research paper apa citation format example

APA Citation Style

Citation examples.

• Paper Format
• Style and Grammar Guidelines
• Citation Management Tools
• What's New in the 7th Edition?
• APA Style References Guidelines from the American Psychological Association
• APA Style (OWL - Online Writing Lab, Purdue University)
• Common Reference Examples Handout
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Edited Book Chapter
• Dictionary Entry
• Government Report
• YouTube Video
• Facebook Post
• Webpage on a Website
• Supplemental Reference Examples
• Archival Documents and Collections

Parenthetical citations:  (Grady et al., 2019; Jerrentrup et al., 2018)

Narrative citations:  Grady et al. (2019) and Jerrentrup et al. (2018)

• If a journal article has a DOI, include the DOI in the reference.
• If the journal article does not have a DOI and is from an academic research database, end the reference after the page range (for an explanation of why, see the  database information  page). The reference in this case is the same as for a print journal article.
• Do not include database information in the reference unless the journal article comes from a database that publishes original, proprietary content, such as UpToDate (see an example on the  database information  page).
• If the journal article does not have a DOI but does have a URL that will resolve for readers (e.g., it is from an online journal that is not part of a database), include the URL of the article at the end of the reference.
• If the journal article has an article number instead of a page range, include the article number instead of the page range (as shown in the Jerrentrup et al. example).

Parenthetical citations:  (Rabinowitz, 2019; Sapolsky, 2017)

Narrative citations:  Rabinowitz (2019) and Sapolsky (2017)

• If the book includes a DOI, include the DOI in the reference after the publisher name.
• Do not include the publisher location.
• If the book does not have a DOI and comes from an academic research database, end the book reference after the publisher name. Do not include  database information  in the reference. The reference in this case is the same as for a print book.

Parenthetical citations:  (Schaefer & Shapiro, 2019; Schulman, 2019)

Narrative citations:  Schaefer and Shapiro (2019) and Schulman (2019)

• If a magazine article has a DOI, include the DOI in the reference.
• If the magazine article does not have a DOI and is from an academic research database, end the reference after the page range. Do not include  database information  in the reference. The reference in this case is the same as for a print magazine article.
• If the magazine article does not have a DOI but does have a URL that will resolve for readers (e.g., it is from an online magazine that is not part of a database), include the URL of the article at the end of the reference.
• If the magazine article does not have volume, issue, and/or page numbers (e.g., because it is from an online magazine), omit the missing elements from the reference (as in the Schulman example).

Parenthetical citation:  (Carey, 2019)

Narrative citation:  Carey (2019)

• If the newspaper article is from an academic research database, end the reference after the page range. Do not include  database information  in the reference. The reference in this case is the same as for a print newspaper article.
• If the newspaper article has a URL that will resolve for readers (e.g., it is from an online newspaper), include the URL of the article at the end of the reference.
• If the newspaper article does not have volume, issue, and/or page numbers (e.g., because it is from an online newspaper), omit the missing elements from the reference, as shown in the example.
• If the article is from a news website (e.g., CNN, HuffPost)—one that does not have an associated daily or weekly newspaper—use the format for a  webpage on a website  instead.

Parenthetical citation:  (Aron et al., 2019)

Narrative citation:  Aron et al. (2019)

• If the edited book chapter includes a DOI, include the chapter DOI in the reference after the publisher name.
• If the edited book chapter does not have a DOI and comes from an academic research database, end the edited book chapter reference after the publisher name. Do not include  database information  in the reference. The reference in this case is the same as for a print edited book chapter.
• Do not create references for chapters of authored books. Instead, write a reference for the whole book and cite the chapter in the text if desired (e.g., Kumar, 2017, Chapter 2).

Parenthetical citation:  (Merriam-Webster, n.d.)

Narrative citation:  Merriam-Webster (n.d.)

• Because entries in  Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary  are updated over time and are not archived, include a  retrieval date  in the reference.
• Merriam-Webster is both the author and the publisher, so the name appears in the author element only to avoid repetition.
• To quote a dictionary definition, view the pages on quotations and  how to quote works without page numbers  for guidance. Additionally, here is an example:  Culture  refers to the “customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits of a racial, religious, or social group” (Merriam-Webster, n.d., Definition 1a).

Parenthetical citation:  (National Cancer Institute, 2019)

Narrative citation:  National Cancer Institute (2019)

The specific agency responsible for the report appears as the author. The names of parent agencies not present in the  group author name  appear in the source element as the publisher. This creates concise in-text citations and complete reference list entries.

Parenthetical citation:  (Harvard University, 2019)

Narrative citation:  Harvard University (2019)

• Use the name of the account that uploaded the video as the author.
• If the account did not actually create the work, explain this in the text if it is important for readers to know. However, if that would mean citing a source that appears unauthoritative, you might also look for the author’s YouTube channel, official website, or other social media to see whether the same video is available elsewhere.

Parenthetical citations:  (APA Databases, 2019; Gates, 2019)

Narrative citations:  APA Databases (2019) and Gates (2019)

• Present the name of the individual or group author the same as you would for any other reference. Then provide the Twitter handle (beginning with the @ sign) in square brackets, followed by a period.
• Provide the first 20 words of the tweet as the title. Count a URL, a hashtag, or an emoji as one word each, and include them in the reference if they fall within the first 20 words.
• If the tweet includes an image, a video, a poll, or a thumbnail image with a link, indicate that in brackets after the title: [Image attached], [Video attached], [Thumbnail with link attached].
• The same format used for Twitter is also used for Instagram.  

