English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: APA 6th edition Referencing Guide

The APA 6th edition referencing system

Referencing is a standard practice for acknowledging information sources in academic writing at

university. Whenever you write an assignment that requires you to find and use information, you are
expected to reference all the sources of information and ideas included in your writing.

This handout provides guidelines for using the APA 6th edition referencing system. There are
two components to an APA reference:

1) an in-text reference in the body of your assignment:

Chan (2011) explores a range of themes and ideas ...
2) full reference details in your reference list:
Chan, D. P. (2011). Business in China. Hong Kong: Dragon Press.

This guide is divided into two parts. The first part (pp. 1-9) illustrates the basic rules for APA
referencing, provides a sample text which uses APA referencing, and answers some frequently
asked questions. The referencing guide in the second part (pp. 10-14) contains specific rules and
examples for a variety of different reference types.

Part 1 Basic rules

Why do we reference?

Most academic assignments require wide reading so that previous and current thinking about a
particular topic can be identified. It is important to show your reader that you have sought out
expert, reliable sources to help support and develop your thinking on your topic. The referencing in
your assignment should:
• demonstrate good research practice
• show the range of ideas and approaches you have found and thought about
• acknowledge where those ideas came from
• tell your reader where they can locate the sources you have used
Referencing also helps you to avoid plagiarism. If you present someone else's ideas, and/or the way
they express their ideas, as if they are your own work, you are committing plagiarism. Plagiarism can
be unintentional due to poor referencing, but the consequences are always serious. Accurate
referencing helps you to avoid this.

In-text references

1. When to reference

Every time you include someone else's words, ideas or information in your assignment, an in-text
reference must be provided. Insert an in-text reference whenever you:

• paraphrase someone else's ideas in your own words

• summarise someone else's ideas in your own words
• quote someone else's ideas in their exact words
• copy or adapt a diagram, table or any other visual material

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 English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: APA 6th edition Referencing Guide

2. How to reference

An in-text reference is provided each time you refer to ideas or information from another source,
and includes the following details:
the author's family name (do not include given names) + the year of publication +
page numbers when needed.
There are two main ways to present an in-text reference.
a) Integral referencing
The reference is in the body of your sentence, with the author's name integrated into the sentence
structure, and the date is given in brackets. This type of reference is often used when you want to
give prominence to the author.
Lam (2010) argues that Hong Kong needs to further assimilate into the Pearl River Delta economy
if its long term growth is to be assured.
b) Non-integral referencing
The reference is enclosed in the sentence in brackets. This type of reference is often used when you
want to give prominence to the information.
The Hong Kong economy expanded by 2.3% in the third quarter of 2011 (Census and Statistics
Department, 2012).

3. Including page numbers

Page numbers should be included when you:

• use a direct quote from a particular source

• copy tables or figures, or present specific information like dates/statistics

Cheung (2012, p. 48) notes that “universities in Hong Kong need to strengthen their academic
credentials” if they are to compete in the world economy.

You can also include a page number when you take an idea from a particular page.

4. Use of et al.

Where there are several authors (first time more than 6), only the first author should be used
followed by et al. (which is Latin for et alia) meaning and others:

Wong et al. (2005) found that the majority …

or as a non-integral reference:

Recent research (Wong et al., 2005) has found that the majority of …

et al. should be used the second time for three or more authors.

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 English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: APA 6th edition Referencing Guide

The following chart shows how to format in-text citations for APA referencing style:

Type of citation Integral Non-integral

Subsequent citations Citation in brackets, Citation in brackets,

Number of authors First citation in text
in text first citation in text subsequent citations
in text
Chan (2010)
One author Chan (2010) claims … (Chan, 2010) (Chan, 2010)
claims …
Chan and Leung Chan and Leung (Chan & Leung,
Two authors (Chan & Leung, 2010)
(2010) suggest … (2010) suggest … 2010)
Tsui, Leung and (Tsui, Leung, &
Three authors Tsui et al. (2010) find… (Tsui et al., 2010)
Collins (2010) find … Collins, 2010)
Wong, Lam, Collins
Wong et al. (2010) (Wong, Lam, Collins,
Four authors and Smith (2010) (Wong et al., 2010)
mention … & Smith, 2010)
mention …

Preston, Lee, Chan,

Preston et al. (2010) (Preston, Lee, Chan,
Five authors Smith and Au (2010) (Preston et al., 2010)
report … Smith, & Au, 2010)
report …

