How to Cite Papers in APA Format

Paper citation is essential to ensuring that referenced work receives proper credit and that you are not accused of plagiarism. The American Psychological Association (APA) has a citation guide used for many papers but especially in the social sciences fields, such as sociology, psychology and communications. The APA has specific rules not only for citation but also for other formatting requirements, such as page margins, page numbers, headings and title pages. Citing papers can be challenging, so plan enough time to ensure that you have all the correct details before submitting a paper.

Things You'll Need

  • Paper
  • Reference sources
  • APA style guide
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Instructions

    • 1

      Know the source type. Citation style differs depending on whether the source is a book, journal, magazine, newspaper, online article or other publication.

    • 2

      Determine the author, publication date, publication source and page numbers. Most sources require at least this basic information.

    • 3

      Include in-text citations. When quoting an exact phrase or paraphrasing information from another source, begin by introducing the author. In parentheses at the end of the sentence, include the year of the publication followed by the page number or range on which you found the information.

    • 4

      Create a References page. The References page should contain the full citation information for all in-text citations in the paper.

    • 5

      Alphabetize the entries on the References page by the author's last name and create a hanging indent if the entry is longer than one line. Double-space the entire References page.

    • 6

      Generally, for full citations, follow the form of author's last name, author's first initial, date of publication in parentheses, name of the chapter or article, name of the book or journal in italics and page numbers, ending with a period. Punctuation is important in APA citation, so following a guide will ensure that all your punctuation is correct.

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