omit the page number.
APA references generally include information about the author , publication date , title , and source . Depending on the type of source, you may have to include extra information that helps your reader locate the source.
Citing a source starts with choosing the correct reference format. Use Scribbr’s Citation Example Generator to learn more about the format for the most common source types. Pay close attention to punctuation, capitalization, and italicization.
Generate APA citations for free
It is not uncommon for certain information to be unknown or missing, especially with sources found online. In these cases, the reference is slightly adjusted.
Missing element | What to do | Reference format |
---|---|---|
Author | Start the reference entry with the source title. | Title. (Date). Source. |
Date | Write “n.d.” for “no date”. | Author. (n.d.). Title. Source. |
Title | Describe the work in square brackets. | Author. (Date). [Description]. Source. |
On the first line of the page, write the section label “References” (in bold and centered). On the second line, start listing your references in alphabetical order .
Apply these formatting guidelines to the APA reference page:
On the reference page, you only include sources that you have cited in the text (with an in-text citation ). You should not include references to personal communications that your reader can’t access (e.g. emails, phone conversations or private online material).
Are you a teacher or professor looking to introduce your students to APA Style? Download our free introductory lecture slides, available for Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint.
Open Google Slides Download PowerPoint
When no individual author name is listed, but the source can clearly be attributed to a specific organization—e.g., a press release by a charity, a report by an agency, or a page from a company’s website—use the organization’s name as the author in the reference entry and APA in-text citations .
When no author at all can be determined—e.g. a collaboratively edited wiki or an online article published anonymously—use the title in place of the author. In the in-text citation, put the title in quotation marks if it appears in plain text in the reference list, and in italics if it appears in italics in the reference list. Shorten it if necessary.
When you quote or paraphrase a specific passage from a source, you need to indicate the location of the passage in your APA in-text citation . If there are no page numbers (e.g. when citing a website ) but the text is long, you can instead use section headings, paragraph numbers, or a combination of the two:
(Caulfield, 2019, Linking section, para. 1).
Section headings can be shortened if necessary. Kindle location numbers should not be used in ebook citations , as they are unreliable.
If you are referring to the source as a whole, it’s not necessary to include a page number or other marker.
The abbreviation “ et al. ” (meaning “and others”) is used to shorten APA in-text citations with three or more authors . Here’s how it works:
Only include the first author’s last name, followed by “et al.”, a comma and the year of publication, for example (Taylor et al., 2018).
APA Style usually does not require an access date. You never need to include one when citing journal articles , e-books , or other stable online sources.
However, if you are citing a website or online article that’s designed to change over time, it’s a good idea to include an access date. In this case, write it in the following format at the end of the reference: Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva/about-the-university/about-the-university.html
Other students also liked.
✔ Free APA citation check included ✔ Unlimited document corrections ✔ Specialized in correcting academic texts
Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / APA Sample Papers
Ever wonder how to format your research paper in APA style? If so, you’re in luck! The team at EasyBib.com has put together an example paper to help guide you through your next assignment. (Actually, looking for MLA? Here’s a page on what is MLA format .)
The featured example is a research paper on the uses of biometrics to inform design decisions in the tech industry, authored by our UX Research Intern Peace Iyiewuare. Like most APA style papers, it includes an APA title page , tables, and several references and APA in-text citations to scholarly journals relevant to its topic. References are an important aspect of scientific research papers, and formatting them correctly is critical to getting a good grade.
This paper follows the formatting rules specified in the 6th edition of The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (the APA is not directly associated with this guide) . We’ve left comments and tips throughout the document, so you’ll know the specific rules around how to format titles, spacing, and font, as well as the citations on the APA reference page .
The reference list needs special care, as it demonstrates to the reader that you have accurately portrayed your outside sources and have given credit to the appropriate parties. Be sure to check our full APA citation guide for more information on paper formatting and citing sources in APA style. There is also a guide on APA footnotes in case that is your preferred form of citation.
When citations are done, don’t forget to finish your paper off with a proofread—EasyBib Plus’s plagiarism and grammar check can help! Got a misspelled adverb ? Missed capitalizing a proper noun ? Struggling with subject-verb agreement ? These are just a few things our checker could help you spot in your paper.
We’ve included a full student paper below to give you an idea of what an essay in APA format looks like, complete with a title page, paper, reference list, and index. If you plan to include an APA abstract in your paper, see the Professional Paper for an example.
If you’re looking for an APA format citation generator, we’ve got you covered. Use EasyBib.com! Our APA format machine can help you create every reference for your paper.
