To cite a book, give the author, year, title, edition and publisher, then point to the exact page, table or equation you used. Each style arranges those parts differently.
STEM students cite books constantly: textbooks for theory, handbooks for material properties and edited volumes for specialist chapters. This page shows the same sources in IEEE, APA 7, Harvard and Vancouver. All names and titles are illustrative.
What Every Book Reference Needs
Every book reference needs the author or editor, the year, the title, the edition (if not the first) and the publisher. Harvard, IEEE and Vancouver also give the place of publication; APA 7 does not.
In the text, add a page, table or equation number whenever you take a specific value, method or quotation from the book.
One Textbook in Four Styles
Here is a third-edition textbook by one author, formatted for each style.
IEEE
[1] R. Patel, Introduction to Control Systems, 3rd ed. London, U.K.: Example Press, 2021.
APA 7
Patel, R. (2021). Introduction to control systems (3rd ed.). Example Press.
Harvard (Cite Them Right pattern)
Patel, R. (2021) Introduction to control systems. 3rd edn. London: Example Press.
Vancouver
1. Patel R. Introduction to control systems. 3rd ed. London: Example Press; 2021.
| Feature | IEEE | APA 7 | Harvard | Vancouver |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Author name | Initials first | Surname, initials | Surname, initials | Surname initials, no full stops |
| Title case | Title case, italic | Sentence case, italic | Sentence case, italic | Sentence case, plain |
| Edition | 3rd ed. | (3rd ed.) | 3rd edn. | 3rd ed. |
| Place of publication | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| List order | Order cited | Alphabetical | Alphabetical | Order cited |
A Chapter in an Edited Book
When a book has an editor and each chapter has its own author, cite the chapter you used, not the whole book.
IEEE
[2] H. Moss, "Sensor fusion," in Robotics Handbook, T. Lin, Ed. New York, NY, USA: Example Books, 2020, pp. 101–128.
APA 7
Moss, H. (2020). Sensor fusion. In T. Lin (Ed.), Robotics handbook (pp. 101–128). Example Books.
Harvard
Moss, H. (2020) 'Sensor fusion', in Lin, T. (ed.) Robotics handbook. New York: Example Books, pp. 101–128.
Vancouver
2. Moss H. Sensor fusion. In: Lin T, editor. Robotics handbook. New York: Example Books; 2020. p. 101-28.
Note the small differences: APA puts the editor's initials first, Harvard puts them after the surname, and Vancouver writes "editor" in full and shortens the final page number.
Pinpointing Pages, Tables and Equations
When you use a specific value, method or equation, point the reader to exactly where it is. This is expected practice in technical writing, even when quoting is not involved.
| Style | In-text example |
|---|---|
| IEEE | [1, p. 214] or [1, Eq. (7.12)] |
| APA 7 | (Patel, 2021, p. 214) |
| Harvard | (Patel, 2021, p. 214) |
| Vancouver | A superscript or bracketed number, with the page if your guide asks for it |
Always cite the edition you actually used. Page numbers, equation numbers and sometimes tabulated values change between editions.
Technical and Data Handbooks
Handbooks of material properties, constants or design formulas are cited like other books. Many have an editor rather than an author, or an organization as author.
APA 7, edited handbook
Lin, T. (Ed.). (2020). Robotics handbook. Example Books.
IEEE, citing a table
Yield strengths were taken from [4, Table 3.2].
Because you usually take a single value from a handbook, give the table or page number in the citation every time.
Ebooks and Online Textbooks
Most styles cite an ebook like the print version, adding a DOI or URL where one exists. If the ebook has no fixed page numbers, give a chapter or section number instead.
APA 7
Patel, R. (2021). Introduction to control systems (3rd ed.). Example Press. https://doi.org/10.1000/book123
Harvard
Patel, R. (2021) Introduction to control systems. 3rd edn. London: Example Press. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1000/book123 (Accessed: 6 October 2026).
Harvard versions differ on whether a DOI needs an access date. Follow your university's own guide.
A Book Citation in a Design Report
Here is how book citations look inside a short passage of an engineering report written in IEEE style.
"The controller gains were tuned with the Ziegler-Nichols method [1, pp. 302–305], and sensor noise was modeled following the approach in [2]. The yield strength of the bracket material was taken from [4, Table 3.2]."
Each citation points to a page range, a chapter or a table, so a reader can check every method and value. In APA or Harvard, the same passage would read "(Patel, 2021, pp. 302–305)" and "(Moss, 2020)".
Which style should you use? Follow your module handbook. Electrical and computer engineering usually use IEEE, health and life sciences often use Vancouver or APA, and many UK science departments use a Harvard variant.
Common Mistakes When Citing Books
- Leaving out the edition number.
- Citing the whole edited book when you used one chapter.
- No page, table or equation number for a specific value.
- Swapping editors and authors in edited books.
- Mixing styles, such as APA title case with Harvard punctuation.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, for every edition after the first. Page numbers and content often change between editions.
Cite the book and add the equation number, for example [1, Eq. (7.12)] in IEEE, or the page number in author-date styles.
Give the chapter author and title, then "In" or "in" with the editor and book title, the page range and the publication details.
Usually like the print version, adding a DOI or URL if available, and a chapter or section number if the pages are not fixed.
No. APA 7 gives only the publisher. Harvard, IEEE and Vancouver still include the place.
Yes, as long as you cite the edition you actually used and check that any key values have not been corrected in later editions.