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Paraphrasing in APA

Paraphrasing is the art of putting information into your own words while writing a research paper, in order to maintain the academic integrity of your project. This is important because you need to use solid evidence as a researcher, but you need to put information into the proper format to avoid plagiarism. The American Psychological Association (APA) created a writing style in 1929 that calls for uniformity and consistency in giving credit to sources in your research.

How to properly paraphrase

If you do not properly paraphrase your source material following the APA style, you are at the risk of losing credibility as a writer and possibly plagiarizing. Although paraphrasing is not difficult, it does take time and a little forethought to do it correctly. There are several steps you should follow in order to achieve success.

1. Read the original source

The first step in creating an effective paraphrase is to carefully read the original source. Read it the first time to get the overall understanding, and then do a second closer reading in order to gather details and material that will help you formulate your argument.

2. Take notes in your own words

After reading the original source and determining what details can help you formulate your argument, take a minute to jot down some notes. Be careful to put everything into your own words. Change the structure of the sentence as well as the vocabulary.

Also, take a moment to take notes on the context of the source. Why was it written? Who wrote it? When was it written?

3. Construct a paraphrase

In order to construct a paraphrase, you need to include the same information, but with different sentence structure and different vocabulary. APA rules say that a paraphrase should be approximately the same length as the original.

You also need to add contextual text around the paraphrase so it fits within your paper.

4. Double check the original source to avoid duplication

Although an extra step, it is always a good idea to read through the original source one more time to make sure that you have chosen different words and varied the sentence structure. This is a good time to add the APA requirements of author and year of the source so that you have it handy.

5. Include an APA in-text citation

Even though you are putting a paraphrase into your own words, APA requires an in-text citation for paraphrasing. You can create a parenthetical citation or a narrative citation to accomplish this.

Remember: All in-text citations will also need a corresponding APA reference in the APA reference page . For this article, we’re just focusing on in-text citations in paraphrases.

For both types of in-text citation, you will need the following source information:

• Author’s last name
• Year published
• single page: p. #
• page range: pp. #-#

Parenthetical citation

For an APA parenthetical citation , write your paraphrase and then add the author and year in parenthesis at the end. Use a comma between the author and the year inside the parenthesis, and put the period for the end of the sentence outside the parenthesis.

Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? (Key, 1814).

My parents traveled from Italy to Germany and then France. As the oldest child, I traveled with them after being born in Naples. They were very close, and shared that love they had for each other with me (Shelley, 1818, p. 78).

Narrative citation

In a narrative citation, you introduce the author’s name as part of the sentence, and put the year in parenthesis.

Francis Scott Key (1814) wrote very special words while overlooking a battle: Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?

For further details, visit this guide on APA in-text citations.

Paraphrasing example

Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave an inaugural address in January 1933 during the Great Depression. This is an excerpt taken from an online source :

This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper….

1. Read original source text

In order to paraphrase, read through the text once to get the gist of it, and then again for deeper understanding. The context of this passage is also significant. It was given by a U.S. president during the Great Depression. What do you think he was trying to achieve?

Next take notes in your own words. Without immediately looking at the text, jot down what you think is the main point or concept of it. Next, take notes on the context of the source (you can look at the source for this).

For this passage, a few example notes could be:

• Facing truth
• Harsh current reality
• Believing that this great nation will endure and eventually prosper again
• Speech by President Roosevelt in 1933
• Given during the Great Depression
• He was addressing his citizens

Now’s the time to construct the paraphrase. Based on the notes above, a paraphrase would look something like this:

With his inaugural speech, Roosevelt was carefully trying to prepare citizens of the Nation to face the harsh reality that the Great Depression had caused, while also reassuring them that the country would endure and eventually prosper again.

4. Double check with the original source

The paraphrase above doesn’t not look too similar to the original, but we could still change a few words that were also in the original phrase (like “Nation,” “endure,” and “prosper). Revised, it looks like this:

With his inaugural speech, Roosevelt was carefully trying to prepare citizens of the United States to face the harsh reality that the Great Depression had caused, while also reassuring them that the country would eventually bounce back .

5. Add an APA in-text citation

An APA in-text citation means including the source’s author, year published, and page numbers (if available). The paraphrase already has the author’s name, but the year published needs to be added in parentheses. This is from an online source so no page number is needed.

With his inaugural speech, Roosevelt (1933) was carefully trying to prepare citizens of the United States to face the harsh reality that the Great Depression had caused, while also reassuring them that the country would eventually bounce back.

Examples of poor paraphrasing

Most people who fail at paraphrasing use the same sentence as the original source, and just change a word or two. If this is the case, the paraphrase would look something like this:

This great country will endure as it has endured, will come back to life and will prosper. So, first of all, let me show my strong belief that the only thing we have to worry about is fear itself…”

Another problem with paraphrasing occurs when you do half the job. Although the first and third sentences change the sentence structure and vocabulary in the sample below, there are some sections that are taken word-for-word from the original.

“From Italy they visited Germany and France. I, their eldest child, was born at Naples, and as an infant accompanied them in their rambles. I remained for several years their only child. Much as they were attached to each other, they seemed to draw inexhaustible stores of affection from a very mine of love to bestow them upon me.

