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In-Text Citations: The Basics

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APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 6 th edition, second printing of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page. For more information, please consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , (6 th ed., 2 nd printing).
Note: This page reflects APA 6, which is now out of date. It will remain online until 2021, but will not be updated. The equivalent APA 7 page can be found here .
Reference citations in text are covered on pages 169-179 of the Publication Manual. What follows are some general guidelines for referring to the works of others in your essay.
Note: On pages 65-66, the Publication Manual suggests that authors of research papers should use the past tense or present perfect tense for signal phrases that occur in the literature review and procedure descriptions (for example, Jones (1998) found or Jones (1998) has found ...). Contexts other than traditionally-structured research writing may permit the simple present tense (for example, Jones (1998) finds ).
APA citation basics
When 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, for example, (Jones, 1998), and a complete reference should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.
If you are referring to an idea from another work but NOT directly quoting the material, or making reference to an entire book, article or other work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication and not the page number in your in-text reference. All sources that are cited in the text must appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.
In-text citation capitalization, quotes, and italics/underlining
- Always capitalize proper nouns, including author names and initials: D. Jones.
( Note: in your References list, only the first word of a title will be capitalized: Writing new media .)
- When capitalizing titles, capitalize both words in a hyphenated compound word: Natural-Born Cyborgs .
- Capitalize the first word after a dash or colon: "Defining Film Rhetoric: The Case of Hitchcock's Vertigo ."
- Italicize the titles of longer works such as books, edited collections, movies, television series, documentaries, or albums: The Closing of the American Mind ; The Wizard of Oz ; Friends .
- Put quotation marks around the titles of shorter works such as journal articles, articles from edited collections, television series episodes, and song titles: "Multimedia Narration: Constructing Possible Worlds;" "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry."
Short quotations
If you are directly quoting from a work, you will need to include the author, year of publication, and page number for the reference (preceded by "p."). Introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses.
According to Jones (1998), "Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199).
Jones (1998) found "students often had difficulty using APA style" (p. 199); what implications does this have for teachers?
If the author is not named in a signal phrase, place the author's last name, the year of publication, and the page number in parentheses after the quotation.
She stated, "Students often had difficulty using APA style" (Jones, 1998, p. 199), but she did not offer an explanation as to why.
Long quotations
Place direct quotations that are 40 words or longer in a free-standing block of typewritten lines and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would begin a new paragraph. Type the entire quotation on the new margin, and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraph within the quotation 1/2 inch from the new margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout. The parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark.
Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time citing sources. This difficulty could be attributed to the fact that many students failed to purchase a style manual or to ask their teacher for help. (p. 199)
Summary or paraphrase
If you are paraphrasing an idea from another work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference, but APA guidelines encourage you to also provide the page number (although it is not required).
According to Jones (1998), APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners.
APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners (Jones, 1998, p. 199).
Penn State University Libraries
Apa quick citation guide.
- In-text Citation
- Citing Web Pages and Social Media
- Citing Articles
- Citing Books
- Citing Business Reports
- Other Formats
- APA Style Quiz
Using In-text Citation
Include an in-text citation when you refer to, summarize, paraphrase, or quote from another source. For every in-text citation in your paper, there must be a corresponding entry in your reference list.
APA 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, for example: (Field, 2005, para. 1). More information on direct quotation of sources without pagination is given on the APA Style and Grammar Guidelines web page.
Example paragraph with in-text citation
A few researchers in the linguistics field have developed training programs designed to improve native speakers' ability to understand accented speech (Derwing et al., 2002; Thomas, 2004). Their training techniques are based on the research described above indicating that comprehension improves with exposure to non-native speech. Derwing et al. (2002) conducted their training with students preparing to be social workers, but note that other professionals who work with non-native speakers could benefit from a similar program.
Derwing, T. M., Rossiter, M. J., & Munro, M. J. (2002). Teaching native speakers to listen to foreign-accented speech. Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development , 23 (4), 245-259.
Thomas, H. K. (2004). Training strategies for improving listeners' comprehension of foreign-accented speech (Doctoral dissertation). University of Colorado, Boulder.
