How do you cite sources in APA format?

Definition: Citing Sources in APA Format

APA (American Psychological Association) format is a standardized method for citing sources in academic writing, commonly used in the social sciences. Citations in APA include in-text citations and a corresponding reference list entry. The goal is to give credit to original authors and allow readers to locate the sources.

Basic In-Text Citation:

• For a paraphrase: (Author, Year)
• For a direct quote: (Author, Year, p. Page Number)

Reference List Entry (Book Example):

• Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Publisher.

Worked Example

Suppose you are citing the following book:

• Author: John Smith
• Title: Psychology Basics
• Year: 2020
• Publisher: Academic Press

1. In-Text Citation

If you paraphrase:

Smith (2020) explains the fundamentals of psychology.

Or:

The fundamentals of psychology are essential (Smith, 2020).

2. Reference List Entry

Smith, J. (2020). Psychology basics. Academic Press.

3. Direct Quote Example

Suppose you quote from page 45:

"Psychology is the scientific study of behavior and mental processes" (Smith, 2020, p. 45).

Takeaways

• APA citations require both in-text citations and a detailed reference list.
• In-text citations include the author's last name and year; direct quotes also include the page number.
• Reference list entries follow a specific structure: Author, Year, Title (italicized), and Publisher.