APA (American Psychological Association) is one of the most common academic citation styles used in research papers. In APA style, citing a research paper involves two elements:
In-text citations: Brief citations in parentheses within the body of the text that direct readers to the full reference entry at the end of the paper.
Reference list: A list at the end of the paper containing all referenced sources arranged alphabetically by author last name and formatted with a hanging indent.
In-text citations provide brief identifying information about each source, such as the author’s last name and the date of publication. They direct readers to the full reference entry at the end of the paper to provide complete publication details. These include author/editor names, year of publication, title, publisher location, and more.
Some key things to keep in mind when citing a research paper in APA style:
If the author’s name is mentioned in the body of the text, only the year should be included in parentheses at the end. For example: “According to Jones (2019), brain development continues into early adulthood.”
If the author’s name is not mentioned in the text, both the name and year should be included in parentheses. For example: “(Jones, 2019)”.
If you are referring to a specific part of a source, such as a quote or idea within a certain page number(s), include both the year and page/paragraph number separated by a comma. For example: “(Jones, 2019, p. 5)”.
For secondary sources, such as an idea discussed in another author’s work, list the original source in the in-text citation followed by “as cited in” and the secondary source author’s last name and year. For example: “(Smith, 2020 as cited in Jones, 2022)”.
Reference list entries should include the following elements in this order: Author/Editor last name, initials. (Year of publication). Title of work. Publisher. DOI or URL.
Some common examples of reference list entries include:
Book:
Last, F. M. (2020). Title of work. Publisher.
Chapter in edited book:
Last, F. M., & Last, F. N. (2022). Title of chapter. In F. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. pages). Publisher.
Journal article:
Last, F. M., Last, F. N., & Last, F. B. (2023). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/XXXX
Webpage:
Last name, F. M. (Date of publication). Title of page. Publisher/Organization. URL
Proper citing helps establish credibility and avoids plagiarism by giving credit to the original authors. Formatting citations accurately in APA style allows readers to easily refer back to reference list entries which provide complete bibliographic information about each source. Following these guidelines to cite a research paper seamlessly integrates quoted and paraphrased information into a student’s own writing and demonstrates which ideas are original versus derived from other sources. Mastering APA citation format takes practice but proves invaluable for academic integrity and research effectiveness.