Citing Web Pages In Text
Cite web pages in text as you would any other source, using the author and date if known. Keep in mind that the author may be an organization rather than a person. For sources with no author, use the title in place of an author.
For sources with no date use n.d. (for no date) in place of the year: (Smith, n.d.). For more information on citations for sources with no date or other missing information see the page on missing reference information on the APA Style and Grammar Guidelines web page.
Below are examples of using in-text citation with web pages.
Web page with author:
In-text citation
Heavy social media use can be linked to depression and other mental disorders in teens (Asmelash, 2019).
Reference entry
Asmelash, L. (2019, August 14). Social media use may harm teens' mental health by disrupting positive activities, study says . CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/13/health/social-media-mental-health-trnd/index.html
Web page with organizational author:
More than 300 million people worldwide are affected by depression (World Health Organization, 2018).
World Health Organization. (2018, March 22). Depression . https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/depression
Web page with no date:
Establishing regular routines, such as exercise, can help survivors of disasters recover from trauma (American Psychological Association [APA], n.d.).
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). Recovering emotionally from disaste r. http://www.apa.org/helpcenter/recovering-disasters.aspx
General Guidelines
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.
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: First citation: (American Psychological Association [APA], 2015) Subsequent citation: (APA, 2015)
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)
Works by Multiple Authors
APA style has specific rules for citing works by multiple authors. Use the following guidelines to determine how to correctly cite works by multiple authors in text. For more information on citing works by multiple authors see the APA Style and Grammar Guidelines page on in-text citation .
Note: When using multiple authors' names as part of your narrative, rather than in parentheses, always spell out the word and. For multiple authors' names within a parenthetic citation, use &.
One author: (Field, 2005)
Two authors: (Gass & Varonis, 1984)
Three or more authors: (Tremblay et al., 2010)
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How to Cite a Research Paper in Each Research Paper Format

Dissertations, thesis, and all kinds of academic papers will need to be cited using citation styles, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago. Citing academic papers properly are done to counteract plagiarism. These citing formats are used to recognize related literary pieces and to mention references used. You should study various citing styles and research paper well before producing essays or any other pieces of academic writing. In this article, our term paper writers have prepared information on how to format research papers as well as how to properly reference academic papers.
APA Research Paper Format
APA (American Psychological Association) research paper format is often used in papers related to psychology and social sciences. In this citation, there is a general format in referencing through endnotes/footnotes, in-text, and reference pages. Academic papers in APA citation has general writing guidelines.
Papers should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" margins on all sides. You should use a clear font that is highly readable. APA recommends using 12 pt. Times New Roman font. Include a page header at the top of every page. To create a page header, insert page numbers flush right. Then type the title of your paper in the header flush left using all capital letters. The page header is a shortened version of your paper's title and cannot exceed 50 characters including spacing and punctuation.

Talking about how to write a research paper in APA format, your APA paper should have four major sections :
Be sure to read about how to write an essay format . In article, we talked about the differences between formats.
How to Cite a Research Paper in APA
There are specific rules to follow when citing a research paper in APA. The following are the specific formats to follow:
- Book: Author, A.A.. (Year of Publication). The Title of work. Publisher City, State: Publisher.
- Example : Finney, J. (1970). Time and again. New York, NY: Simon and Schuster.
- Magazine: Author, A.A.. (Year, a month of Publication). Article title. Magazine Title, Volume(Issue), pp.-pp.
- Example : Tumulty, K. (2006, April). Should they stay or should they go? Time, 167(15), 3-40.
- Newspaper: Author, A.A.. (Year, Month Date of Publication). Article title. Magazine Title, pp. xx-xx. Rosenberg, G. (1997, March 31). An electronic discovery proves an effective legal weapon.The New York Times, p. D5.
- Website: Author, A.A.. (Year, Month Date of Publication). Article title. Retrieved from URL
- Example : Simmons, B. (2015, January 9). The tale of two Flaccos. Retrieved from {link}
These citing formats are used to recognize related literary pieces and to mention references used. You don't need to cite information about yourself or your own thoughts. For example, when listing education on resume you don't need any citations. However, you should study various citing styles and research well before producing any other piece of academic writing.
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MLA Research Paper Format
MLA (Modern Language Association) format format is commonly used in liberal arts and humanities. Let’s talk a bit about how to write a research paper in MLA format. This format has principles rather than a set of specific rules to be followed. Papers in MLA format provides a process of documentation.
MLA recommends using Times New Roman font in size 12. The entire paper should be double spaced with 1-inch margins on all sides. Tab once to indent paragraphs (½ inch). Your last name and a page number should be inserted on the upper right-hand corner of the first page.

How to Cite a Research Paper in MLA Format
The following are formats to follow in citing research paper in MLA format:
- Book: Last Name, First Name. Book Title. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published. Medium.
- Example : Smith, John. The Sample Book. Pittsburgh: BibMe, 2008. Print.
- Magazine: Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Magazine Name Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium.
- Example : Smith, John. “Obama inaugurated as President.” Time 21 Jan. 2009: 21-23. Print.
- Newspaper: Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Newspaper Name Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium.
- Example : Smith, John. “Steelers win Super Bowl XLIII.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 2 Feb. 2009: 4-6. Print.
- Website: Last Name, First Name. “Page Title.” Website Title.Sponsoring Institution/Publisher. Publication Date: Page Numbers. Medium.
- Example : Smith, John. “Obama inaugurated as President.” CNN.com. Cable News Network, 21 Jan. 2009. Web. 1 Feb. 2009.

Research Paper in Chicago Style
The Chicago style of citing is commonly used in humanities. It requires writers to cite sources in endnotes or footnotes. This citation provides the author with an avenue to express accountability and credibility to related literature or references used in written material. It helps an academic writer provide quotations in a research paper, as well as being commonly used for book bibliographies.

Look at our movie review example and try to determine what format it is written in.
How to Cite a Research Paper in Chicago Style
The following are Chicago style formats to follow:
- Book: Last Name, First Name. Title of Book. Publisher City: Publisher Name, Year Published.
- Example : Brown, Dan. The DaVinci Code. New York: Scholastic, 2004.
- Magazine: Last Name, First Name. Article title. Magazine Title, Month Date, Year of publication.
- Example : Chan, Dan. The art of pandas. Panda Magazine, Nov 10, 1985.
- Newspaper: Last Name, First Name. “Article Title.” Newspaper Name, Publication Date.
- Example : Smith, John. “Steelers win Super Bowl XLIII.” Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, February 2, 2009.
- Website: Last Name, First Name. “Page Title.” Website Title. Web Address (retrieved Date Accessed).
- Example : Smith, John. “Obama inaugurated as President.” {link} (accessed February 1, 2009).
ASA Research Paper Format
The leading American method of referencing and quotation created by Sociological Association. Sociological students and scholars use the ASA citation format primarily for writing university research papers in sociology or for submitting articles to ASA journals.
For the detailed information about ASA elements of style, visit the American Sociological Association official website or read our Guide to ASA Citation and Writing Style.

How to Cite a Research Paper in ASA Format
- Book: Author’s Last and First Name. Year of Publication. Title. Country of Publisher: Publisher.
- Example: James, Henry. 2003. The Turn of the Screw. New York: Barns & Noble Books.
- E-Books: Author’s Last and First Name. Year of Publication. Title. Country of Publisher: Publisher. Retrieved Month Day, Year {link}.
- Example: James, Henry. 2003. The Turn of the Screw. New York: Penguin Books Kindle Version. Retrieved January 18, 2017. {link}
- Journal Article: Author’s Last and First Name. Year of Publication. "Title." Journal Name issue #: inclusive page numbers.
- Example: Feekins, Bo. 2008. “Chasing Tree Frogs.” National Geographic #182. 6-10
- Magazine Article: Author’s Last and First Name. Year of Pub. "Title." Magazine Name, Month Year, pp. Inclusive page numbers.
- Example: Geary, Rachel. 2012. “The Issue with Mastery Learning.” New York Times, April 2002. Pp. 15-23.
- Website: Author’s Last and First Name. Date of Publishing. Title. Publisher. Retrieved Month Day, Year {link}.
