This document provides an overview of APA style guidelines for in-text citations and reference lists. It explains that APA style is typically used in social sciences and requires brief in-text citations with the author's last name and year, as well as a reference list on a separate page with full source details. The document demonstrates proper formatting for various citation scenarios and reference list entries for different source types such as books, journal articles, websites, and more.

1. APA STYLE
In-Text Citations and Reference Lists
Gavilan College Writing Center

2. Presentation Overview
• Why APA?
• Crediting Sources: What and Why
• Formatting In-Text Citations
• Formatting Reference Lists
• Resources

3. Why APA?
Different professions use different manuals
Modern Language Association (MLA)
• English Studies
• Foreign Language and Literatures
American Psychological Association (APA)
• Social Sciences (Psychology, Sociology, Communications, etc.)
• Nursing
Chicago Style
• History
• Arts
• Sciences

4. What does it mean to credit sources?
• Crediting sources gives an author or resource credit for
original information. Crediting sources in your paper
includes two parts:
• In-Text Citations: When you present information in the body of
your paper, you briefly identify its source.
• Reference List: On a separate page at the end of your paper, you
write a detailed list of the sources cited in your paper.
• The in-text citations and reference list should credit the
exact same sources.

5. Why credit sources?
• Acknowledge authors for their ideas
• Avoid plagiarism
• Increase credibility and transparency
• Join an ongoing academic discussion
• Become a part of a professional community

6. What should you credit?
• Any information that you learned from another source
including facts, statistics, opinions, theories, photographs,
and charts
• Credit these sources when you mention their information
in any way (quotations, summaries, paraphrases)
• EXCEPTION: Information that is common knowledge
• Barack Obama is the president of the United States.
• The declaration of independence was signed July 4, 1776.

7. In-Text Citation Format
• An in-text citation usually includes the following information:
• Author’s last name (no first name or initial)
• Publication date (year only—even for electronic sources)
• Page number (required for quotations; optional for paraphrases)
• The rest of the information about the source appears in the reference
list.

8. In-Text Citation Format
When using APA format, the basic in-text citation
contains the author’s last name, the date of
publication, and often the page number from which
material is borrowed.
For Example:
“In order to maintain academic honesty in your writing, it is important to cite
your sources using proper APA style” (Moore, 2013, p. 99).
Author
Date
What should I do when the author has already been referenced?
Moore (2013) says that “In order to maintain academic honesty in your writing,
it is important to cite your sources using proper APA style” (p. 99).
Page
#

9. In-Text Citation Format
Author’s name and publication year at end of sentence
• People with bipolar disorder often have lower wages, higher
unemployment, work absenteeism, reliance on workmen’s
compensation, higher rates of divorce, lower levels of
educational attainment, higher arrest rates, and hospitalization
(Leahy, 2007).
Author’s name in the sentence immediately followed by year
• According to Leahy (2007), people with bipolar disorder often
have lower wages, higher unemployment, work absenteeism,
reliance on workmen’s compensation, higher rates of divorce,
lower levels of educational attainment, higher arrest rates, and
hospitalization.

10. In-Text Citations with Quotations (under 40 words)
Author’s name, year, and page number immediately following
quotation
• Genres are “abstract, socially recognized ways of using
language” (Hyland, 2003, p. 21).
Author’s name in the sentence immediately followed by year
Page number immediately following quotation
• According to Hyland (2003), genres are “abstract, socially
recognized ways of using language” (p. 354).

11. In-Text Citations
Basic Author Name in Sentence
When you
summarize or
paraphrase a source
(Leahy, 2007) Leahy (2007)
When you quote a
source
(Hyland, 2003, p. 21) Hyland (2003) “…” (p. 21)

12. Let’s Practice!
Author’s last name: Gee
Year of publication: 2005
Page number: 8
• Another viewpoint is that the meaning of language is inherently social.
• Another viewpoint is that “language has meaning only in and through social
practices.”
• The recent theory that “language has meaning only in and through social
practices” lends support for social learning theories.
• Gee believes that the meaning of language is inherently social.
• Gee’s theory that “language has meaning only in and through social
practices” lends support for social learning theories.

13. Let’s Practice!
Author’s last name: Gee
Year of publication: 2005
Page number: 8
• Another viewpoint is that the meaning of language is inherently social (Gee,
2005).
• Another viewpoint is that “language has meaning only in and through social
practices.”
• The recent theory that “language has meaning only in and through social
practices” lends support for social learning theories.
• Gee believes that the meaning of language is inherently social.
• Gee’s theory that “language has meaning only in and through social
practices” lends support for social learning theories.

14. Let’s Practice!
Author’s last name: Gee
Year of publication: 2005
Page number: 8
• Another viewpoint is that the meaning of language is inherently social (Gee,
2005).
• Another viewpoint is that “language has meaning only in and through social
practices” (Gee, 2005, p. 8).
• The recent theory that “language has meaning only in and through social
practices” lends support for social learning theories.
• Gee believes that the meaning of language is inherently social.
• Gee’s theory that “language has meaning only in and through social
practices” lends support for social learning theories.

15. Let’s Practice!
Author’s last name: Gee
Year of publication: 2005
Page number: 8
• Another viewpoint is that the meaning of language is inherently social (Gee,
2005).
• Another viewpoint is that “language has meaning only in and through social
practices” (Gee, 2005, p. 8).
• The recent theory that “language has meaning only in and through social
practices” (Gee, 2005, p. 8) lends support for social learning theories.
• Gee believes that the meaning of language is inherently social.
• Gee’s theory that “language has meaning only in and through social
practices” lends support for social learning theories.