Finney et al. (2010) Finney et al. (2010)

Six or more authors (Finney et al., 2010) (Finney et al., 2010)
assert … assert …
Groups (easily The Hong Kong
(The Hong Kong
identified by Housing Authority The HKHA (2008)
Housing Authority (HKHA, 2008)
abbreviation) as (HKHA, 2008) states …
[HKHA], 2008)
authors states …
Groups (no
Animals Asia (2007) Animals Asia (2007)
abbreviation) as (Animals Asia, 2007) (Animals Asia, 2007)
defines … defines …
authors

With page number

Chan (2010, p. 15) claims … (Chan, 2010, p. 15)
for quotation

5. Other expressions used in referencing

The terms ibid and op cit are used to avoid repeating the same reference details in-text i.e. the body
of your text and in your Reference List.
ibid is Latin for ibidem, which means 'in the same place'. You can use ibid when your next citation
is the same as the last one.

op cit is also Latin and stands for opere citato, which means 'in the work cited'. You can use op cit
when the same reference is cited somewhere else in your text, but is not the most recent citation
Look at the example below:
The advantages of having effective referencing skills are well-recognised in terms of students
having greater control over their written work (Walker, 2009), achieving and sustaining higher
grades (Choi, 2010) and in developing competence as a writer (Lau, 2009). But, students need to
"... be mindful of the importance of referencing and be consistent in their use at all times ..."
(Aziz, 2010, p. 11). However, it can be hard for some students to distinguish between Western
surnames and Western given names, and Aziz (ibid p. 12) states that "... students need to read
more widely to understand the differences between Western and Chinese names". The findings
of some researchers (Walker op cit) show that reading in the target language is essential for
sustained academic progress.

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6. Ellipsis and Square brackets

Ellipsis refers to dots in the middle of a sentence. Their purpose is to let the reader know that some
part of a quotation has been left out. If it is necessary to interrupt a quotation you are citing in order
to clarify something, you should enclose your remarks in square brackets
Original: Students in the university should study outside class, in all credit bearing subjects, for at
least 6 hours a week.
With text omitted and clarification: Students in the university [The Hong Kong Polytechnic
University] should study . . . for at least 6 hours a week.

Sample text with in-text referencing and reference list

APA in-text referencing uses author surname and year. Include a page number (or paragraph number
for online sources) for direct quotations. The reference list is in alphabetical order.

Until recently, development in the textile and clothing industry has focused on “technological and
cost aspects” (HKRITA, 2012, para. 5). According to Chen and Burns (2009, p. 255), emphasis has
been placed on keeping the price of the “final product low and increasing efficiency in production”.
Tukker et al. (2011) further point out that designers, manufacturers and retailers have paid less
attention to other dimensions of the offering, e.g. ownership and related business models, as well as
consumer wishes and values. Hence, the products are designed and produced according to regularly
changing trends that enable quick profit (Lee & Chen, 2009), rather than radically rethinking the
ways of designing and manufacturing the offering that is based on consumer needs and
sustainability as proposed by Park and Tahara (2011).

Print journal by 2 authors

References
Chen, H., & Burns, D. L. (2009). Environmental analysis of textile products. Clothing and Textile
Research Journal, 24(3), 248-261.
Internet Sources
Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel. (2011). HKRITA features latest innovations in
ITMA 2011. Retrieved from http://www.hkrita.com/newsletter/issue21/coverstory.htm

Electronic journal by 2 authors

Lee, S., & Chen, J. (2009). Mass-customization Methodology for an apparel industry with a future.
Journal of Industrial Ecology, 16(1). Retrieved from http://www.jindeco.edu.eu
Book by 2 authors

Park, P., & Tahara, K. (2011). Quantifying producer and consumer-based eco- efficiencies for the
identification of key ecodesign issues. Hong Kong: Blacksmith Books.
Print journal by more than 7 authors

Tukker, A., Emmert, S., Charter, M., Vezzoli, C., Stive, E., Andersen, M. M., … Lahlou, S.
(2011). Fostering change to sustainable consumption and production: an evidence based
view. Journal of Cleaner Production, 16, 1218-1225.

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The Reference List

1. What it does

The reference list provides full bibliographic details for all the sources referenced in your essay so
that readers can easily locate the sources. Each different source referenced in your essay must have
a matching entry in your reference list.

