To cite a textbook, you list its author or editors, year, title, edition and publisher in your reference list, then point to it in your text with an author and year or page. Each style arranges those details differently.
This guide shows the exact formats for APA 7th, MLA 9th, Chicago and Harvard, then covers the cases that cause trouble: chapters in edited textbooks, ebooks, organizations as authors and course packs.
The Details Every Textbook Citation Needs
Before you write any citation, collect the author or editor names, year of publication, full title and subtitle, edition (if not the first), publisher, and any DOI or stable link for an ebook. Take them from the title page and copyright page, not the cover.
In APA 7th the core format is: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of textbook (4th ed.). Publisher.
Find the Information You Need First
Most textbook citation errors come from copying details from the cover or a bookshop listing. The title page and the copyright page (the back of the title page) are the reliable sources.
- Authors or editors: note whether people are authors or editors ("edited by" or "Ed.").
- Year: use the year of the edition you used, not the first printing of the first edition.
- Edition: include it from the second edition onwards; "revised" or "updated" editions are also noted.
- Publisher: the publishing house; you can drop words like "Inc." or "Ltd".
- DOI or URL: for an ebook, if it has a DOI.
Use the Edition You Actually Read
Page numbers and content change between editions. Always cite the edition in your hands or on your screen, even if a newer one exists, so a reader can find your quotation.
The examples below use an invented textbook so the format is clear: Foundations of Human Physiology, 4th edition, by Lucy M. Harper and Kwame Osei, published by Northfield Press in 2022.
APA 7th Edition
APA is the usual style in psychology, nursing, education and the social sciences. It uses sentence case for the book title, so only the first word, the first word after a colon and proper nouns take capitals.
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of textbook: Subtitle (xth ed.). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxx
Reference list: Harper, L. M., & Osei, K. (2022). Foundations of human physiology (4th ed.). Northfield Press.
Parenthetical: (Harper & Osei, 2022)
Narrative: Harper and Osei (2022) explain that...
Direct quotation: (Harper & Osei, 2022, p. 112)
For three or more authors, the in-text citation uses the first author and "et al." from the first citation, such as (Harper et al., 2022). The reference list names up to 20 authors.
APA 7th leaves out the publisher's location. For a print textbook or most ebooks there is no need for a format label such as "[Kindle version]"; add a DOI if the book has one.
MLA 9th Edition
MLA is used in literature, languages and the humanities. It uses title case and puts the edition after the title.
Surname, First Name, and First Name Surname. Title of Textbook. xth ed., Publisher, Year.
Works Cited: Harper, Lucy M., and Kwame Osei. Foundations of Human Physiology. 4th ed., Northfield Press, 2022.
In-text: (Harper and Osei 112)
MLA in-text citations give the author and page with no comma and no year. For three or more authors, list the first author followed by "et al." in both the Works Cited entry and the in-text citation, such as (Harper et al. 112).
Chicago Notes and Bibliography
Chicago notes and bibliography is common in history and the arts. You cite with numbered footnotes and list the book in a bibliography at the end.
First footnote: 1. Lucy M. Harper and Kwame Osei, Foundations of Human Physiology, 4th ed. (Northfield Press, 2022), 112.
Shortened note: 2. Harper and Osei, Foundations of Human Physiology, 115.
Bibliography: Harper, Lucy M., and Kwame Osei. Foundations of Human Physiology. 4th ed. Northfield Press, 2022.
The 18th edition of the Chicago Manual of Style made the place of publication optional, which is why it is left out above. If your tutor uses the 17th edition, add the city before the publisher, for example "(London: Northfield Press, 2022)". A long title can be shortened to up to four key words in later notes.
Harvard
Harvard is widely used in UK and Australian universities, but there is no single official version. The example below follows a common UK pattern; always check your library's own Harvard guide.
Reference list: Harper, L.M. and Osei, K. (2022) Foundations of human physiology. 4th edn. Northfield: Northfield Press.
