Skip to Main Content
btc

BTC Library

Citation Help

A guide on citation styles and formatting

APA Style Introduction

APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used within the social sciences. This guide is for the 7th edition and includes

  • How to cite sources in your reference page
  • How to format an in-text citations when you include a direct quotation, paraphrase or summarize someone else's work within the body of your paper
  • How to format your entire paper in APA style: margins, line spacing, page numbers, title page, headers and reference page guidelines

APA General Format and End of Text References

General formatting requirements for paper and reference page. Read more about general formatting on APA Style website and be sure to check the exact requirements for your assignment. 

  • Double-space, 1" margins on all sides, APA  allows multiple fonts such as 11 point size Arial and 12 point size Times New Roman. You can find all font recommendations here. 
  • Include a title page with: the title of the paper, your name, your course number and name, instructor, due date and the institutional affiliation (Blackhawk Technical College). 
  • Insert page numbers, student papers do not have to include what is referred to as a "running head" (the title of your paper appearing on every page) unless requested by your instructor:
  • Include a reference page at the end of your paper with the heading "References" that gives complete list of sources used in alphabetical order by author's last name. The reference page should also be double spaced. 
  • Cite each source in APA format on the reference page as well as in the text of your paper

In APA Citation, you must have a reference page at the end of your paper that gives complete information in alphabetical order by author's last name for every source you used within your paper.  Below is the format for the citations included in your reference page for Journal Articles.

To cite a journal article on your reference page, include the following elements: 

  • Author/s
  • Year it was published 
  • Title of the article
  • Name of the Journal in italic case
  • Volume, Issue and Page Numbers
  • DOI (Digital Object Identifier, usually appears as a link)

Organize and style these elements using APA guidelines (with a hanging indent) so that readers may access the sources used. 

Template for Journal Article Citation for the Reference Page

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Capital after colon. Title of Journal, Volume (Issue), Page Numbers. DOI

Example of Journal Article Citation 

Delhy, R., Dor, A., & Pittman, P. (2021). The Impact of Nursing Staff on Satisfaction Scores for U.S. Hospitals: A Production Function Approach. Medical Care Research & Review, 78(6), 672–683. https://doi-org/10.1177/1077558720950572

In APA Citation, you must have a reference page at the end of your paper that gives complete information in alphabetical order by author's last name for every source you used within your paper except for personal communication (an interview). Below is the format for the citations included in your reference page for books and eBooks:

To cite a book or eBook on your reference page, include the following elements: 

  • Author/s. If Edited, include editor/s name/s after the authors. Use the abbreviation “(Ed.)” for one editor and the abbreviation “(Eds.)” for multiple editors after the editor names, followed by a period
  • Year it was published 
  • Title and edition if included
  • Publisher name
  • DOI (Digital Object Identifier, usually appears as a link) if included

Organize and style these elements using APA guidelines (with a hanging indent) so that readers may access the sources used.

Template for a Book Citation on a Reference Page

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle and Edition Number. Publisher Name. DOI (if available)

Example of a edited Book Citation on a Reference Page 

Anderson, W. W., Lee, R., & Lee, R. G. (Eds.). (2005). Displacements and Diasporas: Asians in the Americas. Rutgers University Press.

In APA Citation, individual webpages and documents hosted online are cited similarly to print content. Note, however, that the URL is typically included at the end of the entry. The URL may not last, so it is important to include complete information about your source just as you would for print sources so that readers can find your source information.

To cite a webpage such as an online news article on your reference page, include the following elements: 

  • Author, when individual author(s) are credited on the webpage, for a page from an organization’s website without individual authors, use the name of the organization as the author.
  • Date it was published if possible
  • Title of the webpage or news story in italic case
  • Name of the website or organization that published the content
  • URL 

Organize and style these elements using APA guidelines (with a hanging indent) so that readers may access the sources used. 

Template for a Webpage Citation on a Reference Page

Author Last Name, A. & Author Last Name, B. (Date of publication: Year, Month Date). Title of webpage. Website Title.  https://www.someaddress.com/full/url/

Example of News Article found on Webpage

Mercado, M. (2021, Aug 04). Land access a barrier for refugee farmers in the metro: A 2017 survey of young farmers across the U.S. found land access to be the number one challenge for farmers and ranchers. Des Moines Register. https://btclibraryproxy.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/land-access-barrier-refugee-farmers-metro/docview/2557686601/se-2?accountid=9126

See color coded examples of citation. 

APA In-Text Citations

Citation information appears both in the body of your paper and on your reference page. Any time a source is directly quoted, paraphrased or summarized, briefly cite the source within the paragraph so that readers can find the full reference list entry at the end of your paper. Cite only works that you have read and ideas that you have incorporated into your writing. The works you cite can help you establish background information, support your arguments, dispute your arguments, or offer critical definitions and data.

Direct Quote 

When you quote, you are including the exact text from a previously published work. You will need to:

  • Put quote marks around the copied text
  • Include the author's last name, year of publication, and page number of the quote.
  • If there are 3 or more authors, use the abbreviation et al. (Latin for “and others”), so the in-text citation will look like: (Cenoz et al., 2003 p. 71)

Make sure to check the requirements of your assignment, your instructor may limit the number of direct quotes you use in your paper. Be purposeful with how you used quotes by including them when:

  • Reproducing an exact definition 
  • An author has said something memorably or succinctly
  • To respond to exact the wording (e.g., something someone said).
Example

"Third language acquisition refers to the acquisition of a non-native language by learners who have previously acquired or are acquiring two other languages" (Cenoz, 2003, p. 71).

Include the full citation on your reference page at the end of the paper, it will match the in-text citation first author name and year:

Cenoz, J. (2003). The additive effect of bilingualism on third language acquisition: a review *. International Journal of Bilingualism.

7(1), 71+. https://link-gale-com.btclibraryproxy.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A106585392/AONE?u=jane19464&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=584a9d79

Paraphrasing/Summarizing

Include the last name of the author and the year of publication. If there are 3 or more authors, use the abbreviation et al. (Latin for “and others”). 

Narrative Example: Information shared on social media platforms causes emotional responses which in turn promotes their further use. (Zompetti et al., 2022). 

Include the full citation on your reference page at the end of the paper:

Zompetti, J. P., Severino, M., & Delorto, H. (2022). The Rhetorical Implications of Social Media Misinformation: Platform Algorithms During a

Global Pandemic. The Journal of Social Media in Society, 11(2), 296+. https://link-gale-com.btclibraryproxy.idm.oclc.org/apps/doc/A735499283/AONE?u=jane19464&sid=bookmark-AONE&xid=fe816f35

In-Text Citation Formats/Styles: Parenthetical and Narrative

APA offers options for how you write In-text citations. There are two formats: parenthetical and narrative.

  • In parenthetical citations, the author name and publication date appear in parentheses. Example: Falsely balanced news coverage can distort the public’s perception of expert consensus on an issue (Koehler, 2016).
  • In narrative citations, the author name is incorporated into the text as part of the sentence and the year follows in parentheses. Example: Koehler (2016) noted the dangers of falsely balanced news coverage.

 

APA 7th Edition Tutorial

APA Resources

When to Cite

Cite sources to document all facts that you mention that are not common knowledge.

Cite when you are directly quoting 

If you are stating word-for-word what someone else has already written, you must put quotes around those words and give credit to the original author. 

Cite when you are summarizing and paraphrasing

Summarizing and paraphrasing are two related practices but they are not the same.

  • Summarizing is when you read a text, consider the main points, and provide a shorter version of what you learned 
  • Paraphrasing is when you restate what the original author said in your own words, adapting it to your style and the context of your topic