- Example: Lee, Bruce. 03.09.2004. Birth of a Nation. Retrieved 18.01.2017. {link}
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Citing references and related literature in a dissection, thesis paper, etc. is an important part. As a student or a professional, you should be able to show written pieces which helped you synthesize ideas and formulate conclusions. If you are having trouble referencing your gathered information, head on over to our paper writing service and you will get help with your research paper. Also, you may have the question: “Who will do my math homework?”. Our master paper writers are real professionals, so feel free to check EssayPro catalog and find your writer.
Related Articles


Citing Sources Guide
- Citation Basics
- Example Works Cited
- Example APA References
- Example AMA References
- Citation Tools
Quoting vs. Paraphrasing
Quoting is when you use the author's exact words. Use quotation marks (" ") to denote a direct quote.
Paraphrasing is when you use the author's idea, but put it in your own words. You do not need to use quotation marks when paraphrasing.
Both quoting and paraphrasing require a citation.
Websites for Citation
- MyBib Plug in your source information and MyBib will create a citation for you!
• Purdue OWL - APA - A great site with tons of examples
• Excelsior Online Writing Lab - Lots of examples, checklists, and activities to practice citing
Intro to APA
APA Style is the official style of the American Psychological Association . It is used for writing and formatting research papers. Some subjects that use APA Style are: Nursing, Psychology, Sociology, Occupational Therapy and Respiratory Therapy, and also Life Science-related: Biology, Environmental Science, Physiology . Check with your instructor to find out which style you should use for your research paper.
Paper Formatting
APA Style will guide how your paper should look and how to cite all of the resources you used. When setting up your document, make sure you follow these guidelines:
- Margins should be set to one inch on all sides.
- Use a standard, readable font like Times New Roman or Arial, size 12.
- Include page numbers in the top right header of each page.
- All text lines should be double-spaced including your heading, quotations, and references page.
Make sure your paper is formatted correctly using this APA Format Checklist
In-text Citation
In Text Citation Basics
Every citation style uses two types of citation: In text and Bibliographic.
In text citation gives credit to someone else's work in your paper, right when you use it. In APA style, an author/year system is used. If you are using an exact quote, you must also include the page number. When you introduce a quote or paraphrase, you typically include at least some of the information about the resource. For example, you can say that according to [author's name] (year of publication), and then use the quote. If you use a piece of identifying information in your signal phrase, the remaining information will be included in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
Example : According to Smith (2016), "Social media is harmful to teens" (p. 243).
If there is more than one author, separate the names with commas and use an ampersand (&) before the last author. When you are using a direct quote, the citation begins after the end quotation mark. The period to end the sentence will come after the citation is complete.
Example : According to a 2012 study, "social media is harmful to teens" (Smith, Wheeler, & Jones, p. 65).
If you choose not to include any information in your signal phrase you can include it all at the end of your sentence, in parentheses.
Example : It is true that social media is harmful to teens (Smith, Wheeler, & Jones, 2012).
How to Cite with Missing Information
Sometimes you are missing information that you need to create an in text citation. Use the examples below to create an in text citation when you are missing information.
No Author If you do not have the author's name, you can use a short version of the title in quotation marks. Note that the comma will be inside the quotation marks.
Example : A similar study was done of students who spend too much time browsing the internet ("Internet Browsing," 2015).
No Date If you do not have a date, use the abbreviation n.d. for "no date."
Example : (Smith, Wheeler, & Jones, n.d., p.67)
- APA Citation Guide 7th edition
Bibliographic Citation - References Page
Bibliographic Citation - References
Bibliographic citation is when you list the sources you've used in your paper. On the very last page of your paper, you need to provide a list of all the outside sources you quoted or paraphrased in the text. In APA format, this list is called a "References" page.
What should it look like?
Just like the rest of your paper, your References page should be in a readable font with 1-inch page margins. Your sources should be listed in alphabetical order by the first letter of the citation (usually the author's last name). Bibliographic citations also use a hanging indent which means all lines except the first should be indented for each individual citation or source. Not sure how to do that? Find directions below. See the References Example Page to get a better idea of what your page should look like.
- How to Create a Hanging Indent in Microsoft Word
- Example APA References Page
Citing your Sources
You will need to gather some information from each of your sources, so it's best to have them in front of you. Remember, one of the reasons for citing is so that your reader can find the sources that you refer to. You need to provide as much information as possible so that they can find your sources easily. For most APA citations, the following rules apply:
- Smith, J. K., Jones, R. R., & Thomas, A.
