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How to Cite an Encyclopedia in APA Style | Format & Examples

Published on November 12, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on December 27, 2023.

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.

You can easily cite an encyclopedia entry by using our free APA Citation Generator .

Cite an encyclopedia (entry) in APA Style now:

Table of contents, encyclopedia entries with no author or date, citing a print encyclopedia.

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 .

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

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.

If the individual entry lists an author, include their name at the start and move the publisher name to the end.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2023, December 27). How to Cite an Encyclopedia in APA Style | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved February 22, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/encyclopedia/

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APA Citation Guide (7th Edition): Encyclopedias & Dictionaries (Reference Works)

  • Journal Articles
  • Books, eBooks & Pamphlets
  • Class Notes, Lectures, and Presentations
  • Government Documents
  • Codes of Ethics (Online)
  • Images, Charts, Graphs, Maps & Tables
  • Newspaper Articles
  • Magazine Articles
  • Personal Communication (Interviews, Emails)
  • Social Media
  • Videos & DVDs
  • Encyclopedias & Dictionaries (Reference Works)
  • When Information Is Missing
  • When Creating Digital Assignments
  • Works Quoted in Another Source
  • Paraphrasing
  • Informal Citations
  • Citation Tools
  • Conscious Language
  • Reference List & Paper Formatting
  • Annotated Bibliography

Authors/Editors

If an encyclopedia or dictionary entry has no author or editor, begin the citation with the title of the specific entry, followed by the year of publication in round brackets.

Capitalize the first letter of the first word of the title of the entry and the title of the encyclopedia or dictionary.

Capitalize the first letter of proper names in titles, such as names of places or people. Example: Canada

Place of Publication

For cities in the US and Canada list the city name and the province or state code. For other countries, list the city name and the country. Examples: Toronto, ON ; Tokyo, Japan

Publication Information for Online Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

Don't include the place of publication or a publisher for an online encyclopedia or dictionary.

If you accessed the encyclopedia or dictionary through a website, provide the url instead.

In-Text Citation - No Author

If a dictionary or encyclopedia entry has no author, the in-text citation should include the title of the entry. The title of the entry should be in quotation marks, with each word starting with a capital letter. The title of the entry will be followed by a comma and the year of publication. If you are quoting directly from the entry, you will also add the number of the page where the quote appears.

Paraphrasing :

("Cat Care," 2011)

("Cat Care," 2011, p. 38)

In-Text Citation - Page Numbers

Page numbers may not be available for an online dictionary or encyclopedia entry. Here are some options if you have no page numbers and you are quoting directly:

If paragraph numbers are given, use that number where you'd normally put the page number with the word "para." in front of it. Example: (Smith, 2012, para. 3). This example refers to the third paragraph in the entry

If you have no paragraph numbers, but the entry has section headings, you can use those. Encyclopedia entries often have section headings. Enter the section heading name, followed by the word "section" and then the number of the paragraph within that section. Example: (Smith, 2012, Climate section, para. 2). This example refers to the second paragraph under the Climate section of the entry.

If you have no paragraph numbers and no headings, as may be the case for many dictionary entries, skip the page/paragraph/section information and give the author's last name and date only. Example: (Smith, 2012)

Note : All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Title of entry. (n.d.). In Wikipedia . Retrieved Month Day, Year that website was viewed, from URL for entry

Note : According to APA, n.d. is used instead of a date of publication as the date is difficult to determine. Include the date you viewed the website as the content is likely to change over time.

Wikipedia may not be considered an acceptable source for a college or university assignment. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check your assignment.

Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From Library Database - Known Author - No D O I

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . Retrieved from Database Name database.

Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From Library Database - Known Author - With D O I

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . doi: doi number

Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From Library Database - Unknown Author - No D O I

Title of entry. (Year of Publication). In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . Retrieved from Database Name database.

Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From a Website - Known Author

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . Retrieved from url

Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From a Website - Unknown Author

Title of entry. (Year of Publication). In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary ( edition if given and is not first edition ) . Retrieved from url

Encyclopedia or Dictionary Entry In Print - Known Author

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (Volume number, pp. first page of entry-last page of entry). Publication City, Province, State or Country: Publisher Name often shortened.

Encyclopedia or Dictionary In Print - Unknown Author

Title of entry. (Year of Publication). In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (Volume number if any, pp. first page of entry-last page of entry or p. page number for one page entry). Publication City, Province, State or Country: Publisher Name often shortened.

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APA Citation Guide (7th edition) CGS

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  • When Creating Digital Assignments
  • When Information Is Missing
  • Works Cited in Another Source
  • Paraphrasing
  • Reference List & Sample Writing
  • Annotated Bibliography

Authors/Editors

  • Publication Information for Online Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

In-Text Citation - Page Numbers

If an encyclopedia or dictionary entry does not indicate a specific author or co-authors, begin the citation with a group author such as Merriam-Webster or American Psychological Association, followed by the year of publication in round brackets.

Capitalize the first letter of the first word of the title of the entry and the title of the encyclopedia or dictionary.

Capitalize the first letter of proper names in titles, such as names of places or people. Example: Canada

Publication Information for Online Encyclopedias and Dictonaries

Include the publisher name for an encyclopedia or dictionary where clearly identified, just as with a book or ebook. If the author and publisher are the same, omit the publisher element.

Some electronic content is assigned a unique number called a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). If a DOI is provided for an encyclopedia or dictionary, include it after the name of the encyclopedia or dictionary of the entry and edition beginning with "https:"

You do not need to put a period after a DOI number.

If you accessed the encyclopedia or dictionary through a website, provide the url. If the encyclopedia or dictionary provides stable archived versions, link to the latest one without "retrieved from"; no statement of the retrieval date is necessary in this case. A statement of the retrieval date should be provided for any web pages that are dynamic and not archived. When in doubt, provide a retrieval date to help the reader in case the entry you use is updated between the time you read it and the time your reader looks at it.

Page numbers may not be available for an online dictionary or encyclopedia entry. Here are some options if you have no page numbers and you are quoting directly:

Count the paragraphs, and use that number where you'd normally put the page number. Put the word "para." in front of it. Example: (Smith, 2012, para. 3). This example refers to the third paragraph in the entry. 

If the entry has section headings, you can use those. Encyclopedia entries often have section headings. Enter the section heading name, followed by the word "section" and then the number of the paragraph within that section. Example: (Smith, 2012, Climate section, para. 2). This example refers to the second paragraph under the Climate section of the entry.

If there is only one paragraph and no headings, as may be the case for many dictionary entries, skip the page/paragraph/section information and give the author's name and date only. Example: (Smith, 2012)

Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary

  • From a Library Database: Known Author
  • From a Library Database: No Known Author
  • From a Website: Known Author
  • From a Website: Group Author

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.),  Name of encyclopedia or dictionary  (edition if given and is not first edition).  https://doi.org/DOI-number-if-given

Title of entry. (Year of Publication). In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.),  Name of encyclopedia or dictionary  (edition if given and is not first edition).  https://doi.org/DOI-number-if-given

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication).Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.),  Name of encyclopedia or dictionary  ( edition if given and is not first edition ). URL

Name of Group Author. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.),  Name of encyclopedia or dictionary  ( edition if given and is not first edition ). URL

Encyclopedia or Dictionary in Print

  • Known Author
  • No Known Author

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.),  Name of encyclopedia or dictionary  (Volume number, pp. first page of entry-last page of entry). Publisher Name often shortened.