Parenthetical citation:  (News From Science, 2019)

Narrative citation:  News From Science (2019)

• Provide the first 20 words of the Facebook post as the title. Count a URL or other link, a hashtag, or an emoji as one word each, and include them in the reference if they fall within the first 20 words. 
• If a status update includes images, videos, thumbnail links to outside sources, or content from another Facebook post (such as when sharing a link), indicate that in square brackets.

Parenthetical citations:  (Fagan, 2019; National Institute of Mental Health, 2018; Woodyatt, 2019; World Health Organization, 2018)

Narrative citations:  Fagan (2019), National Institute of Mental Health (2018), Woodyatt (2019), and World Health Organization (2018)

• Provide as specific a  date  as is available on the webpage. This might be a year only; a year and month; or a year, month, and day.
• Italicize the title of a webpage.
• When the author of the webpage and the publisher of the website are the same, omit the publisher name to avoid repetition (as in the World Health Organization example).
• When contents of a page are meant to be updated over time but are not archived, include a  retrieval date  in the reference (as in the Fagan example).
• Use the webpage on a website format for articles from news websites such as CNN and HuffPost (these sites do not have associated daily or weekly newspapers). Use the  newspaper article category  for articles from newspaper websites such as  The New York Times  or  The Washington Post .
• Create a reference to an open educational resources (OER) page only when the materials are available for download directly (i.e., the materials are on the page and/or can be downloaded as PDFs or other files). If you are directed to another website, create a reference to the specific webpage on that website where the materials can be retrieved. Use this format for material in any OER repository, such as OER Commons, OASIS, or MERLOT.
• Do not create a reference or in-text citation for a whole website. To mention a website in general, and not any particular information on that site, provide the name of the website in the text and include the URL in parentheses. For example, you might mention that you used a website to create a survey.

The following supplemental example references are mention in the  Publication Manual:

• retracted journal or magazine article
• edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
• edition of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD)
• religious work
• annotated religious work

Archival document and collections are not presented in the  APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition . This content is available only on the APA Style website .  This guidance has been expanded from the 6th edition.

Archival sources include letters, unpublished manuscripts, limited-circulation brochures and pamphlets, in-house institutional and corporate documents, clippings, and other documents, as well as such nontextual materials as photographs and apparatus, that are in the personal possession of an author, form part of an institutional collection, or are stored in an archive such as the Archives of the History of American Psychology at the University of Akron or the APA Archives. For any documents like these that are available on the open web or via a database (subscription or nonsubscription), follow the reference templates shown in Chapter 10 of the Publication Manual.

The general format for the reference for an archival work includes the author, date, title, and source. The reference examples shown on this page may be modified for collections requiring more or less specific information to locate materials, for different types of collections, or for additional descriptive information (e.g., a translation of a letter). Authors may choose to list correspondence from their own personal collections, but correspondence from other private collections should be listed only with the permission of the collector.

Keep in mind the following principles when creating references to archival documents and collections:

• As with any reference, the purpose is to direct readers to the source, despite the fact that only a single copy of the document may be available and readers may have some difficulty actually seeing a copy.
• Include as much information as is needed to help locate the item with reasonable ease within the repository. For items from collections with detailed finding aids, the name of the collection may be sufficient; for items from collections without finding aids, more information (e.g., call number, box number, file name or number) may be necessary to help locate the item.
• If several letters are cited from the same collection, list the collection as a reference and provide specific identifying information (author, recipient, and date) for each letter in the in-text citations (see Example 3).
• Use square brackets to indicate information that does not appear on the document.
• Use “ca.” (circa) to indicate an estimated date (see Example 5).
• Use italics for titles of archival documents and collections; if the work does not have a title, provide a description in square brackets without italics.
• Separate elements of the source (e.g., the name of a repository, library, university or archive, and the location of the university or archive) with commas. End the source with a period.
• If a publication of limited circulation is available in libraries, the reference may be formatted as usual for published material, without the archival source.
• Note that private letters (vs. those in an archive or repository) are considered personal communications and cited in the text only.

1. Letter from a repository

Frank, L. K. (1935, February 4). [Letter to Robert M. Ogden]. Rockefeller Archive Center (GEB Series 1.3, Box 371, Folder 3877), Tarrytown, NY, United States.

• Parenthetical citation: (Frank, 1935)
• Narrative citation: Frank (1935)
• Because the letter does not have a title, provide a description in square brackets.

2. Letter from a private collection

Zacharius, G. P. (1953, August 15). [Letter to William Rickel (W. Rickel, Trans.)]. Copy in possession of Hendrika Vande Kemp.

• Parenthetical citation: (Zacharius, 1953)
• Narrative citation: Zacharius (1953)
• In this example, Hendrika Vande Kemp is either the author of the paper or the author of the paper has received permission from Hendrika Vande Kemp to cite a letter in Vande Kemp’s private collection in this way. Otherwise, cite a private letter as a  personal communication .

3. Collection of letters from an archive

Allport, G. W. (1930–1967). Correspondence. Gordon W. Allport Papers (HUG 4118.10), Harvard University Archives, Cambridge, MA, United States.

• Parenthetical citation: (Allport, 1930–1967)
• Narrative citation: Allport (1930–1967)

To cite specific letters in the text, provide the author and range of years as shown in the reference list entry, plus details about who wrote the specific letter to whom and when the specific letter was written.

• Parenthetical citation: (Allport, 1930–1967, G. Boring to Allport, December 26, 1937)
• Narrative citation: Allport (1930–1967, Allport to G. Boring, March 1, 1939)
• Use the parenthetical citation format to cite a letter that E. G. Boring wrote to Allport because Allport is the author in the reference. Use either the parenthetical or narrative citation format to cite letters that Allport wrote.

