APA In-Text Citations
Author-date citation system
Quotations and paraphrases require cited sources in your research papers. APA Style uses the author-date citation system to cite references in-text, which includes the author’s last name and the year of publication. The in-text citation appears within the body of the research paper to briefly identify the cited work by author and date of publication. Each in-text citation must correspond to a complete reference in the Reference List at the end of the paper.
Basic Formats of In-Text Citations
There are two formats of in-text citations:
- Parenthetical – The author’s name and year of publication appear in parentheses, separated by a comma. When a parenthetical citation is at the end of a sentence, the period or other punctuation appears outside the closing parenthesis.
- Narrative – The author’s last name and year of publication are included in the text as part of a sentence.
Repeating a Citation
When citing the same source multiple times within the same paragraph, include the author(s) and year for every parenthetical in-text citation.
- Parenthetical citation: (Abbott, 2007)
For citations in-text, do not repeat the year for the second and subsequent citations.
- Citation in text: Abbott (2007) explained….
- Citation in text (second & subsequent): Abbott also mentioned…
Citing a Secondary Source
Secondary Sources refer to content first reported in other published sources. Try to avoid citing secondary sources; however, there are times when you do not have access to the original source. In your text, name the original work and cite the secondary source. The secondary source is included in your reference list.
- Citation in text: According to Wellisch (1995, as cited in Bell, 1998)…
- Parenthetical citation: (Wellisch, 1995, as cited in Bell, 1998)
Personal Communication
Personal communication includes emails, text messages, online chats, phone conversations, and other works that cannot be retrieved by readers. Provide the initials of the communicator in addition to the last name with a notation that the source is personal communication.
- Citation in text: A. S. Henderson (personal communication, March 11, 2021)
- Parenthetical citation: (A. S. Henderson, personal communication, March 11, 2021)
QUICK TIPS FOR IN-TEXT CITATIONS
Quotes
- When quoting a work, include the author’s last name, year, and page number in the citation. Example: (Bond, 2009, p.10).
- If there’s no page number, use the paragraph number. Example: (Bond, 2009, para. 4).
Paraphrasing
- When summarizing or paraphrasing, you only need to include the author’s last name and year. Example: (Bond, 2009).
- You can still include the page number if you want, but it’s not required.
No Author or Date
- If there’s no author, use the first few words of the title in quotes, followed by the year. Example: (“Coffee May Benefit,” 2015).
- If there’s no date, use n.d. Example: (“Coffee May Benefit,” n.d.).
EXAMPLES
The citation format can change slightly depending on how you present the source. Below are examples of in-text citations using the same source.
“Digital literacy represents a person’s ability to perform tasks effectively in a digital environment” (Jones-Kavalier, 2008, p.14).
According to Jones-Kavalier (2008), “digital literacy represents a person’s ability to perform tasks effectively in a digital environment” (p.14).
The concept of being able to execute tasks in digital settings is referred to as digital literacy (Jones-Kavalier, 2008).
Source: Jones-Kavalier, B., & Flannigan, S. I. (2008). Connecting the digital dots: Literacy of the 21st century. Teacher Librarian, 35, 13-16.
Additional resources
American Psychological Association. (2021). APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/
Includes free online tutorials, supplements to the APA Publication Manual, and more, including:
- Academic Writer Tutorial: Basics of Seventh Edition APA Style
- Style & Grammar Guidelines
- Student Paper Checklist
- In-Text Citation Checklist
- Sample Papers
Purdue University. (2020). APA Style introduction. Purdue Online Writing Lab. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_style_introduction.html
The Purdue OWL provides extensive guidance for formatting and citing per APA guidelines, including: