omit the page number.
APA Referencing Generator
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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.
Generate APA references 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 word “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).
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Welcome to a comprehensive guide on citing sources and formatting papers in the American Psychological Association style. Below are reference and in-text citation examples, directions on formatting your paper, and background information on the style.
APA stands for the American Psychological Association , which is an organization that focuses on psychology. They are responsible for creating this specific citation style. They are not associated with this guide, but all of the information here provides guidance to using their style and follows the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
APA style is used by many scholars and researchers in the behavioral and social sciences, not just psychology. There are other citation formats and styles such as MLA and Chicago citation style , but this one is most popular in the fields of science.
Following the same standard format for citations allows readers to understand the types of sources used in a project and also understand their components.
The information in this guide follows the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association . It outlines proper ways to organize and structure a research paper, explains grammar guidelines, and how to properly cite sources. This webpage was created solely by BibMe to help students and researchers focus on how to create APA citations.
The 7th edition of the Publication Manual was released in 2020. We address differences between the 6th and 7th editions at the end of this guide.
For more information, please consult the official Publication Manual .
We cite sources for many reasons. One reason is to give credit to the authors of the work you used to help you with your own research. When you use another person's information to help you with your project, it is important to acknowledge that individual or group. This is one way to prevent plagiarism. Another reason why we create citations is to provide a standard way for others to understand and possibly explore the sources we used. To learn more about citations, check out this page on crediting work . Also, read up on how to be careful of plagiarism .
There are two types of citations:
Depending on the types of sources used for your project, the structure for each citation may look different. There is a certain format or structure for books, a different one for journal articles, a different one for websites, and so on. Scroll down to find the appropriate APA format structure for your sources.
Even though the structure varies across different sources, see below for a full explanation of in-text citations and reference citations.
Still wondering, "What is APA format?" To learn more about APA referencing, including access to the American Psychological Association\'s blog, formatting questions, & referencing explanations, click on this link for further reading on the style . To learn more about using the BibMe service (BibMe.com) to help build APA citation website references, see the section below titled, "Using the BibMe Online Writing Center to Create Citations for your Reference List or APA Bibliography."
In-text citations overview.
When using a direct quote or paraphrasing information from a source, include an in-text or parenthetical citation into the body of your project, immediately following it.
An APA in-text citation may look similar to this:
Author's Last name (Year) states that "direct quote" or paraphrase (page number).
Parenthetical citations look like this:
"Direct quote" or paraphrase (Author's Last name, Year, Page number).
These types of APA citations always have the author and the date together.
Only direct quotes need a page number. For paraphrased information, it isn't necessary, but helpful for the reader.
See the section below titled, "In-Text or Parenthetical Citations," for a full explanation and instructions.
Each source used in your project is listed as a full citation on the APA reference page, which is usually the last part of a project.
The structure for each citation is based on the type of source used. Scroll down to see APA format examples of some common source formats.
Most print and offline citations include the following pieces of information, commonly in this order:
Author's Last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Date published). Title of source . Publisher.
Most online citations include the following pieces of information, commonly in this order:
Author's Last name, First Initial. Middle initial. (Date published). Title of source . URL
To see how to format each section, scroll down to the appropriate areas of this guide. There is a section on authors, one on publication dates, another on titles, publishers, and on online information.
To determine the exact APA citation format for your full citations, scroll down to the section titled, "Common Examples."
For a detailed explanation on formatting your reference list, scroll down to the section titled, "Your Reference List."
All in-text citations included throughout the paper should have a corresponding full reference at the end of the project.
Full references go on their own page at the end of a project. Title the page "References"
References are listed in alphabetical order by the first word in the reference (usually the author's last name, sometimes the title).
If you're looking for an easy way to create your references and citations, use BibMe's free APA citation machine, which automatically formats your sources quickly and easily.
How to structure authors.
Authors are displayed in reverse order: Last name, First initial. Middle initial. End this information with a period.
APA format example:
Kirschenbaum, M. A.
In an APA citation, include all authors shown on a source. If using the BibMe APA citation builder, click "Add another contributor" to add additional author names. Our free citation creator will format the authors in the order in which you add them.
Multiple authors, same last name:
If your reference list has multiple authors with the same last name and initials, include their first name in brackets.
Brooks, G. [Geraldine]. (2005). March . Viking.
Brooks, G. [Gwendolyn]. (1949). Annie Allen . Harper & Brothers.
When no author is listed, exclude the author information and start the citation with the title followed by the year in parentheses.
When citing an entire edited book in APA format, place the names of editors in the author position and follow it with Ed. or Eds. in parentheses. See below for examples of citing edited books in their entirety and also APA citation format for chapters in edited books.
Comparison chart:
Use this handy chart to determine how to format author names in citations and references.
General structure is:
Place the date that the source was published in parentheses after the name of the author. In APA format for periodicals, include the month and day as well. If no date is available, place n.d. in parentheses, which stands for no date. For more details, see Section 9.14 of the Publication Manual .
For book titles: Only capitalize the first letter of the first word in the title and the same for the subtitle. Capitalize the first letter for any proper nouns as well. Place this information in italics. End it with a period.
Gone with the wind.
For articles and chapter titles: Only capitalize the first letter of the first word in the title and the same for the subtitle. Capitalize the first letter for any proper nouns as well. Do not italicize the title or place it in quotation marks. End it with a period.
The correlation between school libraries and test scores: A complete overview.
For web pages on websites: Same as above. The web page title is italicized.
Simmons, B. (2015, January 9). The tale of two Flaccos . Grantland. http://grantland.com/the-triangle/the-tale-of-two-flaccos/
For magazine, journal, and newspaper titles: Each important word should start with a capital letter.
The Boston Globe
If you believe that it will help the reader to understand the type of source, such as a brochure, lecture notes, or an audio podcast, place a description in brackets directly after the title. Only capitalize the first letter.
New World Punx. (2014, February 15). A state of trance 650 [Audio file]. https://soundcloud.com/newworldpunx/asot650utrecht
Publisher Location
In previous editions of the publication manual, books and sources that were not periodicals indicated the city and state of publication. However, in the 7th edition, the location of publication is no longer given except “for works associated with specific locations, such as conference presentations” (p. 297).
For conference presentations, give the city, state/province/territory, and country. If in the US, abbreviate the state name using the two-letter abbreviation. Place a colon after the location.
Periodical Volume and Number
For journals, magazines, newspapers, and other periodicals, place the volume number after the title. Italicize this information. Place the issue number in parentheses and do not italicize it. Afterwards, include page numbers.
Journal of Education for Library and Information Science, 57 (1), 79-82.
If you're citing a newspaper article, include p. or pp. before the page numbers.
The names of publishers are not necessary to include for newspapers, magazines, journals, and other periodicals.
For books and other sources: It is not necessary to type out the name of the publisher exactly as it is shown on the source. Use a brief, but understandable form of the publisher's name. Exclude the terms publishers, company, and incorporated. Include Books and Press if it is part of the publisher's name. End this information with a period (See Section 9.29 in the Publication manual for more details).
Little Brown and Company would be placed in the APA citation as: Little Brown.
Oxford University Press would be placed in the citation as: Oxford University Press.
For sources found online:
If you're citing a periodical article found online, there might be a DOI number attached to it. This stands for Direct Object Identifier. A DOI, or digital object identifier, is a unique string of numbers and letters assigned by a registration agency. The DOI is used to identify and provide a permanent link to its location on the Internet. The DOI is assigned when an article is published and made electronically. If your article does indeed have a DOI number, use this instead of the URL as the DOI number is static and never changes. If the source you're citing has a DOI number, after the publication information add a period and then http://dx.doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxxx. The x's indicate where you should put the DOI number. Do not place a period after the DOI number. See sections 9.35-36 in the Publication manual for more details.
If you're using the automatic BibMe APA reference generator, you will see an area to type in the DOI number.
Lobo, F. (2017, February 23). Sony just launched the world's fastest SD card. http://mashable.com/2017/02/23/sony-sf-g-fastest-sd-card/?utm_cid=mash-prod-nav-sub-st#ErZKV8blqOqO
Chadwell, F.A., Fisher, D.M. (2016). Creating open textbooks: A unique partnership between Oregon State University libraries and press and Open Oregon State. Open Praxis, 8 (2), 123-130. http://dx.doi.org/10.5944/openpraxis.8.2.290
Looking for more help and clarification? Check out this great resource !
Citations for print books.
Author's Last name, First name initial. Middle name initial. (Year published). Title of book . Publisher.
Finney, J. (1970). Time and again . Simon and Schuster.
Looking for an APA formatter? Don't forget that the BibMe APA citation generator creates citations quickly and easily.
Notes: When creating an APA book citation, keep these in mind:
Most edited books state on the cover or title page that they are edited by an author or multiple authors. The format is the same as a print book, except the editor's name is in the author's position. Include a parentheses afterwards with the abbreviation (Ed.) for an edited book by one author or (Eds.) for an edited book with two or more authors.
Editor, F. M. (Ed.). (Year published). Title of edited book . Publisher.
Gupta, R. (Ed.). (2003). Remote sensing geology . Springer-Verlag.
Some edited books contain chapters written by various authors. Use the format below to cite an author's individual chapter in an edited book.
Chapter author's Last name, F. M. (Year published). Title of chapter. In F. M. Last name of Editor (Ed.), Title of book (p. x or pp. x-x). Publisher.
Notice that for APA style, the title of the chapter is not italicized, while the title of the book is. In addition, the chapter author's name is reversed at the beginning of the reference, but the editor's name is written in standard order.
Longacre, W. A., & Ayres, J. E. (1968). Archeological lessons from an Apache wickiup. In S. R. Binford & L. R. Binford (Eds.), Archeology in cultural systems (pp. 151-160). https://books.google.com/books?id=vROM3JrrRa0C&lpg=PP1&dq=archeology&pg=PR9#v=onepage&q=archeology&f=false
In the above example, Longacre and Ayers are the authors of the individual chapter and Binford & Binford are the editors of the entire book.
E-book is short for "electronic book." It is a digital version of a book that can be read on a computer, e-reader (Kindle, Nook, etc.), or other electronic devices. Include the DOI or URL if one exists for the e-book.
Author's Last name, F. M. (Year published). Title of work . https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxxx or URL
https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxxx is used when a source has a DOI number. If the e-book you're citing has a DOI number, use it in the APA citation. DOIs are preferred over URLs.
How to cite in APA (an e-book example):
Eggers, D. (2008). The circle . https://www.amazon.com
Use this format when citing an e-book that is either found on a website, or found on a subscription database. APA formatting for this is very similar to the structure of a print book. The only difference? Instead of the publisher information, include the DOI number or URL.
Author's Last name, F. M. (Year published). Title of work . https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxxx OR URL
When citing an online book or e-book, keep in mind:
Sayre, R. K., Devercelli, A. E., Neuman, M. J., & Wodon, Q. (2015). Investment in early childhood development: Review of the world bank's recent experience . https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-0403-8
Need to cite a chapter in an e-book? No problem! Citing a chapter in an e-book is very similar to citing a chapter in a print book. Instead of including the publisher information, include a DOI number (if one is displayed) or the URL.