Paraphrase:

My parents visited Italy and then Germany and France. I, their eldest child, was born at Naples. I traveled with them and was their only child for a few years. They loved each other and they seemed to draw inexhaustible stores of affection from a very mine of love.

In addition to the word-for-word similarities, this paraphrase doesn’t mention the original source’s author, year published, or page number (Shelley, 1818, p. 78).

Key takeaways

• In order to avoid plagiarism, APA delineates the way to give credit to sources when you are paraphrasing.
• In APA style, parenthetical citations demand the author and year of source.
• In order to create a stellar paraphrase, you need to change the structure and the words, but keep the main idea intact.

Published October 28, 2020.

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APA 7th referencing guide: Paraphrasing

• Referencing and APA style
• How to cite sources within the text
• How to reference sources in your reference list
• Paraphrasing
• Using the style with EndNote software
• More information

About paraphrasing

Most pieces of writing you do at university will expect you to refer to other sources as evidence to support and justify the point that you make. The key way to use sources in your writing is to paraphrase their ideas. Paraphrasing is using another person’s ideas but putting them into your own words and showing your interpretation of these ideas.  It is not just changing a few words in a sentence from the original text, and it must still have a citation with the author’s surname or organisation’s name plus the year it was published. You do not have to include a page number unless you are paraphrasing or summarising an idea from a particular page.

Callanan, G. A. & Tomkowicz, S. M. (2011). Legal yes, ethical no: using the case of debit card overdraft fees as a business ethics teaching tool. Journal of the Academy of Business Education , 12, 85-100.

Idea in the source which you want to paraphrase:-

This simultaneous attention to profit maximization on the one hand and the ethical expectations of society on the other creates a conflict that organizations confront on a daily basis. In this sense, organizations are pulled in two different directions; actions that allow for profit maximization, even if they are legal, could be questionable from an ethics standpoint and thereby fail to satisfy the expectations of society (pp. 85-86).

Unacceptable paraphrase i.e. plagiarism:-

This immediate consideration to profit maximization on the one hand and the moral expectations of society on the other creates a struggle that organizations confront on a regular basis. Therefore, organizations are pulled in two different directions; activities that allow for profit expansion, even if they are lawful, could be disputed from an ethics standpoint and thereby fail to fulfil the expectations of society.

Acceptable paraphrase:-

Callanan and Tomkowicz (2011, pp. 85-86) have argued that the ethical expectations of society and the attention placed on profit maximisation create a struggle for most organisations, which they have to deal with every day; organisations are often pulled in two opposing directions, one being the actions which will maximise profit and the other being the expectations of society.

If you are unsure how to paraphrase, please speak to the Learning Development team for your faculty: https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/library/learning-development/

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Paraphrasing

• Reference List & Sample Writing
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When you write information from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion as follows:

Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt, 1993).

Note : If you refer to the author's name in a sentence you do not have to include the name again as part of your in-text citation, instead include the year of publication following his/her name:

Hunt (1993) noted that mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research after the publication of John Bowlby's studies.

Paraphrasing Examples

Original Source

Homeless individuals commonly come from families who are riddled with problems and marital disharmony, and are alienated from their parents. They have often been physically and even sexually abused, have relocated frequently, and many of them may be asked to leave home or are actually thrown out, or alternatively are placed in group homes or in foster care. They often have no one to care for them and no one knows them intimately.

Source from: 

Rokach, A. (2005). The causes of loneliness in homeless youth.  The Journal of Psychology , 139, 469-480. 

Example:  Incorrect  Paraphrasing

The homeless come from families with problems. Frequently, they have been physically or sexually abused, or have lived in group homes. Usually no one cares for them or knows them intimately (Rokach, 2005). 

Note : In this incorrect example the writing is too similar to the original source. The student only changed or removed a few words and has not phrased the ideas in a new way. 

Example:  Correct  Paraphrasing

Many homeless experience isolation in part due to suffering from abuse or neglect during their childhood (Rokach, 2005).

Note : The example keeps the idea of the original writing but phrases it in a new way.

No Author and/or No Date

No Known Author:

Note that in most cases where a personal author is not named, a group author may be cited instead (eg. Statistics Canada). However, in certain cases, such as religious ancient texts, the author is unknown. Where you'd normally put the author's last name, instead use the first one, two, or three words from the title. Don't count initial articles like "A", "An" or "The". You should provide enough words to make it clear which work you're referring to from your References List.

If the title in the References list is in italics, italicize the words from the title in the in-text citation.

If you are citing an article, a chapter of a book or a page from a website, put the words in double quotation marks.

Capitalize the titles using title case (every major word is capitalized) even if the reference list entry uses sentence case (only first word is capitalized).

( Cell Biology , 2012, p. 157)

("Nursing," 2011, p. 9)

No Known Date of Publication :

Where you'd normally put the year of publication, instead use the letters "n.d.".

(Smith, n.d., p. 200)

In-Text Citation For Two or More Authors/Editors

In-text citation for group or corporate authors.