Below is an example of a student APA format essay. We also have PDF versions of both a student paper and a professional paper linked below.
Using Biometrics to Evaluate Visual Design
Jane Lisa Dekker
Art Department, Northern California Valley State University
UXAD 272: Strategic Web Design
Professor Juan Liu, PhD
January 29, 2020
A vast amount of research has been conducted regarding the importance of visual design, and its role as a mediator of user’s experience when browsing a site or interacting with an interface. In the literature, visual design is one aspect of website quality. Jones and Kim (2010) define website quality as “the perceived quality of a retail website that involves a [user’s] perceptions of the retailer’s website and comprises consumer reactions towards such attributes as information, entertainment/enjoyment, usability, transaction capabilities, and design aesthetics” (p. 632). They further examined the impact web quality and retail brand trust has on purchase intentions. Additional research examining e-commerce sites has shown web quality has an impact on both initial and continued purchase intention (Kuan, Bock, & Vathanophas, 2008), as well as consumer satisfaction (Lin, 2007). Moreso, research on the relationship between visual design and perceived usability (Stojmenovic, Pilgrim, & Lindgaard, 2014) has revealed a positive correlation between the two. As users’ ratings of visual quality increase, their ratings of perceived usability follows a similar trend. Although this research spans various domains, the reliance on self-report measures to gauge concepts like visual design and web quality is prevalent throughout much of the literature.
Although some self-report scales are validated within the literature, there are still issues with the use of self-report questionnaires. One is the reliance on the honesty of the participant. This tends to be more of an issue in studies related to questionnaires that measure characteristics of the participant, rather than objective stimuli. More relevant to this study is the issue of introspection and memory. Surveys are often distributed after a task is completed, and its accuracy is dependent on the ability of the participant to remember their experience during the study. Multiple research studies have shown that human memory is far from static. This can
be dangerous if a researcher chooses to solely rely on self-report methods to test a hypothesis. We believe these self-report methods in tandem with biometric methods can help ensure the validity of the questionnaires, and provide information beyond the scope of self-report scales.
Research Questions
We know from previous research that the quality of websites mediates many aspects of e-commerce, and provides insight as to how consumers view the webpages in general. However, simply knowing a webpage is perceived as lower quality doesn’t give insight as to what aspects of a page are disliked by a user. Additionally, it’s possible that the user is misremembering aspects of the webpage or being dishonest in their assessment. Using eye tracking metrics, galvanic skin response, and facial expression measures in tandem with a scale aimed at measuring visual design quality has a couple of identifiable benefits. Using both can potentially identify patterns amongst the biometric measures and the questionnaire, which would strengthen the validity of the results. More so, the eye tracking data has the potential to identify patterns amongst websites of lower or higher quality.
If found, these patterns can be used to evaluate particular aspects of a page that are impacting the quality of a webpage. Overall, we are interested in answering two questions:
Research Question 1 : Can attitudinal changes regarding substantial website redesigns be captured using biometric measures?
Research Question 2 : How do biometric measures correlate with self-reported measures of visual appeal?
Answering these questions has the potential to provide a method of justification for design changes, ranging from minor tweak to complete rebrands. There is not an easy way for companies to quantitatively analyze visual design decisions. A method for doing so would help companies evaluate visual designs before implementation in order to cost-justify them. To this end, we hope to demonstrate that biometric measurements can be used with questionnaires to verify and validate potential design changes a company or organization might want to implement.
By examining data from test subjects during a brief exposure to several websites, we hoped to explore the relationship between the self-reported evaluation of visual design quality and key biometric measurements of a subject’s emotional valence and arousal. Subjects were exposed to ten pairs of websites before and after a substantial visual design change and asked to evaluate the website based on their initial impressions of the site’s visual design quality using the VisAWI-S scale, as shown in Table 1.
During this assessment we collected GSR, facial expressions (limited by errors in initial study configuration), pupillary response, and fixation data using iMotions software coupled with a Tobii eye tracker, Shimmer GSR device, and Affdex facial expression analysis toolkit. This data was analyzed, in Table 2, to discover relationships between the independent and dependent variables, as well as relationships between certain dependent variables.