Chapter author's Last name, F. M. (Year published). Title of chapter. In F. M. Last name of Editor (Ed.), Title of book (p. x or pp. x-x). https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxxx or URL
Epstein W. M. (1999). The ineffectiveness of psychotherapy. In C. Feltham (Ed.), Controversies in psychotherapy and counselling (pp. 65-73). https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446217801.n8
How to cite a web page on a website in APA:
Author's Last name, F. M. (Year, Month Day published). Title of article or page . Site Name. URL
APA website citation example:
Citing a web page with a group author:
Group Name. (Year, Month Date published). Title of wep page . Saite Name included if different from Group Name. URL
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, February 3). Be prepared to stay safe and healthy in winter . https://www.cdc.gov/features/winterweather/index.html
National Park Service. (n.d.). Enchanting landscapes beneath the parks . https://www.nps.gov/subjects/caves/index.htm
Note: "n.d." stands for "no date" and is used when there is no publication date.
The above follows Section 10.16 of the Publication manual.
Still wondering how to cite a website in APA? Check out BibMe.com! It's quick, simple, and free! Our APA citation machine also builds references for many other styles as well!
Today, most journal articles are found online, but you may be lucky enough to score a copy of a print version for your research project. If so, use the structure below for your reference:
Author's Last name, F. M. (Year published). Article title. Periodical Title, Volume (Issue), pp.-pp.
Notice that the article's title is only capitalized at the beginning. If there are any proper nouns or subtitles, capitalize the first letter for those words as well. The journal article's title and the volume number are both italicized. In addition, the title of the journal is in title case form (all important words are capitalized).
Nevin, A. (1990). The changing of teacher education special education. Teacher Education and Special Education: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children,13 (3-4), 147-148.
Databases are a popular place to find high quality journal articles. These references are formatted the same way as the print versions, except the DOI or URL is included at the end. If the article has a corresponding DOI number, use it instead of the URL. No URL? Use the homepage of the journal's website for the URL. See Section 10.1 in the Publication manual for additional examples.
Author's Last name, F. M. (Year published). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume number (issue number), page range. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxxx OR URL
Spreer, P., & Rauschnabel, P. A. (2016). Selling with technology: Understanding the resistance to mobile sales assistant use in retailing. Journal of Personal Selling & Sales Management, 36 (3), 240-263. https://doi.org/10.1080/08853134.2016.1208100
Notes: When creating your online journal article citation, keep in mind:
Similar to journal articles, most individuals use online newspaper articles for research projects. However, if you're able to get your hands on a print version, use this structure for your reference:
Author's Last name, F. M. (Year, Month Day of Publication). Article title. Newspaper Title, pp. xx-xx.
Rosenberg, G. (1997, March 31). Electronic discovery proves an effective legal weapon. The New York Times, p. D5.
Notes: When creating your newspaper citation, keep in mind:
Use this structure when referencing a newspaper article found on a website or database:
Author's Last name, F. M. (Year, Month Day of Publication). Title of article. Title of Newspaper. URL of newspaper's homepage
Rosenberg, G. (1997, March 31). Electronic discovery proves an effective legal weapon. The New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com
Notes: When citing a newspaper, keep in mind:
Citing a magazine article in print:
Author's Last name, F. M. (Year, Month of publication). Article title. Magazine Title, Volume (Issue), page range.
APA format citation:
Tumulty, K. (2006, April). Should they stay or should they go? Time, 167 (15), 3-40.
Notes: When citing a magazine, keep in mind:
Citing a magazine article found online:
Author's Last name, F. M. (Year, Month of publication). Article title. Magazine Title, Volume (Issue). URL
Tumulty, K. (2006, April). Should they stay or should they go? Time, 167 (15). http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1179361,00.html
Notes: When creating an online magazine citation, keep in mind:
*The volume and issue number aren't always on the same page as the article. Check out the other parts of the website before leaving it out of the citation.
Blogs are found on websites and display continuously updated content and posts by a single author, group, or company. A blog shows news updates, ideas, information, and many other types of entries. Similar to journal entries, a blog begins with the date the information was added followed by the content.
If you’re wondering how to cite a blog entry, look no further! Citing a blog is very similar to citing a website.
Citing a blog post:
Last name of Author, First initial. Middle initial. (Year, Month Day blog post was published). Title of blog post. Title of Blog . URL
Gonzalez, J. (2019, February 3). Let’s give our teaching language a makeover. Cult of Pedagogy. https://www.cultofpedagogy.com/language-makeover/
Notice that the blog title only has a capital letter at the beginning. If there are any proper nouns in the title, capitalize the first letter for those as well.
Cite a blog post in the text of the paper:
(Author’s last name, Year)
Author’s last name (Year)
A research, or technical report, is a piece of work that provides insight into research done by an individual researcher, a group of researchers, or a company or organization.
Citing a research report in print:
Author’s Last Name, F. M. or Organization. (Year published). Title of research report (Report No.). Publisher.
Note: If the publisher is the same as the author, use the name as the the “Author” and don't list the publisher.
Michigan Venture Capital Association. (2018). Annual research report .
Citing an online research report:
Author’s Last Name, F. M. or Organization. (Year published). Title of research report (Report No.). URL
Newson, S. E. & Berthinussen, A. (2019). Improving our understanding of the distribution and status of bats within the Ryevitalise Landscape Partnership Scheme area (BTO Research Report No. 716). https://www.bto.org/sites/default/files/publications/bto rr 716 final website.pdf
Producer's Last name, F. M. (Producer), & Director's Last name, F. M. (Director). (Release Year). Title of motion picture [Motion picture]. Studio.
Bender, L. (Producer), & Tarantino, Q. (Director). (1994). Pulp fiction [Film]. Miramax.
Citations for Online Films & Videos:
Person who posted the video's Last name, F. M. [User name]. (Year, Month Day of posting). Title of video [Video]. Publishing site. URL
If the name of the individual who posted the YouTube video is not available, begin the citation with the user name and do not place this information in brackets.
Smith, R. [Rick Smith] (2013, September 20). Favre to Moss! [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOP_L6hBjn8
Note: If you're discussing a certain part of the film or video in the body of your project, include a timestamp in the in-text or parenthetical citation. (Pulp Fiction, 1994, 1:15:30). The time stamp is Hours:Minutes:Seconds.
Citing an image found in a print publication (such as a book or magazine) or museum:
Creator's Last name, F. M. (Year of Publication). Title of image [Format]. Publisher/Museum.
Including the format helps the reader understand and visualize the type of image that is being referenced. It can be [Photograph], [Painting], or another medium.
Roege, W. J. (1938). St. Patrick's Cathedral, Fifth Avenue from 50th St to 51st Street [Photograph]. New York Historical Society.
Citing an image retrieved online:
Similar to citing an image in print, when citing an image found online, place the medium, or format, in the brackets. Capitalize the first letter.
Photographer, F. (Year of Publication). Title of photograph [Photograph]. Publisher. URL
Ferraro, A. (2014). Liberty enlightening the world [Digital image]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/afer92/14278571753/in/set-72157644617030616
Writer's Last name, F. M. (Writer), & Director's Last name, F. M. (Director). (Year of Airing). Episode title [TV series episode]. In F. M. Executive Producer's Last name (Executive Producer), TV series name . Channel.
Kand, K. (Writer), & Fryman, P. (Director). (2006). Slap bet [TV series episode]. In C. Bays (Executive Producer), How I met your mother. CBS.
TV/Radio Broadcasts found online:
Writer, F. M. (Writer), & Director, F. M. (Director). (Year of Airing). Episode title [Television series episode]. In F. M. Executive Producer's Last name (Executive Producer), TV series name . URL
Kand, K. (Writer), & Fryman, P. (Director). (2006). Slap bet [Television series episode]. In C. Bays (Executive Producer), How I met your mother. https://www.hulu.com/watch/1134858#i0,p30,d0
Note: When citing a TV show or episode, keep in mind:
Type what you find into the BibMe APA formatter. We'll do the work for you and structure your references properly!
To cite in APA a song from an album listened to online, use the following structure:
Songwriter's Last name, F. M. (Copyright year). Title of song [Song recorded by F. M. Last name]. On Album title . Publisher. URL
Swift, T. (2008). Love Story [Song]. On Fearless . Big Machine Records.
If you're using the BibMe APA citation generator to build your references, choose "Music/Audio" from the source options.
A personal interview should NOT be included in a reference list. They are not considered recoverable data (they cannot be found by a researcher). You should reference personal interviews as citations in the body of the project instead.
(J. Doe, personal communication, December 12, 2004)
Encyclopedia/Dictionary in print:
Author's Last name, F. M. (Publication Year). Entry title. In F. M. Last name of Editor (Ed.), Title of encyclopedia or dictionary (pp. xx-xx). Publisher.
Kammen, C., & Wilson, A. H. (2012). Monuments. Encyclopedia of local history . (pp. 363-364). AltaMira Press.
Encyclopedia/Dictionary online with author(s) :
Author’s Last name, F. M. (Publication Year or n.d.). Entry title. In F. M. Last name of Editor (Ed.), Title of encyclopedia or dictionary . Publisher. Retrieved date, from URL
Encyclopedia/Dictionary online with group author:
Publisher or group name (Publication Year or n.d.). Entry title. In Title of encyclopedia or dictionary . Retrieved date, from URL
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Taciturn. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary . Retrieved February 10, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/taciturn
If an entry looks like it goes through many updates, use “n.d.” as the publication date and show the date you retrieved it. If using an archived version, no retrieval date is needed.
This style of reference would be used if you were citing a set of notes from a lecture (e.g., PowerPoint or Google slides provided by your instructor).
Citing online lecture notes or presentation slides:
Author's Last name, F. M. (Publication year). Name or title of lecture [Lectures notes or PowerPoint slides]. URL
Saito, T. (2012). Technology and me: A personal timeline of educational technology [PowerPoint slides]. http://www.slideshare.net/Bclari25/educational-technology-ppt
Tip: If you want to cite information from your own personal notes from a lecture, this is considered personal communication. The notes may not be available online for others outside of the class to access. Refer to it only in the body of your essay or project. You can follow the style guide for personal communication available in the Interview section.
Social media is everywhere, even in research projects. Many influencers post thoughts, inspirational quotes, and intriguing stories in their profiles.
If you need to cite a post from a social media platform, use this structure:
Last name, F. M. or Group Name who posted the content [@Username]. (Year, Month Day posted). First 20 words of the post [Format]. Social Media Site Name. URL
A retrieval date (date you saw the page) is needed for profile pages since the contents are likely to change over time (e.g., Instagram profile, Facebook page etc.). The structure for that is:
Last name, F. M. or Group Name who posted the content [@Username]. (n.d.). Tweets or Home [Format]. Social Media Site Name. Retrieved from month day, year, URL
Some things to keep in mind:
Citing a Tweet from Twitter:
BibMe [@BibMe]. (2020, January 22). How to cite primary sources ow.ly/fUb950vG3N5 [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/bibme/status/1219976780746043392
Citing a Twitter profile:
BibMe [@BibMe] (n.d.). Tweets [Twitter profile]. Twitter. Retrieved February 18, 2020, from https://twitter.com/BibMe
Citing a Facebook post:
DeGeneres, E. (2018, December 21). Holiday party goals [Facebook status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/ellentv/photos/a.182755292239/10157188088077240/?type=3&theater
Citing a Facebook page:
Smithsonian’s National Zoo and Conservation Biology Institute. (n.d.) Home [Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved July 22, 2019, from https://www.facebook.com/nationalzoo
Citing an Instagram post:
Lipa, D. [@dualipa]. (2018, December 2). A lil Hollywood glam brunch! Thank you @variety for by Breakthrough Artist of the Year award and thank you for [Instagram photo]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/Bq33SC2BAsr/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Since this citation style is commonly used in science-related disciplines, it makes sense that many students and scholars include tables in their projects.
