APA

Any time you use information you got from another source in your paper, whether you quote them directly or paraphrase (put their ideas into your own words), you will need to add an in-text citation. If the facts are considered considered common knowledge, something most readers will already know, you do not need to cite a source. APA uses an author-date system for citation. For every in-text citation, there must be a corresponding reference list entry. For every reference list entry, there must be a corresponding in-text citation. Some exceptions to this rule may apply. Consult 8.4 in the APA manual for more information. 

Paraphrasing

For most in-text citations, you provide the author's last name and year for the corresponding source. Citations may be narrative (recommended) or parenthetical. After you mention the author in a signal or introductory phrase, follow with the year of publication in parentheses. If you do not use the author's name in text, then provide the author's last name and year of publication separated by a comma, in parentheses. 

• Example: Crenshaw (1989) coined the terms intersectionality and argues for the importance of examining how identities and experiences interact with and enforce each other.

OR

•  Proponents of intersectionality argue the importance of examining how identities and experiences interact with and enforce each other (Crenshaw, 1989).

Short Quotes

While it's usually best to present the ideas of your sources in your own words, you will sometimes need to use direct quotes. For short quotations, 40 words or less, either introduce the quote with a signal phrase consisting of the authors name and year, and follow it with the page number (p. #) or location information* in parentheses. If no signal phrase is used, follow the quotation with the author, year, and location information in parentheses, separated by commas.

• Example: According to Crenshaw (1989), "When feminist theory attempts to describe women's experiences through analyzing patriarchy, sexuality, or separate spheres ideology, it often overlooks the role of race" (p. 154).

OR

• "When feminist theory attempts to describe women's experiences through analyzing patriarchy, sexuality, or separate spheres ideology, it often overlooks the role of race" (Crenshaw, 1989, p. 154).

Long Quotes/Block Quotes

Quotations over 40 words are formatted as block quotations and should be used sparingly. Omit the quotation marks, and indent the entire quote by .5". Block quotations introduced by a signal phrase are followed by location information in parentheses, while those without will end with the author, date, and location information in parentheses. Note that this parenthetical information is outside of the ending punctuation of the quote.

Crenshaw (1989) writes

When feminist theory attempts to describe women's experiences through analyzing patriarchy, sexuality, or separate spheres ideology, it often overlooks the role of race. Feminists thus ignore how their own race functions to mitigate some aspects of sexism and, moreover, how it often privileges them over and contributes to the domination of other women. (p. 154)

OR

Theories of intersectionality challenge feminists to examine internal biases:

When feminist theory attempts to describe women's experiences through analyzing patriarchy, sexuality, or separate spheres ideology, it often overlooks the role of race. Feminists thus ignore how their own race functions to mitigate some aspects of sexism and, moreover, how it often privileges them over and contributes to the domination of other women. (Crenshaw, 1989, p. 154)

*Some sources, especially those on the web do not have stable page numbers. Instead identify paragraph (para.) or section information to help readers locate the quotation.

• One or Two Authors: In a signal phrase or in parentheses, provide both authors' last names.
  • Smith (2019)
  • Smith and Smith (2019)
  • (Smith & Smith, 2019)
• Three or More Authors: Use the first author's last name followed by et al. (note that there is no period after et).
  • Smith et al. (2019)
  • (Smith et al., 2019)
• Group Author: Groups or agencies may be used as an author. If you must abbreviate a group author spell out the groups name and use the abbreviations thereafter. 
  • According to Apple (2020)
  • (Apple, 2020)
  • (American Psychological Association [APA], 2020)
  • According to the American Psychological Association (APA, 2020)
  • Subsequent citations
    •  According to the APA (2020)
    • (APA, 2020)
• Unknown Author: If the title is short, use the whole title in place of the author; if the title is long, use a shortened version for parenthetical citations. If the title of the work would be italicized in the reference list, italicize the in-text. If it is not use quotation marks around the title in-text. Examples shown are from Section 8:14 in APA manual.
  • Book with no author: (Interpersonal Skills, 2019)
  • Magazine article with no author: ("Understanding Sensory Memory", 2018)
• Secondary (Indirect) Sources: When possible, find the original source and cite that instead, but if not use the abbreviation as cited in. in to show it is a secondary source.
  • Smith (1953, as cited in Jones, 2019) argues
  • as was found (Smith, 1953, as cited in Jones, 2019)

• For more information about citing consult your EasyWriter, APA Publication Manual 7th ed., Excelsior Online Writing Lab, or make an appointment with a librarian.

• Sources Without Pagination: If the source does not have stable page numbers, then a page number is not required. While online PDFs have page numbers you can use, many online articles will not. Provide heading or section titles, paragraph numbers (abbreviated para.) or some combination in parentheses to help the reader locate the quotation.
• Sources with Runtimes: When citing sources that have a run time, like movies or podcasts, include the timestamp range for the information used in hour:minute:second format. (00:12:15-00:13:45).
• For more information about citing lines of plays, poetry, sacred texts, etc consult APA Manual section 8.28.