (if applicable)
 volume number in italics (if applicable)
 issue number (if applicable)
 page number(s)
 DOI
 copyright year and owner
Figure 1
Dose Distributions for a Left-Breast Tumor
Note: Dose distributions for a left-breast tumor (a, b) at the level of surgical bed defined by
titanium clips (arrows) and the corresponding DVH (c, d) for supine (left) and prone (right)
positions. From “Pilot Study of Feasibility and Dosimetric Comparison of Prone Versus
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Supine Breast Radiotherapy,” by E. Fernandez-Lizarbe, A. Montero, A. Polo, R. Hernanz, R.
Moris, S. Formenti, and A. Ramos, 2013, Clinical and Translational Oncology, 15, p. 453
(https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-012-0950-8). Copyright 2013 by Springer International
Publishing.
Reference list
The figure must appear in the reference list, and the citation is formatted in correct APA style
of the original source.
Fernandez-Lizarbe, E., Montero, A., Polo, A., Hernanz, R., Moris, R., Formenti, S., &
Ramos, A. (2013). Pilot study of feasibility and dosimetric comparison of prone
versus supine breast radiotherapy. Clinical and Translational Oncology, 15, 450-459.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-012-0950-8
Figure from a webpage

A figure from a webpage will include a double-spaced caption with the following elements
above the figure: label of figure in bold (e.g. Figure 2) followed by the title of the figure (in
italics).
 title of webpage preceded with the word From
 author(s) initials followed by family name, or institute/organisation, preceded with the
word by
 year of webpage
 retrieval statement in the form of a URL
Figure 2
Anatomy of the Thyroid and Parathyroid Glands
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Note. Anatomy of the thyroid and parathyroid glands. From “Parathyroid Cancer Treatment
(PDQ®) –Patient Version,” by National Cancer Institute, 2016
(https://www.cancer.gov/types/parathyroid/patient/parathyroid-treatment-pdq). Copyright
2012 by Terese Winslow LLC. Reprinted with permission.
Reference list
You must include the figure in your reference list. Format the citation in correct APA style of
the original source.
National Cancer Institute. (2016). Anatomy of the thyroid and parathyroid glands.
https://www.cancer.gov/types/parathyroid/patient/parathyroid-treatment-pdq
Figure from a library database

A figure from a library database will include a double-spaced caption with the following
elements above the figure: label of figure in bold (e.g. Figure 3) followed by the title of the
figure (in italics).
 title of library database preceded with the word From
word by
 year of image
 retrieval statement in the form of the library database homepage URL
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Figure 3
Lumbar intervertebral disc herniation
Note. Graphic of large recurrent disc herniation shows displacement of the nuclear material
through a large defect in the posterior annular fibers with effacement of the ventral thecal
sac and displacement of the intrathecal nerve roots. From “Lumbar Intervertebral Disc
Herniation,” by J. S. Ross, 2017, Imaging Reference Center
(https://app.imagingreferencecenter.com). Copyright 2017 by J. S. Ross.
Reference list
Ross, J. S. (2017). Lumbar intervertebral disc herniation. Imaging Reference Center.
https://app.imagingreferencecenter.com
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Figure from creative commons
A figure from a creative commons source will include a double-spaced caption with the
following elements above the figure: label of figure in bold (e.g. Figure 4) followed by the title
of the figure (in italics).
 title of the creative commons source preceded with the word From
word by
 year of image
 retrieval statement in the form of a URL
 copyright year and owner and Creative Commons license.
Figure 4
MRI
Note. A magnetic resonance imaging machine. From “MRI,” by L. West, 2012
(https://www.flickr.com/photos/calliope/7694882446). Copyright 2012 by L. West. CC BY 2.0.
Reference list
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West, L. (2012). MRI. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/calliope/7694882446
Citing sources in a table