It's a good idea to include a table in your project when:
Do not write out the information from the table in the text of your paper. Including the same information in two spots is repetitive. Either type out the quantitative information in your paper or use a table.
If you choose to include a table, make sure to:
Sample Table:
Prior to adding your table into your paper, use this handy checklist to confirm you have all of the requirements:
__ Is it necessary to include the table?
__ Are only horizontal lines included?
__ Did you include a simple, straightforward title? Is it in italics?
__ Did you use either single spaces or double spaces? APA paper format requires you to keep your tables consistent across your project.
__ Are column headings included?
__ Are notes included below the table to provide understanding? Are the notes in the proper order? Start with general notes, then include specific notes, and end with probability notes.
__ Did you refer to the table in the written portion of your paper?
Still have questions? See Chapter 7 of the Publication manual .
What is an in-text citation or parenthetical citation.
The purpose of in-text and parenthetical citations is to give the reader a brief idea as to where you found your information, while they're in the middle of reading or viewing your project. You may include direct quotes in the body of your project, which are word-for-word quotes from another source. Or, you may include a piece of information that you paraphrased in your own words. These are called parenthetical citations. Both direct quotes and paraphrased information include a citation next to it. You also need to include the full citation for the source in the reference list, which is usually the last item in a project.
In-text and parenthetical citations are found immediately following any direct quotes or paraphrases. They should include the page number or section information to help the reader locate the quote themselves.
Buck needed to adjust rather quickly upon his arrival in Canada. He stated, "no lazy, sun-kissed life was this, with nothing to do but loaf and be bored. Here was neither peace, nor rest, nor a moment's safety" (London, 1903, p. 25).
When taking an idea from another source and placing it in your own words (a paraphrase), it is not necessary to include the page number, but you can add it if the source is large and you want to direct readers right to the information.
At the time, papyrus was used to create paper, but it was only grown and available in mass quantities in Egypt. This posed a problem for the Greeks and Romans, but they managed to have it exported to their civilizations. Papyrus thus remained the material of choice for paper creation (Casson, 2001).
An in-text citation in APA displays the author's name directly in the sentence, or text, of the paper. Always place the year directly after the author's name. Authors and dates stick together like peanut butter and jelly! If you're citing a direct quote, place the page number at the end of the quote.
Parenthetical citations display the author's name and year in parentheses after a quote or paraphrase. If you're citing a direct quote, include the page number as well. If you're paraphrasing, it is up to you whether or not you'd like to include a page number.
Example of various ways to cite in the body of a project:
Smith (2014) states that, "the Museum Effect is concerned with how individuals look at a work of art, but only in the context of looking at that work along with a number of other works" (p. 82). "The Museum Effect is concerned with how individuals look at a work of art, but only in the context of looking at that work along with a number of other works" (Smith, 2014, p. 82).
If your source has two authors, always include both names in each in-text or parenthetical citation.
Example: (Franks & Beans, 2019)
If your source has three or more authors, only include the first author's name and follow it with et al.
Example: (Gilley et al., 2015)
If your source was written by a company, organization, government agency, or other type of group, include the group's name in full in the first in text or parenthetical citation. In any APA citations following it, it is acceptable to shorten the group name to something that is simple and understandable.
1st citation:
(American Eagle Outfitters /[AEO/], 2017)
2nd and subsequent citations:
(AEO, 2017)
Still wondering how to in-text cite in APA? How about citing parenthetically? Check out this page to learn more about parenthetical citations. Also, BibMe writing tools can help create your in-text and parenthetical citations quickly and easily. Towards the end of creating a full reference citation, you'll see the option to create a citation for the body of your project (in-text) in the APA format generator.
Need help with your writing? Give the BibMe Plus paper checker a whirl! Upload your paper or copy and paste it into the text box on the page. We'll run it through our innovative technology and let you know if there is an adjective , verb , or pronoun out of place, plus much, much more!
The listing of all sources used in your project are found in the reference list, which is the last page or part of a project. Included in this reference list are all of the sources you quoted or paraphrased in the body of your paper. This means that every reference found in the reference list should have a matching in-text or parenthetical citation in your project. Where there is one, there has to be the other. Here are general guidelines:
Thompson, H. S. (1971). Fear and loathing in Las Vegas: A savage journey to the heart of the American dream . Random House.
Thompson, H. S. (1998). The rum diary . Simon & Schuster.
If there are multiple sources with the same author AND same publication date, place them in alphabetical order by the title.
Dr. Seuss. (1958). The cat in the hat comes back . Random House.
Dr. Seuss. (1958). Yertle the turtle . Random House.
If a source does not have an author, place the source in alphabetical order by the first main word of the title.
Need help creating the citations in your APA reference list? BibMe.com helps you generate citations! Begin by entering a keyword, URL, title, or other identifying information. Try it out!
Sample Reference List:
Here's more information with sample papers and tutorials. Further information acan be found in Chapter 9 of the Publication manual .
Need to create APA format papers? Follow these guidelines:
In an APA style paper, the font used throughout your document should be in Times New Roman, 12 point font size. The entire document should be double spaced, even between titles and APA headings. Margins should be 1 inch around the entire document and indent every new paragraph using the tab button on your keyboard. See Chapter 2 of the Publication manual for more details on paper formatting.
Place the pages in the following order:
Page numbers: The title page counts as page 1. Number subsequent pages using Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, 4...).
Your title page should grace the front cover of your paper. It's sometimes called an APA cover page. Included on this page are seven items:
What is a running head?
The running head shows the title of your paper. It is only required for professional papers (e.g., dissertations, journal submissions, etc.).
Student papers do not need a running head (but do need the page number).
If you use one, place the running head in the top left corner of your project and place it in capital letters. Use your word processor's "header" option. It will automatically place your running head in the appropriate position, against the left margin.
Across from the running head, against the right margin, include the page number. The APA title page is 1.
Title page example:
Microsoft Word, Google Docs, and many other word processing programs allow you to set up page numbers and a repeated running head. Use these tools to make this addition easier for you!
Need help determining the title of your paper? Keep it simple and straight to the point. Exclude unnecessary terms such as "An Analysis of...." or "A Study of..." If your paper ends up being digitized and added to your school's research collection or a research database, a simple and effective title will help researchers locate it. It is recommended to keep it under 12 words and avoid abbreviations.
Order | Element | Format & Notes --- | --- | --- 0 | All elements, except page number | Centered, double-spaced lines 1 | Page number | Place “1” in the upper right corner of the page. Professional papers only: Include a running head. 2 | Title of paper | 3-4 lines from the top of the page; bolded, and title case 3 | Name of author(s) | Two double-spaced lines under the title. No font formatting (no bold italics, underline). Exclude any titles (such as Dr. or Ms.) and degrees (such as PhD). List all contributors; if there is more than one include the word “and” between the second to last and last names. 4 | Affiliation (school, department, etc.) | No font formatting. Usually includes the name of your department and university. 5 | Course name | No font formatting. Write the course name and number on your class materials: ENG 102, JPN301. 6 | Instructor | No font formatting. Show their name as they prefer, including titles and degrees. 7 | Date paper is due | Month Day, Year. Example: February 14, 2020
Example Title Page - Student Paper:
Example Title Page - Professional Paper:
If you're looking for an APA sample paper, check out the other resources found on BibMe.com.
Levels of Headings:
There are a lot of rules to follow when it comes to styling the header and title page, but there are even more rules when it comes to styling the various headings and sections in your research paper.
There are five sizes and styles, and they follow a top down approach.
In most cases, science-related papers and case studies have three sections: Method, Results, and Discussion. These three sections are considered “Level 1” and are aligned in the center of the page and in bold. Additional sections of the paper are styled as follows:
Overview of Levels
Level | Formatting --- | --- 1 | Center and bold. Use title case. 2 | Against the left margin and in bold. Use title case. Begin the next sentence on the next line, indented half an inch from the left margin. 3 | Against the left margin in bold and italics. Use title case. Begin your next sentence on the next line, and indented half an inch from the left margin. 4 | Indented half an inch from the left. Is in bold. Use title case. Begin your next sentence on the same line and immediately following the heading. 5 | Indented half an inch from the left. Is in bold and italics. Use title case. Begin your next sentence on the same line and immediately following the heading.
We’ve included a visual below to help you make sense of the five headings. Keep in mind, you do not need to have all five headings in your paper. You may only use the top two or three. It depends on the types of sections your paper includes.
Looking to cite your sources quickly and easily? BibMe can help you generate your citations; simply enter a title, ISBN, URL, or other identifying information.
Click to see more styles , and if you'd like to cite your sources in MLA format , check out the BibMe MLA page. Other citation styles are available as well.
Not only will BibMe help you create your references quickly and painlessly, we'll also scan your paper with an innovative plagiarism checker . BibMe writing tools even helps to check your grammar, too! Improper usage of adverb ? Missing an interjection ? Determiner out of place? BibMe writing tools will highlight any areas of concern and offer suggestions to improve your writing. Try it out now!
The American Psychological Association was founded in 1892 at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts. APA style format was developed in 1929 by scholars from a number of different scientific fields and backgrounds. Their overall goal was to develop a standard way to document scientific writing and research.
Since its inception, the Style Manual has been updated numerous times and it is now in its 7th edition (2020). The previous 6th edition was released in 2009. In 2012, APA published an addition to their 6th edition manual, which was a guide for creating an APA style citation for any type of electronic resource.
Today, there are close to 118,000 members. There is an annual convention, numerous databases, and journal publications. Some of their more popular resources include the database, PsycINFO, and the publications, Journal of Applied Psychology and Health Psychology .
Below is a selection of notable citing differences between the two editions.
For journal articles with a DOI number , include the DOI as a URL.
6th edition example:
Lee, C.-H., & Mackinnon, R. (2019). Voltage sensor movements during Hyperpolarization in the HCN Channel. Cell Studies . doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.11.006
7th edition example:
Lee, C.-H., & Mackinnon, R. (2019). Voltage sensor movements during Hyperpolarization in the HCN Channel. Cell Studies . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2019.11.006
For ebooks , you no longer need to identify the format.
Murakami, H. (2014). Kafka on the shore [Kindle].
Murakami, H. (2014). Kafka on the shore .
Full book references no longer need to show where the publisher is located.
Murakami, H. (2014). Kafka on the shore . London: Vintage Publishing.
Murakami, H. (2014). Kafka on the shore . Vintage Publishing.
In-text citations for sources with more than 3 authors can use the notation “et al.” for brevity.
(first author’s name et al., year published)
(Anaydike, Braga, Talfah, Gonzalez, 1980)
(Anaydike et al., 1980)
When including a website URL , do not include the words “Retrieved from” before the URL cited.
Elan, P. (2019, December 6). 'A reflection of inner life': show explores history of the hoodie. The Guardian . Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/dec/06/a-reflection-of-inner-life-show-explores-history-of-the-hoodie
Elan, P. (2019, December 6). 'A reflection of inner life': show explores history of the hoodie. The Guardian . https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2019/dec/06/a-reflection-of-inner-life-show-explores-history-of-the-hoodie
The citing format for tables and figures are now the same. For both, indicate a table number and name at the top, and a note at the bottom.
Here are a few important paper formatting changes: * Running head is only required for professional (not student) papers * Only a single space should be placed after punctuation. * The new style version endorses the use of the singular “they” as an option for a gender neutral pronoun. * The 7th edition promotes the use of “they” as a singular, gender-neutral pronoun. * In addition to the paper title, author name, and institutional affiliation, a cover page for a student paper should also have the course, instructor name, and due date
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/101037/0000165-000
Updated March 10, 2020
Edited and written by Elise Barbeau and Michele Kirschenbaum. Elise is a citation expert and has her master’s degree in public history/library science. She has experience in digital marketing, libraries, and publishing. Michele is a certified library media specialist who loves citations and teaching. She’s been writing about citing sources since 2014.
Scribbr Citation Generator
Accurate APA, MLA, Chicago, and Harvard citations, verified by experts, trusted by millions
Cite any page or article with a single click right from your browser. The extension does the hard work for you by automatically grabbing the title, author(s), publication date, and everything else needed to whip up the perfect citation.
⚙️ Styles | APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard |
---|---|
📚 Source types | Websites, books, articles |
🔎 Autocite | Search by title, URL, DOI, or ISBN |
Inaccurate citations can cost you points on your assignments, so our seasoned citation experts have invested countless hours in perfecting Scribbr’s citation generator algorithms. We’re proud to be recommended by teachers and universities worldwide.
Staying focused is already difficult enough, so unlike other citation generators, Scribbr won’t slow you down with flashing banner ads and video pop-ups. That’s a promise!
Look up your source by its title, URL, ISBN, or DOI, and let Scribbr find and fill in all the relevant information automatically.
Generate flawless citations according to the official APA, MLA, Chicago, Harvard style, or many other rules.
When your reference list is complete, export it to Word. We’ll apply the official formatting guidelines automatically.
Create separate reference lists for each of your assignments to stay organized. You can also group related lists into folders.
Are you using a LaTex editor like Overleaf? If so, you can easily export your references in Bib(La)TeX format with a single click.
Change the typeface used for your reference list to match the rest of your document. Options include Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri.
Scribbr’s Citation Generator is built using the same citation software (CSL) as Mendeley and Zotero, but with an added layer for improved accuracy.
Describe or evaluate your sources in annotations, and Scribbr will generate a perfectly formatted annotated bibliography .
Scribbr’s popular guides and videos will help you understand everything related to finding, evaluating, and citing sources.
Your work is saved automatically after every change and stored securely in your Scribbr account.
Tools and resources, a quick guide to working with sources.
Working with sources is an important skill that you’ll need throughout your academic career.
It includes knowing how to find relevant sources, assessing their authority and credibility, and understanding how to integrate sources into your work with proper referencing.
This quick guide will help you get started!
Sources commonly used in academic writing include academic journals, scholarly books, websites, newspapers, and encyclopedias. There are three main places to look for such sources:
When using academic databases or search engines, you can use Boolean operators to refine your results.
Get started
In academic writing, your sources should be credible, up to date, and relevant to your research topic. Useful approaches to evaluating sources include the CRAAP test and lateral reading.
CRAAP is an abbreviation that reminds you of a set of questions to ask yourself when evaluating information.
Lateral reading means comparing your source to other sources. This allows you to:
If a source is using methods or drawing conclusions that are incompatible with other research in its field, it may not be reliable.
Once you have found information that you want to include in your paper, signal phrases can help you to introduce it. Here are a few examples:
Function | Example sentence | Signal words and phrases |
---|---|---|
You present the author’s position neutrally, without any special emphasis. | recent research, food services are responsible for one-third of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions. | According to, analyzes, asks, describes, discusses, explains, in the words of, notes, observes, points out, reports, writes |
A position is taken in agreement with what came before. | Recent research Einstein’s theory of general relativity by observing light from behind a black hole. | Agrees, confirms, endorses, reinforces, promotes, supports |
A position is taken for or against something, with the implication that the debate is ongoing. | Allen Ginsberg artistic revision … | Argues, contends, denies, insists, maintains |
Following the signal phrase, you can choose to quote, paraphrase or summarize the source.
Whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize a source, you must include a citation crediting the original author.
Citing your sources is important because it:
The most common citation styles are APA, MLA, and Chicago style. Each citation style has specific rules for formatting citations.
Scribbr offers tons of tools and resources to make working with sources easier and faster. Take a look at our top picks:
Instantly generate correctly formatted apa citations with this tool designed by expert linguists..
Choose your source:
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Over the years our users have rated us 5 stars for accuracy, quality and professionalism. Users from all over the world in academia trust our APA citation generator tool to create well-formatted APA citations for their academic writings.
What is an APA Format / Citation?
APA is an abbreviation of "American Psychological Association" and the APA format of citations is one of a few well-established formats of referencing and citing third party content in academic papers. First, there is the full citation, which usually goes into the appended references section of your paper. Second, there is the in-text citation, which you include in the body of your paper whenever referencing the source material.
How do I use this APA Citation Generator?
Using our citation generator couldn't be easier. We specifically designed it for ease of use and speed. Simply start by selecting the type of source you are looking to cite. Then proceed to fill in all the required fields denoted by a star * sign. Feel free to also fill in optional fields. Once you have filled in all required fields, the full and in-text citations will be automatically generated below the generator form. You can copy them by pressing the copy button and paste them into your own paper.
Why use this APA Citation Generator?
This citation generator removes the hassle of having to craft your own citations correctly. It's easy to make a mistake when trying to craft many citations, so a generator will ensure that you don't have wrongly formatted APA citations.
Who should use an APA Citation Generator?
College-level and post-grad students are most likely to use this APA citation generator, since APA style is the most favored style at these educational levels. Before college students typically use the MLA style instead.
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Blog Posts & Feature Updates
You can read our latest blog posts here:
APA (American Psychological Association) is a widely used citation style for academic writing, particularly in the social sciences. Understanding how to use APA citations correctly is important for ensuring the credibility and reliability of your work, as well as avoiding plagiarism. In this blog post, we’ll discuss the basics of APA citations, including in-text citations and reference list entries.
Today we added a brand new feature to our APA citation generator: Print article citations.
Whether we are talking about newspaper articles, magazine articles, or any other form of print article, you can now cite them in the correct APA format with our citation generator. No more worries about the correct format or citation mistakes.
Today we are excited to announce that we have added a new source format to your APA citation generator: Thesis and Dissertation Papers.
With this new addition you can now cite theses and dissertations in the correct APA format without having to worry about formatting mistakes.
Today we added a new feature to our APA citation generator: Wikipedia page citations.
With this new addition you can now cite any wikipedia page in the correct APA format without having to worry about incorrect formatting.
Since our new APA citation generator has gone online, thousands of students from around the world (but especially the US) have used it to generate correctly formatted APA citations for their academic papers.
We thought this would be a good time to briefly run through the features we currently offer, and the upcoming features we will release in the coming days and weeks.
We just launched this new APA citation generator and we couldn’t be more excited about it!
Gone are the days that students have to guess the right format or the right way to cite a certain source. Our citation generator makes it extremely easy and quick to cite your sources correctly without worrying about mistakes or incorrect formatting.
© 2022 APA-Citation-Generator.com
Cite websites, books, articles, ...
Apa in-text citations, apa reference list.
🚀 Fast | 💸 It’s free |
😌 No flood of distracting ads | 👌 Simple and intuitive interface |
🎓 Cite in APA 6 & APA 7 | 🥇 Most accurate citation data |
Getting citations and reference lists correctly done can be very confusing and time-consuming. We have created BibGuru to help you focus on the content of your work instead of worrying about how to get your reference list done correctly. We believe that students should not waste their time entering data manually or lose grades on incorrect bibliographies.
BibGuru is a fast, free, and ad-free APA citation generator specifically designed for students. Its powerful search bar allows you to search for books, websites, and journal articles and add them directly to your bibliography. Start citing here:
Want to know how the APA citation style works in detail? Learn all the rules of the APA citation style below.
APA is one of the most popular citation styles, widely used in the social and behavioral sciences, but also in many other fields. APA stands for American Psychological Association . APA citation style was developed by social and behavioral scientists to standardize scientific writing and is currently in its 7th edition.
If you are not sure which citation style to use in your paper, ask your instructor. There are many different citation styles and using the style your instructor or institution has established correctly can have a positive impact on your grade.
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition) is the basis of this guide. It contains guidelines on paper structure and content, writing and formatting, and crediting sources in APA. This guide focuses on crediting sources and aims at answering all of your questions about citing in APA.
The APA citation rules stretch more than 50 pages in the official APA publication manual, and yes, they are complex. We have created the BibGuru citation builder to help you focus on the content of your work instead of worrying about how to get your reference list done correctly.
For general tips and tricks on writing your papers in APA, or to learn how to format your APA title page and abstract page , visit our blog . Or just use our free APA format citation generator to automatically create accurate APA citations with only a few clicks.
The APA guide recommends that you cite any works or individuals whose ideas, theories, or research have directly influenced your work. This means that you should cite only works you have read and ideas you have incorporated into your writing. If possible cite primary sources, and secondary sources sparingly.
A primary source reports original content; a secondary source refers to content first reported in another source.
APA citation style uses in-text citations and a reference list. Both can be created with just a click with BibGuru's APA citation generator .
For in-text references, APA uses the author-date citation system. This system allows readers to find the sources cited both within the text and in the reference list, where each source is listed alphabetically. Each work cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and each work in the reference list must be cited in the text.
To insert a citation in the text, include the author's last name and year of publication. For a direct quotation , include the page number or specific location of the phrase or sentence in the original work.
In-text references have two formats: parenthetical and narrative . In parenthetical citations , the author's name and publication date appear in parentheses. When a parenthetical citation is at the end of a sentence, place the period or other end punctuation after the closing parentheses. Here is an example:
EXAMPLE Parenthetical citation
In the production process nowadays, skilled labor and computerized machines are used (Rode, 2012).
In narrative citations, the name and publication date is incorporated into the text as part of the sentence. The author appears in running text and the date appears in parentheses immediately after the author's name:
EXAMPLE Narrative citation (with parenthesis)
Rode (2012) claims that productive activities have been part of human civilization since ancient times.
In some cases, author and date might both appear in the narrative. In this case, no parentheses are needed:
EXAMPLE Narrative citation (without parenthesis)
In 2012, Rode wrote about the productive activities...
If you cite multiple works parenthetically, place the citations in alphabetical order, separating them with semicolons, like in this example:
EXAMPLE Multiple parenthetical citations
(Adams et al., 2019; Shumway & Shulman, 2015; Westinghouse, 2017)
If multiple sources are cited within a sentence, they can appear in any order:
EXAMPLE Multiple sources in a sentence
Suliman (2018), Gutiérrez (2012, 2017), and Medina and Reyes (2019) examined...
If you cite a work with more than one author or editor, additional rules apply:
According to the 7th edition of the APA Manual , if you are citing 3 or more authors, you only need to list the first author, followed by "et al." Click here to learn more about the difference between APA 6th and 7th editions.
The BibGuru free APA 7 citation generator has incorporated all the new APA 7th edition rules, so you don’t have to worry about the differences between the versions.