It is important to note that the reference list is not a bibliography. A bibliography lists everything you
have read, while a reference list is deliberately limited to those sources for which you have provided
in-text references. A bibliography is not needed unless specifically requested by your lecturer.

2. How it looks

The reference list is titled 'References' and must be:

• arranged alphabetically by author's family name (or title/sponsoring organisation where

a source has no author)

• a single list where books, journal articles and electronic sources are listed together. Do
not divide into separate lists.

The main elements required for all references are the author, year, title and publication
information. The basic reference formats are shown in the following examples. These should be
followed exactly, paying special attention to details of capitalisation, punctuation, use of italics and
order of information.

3. Journal article format

First author’s surname, Initials., Second author’s surname, Initials., & Third author’s surname, Initials.
(year). Title of article. Journal name, Volume number(issue number), page number.

The author’s Use ampersand Year of Title of the article, followed by a full stop.
family name, The author’s - & - before the publication in Use upper case for the first letter of the
followed by a initials, each final author. Use brackets, title and lower case for the rest unless
comma. followed by a comma before followed by a referring to names or places.
full stop. ampersand. full stop.

Wong, K. M., Au, C. P., & Cheung, E. H. (2009). The Chinese university student. Journal of
Chinese and Asian Education, 12(2), 891-902.
Page numbers of the
article, with dash (–)
Number of the between the numbers.
Title of the journal Volume of the issue in round
Second line of Full stop at the end.
in italics, followed journal in italics. brackets,
reference
by a comma. Use No space followed by a
indented by
capital letters at the between journal comma.
five spaces.
start of all key number and
words. issue number.

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4. Book format
First author’s surname, Initials., & second author’s surname, Initials. (Year of publication). Title. City
of publication: Publisher.

The author’s
The author’s Year of publication Title of the book in italics, followed by a
initials, each
family name, in round brackets full stop. Use upper case for the first
followed by a full
followed by a followed by a full letter of the title and lower case for the
stop. Space
comma. stop. rest unless referring to names or places.
between initials.

Chan, M. T., Wong, R. H., & Cheung, K.S. (2012). The child examiner. Hong Kong: Blacksmith Books.

Place of
Use the ampersand & Full stop before publication Publisher
before the final author. the year. flowed by followed by
colon full stop.

5. Internet Source Format

Organisation. (Year). Title of page. Retrieved from url
Date of the
Complete name of Organisation, with Title of the webpage in webpage in round
parent name if necessary, followed italics followed by a full brackets followed
by a comma. stop. by a full stop.

Census and Statistics Department, The Government of the Hong Kong Administrative Region. (2012).
Population and vital events statistics in Hong Kong - births, deaths, marriages and domestic households.
Retrieved from: http://www.censtatd.gov.hk/hong_kong_statistics/statistics_by_subject/index.jsp

Second and URL of the website. When the URL is long,

subsequent lines of break it across two lines before a slash (/) or
reference indented by other punctuation . Do not underline URLs
five spaces. because this hides underscores. There
should be no full stop at the end.

Frequently asked questions

1. How do I cite two or three authors?

When there are two or three authors for a reference, include all their family names in the in-text
reference, in the same order that they are listed in the original source. For example:

• According to Choi, Fang and Lee (2012), students in Asia are more studious than
their North American counterparts.

• Wong and Morrison (2011) strongly support the use of technology in the classroom.

• Asian students devoted on average 16 hours per week to out-of-class study compared
to 10 hours for North American students (Choi, Fang, & Lee, 2012).

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2. How do I cite when there are many authors?

If there are six or more authors, you should only use the first author's family name in the in-text
reference followed by the abbreviation ‘et al.' For example:

• This is supported by Wilson et al. (2011) in their educational change study.

For subsequent citations, you should use et al. for references with three or more authors.

3. In the reference list what should I do when there are many authors?

If there are two authors:

List by their last names and initials. Use the ampersand & instead of "and."

Chow, R. K., & Ping, S. M. (2004). Mood management in university students. Journal of Asian
Psychology, 45(3), 1034-1048.

If there are three to seven authors:

List by last names and initials; commas separate author names, while the last author name is
preceded again by ampersand.

Luk, W. K., Chan, Y. K., Sing, A. N., Burton, H., Heart, L., & Burns, H. U. (2009). The Chinese
student: a study. Journal of East Asian Psychology, 32(5), 1190-1204.

