(APA, 2020)
Most University of North Alabama students completed the program within 2 years (2018)
(University of North Alabama, 2018)
Ice cream is highly correlated with happiness according to studies by A. Kramer and B. Kramer (2005)
(A. Kramer & B. Kramer, 2005)
Cane later duplicated these results in another study (2013)
(Cane, 2013)
Cane successfully duplicated these results (2012a)
(Cane, 2012a)
(Cane, 2012b)
(Cox, 1989; McGee 2011; Shaffer et al., 2019)
Once again, if grammar isn’t your thing, and you’re looking for help related to specific parts of speech, check out our adjective , pronoun , and determiner pages, among many, many others!
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American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.) https:doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000
Published May 21, 2019. Updated October 25, 2020.
Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Elise Barbeau . Michele Kirschenbaum is a school library media specialist and one of the in-house EasyBib librarians. Elise Barbeau is the Citation Specialist at Chegg. She has worked in digital marketing, libraries, and publishing.
APA Formatting
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An in-text citation is a shortened version of the source being referred to in the paper. As the name implies, it appears in the text of the paper. A reference list entry, on the other hand, details the complete information of the source being cited and is listed at the end of the paper after the main text. An example of an in-text citation and the corresponding reference list entry for a journal article with one author is listed below for your understanding:
In-text citation template and example:
Only the author name and the publication year are used in in-text citations to direct the reader to the corresponding reference list entry.
Author Surname (Publication Year)
Elden (2003)
Parenthetical
(Author Surname, Publication Year)
(Elden, 2003)
Reference list entry template and example:
Complete information of the reference is used to guide the reader to locate the source for further reference. In the below template, “F” and “M” are first and middle initials, respectively. #–# denotes the page range.
Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Title of the article: Subtitle. Journal Title, Volume (Issue), #–#. DOI
Elden, S. (2003). Plague, panopticon, police. Surveillance & Society, 1 (3), 240–253. https://doi:10.24908/ss.v1i3.3339
When you use APA style, all sources need to have in-text citations. In-text citations direct a reader to the reference entry to get more information on the source being cited in the text. If an in-text citation is not provided, your reader doesn’t know whether there is a source available in the reference list for the idea or topic being discussed in the text. Even if all the basic elements to cite a source are not available, try to provide an in-text citation with the information you do have. For example, if a source does not have an author, use a shortened version of the title in place of the author in your in-text citation. An example is given below for a parenthetical citation.
Author name available:
(Author Surname, Publication Year, p.# for direct quote)
Author name not available:
(“Title of the Work,” Publication Year, p.# for direct quote)
Therefore, in-text citations are essential to guide a reader to locate the corresponding sources in the reference list for the topics discussed in the text.
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When you quote another writer's words, it's best to introduce or contextualize the quote.
To introduce a quote in an essay, don't forget to include author's last name and page number (MLA) or author, date, and page number (APA) in your citation. Shown below are some possible ways to introduce quotations. The examples use MLA format.
Note that in the second example below, a slash with a space on either side ( / ) marks a line break in the original poem.
Note that the first letter after the quotation marks should be upper case. According to MLA guidelines, if you change the case of a letter from the original, you must indicate this with brackets. APA format doesn't require brackets.
Avoid using says unless the words were originally spoken aloud, for instance, during an interview.
The first letter of the quotation should be lower case.
Enhance your academic writing skills by exploring our additional writing resources that will help you craft compelling essays, research papers, and more.
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Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."
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Apa essay format basics.
If your instructor has asked you to write an APA format essay, it might at first seem like a daunting task, especially if you are accustomed to using another style such as MLA or Chicago. But you can master the rules of APA essay format, too.
An essay is one type of paper that can be written in APA format; others include lab reports, experimental reports, and case studies. Before you begin, familiarize yourself with some of the basic guidelines for writing a paper in APA format. Of course, it will also be important to follow any other formatting instructions that are part of your assignment.
How do you write an essay in APA format? The basic elements you need to include are:
This article discusses how to write an essay in APA format, including the basic steps you should follow and tips for how to get started.
Whether you’re taking an introductory or graduate-level psychology class, chances are strong that you will have to write at least one paper during the course of the semester. In almost every case, you will need to write your paper in APA format, the official publication style of the American Psychological Association . It is also used for academic journals.
Such rules are generally the same whether you are writing a high school essay, college essay, or professional essay for publication.
APA format is used in a range of disciplines including psychology , education, and other social sciences. The format dictates presentation elements of your paper including spacing, margins, and how the content is structured.
