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APSA Citation Guide (American Political Science Association)

The American Political Science Association make use of a variation of the Chicago Manual of Style citation system. The main concentration is on the formats that are important to the political science, giving proper attention towards the given documents that are produced within the government of United States. The revised 2018 edition of the citation style guide of American Political Science Association is based on the 17^th edition of Chicago Manual of Style. Most of the guidelines for citation purposes are derived from the Chicago style. You can also use citation machine tool to create accurate references.

The APSA system relies on the author date system as used in the Chicago style rather than the notes-bibliography system. Under the APSA citation system, the parenthetical references, within the text direct the readers to the list of references. However, the footnotes can also be used in the APSA but with the limited scope. The footnotes may be used to present the short substantive material or to cross reference other sources. The Footnotes shall not be used to cite sources better left for the list of references. Thus, they should be used sparingly.

What is the APSA Citation Style?

The APSA style generally follows the Chicago manual of style’s author-date citation practice. It requires the parenthetical references within the text of the paper and the reference lists at the end of the paper. The reference list begins just after the conclusion section of the report. Type the word “References” flush against the left margin. You can also check other useful referencing tools.

How Do I Cite in APSA Style?

The formatting of the APSA references should be done in the following manner:

• Use hanging indent form. The first line of each reference should be set flush left and the subsequent lines are indented. The reference lists are single-spaced with one empty line in between every two references.
• The reference list should be arranged in alphabetical order.
• The author should be the first element of the reference. When the author name is not present, one can use the editor’s name. If no editor name is available, one can begin with the article title or book title.
• List the last name of the author, which is followed by comma and then the first / middle name of the author. Spell out the names of the author’s. one should not use the initial’s unless they are used by the author.
• Periodical or book title should be in italics.
• Chapter and article titles should be contained in quotation marks.
• The date is always the second element in the citation.
• Capitalize each word in the titles of books, articles, etc.  This rule does not apply to definite and indefinite articles such as a, an, the, short prepositions, or conjunction unless they are the first word of the title.

APSA In-text Citation with Examples

There are two ways in which in-text citations can be made in American Political Science Association citation style. Both of them are presented below:

Option 1: Using the author name and the year of publication at the end of the sentences in parenthesis.

One Author: (Aspen Institute 2005)

Two Authors: (Thistlewaite and Campbell 1960)

Three Authors: (Imai, King, and Nall 2009)

Four or More Authors: (Corbridge et al. 2004)

Option 2: Citing the year of the research publication just after you have used the author’s name after the direct quote. For example:

Marin and Simmons argue that interdependence generates a “dense network of relations” (1998, 751), while Davis similarly asserts that a “dense network of international institutions” shapes interstate bargaining (2004, 154).

But Keller's (1986) study was completed before widespread use of the Internet.

How to Cite a Book in APSA style?

The book citations under APSA style contains the following elements in the order given below:

Author. Date. Book Title. Publisher City: Publisher Name.

For example:

North, Douglass, John Wallis, and Barry Weingast. 2009. Violence and Social Orders: A Conceptual Framework for Interpreting Recorded Human History. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.

Levi, Margaret. 1988.Of Rule and Revenue. Berkeley: University of California Press

How to Cite a Journal in APSA Style?

The journal article citations include the following elements in the order given below:

Author. Date. “Article Title.” Journal Title Volume (Number): Pages.

For example:

Blondel, Jean, and Nick Manning. 2002. "Do Ministers Do What They Say? Ministerial Unreliability, Collegial and Hierarchical Governments." Political Studies 50: 455-76.

How to Cite Film or Movie in APSA Style?

The film or a movie citation can be done using the following elements in the given order:

Director(s). Release Year. Title. Studio.

How to Cite Online Image or Video in APSA Style?

For citing the online image or other video clip that are easily available online. The URL of video should be added at the end, along with the most rent date accessed. For example:

Watts, Edward. 2015. Escaping ISIS. Frontline. https://video.pbs.org/video/2365527957/ (accessed November 12, 2015).

How to Cite a Website in APSA Style?

The website includes online government documents, statistics, reports, and other similar items. The elements and their orders used in the citation is:

Author. Year. “Resource Title.” URL.

How to Cite a Blog in APSA Style?

The template for citing a blog in APSA style is as follows:

Author. Year. “Resource Title.” URL.

How to Cite a Dictionary Entry in APSA Style?

The elements or the template for citing a dictionary entry is as follows:

Author Surname, Author Forename. Year Published. ‘Title’. Publication Title: Pages Used. URL (Date Accessed)

How to Cite an E-book or PDF in APSA Style?

The elements or the template for citing a dictionary entry is as follows:

Author Surname, Author Forename. Year Published. Title. City: Publisher. URL (Date Accessed).

How to Cite an Edited Book in APSA Style?

The elements or the template for citing a dictionary entry is as follows:

Author Surname. Author forename. Year Published. Title. City: Publisher.

How to Cite an Interview in APSA Style?

The elements or the template for citing a dictionary entry is as follows:

Author Surname, Author Forename. Year Published. ‘Title’.

How to Cite a Newspaper in APSA Style?

The newspaper article citations are done using the following elements in the order given.

Author. Year. “Article Title.” Newspaper Title Month Day.

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