APA Style
NDSU Center for Writers
2011
What is APA Style?
• Guidelines published by the American
Psychological Society for manuscript
preparation
• Used by journals in social and
behavioral sciences, education, and
other fields
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Resources for APA Style
• Official text: NEW 6th ed.
Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association (2009),
Washington: APA
• Summary of changes in the new
edition:
http://www.apastyle.org/manual/whatsnew.aspx
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Resources for APA Style
• Basic APA Style online tutorial:
http://flash1r.apa.org/apastyle/basics/in
dex.htm
• CFW website links to online handbooks
and this presentation:
http://www.ndsu.edu/cfwriters/documentin
g_sources/
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Online Resources
• Purdue University Online Writing Lab
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
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Note
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Style manuals are very complex
Do not rely on your memory
ALWAYS refer to a manual for examples
Pay attention to unique aspects
– source type
– capitalization & punctuation
– author vs. editor
– edition/volume/issue/DOI
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APA Style
• Format (title page, abstract,
sections, headings, font,
margins, tables, figures, etc.)
• In-text parenthetical citations
(Author, date)
• Reference page
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Format example
• Spacing
– One space after commas, colons,
semicolons
– One space after periods on reference page
(including name initials)
– Two spaces after end punctuation in
sentences
– See exceptions on p. 88 of the Manual
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In-Text Citations
• Requirements
–author of the source
–date of publication
–page numbers required for direct
quotations and encouraged for
paraphrases
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In-Text Citations
• If page numbers are not
available, including other
information for easy access is
encouraged for online or long
documents (e.g. sections,
paragraph numbers)
(Discussion section, para. 1)
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In-Text Citations
• Walker (2000) compared reaction times.
• A recent study found reaction times vary
(Walker, 2000).
• In 2000, Walker compared reaction times.
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Direct Quotations
• Lopez (1993) found that “the effect
disappeared within minutes” (p. 311).
• The author stated, “The effect
disappeared within minutes” (Lopez,
1993, p. 311), but she did not say which
effect.
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Reference List
• Provide enough information to identify
and retrieve each source.
• Exception: do NOT include personal
communications and classical works with
standardized sections (e.g., Bible, Qur’an)
on the list, but cite them in the text:
T. K. Lutes (personal communication,
April 18, 2001) claims that . . .
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Reference List
• Arrange entries alphabetically on the
page by the first author’s last name
(do not rearrange the order of the
authors in a document)
• Use a hanging indent
• Double-space (entire document)
• Use initials for all first names (not just
the first one and a space after periods
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Reference List: 1-7 Authors
• Give the last name and initials for 1-7
authors (not just the first one)
Smith, J. M., Jones, T., & Rogers, L. S.
• Use “&” for reference list and
parenthetical references, but use
“and” in the text
Smith, Jones, and Rogers (2000)…
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Reference List: 8+ Authors
More than seven authors
– In the reference list, provide the
initials and surnames of the first six
authors, and then use an ellipses and
the final name.
– In-text: cite only the name of the first
author followed by “et al.” for all intext references.
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Reference List
• Format varies for titles
– books—print and online: use italics,
capitalize only the first word, the first word
after a colon, and proper nouns
– journals and periodicals: use italics,
capitalize all important words
– articles: use plain font and capitalize only
the first word, the first word after a colon,
and proper nouns
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Reference List
Moral of the story:
always check the
APA guidelines.
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Reference Examples
• Book
Tapscott, D. (1988). Growing up digital.
New York: McGraw-Hill.
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Reference List: Books
WRONG:
Shostak, S. (2002). Becoming immortal:
Combining cloning and stem-cell therapy.
State University of New York Press.
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Reference List: Books
CORRECT:
Shostak, S. (2002). Becoming immortal:
Combining cloning and stem-cell therapy.
Albany: State University of New York Press.
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Reference Examples
• Edited book
Gibbs, J. T., & Huang, L. N. (Eds.). (1991).
Children of color: Psychological
intervention with minority youth.
San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
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Reference Examples
• Subsequent edition of a reference book
Heuristic. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster’s
online dictionary (11th ed.). Retrieved
from http://www.m-w.com/dictionary
/heuristic
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Reference Examples
• NOTE: No longer include retrieval
dates unless the source material may
change over time (e.g. Wikis).
. . . Retrieved October 5, 2000, from http://
www…
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Reference Examples
• Chapter in edited book
Krantz, D. (2000). The ethics of business.
In D. L. Smith (Ed.), Ethics in Modern
America (pp. 94-120). New York: SmithJohnson Press.
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Reference Examples
• Journal article
[note the volume/issue italics format]
Johnson, B. A. (2000). Truth or
consequences: Parenting children
who lie. Modern Family, 126(3), 910924.
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Reference Examples
• Electronic journal article with a Digital
Object Identifier (DOI)
Whitmeyer, J. M. (2000). Power through
appointment. Social Science Research, 29(4),
535-555. doi:10.1006/ssre.2000.0680
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Note
Break URL and doi before most
punctuation (exception is
http:// ); do not add a hyphen.
O’Keefe, E. (n.d.). Egoism & the crisis in
Western values. Retrieved from
http://www.onlineoriginals.com
/showitem.asp?itemID=135
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Reference List: Journals
WRONG:
Gilbert, D. G., and, . . . Botros, N. (2004). “Effects of
Quitting Smoking on EEG Activation and Attention
Last for More Than 32 Days and are More Severe
with Stress, Dependence, DRD2 A1 Allele, and
Depressive Traits.” Nicotine and Tobacco Research,
6, 249-267.
doi:10.1080/14622200410001676305
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Reference List: Journals
CORRECT:
Gilbert, D. G., McClernon, J. F., Rabinovich, N. E.,
Sugai, C., Plath, L. C., Asgaard, G., . . . Botros, N.
(2004). Effects of quitting smoking on EEG activation
and attention last for more than 32 days and are
more severe with stress, dependence, DRD2 A1
allele, and depressive traits. Nicotine and Tobacco
Research, 6, 249-267. doi:10.1080
/14622200410001676305
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Reference Examples
• Journal article without DOI
[NOTE: omit period after URL or DOI
and do not include retrieval date]
Fredrickson, B. L. (2000, March 7). Cultivating
positive emotions to optimize health and wellbeing. Prevention & Treatment, 3, Article 0001a.
Retrieved from http://journals.apa.org
/prevention/ volume3/ pre0030001a.html
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Reference Examples
• Electronic version of print book
[NOTE: Use DOI instead of URL, if
possible]
Shotton, M. A. (1989). Computer addiction? A
study of computer dependency [DX
Reader version]. Retrieved from http://
www.ebookstore.tandf.co.uk/html
/index.asp
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Reference Examples
• Electronic-only book
O’Keefe, E. (n.d.). Egoism & the crisis in
Western values. Retrieved from
http://www.onlineoriginals.com
/showitem.asp?itemID=135
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Reference Examples
• Abstract as original source:
Woolf, N. J., Young, S. L., Fanselow, M. S., & Butcher, L.
L. (1991). MAP-2 expression in cholinoceptive
pyramidal cells of rodent cortex and hippocampus is
altered by Pavlovian conditioning [Abstract]. Society
for Neuroscience Abstracts, 17, 480.
Lassen, S. R., Steele, M. M., & Sailor, W. (2006). The
relationship of school-wide positive behavior support
to academic achievement in an urban middle school.
Psychology in the Schools, 43, 701-712. Abstract
retrieved from http://www.interscience.wiley.com
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Reference Examples
• Abstract as secondary source
Hare, L. R., & O’Neill, K. (2000). Effectiveness and
efficiency in small academic peer groups. Small
Group Research, 31, 24-53. Abstract retrieved
from Sociological Abstracts database.
(Accession No. 200010185)
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Reference Examples
• Print Reports (similar to book entry):
Author, A., A. (1998). Title of work
(Report No. xxx). Location:
Publisher.
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Reference Examples
• Another exception is for online reports: add
publisher (or archive) to retrieval statement-unless the publisher is the author
McDaniel, J. E., & Miskel, C. G. (2002). The effect of
groups and individuals on national decisionmaking:
Influence and domination in the reading
policymaking environment (CIERA Report 3-025).
Retrieved from University of Michigan, Center for
Improvement of Early Reading Achievement website:
http://www.ciera.org/library/reports/inquiry-3/3-025
/3-025.pdf
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Special Situations
• Citation of a work discussed in a
secondary source
– Find primary sources when possible
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Author Issues
• Two authors:
– Cite both names on the reference page
– Cite both names every time the work is
mentioned in the text.
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Author Issues
• Three, four, or five authors
– Cite all names for the first in-text
reference and on the reference page.
– Cite the first author and “et al.” in
subsequent references in the text.
– Cite all names on the reference page.
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Author Issues
• Six or seven authors
– Cite only the name of the first author
followed by “et al.” for all in-text
references.
– Cite all names on the reference page.
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Multiple Authors
• More than seven authors
– Cite only the name of the first author
followed by “et al.” for all in-text
references.
– In the reference list, provide the
initials and surnames of the first six
authors, and then use an ellipses and
the last name.
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No Authors
• On the reference page, alphabetize by
the first important word in the title and
place the year after the title.
The new health-care lexicon. (1993,
August/September). Copy Editor, 4, 1-2.
