In APA Style, an in-text citation tells the reader where you got any and all information that did not come from inside your own head. This is more obvious when you are directly quoting from a source, but it is also needed when you have summarized or paraphrased from a source and even if you got an idea from somewhere else. In order to avoid plagiarism, it is extremely important that you cite all the words and ideas that you got from somewhere else. To learn more about plagiarism and how to avoid it, see Ethically Use Sources and Plagiarism guidance from APA.
When citing sources in an APA Style paper, APA uses the author-date citation system. In this system, the writer includes the author and date within the body of the paper and includes a corresponding reference in the reference list. This citation system allows the reader to identify sources used in the paper by reviewing the author and date within the text of the paper, and then easily locate the corresponding reference in the alphabetical reference list.
There are two types of in-text citations that are used within the body of an APA paper to help the reader locate the corresponding reference in the reference list. T he two types of in-text citations are parenthetical citations and narrative citations. A narrative citation is a type of citation where the author's name is used within the text of the sentence; whereas, a parenthetical citation is a type of citation where the author and date are in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
In APA Style, cite your sources by putting the information about the source in parentheses at the end of a sentence or in the text of your paper as opposed to a footnote where the source information is at the bottom of the page or an endnote where it goes at the end of your paper. There are slight differences depending on which style you are using.
Created by APA - learn about how many references should be used in a paper and how many times to cite the same source in a paragraph.
This source provides the basics about paraphrasing, including the use of long paraphrases.Created by APA - learn about creating quotations for short quotes, block quotes, quotes for sources without page number, and more!
For more information about parenthetical and narrative citations, see pages 253-278 of the APA Manual 7th edition for further explanation and examples.
The basic in-text citation style for adding sources to the body of an APA style paper is to add the author and the date. There are a number of ways that can be done to aid in the readability and flow of the paper. However, the basic style for different authors types are listed in the table below.
Printable version of the basic in-text citation styles are available here:
Note. Adapted from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, by the American Psychological Association, 2020, Table 8.1, p. 266 (https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000). Copyright 2020 by the American Psychological Association.
* Define the abbreviation for a group author only once in the text, choosing either the parenthetical or narrative citation. Once introduced, use only the abbreviation for all mentions of the group author in the text of your paper.
There are a number of ways that parenthetical and narrative citations can be added to the body of an APA style paper. Using variety helps with the readability and flow of the paper. The following table provides a few examples of common ways parenthetical and narrative citations are used for quotes and paraphrases.
For additional examples, see the following printable handouts:
Quote with author's name in text with designated page numbers.
Author's name is in text with the date immediately after the author's last name in parentheses. At the end of the sentence, add the page number is in parentheses. Use the abbreviation "p." for 1 page.
Smith (2019) demonstrated how to ".." (p. 112).
Author's name is in text with date in parentheses after the author's last
name.
Smith (2019) shared these facts, too.
This book is true (Effective Management, 2019).
This article is true ("Effective Management," 2019).
Furthermore, the research ". " (Smith, 2019, para. 4).
Furthermore, the research ". " (Smith, 2019, Emergencies section).
Furthermore, the research ". " (Smith, 2019, Emergencies section, para. 4).