How to Quote From a Book
Quoting from a book is essential for academic writing, literary analysis, and effective communication of ideas. Proper quotation not only lends credibility to your work but also allows you to engage with and build upon the thoughts of others. However, quoting from a book involves more than simply copying and pasting text.
Effective quoting requires careful selection of relevant passages, accurate transcription, proper formatting, and appropriate citation. It’s about integrating another author’s words into your writing while giving due credit and maintaining the context and integrity of the original text.
How to Cite a Quote from a Book
Citing a quote from a book correctly is crucial for academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism. The specific format for citation depends on the style guide you’re using (e.g., APA, MLA, Chicago), but here are the general principles:
In-text citation
When you quote directly from a book, you must include an in-text citation immediately after the quote. This typically includes the author’s last name and the page number where the quote appears.
Examples
APA style: “The quote goes here” (Smith, 2020, p. 45).
MLA style: “The quote goes here” (Smith 45).
Reference list or bibliography
You must also include a full reference to the book in your reference list or bibliography at the end of your paper. This includes more detailed information about the source.
Examples
APA style: Smith, J. (2020). Title of the book. Publisher.
MLA style: Smith, John. Title of the Book. Publisher, 2020.
Quotation marks: Always enclose the direct quote in quotation marks.
Block quotes: Use block quote formatting for longer quotes (usually more than 40 words in APA or 4 lines in MLA). Indent the entire quote and omit quotation marks.
Ellipsis and brackets: Use an ellipsis (…) to indicate omitted words within a quote. Use brackets [ ] to add clarifying information within a quote.
| Element | APA Style | MLA Style | Chicago Style |
| In-text citation | (Author, Year, p. #) | (Author #) | (Author Year, Page) |
| Example | (Smith, 2020, p. 45) | (Smith 45) | (Smith 2020, 45) |
| Quotation marks | “Quote” | “Quote” | “Quote” |
| Block quote threshold | 40+ words | 4+ lines | 100+ words |
| Block quote format | Indented 0.5″, no quotes | Indented 0.5″, no quotes | Indented 0.5″, smaller font |
| Reference list format | Author, A. (Year). Title. Publisher. | Author, First Name. Title. Publisher, Year. | Author, First Name. Title. Place: Publisher, Year. |
| Page numbers in reference | Not included | Not included | Included for some source types |
Book Citation Formats
Proper citation of books is crucial in academic writing, ensuring that you credit the original authors and allow readers to locate your sources. The format of book citations varies depending on the style guide you’re following. Here’s an overview of how to cite books in three major citation styles:
APA Style (7th Edition)
In APA format, book citations emphasize the publication date. The basic format is:
Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for the subtitle. Publisher Name.
Example: Smith, J. D. (2020). The Art of Citation: A comprehensive guide to academic writing. Scholarly Press.
| Element | Format |
| Basic Format | Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for the subtitle. Publisher Name. |
| Example | Smith, J. D. (2020). The art of citation: A comprehensive guide to academic writing. Scholarly Press. |
| Two Authors | Smith, J. D., & Jones, M. L. (2020). |
| Three to Twenty Authors | List all authors’ names |
| More Than Twenty Authors | List the first nineteen, then use an ellipsis (…), and add the last author’s name |
| Edited Book | Smith, J. D. (Ed.). (2020). |
| Chapter in Edited Book | Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xx-xx). Publisher. |
| E-book | Include DOI if available. If no DOI, include the URL. |
MLA Style
MLA format places more emphasis on the author and title. The basic format is:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date.
Example: Smith, John D. The Art of Citation: A Comprehensive Guide to Academic Writing. Scholarly Press, 2020.
| Element | Format |
| Basic Format | Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Publication Date. |
| Example | Smith, John D. The Art of Citation: A Comprehensive Guide to Academic Writing. Scholarly Press, 2020. |
| Two Authors | Smith, John D., and Mary L. Jones. |
| Three or More Authors | Smith, John D., et al. |
| Edited Book | Smith, John D., editor. The Art of Citation. Scholarly Press, 2020. |
| Chapter in Edited Book | Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Chapter.” Title of Book, edited by Editor’s Name, Publisher, Year, pp. xx-xx. |
| E-book | Include the database or website name and URL if no stable URL is available. |
Chicago Style
Chicago style offers two citation systems: notes and bibliography (NB) and author-date. For the bibliography format:
Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book: Subtitle of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication.