When there is no named author for the entry, treat the dictionary/encyclopedia as an edited book and move the editors to the author position:        

Editor, A., & Editor, B. (Eds.). (Date). Dictionary/Encyclopedia entry. In Name of dictionary/encyclopedia (edition, if not the first). Publisher. 

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How to Use Britannica Academic

  • Introduction
  • Share Content
  • Every Britannica article has a citation icon at the top of the page. Click on the citation icon and MLA will come up by default.
  • Click on the Select citation style pull down menu to select APA. 
  • Grab your citation.

how to cite encyclopedia britannica

Change It Tips

  • After pasting the citation in your paper, create a hanging indent. ( follow this link to see how ).
  • Make it double spaced ( follow this link to see how ).
  • Change the font to Times New Roman 12.

It Should Look Like

Encyclopædia Britannica. (n.d.). Google . Britannica Academic. Retrieved June 29, 2022,

from https://academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Google/471099

how to cite encyclopedia britannica

  • After pasting the citation in your paper, create a hanging indent. ( follow this link to see how ).

"Google."  Britannica Academic , Encyclopædia Britannica, 11 May. 2020. 

academic.eb.com/levels/collegiate/article/Google/471099. Accessed 29 Jun. 2022.

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Citing encyclopedias & dictionaries: Chicago/Turabian (17th ed.) citation guide

how to cite encyclopedia britannica

This guide is based on The Chicago Manual of Style, 17th ed. It provides examples of citations for commonly-used sources, using Notes and bibliography style only . For more detailed information consult directly The Chicago Manual of Style  (17th ed.) [ print ]. 

For the Author-date style, see the  Social sciences/sciences system .

Encyclopedia or dictionary entry

More guidelines for citing this type of material can be found in the following sections: ( 14.232 - 14.234 ).

Print version

     1. Encyclopedia Britannica , 15th ed., s.v. "Ovid."

     2. As'ad Abukhalil, "Maronites," in Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa , ed. Philip Mattar, 2nd ed., vol. 3 (New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004), 1491-92.

Bibliography

Abukhalil, As'ad. "Maronites." In Encyclopedia of the Modern Middle East and North Africa . Edited by Philip Mattar. 2nd ed. Vol. 3. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004.

Online version

     1. Encyclopedia Britannica Online, s.v. "Ovid," accessed May 2, 2006, http://search.eb.com/bol/topic?eu=69437&sctn=1

Grove Music Online, s.v. "Sibelius, Jean," by James Hepkoksi, accessed January 3, 2005, http://www.grovemusic.com/.

Dictionary.com, s.v. "Anorexia nervosa," accessed March 3, 2005, http://dictionary.reference.com/.

  • Well-known encyclopedias and dictionaries are usually cited only in notes, with the edition specified but not all the publication facts. It is not necessary to list them in bibliographies. Other subject-specific and lesser-known encyclopedias and dictionaries should include publication details in both notes and bibliographic entries ( 14.232 ).
  • The abbreviation " s.v. " (sub verbo, Latin for "under the word") is used to identify the article's title that is not signed ( 14.232 ).
  • It may be appropriate to include the author of an entry if the entry is signed ( 12.232 ).
  • If you cite an online encyclopedia or dictionary , always include an access date in addition to the short form of the URL. This is because online versions of encyclopedias are subject to continuous updates ( 12.233 ).
  • If the article you are citing was found in a database , provide the database name (e.g. Gale Virtual Reference Library) and any identification number in parentheses after the publication details ( 14.175 ).

Citation Guide: How to cite ENCYCLOPEDIAS

  • APA General Guidelines
  • Citing Common Resources
  • MLA General Guidelines
  • Author/Editor ASA Format
  • Basic ASA Rules
  • How to cite AUDIO/VISUAL MATERIALS
  • How to cite BOOKS, eBOOKS, and CHAPTERS
  • How to cite ENCYCLOPEDIAS
  • How to cite MAGAZINES
  • How to cite JOURNALS
  • How to cite NEWSPAPERS
  • How to cite PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS
  • How to cite WEBSITES
  • In-text Citations
  • Citation Software - Zotero

How to cite GENERAL ENCYCLOPEDIAs

Major reference books (major dictionaries and encyclopedias, i.e. World Book ) can be cited with a note in text rather than in a reference.

1. Encyclopaedia Britannica , 15th ed., s.v. "salvation."

How to cite SUBJECT-SPECIFIC ENCYCLOPEDIAs

ASA Subject Encyclopedia or Dictionary Entry Citation

  • Examples are not double-spaced, but your Works Cited list should be double-spaced
  • Examples do not show indented lines after the first line, but yours should be indented

Author's Last Name, First Name Middle Initial. Year of publication.  "Title of Entry or Article." Pp. numbers in Title of Reference Source . edition,  Vol. number, edited by Editor (editors use initials and not inverted). City of publication: Publisher.

  Examples : Novak, Sarah A. 2008.  "Personal Relationships and Obesity." Pp. 557-58 in Encyclopedia of Obesity. Vol 2, edited by K. Keller. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.

Barr, Robert D., and William H. Parrett. 2003. "Alternative Schooling." Pp . 615-16 in Encyclopedia of Education . 2nd ed., Vol. 1, edited by J. W. Guthrie. New York: Macmillan Reference USA.

Lyas, Colin.1996. "Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von." Pp. 112 in Dictionary of Art. Vol. 12, edited by J. Turner. New York: Grove's Dictionary.

How to cite eENCYCLOPEDIAs

ASA Online Encyclopedia Entry

  • Examples are not double-spaced, but your References list should be double-spaced

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. Year of publication. "Title of entry or article." Pp. in Name of reference source, edited by Editor (initials used for first and middle name, not inverted).  Place of publication: publisher. Complete URL from authoritative website or doi number.

Novak, Sarah A. 2008.  "Personal Relationships and Obesity." Pp. 557-58 in Encyclopedia of Obesity. Vol 2, edited by K. Keller. Los Angeles: Sage Publications.  http://dx.doi.org/10.4135/978141296382.n372.

Everett, Deborah. 2008. "Yazzie, Steven." Pp. 247-49 in Encyclopedia of Native American Artists , edited by D. Everett and E. Zorn. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.  http://libproxy.dixie.edu/login?url=http://go.galegroup.com/ps/i.do?id=GALE%7CCX3008500081&v=2.1&u=dixiesta&it=r&p=GVRL&sw=w&asid=2c23bfbd6a5045d2db8d77469cec7ac2.