Most instructors and publication editors have strict guidelines when it comes to how your format your writing. Not only does adhering to APA format allow readers to know what to expect from your paper, but it also means that your work will not lose critical points over minor formatting errors.
While the formatting requirements for your paper might vary depending on your instructor's directions, writing APA essay format means you will most likely need to include a title page, abstract, introduction, body, conclusion, and reference sections.
Your APA format essay should have a title page . This title page should include the title of your paper, your name, and your school affiliation. In some instances, your teacher might require additional information such as the course title, instructor name, and the date.
An abstract is a brief summary of your paper that immediately follows the title page. It is not required for student papers, according to APA style. However, your instructor may request one.
If you include an abstract , it should be no more than 100 to 200 words, although this may vary depending upon the instructor requirements.
Your essay should also include a reference list with all of the sources that were cited in your essay,
When writing in APA essay format, the text will include the actual essay itself: The introduction, body, and conclusion.
For professional papers (usually not student papers), every page of the essay also includes a running head at the top left. The running head is a shortened form of the title, often the first few words, and should be no more than 50 characters (including spaces).
In addition to ensuring that you cite your sources properly and present information according to the rules of APA style, there are a number of things you can do to make the writing process a little bit easier.
Start by choosing a good topic to write about. Ideally, you want to select a subject that is specific enough to let you fully research and explore the topic, but not so specific that you have a hard time finding sources of information.
If you choose something too specific, you may find yourself with not enough to write about. If you choose something too general, you might find yourself overwhelmed with information.
Start doing research as early as possible. Begin by looking at some basic books and articles on your topic to help develop it further. What is the question you are going to answer with your essay? What approach will you take to the topic?
Once you are more familiar with the subject, create a preliminary source list of potential books, articles, essays, and studies that you may end up using in your essay.
Remember, any source used in your essay must be included in your reference section. Conversely, any source listed in your references must be cited somewhere in the body of your paper.
With research in hand, you are ready to begin. Some people like to create an outline to organize their argument prior to drafting. You may want to start with a very rough outline, and then add details.
Once you have a detailed outline, the next step is to translate it from notes to complete sentences and paragraphs. Remember, this is a first draft. It doesn't have to be perfect.
As you write your paper in APA essay format, be sure to keep careful track of the sources that you cite.
How do you start an APA paper? Your paper should begin with an introduction that includes a thesis statement that presents your main ideas, points, or arguments. Your introduction should start on the third page of your paper (after the title page and abstract). The title of your paper should be centered, bolded, and typed in title case at the top of the page.
After you have prepared a rough draft of your essay, it's time to revise, review, and prepare your final draft. In addition to making sure that your writing is cohesive and supported by your sources, you should also check carefully for typos, grammar errors, and possible formatting mistakes.
When citing information or quotations taken from an interview, APA format requires that you cite the source, how the information was collected, and the date of the interview. They should not be included in the reference section, however, because they are not something that can be located by a reader in any published source or searchable database.
Instead, the information should be cited parenthetically in the main body of the text. For example: “There was an increase in the number of college students who screened positive for depression/anxiety” (R. Heathfield, personal communication, May 9, 2021).
If the essay is in a chapter of a book, edited collection, or anthology, APA format states that you should cite the last name, first name, title of essay, title of collection, publisher, year, and page range. For example: Smith, John, "The Light House," A Book of Poems , editing by Peter Roberts, Allworth Press, 2005, pp. 20-25.
According to APA format, a two-part essay is formatted the same as an essay, however, you'll need to create two title pages.
If you're including a short direct quote in your APA-format essay, you will need to cite the author, year of publication, and page number (p.) or page number span (pp.). Quotations longer than 40 words should omit the quotation marks and be put in the text using block quotation formatting, on its own line and indented 1/2 inch from the left margin.
The cover page or "title page" in APA essay format should always include the title of your paper, your name, and school affiliation as well as the course title, instructor name, and date, if requested by your teacher.
Nagda S. How to write a scientific abstract. J Indian Prosthodont Soc. 2013;13(3):382-383. doi:10.1007/s13191-013-0299-x
American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). Washington DC: The American Psychological Association; 2019.
By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."
Sometimes an author of a book, article or website will mention another person’s work by using a quotation or paraphrased idea from that source. ( This may be called a secondary source.) For example, the Kirkey article you are reading includes a quotation by Smith that you would like to include in your essay.