Example: Smith, John D. The Art of Citation: A Comprehensive Guide to Academic Writing. New York: Scholarly Press, 2020.
| Element | Format |
| Basic Format | Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book: Subtitle of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. |
| Example | Smith, John D. The Art of Citation: A Comprehensive Guide to Academic Writing. New York: Scholarly Press, 2020. |
| Multiple Authors (up to ten) | List all authors |
| More Than Ten Authors | List the first seven, followed by et al. |
| Edited Book | Smith, John D., ed. The Art of Citation. New York: Scholarly Press, 2020. |
| Chapter in Edited Book | Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Chapter Title.” In Book Title, edited by Editor’s Name, xx-xx. Place: Publisher, Year. |
| E-book | Include DOI or URL. For books consulted online, include the access date. |
How to Cite an Entire Book
Here’s how to cite an entire book in three major citation styles:
| Element | APA Style (7th ed.) | MLA Style (9th ed.) | Chicago Style (17th ed.) |
| Basic Format | Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work: Subtitle. Publisher. | Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year. | Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book: Subtitle. Place: Publisher, Year. |
| Example | Smith, J. D. (2020). The art of citation: A comprehensive guide. Scholarly Press. | Smith, John D. The Art of Citation: A Comprehensive Guide. Scholarly Press, 2020. | Smith, John D. The Art of Citation: A Comprehensive Guide. New York: Scholarly Press, 2020. |
| E-book with DOI | Add DOI at the end: https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxxx | Not typically included | Add DOI at the end: https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxxx |
| E-book without DOI | Add URL (no “Retrieved from”) | Add database or website name | Add URL and access date |
| Title Capitalization | Sentence case | Title case | Title case |
| Publisher Location | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Hanging Indent | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Key points to remember:
- Always include the author’s name, book title, publisher, and year of publication.
- For e-books, include a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) if available or a URL if no DOI exists.
- Capitalize titles according to the specific style guide rules.
- Pay attention to punctuation and formatting details, as they differ between styles.
How to Cite a Specific Book Edition
Citing a specific book edition is important when the content may vary between editions. Here’s how to cite a specific book edition in three major citation styles:
| Element | APA Style (7th ed.) | MLA Style (9th ed.) | Chicago Style (17th ed.) |
| Basic Format | Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work (nth ed.). Publisher. | Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Nth ed., Publisher, Year. | Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Nth ed. Place: Publisher, Year. |
| Example | Smith, J. D. (2020). The art of citation (3rd ed.). Scholarly Press. | Smith, John D. The Art of Citation. 3rd ed., Scholarly Press, 2020. | Smith, John D. The Art of Citation. 3rd ed. New York: Scholarly Press, 2020. |
| Edition Abbreviation | ed. | ed. (spelled out: edition) | ed. |
| Edition Placement | In parentheses after title | After the title, before the publisher | After the title, before the place |
| Revised Edition | (Rev. ed.) | Revised edition | Rev. ed. |
| E-book with DOI | Add DOI at the end | Not typically included | Add DOI at the end |
| Title Capitalization | Sentence case | Title case | Title case |
| Publisher Location | Not included | Not included | Included |
Key points:
- Include the edition number after the title.
- Use “ed.” for the edition in APA and Chicago styles.
- In MLA, spell out “edition” and lowercase it.
- For revised editions, use “Rev. ed.” in APA and Chicago and “Revised edition” in MLA.
- Always follow the most recent guidelines of your chosen style guide.
