how to cite an online encyclopedia in research paper

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

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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 Style 7th Edition: Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

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On This Page: Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Online encyclopedia or dictionary from library database - known author - no doi, online encyclopedia or dictionary from library database - known author - with doi, online encyclopedia or dictionary from a website - known author, online encyclopedia or dictionary from a website - group author, encyclopedia or dictionary entry in print - known author, encyclopedia or dictionary in print - group author.

Authors/Editors

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.

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:

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)

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.

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, volume number if there is more than one, page range ) . Publisher Name.

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 number

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 date from 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 ) . Retrieved from date URL

Title of entry. (Year article was edited, Month Day). In Wikipedia . URL for archived version of the article

Note : To find and cite the latest archived version, select "view history" in the Wikipedia entry and choose the most recent date.    

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.

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.

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 (Volume number if any, pp. first page of entry-last page of entry or p. page number for one page entry). Publisher Name often shortened.

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APA Citation Guide (7th edition) CGS

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• 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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• Citing an Encyclopedia

Citing an Encyclopedia (APA)

Encyclopedias are an example of a reference source and can be great to use for background information about a subject. Encyclopedias provide overviews of various topics to help their readers learn more about a subject. The SCC Library has access to many encyclopedias, both online in library databases and in print on the shelves in the library.

Encyclopedia from Library Database (APA)

Known author.

Format:  Author Last Name, Author First Initial. (Year). Title of entry. In Editor First Initial. Editor Last Name (ed.), Title of encyclopedia (edition). Publisher. DOI/URL

Example: Miké, V. (2005). Computer viruses. In C. Mitcham (ed.), Encyclopedia of science, technology, and ethics (vol. 3). Macmillan Reference USA. https://doi.org/10.10588/6.88420

Unknown Author

Format: Title of entry. (Year). In Editor First Initial. Editor Last Name (ed.), Title of encyclopedia (edition). Publisher. DOI/URL

Example: Public colleges. (2019). In B. Romaniuk (ed.), The college blue book (46th ed., vol. 1). Gale.   https://doi.org/10.5692.tpc.45.70238

Encyclopedia in Print (APA)

Format: Author Last Name, Author First Initial. (Year). Title of entry. In Editor First Initial. Editor Last Name (ed.), Title of encyclopedia (edition, page numbers). Publisher.

Example: Gourley, M.M., Mertz, L., & Wexler, B. (2020). Public health. In J.L. Longe (ed.),  The Gale encyclopedia of medicine (6th ed., vol. 7, pp. 4303-4306). Gale.

Format: Title of entry. (Year). In Editor First Initial. Editor Last Name (ed.), Title of encyclopedia (edition, page numbers). Publisher.

Example: Anchored instruction. (2009). In E.M. Anderman & L.H. Anderman (eds.), Psychology of classroom learning: An encyclopedia (vol. 1, pp. 34-36). Gale. 

Helpful Information

In the citation, capitalize proper nouns and the first words of title and subtitle - this is for both the title of the entry and the title of the entire book (however the title of the entire book will also be italicized).

Note: If you mention a title in your paper, all major words   should be   capitalized. If it is part of entry, it should be in quotation marks and if the title of the book, it should be in italics.

Author / Editor:

If no author given, skip the author and move the title in front of the date; alphabetize entry by title.

If group author (company, association, organization, etc.) and publisher are the same, list group author in the author position and skip the publisher (to avoid repetition).

If more than one editor, list all names (following the same rules as multiple authors) and put (Eds.) in parenthesis.

List the publisher's name as shown in the source. Do not abbreviate (unless shown that way). Follow capitalization as shown in source.

Do not include business structures like Inc., Ltd., LLC, etc. even if they appear as part of the publisher's name.

Use imprints or divisions as the publisher if listed (instead of the larger company).

If no date is given, use (n.d.).

DOI versus URL:

Always list the DOI if given. DOI is preferred rather than a URL.

If a DOI is not given, but the source can be found in a library database, then there is no need to include a URL (simply cite the entry the same way you would a print entry). However, if a DOI is not given, and the source is not in a library database - rather found on the internet - then include a URL (to help people find it).

URLs should be as specific as possible (i.e. take the reader directly to the page you used). So use the full URL (https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/28/us/politics/william-barr-house-judiciary-hearing.html) rather than the home page (https://www.nytimes.com).

Present DOI’s and URL’s as hyperlinks beginning with http:// or https:// (Links can be ‘live’ if your writing is going to be viewed electronically or online)

Formatting:

Double space entries. If an entry runs more than one line, use a hanging indent which indents any additional lines beyond the first (there is a button in Microsoft Word and other programs to do this; do not use the tab button or the space bar).

Acceptable abbreviations can be found on pp. 306-7 of the APA manual (7th ed.).

