How to Cite a Book Chapter in APA 7th Edition
Learn the exact format with examples, in-text citations, and common mistakes to avoid.
Citation Format
Basic Template
Author. (Year). Chapter title. In Editor (Ed.), Book title (pp. page range). Publisher.
Citation Components
Chapter Author(s)
Format: (Last, First Initial.). Multiple authors: separate with commas; use '&' before the last author.
Year
Enclose publication year in parentheses.
Chapter Title
Sentence case. Not italicized or in quotation marks.
Editor(s)
Format: Initials Last (Ed.). For multiple editors, use '&' before the last editor and (Eds.).
Book Title
Italicized. Capitalize first word and proper nouns only (sentence case).
Page Range
Format: (pp. 234–256) with en dash. Use 'pp.' for page range.
Real-World Example
Example Source
Chen, M. L.
2021
Climate change and public health
Thompson, R. D.
Environmental health and policy
145-167
Formatted Citation
Chen, M. L. (2021). Climate change and public health. In R. D. Thompson (Ed.), Environmental health and policy (pp. 145–167). Oxford University Press.
In-Text Citation
(Chen, 2021)
(Author, Year) when citing the specific chapter
Common Mistakes
Wrong:
Smith, J. (2020). Chapter Title. In R. Johnson (Eds.), Book Title (p. 123-145). Publisher.
Right:
Smith, J. (2020). Chapter title. In R. Johnson (Ed.), Book title (pp. 123–145). Publisher.
Why: Chapter titles use sentence case (not title case). Use 'Ed.' for one editor, 'Eds.' for multiple. Use 'pp.' for page ranges and en dashes.
Wrong:
Smith, J. (2020). 'Chapter Title.' In Johnson, R. (Ed.), Book Title. Publisher.
Right:
Smith, J. (2020). Chapter title. In R. Johnson (Ed.), Book title (pp. page range). Publisher.
Why: Don't use quotation marks for chapter titles. Always include page range in parentheses. Use editor's initials and last name.
Wrong:
Smith, J. (2020). Chapter title. In Johnson, R., & Williams, T. (Eds.), Book title. Publisher.
Right:
Smith, J. (2020). Chapter title. In R. Johnson & T. Williams (Eds.), Book title (pp. page range). Publisher.
Why: Use initials for editor names. Include page range. Separate multiple editors with '&'.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I format the editor's name in a book chapter citation? ▼
Use Initials and Last Name format (R. Johnson). For multiple editors, list all with '&' before the final one: R. Johnson & T. Williams.
Do I always need to include the page range for a book chapter? ▼
Yes, always include the complete page range of the chapter in parentheses with 'pp.': (pp. 145–167).
In in-text citations, do I cite the chapter author or the book editor? ▼
Cite the chapter author: (Chen, 2021). Only cite the editor if the editor is the author of the section you're quoting.
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