Cite a Book with a Group Author in APA

• Tomas Elliott (Ph.D.)
• Published on 06/03/2024

Citing a book with a group author in APA style involves specific guidelines to ensure that the citation is clear and follows the standardized format. This article outlines the steps and key points to consider when citing a book with a group author according to the APA 7th edition format.

BOOK WITH A GROUP AUTHOR CITATION ELEMENTS

• Author: The author section should include the name of the group author exactly as it appears on the title page of the book. For a group author, this is typically the name of an organization, association, or company. It is important to write out the full name of the group without abbreviations.
• Year of Publication (in round brackets): The year of publication is placed in round brackets immediately after the author name. This indicates the year the book was published.
• Title (in italics): The title of the book should be in italics to distinguish it from other elements of the citation. It is important to use sentence case, which means only the first word of the title, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns are capitalized.
• Edition, Volume (in round brackets): If the book is not the first edition, the edition number should be included in round brackets immediately after the title. Additionally, if the book is part of a multi-volume set, the volume number should also be included. This information should be placed before the full stop. If there is no edition number (i.e., it is the first edition), this element is omitted.
• Publisher: The name of the publisher is listed after the edition and volume information. If there are multiple publishers, their names should be separated by semicolons. Ensure that the names are written out fully.
• DOI (Digital Object Identifier): The DOI is a unique alphanumeric string assigned to a digital object, such as an electronic book. It provides a permanent link to the content. If the book has a DOI, it should be included at the end of the citation. The DOI is prefixed with “https://doi.org/”.

BOOK WITH A GROUP AUTHOR EXAMPLE CITATION

Here is a unique example of a citation for a book authored by a group:

BOOK WITH A GROUP AUTHOR EXAMPLE IN-TEXT CITATION

In-text citations can be presented in two ways: parenthetical and narrative.

Parenthetical citation: The citation is included within parentheses at the end of the sentence.

Narrative citation: The author’s name is incorporated into the text as part of the sentence, with the year of publication following in parentheses.

Consistency in Author Names: Ensure that the name of the group author is presented consistently across all citations and references. This means using the exact spelling, capitalization, and punctuation as it appears in official documents and publications. Inconsistencies can confuse readers and affect the credibility of your work. Handling Multiple Editions and Revisions: When citing a book that has multiple editions, ensure you are using the most current edition if it is relevant to your research. Note the edition number accurately, and if a book is frequently updated, check for the latest revision or edition to include the most up-to-date information. Including Subtitles: If the book has a subtitle, include it in the citation, ensuring that the main title and subtitle are separated by a colon. This adds clarity and completeness to the reference, providing more specific information about the book’s content. Capitalizing Proper Nouns in Titles: When citing a book title that includes proper nouns, ensure that these nouns are capitalized correctly. Proper nouns include specific names of people, places, organizations, and other unique entities. This rule applies even though the rest of the title should be in sentence case