Skip to Main Content

How to Cite Resources in APA 7- Adapted for Biblical Studies/Church History: Dictionary/Encyclopedia Entries

by Sharon Ralston

NOTE

Note this is still undergoing final editorial revision, but I believe it does represent a faithful application to all the moving parts involved in adapting and synthesizing the many guidelines of the APA Style Manual and APA Style website to citing these resources and so am publishing this draft. Some sections cited as examples are for guidelines on details not provided in a specific example for a particular kind of work, ie Edited Book Chapters and Entries in Reference Works or how to deal with 3 authors in an entry in a reference work that is pulled from 10.2.30, which example is not otherwise completely relevant. In other words, note that some details in one example are overridden by specific details provided in another example for a certain kind of reference work.   SJR, guide author/editor.

Entry in Reference Book including Dictionaries and Encyclopedias

 APA Manual 8.13, 10.2.47,48 and APA Style website

Style notes: 1. Be sure to adjust the indentation of runover lines in these examples that cannot be adjusted in this software. 2. Page number or other such location information in the in-text citation is not needed when paraphrasing, although it can be included when useful to the reader, such as when citing from a longer work (APA Manual 8.13).

1. Citing an entry in a dictionary, group/publisher author, print edition:

   P:  (Merriam-Webster, 2003, p. 227)   

  R:  Merriam-Webster. (2003). Compassion. In Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary (11th ed., p. 227)

2. Citing an entry in a dictionary, group/publisher author, online work that is continuously updated: 

    P:   (Merriam-Webster, n.d., Definition 2)  

    R:  Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Compassion. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved July 2, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/compassion

3. Citing an entry in a dictionary or encyclopedia, with individual author (ie signed entry), print edition:

   P:  (Wahlen, 2013, p. 366). 

  R:  Wahlen, C. (2013). Healing. In Green, J. B., Brown, J. K., & Perrin, N. (Eds.). Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels: A compendium of contemporary biblical scholarship (2nd ed., pp. 362-370). IVP Academic.

4. Citing an entry in a dictionary or encyclopedia, with individual author (ie signed entry), ebook edition:

   P:  (Wahlen, 2013, p. 366).

   R:  Wahlen, C. (2013). Healing. In Green, J. B., Brown, J. K., & Perrin, N. (Eds.). Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels: A compendium of contemporary biblical scholarship (2nd ed., pp. 362-370). IVP Academic. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=nlebk&AN=633424&site=ehost-live&scope=site&custid=azusa&ebv=EB&ppid=pp_362

(possibly to be added:  OED online)

Entry in a Lexicon/Word Study Dictionary

APA Manual 8.13, 8.17, 10.2.30, 10.2.33, 10.3 intro chart, 10.3.41, 10.3.48, 10.3.39.  See other subsections of 10.3 and the APA Style website for other examples and details

Style notes: 1. Be sure to adjust the indentation of runover lines in these examples that cannot be adjusted in this software. 2. Page number or other such location information in the in-text citation is not needed when paraphrasing, although it can be included when useful to the reader, such as when citing from a longer work (APA Manual 8.13).

1. Citing an entry in a 1-volume edited dictionary, no author on entries, print edition:

     P:   ("Heal, Healing," 2005, p. 472)  

     R:  Heal, Healing. (2005). In S. Renn (Ed.), Expository dictionary of Bible words (pp. 472-474). Hendrickson Publishers.

2. Citing an entry in a multivolume dictionary [lexicon], edited, with individual author (ie signed entry), print edition, entry title in another language [Hebrew here]:

     P:  (Chan et al., 1997, p. 1166)  

         Note: This is now both first and subsequent quoted parenthetical format for in-text citation when 3 authors (See 8.17 for other examples).  

     R:  Chan, R., A.K., Song, T.B., & Brown, L.M. (1997). rp' [heal]. In W. VanGemeren (Ed.), New international dictionary of Old Testament theology & exegesis (Vol. 3, pp. 1162-1173). Zondervan.   

(3. add TDNT )

(4. possibly to be added: lexical entry in STEP Bible online)