Examples of in-text citations:
According to a study by Smith (as cited in Kirkey, 2013) 42% of doctors would refuse to perform legal euthanasia.
Smith (as cited in Kirkey, 2013) states that “even if euthanasia was legal, 42% of doctors would be against this method of assisted dying” (p. 34).
Example of Reference list citation:
Kirkey, S. (2013, Feb 9). Euthanasia. The Montreal Gazette , p A10. Retrieved from Canadian Newsstand Major Dailies database.
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First, you should find the original source of the quotation, did it come from a book, article, speech, poem, essay? Ideally, you would want to use the citation from the original work. For example, "I don't understand it, and I don't like what I don't understand." This is from the book Charlotte's Web . It is a known by some people, but it isn't really famous and therefore would not be considered common knowledge. So this quote would need to be cited. You would cite the author, year, and page number in your paper as an in-text citation and then do a regular book citation for your References page.
Sometimes, quotes are so often used that they are considered "common knowledge." For example, "Nothing to fear, but fear itself." This phrase comes from the 1933 inaugural address of Franklin D. Roosevelt . Many people know this quote, even if they cannot remember who said it. This would qualify as "common knowledge". Things that are common knowledge do not have to be referenced on your Reference page. For more information on what is or is not considered common knowledge, see the article from Prudue's OWL Is it plagiarism yet?
If you can't find the original citation information, then cite the document where you read the quote. For example, if you found a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson in a book of famous quotes, you would cite the book of famous quotes.
Remember that citations give the reader enough information to find your sources.
For additional help with citations and writing style, see the AU Academic Support Center guide to citations or make an appointment with a writing tutor.
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Using a consistent format enables your readers to focus on your content, instead of the presentation of your paper.
APA formatted student essays typically contain the following elements in the order listed:
Title Page | A separate page containing a page number (in the top right), the title of the essay (centered and in bold), the author's name (two lines down and centered), the name of the university, the class number and class title, the instructor's name, and the assignment's due date. |
Body | The content of the essay. Margins are 1" on every side, the font is consistent and legible, the text is double spaced, and headings are used to separate sections. In-text citations are used and have matching citations on the reference page. |
References Page | A page containing references for all sources used in the paper. References are double-spaced and use hanging indents. |
Individual instructors may require other elements not listed above, such as an abstract, table of contents, tables, or appendices. If you are unsure of which elements to include in your essay, read your assignment's guidelines or ask your instructor.
Below are several templates to help get you started, including a basic template and a sample paper with more detailed instructions.
For more detailed information on how to format your title page, see this guide from APA . You can also use a template from above.
For more detailed information on formatting headings, see this guide from APA .
For more detailed information on formatting reference lists, see this guide from APA .
Always use the specifications determined by your instructor in addition to these guidelines.
Title Page | A separate page containing a page number (in the top right), the title of the essay (centered and in bold), the author's name (two lines down and centered), the name of the university, the class number and title, the instructor's name, and the assignment's due date. |
Body | The content of the essay. Margins are 1" on every side, the font is consistent and legible, the text is double spaced, and headings are used to separate sections. In-text citations are used and have matching citations on the reference page. |
References Page | A page containing references for all sources used in the paper. References are double-spaced and use hanging indents. |
Note : Individual instructors may require other elements not listed above, such as an abstract, table of contents, tables, or appendices. If you are unsure of which elements to include in your essay, read your assignment's guidelines or ask your instructor.
APA formatted manuscripts that are submitted for publication should include the following elements in the order listed:
Title Page (Required) | Separate page containing the title of the essay, the author's name, the name of the university or institution where the author worked or studied when the work was conducted, and an author note (which provides additional information about the authors). An abbreviated version of the essay's title should also be included in the header of every page, including the title page. |
Abstract (Required) | A summary of your essay that is no more than 250 words. If you choose to include keywords, you would list them after your abstract. |
Body (Required) | The content of the essay. APA provides guidelines for formatting section headings, writing style, in-text citations and all other aspects of integrating sources into the body of your essay. |
References Page (Required) | A page containing bibliographic citations for all sources used in the essay. |
Footnotes (Optional) | Footnotes may be placed in the footer of the page where they are first referenced, or they can be placed in consecutive order on a separate page following References. |
Tables and Figures (Optional) | Visual representations of data and images. Tables and figures may be inserted directly in the body of the essay when they are mentioned. If not, create a separate section for each at the end of the essay. |
Appendices (Optional) | Appendices might contain datasets, interview questions, simulation scripts, or any other element that is relevant to the essay, but not necessary to include directly in the body of the text. |
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Film or Video
Streaming video from a subscription media website (netflix, amazon prime, hulu, etc.), streaming video from a library database, television series episode.
Note: All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.
A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.
This Microsoft support page contains instructions about how to format a hanging indent in a paper.
Who to Credit - Film or Video
The director should be credited as the author of a film. If the director is unknown, someone in a similar role, such as a producer and/or writer, can be credited. To clarify what role the person has in the production, their job title such as Director is put after their name in round brackets if the job title is known.
Who to Credit - Streaming Video from a Website
For videos from websites such as YouTube or Vimeo, credit the person who posted the content. If a real name is provided, use that followed by the person's user name in square brackets. If the real name of the person who posted the content is not known, just use their user name without brackets.
Note : It is not necessary to specify how you watched a film or video (e.g. motion picture, DVD, streaming online).
Books, Journals, Reports, Webpages, etc.: When you refer to titles of a “stand-alone work,” as the APA calls them on their APA Style website, such as books, journals, reports, and webpages, you should italicize them. Capitalize words as you would for an article title in a reference, e.g., In the book Crying in H Mart: A memoir , author Michelle Zauner (2021) describes her biracial origin and its impact on her identity.
Article or Chapter: When you refer to the title of a part of a work, such as an article or a chapter, put quotation marks around the title and capitalize it as you would for a journal title in a reference, e.g., In the chapter “Where’s the Wine,” Zauner (2021) describes how she decided to become a musician.
The APA Sample Paper below has more information about formatting your paper.
When the Director, Producer and/or Writer is known:
Director/Producer/Writer's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Job Title). (Year film was produced). Title of film: Subtitle if any [Film]. Production Company.
Note: If not produced in the United States, list the city name and the country.
Hallam, J. (Producer, Writer), & Lam, K. (Producer, Director). (2010). Staff relations in healthcare: Working as a team [Film]. Insight Media.
In-Text Paraphrase:
(Producer/Director/Writer's Last Name, Year)
Example: (Hallam & Lam, 2010)
Note: This example has two people to credit, so both last names are given)
In-Text Quote:
(Producer/Director/Writer's Last Name, Year, Timestamp)
Example: (Hallam & Lam, 2010, 2:30)
Note: Because the timestamp serves the same purpose in a video as page numbers, paragraph numbers or section headings, you include it in the in-text citation. Include only the beginning timestamp.
When the Director, Producer and/or Writer is not known: Start the citation with the film title.
Title of film: Subtitle if any [Film]. (Year film was produced). Production Company if Known.
Era of viruses [Film]. (2006). Films for the Humanities and Sciences.
( Title of Film , Year)
Example: ( Era of Viruses , 2006)
Note: Italicize the title of the film and capitalize the words for the in-text citation.
( Title of Film , Year, Timestamp)
Example: ( Era of Viruses , 2006, 40:00)
When the Poster's Name is known:
Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. of person who posted the video if known. [User name that posted the video]. (Year video was posted, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. Website Name. URL
Note: According to APA, for citing purposes the person who posted the video is credited as the author.
Nye, B. [TheRealBillNye]. (2009, April 8). Bill Nye the science guy on energy [Video]. YouTube. http://youtu.be/0ASLLiuejAo
(Creator's Last Name, Year)
Example: (Nye, 2009)
(Creator's Last Name, Year, timestamp)
Example: (Nye, 2009, 0:55)
When the Poster's Name is not known:
User name that posted the video. (Year video was posted, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. Website Name. URL
All Aces Media. (2012, January 19). Often awesome the series [Video]. Vimeo. http://vimeo.com/35311255
(User name, Year)
Example: (All Aces Media, 2012)
Example: (All Aces Media, 2012, timestamp)
Producer's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Producer). (Year of Publication). Title of Video [Video]. Website Name. URL
Note: When you have one producer (Producer) is used after the producer's name. If you have more than one producer use (Producers) instead.
Allen, T., et. al. (Producers). (2017). The story of Diana [Video]. Netflix. http://www.netflix.com
(Producer Last name, Year)
Example: (Allen, et. al., 2017)
(Producer Last name, Year, Timestamp)
Example: (Allen, et. al., 2017, 6:45)
Name of Company/Organization that Provided Content or Creator's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial. if known. (Year video was created, Month Day if known). Title of video [Video]. Database Name.
National Film Board of Canada. (2014). Making movie history: The women [Video]. NFB Campus.
