Every time you quote or paraphrase someone else’s work in your paper, you must include who wrote the work, what it is called, and where to find a copy.
You give this information in two places:
- In the paragraph where you are quoting or paraphrasing = this is called an in-text or parenthetical citation because you will put brief information about the work in the text of your paper.
- In the References/Works Cited page at the end of your paper.
You have two format options: parenthetical and narrative
Parenthetical In-Text Citation
This citation typically consists of the author’s last name(s), year of publication, and page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence. The period goes after the closed parenthesis.
“This is a direct citation” (Chapman, 2019, p. 126).
When paraphrasing the idea in your own words, do not use quotation marks and do not include a page number (Jackson, 1999).
Narrative In-Text Citation
Another option is to use the author’s name in the sentence, followed directly by the year in parentheses, with the page numbers in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
According to Chapman (2019), "This is a direct citation" (p. 216).
Jackson (1999) explains that when paraphrasing the idea in your own words, do not use quotation marks and do not include a page number.
For more examples of parenthetical citations in APA format, see our APA guide or the Excelsior College Online Writing Lab (OWL).
General Guideline
Include the author's last name and page number.
Examples
