{"id":85,"count":19,"description":"<img class=\"alignright d-none d-sm-block\" src=index-2714.html alt=\"APA 7th edition publication manual\" width=\"150\" \/>APA Style is widely used by students, researchers, and professionals in the social and behavioral sciences. Scribbr's <a href=index-2715.html>APA Citation Generator<\/a> automatically generates accurate references and in-text citations for free.\r\n\r\nThis citation guide outlines the most important citation guidelines from the <strong>7th edition<\/strong> APA Publication Manual (2020). Scribbr also offers free guides for the <a href=index-2716.html>older APA 6th edition<\/a>, <a href=index-1779.html>MLA Style<\/a>, and <a href=index-1780.html>Chicago Style<\/a>.\r\n<p class=\"mt-5\">[citation-widget style=\"apa\" title=\"Generate accurate APA citations with Scribbr\"]<!--more--><\/p>\r\n\r\n<h2 id=\"goto-in-text-citations\" class=\"mt-5\">APA in-text citations<\/h2>\r\n<h3 id=\"in-text-citation-basics\" class=\"mt-4\">The basics<\/h3>\r\nIn-text citations are brief references in the running text that direct readers to the <a href=index.html#goto-references\">reference entry<\/a> at the end of the paper. You include them every time you <a href=index-2717.html>quote<\/a> or <a href=indexdb7f.html?p=47893\%22>paraphrase<\/a> someone else\u2019s ideas or words to <a href=index-1792.html>avoid plagiarism<\/a>.\r\n\r\nAn <a href=indexebf2.html?p=5892\%22>APA in-text citation<\/a> consists of the author\u2019s last name and the year of publication (also known as the author-date system). If you\u2019re citing a specific part of a source, you should also include a locator such as a page number or timestamp. For example: <span class=\"highlight-blue\">(Smith, 2020, p. 170)<\/span>.\r\n<h3 id=\"in-text-citation-types\" class=\"mt-5\">Parenthetical vs. narrative citation<\/h3>\r\nThe in-text citation can take two forms: parenthetical and narrative. Both types are generated automatically when citing a source with Scribbr\u2019s APA Citation Generator.\r\n<ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\r\n \t<li><strong>Parenthetical citation:<\/strong> According to new research ... <span class=\"highlight-blue\">(Smith, 2020)<\/span>.<\/li>\r\n \t<li><strong>Narrative citation:<\/strong> <span class=\"highlight-blue\">Smith<\/span> <span class=\"highlight-blue\">(2020)<\/span> notes that \u2026<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3 id=\"in-text-multiple-authors\" class=\"mt-5\">Multiple authors and corporate authors<\/h3>\r\nThe in-text citation changes slightly when a source has multiple authors or an organization as an author. Pay attention to punctuation and the use of the ampersand (&amp;) symbol.\r\n<table class=\"kb-table vertical-borders responsive full-width\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Author type<\/th>\r\n<th>Parenthetical citation<\/th>\r\n<th>Narrative citation<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>One author<\/th>\r\n<td>(Smith, 2020)<\/td>\r\n<td>Smith (2020)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Two authors<\/th>\r\n<td>(Smith &amp; Jones, 2020)<\/td>\r\n<td>Smith and Jones (2020)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Three or more authors<\/th>\r\n<td>(Smith et al., 2020)<\/td>\r\n<td>Smith et al. (2020)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Organization<\/th>\r\n<td>(Scribbr, 2020)<\/td>\r\n<td>Scribbr (2020)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<h3 id=\"in-text-missing-information\" class=\"mt-5\">Missing information<\/h3>\r\nWhen the author, publication date or locator is unknown, take the steps outlined below.\r\n<table class=\"kb-table vertical-borders responsive auto-th full-width\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Missing element<\/th>\r\n<th>What to do<\/th>\r\n<th>Parenthetical citation<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Author<\/th>\r\n<td>Use the source title.*<\/td>\r\n<td>(<em>Source Title<\/em>, 2020)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Date<\/th>\r\n<td>Write \u201cn.d.\u201d for \u201cno date\u201d.<\/td>\r\n<td>(Smith, n.d.)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Page number<\/th>\r\n<td>Either use an <a href=indexb7cb-2.html?p=5892#no-locator\">alternative locator<\/a> or\r\nomit the page number.<\/td>\r\n<td>(Smith, 2020, Chapter 3) or\r\n(Smith, 2020)<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<figure class=\"kb-textbox small\">*Format the title in the same way as in the corresponding reference entry (either italicized or, if the title in the reference entry is not italicized, placed in quotation marks). Use <a href=index-2718.html>title case<\/a> capitalization. For <a href=index-2719.html>court cases<\/a>, use italics in the in-text citation but not in the reference entry.<\/figure>\r\n<h2 id=\"goto-references\" class=\"mt-5\">APA references<\/h2>\r\n<h3 id=\"references-basics\" class=\"mt-4\">The basics<\/h3>\r\n<a href=index5e44.html?p=231646\%22>APA references<\/a> generally include information about the <a href=indexbdd3-2.html?p=231646#author\">author<\/a>, <a href=indexbdd3-2.html?p=231646#date\">publication date<\/a>, <a href=indexbdd3-2.html?p=231646#title\">title<\/a>, and <a href=indexbdd3-2.html?p=231646#source\">source<\/a>. Depending on the type of source, you may have to include extra information that helps your reader locate the source.