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No Authors: In Text
• In the text and parentheses, use
quotation marks and capitalize the
important words in article titles:
– e.g., The article, “The New Health-Care
Lexicon,” (1992) discusses the…
– e.g., Experts claim … (“The New
Health-Care Lexicon,” 1993)
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No Authors: In Text
• In the text, parentheses, and reference
list, italicize and capitalize book titles,
periodical titles, and other major works:
– e.g. ...the book College Bound Seniors
(1979).
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Special Situations
If unable to locate the primary source:
• In-text citation:
Skinner (2000) found no evidence of
emotion in rats (as cited in Smith & Jones,
2006).
• Reference page includes source you read:
Smith, J., & Jones, B. (2006). Title. etc.
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Block Quotations
• Indent/block quotations of 40 or more
words.
• Indent ½” from the margin (5 spaces)
and double-space.
• If there are additional paragraphs within
the block, indent an additional ½”.
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Block Quotations
• Generally, direct quotations should be
used sparingly in APA style.
• Studies are summarized and results are
paraphrased, except when the author's
original words are unique and difficult
to put into different words.
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Other Considerations
• Do not use “this study,” “this present
study” or “the current study” to refer
to someone else’s work—use them to
refer to your own study.
• Use past tense for results.
• Use present tense for conclusions.
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Other Considerations
• Avoid using verbs such as feel, think,
believe, stated, wrote, said, confirm, and
prove.
• Use words such as find, reason, assess,
test, hypothesize, support, investigate,
demonstrate, and indicate.
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Other Considerations
• Use qualifiers to allow for exceptions to
your claims (may, might, possible):
– One possible explanation is…
– One explanation might be …
– One interpretation may be…
– The data suggest…
– The results appear …
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Other Considerations
• Passive verbs are acceptable, but active
verbs are preferred
– The experiment was designed by
Smith to = Smith designed the
experiment to….
• Do not use contractions.
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Other Considerations
• Use transitions:
– Notably, ….
– In contrast,….
– Similarly,…
– First,…. Second,….Third,….
(avoid using firstly, secondly,
thirdly)
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Avoiding Plagiarism
• Choose when to give credit to others
• Choose how to incorporate the
information
• Choose how to give credit
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When to Give Credit
• The term “common knowledge” is
tricky—when in doubt, find and cite a
source
• Scholarly papers are intended to
introduce new information and/or
information that is verifiable, so avoid
stating the obvious (common
knowledge)
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When to Give Credit
• When you reprint any diagrams,
illustrations, charts, or pictures
• When you use information gained
through interviewing another person
• When you use ideas that others have
given you in conversations or over
email
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When to Give Credit
• When you are using or referring to
somebody else’s words or ideas from
any source: journals, books, movies,
Web pages, advertisements, etc.
• When you use exact words or a "unique
phrase”
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How to Incorporate Information
• Quote
• Paraphrase
• Summarize
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Quoting
• Mention the person’s last name either
at the beginning of the quote, in the
middle, or at the end in parentheses
• Include the year of publication and the
page number in parentheses
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Quoting
• Put quotation marks around the text
that is being quoted
• Indicate added phrases in brackets [ ]
and omitted text with ellipses . . .
Five participants stated that they “felt
uncomfortable answering [question 5]
because …”
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Paraphrasing
• Mention the person’s name and
date in an identifying tag (a.k.a.
lead-in) either at the beginning of
the information, in the middle, or at
the end
According to Smith (2005), studies have
shown that …
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Paraphrasing
• Put the text from the source into your
own words—do not simply insert a few
synonyms, but restructure the entire
sentence.
Smith (2005) found that fewer people were
susceptible than previously determined.
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Paraphrasing
• Paraphrased material is usually slightly
shorter than the original passage,
taking a somewhat broader segment of
the source and condensing it slightly.
• Put any unique words or phrases that
you cannot change, or do not want to
change, in quotation marks, if
acceptable in your field.
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Summarizing
• Begin your summary with a statement
giving credit to the source (leadin/identifying tag)
• Put the main idea(s) into your own
words, including only the main point(s)
Smith and Jones (2000) determined that mice
were more susceptible than humans to the
new strain. Their study examined…
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Summarizing
• Summaries are significantly shorter
than the original source and take a
broad overview of the material
• Put any unique words or phrases that
you cannot change, or do not want to
change, in quotation marks, if
acceptable in your field.
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Remember
• Document ALL sources accurately
and completely
• Include in-text citations
• Create a reference page
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Support Resources
Center for Writers
•
•
•
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Location: Room No. 6, Main Library
Telephone: 701-231-7927
Email: ndsu.cfw@ndsu.edu
Website: http://www.ndsu.edu/cfwriters/
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Resources
• The Center for Writers website includes a handy
guide called “APA Style in a Nutshell”
http://www.ndsu.edu/cfwriters/documenting_sources/
“Documenting Sources”
“American Psychological Association (APA) for
Social Sciences.”
“APA Style in a Nutshell”
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Questions?
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