Jones, C., & Kim, S. (2010). Influences of retail brand trust, off-line patronage, clothing involvement and website quality on online apparel shopping intention: Online apparel shopping intention. International Journal of Consumer Studies , 34 (6), 627–637. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2010.00871.x
Kuan, H.-H., Bock, G.-W., & Vathanophas, V. (2008). Comparing the effects of website quality on customer initial purchase and continued purchase at e-commerce websites. Behaviour & Information Technology , 27 (1), 3–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/01449290600801959
Lin, H.-F. (2007). The impact of website quality dimensions on customer satisfaction in the B2C e-commerce context. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence , 18 (4), 363–378. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783360701231302
Stojmenovic, M., Pilgrim, C., & Lindgaard, G. (2014). Perceived and objective usability and visual appeal in a website domain with a less developed mental model. Proceedings of the 26 th Australian Computer-Human Interaction Conference on Designing Futures: The Future of Design , 316–323. https://doi.org/10.1145/2686612.2686660
| |
Factor | Item |
Simplicity | Everything goes together on the site. |
Diversity | The layout is pleasantly varied. |
Colorfulness | The color composition is attractive |
Craftsmanship | The layout appears professionally designed |
Familiarity* | I am familiar with this website |
Participants were asked about agreement with the item using a 7-point likert scale. | |
* question is simply to gauge familiarity for the study, and is not part of the Vis-AWI-S instrument |
| ||||||
Before | After | |||||
Website | Mean Difference | |||||
Joy Kitchen | 3.49 | 1.30 | 5.61 | 0.93 | 2.12 | 0.00 |
Seacom | 3.27 | 1.59 | 5.35 | 1.20 | 2.08 | 0.00 |
Food Blog | 3.59 | 1.30 | 5.59 | 0.80 | 2.00 | 0.00 |
Credit Union | 3.29 | 1.26 | 5.18 | 1.07 | 1.89 | 0.00 |
Travelers | 3.61 | 1.39 | 5.38 | 1.24 | 1.78 | 0.00 |
Sporcle | 4.23 | 1.23 | 2.45 | 1.12 | -1.78 | 0.00 |
Eagle | 3.93 | 1.47 | 5.45 | 0.82 | 1.52 | 0.00 |
Oberlin | 4.00 | 1.25 | 5.47 | 0.84 | 1.47 | 0.00 |
Valve | 3.88 | 1.56 | 5.10 | 1.42 | 1.22 | 0.00 |
Hospital | 4.47 | 1.33 | 5.48 | 0.85 | 1.01 | 0.00 |
Travel Blog | 4.71 | 1.23 | 5.69 | 1.01 | 0.98 | 0.00 |
Space | 4.35 | 1.55 | 5.29 | 1.09 | 0.94 | 0.00 |
School | 5.04 | 1.44 | 5.63 | 0.80 | 0.60 | 0.06 |
Book Publisher | 5.12 | 1.27 | 5.63 | 1.17 | 0.51 | 0.10 |
Sneakers | 4.78 | 1.37 | 5.20 | 1.34 | 0.42 | 0.14 |
Stance | 5.08 | 0.88 | 5.41 | 0.95 | 0.33 | 0.09 |
City | 4.79 | 1.18 | 5.12 | 0.88 | 0.32 | 0.07 |
IEEE | 3.95 | 1.30 | 4.26 | 1.40 | 0.31 | 0.24 |
Rise | 5.08 | 1.00 | 4.89 | 1.27 | -0.18 | 0.30 |
Audio Technica | 3.94 | 1.52 | 4.05 | 1.37 | 0.11 | 0.71 |
Bloomberg | 3.63 | 1.35 | 3.52 | 1.26 | -0.11 | 0.73 |
Stimuli are ranked by largest to smallest absolute mean difference. |
APA Formatting
How useful was this post?
Click on a star to rate it!
We are sorry that this post was not useful for you!
Let us improve this post!
Tell us how we can improve this post?
APA Citation Examples
Writing Tools
Citation Generators
Other Citation Styles
Upload a paper to check for plagiarism against billions of sources and get advanced writing suggestions for clarity and style.
Get Started
Table of Contents
The American Psychological Association (APA) introduced the latest edition of the APA Style Manual (i.e., APA 7 th edition ) in 2019. APA Style has its origins in 1929 , when a group of academics and professionals decided to develop a set of guidelines that would standardize scientific writing. The earliest form was a seven-page guide published in the Psychological Bulletin . The first formal edition of the APA Publication Manual was published in 1952, with subsequent editions appearing in 1974, 1983, 1994, 2001, 2009, and most recently, in 2019.
Over the years, the APA style guide has evolved considerably to meet the changing needs of a wide range of disciplines, from social and behavioral sciences to health care, natural sciences, and humanities. APA Style is widely used by academic journals and books.
