Citing sources no longer means endnotes or footnotes. It is a simple way of noting that you are borrowing an author's words or ideas by inserting a brief parenthetical acknowledgement in your paper that includes the author's last name, the year the material was published, and the page reference. When the reader sees this reference to Stefansson et al., they know to refer to the References portion of the paper to find the complete bibliographic citation. For example,
Genome wide association studies have also provided evidence of the importance of inflammation in Alzheimer's disease (Stefansson et al., 2013, p. 114).
Citations, parenthetical or quoting, can appear in a paper in two ways:
1. Parenthetically:
References and citations are featured in blog posts about APA Style (Becker, 2021; Lee, 2016; McAdoo, 2017)
2. Narratively:
Becker (2012), Lee (2016), and McAdoo (2017) wrote blog posts about APA Style.
Paraphrasing is when you use an idea from a piece of writing, but put it in your own words; you can change the structure and words but must stay true to the meaning of the passage. It is not necessary to provide a page number in your citation unless you think it will be difficult for the reader to locate the passage you are citing. Paraphrasing still needs to refer to the author but does not use quotation marks.
For paraphrases, it is optional to include a specific page number(s), paragraph number(s), or other location (e.g., section name) if the source work being paraphrased is long or complex. For example,
According to Smith (2017), students find it difficult to use correct APA format.
Quoting is when you take a phrase word-for-word from a body of text. You must use quotation marks and you must always reference the original writer/speaker. For example,
1. Parenthetically:
Many students believe "writing an essay with proper APA formatting can be confusing" (Smith, 2017, p.2)
2. Narratively:
Many students believe, according to Smith (2017), that “writing an essay with proper APA formatting can be confusing” (p.2).
APAStyle.APA.org
When citing web sites or other electronic sources that do not provide page numbers, use the paragraph number preceded by the abbreviation para., e.g. (Natural Resources Defense Council, 2007, para. 4). You may also cite the heading of a section of the resource to direct the reader to the appropriate place in the document, e.g. (Stefansson et al., 2013, Discussion section, para. 1).
Below are some examples of how to format in-text citations:
|
Type of Citation |
Narrative First Citation in Text |
Narrative Subsequent |
Parenthetical Format, |
Parenthetical |
|
One work by one author |
Carpenito-Moyet (2007) |
Carpenito-Moyet (2007) |
(Carpenito-Moyet, 2007) |
(Carpentio-Moyet, 2007) |
|
One work by two authors |
Smith and Nederost (2008) |
Smith and Nederost (2008) |
(Smith & Nederost, 2008) |
(Smith & Nederost, 2008) |
|
One work by three or more authors |
Leggat et al. (2009) |
Leggat et al. (2009) |
(Leggat et al., 2009) |
(Leggat et al., 2009) |
|
Groups as authors (readily identified through abbreviation) |
Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC, 2011) |
HRSDC (2011) |
(Human Resources and Skills Development Canada [HRSDC], 2011) |
(HRSDC, 2011) |
|
Groups as authors (no abbreviation) |
University of Pittsburgh (2005) |
University of Pittsburgh (2005) |
(University of Pittsburgh, 2005) |
(University of Pittsburgh, 2005) |
|
Two or more works by the same author cited together |
Gogel (1990, 2006) |
Gogel (1990, 2006) |
(Gogel, 1990, 2006) |
(Gogel, 1990, 2006) |
|
Two or more works by two or more authors cited together: in alphabetical order by first author's surname |
Miller (2009) and Reed and Miller (2006) |
Miller (2009) and Reed and Miller (2006) |
(Miller, 2009; Reed and Miller, 2006) |
(Miller, 2009; Reed and Miller, 2006) |
|
Text generated by an AI tool (eg. ChatGPT) |
OpenAI (2023) |
OpenAI (2023) |
(OpenAI, 2023) |
(OpenAI, 2023) |
| Primary & Secondary Sources |
(as cited in Gleitman, Roizin, & Sabini, 1997) found that … |
(as cited in Gleitman, Roizin, & Sabini, 1997) found that … | (as cited in Gleitman, Roizin, & Sabini, 1997) found that … | (as cited in Gleitman, Roizin, & Sabini, 1997) found that … |
SourceAmerican Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
This style is used when you’ve found the perfect quote within one of the articles you have found. The quote is known as the Primary source. The article you found is the Secondary source. Most of what you’ll use for assignments are secondary sources. Secondary sources on the APA Style and Grammar Guidelines will provide more information.
For example, I am reading a book written by Lipschutz. He cites a quote by Partridge, and I would write in my essay ...
In 1984, in the book APA Style, Partridge stated, "APA is difficult" (as cited in Lipschutz, 2019, p.1).
And for the Reference page, you list Lipschutz, not Partridge.
Example of the In-text Citation Found within a Secondary Article
Asch’s thoughts in 1952 on the study of social processes, (as cited in Gleitman, Roizin, & Sabini, 1997) found that …
Example of that Reference
Gleitman, H., Rozin, P., & Sabini, J. (1997). Solomon E. Asch (1907-1996). The American Psychologist, 52(9), 984–985. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.52.9.984
it is essential to acknowledge how others contributed to your work. By following the principles of proper citation, writers ensure that readers understand their contribution in the context of the existing literature—how they are building on, critically examining, or otherwise engaging the work that has come before.
Remember: cite all ideas, findings, results, or other information that is not your own and is not common knowledge.
A paraphrase restates another’s idea (or your own previously published idea) in your own words.
Examples of an original phrase and what its paraphrase might look like.
A direct quotation reproduces words verbatim from another work or from your own previously published work.
Read. Idea. Sentence. Reference. In-text citation. Repeat.
Six easy steps to proper citation.
American Psychological Association. (2023). Style grammar and guidelines. https://apastyle.apa.org/
