In-text references should immediately follow the title, word, or phrase to which they are directly relevant, rather than appearing at the end of long clauses or sentences. In-text references should always precede punctuation marks. Below are examples of using in-text citation. Show
Author's name in parentheses: One study found that the most important element in comprehending non-native speech is familiarity with the topic (Gass & Varonis, 1984). Author's name part of narrative: Gass and Varonis (1984) found that the most important element in comprehending non-native speech is familiarity with the topic. Group as author: Multiple works: (separate each work with semi-colons) Research shows that listening to a particular accent improves comprehension of accented speech in general (Gass & Varonis, 1984; Krech Thomas, 2004). Direct quote: (include page number and place quotation marks around the direct quote) One study found that “the listener's familiarity with the topic of discourse greatly facilitates the interpretation of the entire message” (Gass & Varonis, 1984, p. 85). Gass and Varonis (1984) found that “the listener’s familiarity with the topic of discourse greatly facilitates the interpretation of the entire message” (p. 85). Note: For direct quotations of more than 40 words, display the quote as an indented block of text without quotation marks and include the authors’ names, year, and page number in parentheses at the end of the quote. For example: This suggests that familiarity with nonnative speech in general, although it is clearly not as important a variable as topic familiarity, may indeed have some effect. That is, prior experience with nonnative speech, such as that gained by listening to the reading, facilitates comprehension. (Gass & Varonis, 1984, p. 77) What does an example APA paper look like?APA Style offers sample student and professional papers, including a free annotated student sample paper. How do I make a hanging indent in Word?1. Highlight the citaiton with your cursor. 2. Right click. 3. Select Paragraph. 4. Under Indentation, select Special and Hanging. How can I save time formatting my paper?Microsoft Word and Google Docs have a Format Painter tool that will copy and apply basic formatting to any text! 1. Highlight the formatting you want to apply. 2. Select Format Painter. 3. Highlight the text you want to change. Note: If using the Format Painter on the Reference List, you'll need to go back and add italics.
This citation guide outlines the most important citation guidelines from the 7th edition APA Publication Manual (2020). Scribbr also offers free guides for the older APA 6th edition, MLA Style, and Chicago Style. Generate accurate APA citations with ScribbrAPA in-text citationsThe basicsIn-text citations are brief references in the running text that direct readers to the reference entry at the end of the paper. You include them every time you quote or paraphrase someone else’s ideas or words to avoid plagiarism. An APA in-text citation consists of the author’s last name and the year of publication (also known as the author-date system). If you’re citing a specific part of a source, you should also include a locator such as a page number or timestamp. For example: (Smith, 2020, p. 170). Parenthetical vs. narrative citationThe in-text citation can take two forms: parenthetical and narrative. Both types are generated automatically when citing a source with Scribbr’s APA Citation Generator.
The in-text citation changes slightly when a source has multiple authors or an organization as an author. Pay attention to punctuation and the use of the ampersand (&) symbol.
Missing informationWhen the author, publication date or locator is unknown, take the steps outlined below.
APA referencesThe basicsAPA references generally include information about the author, publication date, title, and source. Depending on the type of source, you may have to include extra information that helps your reader locate the source. Reference examplesCiting a source starts with choosing the correct reference format. Use Scribbr’s Citation Example Generator to learn more about the format for the most common source types. Pay close attention to punctuation, capitalization, and italicization. Generate APA citations for free Missing informationIt is not uncommon for certain information to be unknown or missing, especially with sources found online. In these cases, the reference is slightly adjusted.
Formatting the APA reference pageThe basicsOn the reference page, you list all the sources that you’ve cited throughout your paper. Place the page right after the main body and before any appendices.On the first line of the page, write the section label “References” (in bold and centered). On the second line, start listing your references in alphabetical order. Apply these formatting guidelines to the APA reference page:
Which sources to includeOn the reference page, you only include sources that you have cited in the text (with an in-text citation). You should not include references to personal communications that your reader can’t access (e.g. emails, phone conversations or private online material). Free lecture slidesAre you a teacher or professor looking to introduce your students to APA Style? Download our free introductory lecture slides, available for Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint. Open Google SlidesDownload PowerPoint Frequently asked questionsHow do I cite a source with no author in APA Style? When no individual author name is listed, but the source can clearly be attributed to a specific organization—e.g., a press release by a charity, a report by an agency, or a page from a company’s website—use the organization’s name as the author in the reference entry and APA in-text citations. When no author at all can be determined—e.g. a collaboratively edited wiki or an online article published anonymously—use the title in place of the author. In the in-text citation, put the title in quotation marks if it appears in plain text in the reference list, and in italics if it appears in italics in the reference list. Shorten it if necessary. How do I cite a source with no page numbers in APA Style? When you quote or paraphrase a specific passage from a source, you need to indicate the location of the passage in your APA in-text citation. If there are no page numbers (e.g. when citing a website) but the text is long, you can instead use section headings, paragraph numbers, or a combination of the two: (Caulfield, 2019, Linking section, para. 1). Section headings can be shortened if necessary. Kindle location numbers should not be used in ebook citations, as they are unreliable. If you are referring to the source as a whole, it’s not necessary to include a page number or other marker. Is this article helpful?You have already voted. Thanks :-) Your vote is saved :-) Processing your vote... How do you inWhen using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text, like, for example, (Jones, 1998). One complete reference for each source should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.
How do you cite inAPA in-text citation style uses the author's last name and the year of publication, for example: (Field, 2005). For direct quotations, include the page number as well, for example: (Field, 2005, p. 14). For sources such as websites and e-books that have no page numbers, use a paragraph number.
How do you inNumber of Authors to Include in In-text Citations
For a work with one or two authors, include the author name(s) in every citation. For a work with three or more authors, include the name of only the first author plus "et al." in every citation, including the first citation, unless doing so would create ambiguity.
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