APA In Text Citations
APA In Text Citations
What are APA In-Text Citations?
APA in-text citations briefly identify the author and publication date of each source used in a paper. Every direct quotation or paraphrase of another author’s words, facts, or ideas in a paper should include an in-text citation. All in-text citations must correspond to a source’s information on the References page.
APA In-Text Citation Format
In APA, in-text citations can be either parenthetical or narrative.
- General Guidelines for Narrative Citations:
- Include the author’s name in the running text immediately followed by the date in parentheses.
- Enclose the page number or other location information in parentheses at the end of the quotation or paraphrase.
- In the rare event that the date is also a part of the narrative text, do not include it again in parentheses.
- Write the signal verb of narrative citations in the past tense (e.g., observed, noted, explained).
- General Guidelines for Parenthetical Citations:
- Include the author and date, separated by a comma and enclosed within a set of parentheses, at the end of a quote of paraphrase.
- EThe in-text citation comes before the punctuation mark that ends the sentence, clause, or phrase that contains the cited material.
- General Guidelines for Citing a Specific Part of a Source:
- In addition to the author’s name and date, include the pages, paragraphs, or sections where the information is found.
Note: Individual instructor’s specifications may vary, so check with your instructor before formatting and submitting your work.
Page last updated June 20, 2023.