In-Text Citations
In-text citations include the author’s name, year of publication of the item and the page or paragraph showing where you found the information.
Direct Quotation – You can quote part or all of an author’s sentence; select the part that is most useful for your purpose.
You copy the words exactly from the source, using double quotation marks to show which words are copied. Show the surname of the author(s), the year of publication and page (or paragraph) number, in brackets, e.g.
- MacFarlane (2004) notes that allowing “time to bond with students is the first step in classroom management” (p. 90).
- "Taking time to bond with students is the first step in classroom management” (MacFarlane, 2004, p. 90).
NB A reference at the end of a sentence is part of that sentence so put a full stop after the final bracket.
Paraphrasing – Paraphrasing is more than changing a few words; you need to use your own sentence structure and phrases. You put the author’s meaning into your own words so there is no need for double quotation marks, e.g.
- MacFarlane (2004) indicates that smoother organisation of a classroom is possible when teachers take the time to connect with their class (p. 90), although this is not always the case.
- True classroom control can start when a teacher connects with the students (MacFarlane, 2004, pp. 90-91).
NB The page number should be provided at the end of the paraphrase, whether or not it is at the end of the sentence. This will ensure that you have identified the author/owner of the idea you are using.
For more information on paraphrasing, see Paraphrasing video.
Edited books - When using material by the author(s) of a chapter in an edited book use only the chapter author’s name in-text and the year of publication of the book. (See example: Book chapter in an edited work).
Citations from a secondary source - put the surname of the person you are quoting, followed by ‘as cited in’, then the surname, year and page of the book or article you read it in, e.g.
- Sullivan and Decker (as cited in Jones, 2007) discuss the importance of participation (p. 43).
- The importance of participation cannot be over-estimated (Sullivan & Decker, as cited in Jones, 2007, p. 43).
NB Only the work cited is listed in the references; in this case, the details of the book by Jones.
Connecting words - When citing an author within a sentence you are writing, select an appropriate word to connect from author to in-text citation, e.g., states, reported, notes, found, suggests, mentioned, indicates, recognised, identified, argued, etc. This may occur at the beginning of a sentence, in the middle or at the end.
Additional Points about In-Text Citations
- Omitting material: Use 3 dots within a quote to indicate that you have omitted material from the original source, e.g. “This is the movement of the middle class . . . from schools serving low socio-economic status (SES) areas to schools serving middle SES areas” (Brett, 1994, p. 43).
- Adding emphasis: To emphasise a word or words in a quotation use italic type, immediately followed by [emphasis added], e.g. Paraphrasing is more than “changing the order of a few words and substituting synonyms for a few others. Paraphrased ideas . . . should blend [emphasis added] with your style” (Rountree, 1991, p. 76) and show you understand the concept.
- Inserting material: Enclose your own additions to quotations, or explanations, in square brackets, e.g. Through play the child needs to learn to manipulate and master body, mind, emotions and relationships, as “such mastery is essential to [more extensive] cognitive development, strong ego development and good mental health” (Schuster & Ashburn, 1992, p. 328).
- If a quote is longer than 40 words: Miss a line, do not change the line spacing, indent left and right, do not use quotation marks, put a full-stop before the in-text citation, and leave a line at the end. See example in APA FAQs.
- Incorporate quotations into your discussion: They may be all or part of a sentence placed: at the beginning, embedded in, or at the end, of your sentence.
- When quotations are complete sentences: They need to be referred to in, or linked to, the previous and/or following sentence. This will show your understanding of the quote.
