APA Documentation and Format

Chapter Opener

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cite in APA

APA Documentation and Format

APA (American Psychological Association) style is used in many social science disciplines. For full details about APA style and documentation, consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed. (2010). The basic details for documenting sources and formatting research papers in APA style are presented below.

Document sources according to convention. When you use sources in a research paper, you are required to cite the source, letting readers know that the information has been borrowed from somewhere else and showing them how to find the original material if they would like to study it further. Like MLA style, APA includes two parts: a brief in-text citation and a more detailed reference entry.

In-text citations should include the author’s name, the year the material was published, and the page number(s) that the borrowed material can be found on. The author’s name and year of publication are generally included in a signal phrase that introduces the passage, and the page number is included in parentheses after the borrowed text. Note that for APA style, the verb in the signal phrase should be in the past tense (reported, as in the following example) or present perfect tense (has reported).

Millman (2007) reported that college students around the country are participating in Harry Potter discussion groups, sports activities, and even courses for college credit (p. A4).

Alternatively, the author’s name and year can be included in parentheses with the page number.

College students around the country are participating in Harry Potter discussion groups, sports activities, and even courses for college credit (Millman, 2007, p. A4).

The list of references at the end of the paper contains a more detailed citation that repeats the author’s name and publication year and includes the title and additional publication information about the source. Inclusive page numbers are included for periodical articles and parts of books.

Millman, S. (2007). Generation hex. The Chronicle of Higher Education, 53(46), A4.

Both in-text citations and reference entries can vary greatly depending on the type of source cited (book, periodical, Web site, etc.). The following pages give specific examples of how to cite a wide range of sources in APA style.