If there are more than seven authors:

Use the following format.

Ming, J. Y., Chan, E. L., Law, M. Z., Wheelock, C. A., Stammars, P. E., Thompson, E. T., . . .
Rogers, K. R. (2011). eLearning and the luddites. Technical Communication, 57(23),
323-335.

4. How do I cite when there is no author and/or no date?

When no person is mentioned, include the title of the source or the authoring/sponsoring organisation in
place of the author.
For example:

• The centre aims to improve students' communication skills to enable them to

attain excellent results in their academic and professional lives (English Language
Centre, 2012).
• Oral presentations, like written assessment tasks, should contain an introduction,
body, and conclusion (Making the most of oral presentations, 2011).

When no year of publication is given, use the abbreviation n.d. which stands for 'no date' in place of
a year, or give an approximate date preceded by ca. which stands for 'circa'.

However, be cautious about using sources without dates.

A source with no date might not be reliable.

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5. How do I cite information from one author (Author 1) which I have found in a book or journal
article by another author (Author 2)?

Sometimes you will need to refer to authors whose work you encounter secondhand (i.e.
mentioned in other people's work) rather than firsthand. You should mention both authors (Author I
and Author 2) in your in-text reference, but would only list the actual item you read (Author 2) in
your reference list.

For example, if you read an idea by Choy (Author 1, published in 2005) in a source by Martins
(Author 2, published in 2010) you would need to mention both authors in your in-text reference. For
example:

• One scholar (Choy, as cited in Martins, 2010) states that...

• Choy (as cited in Martins, 2010) states that ...

However, in the reference list you should only list Martins (Author 2, the source you read) and not
Choy (whose idea you read about in Martins).

6. How do I cite multiple sources by the same author published in the same year?

If an author has published more than one item in the same year, place a lower case letter of the
alphabet next to the dates in your in-text referencing to distinguish between these separate
publications. For example:

• Preston argues that a man paints with his brain, not his hands (2011a) and reiterates this
elsewhere (2011b).

You must also include these lower case letters in your reference list entries as well. The order in
which you attach the letters is determined by the alphabetical order of the titles of these sources.

7. What if there are two authors with the same family name?

Occasionally you will need to reference two different authors who share the same family name. To
avoid ambiguity, include the author's fIrst initial after their family name in the in-text references.
For example:

• Urban deprivation in Hong Kong has been seen to increase in the first decade of this
century. (Chan, E 2010). Whether this will affect the language skills of fresh graduates in
Hong Kong is still disputed (Chan, C 2010).

8. How do I present exact quotations?

Short quotations of fewer than thirty words should be enclosed in double quotation marks (“ ... “)
and be accompanied by an in-text reference including a page number (where possible).

For example:

• Research indicates that “students in Hong Kong devote on average 5 hours a week
to their English studies from the age of four” (Leung, 2010, p. 31).

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Longer quotations of more than thirty words should be presented without quotation marks and
indented (using Tab key) at the left.
For example:

According to Obama (2006, p. 219), America:

… should be more modest in our belief that we can impose democracy on a country through
military force. In the past, it has been movements for freedom from within tyrannical
regimes that have led to flourishing democracies; movements that continue today. This does
not mean abandoning our values and ideals; wherever we can, it’s in our interest to help
foster democracy through the diplomatic and economic resources at our disposal.

The three dots before the word 'should' (known as an ellipsis) show that a word or words have been
left out. Always introduce quotations in your own words.

9. Where exactly do I put the full stop when quoting and/or citing?

Full stops must always be placed at the very end of a sentence, after the quotation and/or in-text
reference. For example:

• According to Mooney (2011, p. 88), “exam pressure in Hong Kong has lessened slightly
in the past decade”.

• Research indicates that students in Hong Kong have had four mobile devices before
their 18th birthday (Samson, 2012).

10. Can I cite two or more sources at the same time?

Yes. Use a semi-colon to separate the sources in the in-text reference, and list the items
alphabetically according to their authors' family names. For example:

• Social networking has had a major impact on young people (Chan & Erickson, 2012; Lam
& Mok, 2008).

If referencing multiple sources by the same author, present the items in chronological order (oldest
to most recent) and separate them with commas. For example:

• Burns (2006, 2009, 2012) argues that there should be more universities in Hong Kong.

