APA in-text citation

This page describes the correct format for in-text citations in APA:

• Basic format
• Quotations and block quotations
• Page numbers
• Reference within a source (secondary source)
• Title in author position
• Multiple sources within the same brackets
• Personal communications

New to referencing? See the introduction to referencing.

When you have used a source in an assignment it is necessary to credit the source for the reader. See why reference for the reasons why this is important.

This credit appears in two places: within the body of the assignment (the in-text citation) and at the end of the assignment (in the reference list). For every in-text citation there should be a matching entry in the reference list, and vice versa.

the in-text citation contains basic information about the source:

• The source's author(s)
• The year of publication
• The page number (sometimes)

The reference list contains more detailed information about the source: the title, publishing details, etc.

An in-text citation looks like this:

Note that the full stop only comes after the closing bracket, and that only the surname (family name) of the author is used.

The author's name can also be incorporated into a sentence in the assignment, in which case it is moved outside the brackets:

An in-text citation is needed whenever you have used information, ideas, concepts, or facts from another source. If you have paraphrased, summarised or quoted another author, you need to provide an in-text citation.

Sometimes a source will have more than one author, no author, or no year of publication. See referencing elements for what to do in these situations.

In some rare cases there will be two different sources with the same author and year of publication. In these cases, a lower-case letter is attached to the year to distinguish them. See same year, same author for details.

Important: the name that appears first in the in-text citation should match the name that appears first in the reference list, so that a reader can easily identify which reference list entries correspond to each in-text citation.

Direct quotations are usually put inside quotation marks (“ ”), followed by the reference:

If a quotation is longer than 40 words, no quotation marks are used, and the quotation is indented instead:

Quotations should be identical to the original source, but some small changes can be made. See quoting for details.

Whenever a source has been quoted word-for-word, a page number must be provided:

The abbreviation ‘p.’ (not ‘pg.’ or ‘page’) is used here. If you cannot find a page number, see no page numbers.

If you have only paraphrased or summarised a source, a page number is not compulsory under APA style. However, it is recommended:

When paraphrasing or referring to an idea contained in another work, authors are not required to provide a location reference (e.g., a page or paragraph number). Nevertheless, authors are encouraged to do so, especially when it would help an interested reader locate the relevant passage in a long or complex text. (APA, 2001, p. 121)

Many lecturers prefer you to provide a page number in every in-text citation. If unsure, ask your course coordinator for clarification.

Many academic books and journal articles quote earlier books or articles on the same topic. If you cannot access the original source (it is out of print, or unavailable through the library), you can cite the secondary source instead:

In this example, the quoted source (the original source) is Chi, Pirolli, and Pitkow (2000). The quoting source (the secondary source) is Lazar (2006). The original source is mentioned first, followed by ‘as cited in’ and then the secondary source.

Because you have not viewed the original source (Chi, Pirolli, & Pitkow, 2000), it only appears in the in-text citation, not in the reference list. The secondary source (Lazar, 2006) should be listed in the reference list, according to the normal format for that type of source.

If an entire article or chapter has been reproduced exactly in another source (photocopied, for example), you can cite the original source and disregard the secondary source. See Massey University books of readings for details.

In some sources no individual or group author is listed. This is often true for magazine / newspaper articles and encyclopædia entries. In these situations, a shortened version of the source's title (usually the first two or three words) is used instead of the author in the in-text citation:

See referencing elements for details.

If you want to include several different citations in one set of brackets, they should be in alphabetical order, separated by a semi-colon:

If there are several citations from one set of authors, the author(s) is listed, then each different year of publication, separated by a comma:

These two styles can be combined:

Personal communications describe any kind of source that is not ‘archived’. This includes e-mails, conversations, interviews, lectures, and so forth. Readers cannot access these sources, so they should not be included in the reference list. instead, they are listed as a special type of in-text citation only:

The first initial(s) and surname of the source are given, followed by the words ‘personal communication’ and the date of contact.

As with any other in-text citation, the name can be moved out of the brackets and into a sentence:

Remember that printed and verified sources are usually more reliable than personal communications; see evaluating source quality for details.

References and further reading

Disclaimer

These pages are provided as a guide to proper referencing. Your course, department, school, or institute may prescribe specific conventions, and their recommendations supersede these instructions. If you have questions not covered here, check in the style guides listed above, ask your course coordinator, or make an academic support request.

Page authorised by Director, SLDS
Last updated on 23 November, 2009