- Smith, J. K. (2014).
- The New York Times
- A curious case of a cat in the city: The story of Jumbo the cat.
Take a look at our APA Citation Guide for specific examples.
When citing books, you must include the author(s)'s name(s), the year of publication, the title of the book, and the name of the publisher. Sometimes you will need to include the names of editors or the edition number.
Collins, S. (2010). The hunger games . Scholastic, Inc.
When citing articles, you must include the author(s)'s name(s), the title of the article, the title of the journal, magazine, or newspaper, the volume and issue numbers, the date of publication, and the page number(s).
Kirman, J., Siminerio, S., & Wong, Z. (2016). The impact of a therapy dog program on children's reading skills and attitudes towards reading. Early Childhood Education Journal, 44 (6), 637-651.
When citing a website, or a page from a website, you need to provide the author(s)'s name(s), the title of the page you are using, the title of the website, the date the information was published, and the URL or web address of the site.
Berger, F. K. (2014). Managing your depression. Medline Plus. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions.

Helpful Citation Videos
- Playlist of Citation Videos This playlist of YouTube videos walks you through the basics of when and why to cite, as well as the specific details of using APA 7, a common citation style. Be sure to ask your professor which citation style you need to use for your assignments. To access the playlist, follow the link above or watch below.
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APA Citation Style Guide (6th Ed.): Overview
- In-text Citation
- Two Authors
- 3 - 5 Authors
- 6 or More Authors
- Magazine Article
- Newspaper Article
- One Author or Editor
- Two Authors or Editors
- 3-5 Authors or Editors
- Article or Chapter in an Edited Book
- Article in a Reference Book
- Book with No Author
- Book Edition
- Translation
- Web Pages and Blog Posts
- Motion Picture
- YouTube Video
- Audio Podcast
- Music Recording
- Images and Art
- Classical Work
- Secondary Source
- Government Publication
7th Edition
For information on the 7th edition of APA, visit the new guide at USC'sThomas Cooper Library:
7th Edition Guide
About APA Style
American Psychological Association (APA) style is commonly used for citing references in science and social science courses, such as Nursing, Psychology, Education, and Social Work. This guide is based on the 6th edition published in 2010.
This edition is shelved in the Ready Reference area behind the Library's Circulation Desk and may be used in the library (it can't be checked out).
The call number is READY REF WZ 345 P976 2010
New Content in the 6th Edition
Some of the changes in the new edition include:
- the use of Digital Object Identifiers (DOI) in references to print and electronic sources (when available). See pages 188 to 192 in the APA Manual for more information.
- expanded coverage of online resources
To learn more about the changes made in the new edition, check out the " What's New " section on the official APA Website.
You may also want to check out the APA blog to learn more about such topics as using DOIs and citing specific sources.
Attributions
Portions of this LibGuide have been copied, with permission, from the following institutions:
- Jamestown Community College Hultquist Library
- Penn State University Libraries
- Red Deer College Library
General Guidelines
Numbers in parentheses refer to specific pages in the APA 6th Edition manual.
Author-Date Citation System in Text (p. 174)
- In the text of the paper, references are cited using an author-date citation system, and then are listed alphabetically in the reference list at the end of the paper.
In Text:
The conquest of pellagra is commonly associated with a single name: Joseph Goldberger (Bryan, 2014).
This entry in Reference list:
Bryan, C.S. (2014). Asylum Doctor: James Woods Babcock and the Red Plague of Pellagra. Columbia, SC: The University of South Carolina Press.
Double-space your entire paper, including the References list and any block quotes (pp. 229, 171, 180)
Recommended Typeface: The preferred APA typeface , or font , is 12-point Times New Roman. (p. 228)
Page Numbers and Running Head (p. 230)
- Once your paper is complete, number the pages consecutively, beginning with the title page.
- Include a "running head" on each page (p. 229). On the title page, use the format "Running head: EXAMPLE OF TITLE" (without the quotation marks). On all subsequent pages, use the format "EXAMPLE OF TITLE" (without quotation marks). See the sample paper on p. 41 of the Manual .
Tip: Use the "header" function on your word processor to set up the page numbers and running head. Since the running head format is different on the title page than the subsequent pages, you will need to choose "different first page" within your word processor header function.