\r\n<h3 id=\"references-examples\" class=\"mt-5\">Reference examples<\/h3>\r\nCiting a source starts with choosing the correct reference format. Use Scribbr's Citation Example Generator to learn more about the format for the most common source types. Pay close attention to punctuation, capitalization, and italicization.\r\n<div class=\"scribbr-citation-example-generator\" data-citation-styles=\"apa\"><\/div>\r\n<script async src=index-2689.html charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\" class=\"mt-4\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/citation\/generator\/apa\/\" class=\"btn btn--blue btn--small\">Generate APA citations for free<\/a><\/p>\r\n\r\n<h3 id=\"references-missing-information\" class=\"mt-5\">Missing information<\/h3>\r\nIt is not uncommon for certain information to be unknown or missing, especially with sources found online. In these cases, the reference is slightly adjusted.\r\n<table class=\"kb-table vertical-borders responsive auto-th full-width\">\r\n<thead>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Missing element<\/th>\r\n<th>What to do<\/th>\r\n<th>Reference format<\/th>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/thead>\r\n<tbody>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Author<\/th>\r\n<td>Start the reference entry with the source title.<\/td>\r\n<td>Title. (Date). Source.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Date<\/th>\r\n<td>Write \u201cn.d.\u201d for \u201cno date\u201d.<\/td>\r\n<td>Author. (n.d.). Title. Source.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<tr>\r\n<th>Title<\/th>\r\n<td>Describe the work in square brackets.<\/td>\r\n<td>Author. (Date). [Description]. Source.<\/td>\r\n<\/tr>\r\n<\/tbody>\r\n<\/table>\r\n<h2 id=\"goto-apa-formatting\" class=\"mt-5\">Formatting the APA reference page<\/h2>\r\n<h3 id=\"formatting-basics\" class=\"mt-4\">The basics<\/h3>\r\n<a class=\"colorbox\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/apa-reference-page-7th-ed.png\"><img class=\"alignright d-none d-sm-block\" src=\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/02\/apa-reference-page-7th-ed.png\" alt=\"APA Reference Page (7th edition)\" width=\"275\" \/><\/a>On the <a href=\"\/?p=5761\">reference page<\/a>, you list all the sources that you\u2019ve cited throughout your paper. Place the page right after the main body and before any appendices.\r\n\r\nOn the first line of the page, write the section label \u201cReferences\u201d (in bold and centered). On the second line, start <a href=\"\/?p=5975\">listing your references in alphabetical order<\/a>.\r\n\r\nApply these formatting guidelines to the APA reference page:\r\n<ul class=\"kb-checklist\">\r\n \t<li>Double spacing (within and between references)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Hanging indent of \u00bd inch<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Legible font (e.g. Times New Roman 12 or Arial 11)<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Page number in the top right header<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<h3 id=\"sources-to-include\" class=\"mt-5\">Which sources to include<\/h3>\r\nOn the reference page, you only include sources that you have cited in the text (with an <a href=\"\/?p=5892\">in-text citation<\/a>). You should not include references to <a href=\"\/?p=15093\">personal communications<\/a> that your reader can\u2019t access (e.g. emails, phone conversations or private online material).\r\n<h2>Free lecture slides<\/h2>\r\nAre you a teacher or professor looking to introduce your students to APA Style? Download our free introductory lecture slides, available for Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint.\r\n\r\n<iframe width=\"730\" height=\"439\" src=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/presentation\/d\/e\/2PACX-1vSPHgv6RmwW7Gzr7oKwbS9rn_3Ubx1jtALRJAF7iDakc7caDjw_NbIw9AOGwNjklfo11uWV-kGBgdjU\/embed?start=false&amp;loop=false&amp;delayms=60000\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\" mozallowfullscreen=\"mozallowfullscreen\" webkitallowfullscreen=\"webkitallowfullscreen\"><\/iframe>\r\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><a class=\"btn btn--small btn--blue\" href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/presentation\/d\/1e3Ag0xt0609aNrHRLCCN9YAhxDf6KbPEPKGIAwh9J-E\/edit?usp=sharing\">Open Google Slides<\/a><a class=\"btn btn--small btn--blue\" href=\"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/Lecture-slides_-APA.pptx\">Download PowerPoint<\/a><\/p>\r\n[FAQ-article]","link":"https:\/\/www.scribbr.com\/category\/apa-style\/","name":"APA Style 7th edition","slug":"apa-style","taxonomy":"category","parent":0,"meta":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<title>How to Cite in APA Format (7th edition) | Guide &amp; Generator<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn everything you need about APA Style in-text citations and references. 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