In-text: (Harper and Osei, 2022) or, for a quotation, (Harper and Osei, 2022, p. 112)
Harvard versions differ on small points: whether the year goes in brackets, whether "and" or "&" joins names, and whether the place of publication is included. Consistency with your university's version matters more than any one rule.
Quick Comparison of the Four Styles
| Style | Reference entry | In-text |
|---|---|---|
| APA 7th | Harper, L. M., & Osei, K. (2022). Foundations of human physiology (4th ed.). Northfield Press. | (Harper & Osei, 2022, p. 112) |
| MLA 9th | Harper, Lucy M., and Kwame Osei. Foundations of Human Physiology. 4th ed., Northfield Press, 2022. | (Harper and Osei 112) |
| Chicago 18th | Harper, Lucy M., and Kwame Osei. Foundations of Human Physiology. 4th ed. Northfield Press, 2022. | Footnote with page number |
| Harvard | Harper, L.M. and Osei, K. (2022) Foundations of human physiology. 4th edn. Northfield: Northfield Press. | (Harper and Osei, 2022, p. 112) |
Tricky Textbook Cases
A Chapter in an Edited Textbook
Many textbooks have an editor and chapters written by different authors. Cite the chapter you used, then the book it appears in.
APA 7th: Mensah, R. (2021). Fluid balance in older adults. In J. Carter (Ed.), Adult nursing in practice (2nd ed., pp. 145–168). Northfield Press.
MLA 9th: Mensah, Ruth. "Fluid Balance in Older Adults." Adult Nursing in Practice, edited by Jane Carter, 2nd ed., Northfield Press, 2021, pp. 145–68.
An Edited Textbook as a Whole
If you cite the whole edited book, the editor takes the author position. In APA, add "(Ed.)." or "(Eds.)." after the name, as in Carter, J. (Ed.). (2021). In MLA, add "editor" after the name.
Ebooks and Online Textbook Platforms
In APA 7th, an ebook is cited like a print book; add a DOI if there is one, and leave out the platform or device. Use page numbers if the ebook has stable ones; otherwise cite a chapter or section heading. In MLA, you can add the platform as a second container if it helps a reader find the book.
An Organization as Author
When a body such as a professional association wrote the textbook, use its name as the author. In APA, if the author and publisher are the same, leave the publisher out of the reference.
Custom Editions and Course Packs
A course pack collects chapters from several books. Wherever possible, cite each original chapter and book rather than the pack. If your tutor asks you to cite the pack itself, follow their instructions or your library guide.
Common Textbook Citation Mistakes
| Mistake | Correct approach |
|---|---|
| Leaving out the edition | Include it from the second edition onwards |
| Using the cover instead of the title page | Take details from the title and copyright pages |
| Title case in APA | Use sentence case for book titles in APA |
| Citing the editor for a chapter you read | Cite the chapter author, then the edited book |
| Quotations without page numbers | Add the page or, if none, a section or chapter |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Author, A. A. (Year). Title in sentence case and italics (xth ed.). Publisher. In the text, use (Author, Year), adding p. and the page number for a quotation.
Yes, from the second edition onwards. In APA it goes in brackets after the title, as (4th ed.); in MLA and Chicago it follows the title as 4th ed.
Not in APA 7th, MLA 9th or Chicago 18th. Chicago 17th and many Harvard versions still include it, so check your guide.
If an organization wrote it, use the organization's name. If it truly has no author, start with the title and use a short title in the in-text citation.
In APA 7th, cite it like a print book and add a DOI if it has one. Use page numbers if they are stable; otherwise cite the chapter or section.
If chapters have different authors, cite the chapter author, chapter title and page range, then the edited book. If one author wrote the whole book, cite the whole book and give the page in the in-text citation.
Always the edition you actually used, because page numbers and content change between editions.
Yes, in APA, MLA, Chicago and most Harvard versions the book title is italicized.