(Name of Company/Organization, Year)
Example: (National Film Board of Canada, 2014)
(Name of Company/Organization, Year, Timestamp)
Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Job Title) if known. (Year the episode was originally aired). Title of episode (Season No., Episode No.) [TV series episode]. In Executive Producer's First Initial. Last Name (Executive producer) if known, Television series name . Production Company.
Note: For other countries, list the city name and the country.
Young, R. (Writer, Producer, Director). (2010). Flying cheap (Season 2010, Episode 2) [TV series episode]. In Frontline . American University School of Communication's Investigative Reporting Workshop.
(Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, Year)
Example: (Young, 2010)
(Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, Year, Timestamp)
Example: (Young, 2010, 15:38)
Television Series Episode Viewed on a Subscription Media Website
Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if given. (Job Title) if known. (Year the episode was originally aired). Title of episode (Season No., Episode No.) [TV series episode]. In Executive Producer's First Initial. Last Name (Executive producer) if known, Television series name . Streaming Video Site. URL
Attenborough, D. (Writer). (2001). Ocean world (Season 1, Episode 1) [TV series episode]. In A. Fothergill (Executive producer), Blue planet: A natural history of the oceans . Netflix. http://www.netflix.com
Example: (Attenborough, 2001)
(Writer, Producer and/or Director's Last Name, Year, Timestamp)
Example: (Attenborough, 2001, 10:12)
The basic format for an in-text citation is: Title of the Book (Author Last Name, year).
One author: Where the Wild Things Are (Sendak, 1963) is a depiction of a child coping with his anger towards his mom.
Two authors (cite both names every time): Brabant and Mooney (1986) have used the comic strip to examine evidence of sex role stereotyping. OR The comic strip has been used to examine evidence of sex role stereotyping (Brabant & Mooney, 1986).
Three or more authors (cite the first author plus et al.): Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy (Clare et al., 2016) depicts a young man's experience at the Shadowhunter Academy, a place where being a former vampire is looked down upon.OR Clare et al. (2016) have crafted a unique story about a young man's journey to find himself.
No author: Cite the first few words of the reference entry (usually the title) and the year. Use double quotation marks around the title of an article or chapter, and italicize the title of a periodical, book, brochure, or report. Examples: From the book Study Guide (2000) ... or ("Reading," 1999).
Note: Titles of periodicals, books, brochures, or reports should be in italics and use normal title capitalization rules.
If you are citing multiple sources by multiple authors in-text, you can list all of them by the author's last name and year of publication within the same set of parentheses, separated by semicolons.
Example: (Adams, 1999; Jones & James, 2000; Miller, 1999)
For more information on how to cite books in-text and as a reference entry, see the APA Publication Manual (7th edition) Section 10.2 on pages 321-325 .
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Published on July 12, 2022 by Eoghan Ryan . Revised on June 1, 2023.
Integrating sources means incorporating another scholar’s ideas or words into your work. It can be done by:
By integrating sources properly, you can ensure a consistent voice in your writing and ensure your text remains readable and coherent. You can use signal phrases to give credit to outside sources and smoothly introduce material into your academic writing .
Below is an example that uses all three methods of integrating sources, but you can integrate sources using only one method or a combination of them.
For Jung, the collective unconscious is expressed through innate, universal images. These are associated with the stages of self-actualization that result in the integration of the conscious and the unconscious. As Jung stated, the “goal of the individuation process is the synthesis of the self” (1969, p. 164).
Signal phrases, other interesting articles, frequently asked questions about integrating sources.
When you quote , you include the exact words of another author in your research paper , in quotation marks, without changing them.
Quoting can be useful for providing precise definitions . You can also quote material when you want to analyze the author’s language or style, or when it’s difficult to convey the author’s meaning in different words.
Quoted text must be enclosed in quotation marks . You can integrate quotes effectively by introducing them in your own words, providing relevant background information, or explaining why the quote is relevant.
The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:
Paraphrasing means putting another author’s ideas into your own words while retaining the original meaning.
Paraphrasing is useful when you want to show your understanding of the original source. It also helps you to integrate sources smoothly, maintaining a consistent voice throughout your paper and maintaining focus on the material that’s relevant to your argument.
When paraphrasing, be careful to avoid accidental plagiarism . Make sure that your paraphrase is sufficiently different to the original text and is properly cited. You must put the material into your own words, substantially changing the structure or wording of the original text. This is true for all source types . You can also paraphrase the text by by using a paraphrasing tool.
When you summarize a source, you give an overview of its central arguments or conclusions .
