How to Cite Page Numbers in APA

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Page numbers are a small but important part of many APA citations. Fortunately, page numbers are usually only needed at the end of a sentence when citing a specific source. When writing a reference list, you only need page numbers for book chapters and articles. If you’re uncertain whether you need page numbers or not, you can follow a few basic guidelines. When in doubt, however, include a page number if you have one.

Template and Examples

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Using In-Text Citations

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  1. Use the exact page that the fact or quote appeared on. If it appeared on more than 1 page, record the entire page range. You can usually find page numbers on the top or bottom corner of a page. [1]
    • For example, if you found a quote on page 10 of a book, cite page 10.
    • If the information was spread over several pages, include all of them. So you might cite pages 10-16.
    • Sometimes, page numbers might have letters like "B1" or use Roman numerals like "iv" or "xi." In these cases, always use the type of numbering used by the source.
  2. You do not need to include the page numbers in the text of the sentence itself. This sentence should include the information on the pages that you found. [2]
    • If you name the author in the sentence, write the year that the source was published in parentheses next to the author’s name. For example, you might write, “Smith (2010) showed that poor hygiene was correlated with low self-esteem.”
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  3. Put the parentheses before the period. How you format the citation depends on whether or not you named the author in the sentence. [3]
    • If you named the author in the sentence, just put the page number at the end of the sentence. For example, “Smith (2010) showed that poor hygiene was correlated with low self-esteem (p. 40).”
    • If you did not name the author within the text of the sentence, include the author’s last name and the year of publication before the page number in the parentheses. For example, “One study showed that poor hygiene was correlated with low self-esteem (Smith, 2010, p. 40).”
  4. If you are only citing information from a single page, you just need to put the "p." before the page number. If there are multiple consecutive pages, write "pp." before the number instead of "p." Separate the page numbers with a hyphen. [4]
    • A single page number citation might look like (Smith, 2010, p. 40) or (p. 40).
    • A citation for multiple, sequential pages might look like (Smith, 2010, pp. 40-45) or (pp. 40-45).
  5. If the information you need is on 2 or more non-consecutive pages, you should still cite all of the relevant pages. Use "pp." before the page numbers. For example, if the information started on page 40 but then continued on page 45, you would write (Smith, 2010, pp. 40, 45). [5]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Writing a Reference List

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  1. Find the full page range of the book chapter or article. Don’t just cite the few pages that you used. Look for the first and last page number of the article. This is the page range. So if a chapter begins on page 27 and ends on page 45, your page range is 27 - 45. [6]
    • Newspaper articles may have page numbers that include letters (such as 1A or B3) while prefaces may use roman numerals (like i, ii, iii, etc.). Always use the numbering system used by the source.
    • If the article skips pages, write down where the pages begin and end in both sections. Put a comma between these page numbers. For example, 15-20, 25-30.
    • Make sure to include reference lists, appendixes, and other supplementary material in your page range. So if the text of the article ends on page 173 but the appendix ends on page 180, then the page range ends on page 180.
  2. The format of the citation depends on the type of source you use. Since page numbers are generally only used for book chapters and articles, you can use the following guidelines to help you cite. [7]
    • Book chapter: Last name, First Initial. Second Initial (if applicable). (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In A. Editor & B. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pages of chapter). Location: Publisher.
    • Article: Author, A. & Author, B. (Year). Title of article. Title of periodical, volume number (issue number), pages of article.
  3. Put the page numbers in parentheses, and separate them with a hyphen. Write “pp.” before the number. For example, if you were citing a chapter between pages 41 and 63, your citation might look like this: [8]
    • Williams, B. and Johnson, A. (1990). Traffic Patterns and Urban Spread. in C. Carr (Ed.), Traffic Engineering Trends (pp. 41-63). New York: ZMN Publishing.
  4. Do not use “p.” or “pp.” before the page number. Just separate the first and last page with a hyphen. So if you cited a journal article that appeared on pages 5-23, it might look like this: [9]
    • Roberts, R. (2013). Managing Traffic in the Southwest. Traffic Engineering, 23 (2), 5-23.
  5. Page numbers from a newspaper are cited slightly differently than other types of articles, such as journal or magazine articles. Before the page numbers, write “p.” for a single page and “pp.” for multiple pages. List out the pages individually if they are non-consecutive. For example, you might cite an article that starts on page B1 and continues through pages B3 and B4 as: [10]
    • Diaz, C. (2016, June 26). “Traffic in the City,” The Times Morning Gazette , pp. B1, B3-B4.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Knowing When to Use Page Numbers

