APA Citation Generator

Print Encyclopedia Entry

How to Cite a Print Encyclopedia Entry in APA

Citing a print encyclopedia entry in APA 7th edition style requires the following elements:

  • Author's name (if available)
  • Year of publication
  • Title of the entry
  • Encyclopedia name (in italics)
  • Editor's name (if applicable)
  • Edition number (if not the first edition)
  • Volume number (if applicable)
  • Page number(s)
  • Publisher

General Format

Author, A. A. (Year). Entry title. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Encyclopedia name (edition number, Vol. x, pp. xxx-xxx). Publisher.


Print Encyclopedia Entry Citation Examples in APA

Example 1 (Standard encyclopedia entry): Smith, J. (2020). Artificial intelligence. In R. Brown (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Computer Science (3rd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 45-50). Tech Publishing.

Example 2 (Entry without an author): Photosynthesis. (2018). In The Encyclopedia of Biology (5th ed., Vol. 4, pp. 112-115). Science Press.

Example 3 (Specialized encyclopedia): Johnson, M. (2019). Cognitive behavioral therapy. In A. Thompson (Ed.), Encyclopedia of Psychology and Mental Health (2nd ed., Vol. 2, pp. 78-82). Mind Publishers.

Example 4 (Single-volume encyclopedia): García, L. (2021). Spanish Civil War. In The Oxford Encyclopedia of Modern European History (pp. 623-627). Oxford University Press.

Example 5 (Entry in a non-English encyclopedia): Müller, H. (2017). Quantenphysik [Quantum physics]. In W. Schmidt (Ed.), Enzyklopädie der Physik (2nd ed., Vol. 3, pp. 201-220). Wissenschaftlicher Verlag.

Example 6 (Historical encyclopedia): Adams, J. Q. (1831). Weights and Measures. In F. Lieber (Ed.), Encyclopaedia Americana (Vol. 13, pp. 204-210). Carey and Lea. (Original work published 1829)


Key Points to Remember

If there's no author, start with the entry title.

Italicize the name of the encyclopedia.

Include the edition number if it's not the first edition.

Provide volume and page numbers when applicable.

For well-known reference works, you can omit the publisher location.

For entries in non-English encyclopedias, provide the original title followed by an English translation in square brackets.

For historical encyclopedias, include the original publication date if relevant.


Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I cite an encyclopedia entry with multiple authors?

A: List up to 20 authors in the reference. For more than 20 authors, include the first 19, an ellipsis (...), and the final author.

Q: What if the encyclopedia doesn't have an editor?

A: Omit the editor information from the citation: Author, A. A. (Year). Entry title. In Encyclopedia name (edition number, Vol. x, pp. xxx-xxx). Publisher.

Q: How do I format in-text citations for encyclopedia entries?

A: Use the author's last name and year: (Smith, 2020). If there's no author, use a shortened version of the entry title in quotation marks: ("Photosynthesis," 2018).

Q: Should I include the URL for print encyclopedia entries?

A: No, URLs are not required for print sources. Only include a URL if you accessed the encyclopedia entry online.

Q: How do I cite an entry from a very old encyclopedia?

A: Include the original publication date in parentheses at the end of the citation: Publisher. (Original work published YYYY)

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