APA in-text citation

1. Author Named in Signal Phrase

While McWilliams (2010) acknowledged not only the growing popularity but also the ecological and cultural benefits of the locavore diet, he still maintained that “eating local is not, in and of itself, a viable answer to sustainable food production on a global level” (p. 2).

2. Author Named in Parentheses

For a source without an author, see item 10; for an electronic source without a page number, see item 12.

“Eating local is not, in and of itself, a viable answer to sustainable food production on a global level” (McWilliams, 2010, p. 2).

3. With Block Quotations

For excerpts of forty or more words, indent the quoted material one-half inch and include the page number at the end of the quotation after the end punctuation.

Pollan (2006) suggested that the prized marbled meat that results from feeding corn to cattle (ruminants) may not be good for us:

Yet this corn-fed meat is demonstrably less healthy for us, since it contains more saturated fat and less omega-3 fatty acids than the meat of animals fed grass. A growing body of research suggests that many of the health problems associated with eating beef are really problems with corn-fed beef. . . . In the same way ruminants are ill adapted to eating corn, humans in turn may be poorly adapted to eating ruminants that eat corn. (p. 75)

4. Two Authors

Note that if you name the authors in the parentheses, connect them with an ampersand (&).

Sharpe and Young (2005) reported that new understandings about tooth development, along with advances in stem cell technology, have brought researchers closer to the possibility of producing replacement teeth from human tissue (p. 36).

New understandings about tooth development, along with advances in stem cell technology, have brought researchers closer to the possibility of producing replacement teeth from human tissue (Sharpe & Young, 2005, p. 36).

5. Three to Five Authors

The first time you cite a source with three to five authors, list all their names in either the signal phrase or parentheses. If you cite the same source again in your paper, use just the first author’s name followed by “et al.”

Frueh, Anouk, Elhai, and Ford (2010) identified the homecoming of Vietnam veterans as the advent for PTSD’s eventual inclusion in the DSM, pointing out that “in the immediate, post-Vietnam era, compensation for significant functional impairment was difficult to obtain other than for observable physical injuries, and access to Veterans Administration (VA) medical services were possible only via a ‘war-related’ disorder” (p. 3).

Frueh et al. (2010) presented data to combat the assumption that although most people who endure a trauma will develop PTSD, “only a small minority of people will develop distress and functional impairment that rises to the level of a psychiatric disorder. Instead, long-term resilience is actually the norm rather than the exception for people after trauma” (p. 7).

6. Six or More Authors

List the first author’s name only, followed by “et al.”

While supportive parenting has not been found to decrease the incidence of depression in bullied adolescents, Bilsky et al. (2013) have insisted that parental support can still offset or counterbalance the negative effects of peer victimization (p. 417).

7. Group, Corporate, or Government Author

Treat the name just as you would any other author, and include the name in either the signal phrase or the parentheses.

The resolution called on the United States to ban all forms of torture in interrogation procedures (American Psychological Association [APA], 2007, para. 1). It also reasserted “the organization’s absolute opposition to all forms of torture and abuse, regardless of circumstance” (APA, 2007, para. 5).

8. Two or More Works by the Same Author

Two or more works by the same author will be differentiated by the publication year of the work being referenced, unless you’re citing two works by the same author that were published in the same year. In this case, add a lowercase letter after the year to indicate which entry in the references list is being cited.

To see reference list entries for these sources, see item 6 on page 523.

Shermer (2005a) has reported that false acupuncture (in placebo experiments) is as effective as true acupuncture (p. 30).

Shermer (2005b) has observed that psychics rely on vague and flattering statements, such as “You are wise in the ways of the world, a wisdom gained through hard experience rather than book learning,” to earn the trust of their clients (p. 6).

9. Authors with the Same Last Name

Distinguish the authors in your in-text citations by including initials of their first names.

S. Harris (2012) argued that free will is actually an illusion — a by-product of our past experiences, over which we believe we have more control than we actually do (p. 64).

10. Unknown Author

Identify the item by its title. However, if the author is actually listed as “Anonymous,” treat this term as the author in your citation.

Tilapia provides more protein when eaten than it consumes when alive, making it a sustainable fish (“Dream Fish,” 2007, p. 26).

The book Go Ask Alice (Anonymous, 1971) portrayed the fictional life of a teenager who was destroyed by her addiction to drugs.

11. Personal Communication

If you cite personal letters or e-mails or your own interviews for your research paper, cite these as personal communication in your in-text citation, including the author of the material (with first initial), the term “personal communication,” and the date. Personal communications should not be included in your reference list.

One instructor has argued that it is important to “make peer review a lot more than a proofreading/grammar/mechanics exercise” (J. Bone, personal communication, July 27, 2007).

To include the author of a personal communication in the signal phrase, use the following format:

C. Garcia (personal communication, December 11, 2013) has argued that “while it’s important to accept criticism of your writing, you should be able to distinguish between a valid suggestion and an opinion that your target audience does not share.”

12. Electronic Source

If page numbers are not given, use section names or paragraph numbers to help your readers track down the source.

Our natural feelings of disgust — for example, at the sight of rotten food or squirming maggots — are “evolutionary messages telling us to get as far away as possible from the source of our discomfort” (“How Our Brains Separate Empathy from Disgust,” 2013, para. 15).

13. Musical Recording

In an ironic twist, Mick Jagger sang backup on the song “You’re So Vain” (Simon, 1972, track 3).

14. Secondary Source

Include the name of the original author in the signal phrase. In the parentheses, add “as cited in,” and give the author of the quoted material along with the date and page number. Note that your end-of-paper reference entry for this material will be listed under the secondary source name (Pollan) rather than the original writer (Howard).

Writing in 1943, Howard asserted that “artificial manures lead inevitably to artificial nutrition, artificial food, artificial animals, and finally to artificial men and women” (as cited in Pollan, 2006, p. 148).

15. Multiple Sources in Same Citation

If one statement in your paper can be attributed to multiple sources, alphabetically list all the authors with dates, separated by semicolons.

Black Sabbath, considered the originators of heavy metal music, used their bleak upbringing in the failing industrial town of Birmingham, England, to power the darkness and passion in a sound that wowed the masses and disgusted the critics (Christe, 2004; Widerhorn & Turman, 2013).

For an activity on APA style, see Tutorials > LearningCurve Activities > Working with Sources (APA)