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  1. If you have included data, statistics, or other numbers from a scientific study, you should indicate which page of the study this information appeared in. [11]
    • For example, you might write, “According to Jones (2006), 5% of people were on social media 5 or more hours a day (p. 207).”
  2. Write the page numbers after the quotation marks but before the period. You should do this with quotes from all books, articles, and chapters. For example, you might write: [12]
    • Jones (2006) stated that “the top 5% of users were on social media for 5 or more hours every day” (p. 207).
  3. Paraphrasing means that you are restating the author’s general ideas, arguments, or results in your own words. You do not need page numbers in this case, but they will be helpful if you are paraphrasing a specific section from a very long or complicated work. For example, you might say: [13]
    • “Jones (2006) indicated that addictive behaviors could be seen in a small population of excessive users (p. 207).”
  4. If you are quoting or citing a website or a source without page numbers, you should use paragraph numbers instead. You generally only need to do this when citing specific data and quotes. You do not need to put the paragraph number in the reference list. [14]
    • You can cite a paragraph the same way as a page number, except you write “para.” instead of “p.” So if you were quoting paragraph 3, it would look like (para. 3) or even (James, 2007, para. 3).
    • To find the paragraph number, count from the top paragraph down to the paragraph you are citing. So a quote from the third paragraph would be cited as paragraph 3.
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  • Question
    If you provide an in-text citation, do you not need to provide an additional reference for that source at the bottom of the page?
    LibArtsPremed18
    Top Answerer
    In APA, your sources should be cited both in text and in a reference list in its own page at the end of the paper. Do not use footnotes in APA style.
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  • Question
    My edition of the APA guide (6th edition) uses an en dash and not a hyphen in page ranges, but you use a short dash or hyphen. Does this mean it is OK to use either in APA style?
    LibArtsPremed18
    Top Answerer
    The current edition of APA is the 7th, which also has an en dash. It probably does not matter, but you should check with your instructor/professor to be certain of their standards.
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  • Question
    In citing a page number in a reference, the author did this: 384 pp. What does the double p mean?
    LibArtsPremed18
    Top Answerer
    pp normally refers to multiple pages. For example, p.2 vs pp. 2-7. It can also describe the length of something. For example, a 350 page book could be described as 350 pp., but length is not a part of an APA citation.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/quotations/page-numbers
      2. ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_the_basics.html
      3. ↑ https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/quotations/page-numbers
      4. ↑ https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/quotations/page-numbers
      5. ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_the_basics.html
      6. ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_the_basics.html
      7. ↑ https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/apaquickguide/books
      8. ↑ https://libraryguides.vu.edu.au/apa-referencing/7Books
      9. ↑ https://guides.library.uq.edu.au/referencing/apa7/reference-list
      1. ↑ https://guides.library.uq.edu.au/referencing/apa7/reference-list
      2. ↑ https://www.lib.sfu.ca/help/cite-write/citation-style-guides/apa/tables-figures
      3. ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_the_basics.html
      4. ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_the_basics.html
      5. ↑ https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/apaquickguide/intext

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To cite page numbers in APA using in-text citations, start by identifying the page number or numbers of your source. Then, write the page number or numbers in parentheses at the end of the corresponding sentence in your paper. Put "p." before the page number if you're citing information from a single page, and use "pp." for multiple consecutive pages. Be sure to separate a range of page numbers with a hyphen! If you didn't name the author within the text of the sentence, you'll also need to include the author’s last name and the publication year before the page numbers in the parentheses. For example, “One study showed that poor hygiene was correlated with low self-esteem (Smith, 2010, p. 40).” A single page number citation might look like (Smith, 2010, p. 40) or (p. 40). A citation for multiple sequential pages might look like (Smith, 2010, pp. 40-45) or (pp. 40-45). To learn how to cite information from 2 or more non-consecutive pages, read on!

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