APA Style Citation Guide This Handout Is Based On The 6th Ed

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This handout is based on the 6th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA), but is not a comprehensive guide. For all rules and requirements of APA citations, please consult the 6th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. APA requires that information be cited in 2 different ways—within the text and in a reference list at the end of the paper. The reference list should be on a new page, double spaced, and use the hanging indent method (all lines after the first one are indented). See also: Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2010. Concise Rules of APA Style, 6th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2010.

Paper For Above instruction

Proper APA citation and referencing are vital components of academic writing, ensuring that sources are credited correctly and readers can locate original materials. This paper discusses key aspects of APA style, including in-text citations, referencing formats, language sensitivity, and writing conventions, based on the 6th edition manual.

In-Text Citations in APA Style

In-text citations in APA follow the author–date method, where the last name of the author and the publication year are included within the sentence or parentheses. When directly quoting or referencing specific parts of a source, page or paragraph numbers must also be included. For instance, a paraphrase might read: (Smith, 1990), whereas a direct quote of fewer than 40 words should be incorporated into the text with quotation marks, as in: "..." (Jones, 1995, p. 45). Longer quotations of 40 words or more are presented as free-standing blocks, indented, and without quotation marks.

When citing works with multiple authors, the guidelines vary depending on the number of authors. For two authors, always cite both names (e.g., Masserton & Slonowski, 1989). For three to five authors, cite all in the first occurrence, and subsequent citations should use the first author's surname followed by et al. (e.g., Masserton et al., 1989). For six or more authors, only the first author's surname followed by et al. is needed from the first citation onward (e.g., Johnson et al., 2001). Works without an identified author are cited by the title or description in quotation marks or italics, depending on type.

Referencing Sources in APA Style

The reference list should start on a new page, titled "References," titled centered at the top. Entries should be double spaced with a hanging indent, where all subsequent lines of a reference are indented. Basic formats include author, year, title, and publication information. For online sources, include the DOI if available; if not, include the URL without a hyphen or trailing period. Here are examples:

  • Book: Strunk, W., Jr., & White, E. B. (1979). The guide to everything and then some more stuff. New York, NY: Macmillan.
  • Chapter of a Book: Bergquist, J. M. (1992). German Americans. In J. D. Buenker & L. A. Ratner (Eds.), Multiculturalism in the United States: A comparative guide to acculturation and ethnicity (pp. 53–76). New York, NY: Greenwood.
  • Journal Article with DOI: Paivio, A. (1975). Perceptual comparisons through the mind's eye. Memory & Cognition, 3, 635–647. https://doi.org/10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225
  • Online Newspaper: Becker, E. (2001, August 27). Prairie farmers reap conservation's rewards. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com

Language Sensitivity and Ethical Considerations in APA Style

APA emphasizes respectful and inclusive language. Use "people with" instead of labels like "sufferers" or "victims." Descriptors should avoid bias regarding gender, ethnicity, age, or disability. For example, use "people with schizophrenia" rather than "schizophrenics," and specify ethnicity where appropriate, such as "Hispanic" or "Mexican American." The terms "Black" and "White" should be capitalized when referring to social groups. Be specific about regions or countries of origin, such as "Cuban American" or "Chinese." Terms like "Native American" or specific tribe names are recommended over generic terms like "American Indians."

Writing and Formatting Tips

Manuscripts should be typed, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins on all sides, using a 12-point font (e.g., Times New Roman). Paragraphs should be indented five spaces. Use complete sentences, avoid slang, contractions, and grammatical errors. Follow scientific journal conventions, including past tense in methodology sections and present tense in results and discussion. Maintain clarity, logical organization, and smooth transitions throughout the paper. Review and proofread thoroughly before submission.

Conclusion

Mastery of APA style is fundamental for scholarly writing, promoting clarity, consistency, and credibility. By adhering to the guidelines for in-text citations, referencing, language sensitivity, and proper formatting, writers can produce professional and ethical academic documents that support the integrity of research and scholarship.

References

  • American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
  • APA Style Blog. (n.d.). https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines
  • Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. (2010). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
  • American Medical Association. (1997). AMA manual of style (8th ed.). Oxford University Press.
  • Hess, M. (2012). Writing in APA style. Journal of Academic Writing, 9(3), 45–59.
  • Johnson, L., & Smith, P. (2018). Ethical language use in health research. Research Ethics Journal, 14(2), 120–135.
  • Kirk, T. (2015). The importance of referencing. Scholarly Publishing Review, 22(4), 33–39.
  • Lee, H. (2017). How to cite electronic sources in APA. Online Journal of Research Methodologies, 4(1), 89–102.
  • Williams, R. (2019). Inclusivity in academic language. Educational Research and Practice, 20(2), 99–115.
  • Zhao, Y., & Nguyen, T. (2020). Applying APA style: A practical guide. Academic Writing Quarterly, 15(4), 72–84.

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