As APA 7 th edition is the current and most updated version, students and researchers should familiarize themselves with the style guidelines, including the reference and citation styles.
The aim of style guides such as the APA Style Guide is to simplify the work of editors and make it easier for readers to understand a text by ensuring a uniform format for a given publication. For example, the APA Style Guide will contain guidelines that lay down the APA reference format and APA style citation for authors to follow.
The APA Style Guide can be a valuable reference when writing and formatting academic papers, irrespective of discipline. However, this style is primarily used by professionals, researchers, and students in the social sciences (e.g., sociology, psychology, anthropology), behavioral sciences, education, business, and nursing.
If you are a student, you may consult with an instructor to check what style your discipline uses before using APA Style in your work. Most importantly, be sure to check the guidelines of your university or the journal you plan to publish in to ensure APA 7 th edition is the correct style to use.
Researchers rely on citations and references to give credit to original sources, support their arguments, and guide readers to additional information for further study. Let us now look at how to cite sources in APA format. The formatting requirements of APA 7th edition citation for referring to secondary sources in your text are as follows.
The APA citation format includes the author’s last name and the year of publication. When referring to a particular part of a source, the page number may be included, e.g., “(Rawat et al., 2018, p. 115).”
APA style citation in the text may be parenthetical or narrative.
In parenthetical citation, the author’s name and the year of publication are placed in parentheses within the text. This style is used at the end of a sentence. See below for an example:
In narrative citation, the author’s name appears as a part of the sentence, followed by the publication year in parentheses. See below for an example:
Table 1: How to cite sources in APA format when there are multiple authors and organizations as authors
1
| (Sinha, 2022) | Sinha (2022) |
2
| (Latimer & Schulz, 1999) | Latimer and Schulz (1999) |
≥3
| (Khatri et al., 2023) | Khatri et al. (2023) |
Organization as an author* | (WHO, 2016)
| WHO (2016) |
*First time with an abbreviation: (World Health Organization [WHO], 2016); all subsequent citations: (WHO, 2016)
Table 2: How to cite sources in APA format when some information is missing
Author | Use the title of the source in title case
| (FAQs, 2004) | FAQs. (2004) Crazy Camp Chronicles. http://www.crazycamps/faq |
Date
| Use “n.d.” (for no date) | (Kalanithi, n.d.) | Kalanithi, O. (n.d.). The curious case of the coughing cloud. Merriweather Publishing. |
Page number
| Use an alternative locator | (Williams, 1988, Chapter 14) (Bush, 2021, para. 2) | |
Title
| Describe the source | (Gupta, 2023)
| Gupta, G. (2023). [Collection of patient feedback for a new therapy]. Unpublished raw data. |
After APA citations , let us now look at the APA reference format. As an academic, you might use a wide array of source types. According to the APA style guide , each type is formatted in a certain manner. The most commonly used sources are journal articles, books, and dissertations. However, you occasionally might need to cite webpages, podcasts, and news article. How would all these appear in an APA 7 reference page ? You will find your answers in Table 3!
Table 3: How to format various sources in the APA reference list
Author, A. A. (Year of Publication). Title of the article. (issue number), pages. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyy | Singh, C., Solomon, D., & Rao, N. (2021). How does climate change adaptation policy in India consider gender? An analysis of 28 state action plans. (7), 958-975
| |
Author, A. A. (Year of Publication). (editors, translators, editions, etc.). Publisher.
| Angelou, M. (1970). Random House.
| |
Author, A. A. (Year). Chapter title. In Initial. Last name (Eds.), (ed., pages of chapter). Publisher. DOI of chapter | Saxena, R. K., Saxena, K. B., & Varshney, R. K. (2019). Pigeonpea ( L. Millsp.): an ideal crop for sustainable agriculture. In J. M. Al-Khayri, S. M. Jain, D. V. Johnson (Eds.), , Springer, Cham. .
| |
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). . Website name. URL | Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE). (n.d.). Johns Hopkins University. Retrieved July 13, 2022, from
| |
Author, A. A. (Year of Publication). [Master’s thesis/Doctoral dissertation, Name of institution]. URL or database name | Srinidhi, A. (2024). . [internal PhD, WU, Wageningen University]. Wageningen University. https://doi.org/10.18174/654556 | |
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of the article. . URL | Das, S. (2024, August 20). Auto companies Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland board the fully built bus boom. .
| |
Host, A. A. (Host). (Year, Month Day). Title (episode number if known) [Audio podcast episode]. In Publisher. URL | Huberman, A. (Host). (2022, April 17). Using light (sunlight, blue light & red light) to optimize health [Audio podcast episode]. In . Andrew Huberman.
|
Papers formatted according to APA 7th edition typically contain the following elements:
Title page with the title (bold, centered), running head and page number in the header, author names and affiliations, and author notes (ORCID ID, conflicts of interest, etc.); see below:
Next comes the abstract . It should be double spaced and use consistent font. The keywords appear below the abstract, with an indent.