4. Unpublished papers, lectures from an archive or personal collection

Berliner, A. (1959). Notes for a lecture on reminiscences of Wundt and Leipzig. Anna Berliner Memoirs (Box M50), Archives of the History of American Psychology, University of Akron, Akron, OH, United States.

• Parenthetical citation: (Berliner, 1959)
• Narrative citation: Berliner (1959)

5. Archival/historical source for which the author and/or date is known or is reasonably certain but not stated on the document

Allport, A. (presumed). (ca. 1937). Marion Taylor today—by the biographer [Unpublished manuscript]. Marion Taylor Papers, Schlesinger Library, Radcliffe College, Cambridge, MA, United States.

• Parenthetical citation: (Allport, ca. 1937)
• Narrative citation: Allport (ca. 1937)
• Because the author is reasonably certain but not stated on the document, place the word “presumed” in parentheses after the name, followed by a period.
• Because the date is reasonably certain but not stated on the document, the abbreviation “ca.” (which stands for “circa”) appears before the year in parentheses.

6. Archival source with group author

Subcommittee on Mental Hygiene Personnel in School Programs. (1949, November 5–6). Meeting of Subcommittee on Mental Hygiene Personnel in School Programs. David Shakow Papers (M1360), Archives of the History of American Psychology, University of Akron, Akron, OH, United States.

• Parenthetical citation: (Subcommittee on Mental Hygiene Personnel in School Programs, 1949)
• Narrative citation: Subcommittee on Mental Hygiene Personnel in School Programs (1949)

7. Interview recorded and available in an archive

Smith, M. B. (1989, August 12). Interview by C. A. Kiesler [Tape recording]. President’s Oral History Project, American Psychological Association, APA Archives, Washington, DC, United States.

• Parenthetical citation: (Smith, 1989)
• Narrative citation: Smith (1989)
• For interviews and oral histories recorded in an archive, list the interviewee as the author. Include the interviewer’s name in the description.

8. Transcription of a recorded interview, no recording available

Sparkman, C. F. (1973). An oral history with Dr. Colley F. Sparkman/Interviewer: Orley B. Caudill. Mississippi Oral History Program (Vol. 289), University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, MS, United States.

• Parenthetical citation: (Sparkman, 1973)
• Narrative citation: Sparkman (1973)

9. Newspaper article clipping, historical, in personal collection

Psychoanalysis institute to open. (1948, September 18). [Clipping from an unidentified Dayton, OH, United States, newspaper]. Copy in possession of author.

• Parenthetical citation: (“Psychoanalysis Institute to Open,” 1948)
• Narrative citation: “Psychoanalysis Institute to Open” (1948)
• Use this format only if you are the person who is in possession of the newspaper clipping.

10. Historical publication of limited circulation

Sci-Art Publishers. (1935). Sci-Art publications [Brochure]. Roback Papers (HUGFP 104.50, Box 2, Folder “Miscellaneous Psychological Materials”), Harvard University Archives, Cambridge, MA, United States.

• Parenthetical citation: (Sci-Art Publishers, 1935)
• Narrative citation: Sci-Art Publishers (1935)

11. Archived photographs, no author and no title

[Photographs of Robert M. Yerkes]. (ca. 1917–1954). Robert Mearns Yerkes Papers (Box 137, Folder 2292), Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Library, New Haven, CT, United States.

• Parenthetical citation: ([Photographs of Robert M. Yerkes], ca. 1917–1954)
• Narrative citation: [Photographs of Robert M. Yerkes] (ca. 1917–1954)
• Because the archived photographs do not have a title, provide a bracketed description instead.
• Because the archived photographs do not have an author, move the bracketed description to the author position of the reference.

12. Microfilm

U.S. Census Bureau. (1880). 1880 U.S. census: Defective, dependent, and delinquent classes schedule: Virginia [Microfilm]. NARA Microfilm Publication T1132 (Rolls 33–34), National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, DC, United States.

• Parenthetical citation: (U.S. Census Bureau, 1880)
• Narrative citation: U.S. Census Bureau (1880)

Read the full APA guidelines on citing ChatGPT 

OpenAI. (2023).  ChatGPT  (Mar 14 version) [Large language model].  https://chat.openai.com/chat

• Parenthetical citation:  (OpenAI, 2023)
• Narrative citation:  OpenAI (2023)

Author:  The author of the model is OpenAI.

Date:  The date is the year of the version you used. Following the template in Section 10.10, you need to include only the year, not the exact date. The version number provides the specific date information a reader might need.

Title:  The name of the model is “ChatGPT,” so that serves as the title and is italicized in your reference, as shown in the template. Although OpenAI labels unique iterations (i.e., ChatGPT-3, ChatGPT-4), they are using “ChatGPT” as the general name of the model, with updates identified with version numbers.

The version number is included after the title in parentheses. The format for the version number in ChatGPT references includes the date because that is how OpenAI is labeling the versions. Different large language models or software might use different version numbering; use the version number in the format the author or publisher provides, which may be a numbering system (e.g., Version 2.0) or other methods.

Bracketed text  is used in references for additional descriptions when they are needed to help a reader understand what’s being cited. References for a number of common sources, such as journal articles and books, do not include bracketed descriptions, but things outside of the typical peer-reviewed system often do. In the case of a reference for ChatGPT, provide the descriptor “Large language model” in square brackets. OpenAI describes ChatGPT-4 as a “large multimodal model,” so that description may be provided instead if you are using ChatGPT-4. Later versions and software or models from other companies may need different descriptions, based on how the publishers describe the model. The goal of the bracketed text is to briefly describe the kind of model to your reader.

Source:  When the publisher name and the author name are the same, do not repeat the publisher name in the source element of the reference, and move directly to the URL. This is the case for ChatGPT. The URL for ChatGPT is  https://chat.openai.com/chat . For other models or products for which you may create a reference, use the URL that links as directly as possible to the source (i.e., the page where you can access the model, not the publisher’s homepage).

