[Doctoral dissertation, Name of Institution Awarding the Degree].
[Master's thesis, Name of Institution Awarding the Degree].
Database Name.
Archive Name.
Hutcheson, V. (2012). Dealing with dual differences: Social coping strategies of gifted and lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer adolescents [Master's thesis, The College of William & Mary]. William & Mary Digital Archive. https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/16594
Parenthetical citations:
Narrative citation: Hutcheson (2012)
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Resources on using in-text citations in APA style
Resources on writing an APA style reference list, including citation formats
Reference list.
(Author's surname, Year)
This was seen in an Australian study (Couch, 2017).
Couch (2017) suggests that…
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of thesis [Type of thesis, Name of institution awarding degree]. Name of archive or site. https://xxxxxx
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of thesis (Database Publication number, if assigned) [Type of thesis, Name of institution awarding degree]. Database Name.
Taffe, S. (2017). The Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders: The politics of inter-racial coalition in Australia, 1958–1973 [Doctoral thesis, Monash University]. Bridges. https://doi.org/10.4225/03/59d4482289ea4
Bozeman, A. Jr. (2007). Age of onset as predictor of cognitive performance in children with seizure disorders (Publication No. 3259752) [Doctoral dissertation, The Chicago School of Professional Psychology]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of thesis or dissertation [Unpublished Doctoral dissertation or Master's thesis]. Name of Institution.
Imber, A. (2003). Applicant reactions to graduate recruitment and selection [Unpublished Doctoral dissertation]. Monash University.
For further guidance, see the APA Style website- Published Dissertation or Thesis , Unpublished Dissertation or Theses .
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Published on November 6, 2020 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on January 17, 2024.
The 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual provides guidelines for clear communication , citing sources , and formatting documents. This article focuses on paper formatting.
Throughout your paper, you need to apply the following APA format guidelines:
Our APA formatting experts can help you to format your paper according to APA guidelines. They can help you with:
How to set up apa format (with template), apa alphabetization guidelines, apa format template [free download], page header, headings and subheadings, reference page, tables and figures, frequently asked questions about apa format.
References are ordered alphabetically by the first author’s last name. If the author is unknown, order the reference entry by the first meaningful word of the title (ignoring articles: “the”, “a”, or “an”).
Why set up APA format from scratch if you can download Scribbr’s template for free?
Student papers and professional papers have slightly different guidelines regarding the title page, abstract, and running head. Our template is available in Word and Google Docs format for both versions.
In an APA Style paper, every page has a page header. For student papers, the page header usually consists of just a page number in the page’s top-right corner. For professional papers intended for publication, it also includes a running head .
A running head is simply the paper’s title in all capital letters. It is left-aligned and can be up to 50 characters in length. Longer titles are abbreviated .
The AI-powered APA Citation Checker points out every error, tells you exactly what’s wrong, and explains how to fix it. Say goodbye to losing marks on your assignment!
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APA headings have five possible levels. Heading level 1 is used for main sections such as “ Methods ” or “ Results ”. Heading levels 2 to 5 are used for subheadings. Each heading level is formatted differently.
Want to know how many heading levels you should use, when to use which heading level, and how to set up heading styles in Word or Google Docs? Then check out our in-depth article on APA headings .
The title page is the first page of an APA Style paper. There are different guidelines for student and professional papers.
Both versions include the paper title and author’s name and affiliation. The student version includes the course number and name, instructor name, and due date of the assignment. The professional version includes an author note and running head .
For more information on writing a striking title, crediting multiple authors (with different affiliations), and writing the author note, check out our in-depth article on the APA title page .
The abstract is a 150–250 word summary of your paper. An abstract is usually required in professional papers, but it’s rare to include one in student papers (except for longer texts like theses and dissertations).
The abstract is placed on a separate page after the title page . At the top of the page, write the section label “Abstract” (bold and centered). The contents of the abstract appear directly under the label. Unlike regular paragraphs, the first line is not indented. Abstracts are usually written as a single paragraph without headings or blank lines.
Directly below the abstract, you may list three to five relevant keywords . On a new line, write the label “Keywords:” (italicized and indented), followed by the keywords in lowercase letters, separated by commas.
APA Style does not provide guidelines for formatting the table of contents . It’s also not a required paper element in either professional or student papers. If your instructor wants you to include a table of contents, it’s best to follow the general guidelines.
Place the table of contents on a separate page between the abstract and introduction. Write the section label “Contents” at the top (bold and centered), press “Enter” once, and list the important headings with corresponding page numbers.