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Citation Guide : How to cite ENCYCLOPEDIAS

  • Research Paper Help
  • Citing sources
  • How to cite BOOKS, eBOOKS, CHAPTERS

How to cite ENCYCLOPEDIAS

  • How to cite MAGAZINES/ JOURNALS
  • How to cite NEWSPAPERS
  • How to cite WEBSITES
  • How to cite JOURNALS
  • How to cite MAGAZINES
  • How to cite ARTICLES IN JOURNALS
  • How to cite DVDS, VIDEOS, CD-ROMS
  • Chicago Style
  • Useful Online Resources

APA Encyclopedia or Dictionary Entry Citation

  • Examples are not double-spaced, but your References list should be double-spaced
  • Examples do not show indented lines after the first line, but yours should be indented

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of entry or article. Name of reference source (Vol. number, pp. pages). Place of Publication: Publisher.

Examples : Home. (1989). In Oxford English dictionary (Vol. 8, p. 324). New York: Oxford University Press.

Ring, A. A. (1997). Real estate. In Encyclopedia Americana (Vol. 16, pp. 213-214). Danbury, CT: Grolier.

The art of architecture. (2002). In Encyclopædia Britannica: Macropædia (Vol. 1, pp. 243-261). Chicago: Encyclopædia Brittanica.

How to cite ONLINE Encyclopedias

APA Online Encyclopedia Entry

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. Title of entry or article. In Name of reference source . doi: number

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. Title of entry or article. In Name of reference source . Retrieved from name of database.

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. Title of entry or article. In Name of reference source . Retrieved Date, from complete URL

Example : Guttentag, J. Demand clause. In Mortgage encyclopedia . doi: 10.1036/0071458492

Concrete. In Funk & Wagnall's new world encyclopedia . Retrieved from Academic Search Premier database.

Photonics. In The Columbia Encyclopedia . (6th ed.). Retrieved September 3, 2008, from http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-photonics.html

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MLA Citation Guide (MLA 9th Edition): Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

  • Understanding Core Elements
  • Formatting Appendices and Works Cited List
  • Writing an Annotated Bibliography
  • Academic Honesty and Citation
  • In-Text Citation
  • Encyclopedias and Dictionaries
  • Charts, Graphs, Images, and Tables
  • Class Notes and Presentations
  • Interviews and Emails
  • Journal and Magazine Articles
  • Newspaper Articles
  • Social Media
  • Special Collections
  • Videos and DVDs
  • In Digital Assignments
  • When Information Is Missing
  • Generative AI
  • Citation Software

When including URLs, use a DOI or permalink  if available. The  MLA Handbook  encourages writers to list the available URL if there is not a DOI or permalink.

 Note : If you do not have information such as an editor's name, a volume or page numbers, omit those elements from your citation.

"Title of Entry." Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia,  Wikimedia Foundation, Day Month Year entry was last modified, Time entry was last modified, URL of entry. Accessed Day Month Year Wikipedia entry was last viewed.

"Body Image."  Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia,  Wikimedia  Foundation, 16 June 2016, 7:41 pm, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Body_image.

 Notes :

  • Wikipedia may not be considered an acceptable source for assignments. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check your assignment
  • The date and time the article was last modified appears at the bottom of each Wikipedia article. You may include an access date as an optional element if you think it will be useful to your readers.

Encyclopedia or Dictionary from Library Database

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Entry." Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , edited by   Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, vol. Volume Number, Publisher Name, Date of Publication, pp. First Page - Last Page. Name of Database,  permalink URL or DOI.

Selby, Christine. "Assessment."  Eating Disorders: An Encyclopedia of Causes, Treatment, and Prevention , edited by Justine J. Reel,  ABC-CLIO , 2014, pp. 35-43. ProQuest E-book Central,  https:// ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/knowledgecenter/detail.action?pq-origsite=primo&docID=1135401.

Encyclopedia or Dictionary From Database - Unknown Author

"Title of Entry."  Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , edited by   Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, vol. Volume Number, Publisher Name, Date of Publication, pp. First Page - Last Page.  Name of Database.  

"Shakespeare, William."  Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia , World Book, 2016.  Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, https://unr.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=funk&AN=SH093700&site=ehost-live&scope=site.

  Note: This example had no editor's name, edition, volume or page numbers, so these elements were left out of the citation.

Encyclopedia or Dictionary From a Website

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Entry."  Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , Publication or Update Date , Name of Website. URL. Accessed Day Month Year of Access.  

McLean, Steve. "The Tragically Hip."  The Canadian Encyclopedia , 26 Mar. 2015,  Historica Canada . www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/en/article/the-tragically-hip-emc. Accessed 27 Jun. 2016.

 Note : In this example the date of last edit is listed as publication or update date. List the full date if given in Day,  Month, Year format, abbreviating the month. Date of access is the day the website was visited.

Encyclopedia or Dictionary in Print

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Entry." Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary, edited by Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, vol. Volume Number, Publisher Name, Year of Publication, pp. First Page - Last Page.

Barber, Russell J. "Anthropological Ethics."  Ethics , edited by John K. Roth, Rev. ed., vol. 1, Salem Press, 2005, pp. 67-69.

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Citation Help for APA, 7th Edition: Encyclopedia

  • Books & Ebooks
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  • Legal Materials
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Variation - Editors

Lyons, A. C., McCreanor, T., Goodwin, I., & Barnes, H. M. (Eds.). (2017). Youth drinking cultures in a digital world: Alcohol, social media, and cultures of intoxication.  Routledge. 

Explanation:

List all of the editors in the order as they appear on the title page. Then, after the last editor, add the abbreviation for editors (Eds.) followed by a period and put within parentheses. End with a period after the parentheses.

Instead of Eds., use Ed. followed by a period and placed in parentheses. End with a period after the parentheses. 

Sternberg, R. J. (Ed.). (2016). Career paths in psychology: Where your degree can take you (3rd ed.).  American Psychological Association.

More information:  

For more information about editors, see Section 9.10 on pages 287-288 of the APA Manual, 7th edition.

Variation - Edition?

Smith, S. F., Duell, D. J., Martin, B. C. Aebersold, M. L., & Gonzalez, L. (2016). Clinical nursing skills: Basic to advanced skills (9th ed.). Pearson.

Explanation

Place the edition number in parentheses after the book title. Follow by "ed." and a period outside the parentheses. There is no period after the book title.

More Information

For more information about editions or volumes, see Section. 9.28 on page 295 of the APA Manual, 7th edition. 

Variation - No Author?

Article example.

How to launch your career in project management: Project management can be a rewarding and challenging career, but where do you start? (2018, February 27). Management Today .  https://www.managementtoday.co.uk/launch-career-project-management/your-career/article/1458219

When there is no author move the article title to the author spot. Do not italicize title and end with a period. Follow the title with the publication date in parentheses. Then, complete the rest of the reference as directed by source type.

Parenthetical Citation

("How to Launch," 2018)

Parenthetical Explanation

When there is no author, look at the reference, first. Then, use the title (or whatever is in the author spot) in the citation within the body of the paper. If the title is italicized (as with a book or video) keep the italics in the citation. If the title is not italicized (as with a book chapter or article) put quotation marks around the title. Additionally, be sure to capitalize all major words in the title within the citation. Finally, if the title is overly long, shorten the title. NOTE:  Notice in the parenthetical citation example that the comma is inside the quotation marks followed by the date. 

