How to Make an APA Style Reference for a Student Handbook
Citing any source in APA format requires basic information about when and where the source was published. The key, of course, is to put these details in the correct order. To properly cite a student handbook in APA style, follow the format for a pamphlet.
In Text Citation
Student handbooks usually don’t have an actual author listed. In that case, when citing the source in text, identify the title first and follow that with the year of publication. For example: Students at Central High are not allowed to leave campus during lunch periods (Central High School Handbook [in italics], 2013). If there is an author listed, mention the author first, then the date of publication. For example: Superintendent Williams (2013) insists that Central students are not allowed to leave campus during lunch periods.
Reference Page
If the handbook has an author, list the author’s last name first, then the initials of the first name, then the year in parentheses, the title in italics, the type of publication in brackets, the location where the handbook was published and publisher. For example: Williams, S. (2013). Central High School Student Handbook (in italics). [Pamphlet]. Chicago, Illinois: Central High School. If no author is listed, use the same format but start with the title: Central High School Student Handbook (in italics). (2013). Chicago, Illinois: Central High School.
References
- Publication of the American Psychological Association, 6th Edition; American Psychological Association.
Writer Bio
Kimberly Yates has been both writing and teaching since 1997. She has been published in a variety of magazines, including "The Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine" and "Woman's World." She has a Bachelor's degree in English and a Masters in English education.
