APA Citation and Format

The APA Style uses in-text citations to indicate that text has been quoted or paraphrased. The in-text note acknowledge when you are quoting, paraphrasing, or otherwise referring to information found in another source. A sample from an article using in-text citations is shown below:

Click image to enlarge.

In the APA Style, the note takes the form of brief acknowledgement in parentheses immediately following each direct quote in quotation marks or paraphrased statement within the body of the work. (Other styles you may find in academic works may use footnotes, or endnotes.) The APA in-text citation includes:

• text that is directly quoted exactly as it appears in the original source is enclosed in quotation marks or a paraphrased statement
• the author/s last name(s)
• the year of publication
• the page or paragraph number on which the borrowed text appears.

There are a few ways in which the in-text citation can be presented. (All samples are adapted from quotes in: Manprisio, et.al. (2024). Redefining learning paradigms: Integrating artificial intelligence into modern classrooms. Ubiquitous Learning: An International Journal, 17(2), 157-177, //doi.org/10.18848/1835-9795/CGP/v17i02/157-177)

All required information in parentheses: 

Author introduced ("signaled") in sentence, other required information in parentheses:

Page number only in parentheses:

Page versus Paragraph

When citing a book, journal article, or other paged source, use the page number of the borrowed material.

• For one page, use p. 
• For more than one page, use pp. 

When citing a source without page numbers (such as websites), use the paragraph number.

• Regardless of how many paragraphs you are citing, use para.

Quoting vs. Paraphrasing

In-text Citation with Direct Quotes

Spencer (2006) notes that it is acceptable "to state the author's name at the beginning of the sentence, rather than always putting it in the parenthetical citation" (pp. 5-6). 

OR

Many students still refuse to "separate the author from the citation at the end of the quoted material" (Spencer, 2006, pp. 5-6).

In-text Citation with Summaries or Paraphrased Text
NOTE: Page numbers are not necessary when the summary of an entire work or large section of text over multiple pages is cited.

Jones and Senoj (2007) explain that citing sources does not have to be as difficult as students seem to believe (p. 54).

OR

Citing sources becomes easier the more frequently one tries to do it (Jones & Senoj, 2007).

Unknown Elements

No Publication Date
Check the source thoroughly for a publication date. It may be at the end of an item, appear on a special publication page or in a URL, or be buried within introductory text. If a date cannot be found, se the abbreviation n.d. for "no date" as shown:

"Not every source, especially web sources, provide a concrete publication date (Smith, n.d., p. 3)."

No Author
If no individual or corporate author is listed, use the first word or two of the work's title for the in-text citation, for example:

Acquiring effective study habits is the most important indicator of first-year college student success ("Students," 2002, para. 3).

If Anonymous is ever listed as author, treat that the same as if a name was given. 

Organization as the Author

Name the organization in text or include the whole name in parentheses at the end.

• Example: According to the World Health Organization (2016), 5-10% of all cancer-related deaths in Bangladesh stem from arsenic poisoning that pollutes the region (para. 9-10).
• Example: "In Bangladesh, 5–10% of all cancer deaths in an arsenic-contaminated region were attributable to arsenic exposure" (as cited in World Health Organization, 2016, para. 9-10).