For more information about creating references for sources without authors, see Section 9.12 on page 289 of the APA Manual, 7th edition. For more information about creating parenthetical and narrative citations for sources with no authors, see Section 8.14 on pages 264-265 of the APA Manual, 7th edition.

Variation - Group Author?

American Psychological Association. (2019). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

Group authors include the name of a study group, government agency, association, corporation, task force, hospital, organization, etc. Put the name of the group author in the author position followed by a period. Do not include an abbreviation for the group author within the reference. Abbreviations should only be introduced and used within the body of the paper.

(American Psychological Association, 2019)

Narrative Citation

American Psychological Association (2019) ....

More information

For more information about group authors, see Section 9.11 on pages 288-289 of the APA Manual, 7th edition.

Variation - Multiple Authors?

Multiple authors - 20 authors or less.

List all authors up to and including 20 authors. 

Clarke, N., D'Amato, A., Higgs, M., & Ramesh, V. (2018). Responsible leadership in projects: Insights into ethical decision making .  Project Management Institute.

List each author's last name first followed by a comma. Then, add the initials for the first and middle names (if there is one). Add a period after each initial. Separate each author with a comma. Insert an ampersand (&) before the last author.

Parenthetical & Narrative Citations

For one or two authors, list all authors in the reference. For three or more authors, list the first author followed by et al. This includes the first time the source is used in the paper. 

Parenthetical Citation Example

(Clarke et al., 2018)

Narrative Citation Example

Clarke et al. (2018) found ......

Multiple Authors - 21 or More Authors?

List the first 19 authors' names, then insert an ellipse, and then add the last author's name.

Gilbert, J. R., Smith, J. D., Johnson, R. S., Anderson, A., Plath, S., Martin, G., Sorenson, K., Jones, R., Adams, T., Rothbaum, Z., Esty, K., Gibbs, M., Taultson, B., Christner, G, Paulson, L., Tolo, K., Jacobson, W. L., Robinson, R. A., Maurer, O., . . . White, N. (2014 ). Choosing a title (2nd ed.). Unnamed  Publishing.

(Gilbert et al., 2014)

Gilbert et al. (2014) ...

For more information about author format, see Section 9.8 on page 286 of the APA Manual, 7th edition.

Encyclopedia Article

Kerӓnen, L. (2014). Biopreparedness and biosecurity. In T. L. Thompson (Ed.), Encyclopedia of health

communication  (Vol. 1, pp. 113-116). SAGE Reference.

Author: Kerӓnen, L.

Begin the reference with the author of the encyclopedia article. Most often, you will find this at the end of the encyclopedia article. Add the last name first. After the author's last name, add a comma. Then, add the author's initials for his first name and middle name (if the middle name is provided). After each initial, add a period. If there is a middle initial provided, add a space between the initials.   

Year of Publication: (2014).

Next, add the date the encyclopedia was published. In parentheses, list the year of publication, which appears on the title page or the title page verso (back side of the title page). Add a period after the parentheses.   

Title & Subtitle of the Encyclopedia Article: Biopreparedness and biosecurity.

​Next, add the title and subtitle of the encyclopedia article. The title and subtitle are separated by a colon. Follow the general capitalization rule that says to only capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle as well as proper nouns. Do not italicize the title. Add a period after the article title.   

Editor(s) of the Book: In T. L. Thompson (Ed.),

Next, include the word "In" before the editor(s). List the names of the editors beginning with the initials for the first and middle names. Add a period after each initial, and if there is a middle name, add a space between the initials. Following the initials of each editor will be the editor's last name. Add "Ed." in parentheses (if multiple editors use Eds.) with a comma after the parentheses.   

Title & Subtitle of the Encyclopedia: Encyclopedia of health communication

Next, add the title and subtitle of the encyclopedia. The title and subtitle are separated by a colon. Capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle as well as any proper nouns. Italicize the title and subtitle. Do not add a period!   

Volume and Page Numbers: (Vol. 1, pp. 113-116).

Next, add the volume of the encyclopedia that the article appeared in with tthe abbreviation "Vol." before the number. Add a comma after the volume number. Then add the page numbers of the encyclopedia article, which are preceded by the abbreviation for pages, which is "pp." Place the volume and page numbers in parentheses, and add a period after the parentheses.  

Source Information: SAGE Reference.

Complete the reference with the source information, which is the publisher of the encyclopedia. The publisher's name should be listed exactly as it appears on the title page including retaining the capitalization and spelling. End the reference with a period. NOTE: Do not include designations of business structure (e.g., Inc., Ltd., LLC, etc.). 

Parenthetical & Narrative Citation Examples

Parenthetical citation example: .

(Kerӓnen, 2014)

Narrative Citation Example:  

Kerӓnen (2014) suggested ...

More Information: 

For more information about author format within parenthetical and narrative citations, see Section 8.17 and Table 8.1 on page 266 of the APA Manual, 7th edition. 

Entire Encyclopedia

Manning, M. J., & Wyatt, C. R. (Eds.). ( 2011). Encyclopedia of media and propaganda in wartime America . ABC-CLIO. 

Author or Editor: Manning, M. J., Wyatt, C. R. (Eds.).

Begin the reference with the author or editor of the encyclopedia. If the encyclopedia has a series editor and a volume editor, only put the volume editors in the author spot. Begin by putting the last name first. After the author's last name, add a comma. Then, add the author's initials for the author's first name and middle name (if the middle name or middle initial is provided). After each initial add a period. In there is a middle name or middle initial provided, add a space between the initials. Add "Eds" in parentheses after the last editor's name. Add a period after "Eds" and after the parentheses.  

Year of Publication: (2011).

Next, add the year the encyclopedia was published. In parentheses, list the year of publication, which appears on the title page or the verso page (back side of the title page). Add a period after the parentheses.   

Title & Subtitle of the Encyclopedia: Encyclopedia of media and propaganda in wartime America .

Next, add the title and subtitle of the encyclopedia. The title and subtitle are separated by a colon. Capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle as well as any proper nouns. Italicize the title and subtitle and add a period after the title.    

Source Information: ABC-CLIO.

​Complete the reference with the source information, which is the publisher of the encyclopedia. The publisher's name should be listed exactly as it appears on the title page, including retaining the capitalization and spelling. End the reference with a period. NOTE: Do not include designations of business structure (e.g., Inc., Ltd., LLC, etc.). 

Parenthetical Citation Example:  (Manning & Wyatt, 2011)

Narrative Citation Example:   Manning and Wyatt (2011) suggested .....

Article in a Republished or Reissued Encyclopedia

Electronic encyclopedias, like some of those in the CSS databases, that were originally published in print and later published as an ebook should be referenced as republished or reissued works. 

Bowman, S., & Johnson, S. (2007). Age stratification and the elderly. In K. Christensen & D. Levinson (Eds.), Encyclopedia of community: 

From the village to the virtual world . SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412952583.n7 (Original work published 2003)

Author: Bowman, S., & Johnson, S.