The APA reference page is placed after the main body of your paper but before any appendices . Here you list all sources that you’ve cited in your paper (through APA in-text citations ). APA provides guidelines for formatting the references as well as the page itself.
Play around with the Scribbr Citation Example Generator below to learn about the APA reference format of the most common source types or generate APA citations for free with Scribbr’s APA Citation Generator .
Write the section label “References” at the top of a new page (bold and centered). Place the reference entries directly under the label in alphabetical order.
Finally, apply a hanging indent , meaning the first line of each reference is left-aligned, and all subsequent lines are indented 0.5 inches.
Tables and figures are presented in a similar format. They’re preceded by a number and title and followed by explanatory notes (if necessary).
Use bold styling for the word “Table” or “Figure” and the number, and place the title on a separate line directly below it (in italics and title case). Try to keep tables clean; don’t use any vertical lines, use as few horizontal lines as possible, and keep row and column labels concise.
Keep the design of figures as simple as possible. Include labels and a legend if needed, and only use color when necessary (not to make it look more appealing).
Check out our in-depth article about table and figure notes to learn when to use notes and how to format them.
The easiest way to set up APA format in Word is to download Scribbr’s free APA format template for student papers or professional papers.
Alternatively, you can watch Scribbr’s 5-minute step-by-step tutorial or check out our APA format guide with examples.
APA Style papers should be written in a font that is legible and widely accessible. For example:
The same font and font size is used throughout the document, including the running head , page numbers, headings , and the reference page . Text in footnotes and figure images may be smaller and use single line spacing.
You need an APA in-text citation and reference entry . Each source type has its own format; for example, a webpage citation is different from a book citation .
Use Scribbr’s free APA Citation Generator to generate flawless citations in seconds or take a look at our APA citation examples .
Yes, page numbers are included on all pages, including the title page , table of contents , and reference page . Page numbers should be right-aligned in the page header.
To insert page numbers in Microsoft Word or Google Docs, click ‘Insert’ and then ‘Page number’.
APA format is widely used by professionals, researchers, and students in the social and behavioral sciences, including fields like education, psychology, and business.
Be sure to check the guidelines of your university or the journal you want to be published in to double-check which style you should be using.
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
Streefkerk, R. (2024, January 17). APA Formatting and Citation (7th Ed.) | Generator, Template, Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved June 30, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/format/
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Capitalization.
For papers written in United States list City and State. For countries outside United States list City and Country.
Author , A . A . ( Year ). Title of dissertation/thesis (Unpublished doctoral dissertation [OR] Unpublished master's thesis). Academic Institution , City , State [OR] Country .
Author , A ( Year ). Title of dissertation/thesis (Doctoral dissertation). Retrieved from Name of database . ( Accession or Order Number )
Cooley, T. (2009). Design, development, and implementation of a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN): The Hartford Job Corps Academy case study (Doctoral dissertation). Available from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database. (UMI No. 3344745)
For U.S. thesis do not include university or locations. Include the university and location (City and Country) for a non-U.S. online thesis.
Author , A . A . ( Year ). Title of dissertation/thesis (Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis). Retrieved from http:// url.com
For U.S. thesis do not include locations. Include the location (City and Country) for a non-U.S. online thesis.
Author , A . A . ( Year ). Title of dissertation/thesis (Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, Institution issuing degree). Retrieved from http:// www.url.com
References provide the information necessary for readers to identify and retrieve each work cited in the text .
Check each reference carefully against the original publication to ensure information is accurate and complete. Accurately prepared references help establish your credibility as a careful researcher and writer.
Consistency in reference formatting allows readers to focus on the content of your reference list, discerning both the types of works you consulted and the important reference elements (who, when, what, and where) with ease. When you present each reference in a consistent fashion, readers do not need to spend time determining how you organized the information. And when searching the literature yourself, you also save time and effort when reading reference lists in the works of others that are written in APA Style.
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If you’re writing a dissertation or APA thesis, here’s a guide on how to cite a thesis or dissertation in APA. APA reference dissertation carries major points and will bring down your overall grade if done wrong. Moreover, plagiarism is a serious offense in academia, and APA citing a dissertation wrong is synonymous with plagiarism.
This article talks about citing a thesis APA, including how to cite a thesis paper and other related topics. So, keep reading if you want to know how to APA cite a dissertation.
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Conclusion: how to cite ph.d. thesis, how to cite a thesis – secondary sources for apa citation of dissertation.
