English
APA Format Citations
APA (American Psychological Association) is the citation style for psychology, social sciences, education, and some sciences. It has two parts: in-text citations (Author, year) and a References page at the end. APA 7th edition is the current standard.
How to Approach APA Format Citations
In-text citation
Inside the sentence, give author and year: (Smith, 2023). For direct quotes, add page number: (Smith, 2023, p. 42). If author is named in the sentence, just give the year: Smith (2023) argued...
References entry
At the end of the paper, alphabetize by author's last name. Format depends on source type. Book: Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Publisher. Journal: Author, A. A. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, volume(issue), pages.
Format the References page
Double-spaced, hanging indent on each entry. Title 'References' centered at the top. Same font as the rest of the paper (Times New Roman 12pt is standard but APA 7th allows other readable fonts).
Frequently Asked Questions
What changed in APA 7th edition?+
Major changes: up to 20 authors listed by name (was 6), no publisher location for books, DOIs presented as URLs, more inclusive bias-free language guidance. Most in-text citation rules are unchanged from 6th edition.
How do I cite a website?+
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL. If no author, use the organization. If no date, write (n.d.). For news articles, also italicize the site name.
What if I'm citing the same author multiple times?+
Use the same in-text format each time. On the References page, list once and use ordered chronologically. If same author + same year, distinguish with letters: 2023a, 2023b.
Related Topics
More step-by-step guides in English and adjacent subjects.
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