Begin the reference with the author of the encyclopedia article. Many times, you will find this at the end of the encyclopedia article. Begin by adding the last name first. Add a comma after the author's last name, and then add the author's initials for the author's first and middle name (if the middle name or middle initial is provided). After each initial, add a period. If there is a middle initial, add a space between the initials.   

Year of Publication: (2007). 

Next, add the year the encyclopedia was published. This should be the date of the current version that was consulted. The publication date should be in parentheses with a period after the parentheses.   

Title & Subtitle of the Encyclopedia Article: Age stratification and the elderly. 

Next, add the title and subtitle of the encyclopedia article. The title and subtitle are separated by a colon. Follow the general capitalization rule that says to only capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle as well as proper nouns. Do not italicize the title. Add a period after the article title.  

Editor(s) of the Book: In K. Christensen & D. Levinson (Eds.), 

Next, begin by adding the word "In" before the editor(s). List the names of the editors beginning with the initials of the first and middle names. Add a period after each initial, and if there is a middle name, add a space between the initials. Following the initials of each editor will be the editor's last name. Add "Eds." in parentheses (in only one editor use Ed.) with a period after "Eds" and a comma after the parentheses.   

Title & Subtitle of the Encyclopedia: Encyclopedia of community: From the village to the virtual world.

Next, add the title and subtitle of the encyclopedia. The title and subtitle are separated by a colon. Capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle as well as proper nouns. Italicize the title and subtitle, and add a period after the title.   

Source Information: SAGE Publications. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781412952583.n7

Next, add the source information, which includes the publisher and the DOI (if there is one). The publisher's name should be listed exactly as it appears on the title page, including retaining the capitalization and spelling. Add a period after the publisher. Then, add the DOI using the current DOI URL format. The current standard for the DOI begins with "https://doi.org". Do not add a period after the DOI.   

Republished Information: (Original work published 2003)

Complete with a note about when the work was originally published. In parentheses, add "Original work published" and the date the work was first published. Do not add a period after the parentheses. 

More Information:

For more information, about republished or reissued works, see Section 9.41 on page 302, Section 10.3 on page 326, and example 29 on page 323 of the APA Manual, 7th edition. 

(Bowman & Johnson, 2003/2007)

Bowman and Johnson (2003/2007) described ...

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How to cite an encyclopedia/dictionary entry in a bibliography using MLA

The most basic entry for an encyclopedia/dictionary consists of the author’s name(s), entry title, encyclopedia/dictionary name, publisher name, date published, and location details (page number, website URL, etc.)

Place the full entry title within double quotation marks. Unless there is punctuation that ends the entry title, place a period after the title within the quotations. After the entry title, include the encyclopedia/dictionary name, capitalizing and italicizing it, followed by a period.

With an Author Name

Last Name, First Name. “Entry Title.” Encyclopedia/Dictionary Name, Publisher, Date Published, pp.#-#.

Smith, John. “Iron.” Encyclopedia of Chemistry, Pearson Publishing, 2009, pp. 40-55.

Reverse the first author’s name, with a comma after the last name and a period after the first name (or any middle name). Do not abbreviate the name and write it exactly as it appears in the encyclopedia/dictionary. Titles and affiliations associated with the author should generally be omitted. A suffix, such as a roman numeral or Jr./Sr. should appear after the author’s given name, preceded by a comma.

Two Authors

For an entry with two or more authors, list them in the order they appear in the encyclopedia/dictionary. Reverse only the first author’s name and write the other in normal order. Separate author names by a comma, and place the word “and” between the first author’s name and the second author’s name.

Smith, John, and Jane Doe. “Iron.” Encyclopedia of Chemistry, Pearson Publishing, 2009, pp. 40-55.

Three or More Authors

For entries with three or more author names, only include the first author’s name, followed by a comma and the abbreviation “et al.”

Smith, John, et al. “Iron.” Encyclopedia of Chemistry, Pearson Publishing, 2009, pp. 40-55.

Without an Author Name

If there are no authors for the article, begin the citation with the entry title instead.

“Entry Title.” Encyclopedia/Dictionary Name, Publisher, Date Published, pp.#-#.

“Iron.” Encyclopedia of Chemistry, Pearson Publishing, 2009, pp. 40-55.

If the book is a revised edition or an edition that includes substantial new content, include the number, name, or year of the edition and the abbreviation “ed.” (e.g., 9th ed.) after the reference book title and the period that follows that title. Abbreviate “Revised edition” as “Rev. ed.” and “Abridged edition” as “Abr. ed.” You will usually find edition details, including the date, on the title page or the copyright page.

Smith, John. “Internet.” Encyclopedia Britannica, 8th ed., Oxford UP, 2009.

Volume and Location

If the encyclopedia/dictionary arranges articles alphabetically, do not cite the page number(s) or the number of volumes. If articles are not arranged alphabetically, you may want to include the page number(s) and/or volume number, preceded by the abbreviation “vol.” Include the volume name or number after the encyclopedia/dictionary name (or edition), and before any publication information.

After the publication year, include the page numbers on which the article appears, along with a period. Cite all inclusive page numbers – if the article spans pages that are not consecutive, cite only the first page, followed by a plus sign. After the publication year, include the location details such as page(s) or website address information (DOI, permalink, URL).  Include “p.” before single pages and “pp.” before multiple page numbers. End with a period. Cite all inclusive page numbers – if the article spans pages that are not consecutive, cite only the first page, followed by a plus sign.

Smith, John. “BibMe.” Web Application Encyclopedia, 8th ed., vol. 15, Oxford UP, 2009, pp. 21-33.

Smith, John. “BibMe.” Web Application Encyclopedia, 8th ed., vol. 15, Oxford UP, 2009, pp. 21+.

Online Sources

For online publications, include the website name and, if a publication or post date isn’t available, also include the date on which you accessed the entry. Capitalize and italicize the website name and follow it with the web address details. According to MLA’s 9th edition updated in 2021, you may usually leave out http:// or https:// from URLs unless you want to hyperlink them or unless instructed otherwise. When in doubt, ask your instructor. If a DOI is available, use that instead of the URL. For DOIs, use http:// or https:// before the DOI: https://doi.org/xx.xxxx/xxx.xxxx.xxxx. Use a period after the DOI.

If a publication or posting date isn’t available, include the accessed date after the location. Format the date using the international format of day-month-year. Follow the access date with a period. For an entry found in a database, cite it the same way you would an article published online: cite the location with the database name in italics, followed by a comma, a DOI or URL, and ending with a period.

Smith, John. “BibMe.” Web Application Encyclopedia, 8th ed., 2009. Proquest Database, www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/studies/docview/745668798. Accessed 21 Feb. 2009.

If you are citing a dictionary definition and need to specify a certain definition, place the abbreviation “Def.”, the definition number/letter, and a period between the entry title and the dictionary name.

“Scofflaw.” Def. 2. Webster’s English Dictionary, 5th ed., 2009.

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / MLA Format / How to Cite an Encyclopedia in MLA

How to Cite an Encyclopedia in MLA

Encyclopedia – A book or a series of books used for reference on a range of materials or numerous information typically around one subject.

