How do I reference a source in APA style?

You finally finished writing your essay for a psychology class and are ready to turn it in.

But wait, you get flagged for plagiarism — it turns out you forgot to cite your sources!

Referencing your sources in APA style is a simple way to make sure you avoid any plagiarism accusations.

The APA reference style can generally be divided into two parts: in-text citations and references. All references must be paired with at least one in-text citation.

In-Text Citation

• Location: within the text, either at the end of a sentence or in the middle

• Purpose: to source paraphrased or quoted material within the text

• Contains: last names of authors, publication date, and/or locator

Example:

Reference

• Location: after the main text, as a part of the reference list

• Purpose: to cite sources and allow readers to find them

• Contains: complete information about the source and its location

Example:

In-text citations include:

• last name of the author(s)

• publication date

• a locator (such as a page number), if needed

Example:

They generally follow one of the following formats:

• parenthetical — the author's name and source's publication date go in brackets at the end of a sentence, before the period

• narrative — when the author's name is mentioned in a sentence, the publication date goes in brackets after the author's name

This chart explains how to cite sources that have one or more, or unknown, authors:

To hear an explanation of the chart above, click the play button below:

Click here to learn what to do when making in-text citations for specific instances.

APA references generally include:

• name of the author(s)

• publication date

• title

• source

Each of the references must have a corresponding in-text citation and vice versa.

The following is the format for sourcing a journal article:

Guidelines may vary slightly depending on the type of work you want to source (e.g. book, newspaper article, etc.) and the amount of information available. 

Click here for detailed guidelines on making references.

After the main contents of your paper, you will be writing all the references you have used in an alphabetical list titled: References.

Here's an example.

Click here for more information on the format of the reference list.

Follow these steps to become an expert in APA-style referencing in no time!