Learn more about APA Style
- APA Website
About Plagiarism
Give credit to all sources from which you have taken information, whether you have directly quoted, paraphrased, or summarized the author’s words. Failing to document your sources constitutes plagiarism.
See page 170 of the manual for more information about plagiarism.
Guide Author

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APA Citation Guide (7th Edition): In-Text Citation
- Audiovisual Media
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- Personal Communications
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In-Text Citation
- Reference List and Sample Papers
- Annotated Bibliography
- Citation Software
What Is In-Text Citation?
In APA, in-text citations are inserted in the text of your research paper to briefly document the source of your information. Brief in-text citations point the reader to more complete information in the Reference list.
When using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. In the author-date method, the writer includes the author and date within the body of the paper and includes a corresponding reference in the Reference list. This method allows the reader to identify sources used in the paper by reviewing the author and date within the text of the paper, and then easily locate the corresponding reference in the alphabetical Reference list.
Create an in-text citation whenever you quote another work, or whenever you paraphrase another work in your own words.
In-text Citations Have Two Formats
- Parenthetical - the author name and publication date (or equivalent information) appear in parentheses. For example: Falsely balanced news coverage can distort the public's perception of expert consensus on an issue (Burnside, 2016).
- Narrative - the author name appears in running text and the date appears in parentheses immediately after the author name. For example: Burnside (2016) noted the dangers of falsely balanced news coverage.
If you are referring to an idea from another work (paraphrasing or summarizing) but NOT directly quoting the material, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication and not the page number in your in-text reference.
If you are directly quoting or borrowing from another work, you should include the page number at the end of the parenthetical citation. For example, (Burnside, 2016, p. 199).
In-Text Citation Styles
The table below shows several examples of parenthetical and narrative citations.
Paraphrasing and Quoting: What Is the Difference?
There are two ways to integrate sources into your assignment:
- Paraphrasing is used to show that you understand what the author wrote. You must reword the passage, expressing the ideas in your own words, and not just change a few words here and there. Make sure to also include an in-text citation.
- Quoting is copying a selection from someone else's work, phrasing it exactly as it was originally written. When quoting, place quotation marks (" ") around the selected passage to show where the quote begins and where it ends. Make sure to include an in-text citation.
Signal Phrases
If you refer to the author's name in a sentence, you do not have to include the name again as part of your in-text citation; instead, include the date after the name and the page number (if there is one) at the end of the quotation or the paraphrased section. For example:
Hunt (2011) explains that mother-infant attachment has been a leading topic of developmental research since John Bowlby found that "children raised in institutions were deficient in emotional and personality development" (p. 358).
Short Quotations
If a quotation consists of fewer than 40 words , treat it as a short quotation:
- Incorporate the quote into the text and enclose it within double quotation marks.
- Include the author, year of publication, and page number for the reference.
- For example, Smith (2019) demonstrated how to "..." (p. 112).
- For example, "..." (Smith, 2019, p. 112).
Long (Block) Quotations
If a quotation contains 40 words or more , treat it as a long (block) quotation:
- Do not use quotation marks to enclose a block quotation.
- Start a block quotation on a new line and indent the whole block 0.5 inches from the left margin.
- If there are additional paragraphs within the quotation, indent the first line of each subsequent paragraph an additional 0.5 inches.
- Double-space the entire block quotation; do not add extra space before or after it.
- Either (1) cite the source in parentheses after the quotation's final punctuation, or (2) cite the author and year in the narrative before the quotation and place only the page number in parentheses after the quotation's final punctuation. Do NOT add a period after the closing parenthesis in either case.
- See section 8.27 in the Publication Manual for examples of the block quotation.
Direct Quotation Without Page Numbers
When you quote from electronic sources that do not provide page numbers (e.g., webpages, websites, some e-books), provide readers with another way of locating the quoted passage. Use any of the following approaches that will best help readers find the quotation:
- Provide a heading or a section name.
- Provide a paragraph number (count the paragraphs manually if they are not numbered).
- Provide a heading or section name in combination with a paragraph number.
