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APA 7th ed. - Referencing Tool

Referencing - Databases with proprietary or original content

In general, APA style does not require that you reference a database, however the exception to this is when a database contains original or proprietary information that is generally not available elsewhere.

This page provides examples of how to reference databases that contain original, proprietary content. Use the tabs below to navigate to specific examples.

Include the date retrieved when a database updates the content regularly

Include the URL to the resource in the Library database or to the home page of the database

"When the author and publisher are the same, omit the publisher from the source element" (American Psychological Association, 2020, p. 324).

American Herbal Pharmacopoeia

  • - American Herbal Pharmacopoeia publishes a collection of monographs on specific herbs. These monographs have multiple editors.
  • - Follow standards used for a book with editors, two editors, or three or more editors, as appropriate.

Example

Author. (Eds.). (Year). Monograph title. American Herbal Pharmacopoeia. URL

In text example

 Reference list example

 In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): 

(Romm & Upton, 2012, p. 2)
 
 
 
 

Romm, A., & Upton, R. (Eds.). (2012). Blue cohosh root and   rhizome. American Herbal Pharmacopoeia. 

https://library.torrens.edu.au/ld.php?content_id=908864

 

 

 

For further information see:

Cochrane Review

  • - Similar to an online journal article, just use the publication year as the volume

Example

Author Surname, First Initial, Second Initial. (Year). Article title: subtitle. Cochrane Database of Systematic 
Reviews, year(issue), page range. doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxx

In text example

 Reference list example

 

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): 

(Strobel et al., 2022, para. 4)
     
In-Text Citation (Quotation):
 
(Strobel et al., 2022, para. 4)
 

Strobel, N.A., Chamberlain, C., Campbell, S.K., Shields, L., Bainbridge, R.G., Adams, C., Edmond, K.M., Marriott, R., & McCalman, J. (2022). Family-centred interventions for Indigenous early childhood well-being by primary healthcare services. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2022(12). https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012463.pub2

eMIMS

  • If you are referencing a drug interaction, replace the drug title with the title of the interaction as per the example in the table below. 
  • Title of the database is in italics

In-Text citation

(Authors, year, Drug title)

Reference List

eMIMS (Online)

Author. (Year). Drug title. In Title of Reference source. Retrieved date, from URL of homepage if not freely available from the internet

eMIMS (Software)

Author. (Year). Drug title. In Title of Reference source (Version No.). [Computer software]. 

In text example

 Reference list example

eMIMs online

Drug monograph:

(Mims Australia, 2018, Panadol tablets)     

    
Interactions checker
 
(Mims Australia, 2023, Mesalazine ↔ Mercaptopurine monohydrate) 
 
 
eMIMS (Software)
 
Drug monograph:
(Mims Australia, 2018, Panadol tablets)

 

 

Mims Australia. (2018). Panadol tablets. In eMims. Retrieved December 16, 2022, from http://www.emims.com.au

 

 

Mims Australia. (2023). Mesalazine ↔ Mercaptopurine monohydrate. In eMims Interaction Checker. Retrieved November 22, 2023, from http://www.emims.com.au

 

 

Mims Australia. (2018). Panadol tablets. In eMIMS (Version 5.0). [Computer Software]. 

 

Foodworks.online

  • Include the retrieval date
  • You may be asked by your lecturer to add any content you generate using Foodworks as an appendix to your assessment. Please see below for how to reference this in-text

 

In text example

 Reference list example

 In-Text Citation (with Appendix)

 (Xyris, 2024; see Appendix A)                                                   

In-Text citation (without Appendix)

(Xyris, 2024)

 

 

Xyris. (2024). Foodworks.online. Retrieved July 17, 2024, from https://foodworks.online

 

IBISWorld

IBISWorld publishes original company and industry research reports. Follow the APA style guidelines for referencing a report and include information about the database. 

 

Example:

Author, A. (year). Title of report. Publisher name. https://doi.org/xxxx OR URL

In text example

 Reference list example

 In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): 

(Ledovskikh, 2023, SWOT, para. 3)
 
 

Ledovskikh, A., (2023). Domestic Airlines in Australia. IBISWorld. https://my.ibisworld.com/au/en/industry/i4902/industry-at-a-glance#swot-in-the-industry    

 

Joanna Briggs Database

  • - Joanna Briggs Database publishes Best Practice Information Sheets, Consumer Information Sheets, Evidence Summaries, Recommended Practices, Systematic Review Protocols, Systematic Reviews and Technical Reports.
  • - Follow format used for a journal article when referencing Best Practice Information Sheets, Systematic Reviews and Technical Reports. 
  • - For Systematic Review Protocols, Consumer Information Sheets, Evidence Summaries and Recommended Practices give the type of resource in square brackets
  • - Look for the cite button within the database to find the persistent URL for the resource

 

JBI Evidence Summary or Recommended Practice Example

Author, A. A. (Year). Title: Subtitle [Evidence Summary]. Database name. URL

Author, A. A. (Year). Title: Subtitle [Evidence Based Recommended Practice]. Database name. URL

 

JBI Best Practice Information Sheets & Systematic Reviews

Author, A.A. (Date). Title of article: Subtitle of article. Title of Journal, volume(issue), page range. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/xxxx OR URL

In text example

 Reference list example

 

Evidence Summary

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): 

(Porritt & Pearson, 2024, p. 2)

 

 

 