Author type | Parenthetical citation | Narrative citation |
---|---|---|
One author | (Rode, 2012) | Rode (2012) |
Two authors | (Mayer & Rilke, 2019) | Mayer & Rilke (2019) |
Three or more authors | (Smith et al., 2000) | Smith et al. (2000) |
Group author with abbreviation (first citation) | (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2020) | National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, 2020) |
Group author with abbreviation (subsequent citations) | (NIMH, 2020) | NIMH (2020) |
Group author without abbreviation | (Columbia University, 2021) | Columbia University (2021) |
When quoting directly, always provide the author, year, and page number of the quotation in the in-text citation. When citing a single page, use the abbreviation "p." (e.g., p. 26, p. S44, p. e283); for multiple pages, use the abbreviation "pp." and separate the page range with an en dash (e.g., pp. 34-36). If pages are discontinuous, use a comma between the page numbers (e.g., pp. 65, 72).
Here are two examples of direct quotations:
EXAMPLE Direct quotation
"For both parties to gain from trade, the price at which they trade must lie between the two opportunity costs" (Mankiw, 2015, p. 54).
EXAMPLE Direct quotation (narrative)
In his book, Bonnett asks "What is the difference between being white and being Western?" (2004, p. 14).
However, APA strongly recommends paraphrasing whenever possible instead of using a direct quotation. A paraphrase restates another's idea (or your own previously published idea) in your own words.
The reference list at the end of your paper provides the information that a reader would need to identify and find each source that you have used. An accurate reference list helps to establish the credibility of your work and of yourself as the author. You should only include works that you have used in the research for, and preparation of, your paper.
A reference list generally has four elements: author, date, title, and source. Each of these elements answers a question:
When formatting the author part , follow these guidelines:
APA 7th edition allows you to include up to 20 authors' names in an individual reference.
By using an APA 7 citation generator like BibGuru you can be on the safe side with the specific rules of the new version.
When formatting the title part , follow these guidelines:
The source either has one or two parts, depending on the reference category. A source from a printed book without a DOI has one part: the book's publisher. A source from a journal article with a DOI has two parts; the periodical information (journal title, volume number, issue number, and page range or article number) and the DOI.
The publication place of printed sources is no longer required in APA 7th edition. Visit our post on the differences between APA 6th and 7th edition to learn more.
The DOI or URL is the final component of the reference list entry in the APA style. A DOI, or digital object identifier , is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies content and provides a persistent link to its location on the internet. Include a DOI for all works that have a DOI, regardless of whether you used the online version or the print version. If an online work has both a DOI and a URL, include only the DOI, but if the source only has a URL, include the URL.
You no longer need to include "retrieved from" prior to listing a URL, according to APA 7th edition.
An example of an APA reference page made with BibGuru's APA citation generator .
Books and Reference Works includes authored books , edited books , translated books , anthologies, religious works, classical works, dictionaries, encyclopedias, and diagnostic manuals. This template shows you how to cite them.
Section | Patterns and Variations | Example | Note |
---|---|---|---|
Author | Author, A. A. | Smith, E. C. | |
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. | Smith, E. C., & Johnson, F. G. | ||
Name of Group. | Human Genome consortium. | ||
Editor, E. E. (Ed.). | Smith, E. C. (Ed.). | ||
Editor, E. E., & Editor, F. F. (Eds.). | Smith, E. C., & Johnson F. G. (Eds.). | ||
Date | (Year). | (2020). | |
Title | Title of book. | A Brief History of Time. | |
Title of book (2nd ed., Vol. 4). | A Brief History of Time (2nd ed., Vol. 4). | Use this template when citing one volume of a multivolume work. | |
Title of book (E.E. Editor, Ed.). | A Brief History of Time (E. C. Smith, Ed.). | Use this template when citing a book with an Editor. | |
Title of book (N. Narrator, Narr.). | A Brief History of Time (P. Miller, Trans.). | When a book was translated, indicate it with a "Trans.". | |
Title of book (N. Narrator, Narr.) [Audiobook]. | A Brief History of Time (M. Dale) [Audiobook]. | You only need to note that you have used an audiobook when the content is not the same as in the text version of the book. When the content has been changed or the audiobook was released in a different year than the text version, you need to note it in your citation. | |
Publisher Information | Publisher Name. | Springer. | |
DOI or URL | https://doi.org/xzy | https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01074212 | If an online work has both a DOI and a URL, include only the DOI, but if the source only has a URL, include the URL. |
https://xzy.com | https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF01074212 | If a source only has an URL, but no DOI, include the URL. |
EXAMPLE Authored book with a DOI
Sutherland, D. E. (2009). A savage conflict: The decisive role of guerrillas in the American Civil War . University of North Carolina Press. https://doi.org/10.5149/9780807888674_sutherland
Parenthetical citation: (Sutherland, 2009)
Narrative citation: Sutherland (2009)
EXAMPLE Authored book without a DOI, from most academic research databases or print version
Fuchs, C. (2021). Social media: A critical introduction (3rd ed.). SAGE Publications.
Parenthetical citation: (Fuchs, 2021)
Narrative citation: Fuchs (2021)
EXAMPLE Edited book with a DOI, with multiple authors
Brooks, R., & O'Shea, S. (Eds.) (2021). Reimagining the higher education student: Constructing and contesting identities . Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9780367854171
Parenthetical citation: (Brooks & O'Shea, 2021)
Narrative citation: Brooks and O'Shea (2021)
EXAMPLE Dictionary, thesaurus, or encyclopedia
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Semantics. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary . Retrieved May 5, 2023, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/semantics
Parenthetical citation: (Merriam-Webster, n.d.)
Narrative citation: Merriam-Webster (n.d.)
EXAMPLE Book in another language
When a book is in a different language than your paper, include a translation of the book title in square brackets:
Piaget, J. (1957). Le jugement moral chez l'enfant[The moral judgement of the child]. Presses Universitaires de France.
Parenthetical citation: (Piaget, 1957)
Narrative citation: Piaget (1957)
Periodicals are generally published on a continuous basis and include journals , magazines , newspapers , newsletters, and even blog posts. This template shows you how to cite them.
Section | Patterns and Variations | Example | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Author | Author, A. A. | Smith, E. C. | |
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. | Smith, E. C., & Johnson, F. G. | ||
Name of group. | Human Genome Consortium. | ||
Username. | Luna Tech. | If a blog post or comment on an online article has no real name, credit their username. | |
Date | (Year). | (2020). | Date presented for a journal. |
(Year, Month). | (2020, March). | Date presented for a magazine, newspaper article, or blog post. | |
(Year, Month Day). | (2020, March 15). | Date presented for a magazine, newspaper article, or blog post. | |
Title | Title of Article. | Power and inequality in the global political economy. | |
Periodical information | Title of Periodical, 34(2), 5-14. | International Affairs, 93(2), 429–444. | In this example, 93 would be the volume number, (2) the Issue, and 429-444 the page numbers. |
Title of Periodical, 2(1-2), Article 12. | PLOS ONE, 14(1), Article e0209899. | This is an online article without page numbers, so instead of a page number you need to list the article number. | |
Title of Periodical. | The Atlantic. | When periodical information is missing (e.g. volume number, issue, page range), omit it from the reference. | |
DOI or URL | https://doi.org/xzy | https://doi.org/10.1038/nature10530 | If an online work has both a DOI and a URL, include only the DOI, but if the source only has a URL, include the URL. |
https://xzy.com | https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/09/twenty-years-gone-911-bobby-mcilvaine/619490/ | If a source only has an URL, but no DOI, include the URL. |
EXAMPLE Journal article with a DOI
Childress, D. (2011). Citation tools in academic libraries. Reference & User Services Quarterly , 51 (2), 143–152. https://doi.org/10.5860/rusq.51n2.143
Parenthetical citation: (Childress, 2011)
Narrative citation: Childress (2011)
EXAMPLE Journal article with a DOI, 21 or more authors
Vos, T., Allen, C., Arora, M., Barber, R. M., Bhutta, Z. A., Brown, A., Carter, A., Casey, D. C., Charlson, F. J., Chen, A. Z., Coggeshall, M., Cornaby, L., Dandona, L., Dicker, D. J., Dilegge, T., Erskine, H. E., Ferrari, A. J., Fitzmaurice, C., Fleming, T., … Murray, C. J. L. (2016). Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990–2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015. Lancet , 388 (10053), 1545–1602. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0140-6736(16)31678-6
Parenthetical citation: (Vos et al., 2016)
Narrative citation: (Vos et al., 2016)
EXAMPLE Magazine article version
Erim, K. T. (1967, August). Ancient Aphrodisias and its marble treasures. National Geographic , 132 (2), 280–294.
Parenthetical citation: (Erim, 1967)
Narrative citation: (Erim, 1967)
EXAMPLE Newsletter
Darwish, F. (2014). How being a cat person can dramatically enhance your psychological health. Psych Daily, 6 (4), 4-5. https://www-psychdaily-com/the-pets-cats-report/emotional-health/
Parenthetical citation: (Darwish, 2014)
Narrative citation: Darwish (2014)
If you cite a source from a website and no other reference category fits and the work has no parent or overarching publication (e.g. journal or blog), use this template for your reference.
Section | Patterns and Variations | Example | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Author | Author, A. A. | James, L. C. | |
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. | Perry, C., & James, L. C. | ||
Name of Group. | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. | ||
Date | (Year). | (2020). | Provide the most specific date possible. |
(Year, Month). | (2020, August). | ||
(Year, Month Day). | (2020, September 28). | ||
(n.d.). | (n.d.). | ||
Title | Title of work. | Community Arts Investment Program. | When a web page has no author use the title of the web page as the first element in the citation and reference. |
Website name | Site name. | London Arts Council. | |
URL | https://xzy.com | https://www.londonarts.ca/investments | |
Retrieved December 22, 2020, from https://xzy.com | Retrieved August 9, 2021, from https://www.londonarts.ca/investments | Include a retrieval date only when the content is designed to change over time and the page is not archived. |
EXAMPLE Webpage on a news website
France-Presse, A. (2021, June 10). Child labour worldwide increases for first time in 20 years. The Guardian. http://www.theguardian.com/law/2021/jun/10/child-labour-worldwide-increases-for-first-time-in-20-years
Parenthetical citation: (France-Presse, 2021)
Narrative citation: France-Presse (2021)
EXAMPLE University website
Hamido, K. A., & Essam, J. A. (n.d.). Use of artificial intelligence in forensic analyses . Cairo Medical School. http://www.med.cairo.edu/AANLIB/
Parenthetical citation: (Hamido & Essam, n.d.)
Narrative citation: Hamido and Essam (n.d.)
EXAMPLE Blog post
Priyadarshini, S. (n.d.). How outreach blends my worlds as a scientist and mom. Indigenus. http://blogs.nature.com/indigenus/2021/05/how-outreach-blends-my-worlds-as-a-scientist-and-mom.html
Parenthetical citation: (Priyadarshini, n.d.)
Narrative citation: Priyadarshini (n.d.)
EXAMPLE Website with no author
Neuroscience. (n.d.). Wikipedia . Retrieved June 6, 2007 from http://en.wikipedia.org /wiki/Neuroscience
Parenthetical citation: ("Neuroscience", n.d.)
Narrative citation: "Neuroscience" (n.d.)
EXAMPLE Government website
Egyptian Center for Nuclear Energy. (n.d.). Becoming a research volunteer . https://www.ECNE.gov/cne/sites/default/files/ohrp/research/ brochures/3panelfinal.pdf
Parenthetical citation: (Egyptian Center for Nuclear Energy, n.d.)