Summaries should be much shorter than the original text. They should be written in your own words and should not quote from the original source.
When summarizing, you don’t analyze the original text—you only describe it.
Signal phrases are used to attribute a quote or idea to another author. You can use them when you quote, paraphrase, or summarize primary, secondary and tertiary sources .
Signal phrases:
A signal phrase usually includes the name of the author and an attribute tag such as “has criticized,” followed by the relevant quote or idea.
Signal phrases can be used alongside in-text citations to distinguish your work from the sources you cite. Each citation style has its own format that you must follow. The most common styles are APA in-text citations and MLA in-text citations .
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If you want to know more about ChatGPT, AI tools , citation , and plagiarism , make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples.
Plagiarism
There are three ways you can integrate sources into your writing:
Whenever you reference a source, you must provide a citation in order to avoid plagiarism .
In academic writing , there are three main situations where quoting is the best choice:
Don’t overuse quotes; your own voice should be dominant. If you just want to provide information from a source, it’s usually better to paraphrase or summarize .
To paraphrase effectively, don’t just take the original sentence and swap out some of the words for synonyms. Instead, try:
The main point is to ensure you don’t just copy the structure of the original text, but instead reformulate the idea in your own words.
A summary is a short overview of the main points of an article or other source, written entirely in your own words. Want to make your life super easy? Try our free text summarizer today!
To avoid plagiarism when summarizing an article or other source, follow these two rules:
If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.
Ryan, E. (2023, June 01). How to Integrate Sources | Explanation & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved June 11, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/working-with-sources/integrating-sources/
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More than 100 reference examples and their corresponding in-text citations are presented in the seventh edition Publication Manual . Examples of the most common works that writers cite are provided on this page; additional examples are available in the Publication Manual .
To find the reference example you need, first select a category (e.g., periodicals) and then choose the appropriate type of work (e.g., journal article ) and follow the relevant example.
When selecting a category, use the webpages and websites category only when a work does not fit better within another category. For example, a report from a government website would use the reports category, whereas a page on a government website that is not a report or other work would use the webpages and websites category.
Also note that print and electronic references are largely the same. For example, to cite both print books and ebooks, use the books and reference works category and then choose the appropriate type of work (i.e., book ) and follow the relevant example (e.g., whole authored book ).
Examples on these pages illustrate the details of reference formats. We make every attempt to show examples that are in keeping with APA Style’s guiding principles of inclusivity and bias-free language. These examples are presented out of context only to demonstrate formatting issues (e.g., which elements to italicize, where punctuation is needed, placement of parentheses). References, including these examples, are not inherently endorsements for the ideas or content of the works themselves. An author may cite a work to support a statement or an idea, to critique that work, or for many other reasons. For more examples, see our sample papers .
Reference examples are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Chapter 10 and the Concise Guide Chapter 10
Textual works are covered in Sections 10.1–10.8 of the Publication Manual . The most common categories and examples are presented here. For the reviews of other works category, see Section 10.7.
Data sets are covered in Section 10.9 of the Publication Manual . For the software and tests categories, see Sections 10.10 and 10.11.
Audiovisual media are covered in Sections 10.12–10.14 of the Publication Manual . The most common examples are presented together here. In the manual, these examples and more are separated into categories for audiovisual, audio, and visual media.
Online media are covered in Sections 10.15 and 10.16 of the Publication Manual . Please note that blog posts are part of the periodicals category.
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Note: This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style can be found here .
Media Files: APA Sample Student Paper , APA Sample Professional Paper
This resource is enhanced by Acrobat PDF files. Download the free Acrobat Reader
Note: The APA Publication Manual, 7 th Edition specifies different formatting conventions for student and professional papers (i.e., papers written for credit in a course and papers intended for scholarly publication). These differences mostly extend to the title page and running head. Crucially, citation practices do not differ between the two styles of paper.
However, for your convenience, we have provided two versions of our APA 7 sample paper below: one in student style and one in professional style.
Note: For accessibility purposes, we have used "Track Changes" to make comments along the margins of these samples. Those authored by [AF] denote explanations of formatting and [AWC] denote directions for writing and citing in APA 7.
Apa 7 professional paper:.
Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper, citing a website in apa.
Once you’ve identified a credible website to use, create a citation and begin building your reference list. Citation Machine citing tools can help you create references for online news articles, government websites, blogs, and many other website! Keeping track of sources as you research and write can help you stay organized and ethical. If you end up not using a source, you can easily delete it from your bibliography. Ready to create a citation? Enter the website’s URL into the search box above. You’ll get a list of results, so you can identify and choose the correct source you want to cite. It’s that easy to begin!