For the main text, margins are 1 inch on all four side s. T he text is double spaced . T he font used should be consistent . H eadings are used to separate sections , and d etails on heading levels are as follows:
Source: https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/headings
Finally, the APA 7 reference page contains the references to all sources used in the paper. References are double-spaced and use hanging indents :
Style guides in academic writing serve to standardize formatting, citations, and language use across scholarly works. They provide readers with cues they can use to follow the text more efficiently and to locate information of interest to them. In other words, it avoids distraction of unfamiliar or non-uniform formatting.
In this piece about APA 7th edition , we have explained in detail the nuances of APA citations , including how to cite in APA format and how to format the APA 7 reference page . A brief primer on formatting a manuscript in line with APA 7th edition is also provided.
The updates from APA 6th to APA 7th Edition reflect a commitment to improving clarity, inclusivity, and usability in scholarly writing. The salient differences from APA 6 th edition are as follows:
According to APA 7 th edition , a reference would appear as below:
Author, A. A. (Year of Publication). Title of the article. Title of the Journal, volume number (issue number), pages. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyy .
The in-text citation would include the author name(s) and year of publication, e.g., (Andriolatou, 2007).
APA 7 citation style would vary depending on the number of authors and whether you are citing the source parenthetically or narratively:
Single author, parenthetical: (Bik, 2020)
Single author, narrative: Bik (2020) reported that…
Two authors, parenthetical: (Bik & Urs, 2019)
Two authors, narrative: As demonstrated by Bik and Urs (2019), …
Three or more authors, parenthetical: (Bik et al., 2023)
Three or more authors, narrative: Bik et al. (2023) have published…
When someone else’s words are copied verbatim in your paper, it refers to a direct quote.
For APA 7 citation of short direct quotes (<40 words), use quotation marks around the quote and cite the author, year, and page number:
Another way to look at it is how people “get a broader range of experience than they would on a feature” (Catmull, 2014, p. 209).
For APA 7 citation of longer quotes, or block quotes, the sentence preceding the quote ends in a colon and is followed by the quoted text. No quotation marks are used. The quote is indented and cited without a period at the end (see the figure below).
Figure: How to cite block quotes in APA citations
To conclude
Over the years, the APA style guide has evolved significantly. The current version, APA 7th edition , has expanded in both scope and size to accommodate the needs of wide-ranging fields and to address changing times. Despite these changes, the core intention—to provide clear, consistent guidelines for effective communication—remains at the heart of APA Style .
For busy researchers, not only is it difficult to remember the different elements of citations and references and the subtle differences in formatting, but it also a tedious task to manually format in-text citations and reference lists and ensure consistency between them. In addition, you might need to format (and even re-format) your manuscript according to different journals, which might follow styles different from APA 7th edition (MLA, Chicago, AMA, etc.)! But there is no need to worry…help is at hand!
Citation generators are online tools that format references in different styles. There are a number of citation generators available, and Paperpal has launched its new citation generator , which stands out from the others in many ways. As a part of Paperpal’s writing workflow, you can easily find and cite sources accurately in a matter of seconds.
This free citation generator supports the updated recent versions of 10,000+ styles, including APA 7th edition . Therefore, it can serve as an APA 7th edition citation generator if you need one! What’s more, you don’t need to switch between multiple tools to search, save, or format your citations. You can rely Paperpal’s citation generation feature for help with citing sources accurately and consistently in your writing. Explore Paperpal for free now!
Paperpal is a comprehensive AI writing toolkit that helps students and researchers achieve 2x the writing in half the time. It leverages 21+ years of STM experience and insights from millions of research articles to provide in-depth academic writing, language editing, and submission readiness support to help you write better, faster.
Get accurate academic translations, rewriting support, grammar checks, vocabulary suggestions, and generative AI assistance that delivers human precision at machine speed. Try for free or upgrade to Paperpal Prime starting at US$19 a month to access premium features, including consistency, plagiarism, and 30+ submission readiness checks to help you succeed.
Experience the future of academic writing – Sign up to Paperpal and start writing for free!
Mla works cited page: format, template & examples.