Citing an Encyclopedia in Print

Cite your source

*Note: If the author of an article is not listed or known, start your citation with the article title instead. The article title (or a shortened version) would also be used in in-text citations in place of the author’s last name. 

Citing an Encyclopedia Found Online

Citing an encyclopedia article found in a database.

Note: If no edition or volume number is given, leave it out.

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Citing Sources -- Chicago -- Bibliography style

  • Encyclopedias
  • Scholarly articles
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Footnotes / endnotes for encyclopedia articles

Bibliography for encyclopedia articles.

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Footnote and endnote citations for encyclopedias differ from book citations.  Here is the general construction of an encyclopedia citation in a footnote or endnote:

  •   The elements of the citation are separated by commas.
  •   If the entries in the encyclopedia you are citing have signed authors, you can include the name of the author in your citation, though doing so is not necessary (in fact the Manual seems to discourage this, as they do not provide a good example of an authored entry as a footnote or endnote).  If you do include an author's name, treat the title of the entry as you would an article title or book chapter title -- put it in quotation marks.
  •   The title of the encyclopedia is italicized
  • The edition of the encyclopedia must be specified following the title
  •   The title of the encyclopedia entry follows the letters "s.v."   The title of the encyclopedia entry is "put in quotation marks."
  •   Publication information beyond the name of the encyclopedia, its edition number, and the title of the entry is not necessary.  You can include this information (in parentheses, similar to a regular book citation) if you believe it useful for identifying the enecyclopedia you are citing, but it is not necessary.
  • A publication date or last revision date is necessary if you are citing an online encyclopedia (either through the library's digital resources or from the free Internet).  If there is no publication date or last revision date, include the date you accessed the encyclopedia entry.  
  • If available, include a Web address or Digital Object Identifier for the encyclopedia entry.

For further info, see sections 14.232-234 of the Manual.

Encyclopedia Article: Dictionary of American Biography , s.v. "Gillespie, Dizzy."

Encyclopedia Article with author and publication information: Mogens Herman Hansen, "Athenian Democracy," The Oxford Classical Dictionary , 3rd ed. (Oxford, U.K: Oxford University      Press, 1996).

Article from an Online Encyclopedia through the Meriam Library website : The Oxford Companion to Western Art , s.v. "O'Keefe, Georgia," accessed June 14, 2011, http://www.oxfordreference.com/      views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t118.e1909.

Article from an Encyclopedia on the free Web : Wikipedia , s.v. "Wilt Chamberlain," last modified June 12, 2011, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilt_Chamberlin.

Citations in a bibliography are formulated in a similar way to a footnote or endnote, but do have slight variations from the way a footnote or endnote is formulated.

Encyclopedia Article: "Gillespie, Dizzy."  In Dictionary of American Biography .  24 vols.  New York:  Oxford University Press, 1999.

  • In this example, the entry is taken from the first and only edition of the Dictionary of American Biography.   Thus there is no edition number.  If there were, it would fall between the title of the encyclopedia and the number of volumes.

Encyclopedia Article with author: Hansen, Mogens Herman.  "Athenian Democracy."  In The Oxford Classical Dictionary .  3rd ed. Oxford, U.K: Oxford University      Press, 1996.

Article from an Online Encyclopedia through the Meriam Library website : "O'Keefe, Georgia."  In The Oxford Companion to Western Art .  Oxford, U.K: Oxford University Press, 2001-.  Accessed June 14,      2011.  http://www.oxfordreference.com/views/ENTRY.html?subview=Main&entry=t118.e1909.

Article from an Encyclopedia on the free Web : "Wilt Chamberlain."  Wikipedia .  Last modified June 12, 2011. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilt_Chamberlin.

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Citation Guide: How to cite ENCYCLOPEDIAS

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How to Cite Encyclopedias

  MLA Encyclopedia or Dictionary Entry Citation

  • Examples are not double-spaced, but your Works Cited list should be double-spaced.
  • Examples do not show indented lines after the first line, but yours should be indented.

Author's Last Name, First Name Middle Initial.  "Title of Entry or Article." Title of Reference Source. edition. year.

Examples : "Home." Oxford English Dictionary. 2nd ed. 1989. 

Ring, Arnold A. "Real Estate." Encyclopedia Americana. 1997. 

"The Art of Architecture." Encyclopædia Britannica: Macropædia . 15th ed. 2002. 

How to Cite ONLINE Encyclopedias

MLA Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary Entry Citation

Author's Last Name, First Name Middle Initial. "Title of Entry or Article." Name of Reference Source . edition . Name of database . Date of access.

Example : “Concrete." Funk & Wagnall's New World Encyclopedia . EBSCO, 2009.  17 Jan. 2004.

Bigus, Jochen. "Business Bankruptcy." Encyclopedia of Law & Society:American and Global Perspectives . Sage, 2007. 16 Apr. 2009.

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Chicago Citation Guide (17th Edition): Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

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On This Page

Encyclopedia or dictionary from library database - entry with author, encyclopedia or dictionary from library database - entry without author, encyclopedia or dictionary from a website - entry with author, encyclopedia or dictionary from a website - entry without author, encyclopedia or dictionary entry in print - entry with author, encyclopedia or dictionary in print - entry without author, are reference works cited in the bibliography.

Well-known reference books (major dictionaries and encyclopedias) do not require full publication details and are usually only cited in footnotes. However, in certain (usually specialized) reference books where the entries are substantial and have authors, you may cite individual entries by author in a bibliography.

1. Author's First Name Last Name, "Title of Entry," in  Name of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , Date of publication, modification, or access, https://doi.org/DOI Number or Name of Database.

Bibliography Entry:

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Entry." In  Name of Encyclopedia or Dictionary.  Date of publication, modification, or access. https://doi.org/DOI Number or Name of Database.

  Footn ote:

1. Name of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , s.v. "Title of Entry," Date of publication, modification, or access, https://doi.org/DOI Number of Name of Database.

 Well-known reference books such as major dictionaries or encyclopedias do not require full publication details and are not usually cited in bibliographies.

1. Author's First Name Last Name, "Title of Entry," in  Name of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , Date of publication, modification, or access, URL.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Entry." In  Name of Encyclopedia or Dictionary.  Date of publication, modification, or access. URL.

1. Name of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , s.v. "Title of Entry," Date of publication, modification, or access, URL.

1. Wikipedia, s.v. "Title of Entry," Date last modified, Time stamp, URL.

Wikipedia, s.v. "Title of Entry." Date last modified. Time stamp. URL.

 Time stamp refers to the time the article was last modified. The date and time the article was last modified appear at the bottom of each Wikipedia article.

Keep in mind that Wikipedia may not be considered an acceptable source for a college or university assignment. Be sure to evaluate the content carefully and check with your instructor if you can use it as a source in your assignment.

1. Author's First Name Last Name, "Title of Entry," in  Name of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , Edition if given and is not first edition, ed. Editor's First Name Last Name (Place of publication: Publisher, Year), Page Number.

Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Entry." In  Name of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , Edition if given and is not first edition, edited by Editor's First Name Last Name. Place of publication: Publisher, Year.

1. Name of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , Edition if given and is not first edition (Date), s.v. "Title of Entry." 