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APA Style (7th ed.)

• Position of the citation
• Secondary Referencing
• Date of Publication
• Page numbers
• Citing Sources Multiple Times
• Citing from Web pages
• Paraphrasing and Summarising

Paraphrasing

Summarising.

• Examples of References in APA (7th ed.) style
• APA Reference Examples A-Z
• Find Sources
• Evaluate Sources
• Write the Reference
• Write the Annotation
• Examples of Annotations (APA)
• Comparison of APA 6th and 7th eds

To paraphrase is to communicate the author’s work in your own words and to acknowledge the source:

• Used to rewrite text in your own words
• Used to clarify meaning
• Used to shorten a longer statement, but keep the main ideas
• Giving credit to the original author of the idea

Elements of a good paraphrase:

Change the structure of the original passage

Change the words

Give a citation / reference

To summarise is to describe broadly the findings of a study without directly quoting from it.  Summarising involves repeating the main ideas of a passage in your own words.  A summary concentrates on the important points rather than the details.

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Paraphrase: Write It in Your Own Words

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

This handout is intended to help you become more comfortable with the uses of and distinctions among quotations, paraphrases, and summaries. This handout compares and contrasts the three terms, gives some pointers, and includes a short excerpt that you can use to practice these skills.

Paraphrasing is one way to use a text in your own writing without directly quoting source material. Anytime you are taking information from a source that is not your own, you need to specify where you got that information.

A paraphrase is...

• Your own rendition of essential information and ideas expressed by someone else, presented in a new form.
• One legitimate way (when accompanied by accurate documentation) to borrow from a source.
• A more detailed restatement than a summary, which focuses concisely on a single main idea.

Paraphrasing is a valuable skill because...

• It is better than quoting information from an undistinguished passage.
• It helps you control the temptation to quote too much.
• The mental process required for successful paraphrasing helps you to grasp the full meaning of the original.

6 Steps to Effective Paraphrasing

• Reread the original passage until you understand its full meaning.
• Set the original aside, and write your paraphrase on a note card.
• Jot down a few words below your paraphrase to remind you later how you envision using this material. At the top of the note card, write a key word or phrase to indicate the subject of your paraphrase.
• Check your rendition with the original to make sure that your version accurately expresses all the essential information in a new form.
• Use quotation marks to identify any unique term or phraseology you have borrowed exactly from the source.
• Record the source (including the page) on your note card so that you can credit it easily if you decide to incorporate the material into your paper.

Some examples to compare

Note that the examples in this section use MLA style for in-text citation.

The original passage:

Students frequently overuse direct quotation in taking notes, and as a result they overuse quotations in the final [research] paper. Probably only about 10% of your final manuscript should appear as directly quoted matter. Therefore, you should strive to limit the amount of exact transcribing of source materials while taking notes. Lester, James D. Writing Research Papers . 2nd ed., 1976, pp. 46-47.

A legitimate paraphrase:

In research papers, students often quote excessively, failing to keep quoted material down to a desirable level. Since the problem usually originates during note taking, it is essential to minimize the material recorded verbatim (Lester 46-47).

An acceptable summary:

Students should take just a few notes in direct quotation from sources to help minimize the amount of quoted material in a research paper (Lester 46-47).

A plagiarized version:

Students often use too many direct quotations when they take notes, resulting in too many of them in the final research paper. In fact, probably only about 10% of the final copy should consist of directly quoted material. So it is important to limit the amount of source material copied while taking notes.

A note about plagiarism: This example has been classed as plagiarism, in part, because of its failure to deploy any citation. Plagiarism is a serious offense in the academic world. However, we acknowledge that plagiarism is a difficult term to define; that its definition may be contextually sensitive; and that not all instances of plagiarism are created equal—that is, there are varying “degrees of egregiousness” for different cases of plagiarism.

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Apa style 7th edition.

• APA 7th Edition

Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

Signal phrases.

• In-Text Citations
• APA Paper Formatting

Quoting Sources

• When you quote a source, you include the author's exact words in your text.
• Use "quotation marks" around the author's words or create a block text for long quotations.
• Include the author, year of publication, and page number for the reference.
• For page numbers include "p." for a single page and “pp.” for a span of multiple pages.
• Include signal phrases and an in-text citation to show where the quote is from.

Paraphrasing & Summarizing Sources

• When you paraphrase or summarize a source, you restate the source's ideas in your own words and sentence structure. 
• Select what is relevant to your topic, and restate only that.
• Changing only a few words is not sufficient in paraphrasing/ summarizing.
• Instead, you need to completely rephrase the author's ideas in your own words.
• You do not need to use quotation marks.
• Always use in-text citations when you paraphrase or summarize, to let the reader know that the information comes from another source. Continue to use signal phrases as well.

Signal phrases let your reader know that you are quoting or summarizing from another source.

