Using the APA referencing style
APA is an "author-date" style. All information used in your work either as a direct quote, paraphrase or summary, obtained from another author or source needs to be correctly referenced in APA style.
There are two parts to referencing: the citations within the text of your paper (in-text citation) and the reference list at the end of your paper.
The in-text citation briefly tells the reader where the reference comes from using the author and date within the text of the document.
The reference list placed alphabetically at the end of the essay, provides the reader with the full details of all sources cited in-text.
This guide is based on more detailed information in:
In general, a reference should contain four elements, which you can remember as the four W's:
Who - author (who is responsible for the work?)
When - date the work was published
What - title of the work
Where - source (where can I retrieve this work?)
Example of Where to Find Reference Information
Figure 1. Example of where to find reference information for a journal article [Image], From Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (p. 283), by American Psychological Association, 2020, American Psychological Association, Copyright 2020 American Psychological Association.
Library Services
Try our 'Interactive referencing tutorials' & Videos
APA Referencing (Interactive Tutorial)
APA Referencing (Video)
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Contact a librarian for help with referencing.
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Studiosity
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Description Abbreviation
Edition ed.
Revised edition Rev. ed.
Second edition 2nd ed.
Editors(s) Ed. or Eds.
'and others' (Latin) et al.
Translator(s) Trans.
Narrator(s) Narr. or Narrs.
No date n.d.
Page(s) p. or pp.
Paragraph(s) para. or paras.
Volume(s) Vol. or Vols.
Number No.
Part Pt.
Technical Report Tech. Rep.
Supplement Suppl.
Reference:
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).