How to cite a book

Citations 6 min read

Books look simple to cite until you hit an edited collection, a translation or an edition number. Each style handles those with the same underlying logic: credit who did what, then locate the version you actually read.

APA 7

Whole book: Rahman, S. (2019). Learning under pressure (2nd ed.). Beacon Academic Press.
Chapter: Odhiambo, P. (2020). Feedback loops. In T. Grant (Ed.), Assessment in practice (pp. 55-78). Ridgeline.
Translated: Freire, P. (2000). Pedagogy of the oppressed (M. Ramos, Trans.). Continuum. (Original work published 1968)

MLA 9

Whole book: Rahman, Sana. Learning under Pressure. 2nd ed., Beacon Academic Press, 2019.
Chapter: Odhiambo, Paul. "Feedback Loops." Assessment in Practice, edited by Tara Grant, Ridgeline, 2020, pp. 55-78.

Chicago

Note: 1. Sana Rahman, Learning under Pressure, 2nd ed. (Boston: Beacon Academic Press, 2019), 88.
Bibliography: Rahman, Sana. Learning under Pressure. 2nd ed. Boston: Beacon Academic Press, 2019.

Editions, e-books and page numbers

  • Always cite the edition you read - page numbers differ between editions
  • For e-books without stable pages, cite the chapter or section instead of a location number
  • Audiobooks are cited with the narrator and the format noted
  • Reprints of older works note the original publication year, which matters in history and theory courses

Key takeaways

  • Cite the exact edition and format you actually used
  • Chapters credit both the chapter author and the volume editor
  • Translations credit the translator and note the original year
  • Use chapter or section markers when an e-book has no fixed pages

Keep reading

Related guides

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  • MLA citation guide

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  • Chicago citation guide

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Subjects this applies to

  • English & Literature

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  • History

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