If you’re wondering how to cite a website in APA, use the structure below.
Author Last Name, First initial. (Year, Month Date Published). Title of web page . Name of Website. URL
Example of an APA format website:
Austerlitz, S. (2015, March 3). How long can a spinoff like ‘Better Call Saul’ last? FiveThirtyEight. http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/how-long-can-a-spinoff-like-better-call-saul-last/
Keep in mind that not all information found on a website follows the structure above. Only use the Website format above if your online source does not fit another source category. For example, if you’re looking at a video on YouTube, refer to the ‘YouTube Video’ section. If you’re citing a newspaper article found online, refer to ‘Newspapers Found Online’ section. Again, an APA website citation is strictly for web pages that do not fit better with one of the other categories on this page.
When adding the text of a post, keep the original capitalization, spelling, hashtags, emojis (if possible), and links within the text.
Structure: Facebook user’s Last name, F. M. (Year, Monday Day of Post). Up to the first 20 words of Facebook post [Source type if attached] [Post type]. Facebook. URL
Source type examples: [Video attached], [Image attached]
Post type examples: [Status update], [Video], [Image], [Infographic]
Gomez, S. (2020, February 4). Guys, I’ve been working on this special project for two years and can officially say Rare Beauty is launching in [Video]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/Selena/videos/1340031502835436/
Life at Chegg. (2020, February 7) It breaks our heart that 50% of college students right here in Silicon Valley are hungry. That’s why Chegg has [Images attached] [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/LifeAtChegg/posts/1076718522691591
Structure: Account holder’s Last name, F. M. [Twitter Handle]. (Year, Month Day of Post). Up to the first 20 words of tweet [source type if attached] [Tweet]. Twitter. URL
Source type examples: [Video attached], [Image attached], [Poll attached]
Example: Edelman, J. [Edelman11]. (2018, April 26). Nine years ago today my life changed forever. New England took a chance on a long shot and I’ve worked [Video attached] [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/Edelman11/status/989652345922473985
APA citation format: Account holder’s Last name, F. M. [@Instagram handle]. (Year, Month Day). Up to the first 20 words of caption [Photograph(s) and/or Video(s)]. Instagram. URL
Example: Portman, N. [@natalieportman]. (2019, January 5). Many of my best experiences last year were getting to listen to and learn from so many incredible people through [Videos]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/BsRD-FBB8HI/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
If this guide hasn’t helped solve all of your referencing questions, or if you’re still feeling the need to type “how to cite a website APA” into Google, then check out our APA citation generator on CitationMachine.com, which can build your references for you!
APA Citation Generator | Website | Books | Journal Articles | YouTube | Images | Movies | Interview | PDF
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If the quotation precedes the narrative citation, put the page number or location information after the year and a comma. If the citation appears at the end of a sentence, put the end punctuation after the closing parenthesis for the citation. If the quotation includes citations, see Section 8.32 of the Publication Manual.
When using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text, like, for example, (Jones, 1998). One complete reference for each source should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.
Citing a direct quote. To cite a quote in APA, you always include the the author's last name, the year the source was published, and the page on which the quote can be found. The page number is preceded by "p." (for a single page) or "pp." (for a page range). There are two types of APA in-text citation: parenthetical and narrative.
Citing a quote in APA Style. To cite a direct quote in APA, you must include the author's last name, the year, and a page number, all separated by commas. If the quote appears on a single page, use "p."; if it spans a page range, use "pp.". An APA in-text citation can be parenthetical or narrative.
Citing a quote in APA Style. To cite a direct quote in APA, you must include the author's last name, the year, and a page number, all separated by commas. If the quote appears on a single page, use 'p.'; if it spans a page range, use 'pp.'. An APA in-text citation can be parenthetical or narrative.
Quotes should always be cited (and indicated with quotation marks), and you should include a page number indicating where in the source the quote can be found. Example: Quote with APA Style in-text citation Evolution is a gradual process that "can act only by very short and slow steps" (Darwin, 1859, p. 510).
In-text citations point the reader to the sources' information on the references page. The in-text citation typically includes the author's last name and the year of publication. If you use a direct quote, the page number is also provided. More information can be found on p. 253 of the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American ...
A direct quotation reproduces word-for-word material taken directly from another author's work, or from your own previously published work. If the quotation is fewer than 40 words, incorporate it into your paragraph and enclose it in double quotation marks. David Copperfield starts with "Whether I shall turn out to be the hero of my own life ...