• In the words of researchers Evans and Hallis (2022), "to avoid plagiarism, one must cite" (p. 27).
• Kaiser (2023) noted that in-text citations must match the reference list.
• Gidakovic (2021) points out that in-text citations must match the reference list.
• To avoid plagiarism, "one must cite" writes Hallis (2016, p. 26).
• Hallis and Kaiser (2023) indicate that in-text citations must match the reference list.
• Evans (2023) found that the best way to avoid plagiarism is to cite accordingly.

Verbs in signal phrases:

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APA Style 7th Edition: In-Text Citations, Quotations, and Plagiarism

An audio/visual guide to formatting your in-text citations by Samuel Forlenza, PhD (for Contents time stamps, link to YouTube - ad supported).This video will go through what plagiarism is and how to avoid it; how to cite sources using both parenthetical and narrative in-text citations; how to cite organizations, multiple sources at once, and avoid duplicate citations; and how to quote shorter and longer passages.

APA Style 7th Ed.: Reference Lists (Journal Articles, Books, Reports, Theses, Websites, more!)

An audio/visual guide to formatting your Reference List by Samuel Forlenza, PhD (for Contents time stamps, link to YouTube - ad supported). This video demonstrates how to format a reference list page and use a hanging indent; the four different elements of a reference list entry; and how to reference journal articles, books, chapters, reports, presentations, theses, and websites, plus numerous variations. For a textual resource, go to Reference Quick Guide.

Creating References Using Seventh Edition APA Style

The APA Style team, in cooperation with the American Library Association, provides an in-depth look at the simplified 7th ed. reference system. This video describes the rationale behind it, how to format references using it, and the ways in which references are easier to create because of it. Most importantly, it demonstrates how to cite a work found online. The APA Style experts use real-life examples to walk through the process of creating references for a variety of common webpages and websites, including ones with missing or hard-to-locate information, found via a database, and needing electronic source information (DOIs, URLs, and retrieval dates).

What’s New in APA Style—Inside the Seventh Edition of the Publication Manual of the APA

This What's New video is by the editors of the 7th edition style guide produced in cooperation with the American Library Association. It provides a comprehensive narrative of significant changes in the new edition. For a chapter-by-chapter textual guide to changes, see What’s New in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition (PDF, 1MB) .

APA Style Official Guide, 7th ed. TEXTUAL Resources

APA citation style refers to the rules and conventions established by the American Psychological Association for documenting sources used in a research paper. The APA Citation Style is often used for courses in psychology, education, business and other social sciences.

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Why You Need to Cite Sources

Quick Guide to Paraphrasing

Plagiarism, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing

• What is Plagiarism? Tutorial By the University of Southern Mississippi libraries.
• How to Avoid Plagiarism: Paraphrasing and Summarizing By the University of Southern Mississippi libraries.
• Avoiding Plagiarism - Safe Practices From Purdue's Online Writing Center (OWL), includes sections on Best Practices for Research and Drafting as well as Revising, proofreading, and finalizing your paper.

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Legacy Links for APA Style, 6th ed.

APA Style Central for the 6th ed. - On this site, you will find limited archived information for the previous edition of the guide.

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APA Citation Guide (7th edition) : Paraphrasing

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Paraphrasing

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On This Page

Paraphrasing examples, no author and/or no date, in-text citation for two or more authors/editors, in-text citation for group or corporate authors.

When you write information from a source in your own words, cite the source by adding an in-text citation at the end of the paraphrased portion as follows:

Mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research following the publication of John Bowlby's studies (Hunt, 1993).

Note : If you refer to the author's name in a sentence you do not have to include the name again as part of your in-text citation, instead include the year of publication following his/her name:

Hunt (1993) noted that mother-infant attachment became a leading topic of developmental research after the publication of John Bowlby's studies.

Original Source

Homeless individuals commonly come from families who are riddled with problems and marital disharmony, and are alienated from their parents. They have often been physically and even sexually abused, have relocated frequently, and many of them may be asked to leave home or are actually thrown out, or alternatively are placed in group homes or in foster care. They often have no one to care for them and no one knows them intimately.

Source from: 

Rokach, A. (2005). The causes of loneliness in homeless youth. The Journal of Psychology , 139, 469-480. 

Example: Incorrect Paraphrasing

The homeless come from families with problems. Frequently, they have been physically or sexually abused, or have lived in group homes. Usually no one cares for them or knows them intimately (Rokach, 2005). 

Note : In this incorrect example the writing is too similar to the original source. The student only changed or removed a few words and has not phrased the ideas in a new way. 

Example: Correct Paraphrasing

Many homeless experience isolation in part due to suffering from abuse or neglect during their childhood (Rokach, 2005).

Note : The example keeps the idea of the original writing but phrases it in a new way.

No Known Author:

Note that in most cases where a personal author is not named, a group author may be cited instead (eg. Statistics Canada). However, in certain cases, such as religious ancient texts, the author is unknown. Where you'd normally put the author's last name, instead use the first one, two, or three words from the title. Don't count initial articles like "A", "An" or "The". You should provide enough words to make it clear which work you're referring to from your References List.

If the title in the References list is in italics, italicize the words from the title in the in-text citation.

If you are citing an article, a chapter of a book or a page from a website, put the words in double quotation marks.