What to include and what to exclude

Works included in a reference list.

The reference list provides a reliable way for readers to identify and locate the works cited in a paper. APA Style papers generally include reference lists, not  bibliographies.

In general, each work cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and each work in the reference list must be cited in the text. Check your work carefully before submitting your manuscript or course assignment to ensure no works cited in the text are missing from the reference list and vice versa, with only the following exceptions.

Works Excluded From a Reference List

There are a few kinds of works that are not included in a reference list. Usually a work is not included because readers cannot recover it or because the mention is so broad that readers do not need a reference list entry to understand the use.

Information on works included in a reference list is covered in Sections 2.12 and 8.4 of the  APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition

*This guidance has been expanded from the 6th edition.*

• Personal communications  such as emails, phone calls, or text messages are cited in the text only, not in the reference list, because readers cannot retrieve personal communications.
• General mentions of whole websites, whole periodicals, and common software and apps in the text do not require in-text citations or reference list entries because the use is broad and the source is familiar.
• The source of an epigraph does not usually appear in the reference list unless the work is a scholarly book or journal. For example, if you open the paper with an inspirational quotation by a famous person, the source of the quotation does not appear in the reference list because the quotation is meant to set the stage for the work, not substantiate a key point.   
• Quotations from research participants in a study you conducted can be presented and discussed in the text but do not need citations or reference list entries. Citations and reference list entries are not necessary because the quotations are part of your original research. They could also compromise participants’ confidentiality, which is an ethical violation.
• References included in a meta-analysis, which are marked with an asterisk in the reference list, may be cited in the text (or not) at the author’s discretion. This exception is relevant only to authors who are conducting a meta-analysis.

DOIs and URLs

The DOI or URL is the final component of a reference list entry. Because so much scholarship is available and/or retrieved online, most reference list entries end with either a DOI or a URL.

• A DOI is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies content and provides a persistent link to its location on the internet. DOIs can be found in database records and the reference lists of published works.
• A URL specifies the location of digital information on the internet and can be found in the address bar of your internet browser. URLs in references should link directly to the cited work when possible.

Follow these guidelines for including DOIs and URLs in references:

• Include a DOI for all works that have a DOI, regardless of whether you used the online version or the print version.
• If a print work does not have a DOI, do not include any DOI or URL in the reference.
• If an online work has both a DOI and a URL, include only the DOI.
• For works without DOIs from websites (not including academic research databases), provide a URL in the reference (as long as the URL will work for readers).
• For works without DOIs from most  academic research databases , do not include a URL or database information in the reference because these works are widely available. The reference should be the same as the reference for a print version of the work.
• For works from databases that publish original, proprietary material available only in that database (such as the UpToDate database) or for works of limited circulation in databases (such as monographs in the ERIC database), include the name of the database or archive and the URL of the work. If the URL requires a login or is session-specific (meaning it will not resolve for readers), provide the URL of the database or archive home page or login page instead of the URL for the work. See the page on including  database information in references  for more information. 
• If the URL is no longer working or no longer provides readers access to the content you intend to cite, follow the guidance for works with  no source .
• Other alphanumeric identifiers such as the International Standard Book Number (ISBN) and the International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) are not included in APA Style references.

Follow these guidelines to format DOIs and URLs:

• Present both DOIs and URLs as hyperlinks (i.e., beginning with “http:” or “https:”).
• Because a hyperlink leads readers directly to the content, it is not necessary to include the words “Retrieved from” or “Accessed from” before a DOI or URL.
• It is acceptable to use either the default display settings for hyperlinks in your word-processing program (e.g., usually blue font, underlined) or plain text that is not underlined.
• Leave links live if the work is to be published or read online.
• Follow the current recommendations of the International DOI Foundation to format DOIs in the reference list, which as of this publication is as follows:

https://doi.org/ xxxxx

• The string “https://doi.org/” is a way of presenting a DOI as a link, and “xxxxx” refers to the DOI number.
• The preferred format of the DOI has changed over time. Although older works use previous formats (e.g., “http:/dx.doi.org/” or “doi:” or “DOI:” before the DOI number), in your reference list, standardize DOIs into the current preferred format for all entries. For example, use  https://doi.org/10.1037/a0040251  in your reference even though that article, published in 2016, presented the number in an older format.
• Copy and paste the DOI or URL from your web browser directly into your reference list to avoid transcription errors. Do not change the capitalization or punctuation of the DOI or URL. Do not add line breaks manually to the hyperlink; it is acceptable if your word-processing program automatically adds a break or moves the hyperlink to its own line.
• Do not add a period after the DOI or URL because this may interfere with link functionality.

When a DOI or URL is long or complex, you may use shortDOIs or shortened URLs if desired.

• Use the  shortDOI service  provided by the International DOI Foundation to create shortDOIs. A work can have only one DOI and only one shortDOI; the shortDOI service will either produce a new shortDOI for a work that has never had one or retrieve an existing shortDOI.
• Some websites provide their own branded shortened URLs, and independent URL shortening services are available as well. Any shortened URL is acceptable in a reference as long as you check the link to ensure that it takes you to the correct location.
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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / APA Sample Papers

APA Sample Papers

Ever wonder how to format your research paper in APA style? If so, you’re in luck! The team at EasyBib.com has put together an example paper to help guide you through your next assignment. (Actually, looking for MLA? Here’s a page on what is MLA format .)