Introducing ai review, paperpal’s new virtual research coach for busy academics, you may also like, how to write your research paper in apa..., how to choose a dissertation topic, how to write a phd research proposal, how to write an academic paragraph (step-by-step guide), research funding basics: what should a grant proposal..., how to write the first draft of a..., academic editing: how to self-edit academic text with..., measuring academic success: definition & strategies for excellence, phd qualifying exam: tips for success .
Welcome to the APA Citation Style Guide . In this guide, you will find resources to help you start your References page. Scroll below to see the most used resources. Click on the side navigation tabs on the left to see more in-depth and comprehensive resources.
Please note that his guide provides a general overview. Please consult the APA Manual , 7th ed. , located behind the Reference Desk at the West Library for specifics. Your professor’s requirements supersede anything in this guide or the APA Manual. You can also ask one of the librarians at the Reference Desk or email [email protected] if you have any questions or need help.
Citation management software can help you manage your research and easily organize and format your citations in a wide variety of citation styles. Check out the links below for more information about these useful programs.
Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts
This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.
Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.
For All Online Programs
On Campus, need or have Visa
For All Campus Programs
Learning how to conduct accurate, discipline-specific academic research can feel daunting at first. But, with a solid understanding of the reasoning behind why we use academic citations coupled with knowledge of the basics, you’ll learn how to cite sources with accuracy and confidence.
When it comes to academic research, citing sources correctly is arguably as important as the research itself. "Your instructors are expecting your work to adhere to these professional standards," said Amanda Girard , research support manager of Shapiro Library at Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU).
With Shapiro Library for the past three years, Girard manages the library’s research support services, which includes SNHU’s 24/7 library chat and email support. She holds an undergraduate degree in professional writing and a graduate degree in library and information science. She said that accurate citations show that you have done your research on a topic and are knowledgeable about current ideas from those actively working in the field.
In other words, when you cite sources according to the academic style of your discipline, you’re giving credit where credit is due.
Citing sources properly ensures you’re following high academic and professional standards for integrity and ethics.
“When you cite a source, you can ethically use others’ research. If you are not adequately citing the information you claim in your work, it would be considered plagiarism ,” said Shannon Geary '16 , peer tutor at SNHU.
Geary has an undergraduate degree in communication from SNHU and has served on the academic support team for close to 2 years. Her job includes helping students learn how to conduct research and write academically.
“In academic writing, it is crucial to state where you are receiving your information from,” she said. “Citing your sources ensures that you are following academic integrity standards.”
According to Geary and Girard, several key reasons for citing sources are:
Ultimately, citing sources is a formalized way for you to share ideas as part of a bigger conversation among others in your field. It’s a way to build off of and reference one another’s ideas, Girard said.
Any time you use an original quote or paraphrase someone else’s ideas, you need to cite that material, according to Geary.
“The only time we do not need to cite is when presenting an original thought or general knowledge,” she said.
While the specific format for citing sources can vary based on the style used, several key elements are always included, according to Girard. Those are:
By giving credit to the authors, researchers and experts you cite, you’re building credibility. You’re showing that your argument is built on solid research.
“Proper citation not only builds a writer's authority but also ensures the reliability of the work,” Geary said. “Properly formatted citations are a roadmap for instructors and other readers to verify the information we present in our work.”
Certain disciplines adhere to specific citation standards because different disciplines prioritize certain information and research styles . The most common citation styles used in academic research, according to Geary, are:
The benefit of using the same format as other researchers within a discipline is that the framework of presenting ideas allows you to “speak the same language,” according to Girard.
Are you writing a paper that needs to use APA citation, but don’t know what that means? No worries. You’ve come to the right place.
Are you writing a paper for which you need to know how to use MLA formatting, but don’t know what that means? No worries. You’ve come to the right place.
Keeping track of your research as you go is one of the best ways to ensure you’re citing appropriately and correctly based on the style that your academic discipline uses.
“Through careful citation, authors ensure their audience can distinguish between borrowed material and original thoughts, safeguarding their academic reputation and following academic honesty policies,” Geary said.
Some tips that she and Girard shared to ensure you’re citing sources correctly include:
How to cite a reference in academic writing.
A citation consists of two pieces: an in-text citation that is typically short and a longer list of references or works cited (depending on the style used) at the end of the paper.
“In-text citations immediately acknowledge the use of external source information and its exact location,” Geary said. While each style uses a slightly different format for in-text citations that reference the research, you may expect to need the page number, author’s name and possibly date of publication in parentheses at the end of a sentence or passage, according to Geary.
