To cite a book, you need the author, year, title and publisher, and sometimes the edition and place of publication. Each style arranges those details differently, but the information you collect is the same.
This page shows where to find the details, then cites one book in six styles side by side, followed by chapters in edited books, editions, translations and the matching in-text citations.
The Details Every Book Citation Needs
- Author or editor: surname and first name or initials.
- Year of publication: of the edition you used.
- Title and subtitle: in full, as on the title page.
- Edition: if it is not the first.
- Publisher: the company name.
- Place of publication: required in some styles, such as many Harvard versions and IEEE.
- Page numbers: for quotations and pinpoint references.
Where to Find the Details
Use the title page and its reverse (the copyright page), not the cover. Covers often shorten titles or show a series name instead.
- The title page gives the full title, subtitle, author and publisher.
- The copyright page gives the year, edition and often the place of publication.
- If several years appear, use the year of the edition you are reading, not a reprint date.
- For e-books, use the details in the e-book's own front matter or the library record.
The Same Book in Six Styles
Here is one book, Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman, published in 2011 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux in New York.
| Style | In-text |
|---|---|
| APA 7 | (Kahneman, 2011, p. 20) |
| MLA 9 | (Kahneman 20) |
| Harvard | (Kahneman, 2011, p. 20) |
| Chicago notes | Footnote number in the text |
| Vancouver | Number in brackets or superscript: (1) |
| IEEE | Number in square brackets: [1] |
APA 7:
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
MLA 9:
Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.
Harvard:
Kahneman, D. (2011) Thinking, fast and slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Chicago (notes and bibliography), note:
1. Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow (New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011), 20.
Chicago, bibliography:
Kahneman, Daniel. Thinking, Fast and Slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.
Vancouver:
1. Kahneman D. Thinking, fast and slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 2011.
IEEE:
[1] D. Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow. New York, NY, USA: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011.
Key Differences Between the Styles
| Style | Author format | Title case | Year position | Place |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| APA 7 | Surname, initials | Sentence case, italic | After author | Omitted |
| MLA 9 | Surname, full first name | Title case, italic | End | Omitted |
| Harvard | Surname, initials | Usually sentence case, italic | After author | Usually included |
| Chicago | Full name | Title case, italic | End | Included in the 17th; optional in the 18th |
| Vancouver | Surname initials, no full stops | Sentence case, plain | End | Included |
| IEEE | Initials, surname | Title case, italic | End | Included |
Harvard has no single official version, so follow your university's guide for punctuation and whether to include the place.
Chapters in an Edited Book
When you cite one chapter by its own author in a book of collected chapters, cite the chapter, then the editors and the book.
APA 7:
Okafor, N. (2019). Motivation in adult learners. In R. Patel & T. Adeyemi (Eds.), Handbook of adult education (pp. 88–104). Routledge.
MLA 9:
Okafor, Ngozi. "Motivation in Adult Learners." Handbook of Adult Education, edited by Ravi Patel and Tunde Adeyemi, Routledge, 2019, pp. 88–104.
Harvard:
Okafor, N. (2019) 'Motivation in adult learners', in Patel, R. and Adeyemi, T. (eds) Handbook of adult education. London: Routledge, pp. 88–104.
These examples are illustrative. In text, cite the chapter author, not the editors: (Okafor, 2019).
Editions and Translations
Editions
Add the edition after the title when it is not the first.
APA 7: Author, A. (2020). Title of book (3rd ed.). Publisher.
MLA 9: Author, First. Title of Book. 3rd ed., Publisher, 2020.
Harvard: Author, A. (2020) Title of book. 3rd edn. Place: Publisher.
Translations
In APA 7, name the translator and give the original publication date at the end. In text, give both years: (Author, 1880/2002).
Author, A. (2002). Title of book (T. Translator, Trans.). Publisher. (Original work published 1880)
E-Books
In APA 7, cite an e-book like a print book and add a DOI or URL only if it has one. Do not name the device or file format.
A Four-Step Method for Any Book
- Take the details from the title page and copyright page.
- Check your style and edition with your brief.
- Arrange the details in the order your style uses, with its punctuation and capitalization.
- Add the matching in-text citation, with a page number for quotations.
If a citation generator produced the entry, check it against these rules. Generators often get capitalization, editions and editors wrong.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Taking the title from the cover instead of the title page.
- Using a reprint year instead of the edition year.
- Citing the editors when you used one chapter by another author.
- Forgetting the edition number.
- Mixing capitalization rules from different styles.
- Including a publisher location in APA 7 or MLA 9.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book in italics and sentence case. Publisher. In text: (Author, Year, p. X).
Surname, First Name. Title of Book in Italics. Publisher, Year. In text: (Surname page), such as (Kahneman 20).
Not in APA 7 or MLA 9. Many Harvard guides and IEEE include it, and it is optional in Chicago 18th.
In APA and MLA, start with the title. If an organization is responsible, use it as the author.
Cite the chapter author and chapter title, then "In" with the editors, the book title and the chapter's page range.
In APA 7, like a print book, adding a DOI or URL if available. Do not mention the device or format.
The edition you read, since page numbers and content may differ between editions.