RasGuides: APA Guide to the Seventh Edition: In-Text Citations (2023)

Why cite resources?

Citation of sources in the body of a research paper informs the reader that material from external sources was used in the sentence in which the citation appears in the text. This lets the reader know that it is not your original work or thought. Citing sources:

• It lets the reader know what research, ideas, or theories influenced the author of the article.
• It provides authority and support for positions taken in the document.
• Recognize others in the field by giving credit for their original work

In-text citations also serve as research tools. Because in-text citations are comprised of the first two elements of the resource reference (author's last name and date of publication), they provide the reader with enough information to locate the resource in the article's reference list. In other words, citations and references in the text match!

What needs to be quoted?

According toPublishing Handbook of the American Psychological Association(7th ed.),

"Plagiarismit is the act of presenting another's words, ideas or images as one's own; denies credit to authors where due” (American Psychological Association, 2020, p. 21).

In other words, the use of information from the source material must be cited in the text and in the APA Style Article Reference List. This includes using others:

• Words- quotes
• Ideas- Summaries, Paraphrases
• Data- Numbers, Data
• Images- Pictures, charts, charts

See examples of references and supplementary citations in the text atReferences pages in the APA Guide.

American Psychological Association. (2020).Publishing Handbook of the American Psychological Association(7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

Creating in-text citations: paraphrases and summaries

(Author, Date)

The APA style uses theAuthor-Datedating system. In-text citations appear within the text of the document to let readers know that the information in the sentence where the in-text citation appears has been taken from the source material. They are composed of the first two elements of the corresponding reference(Author, Date)for the feature and are designed to be short to avoid interrupting the paper flow.

There are two types of in-text citations:

• Between parenthesis
• Narrative

Citation in parentheses in the text

This is the most common form of in-text citation. It consists of the last name of the author(s) and the year of publication. It is called parenthetical citation because this information is enclosed in parentheses. The citation in parentheses appears at the end of the sentence in which the source information was used and, because it is part of the sentence, appears before the period. See the example citation in parentheses below:

Students reported that they prefer to write on a computer rather than pen and paper.(Cheung, 2016).

Narrative citation in the text

Narrative citation is used when the author's name is used in a sentence. In this case, the year of publication in parentheses follows the author's name in the sentence. See an example of a narrative citation below:

In his research, Cheung(2016)found that undergraduate writers produced higher-quality writing when writing on a computer rather than pen and paper.

Citations and references in the text are connected and match!

In-text citations serve two functions. First, they alert the reader that source material information has been used in a sentence where the citation appears in the text. It lets the reader know who influenced the work about the writer's position or conclusions about the subject. Second, it serves as a search tool so that the reader can quickly find the full reference in the reference list. The reference and citation in the text must match. The following example illustrates how they match:

Citations in the text follow theAuthor-Date standard. In-text citations can appear at the end of a sentence (in-text citation parentheses) or in the text of the sentence if the author's name is included (in-text narrative citation). If an article has three or more authors, list the first author's last name followed by the phrase "et al." and the year of publication.

Below are examples of in-text citations for works by one author, two authors, three or more authors, and group authors:

work withan author

Citation in parentheses in the text (Davis, 2019).

Narrative citation in the text According to Davis (2019),...

work withof the authors

Citation in parentheses in the text (Ryan & Cooper, 2020).

Narrative citation in the text In the study by Ryan and Cooper (2020),...

work withthree or more authors

Citation in parentheses in the text (Morrison et al., 2018).

Narrative citation in the text In the study by Morrison et al. (2018) study,...

work withgroup author

Citation in parentheses in the text

• First visit (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2019).
• Later citation (ANA, 2019).

Narrative citation in the text

• First dateThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, 2020) reports...
• Later citation According to the CDC (2020), recommendations include...

Citation placement in the text

In-text citations follow the Author-Date pattern and appear in the sentence where the source material information is used. Placement of citations in the text varies depending on whether the author(s) name is embedded in the sentence (narrative citation) or whether the author(s) is(are) not named directly in the sentence ( citation in parentheses). Quotes in the text are part of the speech and appear before the full stop.

quotes in parentheses

A parenthetical citation appears when source material information is used, but the author's name is not included in the text of the sentence. This type of citation in the text is composed by the author's surname, comma, year of publication in parentheses. It is placed at the end of the sentence before the period.

Example:

Students reported that they prefer to write on a computer rather than pen and paper.(Cheung, 2016).

narrative quotes

A narrative citation is used when the name of the author(s) is included in the text of the sentence. In this case, the year of publication is in parentheses and appears after the name of the author(s).

Example:

In your survey,Cheung(2016)found that undergraduate writers produced higher-quality writing when writing on a computer rather than pen and paper.

Creating In-Text Citations: Citations

Author-Date-#standard:

When you copy a piece of text directly from a source, it is calleddirect quotation. You will enclose the citation in quotation marks, and your citation will contain the last name of the author(s), the year of publication and the page number where the citation can be found in the source:

If you are using a font that haspages, then it will use a p. abbreviated:

(Smith, 2018, p. 4).

If you are using a source that has no pages (a website), you will use aparagraph number. It will count down to the paragraph where your quote is located. You will use an abbreviated paragraph:

(Wilson & Miller, 2019, paragraph 2).