How to Cite a Book Chapter
Citing a specific chapter from an edited book requires a slightly different format than citing an entire book. Here’s how to cite a book chapter in three major citation styles:
| Element | APA Style (7th ed.) | MLA Style (9th ed.) | Chicago Style (17th ed.) |
| Basic Format | Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. xxx-xxx). Publisher. | Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Chapter.” Title of Book, edited by Editor’s Name, Publisher, Year, pp. xx-xx. | Author’s Last Name, First Name. “Title of Chapter.” In Title of Book, edited by Editor’s First Name Last Name, page range. Place: Publisher, Year. |
| Example | Smith, J. D., & Jones, M. L. (2020). The importance of proper citation. In A. Johnson & B. Williams (Eds.), Academic writing guide (pp. 50-75). Scholarly Press. | Smith, John D., and Mary L. Jones. “The Importance of Proper Citation.” Academic Writing Guide, edited by Alan Johnson and Beth Williams, Scholarly Press, 2020, pp. 50-75. | Smith, John D., and Mary L. Jones. “The Importance of Proper Citation.” In Academic Writing Guide, edited by Alan Johnson and Beth Williams, 50-75. New York: Scholarly Press, 2020. |
| Chapter Title Format | No quotation marks | In quotation marks | In quotation marks |
| Book Title Format | Italicized | Italicized | Italicized |
| Editor Format | (Eds.) | edited by | edited by |
| Page Range Format | (pp. xxx-xxx) | pp. xx-xx | xx-xx |
| Publisher Location | Not included | Not included | Included |
Key points:
- Include the chapter author(s) and the book editor(s).
- Provide the page range for the specific chapter.
- The book title is italicized in APA and Chicago styles, but the chapter title is not.
- In MLA style, the book and chapter titles are in quotation marks.
- Always follow the most recent guidelines of your chosen style guide.
How to Cite an Online Book
Citing an online book follows similar principles to citing a print book, with some additional elements to indicate its online nature. Here’s how to cite an online book in three major citation styles:
| Element | APA Style (7th ed.) | MLA Style (9th ed.) | Chicago Style (17th ed.) |
| Basic Format | Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher. URL or DOI | Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher, Year. Name of Database or Website. | Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Place: Publisher, Year. URL or DOI. |
| Example | Smith, J. D. (2020). The art of citation. Scholarly Press. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxxx | Smith, John D. The Art of Citation. Scholarly Press, 2020. Google Books. | Smith, John D. The Art of Citation. New York: Scholarly Press, 2020. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxxx |
| DOI/URL | Include DOI if available; otherwise, URL | Not typically included | Include DOI if available; otherwise, URL |
| Database/Website | Not included | Include after-publication info | Not typically included |
| Access Date | Not included unless content may change | Not included | Include if no publication date |
| Publisher Location | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Title Capitalization | Sentence case | Title case | Title case |
| Hanging Indent | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Key points:
- Include a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) if available; if not, use the URL.
- In APA, do not include “Retrieved from” before the URL unless the content may change.
- In MLA, include the name of the database or website after the publication information.
- In Chicago style, include the access date if no publication date is available.
- Always follow the most recent guidelines of your chosen style guide.
How to Cite a Translated Book
Citing a translated book requires including information about both the original author and the translator. Here’s how to cite a translated book in three major citation styles:
| Element | APA Style (7th ed.) | MLA Style (9th ed.) | Chicago Style (17th ed.) |
| Basic Format | Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book (T. Translator, Trans.). Publisher. (Original work published Year) | Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Translated by Translator’s Name, Publisher, Year. | Author’s Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Translated by Translator’s Name. Place: Publisher, Year. |
| Example | Piaget, J. (1969). The psychology of the child (H. Weaver, Trans.). Basic Books. (Original work published 1966) | Piaget, Jean. The Psychology of the Child. Translated by Helen Weaver, Basic Books, 1969. | Piaget, Jean. The Psychology of the Child. Translated by Helen Weaver. New York: Basic Books, 1969. |
| Translator’s Name | (T. Translator, Trans.) | Translated by Translator’s Name | Translated by Translator’s Name |
| Original Publication Year | Included at end | Not required in the citation | Not required in the citation |
| Publisher Location | Not included | Not included | Included |
| Title Capitalization | Sentence case | Title case | Title case |
| Hanging Indent | Yes | Yes | Yes |
Key points:
- Include the translator’s name in all formats.
- In APA, include the original publication year at the end of the citation.
- In MLA and Chicago, you can include the original publication year in the text if relevant, but it’s not required in the citation.
- Always follow the most recent guidelines of your chosen style guide.