A longer entry listing the complete details of the resource you referenced should also be included on the references or works cited page at the end of the paper. The full citation is provided with complete details of the source, such as author, title, publication date and more, Geary said.
The two-part aspect of citations is because of readability. “You can imagine how putting the full citation would break up the flow of a paper,” Girard said. “So, a shortened version is used (in the text).”
“For example, if an in-text citation reads (Jones, 2024), the reader immediately knows that the ideas presented are coming from Jones’s work, and they can explore the comprehensive citation on the final page,” she said.
The in-text citation and full citation together provide a transparent trail of the author's process of engaging with research.
“Their combined use also facilitates further research by following a standardized style (APA, MLA, Chicago), guaranteeing that other scholars can easily connect and build upon their work in the future,” Geary said.
Developing and demonstrating your research skills, enhancing your work’s credibility and engaging ethically with the intellectual contributions of others are at the core of the citation process no matter which style you use.
A degree can change your life. Choose your program from 200+ SNHU degrees that can take you where you want to go.
A former higher education administrator, Dr. Marie Morganelli is a career educator and writer. She has taught and tutored composition, literature, and writing at all levels from middle school through graduate school. With two graduate degrees in English language and literature, her focus — whether teaching or writing — is in helping to raise the voices of others through the power of storytelling. Connect with her on LinkedIn .
About southern new hampshire university.
SNHU is a nonprofit, accredited university with a mission to make high-quality education more accessible and affordable for everyone.
Founded in 1932, and online since 1995, we’ve helped countless students reach their goals with flexible, career-focused programs . Our 300-acre campus in Manchester, NH is home to over 3,000 students, and we serve over 135,000 students online. Visit our about SNHU page to learn more about our mission, accreditations, leadership team, national recognitions and awards.
APA Style includes guidelines for paragraph alignment and indentation to ensure that papers are formatted in a consistent and readable manner. All writers should follow these guidelines.
Align the text of an APA Style paper to the left margin. Leave the right margin uneven, or “ragged.” Do not use full justification for student papers or manuscripts being submitted for publication.
Do not insert hyphens (manual breaks) in words at the end of line. However, it is acceptable if your word-processing program automatically inserts breaks in long hyperlinks ( such as in a DOI or URL in a reference list entry ).
Indent the first line of each paragraph of text 0.5 in. from the left margin. Use the tab key or the automatic paragraph-formatting function of your word-processing program to achieve the indentation (the default setting is likely already 0.5 in.). Do not use the space bar to create indentation.
Exceptions to these paragraph-formatting requirements are as follows:
Paragraph alignment and indentation are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Sections 2.23 and 2.24 and the Concise Guide Sections 1.22 and 1.23
APA Style student papers webinar
A new APA Style webinar, “A Step-by-Step Guide for APA Style Student Papers,” taking place on September 10, 2020, will provide detailed guidance on creating, formatting, and organizing APA Style student papers.
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Learn how to format a paper in APA Style, including the order, structure, and appearance of the paper. Find out how to use the default settings and automatic formatting tools of your word-processing program or make minor adjustments.
Learn how to format and cite your paper in APA style, 7th edition, with this sample paper. Compare the differences between student and professional papers in title page and running head.
Learn how to format your paper in seventh edition APA Style with these sample papers for different types of professional and student papers. Download the Word files to use as templates and edit them as needed for your own papers.
Learn how to format your paper according to APA Style 7th edition guidelines. Find out how to set up margins, spacing, headings, title page, abstract, reference page, and more.
Learn how to format your paper according to APA Style 7th edition, including margins, font, line spacing, headings, tables, figures, and reference list. See annotated diagrams and examples for each section of your paper.
Learn how to format your essay in APA style, including page header, title page, abstract, and references. See examples of professional and student papers and how to cite the Purdue OWL in APA.
Learn how to write an APA style essay with this comprehensive guide from Purdue University. Find out the general format, in-text citations, reference list, and other APA resources.
APA Style is described in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, which is a reference book that contains comprehensive guidelines on how to set up a scholarly paper; format a title page, tables, figures, and other paper elements; create references and in-text citations; and write without bias, as well as on ...
This article walks through the formatting steps needed to create an APA Style student paper, starting with a basic setup that applies to the entire paper (margins, font, line spacing, paragraph alignment and indentation, and page headers). It then covers formatting for the major sections of a student paper: the title page, the text, tables and ...
