The American Psychological Association (APA) style is commonly used for citing references in student papers and manuscripts in the social sciences and education, as well as the humanities. This guide provides basic guidelines and examples for citing common reference types using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition.
APA format establishes a number of clear rules for how to list reference works using author information, publication dates, titles and more. No matter what type of reference you are citing – a book, article, web page or other source – it is important to follow standard APA guidelines for citation. While there may be minor formatting differences between sources, the basic structure remains the same. Covering all reference formats from books and blogs to legal documents and media, this complete guide provides examples of how to cite over 35 reference types.
When you include a source in your paper, you must include an in-text, or parenthetical citation, matching the reference list. The in-text citation consists of the last name of the author(s) (or title if no author) and date of publication in parentheses. For direct quotes or close paraphrasing, also include the page number. This style uses the author-date method of in-text citation, with parenthetical references in the body of the paper linked to full references in the reference list at the end of the paper.
Some key characteristics of APA format to remember include:
12 point Times New Roman font for the entire paper
1 inch margins on all sides
Pages are numbered in the top right header
Title page with title centered, author’s name and school affiliation
Abstract page with brief summary of paper’s content (not page number)
Running head (short title) in caps on every page
Reference list located at the end of the paper with sources listed alphabetically
When it comes to the basic research paper format itself, your paper should consist of the following sections:
Title Page
Contains the title of the paper in capital letters, author’s name, institution, course, instructor’s name
Abstract
Brief summary of the paper’s content in 150-250 words
Body of Paper
Containing the introduction, methods section, results, discussion/conclusion
Formatted with headings and double spaced paragraphs
References Page
“References” in bold, centered at top of page
References listed in alphabetical order, double spaced
The running head consists of the shortened paper title in all capital letters, left justified on the title page and subsequent pages. Page numbers should be right justified in the header. Do not include the word “page” before the number.
The abstract condenses the paper to provide brief context. It does not include headings, citations or reference to tables and figures mentioned in the body. The introduction states the purpose and problem of the study, along with main points of the paper. The Methods section explains how the research was conducted. Results report the findings without interpretation.
The Discussion section is where conclusions and implications are drawn. This integrates the results with previous literature and discusses limitations. The tone is more subjective than previous sections. The reference list is after the body of the paper and before any tables/figures. It should not be page numbered and begin on a new page. Each reference includes the retrieval date if from an electronic source, publisher location for books, volume and issue numbers for journals.
Some key guidelines for in-text citations include:
Last name of author(s) and date in parentheses after the relevant quote or reference: (Smith, 2020)
Use “and” if two authors: (Johnson & Smith, 2019)
Three to five authors use all last names the first time, then first author and “et al.” for subsequence references: (Johnson, Smith, Garcia, et al., 2018)
Groups as authors are spelled out each time: (American Psychological Association [APA], 2020)
Personal communication is cited in text only with initials, last name and date: (J. Doe, personal communication, January 21, 2012)
Page numbers for direct quotes: (Smith, 2020, p. 63)
APA style puts references at the end of the paper on the References page. Every in-text citation must link to a corresponding entry on the references list. The list contains full bibliographic information for every reference mentioned in the text. Entries are formatted with a hanging indent in paragraph style, with the reference list double spaced. For electronic sources, provide a retrieval date or date accessed.
Book entries list author(s), year, title italicized, publisher, DOI or URL. Journal article citations follow the same basic format, additionally including volume and issue numbers, and page range. Web sites and media references also require retrieval dates. For sources without an identified author, the title moves to the author position. Consult the APA Publication Manual for the correct format for unusual sources and examples of all reference types. In-text citations and reference list entries should match and be free of errors. Omit page numbers if citing a whole work.
APA style establishes clear guidelines for paper formatting, in-text citations, and reference lists. Following the seven edition guidelines of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association provides consistency in student papers and publications across disciplines. No matter what type of source is being cited – from books and websites to legal cases and media – APA style maintains transparency by clearly linking references to text. The standardized formats ensure readers can easily locate cited sources in the reference list. Students simply need to follow the rules and examples to format papers properly in APA format.
This guide covers the fundamental elements and conventions of APA research paper format guidelines with many examples for citing different types of sources. While not exhaustive, above is an overview of key rules for in-text citations and formatting reference lists. Consult the APA Publication Manual or databases such as Purdue OWL for more comprehensive guidelines and examples. The annotated reference list explains how to format reference entries for dozens of common and infrequent source types. By adhering to APA standards, students can demonstrate their research abilities through clear and credible academic writing.
Andrew Stroud