1. Introduction
The guidelines on this page introduce the fundamentals to American Psychological Association (APA) referencing style. These are based on the 5th edition of the Publication Manual of the APA published in 2001, and use examples from the manual. APA is generally used in social sciences related academic writing. The guidelines below provides information on how to cite direct references (quotes) and in-text references, and how to build a references section in an academic paper.
How to cite in-text references by using the APA guidelines?
In-text referencing is more commonly used than direct quotations. When citing in-text references the text is either summarized or paraphrased. The basic conventions of in-text referencing according to APA Manual Guide are as follows.
2.1 Citing a work with one author
When citing a work with one author, pay attention to the surname of the author, comma use and year of publication. Examples are given in the APA Manual Guide (2001). E.g.
Walker (2000) compared reaction times….
In a recent study of reaction times (Walker, 2000)
In 2000 Walker compared reaction times
If the same sources are cited again, the year of publication in citing second time can be omitted. E.g.
In a recent study of reaction times, Walker (2000) described the method…. Walker also found...
2.2 Citing a published material with three or more authors
If a work of multiple authors needs to be cited, the surnames of all the authors should be cited the first time the reference is used. Then state only the first author’s surname followed byet al. in the in-text reference.
Wasserstein, Zappulla, Rosen, Gerstman, and Rock (1994) found in a recent study of ideological principles (Johnson and Rock, 2008)
Wasserstein et al. (1994) found (After the first citation, use it by inserting et al.).
Wasserstein et al. found that… (The year of publication can be omitted if the same source is repeated afterwards).
2.4 Citing groups as authors
When citing groups (corporations, government agencies or associations) the name of the group should be used if cited for the first time and its acronym should be used in the subsequent citation.
(National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 1999)(First time citation in the text)
(NIMH, 1999)(Subsequent citation in the text)
2.5 Citing a work cited in another work
When referencing an author cited within the work, and you haven’t read the work of the original author, refer to the original work, and add “as cited in” to the reference.
Smith’s study on Urban planning (2001, as cited in Jones 2004) indicates that…
Seidenberg and McClelland’s study (as cited in Coltheart, Curtis, Atkins,& Haller 1993).
2.6 How to cite in-text internet sources?
If the date of the published internet material is given, follow the procedures as before when citing a book. E.g. For a Web site - A Single document or Part of a large Web site
Urban planning requires…..(Spearing, 2004)
If there is no date on the internet site, use the surname and state that there is no date by using n.d.
Urban planning requires…..(Spearing, n.d.)
It is also possible to use the surname of the author only. However, in academic writing, it is always safer to cite reliable sources; peer reviewed sources are always best.
How to cite direct quotes by using the APA guidelines?
Direct quotations are the quotes that the exact words of the author are used in the citation. This kind of referencing should be used when there is no other way to paraphrase or state the writer’s words or when paraphrasing the quote changes the effect on the reader.
In direct quotations, if the quote is less than 40 words, it should be inserted in the text in double enclosed quotation marks followed by the surname of the author, comma and the year of publication and page number in parenthesis.
She stated, “The ‘placebo effect’….disappeared when behaviors were studied in this manner” (Miele, 1993, p.276, but she did not clarify which behaviors were studied.
When quoting more than 40 words, use a "block quotation" on a new line, indented five spaces and omit quotation marks.
Miele (1993) found the following:
The "placebo effect," which had been verified in previous studies, disappeared when behaviors were studied in this manner. Furthermore, the behaviors were never exhibited again, even when real drugs were administered. Earlier studies (e.g., Abdullah, 1984; Fox, 1979) were clearly premature in attributing the results to a placebo effect. (p. 276)
5. How to build your reference list by using the APA guidelines?
5.1 Formatting
The references section starts on a new page. Each entry should be double-spaced and have a “hanging indent” (where the first line of the reference lines up with the general margin of the text, and the second and following lines are indented. This is repeated for each entry).Titles of larger works (i.e. books, journals, encyclopedias) are italicized and the first word is capitalized. This is followed by the location, colon and the name of publisher. E.g,
Author, A.A. (1998). Title of the work. Location: Publisher.
Citation forms may change depending on the source type as follows:
Book
Author, A.A. (1998). Title of the work. Location: Publisher
Gardner, H. (1983). Frames of mind: The theory of multiple intelligences. New York, NY: Basic Books.
Beck, C. A. J., & Sales, B. D. (2001). Family mediation: Facts, myths, and future prospects. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
Books revised edition
Rosenthal, R (1987). Meta-analytic procedures for social research (Rev Ed.) Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
A book chapter
Massaro, B.(1998). Broadening the domain of the fuzzy logical model of perception. In H. L. Pick Jr., P.van den Broek & D. C. Knill (Eds.) Cognition: Conceptual and methodological issues (pp.51-84).Washington, DC: American Psychological Association
Journal article
Mellers, B. A. (2000). Choice and the relative pleasure of consequences. Psychological Bulletin, 126, 910-924.
Klimoski, R., & Palmer, S. (1993). The ADA and the hiring process in organizations. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 45(2), 10-36.
Encyclopedia or dictionary
Sadie, S. (Ed.) (1980).The new Grove dictionary of music and musicians (6th ed., Vols 1-20).London Macmillan.
Television or radio program
To cite a television or radio program, the surnames and initials of the producers, directors, or other significant contributors are given.
Crystal, L. (Executive Producer). (1993, October 11). The Mac Neil/Lehrer news hour [Television broadcast]. New York and Washington, DC: Public Broadcasting Service.
Hall B. (Writer), &Bender J. (Director).(1991). The rules of the game [Television series episode]. In J. Sander (Producer, I’ll fly away. New York Broadcasting Company.
Each name is followed by a description in parentheses of that individual's function. After listing the date in parentheses, italicize the title of the program, and state whether it is a radio or television broadcast in brackets. List the location and the name of the broadcasting company.
Internet
Start the entry with the last name of the author, and the author's first and middle initials. Place the date that the document was published in parenthesis. Include the title of the work, the day that the source was retrieved, and the address of the source.
Author, A. A. (2007). Title of work. Retrieved month day, year, from source.
5.2 Order of works cited
As a general rule, the surnames of the authors cited should be alphabetized and if there is no author, titles should be alphabetized. When citing different works of the same author, order the source from earliest publication to the latest.
Hewlett, L.S. (1996).
Hewlett, L.S. (1999).
When ordering different authors with the same surname, their first initial should be alphabetized.
Mathur, A.L.& Wallston, J.(1999).
Mathur, S.E.,& Ahlers, R.J.(1998).
6. Conclusion
Consistency in referencing is vital in preparing papering academic papers. This guide should give you quick guidelines to the APA formatting style, and uses examples from the APA Manual. Please refer to the APA Manual for more detailed explanations, and remember to check with your professor about what format is expected.