APA 7 Citation of Sources

The following information is an abridged version of the style and formatting guidelines found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th ed. (2019). This sheet is to serve as a ready-reference; more in-depth descriptions can be found in the handbook.

Basic Information for In-Text Citations

When paraphrasing or directly quoting from a source, you must give credit to the source. If the source is not credited, then you as the author of the paper assume credit for the ideas or the quotations contained within, and this constitutes plagiarism.

For hardcopy and electronic sources, the following information should be provided:

• Direct Quote: (author’s last name, year, page number)
  • If there is no page number, provide another way for the reader to locate the quotation.
    • You can use paragraph numbers in place of page numbers with the abbreviation “para.” before the number to specify which paragraph the information is located: (author’s last name, year, para. 7)
    • You can also use heading or section names in place of page numbers: (author’s last name, year, title of heading or section).
• Paraphrase: (author’s last name, year)
  • Although you do not have to put a page number when paraphrasing, your professor may require it. You also may want to indicate the page number so interested readers can easily find the passage.

In-Text Citations According to Situation

One Work by One Author

• Parenthetical Citation: (Author’s last name, year)
  • Example: (Wanis, 2007)
• Narrative Citation: Author’s last name (year) stated that…
  • Example: Wanis (2007) stated that…
  • When the year is cited early in the paragraph and another reference to the source needs to be made within the same paragraph, you do not need to include the year if the study cannot be confused with another study. This rule applies to works with one to five authors.
    • Example: Wanis et al. found that…

One Work by Multiple Authors

• When a work has two authors, always cite both names every time the source needs to be cited.
  • Examples:
    • Parenthetical: (Salas & D’Agostino, 2020)
    • Narrative: Salas and D’Agostino (2020)
• When a work has three or more authors, include the surname of only the first author followed by “et al.” in every citation, including the first citation, unless doing so would create ambiguity.
  • Examples:
    • Parenthetical: (Martin et al., 2020)
    • Narrative: Martin et al. (2020)

Groups as Authors

• Groups such as corporations or government agencies are spelled out only once in the text, choosing either the parenthetical or the narrative format. Thereafter, use the abbreviation for all mentions of the group in the text.
  • Example:
    • First Citation: (University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey [UMDNJ], 2007)
    • Subsequent Citations: (UMDNJ, 2007)
• Note: Within the text of the paper, once the group name is spelled out followed by the acronym in parentheses, the acronym may be used exclusively thereafter.
  • Example: According to the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ)… UMDNJ also states that…

When a Work Has No Author

• Cite the first few words of the title and the year.
• Generally, when the work that is being cited is an article or chapter, use double quotation marks around the title. If the work is a periodical, book, brochure, or report, italicize the title.
  • Example for a magazine article with no author: (“Understanding Sensory Memory,” 2018)
• Note: These rules only apply to the formatting of titles within the parenthetical citation. Different rules apply to the formatting of titles within the reference list.

Authors With the Same Surname

• Include the author’s first initials in all in-text citations. This helps the reader understand from which source the information came.
  • Example: C. L. Lee (2007) and J. A. Lee (2006) also found that….
• If the first authors of multiple references share the same surname and the same initials, cite the works in the standard author–date format.

Two or More Works Within the Same Parentheses

• Order the citations of two or more works within the same parentheses in the same order in which they appear in the reference list.
  • Example: (Lee, 2006; Pais & Werdan, 2007; Wanis, 2005)
    • If both works are by the same author: (Wanis, 2007, 2008)

Classical Works

• Classical works sometimes do not have a date of publication. In this instance, cite the author’s name, followed by a comma and “n.d.” for “no date”.
  • Example: (Smith, n.d.)
• Classical works may have a year from the translation source you used. In this instance, use the author’s name, followed by a comma and “trans.” and the year.
  • Example: (Smith, trans. 1955)
• Classical works with canonically numbered parts common across editions (books, chapters, verses, lines, cantos), cite the part instead of a page number
  • Example: (Smith, trans. 1955, Chapter 3)
• For plays, cite the act, scene, and line(s).
  • Example: (Shakespeare, 1623, 1.3.36–37)
• Exception: Since reference entries are not required for major classical works such as ancient Greek and Roman works, as well as the Bible, simply identify the work in the first reference to the source in your paper.
  • Example: 2 Cor.13:5 (New International Bible)

Sources Without a Date of Publication

• When referencing a source without a date of publication, cite the author’s name, followed by a comma and “n. d.” for “no date.”
  • Example: (Jones, n. d.)
• Note: When writing an academic paper using scholarly works such as peer-reviewed journals or articles, these sources have dates of publication.

Personal Communications

• This includes letters, memos, e-mails or electronic discussion boards, interviews, and telephone conversations.
• Since these types of sources are not listed in the reference page, you only need to cite these sources once. Provide the initials as well as the last name of the communicator and an exact date.
  • Example: (C. L. Wanis, personal communication, October 4, 2007)

Indirect Sources

• When you are quoting or paraphrasing a passage spoken or written by one scholar or writer that is referred to within the work of another scholar or writer (an indirect source), include the original author’s name in the text and cite the author of the indirect source within the parenthetical reference using “as cited in.”
• By crediting both the original author and the author of the indirect source, the reader can easily locate the quoted passage and you protect yourself in case the original author was misquoted. While the original source should always be used when available, quoting or paraphrasing the indirect source is acceptable.
• Example (in which the original author of the quotation is Rothbart, and Braungart-Rieker, Hill-Soderlund, and Karrass are the authors of the indirect source):
  • Rothbart (2011) explains that “although there are numerous conceptualizations, tempera- ment is generally thought of as early appearing individual differences in emotional, motor, and attentional reactivity as well as the regulation of this reactivity” (as cited in Braungart- Rieker, Hill-Soderlund, & Karrass, 2010, p. 792).
    
    Reference
    
    Braungart-Rieker, J. M., Hill-Soderlund, A. L., & Karass. J. (2010). Fear and anger reactivity trajectories from 4 to 16 months: The roles of temperament, regulation, and maternal sensitivity. Developmental Psychology, 46(4), 791-804. doi: 10.1037/a0019673
• The phrase “as cited in” is used to give credit to the indirect source in which the information appears.
• Only the indirect source citation appears in the References section.

Basic Information for Block Quotations

• When using direct quotations that are 40 words or longer, they should be formatted as block quotes.
• Following an introductory phrase, the entire quote should:
  • Start on a new line
  • Not have quotation marks surrounding it
  • Be indented ½ inches from the left margin
  • End with a parenthetical citation following the quote’s ending punctuation
• Example:
  • Lorem Ipsum is a standard placeholder text that has it’s origins in the early days of the printing press. The text incorporates Latin, and may be confusing to readers unfamiliar with the language:
  • Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Duis a sem sed mauris volutpat venenatis sit amet in velit. Maecenas dignissim at lectus ut blandit. Curabitur cursus quam eget enim pretium tincidunt. Maecenas quam lectus, dapibus sit amet justo in, cursus varius velit. In eu dui augue. Vestibulum erat turpis, rhoncus sit amet lacus ac, tempor sodales velit. Praesent a est metus. (Lorem & Ipsum, 1500, p. 1)
  • Despite its use of Latin, the text is a great way to observe how paragraphs might appear in printed and digital documents, without the need to come up with placeholder for each individual document.