APA: In-text Citations

For Exact Quotes:

Rule: Introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses. Put the page number (preceded by "p.") in parentheses at the end of the quotation.

Example: As Davis (1978) reported, "If the existence of a signing ape was unsettling for linguists, it was also startling news for animal behaviorists" (p. 26).

Rule: When the author's name does not appear in the signal phrase, place the author's name, the date, and the page number in parentheses at the end of the quotation. Use commas between items in the parentheses.

Example: "If the existence of a signing ape was unsettling for linguists, it was also startling news for animal behaviorists" (Davis, 1978, p. 26).

Rule: When the quotation is more than 40 words in text, do not use quotation marks, but indent the quote into its own block of text.

Example: Students having a hard time finding databases isn't a new phenomenon. At the University of Washington, they have problems too.

With the addition of so many new databases to the campus online system, many students were having difficulty locating the database they needed. At the same time, the role of Session Manager had evolved. The increased importance of the Session Manager as a selection tool made it a part of the navigation process itself. (Eliasen, 1997, p. 510)

Paraphrased Ideas:

Rule: Work by one author, no quotation marks required.

Examples:
1. According to Davis (1978), when they learned of an ape's ability to use sign language, both linguists and animal behaviorists were taken by surprise.

2. When they learned of an ape's ability to use sign language, both linguists and animal behaviorists were taken by surprise (Davis, 1978).

Rule: Work by two authors

Examples:
1. Patterson and Linden (1981) agreed that the gorilla Koko acquired language more slowly than a normal speaking child.

2. Koko acquired language more slowly than a normal speaking child (Patterson & Linden, 1981).

Rule: Work by 3-5 authors, list all authors.

Example: The study noted a fluctuating divorce rate in Middletown between the 1920s and the 1970s (Caplow, Bahr, Chadwick, Hill, & Williamson, 1982).

Please note: In subsequent citations, use the first author's name followed by "et al."

Example: While the incidence of wife abuse may not be higher than in the past, the researchers found that women were more willing to report it (Caplow et al., 1982).

Rule: Work by 6+ authors

Example: Communes in the late 1960s functioned like extended families, with child-rearing responsibilities shared by all adult members (Berger et al., 1971).

Rule: Work by an association, government agency, or corporation

Example: First citation: (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 1996) Later citations: (NIMH, 1996).

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