APA referencing uses author-date citations, so when using the work of others, an in-text citation must include the author and date to acknowledge the work fully. When directly quoting from another's work, then the location of the quote is also required - generally this will be the page number, but sometimes it is the paragraph number, section title or time-stamp.
Citations can be either narrative or parenthetical, this is a stylistic choice and up to the writer.
Narrative citations: Name (date) comes before the cited information and is incorporated into the sentence.
Parenthetical citations: The citation details appear in parentheses (brackets) after the information (Name, date).
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Narrative Example |
Parenthetical Example |
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Steinem (1983) understands the issue as...
Lamb and Yuen (2024) stated that... |
The issue here is .... (Steinem, 1983).
The issue here is .... (Lamb & Yuen, 2024). |
Samovar and Porter (1997) point out that "language involves attaching meaning to symbols" (p. 188).
OR
"Language involves attaching meaning to symbols" (Samovar & Porter, 1997, p. 188).
Samovar and Porter (1997) point out that "language involves attaching meaning to symbols" (para. 8).
OR
"Language involves attaching meaning to symbols" (Samovar & Porter, 1997, para. 8).
Samovar and Porter (1997) point out that "language involves attaching meaning to symbols" (0:27-0:36).
OR
"Language involves attaching meaning to symbols" (Samovar & Porter, 1997, 0:27-0:36).
Page numbers are optional when paraphrasing, although authors are encouraged to include them, especially when it assists the reader to locate the reference in long pieces of text.
Giving meaning to specific symbols such as sounds and marks is considered to be the origin of written language (Samovar & Porter, 1997, p. 188).
OR
Giving meaning to specific symbols such as sounds and marks is considered to be the origin of written language (Samovar & Porter, 1997).
A quotation of 40 or more words should be formatted as a freestanding, indented block of text without quotation marks. Note the location of the final full stop.
Smith (2021) observes that:
Among the other significant consequences of ecological imperialism – carried by humans, as well as by plants and animals – were the viral and bacterial diseases which devastated Indigenous populations. This devastation or genocide was, in the accounts of many Indigenous peoples, used deliberately as a weapon of war. (p. 71)
A secondary citation is where you cite information or quotes that the author of your reference has taken from a source that you have not read. If you quote or paraphrase this other author, you must acknowledge everyone - the author of the quote, and the author of the source you are reading.
Where possible, attempt to track down the original work and find the quote. If unsuccessful, create a secondary citation where both authors and dates appear in-text, but only the author of the work you are viewing is placed in the reference list.
Beauvoir (1949, as cited in Butler, 2006) argues that gender is a construction, and a woman becomes 'her' gender through social coercion.
Butler, J. (2006). Gender trouble: Feminism and the subversion of identity. Routledge.
Edited books are put together by editors and usually have chapters written by different authors. The authors of these chapters may quote or paraphrase other authors. If you quote or paraphrase these other authors, you must acknowledge everyone - the author of the quote, the author of the chapter in the edited book and the editor/s of the edited book.
As Wearmouth and Connors (2004, as cited in Glynn & Berryman, 2005) state, "schooling plays a critical part in shaping a student's sense of 'self', that is, in his or her belief in his or her ability, responsibility and skill in initiating and completing actions and tasks" (p. 298).
Glynn, T. & Berryman, M. (2005). Understanding and responding to students' behaviour difficulties. In D. Fraser, R. Moltzen, & K. Ryba (Eds.), Learners with special needs in Aotearoa New Zealand (3rd ed., pp. 294-315). Dunmore Press.
When you have two or more sources that you want to include in the same parentheses, they would be ordered alphabetically with a semicolon separating each one, like so:
Several studies show that managing a household and trips to supermarkets are among the least favourite activities of New Zealanders (Reilly, 2014; Winters, 2013).
If you want to use multiple works by the same author, the author's name is mentioned once, then the years of publication for each source are included, ordered chronologically like so:
(Reilly, 2014; Winters, 1995, 1999, 2013).