The information and examples below outline how to reference a table where the information
in the table has been derived from another source or sources.
All reference list entries should appear as per the convention of the source being referenced.
Please refer to the relevant section(s) within this document.
Note: If a table that you create in your written work is entirely your own and does not include
information from other sources, you should include a table number (in bold) and a brief title
(italicised).
Note: If you are copying an entire table from another source without altering the layout or
combining its data from other sources, you should then reference it as per the other
examples in the Images section e.g. book/journal article, webpage etc.
Table caption
A table that cites other sources will include a double-spaced caption with the following
elements above the table: label of table in bold (e.g. Table 5) followed by the title of the table
(in italics).
Names of studies included within table
If the information in the table includes references to relevant sources, then notes below the
table are not required (this is commonly the case with summary tables of previous studies).
Table 5
Summary of studies about gait rehabilitation after stroke
Study Heading 1 Heading 2 Heading 3
Bonini-Rocha et al., 2018 cell content cell content cell content
Bortole et al., 2015 cell content cell content cell content
Kal et al., 2018 cell content cell content cell content
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Liu, 2018 cell content cell content cell content
Superscript letters representing sources used

 Use a superscript lower-case letter to indicate in the table any in-text citations used.
 If direct quotes are used, quotation marks should be used in the table.
 Provide a note below the table organised according to where the superscripts appear
in the table following the left-to-right, top-to-bottom order.
 If direct quotes are used, page numbers must be included in the in-text citation.
Table 6
Summary of studies about gait rehabilitation after stroke
Heading 1 Heading 2 Heading 3
cell content cell contenta cell content
cell content “cell content”b cell contentd
cell content cell content cell contenta
cell content cell contentc cell contentc
Note. aKal et al. (2018). bBonini-Rocha et al. (2018, p. 402). cLiu (2018). dBortole et al. (2015).
Example of a reference list
References
Baird, J. (2016, November 4). There’s no such thing as ‘just a nurse’. The Sydney Morning
Herald. https://www.smh.com.au/opinion/why-we-need-to-listen-to-nurses-when-
talking-about-health-20161103-gshfq1.html
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Destounis, S. V., Arieno, A. L., Morgan, R. C., Cavanaugh, D., Seifert, P. J., Murphy, P. F., &
Somerville, P. A. (2014). Comparison of breast cancers diagnosed in screening
patients in their 40s with and without family history of breast cancer in a community
outpatient facility. American Journal of Roentgenology, 202(4), 928-932.
https://doi.org/10.2214/ajr.13.11194
Early Childhood Australia. (2016). Early Childhood Australia’s advocacy: Advocacy goals.
http://www.earlychildhoodaustralia.org.au/our-work/early-childhood-australias-
advocacy/
Haavik, H. (2014). How to confidently communicate the science of chiropractic [PowerPoint
slides]. https://www.slideshare.net/heidihaavik/how-to-confidently-communicate-the-
science-of-chiropractic
Primal Pictures. (2014, September 19). Primal’s 3D atlas of human anatomy [Video].
YouTube. https://youtu.be/g-BtsX3bGvs
Schirm, V. (2013). Quality of life. In I. M. Lubkin & P. D. Larsen (Eds.), Chronic illness:
Impact and interventions (8th ed., pp. 183-206). Jones & Bartlett Learning.
Standards Australia. (2014). Sterile acupuncture needles for single use (AS ISO Standard
No. 17218:2014). https://infostore.saiglobal.com/en-us/Standards/AS-ISO-17218-
2014-111547_SAIG_AS_AS_233329/
Sullivan, E. J. (2013). Becoming influential: A guide for nurses (2nd ed.). Pearson.
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Wang, H. (2015). Protein degradation pathways in hepatic ER stress and insulin resistance
[Doctoral dissertation, RMIT University]. RMIT Research Repository.
http://researchbank.rmit.edu.au/view/rmit:161444
IMAGE CREDITS
IMAGE: 'ANATOMY OF THE THYROID AND PARA THYROID GLANDS' [CL25002]
Acknowledgement for the use of the image in this guide: For the National Cancer Institute © 2012
Terese Winslow LLC, U.S. Govt. has certain rights.
License Granted: Terese Winslow LLC hereby grants limited, non-exclusive worldwide print and
electronic rights only for use in the work specified. Terese Winslow LLC grants such rights “AS IS”
without representation or warranty of any kind and shall have no liability in connection with such
license.
Restrictions: Reproduction for use in any other work, derivative works, or by any third party by
manual or electronic methods is prohibited. Ownership of original artwork, copyright, and all rights not
specifically transferred herein remain the exclusive property of Terese Winslow LLC. Additional
license(s) are required for ancillary usage(s).
IMAGE: 'MRI'
“MRI” by Liz West can be reused under the CC BY 2.0 license.
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APA REFERENCING EXAMPLES