If what you are citing is not listed in APA manual, choose the example in the manual most like your source.

Helpful Resources

• How to Cite a Part of a Book in APA This worksheet will break down how to cite parts of books (chapters, sections, etc.) in APA format.
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• Formatting the Author & Title
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APA 7th Edition Citation Examples

• Volume and Issue Numbers
• Page Numbers
• Undated Sources
• Citing a Source Within a Source
• In-Text Citations
• Academic Journals
• Encyclopedia Articles

Format for encyclopedia articles

Library database with doi, library database without doi, library database without author or doi.

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• Treaties and Other International Agreements
• Federal Regulations: I. The Code of Federal Regulations
• Federal Regulations: II. The Federal Register
• Executive Orders
• Charter of the United Nations
• Federal Statutes
• Dissertations and Theses
• Interviews, E-mail Messages + Other Personal Communications
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Author last name, first initial. (Year). Article title. In Editor first initial. Last name (Ed.),  Encyclopedia title  (pp. page numbers). Publisher Name. DOI  

• Author:  List the last name, followed by the first initial (and second initial). See  Authors  for more information.
• Year:  List the publication year between parentheses, followed by a period.
• Article title:  Capitalize the first word of the title, subtitle, and proper nouns, followed by a period.
• Editor:  List the first initial followed by the last name. Preceded by "In" and followed by "(Ed.)" 
• Encyclopedia title:  In italics. Capitalize the first word of the title, subtitle, and proper nouns
• Page number(s):  List page numbers preceded with "pp." in parentheses and followed by a period.
• Publisher name:  List publisher name, followed by a period.
• DOI:  Use DOI when available.

See specific examples below.

Miura, A. (2012). Human behavior with blogs. In Z. Yan (Ed.), Encyclopedia of cyber behavior (pp. 157-163). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-4666-0315-8

What is a DOI? Some library databases, such as Academic Search Ultimate and APA PsycInfo, provide a digital object identifier (DOI) for individual ebooks. A DOI is a unique identifier for an online work. In the database record for an ebook, you will see an element that looks like this, which you should include at the end of your APA reference, preceded by " https://doi.org/ ":

This link will allow a reader to link to doi.org for more information about the ebook.

Smith, A. J. (2001). Child development. In B. Strickland (Ed.), The Gale encyclopedia of psychology (pp. 115-116). Gale.

Ethics. (2009). In Encyclopedia of management (6th ed., pp. 273-278). Gale.

See  Publication Manual , 10.3.

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

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On This Page: Encyclopedias & Dictionaries

Encyclopedia or dictionary from library database - known author, encyclopedia or dictionary from library database - unknown author, encyclopedia or dictionary from a website - known author, encyclopedia or dictionary from a website - unknown author, encyclopedia or dictionary entry in print - known author, encyclopedia or dictionary in print - unknown author, citing two authors, citing three or more authors, abbreviating months.

In your works cited list, abbreviate months as follows: 

January = Jan. February = Feb. March = Mar. April = Apr. May = May June = June July = July August = Aug. September = Sept. October = Oct. November = Nov. December = Dec.

Spell out months fully in the body of your paper. 

It can sometimes be difficult to find out who the author of a website is. Remember that an author can be a corporation or group, not only a specific person. Author information can sometimes be found under an "About" section on a website.

If there is no known author, start the citation with the title of the article instead.

Capitalize the first letter of every important word in the title. You do not need to capitalize words such as: in, of, or an. Do not use all-caps (except for words like USA where each letter stands for something), even if the words appear that way on the article.

If there is a colon (:) in the title, include what comes after the colon (also known as the subtitle).

The publisher or sponsoring organization can often be found in a copyright notice at the bottom of the home page or on a page that gives information about the site.  When the page is authored and published by the same corporation/group/organization, omit the author and begin your citation with the title. 

Publisher information may be omitted for:

• periodicals (journals, magazines, newspapers)
• works published by an author or editor
• web sites whose title is the same as the name of the publisher
• a web site not involved in producing the work it makes (e.g. user-generated content sites like  YouTube )

The best date to use for a website is the date that the content was last updated. Otherwise look for a copyright or original publication date. Unfortunately this information may not be provided or may be hard to find. Often date information is put on the bottom of the pages of a website.

If you do not know the complete date, put as much information as you can find. For example you may have a year but no month or day.

Access Date

Date of access is optional in MLA 9th edition. When no publication date is included, we recommend including the date you last accessed the site.

Note : For your Works Cited list, all citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent.

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

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 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. We recommend that URLs be left out when citing a work found in a library database. Because library databases require a login most URLs will stop working after the session ends. If there is a DOI, include this as the last element, beginning with https://doi.org/.