Citation in parentheses in the text:

If the author's name is not incorporated into your sentence, include the author's last name, year of publication, and page or paragraph number separated by commas and in parentheses at the end of the citation:

Many writers appreciate the “instant editing ability”(Smith, 2008, p. 72)when writing in pencil or on a computer.

Narrative citation in the text

If you incorporate the author's name in your sentence, follow the author's name with the year of publication in parentheses, and include the location in parentheses right after the citation:

In your survey,miller (2006)found that some writers like the sound "of graffiti turning ideas into reality"(p. 72)when writing with a pencil.

Citations of 40 words or more require block format

Citations of 40 or more words included in an article are presented in block format. The quote starts on a new line and the entire quote is indented 1/2 inch from the left margin. No quotation marks are used and the quote appears at the end of the quote after the final punctuation mark. In fact, this is the only situation where a parenthetical reference appears outside a period.

Writing tip:Block quotes should be used sparingly.Remember that your voice is important, after all, it's your job! Rather than using a block quote, consider taking parts of the larger quote and paraphrasing (put your ideas in your own words and provide an in-text quote), or include shorter, more precise quotes from the larger quote, incorporated into your own sentences. Either approach will help ensure that you (the writer) have engaged with the citation information and applied it directly to the topic of the article.

Here is an example of a block quote. Note: Normally, the passage would be double-spaced, but due to space constraints, this example is single-spaced.

Put direct quotes of more than 40 words in a separate block of typed lines and omit the quotation marks. Begin the citation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would start a new paragraph. Type the full citation in the new margin and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraphs within the citation 1/2 inch from the new margin. Maintain double space at all times. The parenthetical reference must follow the final punctuation mark. (Angeli, et al., 2018, para. 27)

To create a block quote, use the block indent button:

NOTE on quotes:Use them sparingly!

While it is preferable to paraphrase information, there are specific situations where a quote can be an effective option. For example:

• famous quote
  • Including a famous or familiar quote can be effective when introducing a topic or setting the tone for an article.
• Words from an expert
  • Providing the words of an expert can reinforce your position or argument.
• i couldn't say it better
  • On rare occasions, it can be difficult to paraphrase a short passage without changing the meaning; it may be preferable to include an accurate citation.
• facts and statistics
  • Sources of data and statistics, including those presented in tables or graphs, should be documented in your work through citations and references in the text.
• opposite point of view
  • Including a quote that opposes your position can be an effective method of demonstrating why your position on the issue is preferable.

Paraphrases and summaries

Author-Datestandard:

When youresume,paraphrase, or otherwise refers to an idea, concept, or fact obtained through your research, your citation will contain the last name of the author(s) and the year of publication:

(Smith, 2018)

(Wilson e Miller, 2019)

Qualities of a "Good" Paraphrase

Academic writing often requires students to integrate information found in source material. There are several ways to do this; quotes, summaries or paraphrases. FORparaphraseit is a detailed restatement in your own words of the main ideas of the part of the source being paraphrased.

Creating a well-written paraphrase can be a difficult skill to learn. Understanding the qualities of a "good" paraphrase can help. A well-written paraphrase includes the following qualities:

• Include all important details.
  • All the main details of the original appear in the paraphrase.
• faithful to the original
  • The paraphrase does not alter the original author's meaning.
• Same length or smaller than the original
  • The paraphrase is approximately the same length or less than the original.
• in your own words
  • ​The paraphrase is written using your own language, tone and style.
• The source is cited in the text and in the References list.
  • ​Paraphrased material should include an in-text citation and a reference in the reference list.

Example of a well-written paraphrase:

original passage:

University of Tulsa psychologist Judy Berry studied 73 eighth graders from Oklahoma who took a parenting course. For ten days, each student had to take care of a five-kilogram bag of flour as if it were a baby. Berry's research on her young participants suggests that the course has worked. Teens in the study had a stronger sense of parental responsibility than they had before taking the course.

Harper, KS (1996). Surrogacy 'Flour Baby' teaches eighth graders parenting skills.Journal of Child and Family Studies, 25(4), 25-28.

Example of a good paraphrase:

Prolonged parental role-play can actually increase an adolescent's awareness of parental responsibilities, as demonstrated by psychologist Judy Berry's study of eighth-grade students (Harper, 1996).

Avoid writing patches!

Students who are learning to paraphrase may inadvertently "fix the spelling". Patch writing occurs when a writer takes a passage from the source material and changes a few words and phrases before including the passage in a job or assignment. Such paraphrasing is not only "bad" but also a form of plagiarism. See the following example to better understand how to write patches:

original passage:

University of Tulsa psychologist Judy Berry studied 73 eighth graders from Oklahoma who took a parenting course. For ten days, each student had to take care of a five-kilogram bag of flour as if it were a baby. Berry's research on her young participants suggests that the course has worked. Teens in the study had a stronger sense of parental responsibility than they had before taking the course.

Correction script example:

Judy Berry, a psychologist at the University of Tulsaconducted a study ofeighth-grade students who took a parenting course.Students had to trya ten kilo bag of flour like a baby.The results of Berry's study suggestedthat the adolescents in the study hadbetter understandingof parental responsibility that before taking the course(Harper, 1996).

ADVICE:Notice how the phrases in bold are identical to the original. Even if there is a quote in the text, patch writing is still a form of plagiarism.