In-text Citations
- Basic principles
From the APA Style web site: APA Style uses the author–date citation system, in which a brief in-text citation directs readers to a full reference list entry. The in-text citation appears within the body of the paper (or in a table, figure, footnote, or appendix) and briefly identifies the cited work by its author and date of publication. This enables readers to locate the corresponding entry in the alphabetical reference list at the end of the paper.
Each work cited must appear in the reference list, and each work in the reference list must be cited in the text (or in a table, figure, footnote, or appendix). - Citing quotations
From the APA Style web site:
A direct quotation reproduces words verbatim from another work or from your own previously published work. It is best to paraphrase sources rather than directly quoting them because paraphrasing allows you to fit material to the context of your paper and writing style. - Paraphrasing
From the APA Style web site:
A paraphrase restates another’s idea (or your own previously published idea) in your own words. Paraphrasing allows you to summarize and synthesize information from one or more sources, focus on significant information, and compare and contrast relevant details.
When you paraphrase, cite the original work using either the narrative or parenthetical citation format.
Although it is not required to provide a page or paragraph number in the citation, you may include one (in addition to the author and year) when it would help interested readers locate the relevant passage within a long or complex work (e.g., a book).
Paraphrasing is covered in Sections 8.23 and 8.24 of the APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition - In-text citation checklist
From the APA style website:
Complete the following checklist for each sentence in your paper that relies on another source. Remember to cite all ideas, findings, results, or other information that is not your own and is not common knowledge.
In-text Citation Examples
A parenthetical citation includes the last name(s) of the author(s) followed by a comma and the page number(s). The parenthetical citation can be at the end of a sentence or may be in the middle of a sentence if needed to be clear on what is being cited.
A company should always do what is right regardless of the consequences, but doing the right thing tends to result in the best outcomes (Dunn, 2016).
Because doing the right thing is always the best choice (Dunn, 2016), corporate leaders must carefully develop a strong ethical compass.
A narrative citation is used when the author’s name is part of the text. In these cases, the author’s name does not need to be repeated in the parenthetical reference.
Dunn (2016) asserts the view that though a company should do what is right regardless of the potential consequences, ethical actions often produce the best possible outcomes for all (p. 22).
For more on in-text citations of a paraphrase, see opens new windowhttps://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/paraphrasing
When quoting a source directly, page numbers are used to indicate the location of the quoted text. Though page numbers are not required for a paraphrase, it may be helpful to include page numbers to indicate the location of the paraphrased text. If the source has no page numbers, other location indicators, such as paragraph or section numbers may be used.
“Fundraising is an art and a science” (Garry, 2017, p. 99).
It is hard to predict how donors will respond to an appeal, but in time fundraisers learn to trust their intuition regarding the best approach (Garry, 2017, p. 99).
For more on citing quotations, See opens new windowhttps://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/quotations
Personal Communications
Personal communications are sources that can not be recovered or accessed by the reader because they are not published. This includes emails, texts, conversations (in person, by phone or video conference, etc.), online chats, interviews, classroom lectures, memos, letters, etc.
If the information is not available from any recoverable (published) source, it can be cited as a personal communication. Because the reader can not access the information in personal communications, they will not be included in the reference list, but cited in the text only.
Examples:
In an interview, Benjamin Colby (personal communication, July 25, 2015) mentioned . . . .
A. J. Montoya (personal communication, February 4, 2020) emailed detailed financials to the research team . . . .
In a lecture on November 1, 2021, to a BUS 326 class, Dr. Dash said . . . .
More information is available on the opens new windowAPA Style website.