Body (section 2.11) Align the text to the left with a 1/2-inch left indent on the first line; Double-space; As long as there is no Abstract, at the top of the first page, type the title of the paper, centered, in bold, and in Sentence Case Capitalization; Usually, include sections like these: introduction, literature review or background, discussion, and conclusion -- but the specific ...
Learn how to format your paper and citations according to the official APA style of the American Psychological Association. Download a free template document and get interactive examples of APA style rules.
APA Formatting and Style (7th ed.) NAU Guide to APA. What's New in the 7th ed.? Principles of Plagiarism: An Overview; ... Our APA sample paper shows you how to format the main parts of a basic research paper. APA 7th Sample Papers from Purdue Owl << Previous: Block Quotations;
Learn the basic rules and steps for writing an essay in APA style, the official publication format of the American Psychological Association. Find out how to format your title page, abstract, introduction, body, conclusion, and reference section.
The Mastering APA Style Student Workbook is an online and interactive workbook for teaching and learning seventh edition APA Style. Explore the workbook to learn more, register for a webinar, watch a demo video, try a sample workbook, and purchase your copy. Adopt the workbook for your course or workshop to use it to teach APA Style and ...
Generate accurate APA citations with Scribbr. The most important APA format guidelines in the 6th edition are: Use 12 pt Times New Roman. Set 1 inch page margins. Apply double line spacing. Insert a running head on every page. Indent every new paragraph ½ inch.
APA in-text citations The basics. In-text citations are brief references in the running text that direct readers to the reference entry at the end of the paper. You include them every time you quote or paraphrase someone else's ideas or words to avoid plagiarism.. An APA in-text citation consists of the author's last name and the year of publication (also known as the author-date system).
APA 7, released in October 2019, has some new updates. Here is a brief description of the updates made in APA 7. Different types of papers and best practices are given in detail in Chapter 1. How to format a student title page is explained in Chapter 2. Examples of a professional paper and a student paper are included.
We've included a full student paper below to give you an idea of what an essay in APA format looks like, complete with a title page, paper, reference list, and index. If you plan to include an APA abstract in your paper, see the Professional Paper for an example. If you're looking for an APA format citation generator, we've got you covered.
In this sample paper, we've put four blank lines above the title. Commented [AF3]: Authors' names are written below the title, with one double-spaced blank line between them. Names should be written as follows: First name, middle initial(s), last name. Commented [AF4]: Authors' affiliations follow immediately after their names.
What is APA 7th Edition?. The American Psychological Association (APA) introduced the latest edition of the APA Style Manual (i.e., APA 7 th edition) in 2019.APA Style has its origins in 1929, when a group of academics and professionals decided to develop a set of guidelines that would standardize scientific writing.The earliest form was a seven-page guide published in the Psychological Bulletin.
Hi, APA Styler! Thank you for using the APA Style annotated sample student paper for guidance when wri ng your paper or assignment. This sample paper PDF contains annota ons that draw aten on to key APA Style content and forma ng such as the tle page, headings, in-text cita ons, references, and more. Relevant sec ons of the seventh edi on of ...
The page provides a sample paper to guide with formatting in the APA Style. APA Style In-Text Citations. APA's page about in-text citations. In-text citations are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Chapter 8 and the Concise Guide Chapter 8.
APA Style Help. Overviews, tutorials, and FAQs. Online Writing Lab. Organizing and Managing Citations. Citation management software can help you manage your research and easily organize and format your citations in a wide variety of citation styles. Check out the links below for more information about these useful programs.
The APA Style website provides guidance on style and grammar. Join their free monthly newsletter to receive tips, resources, and updates in your inbox. The APA Style Blog routinely answers questions common questions or addresses pertinent issues regarding their publication manual. See sample student and professional papers the APA Style website. The sample papers come in both PDF and DOCX ...
Follow the guidelines described next to format each element of the student title page. Place the title three to four lines down from the top of the title page. Center it and type it in bold font. Capitalize major words of the title. Place the main title and any subtitle on separate double-spaced lines if desired.
Types of APA Papers. APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 6th edition, second printing of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page.
You can find sample papers, examples of how to cite in the different academic styles and up-to-date citation requirements, along with information and examples for APA, MLA and Chicago style citations. Work with a Tutor. A tutor can offer support along with tips to help you learn the process of academic research.
Align the text of an APA Style paper to the left margin. Leave the right margin uneven, or "ragged." Do not use full justification for student papers or manuscripts being submitted for publication. ... Use the tab key or the automatic paragraph-formatting function of your word-processing program to achieve the indentation (the default ...