Intro to College Research

An in-text citation, also called a parenthetical citation, appears in the body of your research paper.

It is very short, including only the author's last name, then a comma, and the year.

Example:

A recent study (Campbell, 2018) found that exercise can improve mood in people with mild depression.

But when you refer to the author in the body of your paper, then you only need the year in parentheses. Example:

Campbell found in a recent study (2018) that exercise can improve mood in people with mild depression.

For more detailed information:

• APA Style: Author-Date Citation System
• Purdue University: APA In-Text Citations: The Basics

This is only a quick guide. How you cite your source depends on:

• the type of source: such as book, article, or book chapter
• other factors: such as the number of authors, whether it is a translation of another work, or whether you found it in print or online

Book

Basic format:

AuthorLastName, A. A. (Year). Title. Publisher Name.

Example:

Johnson, A. M. (2019). Young Entrepreneurs. Penguin.

More information:

• APA Style: Book/Ebook References
• Purdue University: APA Reference List: Books

 

Chapter in a Book (the chapter has its own author, while the overall book has an editor)

Basic format:

AuthorLastName, A. A.(Year). Chapter title. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Book title (pp. pages of chapter). Publisher.

Example:

Jones, C. A. (2020). Improving Reach of Facebook Posts. In E. L. Draper (Ed.), Social Media Marketing (pp. 25-41). Yale University Press.

More information:

• APA Style: Chapter in an Edited Book/Ebook References
• Purdue University: APA Reference List: Books (scroll down to the section "Article or Chapter in an Edited Book")

 

Journal Article from Online Database

Basic format:

Author, A. A. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, volume number(issue number), pages. DOI.

Example:

Smith, J. M. (2014). Effectiveness of Different Studying Schedules. The Journal of College Achievement, 23(5), 317-325. https://doi.org/12.345/2014

More information:

• APA Style: Database Information in References
• Purdue University: APA Reference List: Articles in Periodicals

 

Webpage

Basic format:

AuthorLastName, A. (Year, Month Date). Title of Webpage. Title of Entire Site. URL

Example:

Myers, J. (2019, January 5). Top 10 Studying Techniques. College Study Tips. https://www.collegestudytips.com/topten.html

More information:

• APA Style: Webpage on a Website References
• Purdue University: APA Reference List: Electronic Sources (Scroll down to the section "Article in an Electronic Journal.")