Social Work
Documentation Style by Discipline
Generally, students in Social Work follow the guidelines for APA 6th edition; however, some faculty in the department of Social Work at Trent University require students to follow the requirements for APA 5th edition.
In-Text Citation - APA 5th Edition
The requirements for in-text citation are the same for the 5th and 6th editions of The APA Manual of Style. The details are explained on APA Style: How to Create In-Text Citations.
References - APA 5th Edition
Most differences in the requirements for reference lists in the 5th and 6th editions are related to online resources; the 5th edition of APA style requires a notation for the date of retrieval for online materials. There are also differences in how to cite works written by more than six authors and how to cite unpublished materials, including lecture notes.
On this page, we offer examples of references to commonly used resources. The details of formatting the reference list are the same for both editions; they are explained on APA Style: How to Create the References List.
If your professor requires APA 5th edition, they will provide guidelines on citation requirements; check your course syllabus, assignment instructions or Blackboard page for guidelines posted by your professor.
Examples: Common Print Materials
Books with one to six authors
Aronowitz, S., & Giroux, H. A. (1991). Postmodern education: Politics, culture, and social criticism. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.
Books with more than six authors
Brown, D., Harper, H., Friel, M., Ingham, M., Otter, G., Raskin, J., et al. (2008). Basic writing skills. Toronto: McGraw Hill.
Examples: Common Online Materials
Journal article – online database
Glick, D. M. & Orsillo, S. M. (2015, April). An investigation of the efficacy of acceptance-based behavioral therapy for academic procrastination. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 144(2), 400-409. Retrieved January 21, 2016, from ProQuest database.
Article in an Internet-only journal – freely available
Sillick, T. J. & Schuttle, N. S. (2006). Emotional intelligence and self-esteem mediate between perceived early parental love and adult happiness. E-journal of Applied Psychology, 2(2), 38-48. Retrieved February 2, 2016, from http://ojs.lib.swin.ed.au/index.php/ejap
E-Book
Booth, W.C., Colomb, G.G., & Williams, J.M. (2008). The craft of research, 3rd edition. [E-book]. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Retrieved May 4, 2016, from Scholars Portal database.
Website (with author listed)
Ontario Seniors’ Secretariat (2015). Seniors’ Guide. Retrieved April 22, 2016, from http://www.seniors.gov.on.ca/en/seniorsguide/index.php
Website (with no author listed)
Diet for stress management slideshow: Stress-reducing foods. (2012). Retrieved February 2, 2016, from http://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-diet-for-stress-management
Report/Manual
Bascia, N. & Fredua-Kwarteng, E. (2008). Class size reduction: What the literature suggests about what works. Retrieved January 15, 2016, from the Canadian Education Association Web site: http://www.cea-ace.ca/sites/cea-ace.ca/files/cea-2008-class-size-literature.pdf
Lecture materials posted to Blackboard
Stewart Eves, E. (2015). Writing literature reviews [Lecture]. Retrieved March 28, 2016, from https://learn.trentu.ca/bbcswebdav/pid-731185-dt-content-rid-3460720_1/c...
Unpublished lecture notes (from class, not on Blackboard)
Capell, D. (2015, September 8). How to study for exams from day one. Unpublished lecture notes, Trent University, Peterborough, Ontario.
YouTube Video
TrentU ASC. (2013, May 6). Creating an APA title page [Video file]. Retrieved May 9, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9TfirGS6ZI&feature=youtu.be
Updated October 2019