Writing a research paper requires you to incorporate sources you have found through research. One important aspect of any research paper is how you cite the sources you used to research and develop your own ideas. There are different citation styles you may use (MLA, APA, Chicago etc.), and this article will focus on using citations within a research paper following APA style.
What is APA Style?
APA (American Psychological Association) style is one of the most commonly used formats for citing sources in academic writing. APA style establishes guidelines for referencing sources used within the text of a paper as well as guidelines for constructing a reference list at the end of the paper. When writing a paper using APA style, you will need to cite any reference taken from other works that helped further your knowledge or understanding in developing the paper. This includes direct word for word quotes, summaries or paraphrasing of ideas, and facts and statistics.
Citing Sources Within the Text
In APA style, in-text citations are included within research papers to briefly identify sources of information and direct readers to the full reference list entry at the end of the paper. Within the text of the paper, provide the last name of the author and year of publication enclosed in parentheses each time you refer to an idea or quote found in another source.
For example:
According to research by Smith (2020), students often wait until the last minute to begin long assignments.
If you include the author’s name in the sentence, just provide the year in parentheses:
Smith (2020) found that students often wait until the last minute to begin long assignments.
For a direct quote, include the page number or section identifier with the citation:
“Students tend to procrastinate especially on major papers” (Smith, 2020, p. 37).
Citing Multiple Authors
When a source has two authors, write both authors’ names in the in-text citation joined by “and.” For example:
Research has found that “students learn better when actively engaged in class discussions” (Jones & Smith, 2020, p. 164).
For sources with three or more authors, use the first author’s name followed by “et al.” in the in-text citation:
Studies have shown that student engagement improves with collaborative work (Johnson et al., 2019).
The Reference Page
At the end of the research paper, on a new page, include an alphabetized reference list of all sources cited in the paper. Reference list entries should be double spaced and have a hanging indent. Each source cited in the body of the paper must have a corresponding entry on the reference page.
A reference list entry for a book with a single author would include:
Smith, J. (2020). Student procrastination: Causes and solutions. ABC Publishing.
A reference for a journal article with two authors would include:
Jones, A., & Smith, B. (2019). The effect of active learning on student outcomes. Journal of Higher Education, 65(3), 160-188.
A reference for an online news article would include:
Thompson, S. (2022, January 15). Study finds students distracted by technology in class. The Daily Times. https://www.dailytimes.com/news/study-finds-students-distracted-by-technology-in-class-p2342
Proper use and formatting of in-text citations and reference entries according to APA style demonstrates academic integrity and allows readers to follow up on sources used in the research process. Taking care with citations saves time spent revising and avoids issues like plagiarism. Adhering to APA style guidelines ensures research papers are well documented and credible. Learning to cite sources correctly is an important skill for any student or researcher working within the social sciences.