The featured example is a research paper on the uses of biometrics to inform design decisions in the tech industry, authored by our UX Research Intern Peace Iyiewuare. Like most APA style papers, it includes an APA title page , tables, and several references and APA in-text citations to scholarly journals relevant to its topic. References are an important aspect of scientific research papers, and formatting them correctly is critical to getting a good grade.

This paper follows the formatting rules specified in the 6th edition of The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (the APA is not directly associated with this guide) . We’ve left comments and tips throughout the document, so you’ll know the specific rules around how to format titles, spacing, and font, as well as the citations on the APA reference page .

The reference list needs special care, as it demonstrates to the reader that you have accurately portrayed your outside sources and have given credit to the appropriate parties. Be sure to check our full APA citation guide for more information on paper formatting and citing sources in APA style. There is also a guide on  APA footnotes in case that is your preferred form of citation.

Download the APA Visual Guide

When citations are done, don’t forget to finish your paper off with a proofread—EasyBib Plus’s plagiarism and grammar check can help! Got a misspelled adverb ? Missed capitalizing a proper noun ? Struggling with subject-verb agreement ? These are just a few things our checker could help you spot in your paper.

D. Complete Sample APA Paper

We’ve included a full student paper below to give you an idea of what an essay in APA format looks like, complete with a title page, paper, reference list, and index. If you plan to include an APA abstract in your paper, see the Professional Paper for an example.

If you’re looking for an APA format citation generator, we’ve got you covered. Use EasyBib.com! Our APA format machine can help you create every reference for your paper.

Below is an example of a student APA format essay. We also have PDF versions of both a student paper and a professional paper linked below.

See Student Paper                                 See Professional Paper

Using Biometrics to Evaluate Visual Design

Jane Lisa Dekker

Art Department, Northern California Valley State University

UXAD 272: Strategic Web Design

Professor Juan Liu, PhD

January 29, 2020

      A vast amount of research has been conducted regarding the importance of visual design, and its role as a mediator of user’s experience when browsing a site or interacting with an interface. In the literature, visual design is one aspect of website quality. Jones and Kim (2010) define website quality as “the perceived quality of a retail website that involves a [user’s] perceptions of the retailer’s website and comprises consumer reactions towards such attributes as information, entertainment/enjoyment, usability, transaction capabilities, and design aesthetics” (p. 632).  They further examined the impact web quality and retail brand trust has on purchase intentions. Additional research examining e-commerce sites has shown web quality has an impact on both initial and continued purchase intention (Kuan, Bock, & Vathanophas, 2008), as well as consumer satisfaction (Lin, 2007). Moreso, research on the relationship between visual design and perceived usability (Stojmenovic, Pilgrim, & Lindgaard, 2014) has revealed a positive correlation between the two. As users’ ratings of visual quality increase, their ratings of perceived usability follows a similar trend. Although this research spans various domains, the reliance on self-report measures to gauge concepts like visual design and web quality is prevalent throughout much of the literature.

Although some self-report scales are validated within the literature, there are still issues with the use of self-report questionnaires. One is the reliance on the honesty of the participant. This tends to be more of an issue in studies related to questionnaires that measure characteristics of the participant, rather than objective stimuli. More relevant to this study is the issue of introspection and memory. Surveys are often distributed after a task is completed, and its accuracy is dependent on the ability of the participant to remember their experience during the study. Multiple research studies have shown that human memory is far from static. This can

be dangerous if a researcher chooses to solely rely on self-report methods to test a hypothesis. We believe these self-report methods in tandem with biometric methods can help ensure the validity of the questionnaires, and provide information beyond the scope of self-report scales.

Research Questions

      We know from previous research that the quality of websites mediates many aspects of e-commerce, and provides insight as to how consumers view the webpages in general.  However, simply knowing a webpage is perceived as lower quality doesn’t give insight as to what aspects of a page are disliked by a user. Additionally, it’s possible that the user is misremembering aspects of the webpage or being dishonest in their assessment. Using eye tracking metrics, galvanic skin response, and facial expression measures in tandem with a scale aimed at measuring visual design quality has a couple of identifiable benefits. Using both can potentially identify patterns amongst the biometric measures and the questionnaire, which would strengthen the validity of the results. More so, the eye tracking data has the potential to identify patterns amongst websites of lower or higher quality.

If found, these patterns can be used to evaluate particular aspects of a page that are impacting the quality of a webpage. Overall, we are interested in answering two questions:

Research Question 1 : Can attitudinal changes regarding substantial website redesigns be captured using biometric measures?

Research Question 2 : How do biometric measures correlate with self-reported measures of visual appeal?

      Answering these questions has the potential to provide a method of justification for design changes, ranging from minor tweak to complete rebrands. There is not an easy way for companies to quantitatively analyze visual design decisions. A method for doing so would help companies evaluate visual designs before implementation in order to cost-justify them. To this end, we hope to demonstrate that biometric measurements can be used with questionnaires to verify and validate potential design changes a company or organization might want to implement.

      By examining data from test subjects during a brief exposure to several websites, we hoped to explore the relationship between the self-reported evaluation of visual design quality and key biometric measurements of a subject’s emotional valence and arousal. Subjects were exposed to ten pairs of websites before and after a substantial visual design change and asked to evaluate the website based on their initial impressions of the site’s visual design quality using the VisAWI-S scale, as shown in Table 1.  

During this assessment we collected GSR, facial expressions (limited by errors in initial study configuration), pupillary response, and fixation data using iMotions software coupled with a Tobii eye tracker, Shimmer GSR device, and Affdex facial expression analysis toolkit. This data was analyzed, in Table 2, to discover relationships between the independent and dependent variables, as well as relationships between certain dependent variables.  