RMIT University Library

Important: This is a guide only. To avoid losing marks:

Citation at the beginning

Citation in the middle

Citation at the end

Including page numbers in a paraphrase citation

The difference between intrinsic motivation and motivation to learn is closely

related to the difference between affective and cognitive engagement

experiences. Intrinsic motivation refers primarily to affective experience—

enjoyment of the processes involved in engaging in an activity. In contrast,

motivation to learn is primarily a cognitive experience involving attempts to

make sense of the information that an activity conveys, to relate this

Sullivan (2013) states that . . .

Carroll also found that . . .

. . . and is vital in order to encode memories (Pastorino & Doyle-Portillo, 2016).

Pastorino and Doyle-Portillo (2016) identify . . .

Three or more authors

Multiple works by same author in same year

It is suggested that . . . (Dean, 2017b).

Standard, 32(3), 25. https://doi.org/10.7748/ns.32.3.25.s24

Lead authors are the same in the same year

Arnaiz, Cochrane, Calizaya, et al. (2018) argue . . .

The reference list would include all authors.

the current level of success of micro-hydropower schemes in remote communities of

developing countries. Energy for Sustainable Development, 44, 55-63.

communities' livelihood analysed with the capability approach. Energy for

Sustainable Development, 45, 206-210. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.esd.2018.07.003

Business Research, 65(5), 685-691. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2011.03.015

Examples of personal communication include:

According to the Victorian Mental Health Act (2014, s. 29) . . .

Victoria’s Mental Health Act (2014, s. 29) states that . . .

By virtue of s. 130.1 of the Mental Health Act 2014 (Vic) . . .

. . . (Drew v Minister for Health and Ageing, 2011).

THE REFERENCE LIST

Digital object identifier (DOI)

If no DOI is assigned, include the journal’s homepage URL instead.

theory and application (2nd ed.). Wolters Kluwer.

Book with an edition number

Chapter in an edited book

Chapter in an authored book

Rowman & Littlefield. (Original work published 1929)

Journal article with up to 20 authors

cognitive psychology of attention: A step closer to understanding magic

tricks. Applied Cognitive Psychology, 26, 541-549. https://doi.org/10.1002/acp.2825

Journal article with 21 more authors

(1996). The NCEP/NCAR 40-year reanalysis project. Bulletin of the American

Meteorological Society, 77(3), 437-472. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-

Journal article without DOI

Victoria, Australia. Journal of Manipulative & Physiological Therapeutics, 20(9), 583-

Newspaper article, online

Newspaper article, print

Harris [Audio podcast]. https://staging.mja.com.au/podcast/211/11/mja-podcasts-

Streaming video from a library database

for intramuscular, intradermal and subcutaneous injections in health-care settings.

for estimation of chest movement in scoliotic patients. In H. Mindedal & M. Persson

(Eds.). 16th Nordic-Baltic Conference on Biomedical Engineering: 16 NBC & 10.

Draper, B. (2017). Postural assessment [PowerPoint slides]. Canvas@RMIT University.

[Doctoral dissertation, RMIT University]. RMIT Research Repository.

cancer prognostics (Order No. 3738948) [Doctoral dissertation, California Institute of

Technology]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

No. 17218:2014). https://infostore.saiglobal.com/en-us/Standards/AS-ISO-17218-

slides]. SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/heidihaavik/how-to-confidently-

Report, government or corporate