In-Text Citation for More than One Source
If you would like to cite more than one source within the same in-text citation, simply record the in-text citations as normal and separate them with a semi-colon. List the sources alphabetically by author's last name or first word used from the title if no author is given, in the same order they would appear in the Reference list. For example:
(Jones, 2015; Smith, 2014).
( Beckworth, 2016; "Nursing," 2015).
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How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Style | Format & Example
Published on November 5, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on June 17, 2022.
An APA Style citation for a journal article includes the author name(s), publication year, article title, journal name, volume and issue number, page range of the article, and a DOI (if available). Use the buttons below to explore the format.
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Table of contents, basic format for an apa journal citation, citing unpublished journal articles, special issue of a journal, frequently asked questions about apa style citations.
The article title appears in plain text and sentence case, while the journal name is italicized and in title case (all major words capitalized).
When viewing a journal article online, the required information can usually be found on the access page.

Articles published only in PDF form sometimes provide an e-locator instead of a page range; in this case, include the e-locator in your citation.
Linking to online journal articles
A DOI should always be used where available. Some databases do not list one, but you may still find one by looking for the same article on another database. You don’t need to include the name of the database in your citation.
If no DOI is available and the article was accessed through a database, do not include a URL.
If the article is not from a database, but from another website (e.g. the journal’s own website), you should ideally use a stable URL: this is often provided under a “share” button. Otherwise, copy the URL from your browser’s address bar.
When citing from an article that has not yet been formally published, the format varies depending on whether or not it has already been submitted to a journal. Note that different formats are used for unpublished dissertations and raw data .
Unpublished article
The text of an article which has not yet appeared online or in publication (i.e. which is only available directly from the author) should be cited as an “Unpublished manuscript.” The title is italicized and information about the author’s university is included if available:
Article submitted for publication
An article that has been submitted to a journal but not yet accepted is cited as a “Manuscript submitted for publication.” The title is italicized, and the name of the journal to which it was submitted is not included:
Article in press
An article that has been submitted and accepted for publication in a journal is cited as “in press.” Here, the name of the journal is included, university information is omitted, and “in press” is written in place of the year (both in the reference list and the in-text citation):
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If you want to cite a special issue of a journal rather than a regular article, the name(s) of the editor(s) and the title of the issue appear in place of the author’s name and article title:
Note that if you want to cite an individual article from the special issue, it can just be cited in the basic format for journal articles.
In an APA journal citation , if a DOI (digital object identifier) is available for an article, always include it.
If an article has no DOI, and you accessed it through a database or in print, just omit the DOI.
If an article has no DOI, and you accessed it through a website other than a database (for example, the journal’s own website), include a URL linking to the article.
Include the DOI at the very end of the APA reference entry . If you’re using the 6th edition APA guidelines, the DOI is preceded by the label “doi:”. In the 7th edition , the DOI is preceded by ‘https://doi.org/’.
- 6th edition: doi: 10.1177/0894439316660340
- 7th edition: https://doi.org/ 10.1177/0894439316660340
APA citation example (7th edition)
Hawi, N. S., & Samaha, M. (2016). The relations among social media addiction, self-esteem, and life satisfaction in university students. Social Science Computer Review , 35 (5), 576–586. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439316660340
The abbreviation “ et al. ” (meaning “and others”) is used to shorten APA in-text citations with three or more authors . Here’s how it works:
Only include the first author’s last name, followed by “et al.”, a comma and the year of publication, for example (Taylor et al., 2018).
You may include up to 20 authors in a reference list entry .
When an article has more than 20 authors, replace the names prior to the final listed author with an ellipsis, but do not omit the final author:
Davis, Y., Smith, J., Caulfield, F., Pullman, H., Carlisle, J., Donahue, S. D., James, F., O’Donnell, K., Singh, J., Johnson, L., Streefkerk, R., McCombes, S., Corrieri, L., Valck, X., Baldwin, F. M., Lorde, J., Wardell, K., Lao, W., Yang, P., . . . O’Brien, T. (2012).
In an APA reference list , journal article citations include only the year of publication, not the exact date, month, or season.
The inclusion of volume and issue numbers makes a more specific date unnecessary.
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Caulfield, J. (2022, June 17). How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Style | Format & Example. Scribbr. Retrieved February 27, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/journal-article/
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