11. Can I paste the URL of a webpage into my essay as an in-text citation?

No. Follow the author-date in-text referencing conventions for all sources. If you are unsure how to
reference a website because there is no author or date information, follow the guidelines provided
for referencing sources without authors or dates.

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Part 2 Referencing guide

Type of
In-text references Reference list
source
Surname of author, year of Surname of author, Initials. (Year of publication). Title.
publication / (page number City of publication: Publisher.
Books
for direct quotations)
Example: Wong, B. K. (2002). Fostering creativity. Oxford:
Wong (2009) points out Blackwell.
that …

Cite the author(s) of the Surname of author, Initials. (Year). Title of chapter. In
chapter in the text of your Initial. Surname of Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pages
paper, not the author(s) of of chapter). Location: Publisher.
Chapter in the book.
an edited Carter, R., Hughes, R., & McCarthy, M. (1998). Telling
book tails: grammar, the spoken language and materials
Example:
development. In B. Tomlinson (Ed.), Materials
Carter, Hughes and
development in language teaching (pp. 67-86).
McCarthy (1998) argue
Cambridge: CUP.
that …
Surname of author Surname of author, Initials. (Year of publication). Title
(Year of publication) (edition number). City of publication: Publisher.
Books with
different Examples Wong, B.K. (2002). Fostering creativity (3rd ed.).
editions Wong (2009) states that Oxford: Blackwell.
extensive reading is
crucial …
Surname of author (n.d.) Surname of author, Initials. (n.d.). Title. City of
Book with publication: Publisher.
no date Examples
Wong (n.d.) states that Wong, B.K. (n.d.). Fostering creativity. Oxford:
students need to read Blackwell.
more widely and …
Surname of author, year of Surname of author, Initials. (Year of publication). Title.
publication / (page number Place of publication (if known): Publisher. Retrieved
ebooks and for direct quotations) from: URL
pdfs Example:
Tsang, S. (2004). A modern history of Hong Kong.
Tsang (2004) ascertains … London: I.B.Tauris & Co Ltd. Retrieved from:
http://books.google.com.hk/books

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Surname of author , year Surname of author, Initials. (Year of publication). Title

of publication, page of the article. Name of Journal, Volume number
number (for direct (Issue number), Pages.
quotations)
Poon, L. S., Lee, J. C., Chan, A. B., Jones, J. E., & Smith,
Examples:
J. F. (2003). Re-evaluating the effects of computer
Poon, Lee, Chan, Jones
games on young people. Journal of Applied Social
Journals and Smith (2003) argue
Psychology, 12(3), 88-100.
that students should refer
to sources properly … Lam, L. S. (2005). Referencing. Journal of Applied Social
Psychology, 14(2), 19-26.
Lam (2005, p. 91) mentions
that “students need to be
mindful of the importance
of referencing” …

(“Title of article, first few

“Title of article,” (Year of publication). Name of
words,” Year)
Journal, Volume number (Issue number), Page
Journal
range of article.
article with Example
no author Many organisations
‘‘Organisational change in the 21st century,’’ (2010).
already use this method
Perspectives in Management, 12(3), 28-29.
(“Organisational change,”
2010)

Surname of author , year If the article has a DOI, use it in your reference. If there
of publication is no DOI, include the journal homepage URL in your
reference.
Examples:
Anderson-Clark, Green and Surname of the author, Initials. (Year). Title of article,
Henley (2008) believe that Name of Journal. Volume number(Issue number).
URLs and students should … DOI:
DOIs
Anderson-Clark, T., Green, R., & Henley, T. (2008). The
relationship between first names and teacher
expectations for achievement motivation. Journal of
Language & Social Psychology, 27, 94-99.
doi:10.1177/0261927X07309514

Surname of author, year Surname of author, Initials. (Year). Title of article.

Name of Journal. Volume number (Issue number).
Example:
Retrieved from url
Electronic … and this has been
journals formulated by Halonen et
Halonen, S. J., Simpson, R. R., Jolly, D. G., Au, P. R.,
al. (2010) who …
Bagot, F. P., & Chui, J. J. (2010). Computer games
and personal development. Family Forum. 12(3).
(use et al. when citing 6 or
Retrieved from http://www.ff.comgamperdev.org
more authors the first
time; 3 or more authors
the second time)

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Organisation, year, Organisation. (Year). Title of article. Retrieved from URL

Internet (paragraph number for
Sources direct quotations) The Hong Kong Housing Authority. (2011). Housing in
(electronic figures. Retrieved from
Example:
only http://www.housingauthority.gov.hk
The Hong Kong Housing
sources) /en/pdf/about-us/publications-and-statistics
Authority (HKHA, 2011,
/HIF2011.pdf
para. 6) maintains…

Department name (Year) Department name. (Year). Title of article (Number of

document - if given). City of publication: Publisher.
Government
Example
report
The Equal Opportunities Equal Opportunities Commission. (2010). Preventing
Commission (2010) has and Dealing with Sexual Harassment. Hong Kong:
reported that … Equal Opportunities Commission.