Narrative citation: Egyptian Center for Nuclear Energy (n.d.)
EXAMPLE Entry in an online reference work
Sameer, G. (2005). Behaviorism. In E. N. Rashed (Ed.), The encyclopedia of psychology (Fall 2014 ed.). http://pyche.com/entries/behaviorism
Parenthetical citation: (Sameer, 2005)
Narrative citation: Sameer (2005)
References for dissertations and theses are divided by whether they are unpublished or published. Unpublished works must be retrieved directly from the university in print form. Published works are available from a database, a university archive, or a personal website. This is how you cite them:
Unpublished works (only available at the college or univeristy in print):
Section | Patterns and Variations | Example | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Author | Author, A. A. | Leone, A. | |
Date | (Year). | (2001). | |
Title | Title of dissertation [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. | Evolution and Change: Town and Country in Late Antique North Africa [Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation]. | |
Database or Archive name | Name of Institution Awarding the Degree. | University of Leicester. |
Section | Patterns and Variations | Example | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
Author | Author, A. A. | Anthony, H. | |
Date | (Year). | (2014). | |
Title | Title of dissertation [Doctoral dissertation, Name of Institution Awarding the Degree] | Link between childhood trauma and alcoholism [Doctoral Dissertation, University of Florida] | |
Title of thesis [Master's thesis, Name of Institution Awarding the degree] | Link between childhood trauma and alcoholism [Master's thesis, University of Florida] | ||
Database or Archive name | Database Name. | FloridaLink. | |
Archive Name. | UT Southwestern Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. | ||
URL | https://xzy.edu | https://utswmed-ir.tdl.org/handle/2152.5/941 |
EXAMPLE Unpublished dissertation or thesis
Eid, H. (2017). The anti-cancer effect of scorpion venom (Unpublished master’s thesis). Modern Sciences and Arts University.
Parenthetical citation: (Eid, 2017)
Narrative citation: Eid (2017)
EXAMPLE Published dissertation or thesis from a database
Mccarthy, M. D. (2014). The relationship between sleep deprivation and student performance (Order No. 3682837) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Florida]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.
Parenthetical citation: (Mccarthy, 2014)
Narrative citation: Mccarthy (2014)
EXAMPLE Published dissertation or thesis from a database-no publication number
Brown, S. (2010). Impacts of jellyfish invasion in the red sea [Master’s thesis, American University in Cairo]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses database.
Parenthetical citation: (Brown, 2010)
Narrative citation: Brown (2010)
EXAMPLE Published dissertation or thesis from an online platform
Anthony, H. (2014). Link between childhood trauma and alcoholism (Doctoral dissertation). FloridaLink. Retrieved from https://etd.floridalink.edu/handle/10919/82854
Parenthetical citation: (Anthony, 2014)
Narrative citation: Anthony (2014)
EXAMPLE Dissertation or thesis in print
Hawk, E. J. (2017). Using artificial intelligence to prioritize covid-19 vaccine delivery (Master's thesis). Cairo University.
Parenthetical citation: (Hawk, 2017)
Narrative citation: Hawk (2017)
EXAMPLE TED Talk
Azab, A. (2012, June). Why are people so rude? [Video]. TED Conferences. https://www.ted.com/talks/why_are_people_so_rude
Parenthetical citation: (Azab, 2012)
Narrative citation: Azab (2012)
EXAMPLE YouTube video
Bomer, M. (2013, June 13). Does it puree? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97KJhK-9yvc
Parenthetical citation: (Bomer, 2013)
Narrative citation: Bomer (2013)
EXAMPLE Podcast
Abdelaal, D. R (Host). (2017–2018). What should you be doing in your twenties? [Audio podcast]. The millennial. https://themillenial.com/
Parenthetical citation: (Abdelaal, 2017–2018)
Narrative citation: Abdelaal (2017–2018)
EXAMPLE Photograph
Hassan, A. (1908). The Nile River [Photograph]. Time. http://100photos.time.com/photos/asad-hassan-the-nile-river
Parenthetical citation: (Hassan, 1908)
Narrative citation: Hassan (1908)
EXAMPLE Facebook post
The girl project. (2020, January 10). Signs you have poor boundaries [Image attached] [Photo]. Facebook.
Parenthetical citation: (The girl project, 2020)
Narrative citation: The girl project (2020)
While all the specific rules of the APA citation style might sound very complicated, you don't need to worry about getting them wrong with BibGuru. Use our APA 7 citation maker to create the fastest and most accurate APA citations possible.
Helpful resources, from our blog.
APA is the referencing style of the American Psychological Association. The principles of the APA style can be found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association . The style is commonly used in psychology, education, and the social sciences.
In APA style, you need to cite your source in-text with the author's last name and year of publication in brackets, and then give a full reference in the alphabetic reference list. Our APA citation guides show you how to cite different sources in APA, taking into consideration all the rules set out in their Publication Manual .
In general, all parts of an APA-styled paper should be double-spaced, including the abstract, text, titles, notes, and reference list. There are some exceptions, however, which you can read all about here .
When you cite a source for the first time in a paragraph as part of a sentence, give the citation of your author's name and year. The second and subsequent time you use that source in a sentence, you do not need to include the year anymore.
In the fall of 2019, the American Psychological Association (APA) issued the 7th edition of their publication manual. Some of the major changes in APA 7th are:
You can read more about the changes in the latest version in our blog post .
Citation guides, alternative to.
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Select the source material | Journal article, Conference proceeding, Webpage, Book |
Select the citation format | APA 6th edition or APA 7th edition |
Edit or add metadata via these methods | 1. Copy and paste raw text from any website 2. Use the search bar to find the source by URL, DOI, or ISBN 3. Input field values manually |
Click 'Generate Citation' | Get in-text and reference citations in APA in seconds — without any ads |
Save and export citation | Download the output in BibTeX format or copy the text for free |
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Submit assignments, papers, or essays confidently, knowing our AI is trained on the latest APA guidelines and manuscripts. You no longer have to sift the internet for APA citation examples.
Cite websites, books, book chapters, articles, and press releases, in APA style — with just a few clicks. More sources to be supported soon.
Don't wait till the writing process is complete to start working on your bibliography. Generate APA style in-text citations and reference entries as you go and save them, so you don't miss any sources.
Using LatTeX for document preparation? No problem, export the APA formatted output directly as BibTeX files and add them to your project without hassle.
Our citation generator is free to use. So, you can turn your sources into accurately formatted in-text and bibliographic APA citations without spending anything.
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Features | Citation Generator by SciSpace | Citation Generator by Quillbot | Citation Generator by Scribbr | Citation Generator by Cite this for me | Citation Generator by Citation Machine | Citation Generator by Easybib |
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Capture information from the Internet | Fully | Partially | Partially | Partially | Partially | Partially |
Autoformatting | Yes | Partially | Partially | Partially | Partially | Partially |
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Cost | Free | Free | Free | After 15 references $8.54/mo | Free version + paid $9.95/mo | Free version + paid $9.95/mo |
Ad-Free | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No | No |
Questions around citing in the APA style are fairly common, especially among students and new researchers. So, we've answered some of the most frequently asked ones below.
Reference entry:.
(Rogers, 2023) | |
Rogers (2023) |
Apa in-text citation for a book example:, apa reference entry for a journal article:, apa in-text citation:.
(Smith, 2017) | |
Smith (2017) |
Apa reference list entry example:, bibliography entry example:.
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MLA (Modern Language Association) citation format is commonly used in the humanities and liberal arts. In MLA style, you use in-text citations to give credit to the sources you have used in your research. These citations include the author's last name and the page number of the source material. In the list of works cited at the end of your paper, you should include full citations for all of the sources you have used, including the author's name, title of the work, publication information, and the medium of publication (such as print or web). It is important to follow the guidelines of the MLA citation format to ensure that your paper is properly formatted and that you are giving credit to the sources you have used.
APA (American Psychological Association) citation format is commonly used in the social sciences and education. In APA style, you also use in-text citations to give credit to the sources you have used in your research. The reference list at the end of the paper is called a "References" list and includes full citations for all of the sources you have used, with additional information such as the volume and issue number of a journal article. It is important to follow the guidelines of the APA citation format to ensure that your paper is properly formatted and that you are giving credit to the sources you have used.
Harvard citation style is a widely used style in the UK and other parts of the world. In Harvard style, you use in-text citations and a reference list to give credit to the sources you have used in your research. The citations include the author's last name and the year of publication only. It is important to follow the guidelines of the Harvard citation format to ensure that your paper is properly formatted and that you are giving credit to the sources you have used.
Chicago citation style is commonly used in the humanities and social sciences. In Chicago style, you use footnotes or endnotes to give credit to sources, and a bibliography at the end of the paper. The footnotes or endnotes include full citations for the sources, while the bibliography includes a list of all of the sources you have used in your research. It is important to follow the guidelines of the Chicago citation format to ensure that your paper is properly formatted and that you are giving credit to the sources you have used.
Vancouver citation style is commonly used in the field of medicine. In Vancouver style, you use numerical citations within the text to give credit to the sources you have used in your research, and a reference list at the end of the paper. The reference list includes full citations for all of the sources you have used, with the sources numbered in the order that they are cited in the text. It is important to follow the guidelines of the Vancouver citation format to ensure that your paper is properly formatted and that you are giving credit to the sources you have used.
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Being one of the most common formats for all kinds of scientific and research papers, APA citation format is generally used in the field of social sciences. It explains how to handle references to both published and unpublished sources, covering various forms of in-text citations and bibliographic lists.
Our APA generator can do pretty much all the work, but we'd like to give you some insights into the topic so that you have a better understanding of this style. There are several reasons why you should stick to APA formatting. First, even if you paraphrase someone else's ideas instead of quoting directly, it can be viewed as plagiarism. That may be construed as a breach of ethical norms and lead to serious consequences. And, you won't get a good grade for the work you have "stolen" from someone.
By asking you to prepare term papers and essays, your professors test your academic writing skills. And why would any teacher give you a high score if you show your ignorance of the formatting rules? Also, in your post-college years, you may have to publish your scientific studies and articles in journals. That excludes the existence of incorrectly formatted manuscripts. Now, you have a good chance to learn things that can help you avoid all those problems.
Why would anyone need an APA citation maker? If you're asking that question, you probably have not even opened the APA guide. If you take a look at the publication manual, you will understand that you should be aware of different ways of citing depending on the particularities of every source and many other factors. It takes some time and effort, while an APA reference generator can save you both, having the work done for you.
You just need to enter some basic data about your source and choose its type to use our APA citation generator. Hence, you need to identify where your quote came from and be sure about the reliability of multiple sources. After that, the system will provide you with a correctly formatted reference you can copy and paste into your work. Fast, simple, and effective. It is beneficial and time-saving, especially because you get a reference list based on the 6th edition of the APA publication manual for free.
In addition to this great tool, we provide a complete APA style guide that will help you understand its requirements easier. Now, we are going to find out what formatting in APA style implies.
Try to find the answers below, what is apa format and where is it used.
Get ready — it won't be a quick guide because we have a lot to tell you! This citation style covers not only the rules of citing various sources but also requirements for fonts, spacing, margins, headers and footers, title pages, abstracts, and much more. The Publication Manual contains 8 chapters, including the information on the importance of ethics in publication, peculiarities of the publishing process, recommendations on the structure and content of scientific works, clarity, and brevity of articles, punctuation and spelling, and the usage of capital letters, abbreviations, graphic elements, figures and statistics in texts.