Quotations. For short quotations (less than 40 words), cite the source with page numbers immediately following the end of the quotation. Effective teams can be difficult to describe because "high performance along one domain does not translate to high performance along another" (Ervin et al., 2018, p. 470). If there are no page numbers.
Always include the page number for direct quotes, if one is available. When formatting APA page numbers for an in-text citation, include p. before the number. Use pp. for a page range. To create a narrative APA in-text citation, include the author's last name in the sentence like this:
How To Quote In An Essay? To introduce a quote in an essay, don't forget to include author's last name and page number (MLA) or author, date, and page number (APA) in your citation. Shown below are some possible ways to introduce quotations. The examples use MLA format. Use A Full Sentence Followed by A Colon To Introduce A Quotation Examples:
Basic guidelines for formatting the reference list at the end of a standard APA research paper Author/Authors Rules for handling works by a single author or multiple authors that apply to all APA-style references in your reference list, regardless of the type of work (book, article, electronic resource, etc.)
If you're including a short direct quote in your APA-format essay, you will need to cite the author, year of publication, and page number (p.) or page number span (pp.). Quotations longer than 40 words should omit the quotation marks and be put in the text using block quotation formatting, on its own line and indented 1/2 inch from the left margin.
Sometimes an author of a book, article or website will mention another person's work by using a quotation or paraphrased idea from that source. (This may be called a secondary source.) For example, the Kirkey article you are reading includes a quotation by Smith that you would like to include in your essay.
When you cite a direct quote in MLA, the parenthetical format is (author's last name page number) or (Smith 7). The narrative format includes the author's name in the sentence, with the page number after the quote in parentheses. There is no punctuation within a set of parentheses. As in APA style, the final punctuation is placed after the ...
APA in-text citations The basics. In-text citations are brief references in the running text that direct readers to the reference entry at the end of the paper. You include them every time you quote or paraphrase someone else's ideas or words to avoid plagiarism.. An APA in-text citation consists of the author's last name and the year of publication (also known as the author-date system).
If you can't find the original citation information, then cite the document where you read the quote. For example, if you found a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson in a book of famous quotes, you would cite the book of famous quotes. Remember that citations give the reader enough information to find your sources. For additional help with citations ...
A summary of your essay that is no more than 250 words. If you choose to include keywords, you would list them after your abstract. Body (Required) The content of the essay. APA provides guidelines for formatting section headings, writing style, in-text citations and all other aspects of integrating sources into the body of your essay ...
In-Text Quote: (Producer Last name, Year, Timestamp) Example: (Allen, et. al., 2017, 6:45) Note: Because the timestamp serves the same purpose in a video as page numbers, paragraph numbers or section headings, you include it in the in-text citation. Include only the beginning timestamp.
Dear reader, When you want to quote a source from a language that is different from the language you are writing in, you have the choice of presenting. your own translation of the quotation (without the foreign language) or. both the original passage in the foreign language and your translation. Either choice is acceptable.
Use double quotation marks around the title of an article or chapter, and italicize the title of a periodical, book, brochure, or report. Examples: From the book Study Guide (2000) ... or ("Reading," 1999). Note: Titles of periodicals, books, brochures, or reports should be in italics and use normal title capitalization rules.
Integrating sources means incorporating another scholar's ideas or words into your work. It can be done by: Quoting. Paraphrasing. Summarizing. By integrating sources properly, you can ensure a consistent voice in your writing and ensure your text remains readable and coherent. You can use signal phrases to give credit to outside sources and ...
More than 100 reference examples and their corresponding in-text citations are presented in the seventh edition Publication Manual.Examples of the most common works that writers cite are provided on this page; additional examples are available in the Publication Manual.. To find the reference example you need, first select a category (e.g., periodicals) and then choose the appropriate type of ...
Media Files: APA Sample Student Paper , APA Sample Professional Paper This resource is enhanced by Acrobat PDF files. Download the free Acrobat Reader. Note: The APA Publication Manual, 7 th Edition specifies different formatting conventions for student and professional papers (i.e., papers written for credit in a course and papers intended for scholarly publication).
If you're wondering how to cite a website in APA, use the structure below. Structure: Author Last Name, First initial. (Year, Month Date Published). Title of web page. Name of Website. URL. Example of an APA format website: Austerlitz, S. (2015, March 3). How long can a spinoff like 'Better Call Saul' last? FiveThirtyEight.