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Harvard Style Guide: Encyclopaedia and dictionaries

  • Introduction
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  • Images or photographs
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  • Encyclopaedia and dictionaries
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  • No date of publication
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  • Citing same author, multiple works, same year

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Online Encyclopaedia and Dictionaries

Reference : Author Last name, Initials. (Year) 'Entry title' in Editors Last name, Initials (eds)  Title . Series and volume. Available at: url (Accessed day month year).

Example : Brandon, S. (2008) 'Barry, James (c. 1799–1865)' in  Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Available at: https://www.oxforddnb.com/view/10.1093/ref:odnb/9780198614128.001.0001/odnb-9780198614128-e-1563 (Accessed 22 July 2020).

In-Text-Citation:

  • Author Last name (Year)
  • (Author Last name, Year)
  • Brandon (2008) describes how Margaret Bulkley disguises herself as a man to become the surgeon James Barry.
  • Margaret Bulkley disguises herself as a man to become the surgeon James Barry (Brandon, 2008).

In the example above there are no editors or series and volume details, therefore these are not included in the reference.

Still unsure what in-text citation and referencing mean? Check here . 

Still unsure why you need to reference all this information? Check here . 

Encyclopaedia and Dictionaries with authors and editors (printed)

Reference : Author Last name, Initials. (Year) 'Entry Title', in Editors Last name, Initials (eds)  Title . Edn. Place of publication: Publisher. Series and Volume (if available).

Example : Murphy, A.J. (2002) 'Byzantine', in Pearsall and Trumble (eds)  Oxford English Reference Dictionary . 2nd edn. Oxford. Oxford University Press.

In-Text-Citation :

  • Author Last name (Year, page number)
  • (Author Last name, Year, page number)
  • According to Murphy (2002, p. 253) 'Byzantine' is defined as ...
  • 'Byzantine'  is defined as 'A term used to describe the art associated with the eastern Roman empire, which commenced with the emperor Constantine's foundation of his capital, Constantinople, on the site of the small town of Byzantion 324–30.' (Murphy, 2002, p. 253).

Still unsure why you need to reference all this information? Check here .   

Online Encyclopaedia and Dictionaries - no authors or editors

Reference : 'Entry title' (Year)  Title . Available at: url (Accessed day month year).

Example : 'Canadian Shield' (2020) Encyclopaedia Britannica.  Available at:  https://www.britannica. com/place/Canadian-Shield  ( Accessed 2 June 2020).

  • 'Entry Title' (Year)
  • ('Entry Title', Year)
  • The 'Canadian Shield' (2020) is composed of crystalline rock. 
  • This landmass is composed of crystalline rock ('Canadian Shield', 2020).

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English: Encyclopedia Britannica vs. Wikipedia

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Encyclopedia Britannica vs. Wikipedia

  • For English Faculty

how to cite encyclopedia britannica

Almost every student, faculty member, and librarian knows from experience how valuable Wikipedia can actually be when looking for quick background information about almost any topic. But what are the differences between Wikipedia and the traditional, scholarly reference works listed and described on the Reference Shelf tab of this guide? In this box I flesh out some of those differences (and similarities) within the context of one of the greatest reference works of all time: Encyclopedia Britannica .

The Encyclopedia Britannica contains carefully edited articles on all major topics. It fits the ideal purpose of a reference work as a place to get started, or to refer back to as you read and write. The articles in Britannica are written by expert authors who are both identifiable and credible. Many articles provide references to books and other sources about the topic covered. Articles are edited for length, the goal being to provide students (and other researchers) with sufficient background information without overwhelming them.

Undergraduates are rarely permitted to cite encyclopedia articles. Ask your professor if you plan to do so. The reason for this prohibition has to do with the function of reference works. Encyclopedias are best suited to providing background information rather than in-depth analysis or novel perspective. The "conversation" among literary scholars and historians—or academics in any other discipline for that matter—does not occur within the pages or pixels of encyclopedia articles.

Wikipedia is " written collaboratively by volunteers from all around the world" and relies on the collective wisdom of its volunteers to get the facts right and to balance the opinions expressed. Wikipedia, of course, can be very useful as a starting point for many topics, especially obscure ones or those with passing or popular interest not well covered in scholarly reference works. Wikipedia articles often reflect the enthusiasm of their anonymous contributor(s) for the subject. Articles are sometimes too detailed , making it difficult for the uninitiated to identify key takeaways. Another downside of Wikipedia is that articles sometimes paper over unflattering or unpleasant but important facts about a topic near and dear to the contributors' hearts. Struggles sometimes break out behind the scenes as contributors compete with one another to create narratives that, even if technically accurate, might leave readers with partial or even false impressions. In other words, Wikipedia articles, even when written on topics ostensibly uncontroversial, are easily politicized. Wikipedia slants more often than Britannica to the left of the political spectrum .

As with other reference works, most faculty instruct students not to cite Wikipedia. But some go further, advising students not to consult Wikipedia as a background source. Prohibitions of this nature, fairly uncommon nowadays, typically result from the volunteer approach to editing taken by Wikipedia, which can be unreliable . In order to be safe, think of Wikipedia as the first stop on a research road trip. Move on from Wikipedia to edited, scholarly encyclopedias and other reference works.

An interesting compromise between traditional encyclopedias and Wikipedia is Citizendium , a project that continues to limp along but has unfortunately not gained much traction. Most academic work on Wikipedia has focused on making it more like a scholarly reference source through the interventions of undergraduate and graduate students, librarians, and disciplinary faculty.

Acknowledgement : This page was inspired by Rick Lezenby , a Social Sciences Librarian affiliated with Temple University Libraries. I have substantially altered and expanded on Rick's original text.

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IMAGES

  1. How to Cite an Encyclopedia Britannica Article

    how to cite encyclopedia britannica

  2. How to Cite a Britannica Article in Noodletools

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  3. Anatomy of a citation

    how to cite encyclopedia britannica

  4. 5 Ways to Cite an Encyclopedia

    how to cite encyclopedia britannica

  5. 3 Ways to Cite an Encyclopedia

    how to cite encyclopedia britannica

  6. How to Cite an Encyclopedia or Dictionary in Chicago Style

    how to cite encyclopedia britannica

COMMENTS

  1. MLA Citation Guide (9th Edition): Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

    Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary, edited by Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, vol. Volume Number if more than one volume, Publisher Name, Date of Publication, pp. First Page-Last Page. Name of Database. https://doi.org/DOI if there is one. Note: MLA 9th edition recommends including a DOI, stable link, or URL.

  2. How to Cite an Encyclopedia in APA Style

    Revised on December 27, 2023. 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.

  3. Encyclopedias & Dictionaries (Reference Works)

    (Year of Publication). Title of entry. In Editor's First Initial. Second Initial if given. Last Name (Ed.), Name of encyclopedia or dictionary (edition if given and is not first edition). Retrieved from Database Name database. Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From Library Database - Known Author - With D O I Author's Last Name, First Initial.

