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American Psychological Association (APA): APA Home

American Psychological Association (APA) is the style of documentation of sources used by the American Psychological Association which is utilized when writing research papers.

This guide will provide you with resources to better understand how sources are cited for an APA paper.

Why do we cite sources?

Giving credit to the original author by citing sources is the only way to use other people's work without plagiarizing. But there are a number of other reasons to cite sources:

  • citations are extremely helpful to anyone who wants to find out more about your ideas and where they came from
  • not all sources are good or right -- your own ideas may often be more accurate or interesting than those of your sources. Proper citation will keep you from taking the rap for someone else's bad ideas
  • citing sources shows the amount of research you've done
  • citing sources strengthens your work by lending outside support to your ideas

Doesn't citing make my work seem less original?

Not at all. On the contrary, citing sources actually helps your reader distinguish your ideas from those of your sources. This will actually emphasize the originality of your own work.

When do I need to cite?

Whenever you borrow words or ideas, you need to acknowledge their source. The following situations almost always require citation:

  • whenever you use quotes
  • whenever you paraphrase
  • whenever you use an idea that someone else has already expressed
  • whenever you make specific reference to the work of another
  • whenever someone else's work has been critical in developing your own ideas.

Source: What Is Citation? (2017, May 17). Retrieved October 05, 2020, from https://www.plagiarism.org/article/what-is-citation.

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Preparing the List of References

Preparing the List of References

Begin your list of references on a new page at the end of the paper. Center the title "References" one inch from the top of the page. Double space throughout.

Indenting Entries

Tye the first line of each entry at the left margin and indent any additional lines one-half inch.

Alphabetizing the List

Alphabetize the reference list by the last names of the authors (or editors) or by the first word of an organization name (if the author is an organization). When a work has no author or editor, alphabetize by the first word of the title other than A, An, or The.

If your list includes two or more work by the same author, arrange the entries by year, the earliest first. If your list includes two or more work by the same author in the same year, arrange the works alphabetically by title. Add the letters "a," "b," and so on within parentheses after the year. For journal articles, use only the year and the letter: (2012a). For articles in magazines and newspapers, use the full date and the letter in he reference list: (2012a, July 7); use only the year and the letter in the in-text citation.

Authors' Names

Invert all author's names and used initials instead of first names. Separate the name with commas. For two to seven authors, use an ampersand (&) before the last author's name. For eight or more authors, give the first six authors, three ellipsis dots (...) and the last author.

Titles of Books and Articles

In the reference list, italicize the titles and subtitles of books. Do not italicize or use quotation marks around the title of articles. For both books and articles, capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle (and all proper nouns). Capitalize names of journals, magazines, and newspapers as you would capitalize them normally.

Abbreviations for Page Numbers

Abbreviations for "page" and "pages" ("p." and "pp.") are used before page numbers of newspaper articles and selections in anthologies. Do not use "p." or "pp." before page numbers of articles in journal and magazines.

Breaking a URL and DOI

When a URL or a DOI (digital object identifier) must be divided, break it after a double slash or before any other mark of punctuation. Do not insert a hyphen; do not add a period at the end. If you will post the project online or submit it electronically and you want to include live URLs for reader to click on, do not insert any line breaks.

Online Resources

Online Resources

LibGuides

CVCC's APA Guide

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)

Troy University Writing Center

Books in the Library

Books that can be Checked Out

Reference Books