APA In-Text Citations

In-Text Citations and Plagiarism

When writing college essays and research papers, it's essential to use information from other people's work, either through paraphrasing or direct quoting.

In-text citations differentiate between your original thoughts and someone else's ideas. Failing to give credit to the original source constitutes plagiarism.

Plagiarism is defined as using someone else's ideas and presenting them as your own.

Consequences of plagiarism, intentional or not, include:

  • Missed points

  • Failing grades

  • In extreme cases, failing the course

What is an In-Text Citation?

An in-text citation is a shortened citation that refers the reader to the complete citation in the reference list at the end of your paper. From there, the reader can retrieve the source.

All in-text citations under APA follow the author-date format, including the author's last name and year of publication.

If citing a specific part of a source, include a source locator. This is not necessary for paraphrasing unless it significantly helps the reader locate the source. However, source locators are mandatory for direct quotes.

Source Locators

Examples of source locators for different types of sources:

  • Books: Page number

  • Videos/Audiobooks: Timestamp

  • PowerPoint Presentations: Slide number

  • Webpages (no clear locators): Paragraph number or the heading of the section

Formatting In-Text Citations

There are two main types of in-text citations:

  • Parenthetical

  • Narrative

Parenthetical vs. Narrative Citations

Both types include the author's last name and the year of publication, but they differ in formatting.

Parenthetical Citations

Parenthetical citations enclose the author's last name and year of publication in parentheses, separated by a comma and a space. They are commonly located at the end of the sentence but can be placed in the middle for logical flow.

Example:

(Author, Year)
(Author, Year, p. X)
(Author, Year, pp. X-Y)
Narrative Citations

Narrative citations incorporate the author's name into the sentence, providing a more natural flow. The year is placed directly after the author's name in parentheses.

Example:

Author (Year)....
Author (Year, p. X)....

The author's name can be placed anywhere within the text of the sentence.

Different Scenario Examples

Two Authors (Parenthetical)

Use an ampersand (&) to separate the last names within the parentheses.

Example:

(Author1 & Author2, Year)

Two Authors (Narrative)

Spell out "and" instead of using the ampersand symbol.

Example:

Author1 and Author2 (Year)....

More Than Three Authors

Use the first author's last name followed by "et al." (meaning "and others"). Always include the period after "et" and "al".

Example:

(Author et al., Year)

Author et al. (Year)....

Group Author (Organization)

Write out the full organization name. If the organization can be abbreviated, include the abbreviation in brackets after the full name for the first citation. Subsequent citations can use the abbreviation.

Example:

(World Health Organization [WHO], Year)
(WHO, Year) - subsequent use

Unknown Author

Use a shortened title in the name element instead of the author's name. If the title is italicized in the reference list, it should also be italicized in the in-text citation. If not italicized, use double quotations around the title.

Example:

(Shortened Title, Year)

Missing Date

Use "n.d." (no date) in place of the year.

Example:

(Author, n.d.)

Citing Multiple Studies

Cite multiple studies at once by separating each citation with a semicolon within the parentheses. In narrative citations, use commas to separate the citations.

Example:

(Author1, Year; Author2, Year; Author3, Year)
Author1 (Year), Author2 (Year), and Author3 (Year)....

Sources with the Same In-Text Citation

If two sources have the same author and year, differentiate them with lowercase letters after the year (e.g., a, b).

Example:

(Author, Yeara)
(Author, Yearb)

Direct Quotes and Block Quotes

Direct Quotes

Direct quotes are quotes of fewer than 40 words. It's recommended to use them sparingly, if at all, as instructors prefer paraphrasing and original thinking.

Use direct quotes only if:

  • They solidify the point exceptionally well

  • There is no better way to convey the original author's message

Enclose direct quotes in double quotation marks. Include the author's last name, year of publication, and a source locator (e.g., page number, timestamp).

Example (Parenthetical):

"Quote." (Author, Year, p. X)

Example (Narrative):

Author (Year) stated, "Quote" (p. X).

Block Quotes

Block quotes are for direct quotes of 40 or more words. Use the word count feature in Google Docs or Microsoft Word to verify the length.

To format a block quote:

  1. Start the quote on a new line.

  2. Indent the entire quote one-half inch from the left margin.

  3. Maintain double-spacing.

Do not use double quotation marks. The indentation indicates that it is a quote.

Include the in-text citation after the closing punctuation. The citation elements are NOT included in the block text portion.

Example (Parenthetical):

[Block Quote Text]
(Author, Year, p. X).

Example (Narrative):

Author (Year) stated:
[Block Quote Text]
(p. X).