  4. How to Cite an Encyclopedia in Chicago/Turabian

    1. Author's First name Last name (if applicable), Encyclopedia Title, # ed. vol. #, ed. First Name Last Name (City of publication: Publisher, year of publication). Bibliography: Author's Last name, First name (if applicable). Encyclopedia Title. # ed. # vols. Edited by First Name Last Name. City of publication: Publisher, year of publication.

  5. How to Cite Encyclopedias

    If you are citing the entire encyclopedia/dictionary and not a specific article, exclude the following parts of the citation: the authors, the article title, and the "s.v." abbreviation. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 8th ed. Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2009.

  6. APA Citation Guide (7th edition) CGS

    If an encyclopedia or dictionary entry does not indicate a specific author or co-authors, begin the citation with a group author such as Merriam-Webster or American Psychological Association, followed by the year of publication in round brackets. Online Encyclopedia or Dictionary From a Library Database: Known Author

  7. Cite

    APA Every Britannica article has a citation icon at the top of the page. Click on the citation icon and MLA will come up by default. Click on the Select citation style pull down menu to select APA. Grab your citation. Change It Tips After pasting the citation in your paper, create a hanging indent. ( follow this link to see how ).

  8. PDF APA Citation Encyclopedia Britannica Online

    Article. Title of In Title of Book, Sadie, S. (2010). Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus. In Encyclopaedia Britannica Online. Retrieved from http://www.britannica.com Encyclopedia's URL on the Web Intext citation for a direct quote: (Sadie, 2010, para. 6) Intext citation for a paraphrase: (Sadie, 2010)

  9. Citing encyclopedias & dictionaries: Chicago/Turabian (17th ed

    If you cite an online encyclopedia or dictionary, always include an access date in addition to the short form of the URL. This is because online versions of encyclopedias are subject to continuous updates ( 12.233 ).

  10. Citation Guide: How to cite ENCYCLOPEDIAS

    New York: Oxford University Press. Ring, A. A. (1997). Real estate. In Encyclopedia Americana (Vol. 16, pp. 213-214). Danbury, CT: Grolier. The art of architecture. (2002). In Encyclopædia Britannica: Macropædia (Vol. 1, pp. 243-261). Chicago: Encyclopædia Brittanica. How to Cite ONLINE Encyclopedias APA Online Encyclopedia Entry

  11. Research Guides: Citation Guide: How to cite ENCYCLOPEDIAS

    How to cite GENERAL ENCYCLOPEDIAs Major reference books (major dictionaries and encyclopedias, i.e. World Book) can be cited with a note in text rather than in a reference. 1. Encyclopaedia Britannica, 15th ed., s.v. "salvation." How to cite SUBJECT-SPECIFIC ENCYCLOPEDIAs ASA Subject Encyclopedia or Dictionary Entry Citation

  12. How to cite ENCYCLOPEDIAS

    (Year of Publication). Title of entry or article. Name of reference source (Vol. number, pp. pages). Place of Publication: Publisher. Examples: Home. (1989). In Oxford English dictionary (Vol. 8, p. 324). New York: Oxford University Press. Ring, A. A. (1997). Real estate. In Encyclopedia Americana (Vol. 16, pp. 213-214). Danbury, CT: Grolier.

  13. How to Cite an Encyclopedia in APA

    How to Cite an Encyclopedia in APA 3.4 ( 27) Citation Generator Source Type Search Encyclopedias can provide detailed information on various topics and can serve as a great resource for any paper. This guide will show you how to format citations for an encyclopedia based on APA 7th edition guidelines. Guide Overview

  14. Encyclopedias and Dictionaries

    Format. Author's Last Name, First Name. "Title of Entry." Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary, edited by Editor's First Name Last Name, Edition if given and not first edition, vol. Volume Number, Publisher Name, Date of Publication, pp.First Page - Last Page. Name of Database, permalink URL or DOI. Example. Selby, Christine.

  15. Citation Help for APA, 7th Edition: Encyclopedia

    Explanation Author: Kerӓnen, L. Begin the reference with the author of the encyclopedia article. Most often, you will find this at the end of the encyclopedia article. Add the last name first. After the author's last name, add a comma. Then, add the author's initials for his first name and middle name (if the middle name is provided).

  16. How to Cite an Encyclopedia

    The most basic entry for an encyclopedia/dictionary consists of the author's name (s), entry title, encyclopedia/dictionary name, publisher name, date published, and location details (page number, website URL, etc.) Place the full entry title within double quotation marks.

  17. How to Cite an Encyclopedia in MLA

    Citation Generator Source Type Encyclopedia - A book or a series of books used for reference on a range of materials or numerous information typically around one subject. Citing an Encyclopedia in Print Cite your source *Note: If the author of an article is not listed or known, start your citation with the article title instead.

  18. Citing Sources -- Chicago -- Bibliography style

    The title of the encyclopedia entry follows the letters "s.v." The title of the encyclopedia entry is "put in quotation marks." Publication information beyond the name of the encyclopedia, its edition number, and the title of the entry is not necessary. You can include this information (in parentheses, similar to a regular book citation) if you ...

  19. Citation Guide: How to cite ENCYCLOPEDIAS

    How to Cite Encyclopedias. Examples are not double-spaced, but your Works Cited list should be double-spaced. Examples do not show indented lines after the first line, but yours should be indented. Author's Last Name, First Name Middle Initial. "Title of Entry or Article." Title of Reference Source. edition. year. "Home."

  20. Encyclopaedia Britannica

    Encyclopaedia Britannica is the oldest English-language general encyclopedia. The Encyclopaedia Britannica was first published in 1768, when it began to appear in Edinburgh, and its first digital version debuted in 1981. In 1994 Britannica released the first Internet-based encyclopedia, and Britannica.com was launched in 1999. Britannica relies on outside experts and its own editors to write ...

  21. Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

    Well-known reference books (major dictionaries and encyclopedias) do not require full publication details and are usually only cited in footnotes. ... Britannica Academic, s.v. "Racism," 2013, Encyclopædia Britannica. ... "Title of Entry." In Name of Encyclopedia or Dictionary, Edition if given and is not first edition, edited by Editor's ...

  22. LibGuides: Harvard Style Guide: Encyclopaedia and dictionaries

    Online Encyclopaedia and Dictionaries Reference: Author Last name, Initials. (Year) 'Entry title' in Editors Last name, Initials (eds) Title. Series and volume. Available at: url (Accessed day month year). Example : Brandon, S. (2008) 'Barry, James (c. 1799-1865)' in Oxford Dictionary of National Biography.

  23. English: Encyclopedia Britannica vs. Wikipedia

    The Encyclopedia Britannica contains carefully edited articles on all major topics. It fits the ideal purpose of a reference work as a place to get started, or to refer back to as you read and write. The articles in Britannica are written by expert authors who are both identifiable and credible. Many articles provide references to books and other sources about the topic covered.

  24. supreme leader of Iran

    supreme leader of Iran, head of state in Iran, overseeing virtually all functions of government either directly or indirectly.The post was instituted as rahbar ("leader") in 1979 with the creation of Iran's Islamic Republic, which blends democratic elements with theocratic oversight from Islamic clerics of the Twelver Shiʿi sect. Although Iran's president and legislature are directly ...