What does an in-text citation look like?
How can I cite the same source multiple times in the same paragraph?
How do I cite a long quotation (40+ words)?
How do I cite multiple sources in the same in-text citation?
How do I cite someone quoted in another author's work (secondary citation)?
Can I use acronyms of corporate authors in in-text citations?
How do cite information from non-consecutive pages/paragraphs from the same source?
How do I cite information from more than one page/paragraph (consecutive) from the same source?
When referencing in APA style, you need to include an in-text citation every time you quote or paraphrase a source in your work. In-text citations go in the body of your writing, and briefly acknowledge the source of the information you have used. Each in-text corresponds to a full reference list entry on a separate page at the end of your document.
In-text citations typically include:
What does an in-text citation look like?
There are two ways to include in-text citations in your writing, known as narrative and parenthetical citations. You will likely use a mixture of both in your work, depending on whether you are quoting directly or paraphrasing, and the structure of your sentences. Using both kinds also ensures variation in your writing so it is engaging to read.
Narrative citations
This form of citation includes the author's name directly in the 'narrative' of your writing, with the year and page/paragraph number in separate sets of parentheses. The year always appears in brackets after the author's name. You will typically use this style when introducing a direct quotation, but it can also be used when paraphrasing. For example:
Parenthetical citations
This form of citation includes the author's name, date, and page/paragraph number (if it's for a quote) all in one set of parentheses/brackets. Typically, they occur at the end of a sentence containing secondary material, but can also be within a sentence. You will likely use this form of citation with paraphrased information, though it can also be used for direct quotations. For example:
Sample Paragraph
The following paragraph shows what a passage of text looks like with both narrative and parenthetical citations (red used for emphasis):
The American Psychological Association (APA, 2020) defines plagiarism as “the act of presenting the words, ideas, or images of another as your own” (p. 254). To avoid plagiarism, students should give proper credit to the sources from which they have gathered information, whether they are quoting the material directly or paraphrasing (APA, 2020). Pulver and Adcock (2010) remind students that “quotations must begin and end with quotation marks” (p. 18). Some sources such as websites can be difficult to reference correctly; to help, Kelly (2000) advocates the use of a referencing guide.
Each in-text citation corresponds to a full reference list entry (below):
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000
Kelly, K. R. (2000). Author guidelines for electronic references. Journal of Mental Health Counseling, 22(2), 95-96.
Pulver, B., & Adcock, D. (2010). Information literacy skills: Organizing and using information. Heinemann.
How do I cite or reference someone quoted in another author's work (a secondary citation)?
Occasionally, you may wish to quote or paraphrase information in a resource that has been attributed to another author (i.e., not the author of the resource you're reading), or you might want to replicate an image or photograph that you have found in a written work.
When presenting an idea from an author when you have not read their original work but have found it paraphrased or quoted by someone else, you should ideally find the original source and quote/paraphrase directly from that, providing a reference list entry for the original work.
For example, if you read a work by Andrews in which White is quoted, you should try to find White's work, quote or paraphrase from that, and include it in your reference list. If it's not possible to find or read White's work, however, you should acknowledge White as the original source, followed by Andrews as the secondary source. Use the phrase 'as cited in' to indicate one source has been cited in another.
Example - written information
Reference list entry
Andrews, M. (2006). Management in the modern era: Working with a home-based team. Johnson and Hill.
In-text citations
Page/paragraph numbers are optional for paraphrased information.
Narrative
White (1999, as cited in Andrews, 2006) argues that …
Parenthetical… (White, 1999, as cited in Andrews, 2006).
Example - images in a written text
Reference list entry
Axcell, R. (2006). The beautiful citation: Capturing the art of referencing. Hidden Library.
In-text citation
(Carlisle, in Axcell, 2021, p. 34).
How do I cite a web source that is broken up into headings?
If you are citing a webpage, or another web-based source, like a journal article that has no page numbers, you can use the sub-headings on the page. This is particularly useful for pages that are long, have many paragraphs, and tend to have their information organised under headings.
Use the paragraph number under the relevant heading, as well as the heading.
Write the heading in sentence case and add the word "section" after it.
Reference list entry
Neville, F. G., Drury, J., Reicher, S. D., Choudhury, S., Stott, C., Ball, R., & Richardson, D. C. (2020). Self-categorization as a basis of behavioural mimicry: Experiments in The Hive. PLoS ONE, 15(10). https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0241227
In-text citations for quoting
Narrative
Neville et al. (2020) argue...(Procedure section, para. 2).
Parenthetical
... (Neville et al., 2020, Procedure section, para. 2).
How do I cite information from non-consecutive pages or paragraphs?
If you have information in the same sentence that comes from two or more different places in the same source and you would like to provide a page or paragraph number, cite the page or paragraphs in the same set of brackets.
How do I cite information from more than one (consecutive) page or paragraph?
If you have information that comes from more than one page or paragraph that occur straight after each other and you need to provide a page or paragraph number, note the formatting below:
