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Citations: APA

Stuck on how to format citations for your paper? Look no further! Learn the basics of either MLA or APA styles here.

Which One Do I Use?

It can be overwhelming trying to figure out what you need to include in your citation and how to arrange it. The first step in narrowing down which format you need is correctly identifying what type of resource you have. The most common resources are things like: 

  • Print books
  • eBooks
  • Journal, magazine, and newspaper articles in print
  • Journal, magazine, and newspaper articles from a database

But even among these common source types, how you format the citation will depend on specific details about your source. A citation for a print book with one author is formatted a little differently from a print book with two or more authors. 

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association  has several chapters and examples on how to cite different types of sources. For more help with identifying your source and correctly formatting your citation, you can also try some of the resources listed on this page. 

Citation Tutorials and Websites

Video Tutorial

In addition to the webpage guide from the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University, check out their Youtube page for video explanations of how to do MLA style citations.

APA Tutorial Videos

Creating References Using APA Styles

In-Text Citations Using APA

 

On the Shelf

When we talk about using APA style for our papers, we're not just talking about documenting our sources. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association also covers topics such as:

  • Types of articles one can write in APA style
  • Ethical issues such as plagiarism and property rights
  • How to construct the elements of an article, such as footnotes or an abstract
  • How to write clearly and use proper grammar
  • How to display research results in charts and tables

If you find yourself feeling lost about your paper, it may be a good idea to skim through the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association to point you in the right direction.

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