Jones, C., & Kim, S. (2010). Influences of retail brand trust, off-line patronage, clothing involvement and website quality on online apparel shopping intention: Online apparel shopping intention. International Journal of Consumer Studies , 34 (6), 627–637. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1470-6431.2010.00871.x

Kuan, H.-H., Bock, G.-W., & Vathanophas, V. (2008). Comparing the effects of website quality on customer initial purchase and continued purchase at e-commerce websites. Behaviour & Information Technology , 27 (1), 3–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/01449290600801959

Lin, H.-F. (2007). The impact of website quality dimensions on customer satisfaction in the B2C e-commerce context. Total Quality Management & Business Excellence , 18 (4), 363–378. https://doi.org/10.1080/14783360701231302

Stojmenovic, M., Pilgrim, C., & Lindgaard, G. (2014). Perceived and objective usability and visual appeal in a website domain with a less developed mental model. Proceedings of the 26 th Australian Computer-Human Interaction Conference on Designing Futures: The Future of Design , 316–323. https://doi.org/10.1145/2686612.2686660

APA Formatting Guide

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How to Cite a Research Paper in APA

Last Updated: October 19, 2022 Fact Checked

This article was reviewed by Gerald Posner . Gerald Posner is an Author & Journalist based in Miami, Florida. With over 35 years of experience, he specializes in investigative journalism, nonfiction books, and editorials. He holds a law degree from UC College of the Law, San Francisco, and a BA in Political Science from the University of California-Berkeley. He’s the author of thirteen books, including several New York Times bestsellers, the winner of the Florida Book Award for General Nonfiction, and has been a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in History. He was also shortlisted for the Best Business Book of 2020 by the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing. There are 12 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 163,142 times.

If you’re citing a research article or paper in APA style, you’ll need to use a specific citation format that varies depending on the source. Assess whether your source is an article or report published in an academic journal or book, or whether it is an unpublished research paper, such as a print-only thesis or dissertation. Either way, your in-text citations will need to include information about the author (if available) and the date when your source was published or written.

Sample Citations

Writing an In-Text Citation

• For example, you may write, “Gardener (2008) notes, ‘There are several factors to consider about lobsters’ (p. 199).”

• For example, you may write, “‘There are several factors to consider about lobsters’ (Gardner, 2008, p. 199).” Or, “The paper claims, ‘The fallen angel trope is common in religious and non-religious texts’ (Meek & Hill, 2015, p.13-14).”
• For articles with 3-5 authors, write out the names of all the authors the first time you cite the source. For example: (Hammett, Wooster, Smith, & Charles, 1928). In subsequent citations, write only the first author’s name, followed by et al.: (Hammett et al., 1928).
• If there are 6 or more authors for the paper, include the last name of the first author listed and then write "et al." to indicate that there are more than 5 authors.
• For example, you may write, "'This is a quote' (Minaj et al., 1997, p. 45)."

• For example, you may write, “‘The risk of cervical cancer in women is rising’ (American Cancer Society, 2012, p. 2).”

• For example, you may write, “‘Shakespeare may have been a woman’ (“Radical English Literature,” 2004, p. 45).” Or, “The paper notes, ‘There is a boom in Virgin Mary imagery’ (“Art History in Italy,” 2011, p. 32).”

• For example, you may write, “‘There are several factors to consider about lobsters’ (Gardner, 2008, p. 199).” Or, “The paper claims, ‘The fallen angel trope is common in religious and non-religious texts’ (“Iconography in Italian Frescos,” 2015, p.13-14).”

• For example, you may write, “‘There are several factors to consider about lobsters’ (Gardner, 2008, p. 199).” Or, “The paper claims, ‘The fallen angel trope is common in religious and non-religious texts’ (“Iconography in Italian Frescos,” 2015, p.145-146).”

• For example, you may write, “‘The effects of food deprivation are long-term’ (Mett, 2005, para. 18).”

Creating a Reference List Citation for a Published Source

• Material on websites is also considered “published,” even if it’s not peer-reviewed or associated with a formal publishing company.
• While academic dissertations or theses that are print-only are considered unpublished, these types of documents are considered published if they’re included in an online database (such as ProQuest) or incorporated into an institutional repository.

• For example, you may write, “Gardner, L. M.” Or, “Meek, P. Q., Kendrick, L. H., & Hill, R. W.”
• If there is no author, you can list the name of the organization that published the research paper. For example, you may write, “American Cancer Society” or “The Reading Room.”
• Formally published documents that don’t list an author or that have a corporate author are typically reports or white papers .

• For example, you may write, “Gardner, L. M. (2008).” Or, “American Cancer Society. (2015).”

• For example, you may write, “Gardner, L. M. (2008). Crustaceans: Research and data.” Or, “American Cancer Society. (2015). Cervical cancer rates in women ages 20-45.”

• For example, for a journal article, you may write, “Gardner, L. M. (2008). Crustaceans: Research and data. Modern Journal of Malacostracan Research, 25, 150-305.”
• For a book chapter, you could write: “Wooster, B. W. (1937). A comparative study of modern Dutch cow creamers. In T. E. Travers (Ed.), A Detailed History of Tea Serviceware (pp. 127-155). London: Wimble Press."

• For example, you may write, “Kotb, M. A., Kamal, A. M., Aldossary, N. M., & Bedewi, M. A. (2019). Effect of vitamin D replacement on depression in multiple sclerosis patients. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, 29, 111-117. Retrieved from PubMed, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30708308.
• If you’re citing a paper or article that was published online but did not come from an academic journal or database, provide information about the author (if known), the date of publication (if available), and the website where you found the article. For example: “Hill, M. (n.d.). Egypt in the Ptolemaic Period. Retrieved from https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/ptol/hd_ptol.htm”

Citing Unpublished Sources in Your Reference List

• Print-only dissertations or theses.
• Articles or book chapters that are in press or have been recently prepared or submitted for publication.
• Papers that have been rejected for publication or were never intended for publication (such as student research papers or unpublished conference papers).