Capitalize the titles using title case (every major word is capitalized) even if the reference list entry uses sentence case (only first word is capitalized).

( Cell Biology , 2012, p. 157)

("Nursing," 2011, p. 9)

No Known Date of Publication :

Where you'd normally put the year of publication, instead use the letters "n.d.".

(Smith, n.d., p. 200)

For two authors/editors

(Case & Daristotle, 2011)

(Case & Daristotle, 2011, p. 57)

For more authors/editors

(Case et al., 2011)

(Case et al., 2011, p. 57)

Groups readily identified through abbreviations

(National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2003)

(NIMH, 2003)

(National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2003, p. 5)

(NIMH, 2003, p. 5)

Groups with no abbreviations

(University of Pittsburgh, 2005)

(University of Pittsburgh, 2005, p. 2)

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APA Style, 7th Edition

• Introduction
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• Parenthetical or In-Text Citations

Quoting and Paraphrasing

What abot the title, 8.24 long paraphrase, 8.25 direct quotation, 8.27 block quotes.

• Additional Resources

APA provides additional information on quoting, paraphrasing, and avoiding plagiarism in APA section 8.23-8.36.  You must give credit for the source and ideas where credit is due.  If in doubt, it is safer to cite.

When utilizing the author's name in the text to introduce an idea or quotation, known as a signal phrase, place only the publication year in parentheses immediately after the author's name.  Immediately after the quotation, place the specific page number in parentheses. When paraphrasing a primary source, it is not required to include the page number but it is permissible. If paraphrasing a secondary source, include the page number.

The following paragraph gives examples of three parenthetical citations including the use of a signal phrase:

     As Hanmer, Greenberg, and Keshavarzian (2009) note “childhood is the most opportune time to break the cycle of poverty” as investing in “a child’s health, nutrition, education, and social, emotional, and cognitive development is an investment in a healthier, more literate, and ultimately, more productive and spiritually strong population” (p. 53).  Religious communities possess the unique ability to transform views by providing spiritual encouragement, moral formation, and training and education (Foster, 2009, p. 13).  Unlike international aid organizations and government entities, religious communities have the trust and confidence of their communities as well (Hanmer et al., 2009, p. 53).

Sometimes when introducing a quotation or paraphrase, you wish to mention not only the author of the work but also the specific title of the work. When using the title of a book, article, or report within the narrative text, APA indicates that the title should be in Title Case where all major words are capitalized. See section 6.17 Titles of Works and Headings Within Words for more information. 

Sometimes a long paraphrase of several sentences is needed to summarize a work. Make certain to cite your source after the first use. Repeating a parenthetical citation is not needed. However, if the paraphrase continues to a second paragraph, a second citation is needed.

APA indicates it is best to paraphrase. But it is permissible to use a direct quotation in the following circumstances:

• exact definitions
• a memorable statement
• desire to respond to exact words

When using a direct quotation, provide author, year, and page number so that the reader can locate the exact quotation. 

Block quotations are used for quotations of 40 or more words. 

Block quotations start on a new line with the entire quotation indented by 1/2 inch or 1 tab.  The entire quotation should be double-spaced just like the remaining text and does not have quotation marks. The parenthetical citation will appear immediately after the quotation with no period at the end.

• << Previous: Parenthetical or In-Text Citations
• Next: Additional Resources >>
• Last Updated: Sep 15, 2022 10:29 AM
• URL: https://libguides.lincolnchristian.edu/APA

• Ursuline College

APA 7th edition

About apa 7th edition, in-text citations, secondary source citation, paraphrasing and using quotes, one or more authors, clinical practice references, formatting your paper, who can help.

• APA 6 vs. APA 7 - What's changed?

Online APA resources

• OWL at Purdue APA guide (7th ed.) The Purdue Online Writing Lab is an excellent online version of the APA manual.
• Zbib This is the single-cite citation generator recommended by Ursuline Librarians!

Attribution note:

Most of this guide's content was copied from https://libguides.csudh.edu/citation/apa-7 , a guide created by Tessa Withorn at CSUDH Library and licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License . Some content and formatting has been adapted for use at Ursuline College.

This guide is a quick introduction to the American Psychological Association (APA) Style for references and citations. Be sure to consult the Publication Manual of the APA  or the  APA Style  website for detailed standards and procedures. 

• A Quick Guide to APA Citation 7th Edition

When you reference another source, use an in-text citation in the body of your paper. There are two ways to reference another source as you write - summarizing/paraphrasing, and direct quotes. Both use the same basic format for in-text citation.

Basic Format: (Author's Last Name(s) or Organization, Year).

In scholarly works, authors reference and cite other works. The APA manual refers to a primary source as the one reporting the original content; the secondary source refers to and cites the primary source. When possible, locate the original or primary source for the information you wish to cite and reference it directly. Otherwise, cite the secondary source as follows:

(Rabbitt, 1982, as cited in Lyon et al., 2014) - Only Lyon et al.'s work appears in the reference list.

Secondary sources are covered in Section 8.6 of the APA Publication Manual, 7th ed., p. 258, and on the APA Style website .