A secondary source is a source quoted within another source; APA cites thesis requires citing such sparingly. For example, you cite dissertation APA sparingly when the original work is unavailable, out of print, or only available in a foreign language. As much as possible, find the primary source and cite directly rather than the secondary source to APA cite a dissertation. We will talk more about APA citation for the dissertation later in the article.
As far as APA dissertation citation goes, determining authorship requires asking who is responsible for the content. Sometimes the author isn’t one person or persons but an entity, including companies, governments, associations, and agencies; the entity is the author. When you don’t see an author, use the first few words from the title used by your source for APA citing dissertation, unless it specifically says “Anonymous.”
When citing a thesis, you use block quotes when using the author’s exact words, which are forty or more words. The rules to APA cite a dissertation include:
In paraphrases, you’re using your words; this method is usually preferable to direct quotes because you wrote with your style. However, you must be careful not to change the sentence’s meaning, and you still need to acknowledge where you got the idea. The APA cite dissertation should include a parenthetical citation to do that.
When citing paraphrased information in a dissertation citation using APA format, you must include the author and date. You may also include the page number; it’s recommended but not required. The page number format in the APA format dissertation depends on if the information is on a range of pages or just a single page. Knowing how to cite thesis APA and write a thesis bibliography is vital to the paper’s success.
If you’re citing dissertation APA for multiple sources where the author has multiple publications published in the same year, the in-text citations should be identical. APA style requires you to include as many names as needed before using “et al.” to distinguish the sources. An example of an APA citation thesis is: Smith, A. A., Lieth, B. B., Gilbert, B. B., Schmidt, D. D. (2019)
For a Ph.D. dissertation citation APA or thesis citation, provide the full name of the university, not its brand name or abbreviation. Below is a sample of how to cite a Ph.D.:
Author, B. B. (date). Title of doctoral dissertation (unpublished doctoral dissertation). Institution’s name, location.
If the master’s thesis is published and available from an archive, database, or an online platform, cite it in the APA thesis format below:
The 7th edition of the APA referencing dissertation is as follows:
For Unpublished Dissertations: Author, A. A., (year). Dissertation title: Unpublished doctoral dissertation (use sentence case) . Name of degree-awarding institution.
For Published Dissertations: Author, A. A. (year). Dissertation title: Doctoral dissertation, degree-awarding institution name (use sentence case). Database or archive name. URL
Below is an example of a citation a dissertation APA gets from an institutional database:
Andrea, V. O. (2004). Perceptions of networked nonprofit organizations: creating an instrument for defining and measuring the behavior (doctoral dissertation). https://www.lucknowlink.edu/
Direct quotations are verbatim reproductions from another author’s original work. APA thesis format citation requires that you paraphrase when possible; the thesis APA format depends on the quotation length. The APA citation dissertation will include the author, year, and page numbers. APA thesis citation requires formatting direct quotations into short quotations for fewer than forty words and blocks for more.
With this guide on how to cite a dissertation APA and how to cite a thesis in APA, you can correctly cite your paper. Knowing how to cite a thesis or cite a dissertation is just as important as writing the paper right. You can cite a dissertation APA using the information in this guide.
However, if all of these seem like difficult tasks, you can hire our professional writing services to help you. We have a team of experts who understand this citation and are ready to help you.
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The same format can be adapted for other published theses, including undergraduate theses, by changing the wording of the bracketed description as appropriate (e.g., "Undergraduate honors thesis"). Include a URL for the dissertation or thesis if the URL will resolve for readers (as shown in the Miranda and Zambrano-Vazquez examples).
To cite a published thesis in APA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the author, publication year, title of the thesis, institute name, archive name, and URL (uniform resource locator). The templates for an in-text citation and reference list entry of a thesis, along with examples, are given below: ...
To cite an unpublished dissertation (one you got directly from the author or university in print form), add "Unpublished" to the bracketed description, and list the university at the end of the reference, outside the square brackets. APA format. Author last name, Initials. ( Year ).
Thesis, from a commercial database. Lope, M. D. (2014). Perceptions of global mindedness in the international baccalaureate middle years programme: The relationship to student academic performance and teacher characteristics (Order No. 3682837) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Maryland].ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
To cite a dissertation in APA, you need to include the author, year, title, publication number, thesis or dissertation, university, publisher, and URL. Depending on whether you use a published or unpublished dissertation, the order of the location information in your citation varies. Author, A. A. (Year).
When a dissertation or thesis is unpublished, include the description "[Unpublished doctoral dissertation]" or "[Unpublished master's thesis]" in square brackets after the dissertation or thesis title. In the source element of the reference, provide the name of the institution that awarded the degree. Pattern: Author, A. A. (year).