Evidence Based Recommended Practice

 In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Joanna Briggs Institute, 2022, p. 1)

 

 

Systematic Review

In-text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Sandy-Hodgetts & Watts, 2015, p. 257)

 

 

 

 

Best Practice Information Sheet

In-text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Kassam et.al., 2022, pp. 2-3)

 

Porritt, K., & Pearson, V. (2024). Heart failure with sinus rhythm: Anticoagulant therapy. [Evidence Summaries]. Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database. http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&PAGE=reference&D=jbi&NEWS=N&AN=JBI23279

 

 

Joanna Briggs Institute. (2022). Acupuncture: Managing hot flashes for people with cancer. [Evidence Based Recommended Practice]. Joanna Briggs Institute EBP Database. http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&PAGE=reference&D=jbi&NEWS=N&AN=JBI16573

 

 

Sandy-Hodgetts, K., & Watts, R. (2015). Effectiveness of negative pressure wound therapy/closed incision management in the prevention of post-surgical wound complications: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JBI Database of Systematic Reviews and Implementation Reports, 13(1), 253-303. http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&PAGE=reference&D=jbi&NEWS=N&AN=JBI12365

 

 

Kassam, S., Butcher, D., & Marcellus, L. (2022). Experiences of nurses caring for involuntary migrant maternal women. Best Practice: Evidence Based Information Sheets for Health Professionals, 24(5), 1-5.  http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&PAGE=reference&D=jbi&NEWS=N&AN=JBI117487

 

Merck Manual

Online version
 
The professional online version of the Merck Manual should be formatted as an entry in an encyclopedia or reference work. The manual is updated regularly so a retrieved date should be included in the reference. 
 

Author. (Year). Article or chapter title. In MSD manual professional edition. Merck & Co, Inc. Retrieved date, from URL

 

Print or e-book version

The print version of the Merck manual is referenced as chapters in a book with separate authors. 

Author. (Year). Article or chapter title. In Editor First Initial. Second Initial. Surname (Ed.), Book title: Subtitle (pp. page range of article or chapter). Publisher. URL (if ebook)
 

 

In text example

 Reference list example

 Online example:

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): 

(Ansari, 2022, Etiology, para. 1)

 

 

 

Print or eBook example:

In-text Citation (Paraphrase):

(O'Connor, 2018, Diagnosis, para. 2)

 

Ansari, P. (2022). Acute abdominal pain. In MSD manual professional edition. Merck & Co, Inc. Retrieved December 16, 2022, from https://www.msdmanuals.com/professional/gastrointestinal-disorders/acute-abdomen-and-surgical-gastroenterology/acute-abdominal-pain

 

O'Connor, R., (2018). Critical care medicine: Cardiac arrest and cardiopulmonary resuscitation. In R.S. Porter et al. (eds.). (20th ed.). The Merck manual of diagnosis and therapy. Wiley-Blackwell. https://www-r2library-com.torrens.idm.oclc.org/resource/detail/0911910425/ch0068s1745

 

Natural Medicines

  • - Include as much information as is available. Information that is not available, simply omit.
  • - If you have many citations from this database from the same year,  alphabetize the entries by the title and call them 2011a, 2011b, and so forth, in both the reference list entries and the text citations.

In text example

 Reference list example

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): 

(Therapeutic Research Centre, 2023, Overview, para. 2)
     
 
Interactions checker:
 
(Therapeutic Research Centre, Primrose ↔ Gilas results summary)

Therapeutic Research Centre. (2023). Ayurveda [Monograph]. In NatMed. Retrieved April 27, 2023, from https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/

 

Therapeutic Research Centre. (2023). Primrose ↔ Gilas. In NatMed Interaction Checker. Retrieved April 27, 2023, from https://naturalmedicines.therapeuticresearch.com/

 

nPod

  • - nPod publishes information on herbs and related commercial products.
  • - Make sure you include the retrieval date as information on nPod can change quite frequently

In-text 

(Author, Year, Title of reference entry)

Reference list

Author. (Year). Title of reference entry. In nPod. Retrieved Date of retrieval, from URL of homepage if not freely available from the internet

In text example

 Reference list example

 In-Text Citation: 

 
(Naturopathic Product Database, 2018, Metagenics ThyroCalm 60t)
 

 

Naturopathic Product Database. (2018). Metagenics ThyroCalm 60t. In nPod. Retrieved September 5, 2018, from  https://www.npod.com.au.

 

StatPearls

  • - Point of care clinical support tool for health practitioners.

Example

Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year). Monograph title. StatPearls. URL

 

In text example

 Reference list example

 

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): 

(Sapra & Bhandari, 2023, Etiology, para. 3)                                                                   

 

 

 

 

Sapra, A., & Bhandari, P. (2023). Diabetes. StatPearls. Retrieved May 17, 2024, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551501/

 
   

WGSN

WGSN publishes original trend and forecasting reports that are only available through the WGSN database. Follow the APA style guidelines for referencing a report and also include information about the database within the reference list entry. 

Example:

Author, A. A. (year). Title of report. Publisher name. https://doi.org/xxxx OR URL

 

 

 

In text example

 Reference list example

 In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): 

 (Bang & Cortesi, 2023, p. 3)
 
 

Bang, M., & Cortesi, E. (2023). Sustainability bulletin: January 2023. WGSN. https://www.wgsn.com/fd/article/6391cd39995aec17a447658c#page3