When citing a chapter from a book, how should it be formatted?

When citing a book chapter, the reference entry must distinctly identify both the specific chapter authors and the editors of the overall book, along with publication details. Standard citation styles all require these core bibliographic elements for chapters. Chapter references require key components: the author(s) of the chapter, the chapter title (in quotation marks), the word "In" followed by the book editor(s) name(s) (noted as editor(s)), the book title (italicized), inclusive page numbers of the chapter (preceded by "pp."), and publication details (publisher, year). Critical distinctions include citing chapter authors versus book editors and providing the specific page range; failure to do these constitutes an inadequate citation. Exact formatting details—such as punctuation and order—vary notably between common styles like APA, MLA, and Chicago. Properly formatted chapter citations accurately credit original authors and guide readers to the precise source location, upholding academic integrity and avoiding plagiarism. Essential steps include identifying the chapter author(s), chapter title, editor(s), book title, publisher, year, and relevant page numbers before applying the specific conventions of your required style guide consistently.