• If the paper is currently being prepared for publication, include the author’s name, the year when the current draft was completed, and the title of the article in italics, followed by “Manuscript in preparation.” For example: Wooster, B. W. (1932). What the well-dressed man is wearing. Manuscript in preparation.
• If the paper has been submitted for publication, format the citation the same way as if it were in preparation, but instead follow the title with “Manuscript submitted for publication.” For example: Wooster, B. W. (1932). What the well-dressed man is wearing. Manuscript submitted for publication.
• If the paper has been accepted for publication but is not yet published, replace the date with “in press.” Do not italicize the paper title, but do include the title of the periodical or book in which it will be published and italicize that. For example: Wooster, B. W. (in press). What the well-dressed man is wearing. Milady’s Boudoir.

• If the paper was written for a conference but never published, your citation should look like this: Riker, W. T. (2019, March). Traditional methods for the preparation of spiny lobe-fish. Paper presented at the 325th Annual Intergalactic Culinary Conference, San Francisco, CA.
• For an unpublished paper written by a student for a class, include details about the institution where the paper was written. For example: Crusher, B. H. (2019). A typology of Cardassian skin diseases. Unpublished manuscript, Department of External Medicine, Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, CA.

• For example, you may write, “Pendlebottom, R. H. (2011). Iconography in Italian Frescos (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). New York University, New York, United States.”

Community Q&A

• If you want certain information to stand out in the research paper, then you can consider using a block quote. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

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• ↑ https://libraryguides.vu.edu.au/apa-referencing/7JournalArticles
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_author_authors.html
• ↑ https://bowvalleycollege.libguides.com/c.php?g=714519&p=5093747
• ↑ https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/apaquickguide/intext
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_the_basics.html
• ↑ https://libguides.southernct.edu/c.php?g=7125&p=34582#1951239
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_electronic_sources.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_articles_in_periodicals.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_books.html
• ↑ https://morlingcollege.libguides.com/apareferencing/unpublished-or-informally-published-work
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_apa_faqs.html
• ↑ https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_other_print_sources.html

About This Article

To cite a research paper in-text in APA, name the author in the text to introduce the quote and put the publication date for the text in parentheses. At the end of your quote, put the page number in parentheses. If you don’t mention the author in your prose, include them in the citation. Start the citation, which should come at the end of the quote, by listing the author’s last name, the year of publication, and the page number. Make sure to put all of this information in parentheses. If there’s no author, use the name of the organization that published the paper or the first few words from the title. To learn how to cite published and unpublished sources in your reference list, keep reading! Did this summary help you? Yes No

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How to Cite a Website in APA Style | Format & Examples

Published on November 5, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on September 5, 2024.

APA website citations usually include the author, the publication date, the title of the page or article, the website name, and the URL. If there is no author, start the citation with the title of the article. If the page is likely to change over time, add a retrieval date.

If you are citing an online version of a print publication (e.g. a newspaper , magazine , or dictionary ), use the same format as you would for print, with a URL added at the end. Formats differ for online videos (e.g. TED Talks ), images , and dissertations .

Use the buttons below to explore the format, or use our free APA Citation Generator to automatically create citations.

Cite a website in APA Style now:

Table of contents, citing an entire website, how to cite online articles, websites with no author, websites with no date, how to cite from social media, frequently asked questions about apa style citations.

When you refer to a website in your text without quoting or paraphrasing from a specific part of it, you don’t need a formal citation. Instead, you can just include the URL in parentheses after the name of the site:

One of the most popular social media sites, Instagram (http://instagram.com), allows users to share images and videos.

For this kind of citation, you don’t need to include the website on the reference page . However, if you’re citing a specific page or article from a website, you will need a formal in-text citation and reference list entry. Our plagiarism checker can help ensure your writing doesn’t contain any accidental plagiarism.

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Various kinds of articles appear online, and how you cite them depends on where the article appears.

Online articles from newspapers, magazines, and blogs

Articles appearing in online versions of print publications (e.g. newspapers and magazines) are cited like their print versions, but with an added URL.

The same format is used for blog posts. Just include the blog name where you would usually put the name of the magazine or newspaper.

Articles from online-only news sites

For articles from news sites without print equivalents (e.g. BBC News, Reuters), italicize the name of the article and  not  the name of the site.

When a web page does not list an individual author, it can usually be attributed to an organization or government . If this results in the author name being identical to the site name, omit the site name, as in the example below.

If you can’t identify any author at all, replace the author name with the title of the page or article.

In the in-text citation , put the title in quotation marks if it is in plain text in the reference list, or in italics if it is in italics in the reference list. Note that title case is used for the title here, unlike in the reference list. Shorten the title to the first few words if necessary.

When a web page or article does not list a publication or revision date, replace the date with “n.d.” (“no date”) in all citations.

If an online source is likely to change over time, it is recommended to include the date on which you accessed it.

As social media posts are usually untitled, use the first 20 words of the post, in italics, as a title. Also include any relevant information about the type of post and any multimedia aspects (e.g. videos, images, sound, links) in square brackets.

On some social media sites (such as Twitter ), users go by usernames instead of or in addition to their real names. Where the author’s real name is known, include it, along with their username in square brackets:

In some cases, you’ll want to cite a whole social media profile instead of a specific post. In these cases, include an access date, because a profile will obviously change over time:

When citing a webpage or online article , the APA in-text citation consists of the author’s last name and year of publication. For example: (Worland & Williams, 2015). Note that the author can also be an organization. For example: (American Psychological Association, 2019).