• Paraphrasing and/or summarizing
• Direct quotes

Paraphrasing or summarizing the main findings or takeaways from a research article is the preferred method of citing sources in an APA paper. Always include the last name of the author(s) and the year of the article, so your reader can find the full citation in the reference list.

According to Shavers (2007), limitations of studying socioeconomic status in research on health disparities include difficulties in collecting data on socioeconomic status and the complications of classifying women, children, and employment status.

If you're quoting the exact words of someone else, introduce the quote with an in-text citation in parentheses. Any sentence punctuation goes after the closing parenthesis.

• According to Brown (2019), "Direct quote" (p. 1021).
• Brown (2019) found that "Direct quote" (p. 1021).
• [Some other introduction] "Direct quote" (Brown, 2019, p. 1021).

If you're directly quoting more than 40 words, use a block quote . Block quotes don't need quotation marks. Instead, indent the text 1/2" as a visual cue that you are citing. The in-text citation in parentheses goes after the punctuation of the quote.

Shavers (2007) study found the following:

While research studies have established that socioeconomic status influences disease incidence, severity and access to healthcare, there has been relatively less study of the specific manner in which low SES influences receipt of quality care and consequent morbidity and mortality among patients with similar disease characteristics, particularly among those who have gained access to the healthcare system. (p. 1021)

Use direct quotes sparingly! Focus on summarizing the findings from multiple research studies. In the sciences and social sciences, only use the exact phrasing or argument of an individual when necessary.

• 3 or more authors
• Group author

You only need the author's last name and the year.

(Abrams, 2018)

Connect both authors' last names with & (ampersand) and include the year.

(Wegener & Petty, 1994)

If there are 3 or more authors use et al., which means "and others."

(Harris et al., 2018)

First time with an abbreviation:

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019)

Then all subsequent citations: (CDC, 2019)

• Basic format
• Journal article
• News/Magazine Article
• Book Chapter with Editor(s)
• Psychological Tests
• Online Report
• Cochrane Review

Include the complete citation at the end of your paper in a references section. References are organized by the author's last name in alphabetic (A-Z) order. Apply hanging indent formatting (see below for instructions) to your references to separate them - do not add extra spacing between references.

Basic Format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date). Title of the work. Source where you can retrieve the work . URL or DOI if available

How to make a hanging indent in Word:

1. Highlight the citaiton with your cursor. 

2. Right click. 

3. Select Paragraph .

4. Under Indentation, select Special and Hanging .

• Author(s). Note: List each author's last name and initial as Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. Use an ampersand (&) before the final author's name. Read more from the APA Style website if there are 21 or more authors.
• Title of the article. Note: For works that are part of a greater whole (e.g. articles, chapter), use sentence case. Only the first word of the title and subtitle and proper nouns are capitalized.
• Title of the Journal , Note: Italicize and capitalize each word in the journal.
• Volume Note: Italicize the journal volume. If there is no issue, include a comma before the page range.
• (Issue), Note: If there is a issue number in addition to a volume number, include it in parentheses.
• Page range.
• DOI (Digital Object Identifier) Read more about DOIs from the APA Style wesbite.

Ashing‐Giwa, K. T., Padilla, G., Tejero, J., Kraemer, J., Wright, K., Coscarelli, A., Clayton, S., Williams, I., & Hills, D. (2004). Understanding the breast cancer experience of women: A qualitative study of African American, Asian American, Latina and Caucasian cancer survivors. Psycho‐Oncology , 13 (6), 408-428. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.750

• Author(s). Note: List each author's last name and initials as Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. Use an ampersand (&) before the final author's name.
• (Year, Month Date). Note: You do not need to abbreviate the month.
• Title of the Newspaper or Publication. Note: Italicize and capitalize each word in the publication.

Kennedy, M. (2018, October 15). To prevent wildfires, PG&E pre-emptively cuts power to thousands in California. NPR . https://www.npr.org/2018/10/15/657468903/to-prevent-wildfires-pg-e-preemptively-cuts-power-to-thousands-in-california

• Title of the book. Note: For works that stand alone (e.g. books, reports), italicize the title. Only capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle and any proper nouns.
• (Edition). Note: If there is an edition or volume, include it in parentheses and use abbreviations of ed. or vol.
• Publisher. Note: You do not need to include the publisher location or databases where you retrieved it.

Schmidt, N. A., & Brown, J. M. (2017). Evidence-based practice for nurses: Appraisal and application of research (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.

• Author(s). Note: List each chapter author's last name and initials as Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. Use an ampersand (&) before the final author's name.
• Title of the chapter. Note: For works that are part of a greater whole (e.g. articles, chapter), use sentence case. Only the first word of the title and subtitle and proper nouns are capitalized.
• In Editor(s), Note: List each editor's last name and initials as A. A. Editor, B. B. Editor, & C. C. Editors, include (Ed.) or (Eds.) in parentheses, and end with a comma.
• Title of the book Note: For works that stand alone (e.g. books, reports), italicize the title. Only capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle and any proper nouns.
• (pp.xx-xx).