These rules and recommendations were developed by the American Psychological Association for use in the field of social and behavioral studies. The style is widely used in psychology, sociology, business, mathematics, economics, linguistics, nursing, and even criminology, covering the following types of papers:
But what is APA citation format? This style specifies the number of principles for crediting sources, including:
Thus, the recommendations explain what and when you should cite and how to provide data (title, author, publisher, etc.) for proper sources identification correctly.
We suggest you take a general-to-specific approach. There are two main types of in-text citations:
The first one provides for using sequential numbers after any reference in the text of scientific or academic work. The number indicates the source that's placed at the bottom of the page (footnotes) or in the list on the last page of the manuscript (endnotes). The numbers and source details can be formatted in different ways, depending on the note form. However, any source details like the author's name or the title of the source aren't specified in the body of the text.
Conversely, the second type implies that certain source details are given in a short form immediately after the reference. Depending on a style, the short form may include the author's name, source's title, issue date, and page number, while full-length information is given in the References List added at the end of the paper. The short form is enclosed in parentheses, while the full version is arranged in alphabetical order by authors' names. Be sure — all that is fully covered by our APA generator
Now, what type of citation is an APA style? APA format for in-text citation refers to parenthetical referencing, where you need to specify the author and date.
However, there are also two types of citations:
In the first case, the author and date of publication are indicated at the end of the citation within round brackets.
In the second case, you start an in-text reference by specifying the author (without using parentheses) and then continue with the year in parentheses.
You should also take into account whether you use direct quoting or not. If yes, then you need to add the number of the page you "borrowed" the quote from. In the first case, the page is added to the author's name and date, while in the second, it is placed at the end of the quote and enclosed in parentheses.
When you don't directly identify the author of the reference from the very beginning, you end up getting a citation like this:
Females were more interested in this type of communication as well as in the more habitual SNS (Social Netrwork Site) motivations for use such as entertainment and passing time. (Barker, 2009, p. 212).
But if you want, you can embed the author's name directly into the quote, and then you will get the following option:
As Barker said (2009), males were more likely to report SNS (Social Netrwork Site) use for such reasons as social compensation, learning, and SIG (Social identity gratifications) (p. 212 ).
When it comes to direct quotes, you should choose from these options:
" Consideration of other social and technological aspects of vulnerability, such as the existing adaptive capacity in a region or the difficulty of making adaptations for specific cropping systems, should also be integrated into prioritization efforts." (Lobell, 2008, p. 610).
Sometimes, the page numbers may not be included in the article you cite. Then, you can indicate the paragraph number and mention the title (first few words) of the section where the information was found.
Together, the nature of the barrier, its source, and the location of influence over the barrier provide a "road map" to design strategies to circumvent, remove, or lower the barriers. (Lobell, 2008, Discussion section, para. 5 ).
Surely, today, online sources are widely used in all kinds of academic writing, and you may need to cite some of them in your paper. But how do you put an APA electronic citation in the text properly? In many cases, online sources contain all the necessary information, including pages (i.e., e-books). In this case, you should handle the citation just like any other offline reference.
But sometimes, online sources don't provide the author's name or year of publication, let alone pages. In this case, you should avail of the headline, using it instead of the author, and put it into parentheses, adding the "n.d." ("no date") abbreviation afterward (without quotation marks). If the title is too long, use a shortened version, wrapping it quotes. Also, if no author is specified, you can refer to the organization or website that published the information you use. As for direct quoting, you can specify the section and paragraph containing the information cited.
However, you need to understand that online sources that lack details do not look trustworthy, and you should think twice before using them in your work.
We'll start with the worst case scenario when you cannot find any information about the pages, authors, and dates. Here are some examples of how your in-text citations may look.
Policy makers have now recognised the need to integrate thinking about climate change into all areas of public policy making. ("Does public policy support or undermine climate change adaptation?" n.d., para. 7).
A rational person decides to end his addiction if events lower either his demand for the addictive good sufficiently or his stock of consumption capital sufficiently. ("A theory of rational addiction," n.d., section 7, para. 1).
We also see a few cases of young children, themselves 5 through 10 years old, who victimize their peers ("Child sexual abuse," n.d., Childhood and Trauma section, para. 2).
According to "Terahertz technology" (n.d.), high-resolution FTS systems like FASSST may see use in military systems as chemical agent detectors and a substantial Multidisciplinary University Research Institute (MURI) program promises to help open up biomedical applications for this technology in the U.S. (Future Applications section, para. 1).
With APA electronic citation, some articles may require purchasing. Then, include "Available at" rather than "Retrieved from."
Post-structuralism and post-modernism enable the space of subjectivity to be opened and revealed and as being constituted by social and historical practices structured through the language of phallocratic discourse. Bordo, S. (n.d.) Unbearable weight: Feminism, Western culture, and the body. Available at https://www.amazon.com/Unbearable-Weight-Feminism-Western-Anniversary/dp/0520240545
Philosophers such as Spinoza, Kant, Nietzsche, and various phenomenologists have tended to adopt an endogenic perspective regarding the origins of knowledge. Gergen, K.J. (n.d.) The social constructionist movement in modern psychology. Retrieved from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/302871718_The_Social_Constructivist_Movement_in_Modern_Psychology
Sometimes, you can refer to an entire website without including any titles or other details:
To find details about Adams' study on relationships between this stimulation and students' progress, check the official website (http://www.adams.com/).
The article available on Wiley Online Library (https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1937-8327.1993.tb00605.x) provides enough information on comparing critical features of behaviorism, cognitivism, and constructivism from an instructional design perspective.
When you are citing something found on the website of an organization, you can do without its URL by providing it as a bibliographic entry at the end of your paper. Then, your in-text reference will be formatted the following way:
Human Development Report of sustainability and equity concludes with a call for bold new approaches to global development financing and environmental controls, arguing that these measures are both essential and feasible. (United nations development programme, 2011).
Since some colleges require a cover page, you may wonder how to write it in APA properly. However, quite many styles require no additional page like this one, and, therefore, there is no APA style cover page at all.
APA format title page displays the paper's title, your name, the name of your educational institution (or other organization), and a running headline.
Center them, use caps, and make sure the pages are double-spaced. You can choose any easy-to-read font for your paper, but the style recommends 12pt Times New Roman with 2,54 cm (1 inch) margins from all sides.
Also, note that the running head is an essential part of any APA style title page. It should contain the page numbers or paragraph (set flush on the right) and a scaled-down variant of the title (within fifty characters (including spaces) printed in all capitals and set flush on the left). The header needs to be prefixed with the words "Running head" followed by a colon and only then by the short version of your title in caps. For all other pages, this prefix is not required. Thus, with a title like "Teenage Sexual Behavior: Attitudes Towards and Declared Sexual Activity," your running head may sound like "TEENAGE SEXUAL BEHAVIOR" Note that our APA reference creator doesn't generate this section.
Some types of academic papers do not require you to provide an abstract at all. For instance, when writing a literature review, you can skip this section and start your paper with an introduction, which is not the equivalent of an abstract. However, you need to check this with your professor because the requirements may vary.
Well, if you do need this section in your work, you should know how to write an abstract in APA. First, keep in mind that the length of this section should not exceed 250 words — you are expected to be brief. However, a good APA style abstract needs to contain such key information as the goals set, methods used, results obtained, and conclusions made. To save precious space, you can use abbreviations, write numbers in numerals, and drop initials.
Start your abstract by typing "Abstract" in the center of a new page, and then continue with a new paragraph. At the very end of this section, you can list keywords to make searching online easier. Start a new paragraph with Keywords, then put a colon and add the words (in a non-italic font) separated by a comma.
Here is a simple example of the paper on a tax system-related topic.
This study explores the tax treatment of foreign-invested enterprises on the example of two local companies. The legislative taxation framework, existing tax privileges, and the methods of tax assessment base are considered. The paper provides the results of the financial analysis of the companies' activities. Measures are proposed to improve the taxation of foreign-invested enterprises.
Keywords: tax assessment base, tax privileges, foreign investments, credit against tax, taxable income.
We have already discussed that the APA header is required from the very first page of your paper (which is a title page). However, you may wonder how to do a running head in APA since it is assumed that you need two versions of the header — one with the words "Running head" for your title page and one without them for all other pages.
Your steps will depend on the version of Microsoft Word installed on your desktop PC. If you have Word 2007 or higher, you just need to double-click the right mouse button on the top of the first page (where a header usually sits) to get access to your Header and Footer menu. Tick the Different First Page box and type in your title with a prefix. Then go to your next page and delete the prefix to get the desired result.
However, you need to know that APA style also requires you to separate sections within the text of scientific papers for proper structuring. APA format headings have five levels, specifying the usage of the bold type, italics, indentation, and lowercase or uppercase letters. Now, take a look at how this works in a real-life scenario.
This example is given to show how your text can be structured depending on the number of sections and subsections. The example below is formatted this way only to show the hierarchy better.
Well, you are not required to use all the levels in your paper, but when it is applicable, make sure to format your headings properly.
Every paper written in this style has to contain a reference page. If using the APA format, this page provides a list of every source you cited in your work. It helps the reader find any source cited in it, check the information contained therein, and study all relevant facts and viewpoints. That's what our APA formatter does: it generates these references based on the data you enter.
You should start your APA style reference page with the 'References' heading by locating it in the center of a new page. Then you need to double-space and start the first entry flush with the left margin. If an entry has more than one line, all additional lines require a hanging indent.
Each entry should contain the last name of the author of the source and the initials (mind the order). Authors are listed alphabetically based on their last names. If several sources by one author are mentioned, they should be listed in chronological order: from the earliest to the latest.
Then you need to give the year of publication in parentheses, followed by the full title of your source (begins with a capital letter) and the publication date.
It's time to get this straight: Reference List and Bibliography are not the same things, and there's no APA bibliography format at all. Why? Because the style requires a list of references that should include all sources cited in your paper. A Bibliography differs from such a list as it covers all sources used by you when writing the paper, regardless of whether you cite them in your work. It can also contain additional sources recommended for reading but not stated in the text.
This confusion extends further to include the APA annotated bibliography. But, this style doesn't require any bibliographies containing your comments on the sources used and doesn't have any rules for their formatting.
However, in various sources, you can find guides on different types of APA Bibliographies, though their authors describe recommendations on reference lists. Therefore, you should be very careful, about including non-cited sources in your list.
Since some specific details may vary depending on the source type (and we are going to discuss this later), here is a generalized example of what your reference entry may look like:
Dodge, K. A. (1980). Social cognition and children's aggressive behavior. Child development, 162-170.
Move on to more specific rules and find out how to cite a book in APA style. Here is your general scheme:
For online book citation, the pattern changes a little:
Hekman, S. J. (2013). Gender and knowledge: Elements of a postmodern feminism. Retrieved from: https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=lRTKmQTOCsMC&hl=ru&pg=GBS.PA1922.
APA format thesis citation depends on whether the paper was published. Since in most cases such sources are found in online databases, we provide you with several recommendations on how to cite a thesis in APA format. They are as follows:
Biswas, S. (2008). Dopamine D3 receptor: A neuroprotective treatment target in Parkinson's disease. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global. (AAT 3295214)
Since this format is similar to the above-mentioned thesis citation, we will find out how to cite a dissertation in APA when it is not published. In this case, you need to specify this in parentheses, adding the name of the institution and its location. You will find the example below. But remember that you can always use our citation generator for APA and other styles to avoid all the hassle.