For a film or DVD, use the For a film the suggested elements should include:
surname of the director
Producer, P. P. (Producer), & Director, D. D. (Director).
and year of release.
(Date of publication). Title of motion picture [Motion
picture]. Country of origin: Studio or distributor.
Example
Law (2010) captured the
Law, A. (Director). (2010). Echoes of the Rainbow
imagination of …
[Motion picture]. Hong Kong: Mei Ah
Entertainment.
If there is no director, it is
DVD or film suggested that a non-
Full title of DVD or video. (Year of release). [type of
integral reference should
medium]. Country of origin: Film studio or maker.
be used with the first few
(Other relevant details).
words of the title with year
of release.
Great films from the 80s: a selection of clips from
Warner Brothers top films from the 1980s. (2005).
Example
[DVD]. New York: Warner Brothers.
(Great films from the 80s,
2005)

It is suggested that a non- Screen name of contributor. (Year and date of

integral reference should publication). Video Title, Series Title. (if relevant)
be used for YouTube [type of medium]. Retrieved from URL
YouTube sources.
video HongKongPolyU. (2011, November 17). PolyU
Example:
Milestones. [video file]. Retrieved from
… celebrated its70th
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8XsfWmFyrNg
anniversary in 2007
(HongKongPolyU, 2011).

Surname of author, year. Surname of author, Initials. (Year, Date). Title of article.
Name of newspaper, p. #.
Example:
Newspaper Van der Kamp(2012)
Van der Kamp, J. (2012, April 1). Just leasing more land
believes that …
won’t open up the property market. Sunday Morning
Post, p. 15.

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If no author is designated, Title of article. (Year, Date). Name of Newspaper, p. #.

cite the first few words of
Newspaper the title, and the year. Put pedestrians first, not cars. (2012, April 1). Sunday
(no author) Morning Post, p. 14.
Example:
“Put pedestrians first”
(2012)

Surname of author, Surname of author, Initials. (Year of publication). Title.

year, page number (Initials. Surname of translator, 'Trans.'). City:
(for direct quotations) Publisher.
Translated
work Examples When quoting from a foreign language work in the
Freud (1914) stated … main body of the text, the quote should be provided in
English.

Surname of author, Do a romanisation of the author’s name and title of

year, page number (for book/ article. If reader cannot read Chinese, student
direct quotations) adds a translation in brackets. If there is no official
translation, list the item at the end of the reference list
Example alphabetically.
Chinese Xiao (2008) shows that …
sources When quoting from a foreign language work in the
Xiao (2008, p.37) shows main body of the text, the quote should be provided in
that … English.

Xiao, L. (2008). Zhongguo su miao yi shu. [The art of

Chinese drawing.] Shanghai: Mei Shu Chu Ban She.

If there is no obvious publication date, aim to establish

the earliest likely date e.g.

2010? = probable year

c. 2010 = approximately 2010
201- = decade certain but not year
References 201? = probable decade
with missing
details If you cannot identify the name of an author, city or
publisher, use the following terms:

(anon) = author is anonymous or unidentifiable

s.l. = no city of publication (Latin: sine loco)
s.n. = no named publisher (Latin: sine nomine)

© English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 13

 English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University: APA 6th edition Referencing Guide

Example You are advised not to cite university lecture notes – to

Jenkins (2010) states … do so is often deemed unacceptable. You ought to
locate, read and cite the sources and references
provided in the Reading List or References in the
lecture notes.

However, the following guidelines may assist you

Lecture should you need to cite lecture notes:
notes

Lecturer/Author’s surname, Initials. (Year). Title of

lecture notes. [Lecture] Name of institution, Date of
lecture.

Jenkins, J. (2010). Developments in computer-assisted

learning [Lecture] The Hong Kong Polytechnic
University, 12 October.

© English Language Centre, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University 14