McCormack, B., McCance, T., & Maben, J. (2013). Outcome evaluation in the development of person-centred practice. In B. McCormack, K. Manley, & A. Titchen (Eds.), Practice development in nursing and healthcare (pp. 190-211). John Wiley & Sons.

• Author(s). Note: List each author's last name and initials as Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. If there is no author, spell out the name of the organization or site.
• (Year, Month Date). Note: Read more about date formats from the APA Style website . Provide as specific a date as is available. Use the date last updated, but not the date last reviewed or copyright date. If there is no date, use (n.d.).
• Title of page or section. Note: Italicize the title of the page.
• Source. Note: Usually the official name of the website. If the source would be the same as the author, you can omit the source to avoid repetition.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Preventing HPV-associated cancers . https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/hpv/basic_info/prevention.htm/

Additional examples of citing a webpage on a website:

• Webpage on a news website
• Comment on a webpage on a news website
• Webpage on a website with a government agency group author
• Webpage on a website with an organizational group author
• Webpage on a website with an individual author
• Webpage on a website with a retrieval date

• How to cite a review from Mental Measurements Yearbook
• APA Citations (7th ed.): Tests, Scales, & Inventories
• Author(s). Note: List each author's last name and initials as Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. If there is no author, spell out the name of the organization that published the report.
• (Year, Month Date). Note: Provide as specific a date as is available.
• Title of the report or document. Note: For works that stand alone (e.g. books, reports), italicize the title. Only capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle and any proper nouns.
• Source. Includes the names of parent agencies or other organizations not listed in the group author name here.

Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. (2017, January). Key indicators of health by service planning area . http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/ha/

• APA Style Blog- How to Cite a Podcast
• How to cite a podcast Citing an etire podcast or a episode
• More examples
• How to cite a Cochrane Review Since Cochrane Reviews are not technically journal articles, there is often debate about the best way to cite them. For those using the 7th edition of the APA manual, Ursuline recommends following guidance provided in the APA 7th edition style blog.

Some resources that are commonly used in clinical nursing practice are confusing to cite. They do not fit into categories like "book" or "article." The APA manual provides examples of such references throughout the 7th edition. For ease of reference, see the consolidated list linked below.

• Clinical practice references This page contains reference examples for clinical practice for nurses, including the following: 1. UpToDate article (Ursuline does not subscribe, but major healthcare providers have access) 2. Cochrane review 3. Clinical practice guideline with a group author 4. Clinical practice guideline by individual authors at a government agency, published as part of a series 5. Drug information 6. Lab or diagnostic manual 7. Mobile app reference work 8. Entry in a mobile app reference work

What does an APA paper look like?

APA Style offers sample student and professional papers , including a free annotated student sample paper .

• Sample Student Paper (APA 7th edition) Download and use this Word document as a template for your paper!

The APA manual provides style rules and guidelines that sometimes require interpretation. Your instructor has the final word , but tutors and librarians can help!

Need help writing your APA paper? Looking for someone to go over what you've written to make sure it's correct? Want someone to review your citations? Email [email protected] and ask to be connected with a writing tutor .

Having trouble citing a particular source? Need help finding the correct citation format? Schedule time to meet with a librarian .

• The Writing Center Make an appointment at the Writing Center for help at any point in the writing or editing process. The Writing Center is located on the second floor of Ursuline Library.
• Next: APA 6 vs. APA 7 - What's changed? >>
• Last Updated: Oct 26, 2023 3:56 PM
• URL: https://libraryguides.ursuline.edu/APA7th

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• Introduction
• Parenthetical vs. narrative
• Multiple authors

Missing information

• Sources to include

Tools and resources

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How to create APA citations

APA Style is widely used by students, researchers, and professionals in the social and behavioral sciences. Scribbr’s free citation generator automatically generates accurate references and in-text citations.

This citation guide outlines the most important citation guidelines from the 7th edition APA Publication Manual (2020).

• Cite a webpage
• Cite a book
• Cite a journal article
• Cite a YouTube video

APA in-text citations

APA in-text citations include the author’s last name, publication date, and, if relevant, a locator such as a page number or timestamp. For example, (Smith, 2021, p. 170) . See it as a shorter version of the entry in the reference list .

You should include in-text citations every time you’re quoting or paraphrasing someone else’s ideas or words. In doing so, you give credit to the original author and avoid plagiarism .

Parenthetical vs. narrative citation

The in-text citation can take two forms: parenthetical and narrative. Both types are generated automatically when citing a source with Scribbr’s APA Citation Generator.

• Parenthetical citation: According to new research … (Smith, 2020) .
• Narrative citation: Smith (2020) notes that …

Multiple authors and corporate authors

The 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 (&) symbol.

When the author, publication date or locator is unknown, take the steps outlined below.

APA Citation Generator

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APA references

APA references generally include information about the author , publication date , title , and source . Depending on the type of source, you may have to include extra information that helps your reader locate the source.

It is not uncommon for certain information to be unknown or missing, especially with sources found online. In these cases, the reference is slightly adjusted.