Reference list: Leigh, J. (2010). Self-determined mindfulness and attachment style in college students (Publication No. 305210119) [Doctoral dissertation, Indiana State University]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global. EndNote reference type: Thesis. Add Publication Number to Document Number field. <<
Thesis, from a commercial database. Nicometo, D. N. (2015). Increasing international education to develop culturally competent social workers: Social media recommendations for social work abroad program 501(c)3 (Order No. 1597712).Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.
Guide to APA citation style using the 7th Edition of the APA Style Manual. APA 7th Home Toggle Dropdown. Information for EndNote Users ; Authors - Numbers, Rules and Formatting; ... A thesis is an unpublished document produced by student as part of the requirements for the degree. They come at various levels (e.g. Honours, Masters, PhD, etc ...
Thesis / Dissertation - APA (7th ed.) referencing guide (Online) - LibGuides at Swansea University. Below you will find guidance and examples of how to set out a reference for a Thesis or Dissertation in the body of your work and in the reference list at the end.
The basics of a reference list entry for a thesis or dissertation: Author. The surname is followed by first initials. Year (in round brackets). Title (in italics ). Level of Thesis or Dissertation [in square brackets]. The first line of each citation is left adjusted. Every subsequent line is indented 5-7 spaces.
APA Style is widely used by students, researchers, and professionals in the social and behavioral sciences. Scribbr's APA Citation Generator automatically generates accurate references and in-text citations for free.. This citation guide outlines the most important citation guidelines from the 7th edition APA Publication Manual (2020). Scribbr also offers free guides for the older APA 6th ...
Format: Author last name, first initial. (Year). Title of dissertation/thesis (Publication No.) [Doctoral dissertation/Master's thesis, University].Database. URL. Elements: Author: List the last name, followed by the first initial (and second initial).See Authors for more information.; Year: List the year between parentheses, followed by a period. Title of dissertation/thesis: In italics.
Auckland University of Technology (and other NZ universities) Thesis is either for a doctoral or a master's degree. Dissertation is either for a master's or a bachelor's degree with honours. Exegesis is the written component of a practice-based thesis where the major output is a creative work; e.g., a film, artwork, novel.
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. Nicosia, M. (2016). Performing the female superhero: An analysis of identity acquisition, violence, and hypersexuality in DC comics [Doctoral dissertation, Bowling Green State University]. Electronic Theses and Dissertation Center. https://etd.ohiolink.edu/ In-Text Citations. Parenthetical citations:
Basic guidelines for formatting the reference list at the end of a standard APA research paper Author/Authors Rules for handling works by a single author or multiple authors that apply to all APA-style references in your reference list, regardless of the type of work (book, article, electronic resource, etc.)
Title of thesis (Database Publication number, if assigned) [Type of thesis, Name of institution awarding degree]. Database Name. ... Reference list. Format Online. Author, A. A. (Year). ... Monash University. For further guidance, see the APA Style website- Published Dissertation or Thesis, Unpublished Dissertation or Theses. << Previous ...
If you find the dissertation or thesis in a database or in a repository or archive, follow the published dissertation or thesis reference examples. Learn more Unpublished dissertation or thesis references are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 10.6 and the Concise Guide Section 10.5
This guide contains examples of common types of APA Style references. Section numbers indicate where to find the examples in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). More information on references and reference examples are in Chapters 9 and 10 of the Publication Manual as well as the Concise Guide to APA ...
Throughout your paper, you need to apply the following APA format guidelines: Set page margins to 1 inch on all sides. Double-space all text, including headings. Indent the first line of every paragraph 0.5 inches. Use an accessible font (e.g., Times New Roman 12pt., Arial 11pt., or Georgia 11pt.).
Thesis/Dissertation - APA Reference List Capitalization. The document title is in sentence case - Only the first word and proper nouns in the title are capitalized. Always capitalize the first word, the first word after a colon or a dash. The title of the thesis or dissertation is in title case - Each word in the name is capitalized, except for articles (a, an, the), prepositions ...
References provide the information necessary for readers to identify and retrieve each work cited in the text. Check each reference carefully against the original publication to ensure information is accurate and complete. Accurately prepared references help establish your credibility as a careful researcher and writer. Consistency in reference ...
How to Cite Dissertation: APA 7 Dissertation Citation Basic Format. The 7th edition of the APA referencing dissertation is as follows: For Unpublished Dissertations: Author, A. A., (year). Dissertation title: Unpublished doctoral dissertation (use sentence case). Name of degree-awarding institution. For Published Dissertations: Author, A. A ...