APA Citation Guide
Usually, students in the field of social sciences use the American Psychological Association (APA) style to cite their sources. APA is typically used in research papers in the discipline of economics, sociology, political science, social psychology, and social anthropology.
This blog will provide particular directions on ways of organizing and appropriately citing various types of sources in APA format — along with citation illustrations. If you wish to live up to high academic standards, avoid plagiarism, and cite your sources according to the latest APA style rules, this guide will aid you in doing that.
The following guide is based on the most recent 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.
APA Referencing Basics: Reference List
The list of all the sources one has used in a paper is called a reference list. As different citation styles such as MLA and Chicago name their lists as works cited and bibliography respectively, APA calls it a reference list. There are particular rules regarding organizing the reference list you need to follow in order to make it easier for a reader to navigate your essay and look for cited sources:
- First, the reference page should always be last in your essay. At the top of the page, place the word “references” and center it. Make it boldface. Ensure that the text on this page should have double-spacing like the rest of the essay.
- In the reference list, first appears the author’s last name followed by the first name.
- Every source on the reference page must start on a new line. In case the source occupies more than one line, all the lines following the first one must be indented one-half inch from the left.
- At all times, write each title in full, ensure to stick to punctuation and capitalizations used by the author.
- Suppose there are multiple works by the same author; they should be listed in chronological order, from the earliest to the latest.
- This new edition expects students to add the URL or DOI’s of all the sources in the reference list.
- The label “DOI” is no longer used for entries that include DOI.
- The word retrieved from should be used when adding the URL and DOI.
- The sources should be arranged in alphabetic order on the reference page according to the authors’ last names ( or the first author, if there are multiple authors for one source).
- Titles of lengthier sources, like books and journals, should be italicized.
APA Referencing Basics: In-Text Citation
Example (James & Kameron, 2014)
In case you decide to use a signal phrase, you should use “and” and only put the year of publication in parentheses:
Example :
According to James & Kameron (2014), the religious writings were based on…
Example: (Brown, Herbert, Shakespeare, & Donne, 2018)
In case you cite the authors for the second time, include the first name followed by “et al.” and the year rather than listing all of the authors:
Example: (Brown et al., 2018)
Example: (Milton et al. (2018) argue that… (Milton et al., 2018)
Example: Corporate wear the company’s brand image and professionalism (“The Benefits, 2016)
Example: The research suggests that family income also plays a role in a child’s education (James, 2015a). James’s research also suggests (2015b)…
Example: (Milton, 2015; James, 2018)
Example: According to the World Health Organization(2020), washing hands and wearing masks prevent the spread of the Corona Virus. Social distancing is another way of curbing the pandemic (WHO, 2020).
Example: Brown recommends that…(as cited in Kameron,2014, p.45)
Below is a vivid illustration of how you mention sources in the signal phrase as well as the parentheses for the first time in the paper.
Below is a vivid illustration of how you mention sources in the signal phrase as well as the parentheses for the second time in the paper.
How to Cite Different Source Types
This section will guide you on how to cite different printed and digital sources.
How to Cite a Book in APA Format
Author, A.A.(Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letters also for subtitles. Location: Publisher.
First and foremost, write the author’s last name, followed by a comma, then initial (s). In the parenthesis, put the year of publication. Afterward, the title of the book. Italicize the title, ensuring that the only capitalized letters are the first letters of the title and subtitle. Then you should include the location of where the book was published, along with the publisher, separated by a semicolon:
Citation example:
Kiyosaki, R.T (2017). Rich Dad Poor Dad[ 2 Edition]. Scottsdale, AZ; Plata Publishing.
Citation example: Housel, M. (2020). The psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, greed, and happiness [Kindle DX version]. Retrieved from Amazon.com
Citation Example: De-Puff, E.W.(n.d.). Indian Lifestyle: Traditions and myths. Retrieved from https://digital.library.sdsu.edu/indians.html
How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Format
Citation Example:
Scraton, J.(2008). The eclipse of understanding. The New Yorker Style, 21(4), 5–13.
A DOI, or Digital Object Identifier, is a tool used in the APA format rather than a URL. This is because URLs usually change, resulting in the readers not retrieving a specific online source. On the other hand, DOIs have a long-lasting link that is unique to a particular article. Therefore, the use of URLs is permitted when the DOI is unavailable.
Author, B.B., & Author, C.C.(Date of application). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume number (issue number, if available), page range. DOI: 0000000/00000000 or https://doi.org/10.000/0000
Citation example:
Miles, C.(2009). French economics: An annotated bibliography. European Journal of Marketing, 41, 1245–1283. doi: 10.1980/030906710821161
How to Reference a Newspaper in APA Format
Citation example:
Brown, K. (2010, June 23). Fields have grown to thrive. The Country Today, pp. 1A, 2A.
Author, C.C.(Year, Month Day ). Title of the article. Title of Newspaper. Retrieved from: https://www.Homeadress.com/
Example:
Harrison, G.(2012, August 2). Criminal justice newsletter. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://well.blogs.Nytimes. Com/
How to Reference a Magazine in APA Format
Citation example:
Bush, C.C.,(2020, April). Online learning in schools. Time, 135, 36–46.
Author, C.C.,& Author, D, D., (Date of publication). Title of the article. Magazine’s name, issue number, page range. doi: 000000/00000000 or https://doi.org /11.0000/0000
Laney, K.G.,( 2017, July). Cursive writing in elementary schools. Time, 143, 34–45.doi:10.1108/030935692378900
How to Cite a Movie/Film in APA Format
Producer, G.G.(producer), & Director, D.D (Director).(Date of publication). Motion picture’s title[ Motion picture]. Country of origin: Studio or distributor.
Citation example:
Washington, D., Black, T., & Wolf, D. (producers), Wolfe, G.C.(Director). (2020). Ma Rainey’s black bottom[ Motion picture]. United States: Netflix
Last Name, F.M.[Username].(Year, Month Date). Title of video [Video file]. Retrieved from URL
Citation example:
Apolon, M .[marsolon].(2011, October 9). The tape 14 [Video file]. Retrieved from : https://www.youtube.com/watch ?v=6nyGC848/
How to Cite a T.V./Radio Broadcast in APA Format
Writer, W.W.(Writer), & Director, D.D.(Director). (Date of publication). Title of episode[ Television series episode]. In P.Producer (Producer), Series title. City, state of origin: Studio or distributor.
Citation example:
Dick, L(Writer), & Yaitanes, G.(Director).(2009). Simple explanation[Television series episode]. In P. Attanasio(Executive producer), House, M.D.Los Angeles, CA: Fox Broadcasting.
How to Cite a Website in APA Format
Author, C.C. & Author, D.D.( Date of publication). Title page [format description when necessary]. Retrieved from https://www.someaddress.com/full/url/.
Citation example:
Eco, U.(2015). How to write a thesis [PDF file]. (Farina C.M. & Farina F., Trans.)
Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/How -to-write-a-thesis/…/Umberto +Eco-How+to+Write/
Citation example: Spotlight Resources. (n.d). Retrieved from: https://www.researchgate.net/about/information/spotlight-resources.html/
Originally published at https://www.verifiedessay.com on June 14, 2021.
