How to Cite an Encyclopedia in APA Style | Format & Examples
To cite an online encyclopedia entry in APA Style, start with the author of the entry (if listed), followed by the publication year, the entry title, the name of the editor, the encyclopedia name, the edition, the publisher, and the URL.
| APA format | Author last name, Initials. (Year). Entry name. In Editor initials. Last name (Ed.), Encyclopedia name (Edition). Publisher. URL |
|---|---|
| APA reference entry | Wheeler, G. (2020). Bounded rationality. In E. N. Zalta (Ed.), Stanford encyclopedia of philosophy (Fall 2020 ed.). Stanford University. https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/bounded-rationality/ |
| APA in-text citation | (Wheeler, 2020) |
Generate accurate APA citations with Scribbr
Encyclopedia entries with no author or date
Online encyclopedias are often updated on a continuous basis, so a publication date won’t necessarily be available. Additionally, they may not list authors or editors. When necessary, list the organization in the author position and write “n.d.” (no date) where the year would usually go, adding a retrieval date later:
Note that the format is slightly different when you want to cite Wikipedia.
Citing a print encyclopedia
When citing a print encyclopedia, it will always be a specific edition whose year of publication is stated, so you should include this information. The publisher should not be written again if it is already listed in the author position.
| APA format | Publisher Name. (Year). Entry name. In Editor initials. Last name (Ed.), Encyclopedia name (Edition, p. Page number). |
|---|---|
| APA reference entry | Cambridge University Press. (2020). Aria. In R. M. Marvin (Ed.), The Cambridge Verdi encyclopedia (p. 15). |
| APA in-text citation | (Cambridge University Press, 2020) |
If the individual entry lists an author, include their name at the start and move the publisher name to the end.
4 comments
Mazie
July 29, 2022 at 6:11 PMHi! This webpage was super helpful, thank you! I do have one question: where would I find the editor in a 1970 printed World Book Encyclopedia F? The copyright page doesn't list "Editor so and so"... "Marca Registrada" is printed on the lower half of the page above the copyright dates and printing history. Should I assume him as the editor?
Thank you! Have a great day!
Jack Caulfield (Scribbr Team)
August 5, 2022 at 11:28 AMHi Mazie,
No, I believe "Marca registrada" is just Spanish for "trademark", not the name of an editor! If you can't find an editor listed anywhere, you can just leave out this part of the reference. There won't always be an editor credited.
Jenna
August 18, 2021 at 1:13 PMHi there. I'm still a bit confused about print Encyclopaedia's that have Editors but no known author. Example: https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/encyclopedia-of-educational-reform-and-dissent/book230700
Would this reference be incorrect by the above guidelines?
Hunt, T. C., Carper, J. C, Lasley, J. J., II, & Raisch, C.D. (Eds.). (2010). Alternative Assessment. In Encyclopedia of educational reform and dissent. Sage Publications.
Have a put the editors in the incorrect place? Should "Sage" Appear as an author? also, do I need to include the Volume?
Thanks so much!
Jack Caulfield (Scribbr Team)
August 23, 2021 at 3:28 PMHi Jenna,
Assuming no individual authors/editors are listed for each entry in the encyclopedia, your approach is correct. However, make sure to list the page number or range of the entry you cite, after the title of the encyclopedia. And yes, if the encyclopedia comes in volumes then you should include the volume when citing an entry. For example:
… dissent (Vol. 1, p. 15). Sage Publications.