University of Huddersfield

APA Referencing Guide — Reference books: dictionary, thesaurus or encyclopedia

If citing the complete reference book in your text, please refer to Books, and choose the appropriate number of authors/ editors.

If the definition/ section cited has a specified author, use the instructions in Chapter/ section of an edited book.

If citing a definition or entry with no named author, use the instructions below.
If no specified author, the word or section name is listed first in the reference list.
If the online version refers to the print edition, include the edition number after the title.
We recommend using quality reference sources, such as Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford Reference online, Medicines Complete, British Pharmacopeia, and BNF, all available via Summon at the University of Huddersfield.

Format and order
Word /section name. (followed by full stop) (Year of publication). (in round brackets followed by full stop) In Author(s)/ editor(s) of book if applicable, (initials, with full stop after each initial, followed by family name, followed by comma) Title of dictionary/ encyclopedia (in italics) (ed, Vol., pp.) in brackets include all relevant Publisher. (followed by full stop, if in print) DOI or URL (for ebooks only)
In-text citation
… ("Romanticism", 2013). According to the Sage dictionary of sociology, "Social mobility" is defined as… (2019, pp. 283-284).
Reference list
Romanticism. (2014). In World encyclopedia. Philip's. http://www.oxfordreference.com Social mobility. (2019). In S. Bruce, & S. Yearley, The Sage dictionary of sociology (3rd ed., pp. 283-284). Sage.

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