Elliot, A. J., & Harackiewicz, J. M. (1994). Approach and avoidance achievement goals: An intrinsic motivation analysis. Unpublished doctoral dissertation.
We have already discussed how to cite a website (APA) in a text, but what about your References page? Your further steps will depend on your ability to find some details about the source. The main pattern is the following:
Potter, S. (2019). Exploring the Moon Promises Innovation and Benefit at Home. Retrieved from https://www.nasa.gov/feature/exploring-the-moon-promises-innovation-and-benefit-at-home
The next step is to learn how to cite a magazine article by APA requirements. When it comes to printed magazine citing, we need to add the full issue date, the magazine name, its volume, and issue (if any), as well as to inform our audience on what page the article begins and ends.
Rothbart, D. (2008, October). How I caught up with dad. Men's Health , 108-113.
Citing a newspaper article in APA differs a little from magazine references since you don't need to specify the volume. All you need is cite the section heading and the number of the page. Take a look at how to cite newspaper articles in printed versions.
Rubin, E. R. (219, May 28). A Secret to Better Health Care. The New York Times , p. 7.
APA journal article citation is completely identical to that of magazines. Thus, in this section, we consider how to cite journal articles if they are found online. In this case, it is required to show the journal's DOI, if any, or specify its URL.
Poiger, U. G. (1996). Rock 'n' roll, female sexuality, and the Cold War Battle over German Identities. The Journal of Modern History , 68(3), 577. doi:10.1086/245343
You may need to know how to cite a film in APA because sometimes students are supposed to write reviews or research papers on movies. Therefore, they should comply with the rules for citing a film in APA. Our free APA source generator can help you with any sources, including movies.
Kinberg, S. (Producer), & Scott, R. (Director). (2015). The Martian [Motion picture]. United States, United Kingdom: 20th Century Fox.
It is not a common practice for students to cite various radio sources in their papers, but if you do refer to them, you should learn how to cite a radio broadcast APA properly. Instead of the medium, it is required to provide information about the program type and production. In many respects, the formatting depends on what source details you will be able to find, but try to stick to the following example of APA citing radio interview:
Smith, K. G. (Producer). (1999, September 19). Every day News [Television broadcast]. New York, NY: West Broadcasting.
When citing music, you need to remember that both the songwriter and the artist should be mentioned, unless they are the same person. Here is a tip on how to cite music in APA:
Turner, A. (2013). Do I wanna know? [Recorded by Arctic Monkeys]. On AM [MP3 file]. London, England: Domino Records.
We hope that our APA citation guide was useful and you learned something new about this particular style or recalled what you had already learned. Now, you know how to format the basic and more specific references.
Nevertheless, we offer you our free APA generator to see what proper formatting looks like! All you need to do is fill in all the information you know about the chosen source. Those usually include but are not confined to the title, author, publisher, publication year, and the page number. You can use our APA referencing maker to format even online articles perfectly! No more searching for rules and guidelines — our generator supports the standards of the most popular styles and formats besides APA: Chicago Manual of Style, Modern Language Association (MLA citation), and Harvard.
You can use our APA tool for free and stay confident in the safety of any information you indicate. We provide clients with all the necessary regulations that are described in our Privacy Policy with a cookie notice. We guarantee you a secure, easy, and reliable way to format your references. The citation machine on this website can cope with anything! With our APA format generator, all multiple sources of your research paper will be formatted properly, and your Works Cited section will meet the all official requirements of this style.
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Note: This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style can be found here .
Media Files: APA Sample Student Paper , APA Sample Professional Paper
This resource is enhanced by Acrobat PDF files. Download the free Acrobat Reader
Note: The APA Publication Manual, 7 th Edition specifies different formatting conventions for student and professional papers (i.e., papers written for credit in a course and papers intended for scholarly publication). These differences mostly extend to the title page and running head. Crucially, citation practices do not differ between the two styles of paper.
However, for your convenience, we have provided two versions of our APA 7 sample paper below: one in student style and one in professional style.
Note: For accessibility purposes, we have used "Track Changes" to make comments along the margins of these samples. Those authored by [AF] denote explanations of formatting and [AWC] denote directions for writing and citing in APA 7.
Apa 7 professional paper:.
Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper, citing a website in apa.
Once you’ve identified a credible website to use, create a citation and begin building your reference list. Citation Machine citing tools can help you create references for online news articles, government websites, blogs, and many other website! Keeping track of sources as you research and write can help you stay organized and ethical. If you end up not using a source, you can easily delete it from your bibliography. Ready to create a citation? Enter the website’s URL into the search box above. You’ll get a list of results, so you can identify and choose the correct source you want to cite. It’s that easy to begin!
If you’re wondering how to cite a website in APA, use the structure below.
Author Last Name, First initial. (Year, Month Date Published). Title of web page . Name of Website. URL
Example of an APA format website:
Austerlitz, S. (2015, March 3). How long can a spinoff like ‘Better Call Saul’ last? FiveThirtyEight. http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-long-can-a-spinoff-like-better-call-saul-last/
Keep in mind that not all information found on a website follows the structure above. Only use the Website format above if your online source does not fit another source category. For example, if you’re looking at a video on YouTube, refer to the ‘YouTube Video’ section. If you’re citing a newspaper article found online, refer to ‘Newspapers Found Online’ section. Again, an APA website citation is strictly for web pages that do not fit better with one of the other categories on this page.
When adding the text of a post, keep the original capitalization, spelling, hashtags, emojis (if possible), and links within the text.
Structure: Facebook user’s Last name, F. M. (Year, Monday Day of Post). Up to the first 20 words of Facebook post [Source type if attached] [Post type]. Facebook. URL
Source type examples: [Video attached], [Image attached]
Post type examples: [Status update], [Video], [Image], [Infographic]
Gomez, S. (2020, February 4). Guys, I’ve been working on this special project for two years and can officially say Rare Beauty is launching in [Video]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/Selena/videos/1340031502835436/
Life at Chegg. (2020, February 7) It breaks our heart that 50% of college students right here in Silicon Valley are hungry. That’s why Chegg has [Images attached] [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/LifeAtChegg/posts/1076718522691591
Structure: Account holder’s Last name, F. M. [Twitter Handle]. (Year, Month Day of Post). Up to the first 20 words of tweet [source type if attached] [Tweet]. Twitter. URL
Source type examples: [Video attached], [Image attached], [Poll attached]
Example: Edelman, J. [Edelman11]. (2018, April 26). Nine years ago today my life changed forever. New England took a chance on a long shot and I’ve worked [Video attached] [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/Edelman11/status/989652345922473985
APA citation format: Account holder’s Last name, F. M. [@Instagram handle]. (Year, Month Day). Up to the first 20 words of caption [Photograph(s) and/or Video(s)]. Instagram. URL
Example: Portman, N. [@natalieportman]. (2019, January 5). Many of my best experiences last year were getting to listen to and learn from so many incredible people through [Videos]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/BsRD-FBB8HI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
If this guide hasn’t helped solve all of your referencing questions, or if you’re still feeling the need to type “how to cite a website APA” into Google, then check out our APA citation generator on CitationMachine.com, which can build your references for you!
APA Citation Generator | Website | Books | Journal Articles | YouTube | Images | Movies | Interview | PDF
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Generate citations in APA style quickly and automatically with MyBib, a software tool that formats academic sources according to the official APA guidelines. Search for websites, books, journals, and more, and download your bibliography to Microsoft Word or Google Docs.
Learn how to format your paper according to APA 7th edition guidelines with this comprehensive guide. Download a free APA template, use the citation generator, and check your citations with the AI-powered citation checker.
APA Style is widely used by students, researchers, and professionals in the social and behavioral sciences. Scribbr's free citation generator automatically generates accurate references and in-text citations. This citation guide outlines the most important citation guidelines from the 7th edition APA Publication Manual (2020).
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APA Style is widely used by students, researchers, and professionals in the social and behavioral sciences. The Scribbr APA Reference Generator automatically generates accurate references and in-text citations for free. This referencing guide outlines the most important referencing guidelines from the 7th edition APA Publication Manual (2020).
Citefast automatically formats citations in APA 7th edition. Note: The default citation style is now APA 7. To use APA 6 ensure that the APA 6 button is selected. APA 7. APA 6. MLA 8. Chicago. To create a citation choose a source and enter details below. Note: APA 7th edition is now the starting choice for creating citations.
Here's more information with sample papers and tutorials. Further information acan be found in Chapter 9 of the Publication manual. How to Format Your Paper in APA: Need to create APA format papers? Follow these guidelines: In an APA style paper, the font used throughout your document should be in Times New Roman, 12 point font size.
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Do you need to cite your sources in APA format? Use Grammarly's free APA citation generator to create accurate and consistent citations in seconds. You can also learn how to cite in APA format with our comprehensive guide, which includes examples for different types of sources. Whether you are writing a research paper, a business report, or a cartoon analysis, Grammarly can help you cite your ...
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Gone are the days that students have to guess the right format or the right way to cite a certain source. Our citation generator makes it extremely easy and quick to cite your sources correctly without worrying about mistakes or incorrect formatting. Easily generate APA citations with the correct format and without hassle.
Double-space the entire list (both within and between entries). Apply a hanging indent of 0.5 in. to each entry. This means that the first line of the reference is flush left and subsequent lines are indented 0.5 in. from the left margin. An example of an APA reference page made with BibGuru's APA citation generator.
Generate APA style in-text citations and reference entries as you go and save them, so you don't miss any sources. ... The APA format citation is one of the most commonly used styles in academia and is used when citing sources within research papers. 2. An APA citation example. In-text citation example in APA: (Camus, 1942, p. 203) [1] 3.
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Basic guidelines for formatting the reference list at the end of a standard APA research paper Author/Authors Rules for handling works by a single author or multiple authors that apply to all APA-style references in your reference list, regardless of the type of work (book, article, electronic resource, etc.)
Media Files: APA Sample Student Paper , APA Sample Professional Paper This resource is enhanced by Acrobat PDF files. Download the free Acrobat Reader. Note: The APA Publication Manual, 7 th Edition specifies different formatting conventions for student and professional papers (i.e., papers written for credit in a course and papers intended for scholarly publication).
To format a paper in APA Style, writers can typically use the default settings and automatic formatting tools of their word-processing program or make only minor adjustments. The guidelines for paper format apply to both student assignments and manuscripts being submitted for publication to a journal. If you are using APA Style to create ...
PERRLA handles all the formatting. PERRLA formats your entire document for you, automatically - including page margins, text styles, paragraph spacing, headers, and section breaks. Create a paper for all your assignments: Research Papers, Discussion Posts, Reference Lists, and Annotated Bibliographies for the APA 7, MLA 9, & Turabian 9 formats.
If you're wondering how to cite a website in APA, use the structure below. Structure: Author Last Name, First initial. (Year, Month Date Published). Title of web page. Name of Website. URL. Example of an APA format website: Austerlitz, S. (2015, March 3).
APA Style provides guidelines to help writers determine the appropriate level of citation and how to avoid plagiarism and self-plagiarism. We also provide specific guidance for in-text citation, including formats for interviews, classroom and intranet sources, and personal communications; in-text citations in general; and paraphrases and direct quotations.