If you do not have information such as an editor's name, a volume or page numbers leave those sections out of your citation.

 "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 .   https://doi.org/DOI if there is one.

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

"Title of Entry."  Title of Encyclopedia or Dictionary , Publisher if known, Copyright Date or Date Updated,   URL. Accessed Day Month Year site was visited .  

"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.

 Note : The date and time the article was last modified appears 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.

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.

 "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.

If there are two authors, cite the the authors as follows (list authors in the order they are given on the page, not alphabetically):

Last Name, First Name of First Author, and First Name Last Name of Second Author.

Example: Smith, James, and Sarah Johnston.

If there are three or more authors, cite only the name of the first author listed with their Last Name, First Name followed by a comma et al.

Example: Smith, James, et al.

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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

Subject Guide

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• Last Updated: Feb 22, 2021 5:29 PM
• URL: https://libguides.shadygrove.umd.edu/citations

Citation Guide: How to cite ENCYCLOPEDIAS

• Citing Sources
• Basics of MLA Citations
• How to cite BOOKS, eBOOKS, CHAPTERS
• How to cite ENCYCLOPEDIAS
• How to cite JOURNALS
• How to cite MAGAZINES
• How to cite NEWSPAPERS
• How to cite WEBSITES
• MLA Style, 9th Edition Overview
• Basics of APA Citations
• In-Text Citations
• How to cite MAGAZINES/ JOURNALS
• APA, 7th Edition
• Annotated Bibliography
• Useful Online Resources
• Research Paper Help
• Citing Visual Content

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.

Elaine Reeves - Online Learning Librarian

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• Last Updated: Sep 12, 2023 9:13 AM
• URL: https://libguides.utoledo.edu/citations

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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• Last Updated: Aug 22, 2023 2:00 PM
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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / Chicago Style / How to Cite an Encyclopedia in Chicago/Turabian

How to Cite an Encyclopedia in Chicago/Turabian

While major dictionaries and encyclopedias are typically only cited in the notes and not in the bibliography in Chicago style, you may need to create a bibliography entry if your instructor requires it or if the work as a whole is important to your topic. This guide will show you how to cite encyclopedias and encyclopedia entries in notes-bibliography style using the 17th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style .

Guide Overview

• Citing a whole encyclopedia
• Citing a print encyclopedia entry
• Citing an online encyclopedia entry
• Citing an encyclopedia entry with an individual author

Citing a Whole Encyclopedia

A whole encyclopedia is cited the same way as a book, and will usually include the editor, edition, and volume information.

Citation Structure:

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.

Citation Example:

1. Karen McGhee and George McKay, Encyclopedia of Animals (Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2007).

McGhee, Karen and George McKay. Encyclopedia of Animals . Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2007.

Citing a Print Encyclopedia Entry

When citing a print encyclopedia entry, the note should include the information about the entry and the bibliography entry (if needed) should cite the encyclopedia as a whole, using the format from the previous section. If the work is arranged alphabetically, include the abbreviation “s.v.” ( sub verbo or under the word ) before the title of the entry in lieu of page numbers.

1. Encyclopedia Title , # ed. vol. #, ed. First Name Last Name (City of publication: Publisher, year of publication), s.v. “Entry Title” or page/section number.

Encyclopedia Title . # ed. # vols. Edited by First Name Last Name. City of publication: Publisher, year of publication.

1. Encyclopedia Britannica , 6th ed. vol. 6, ed. William Smellie (London: Archibald Constable and Company, 1823), s.v. “Chivalry.”

Encyclopedia Britannica , 6th ed. Vol. 6. Edited by William Smellie. London: Archibald Constable and Company, 1823.

Citing an Online Encyclopedia Entry

When citing an online encyclopedia entry, like a print entry, the entry is usually cited only in the notes. A bibliography entry is typically not needed unless required by your instructor.

1. Encyclopedia Title , s.v. “Entry Title,” publication/last modification date or accessed Day Month, Year, URL.

Encyclopedia Title . Publication/last modification date or accessed Day Month, Year. URL.

1. Encyclopedia of Life , s.v. “Cliff Chipmunk,” accessed February 2, 2022, https://eol.org/pages/311544.

Encyclopedia of Life . Accessed February 2, 2022. https://eol.org/pages/311544.

Citing an Encyclopedia Entry with an Individual Author

If you are citing an encyclopedia entry that has an individual author separate from the author or editor of the encyclopedia, the entry’s author should be listed first and the citation will follow a similar structure to a chapter in an book. These types of entries should always be included in the bibliography.

1. Entry Author First name Last name, “Entry Title,” in Encyclopedia Title , ed. Editor First name Last name (City of publication: Publisher, publication year), article published Month Day, Year (if applicable), URL.