Formatting the APA reference page

On the first line of the page, write the section label “References” (in bold and centered). On the second line, start listing your references in alphabetical order .

Apply these formatting guidelines to the APA reference page:

• Double spacing (within and between references)
• Hanging indent of ½ inch
• Legible font (e.g. Times New Roman 12 or Arial 11)
• Page number in the top right header

Which sources to include

On the reference page, you only include sources that you have cited in the text (with an in-text citation ). You should not include references to personal communications that your reader can’t access (e.g. emails, phone conversations or private online material).

In addition to the APA Citation Generator, Scribbr provides many more tools and resources that help millions of students and academics every month.

• Citation Generator : Generate flawless citations in APA, MLA , and Harvard style .
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• AI detector: Find out if your text was written with ChatGPT or any other AI writing tool. ChatGPT 2 & ChatGPT 3 supported.
• Proofreading services : Have a professional editor (or team of editors) improve your writing so you can submit your paper with pride and confidence. Scribbr offers admission essay editing , paper editing , and academic editing .
• Guides and videos : Explore hundreds of articles, bite-sized videos, time-saving templates, and handy checklists that guide you through the process of research, writing, and citation.

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APA Style, 7th edition

• What is APA?
• APA Style Citation Guide
• Formatting Your Paper
• Reference List
• Last Updated: Feb 8, 2024 11:39 AM
• URL: https://libguides.randolph.edu/apa

APA Style 7th Edition

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• What is a DOI?
• When Creating Digital Assignments
• When Information is Missing
• Works Cited in Another Source
• In-Text Citation Components
• Paraphrasing
• Paper Formatting
• Citation Basics
• Reference List and Sample Papers
• Annotated Bibliography
• Academic Writer
• Plagiarism & Citations

This Resource Guide is an Overview of APA 7th Edition Citation Style.

These guidelines will cover how to set up a student paper in apa format. the 7th edition now has specific formatting for student papers versus a professional paper (i.e. one being submitted for publication)., i f your instructor has requested a different format or additional elements,   use your instructor's preferences..

APA Style consists of guidelines published within the 7th edition of The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association .

The APA style is used to cite sources when doing research in the social and behavioral sciences - psychology, sociology, anthropology, economics,  political science, and education.

Copies of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition) are available at the campus libraries.

What's New in the 7th Edition of APA

Below is a summary of the major changes in the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual.

Essay Format:

• Font  - While you still can use Times New Roman 12, you are free to use other fonts. Calibri 11, Arial 11, Lucida Sans 10, and Georgia 11 are all acceptable.
• Headers  - No running headers are required for student papers.
• Tables and Figures  - There is a standardized format for both tables and figures.

Style, Grammar, Usage:

• Singular "they" required in two situations: when used by a known person as their personal pronoun or when the gender of a singular person is not known.
• Use only one space after a sentence-ending period.

Citation Style:

• Developed the 'Four Elements of a Reference" (Author, Date, Title, Source) to help writers to create references for source types not explicitly examined in the APA Manual.
• Three or more authors can be abbreviated to First author, et al. on the first citation.
• Up to 20 authors are spelled out in the References List.
• Publisher location is not required for books
• Ebook platform, format, or device is not required for eBooks.  
• Library database names are generally not required
• No "doi:" prefix, simply include the doi.
• All hyperlinks retain the https://
• Links can be "live" in blue with underline or black without underlining

Notable Changes in APA 7th Edition

Introducing the 7th ed. APA Style Publication Manual Video

Commonly Used Terms

Citing : The process of acknowledging the sources of your information and ideas.

DOI (doi) : Some electronic content, such as online journal articles, is assigned a unique number called a Digital Object Identifier (DOI or doi). Items can be tracked down online using their doi.

In-Text Citation : A brief note at the point where information is used from a source to indicate where the information came from. An in-text citation should always match more detailed information that is available in the Reference List.

Paraphrasing : Taking information that you have read and putting it into your own words.

Plagiarism : Taking, using, and passing off as your own, the ideas or words of another.

Quoting : The copying of words of text originally published elsewhere. Direct quotations generally appear in quotation marks and end with a citation.

Reference : Details about one cited source.

Reference List : Contains details on ALL the sources cited in a text or essay, and supports your research and/or premise.

Retrieval Date : Used for websites where content is likely to change over time (e.g. Wikis), the retrieval date refers to the date you last visited the website.

Additional Links

• American Psychological Association On this site, you will find tutorials, FAQs, and other resources to help you improve your writing, master APA Style, and learn the conventions of scholarly publishing.
• OWL @ Purdue Purdue University Writing Lab has an excellent online writing guide for APA style.

Acknowledgement

This guide was created with information and citation examples taken from APA Citation Guide (7th Edition) Columbia College, Vancouver, CA, Stafford Library APA 7th Edition, Columbia College, Columbia, MO, APA (7th Edition) Citation Guide, Lawrence W. Tyree Library, Santa Fe College, Gainesville, Florida and are used with permission.

• Next: How Do I Cite? >>
• Last Updated: Mar 4, 2024 1:55 PM
• URL: https://guides.fscj.edu/APAStyle7