16. Let’s Practice!
Author’s last name: Gee
Year of publication: 2005
Page number: 8
• Another viewpoint is that the meaning of language is inherently social (Gee,
2005).
• Another viewpoint is that “language has meaning only in and through social
practices” (Gee, 2005, p. 8).
• The recent theory that “language has meaning only in and through social
practices” (Gee, 2005, p. 8) lends support for social learning theories.
• Gee (2005) believes that the meaning of language is inherently social.
• Gee’s theory that “language has meaning only in and through social
practices” lends support for social learning theories.

17. Let’s Practice!
Author’s last name: Gee
Year of publication: 2005
Page number: 8
• Another viewpoint is that the meaning of language is inherently social (Gee,
2005).
• Another viewpoint is that “language has meaning only in and through social
practices” (Gee, 2005, p. 8).
• The recent theory that “language has meaning only in and through social
practices” (Gee, 2005, p. 8) lends support for social learning theories.
• Gee (2005) believes that the meaning of language is inherently social.
• Gee’s theory that (2005) “language has meaning only in and through social
practices” (p. 8) lends support for social learning theories.

18. In-Text Citations: Multiple Authors
Basic Author Names in Sentence
2 Authors (Verhaak & de Haan, 2007) Verhaak and de Haan (2007)
3-5 Authors first citation
(Zandt, Prior, & Kyrios, 2006)
subsequent citations
(Zandt et al., 2006)
first citation
Zandt, Prior, and Kyrios (2006)
subsequent citations
Zandt et al. (2006)
6+ Authors (Storch et al., 2006) Storch et al. (2006)

19. In-Text Citations: Other Variations
Basic Author Name(s) in Sentence
Group as
Author
(University of Pittsburgh, 2007) University of Pittsburgh (2007)
No Author (“Study Finds,” 2007)
(College Bound Seniors, 2008)
“Study Finds” (2007)
College Bound Seniors (2008)
No
Publication
Date
(Basham, n.d.) Basham (n.d.)
Multiple
Pages
(Gee, 2005, pp. 8-9) Gee (2007)…(pp. 8-9)
No Page
Numbers
(Brown, 2007, para. 6) Brown (2007)…(para. 6)

20. In-Text Citations: Other Variations
Basic Author Name(s) in Sentence
Two primary
authors with the
same last name
(M. Light, 2008)
(L. Light, 2006)
M. Light (2008)
L. Light (2006)
Multiple works
by the same
author in the
same year
(Derryberry & Reed, 2005a)
(Derryberry & Reed, 2005b)
Derryberry & Reed (2005a)
Derryberry & Reed (2005b)
Multiple works
by the same
author in the
same citation
(Gogel, 1990, 2006) Gogel (1990, 2006)
Multiple works
by different
authors in the
same citation
(Minor, 1999; Shafranske &
Mahoney, 1998)
N/A

21. Reference List

22. Books
• Rule: Author(s) of book – family name and initials, use & for multiple
authors. (Year of publication).Title of book – italicised. Place of
publication: Publisher.
• One author: Berkman, R. I. (1994).Find it fast: How to uncover expert
information.New York: Harper Perrenial.
• Two to six authors: Moir, A., & Jessel, D. (1991).Brain sex: the real
difference between men and women. London: Mandarin.
• Six or more authors: Johnson, L., Lewis, K., Peters, M., Harris, Y.,
Moreton, G., Morgan, B. et al. (2005).How far Is far? London: McMillan.
• No author: The CCH Macquarie dictionary of business.(1993). North
Ryde, NSW: CCH Australia.
• Book by an organisation or institution (corporate author):
Queensland Health. (2002).Best practice guidelines for
the management of type 1 diabetes in children and adolescents.
Brisbane, Qld.: Queensland Health.

23. Journal Articles
• Rule: Author(s) of journal article – family name and
initials, use & for multiple authors. (Year of publication).
Title of journal article.Journal name – italicised, Volume –
italicised (Issue or number), Page number(s).
• Mellers, B. A. (2000). Choice and the relative pleasure of
consequences.Psychological Bulletin, 50(2), 49-52.
• Skenderian, J, Siegel, J. T.,Crano, W.D., Alvaro, E.E. &
Lac, A. (2008). Expectancychange and adolescents'
intentions to use marijuana.Psychology of Addictive
Behaviors,22, 563-569.

24. Conference papers
• Rule: Author(s) of paper – family name and initials, use & for
multiple authors. (Year of publication). Title of paper. Title of
published proceeding – italicised. Place of Publication:
Publisher.
• Published conference paper: Bohrer, S., Zielke, T., &
Freiburg, V. (1995). Integrated obstacle detection framework for
intelligent cruise control on motorways.Paper presented at
IEEE Intelligent Vehicles Symposium. Detroit, MI: Piscataway.
• Unpublished conference paper: Bowden, F.J. & Fairley, C.K.
(1996, June).Endemic STDs in
the Northern Territory: estimations of effective rates of partner
change. Paper presented at the scientific meeting of the Royal
Australian College of Physicians, Darwin.

25. Webpages
• Rule: Author(s) of page – person or organisation, use & for
multiple authors. (Year page created or revised).Title of page –
italicised. Retrieved month day, year of retrieval, from web
address.
• Web page - with author: Atherton, J. (2005).Behaviour
Modification. Retrieved February 5, 2009, from
http://www.learningandteaching.info/learning/
behaviour_mod.htm
• Web page - no author: Behaviour modification. (2007).
Retrieved February 5, 2009, from
http://www.educationalpsychologist.org.uk/behaviour.html.
• Webpage – no date: Society of Clinical Psychology.
(n.d.)About Clinical Psychology. Retrieved January 28, 2009,
from http://www.apa.org/divisions/div12/ aboutcp.html

26. Rules of Thumb A Writer’s Reference
Gavilan College Writing Center