1. Entry Author First name Last name, “Entry Title,” in Encyclopedia Title , ed. First Name Last Name, # ed. vol. # (City of publication: Publisher, year of publication), page number(s).

Entry Author Last name, First name. “Entry Title.” In  Encyclopedia Title , edited by Editor First name Last name. City of publication: Publisher, publication year(s). Article published Month Day, Year (if applicable). URL.

Entry Author Last name, First name. “Entry Title.” In  Encyclopedia Title , edited by Editor First name Last name, page number(s). # ed. # vols. City of publication: Publisher, year of publication.

1. Mark Cartwright, “Achilles,” in World History Encyclopedia  (Surrey: World History Foundation, 2009-), article published September 29, 2012, https://www.worldhistory.org/achilles/.

Cartwright, Mark. “Achilles.” In  World History Encyclopedia . Surrey: World History Foundation, 2009-. Article published September 29, 2012. https://www.worldhistory.org/achilles/.

Note:  In this example, the publication date range (2009-) is incomplete since the online encyclopedia still currently ongoing.

Chicago Formatting Guide

Chicago Formatting

• Book Chapter
• Conference Paper
• Musical Recording

Citation Examples

• Thesis or Dissertation
• Encyclopedia
• Sheet Music
• YouTube Video

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In-Text Citations: The Basics

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Note:  This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style  can be found here .

Reference citations in text are covered on pages 261-268 of the Publication Manual. What follows are some general guidelines for referring to the works of others in your essay.

Note:  On pages 117-118, the Publication Manual suggests that authors of research papers should use the past tense or present perfect tense for signal phrases that occur in the literature review and procedure descriptions (for example, Jones (1998)  found  or Jones (1998)  has found ...). Contexts other than traditionally-structured research writing may permit the simple present tense (for example, Jones (1998)  finds ).

APA Citation Basics

When using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text, like, for example, (Jones, 1998). One complete reference for each source should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.

If you are referring to an idea from another work but  NOT  directly quoting the material, or making reference to an entire book, article or other work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication and not the page number in your in-text reference.

On the other hand, if you are directly quoting or borrowing from another work, you should include the page number at the end of the parenthetical citation. Use the abbreviation “p.” (for one page) or “pp.” (for multiple pages) before listing the page number(s). Use an en dash for page ranges. For example, you might write (Jones, 1998, p. 199) or (Jones, 1998, pp. 199–201). This information is reiterated below.

Regardless of how they are referenced, all sources that are cited in the text must appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.

In-text citation capitalization, quotes, and italics/underlining

• Always capitalize proper nouns, including author names and initials: D. Jones.
• If you refer to the title of a source within your paper, capitalize all words that are four letters long or greater within the title of a source:  Permanence and Change . Exceptions apply to short words that are verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs:  Writing New Media ,  There Is Nothing Left to Lose .

( Note:  in your References list, only the first word of a title will be capitalized:  Writing new media .)

• When capitalizing titles, capitalize both words in a hyphenated compound word:  Natural-Born Cyborgs .
• Capitalize the first word after a dash or colon: "Defining Film Rhetoric: The Case of Hitchcock's  Vertigo ."
• If the title of the work is italicized in your reference list, italicize it and use title case capitalization in the text:  The Closing of the American Mind ;  The Wizard of Oz ;  Friends .
• If the title of the work is not italicized in your reference list, use double quotation marks and title case capitalization (even though the reference list uses sentence case): "Multimedia Narration: Constructing Possible Worlds;" "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry."

Short quotations

If you are directly quoting from a work, you will need to include the author, year of publication, and page number for the reference (preceded by "p." for a single page and “pp.” for a span of multiple pages, with the page numbers separated by an en dash).

You can introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses.

If you do not include the author’s name in the text of the sentence, place the author's last name, the year of publication, and the page number in parentheses after the quotation.

Long quotations

Place direct quotations that are 40 words or longer in a free-standing block of typewritten lines and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would begin a new paragraph. Type the entire quotation on the new margin, and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraph within the quotation 1/2 inch from the new margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout, but do not add an extra blank line before or after it. The parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark.

Because block quotation formatting is difficult for us to replicate in the OWL's content management system, we have simply provided a screenshot of a generic example below.

Formatting example for block quotations in APA 7 style.

Quotations from sources without pages

Direct quotations from sources that do not contain pages should not reference a page number. Instead, you may reference another logical identifying element: a paragraph, a chapter number, a section number, a table number, or something else. Older works (like religious texts) can also incorporate special location identifiers like verse numbers. In short: pick a substitute for page numbers that makes sense for your source.

Summary or paraphrase

If you are paraphrasing an idea from another work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference and may omit the page numbers. APA guidelines, however, do encourage including a page range for a summary or paraphrase when it will help the reader find the information in a longer work.