If you’re quoting you should also include a locator. Since web pages don’t have page numbers, you can use one of the following options:

• Paragraph number: (Smith, 2018, para. 15).
• Heading or section name: ( CDC, 2020, Flu Season section)
• Abbreviated heading:  ( CDC, 2020, “Key Facts” section)

When you quote or paraphrase a specific passage from a source, you need to indicate the location of the passage in your APA in-text citation . If there are no page numbers (e.g. when citing a website ) but the text is long, you can instead use section headings, paragraph numbers, or a combination of the two:

(Caulfield, 2019, Linking section, para. 1).

Section headings can be shortened if necessary. Kindle location numbers should not be used in ebook citations , as they are unreliable.

If you are referring to the source as a whole, it’s not necessary to include a page number or other marker.

When no individual author name is listed, but the source can clearly be attributed to a specific organization—e.g., a press release by a charity, a report by an agency, or a page from a company’s website—use the organization’s name as the author in the reference entry and APA in-text citations .

When no author at all can be determined—e.g. a collaboratively edited wiki or an online article published anonymously—use the title in place of the author. In the in-text citation, put the title in quotation marks if it appears in plain text in the reference list, and in italics if it appears in italics in the reference list. Shorten it if necessary.

APA Style usually does not require an access date. You never need to include one when citing journal articles , e-books , or other stable online sources.

However, if you are citing a website or online article that’s designed to change over time, it’s a good idea to include an access date. In this case, write it in the following format at the end of the reference: Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva/about-the-university/about-the-university.html

Instead of the author’s name, include the first few words of the work’s title in the in-text citation. Enclose the title in double quotation marks when citing an article, web page or book chapter. Italicize the title of periodicals, books, and reports.

No publication date

If the publication date is unknown , use “n.d.” (no date) instead. For example: (Johnson, n.d.).

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2024, September 05). How to Cite a Website in APA Style | Format & Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved September 18, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/website/

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Fundamentals of APA

American Psychological Association (APA) style includes  parenthetical in-text citations  and a  reference list . 

APA uses  parenthetical citations  as its form of in-text citation. Provide a parenthetical citation  before the period  directly following the information you are citing. These citations should correspond to a more detailed citation in the reference list but only need to specify a page number if directly quoting or borrowing from the source material. The essential elements for this in-text citation are the author's last name and the date for the specific publications. The last name may be omitted if the sentence states or makes clear the source material.

APA uses a  reference list ,  an alphabetized list of sources following the end of the book or paper,  for its complete list of sources referenced. This list should be titled "References" in bold and alphabetized by the first item in the citation, which, in most cases, is the author's last name. Each reference from this list must be cited in your paper and vice versa.

Basic Format

Author Last Name, Author First Initial. (Year of publication). Title . Publisher Name.

Print Articles

Author Last Name, Author First Initial, & Author Last Name, Author First Initial. (Year). Article Title. Periodical Title , volume number(issue number), pages.

Electronic Articles

Author Last Name, Author First Initial. (Year). Article Title. Periodical Title , volume number(issue number), pages. doi or static url.

Physical Images/Artwork

Artist Last Name, Artist First Initial. (Year). Artwork Title [medium]. Host Institution Name, City, State, Country. URL of institution.

Electronic Images/Artwork

Artist Last Name, Artist First Initial. (Year). Image Title [medium]. Source Title. URL of image.

In-text Citation Examples

Standard case :

"Lorem   ipsum  dolor sit  amet ,  consectetur   adipiscing   elit" (Last name, 2000, p.10).

If the author is not available , the title of the source may be used:

Lorem   ipsum  dolor sit  amet ,  consectetur   adipiscing   elit ("Source title", 2000, pp.10-11).

If multiple authors cited have the same last name , use the author's first initial along with their last name:

"Lorem   ipsum  dolor sit  amet ,  consectetur   adipiscing   elit" (E. Bronte, 1847, p.10).

Lorem   ipsum  dolor sit  amet ,  consectetur   adipiscing   elit (C. Bronte, 1847, p.10).

Full Citation Examples for the Reference List

Archival material :

Child, J. (1974).  Journal, 1974 . [Unpublished journal].  Papers of Julia Child, 1925-1993(MC 644, item 4).  Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, Radcliffe Institute,  https://id.lib.harvard.edu/ead/c/ sch00222c00006 /catalog .

Child, P. (1967). Julia Child at the White House [Photograph]. Schlesinger Library on the History of Women in America, Radcliffe Institute, https://id.lib.harvard.edu/images/olvwork539731/urn-3:RAD.SCHL:4510469/catalog.

Beck, S., Bertholle, L., & Child, J. (1961).  Mastering the art of French cooking.  Knopf.

Child, J. & Child, P. (1968).  The French chef cookbook . Alfred A. Knopf .

Journal article :

Muneal, M. (2011).  Studies in Popular Culture , 34(1), 152–154. www.jstor.org/stable/23416357.

Nussbaum, D. (2005). "In Julia Child's Kitchen, October 5 1998".  Gastronomica , 5(3), 29-38. doi: 10.1525/gfc.2005.5.3.29.

• APA Style website The online version of the APA Style Manual, this website offers to help with the technical elements of formatting in APA as well as writing and citing your work.
• Purdue OWL APA Guide The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) is one of the most complete citation guides available online. The APA Guide explains how to format a paper in APA and breaks down citations by type with numerous examples.
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What is APA Style?

APA Style, currently in its 7th edition, is a citation protocol established by the American Psychological Association.  APA is most often used in the disciplines of:

• Social Sciences (including Psychology, Education, Sociology, Economics, Criminal Justice, etc.)

Be sure to check with your professor as to what citation style is required for each assignment!

What does APA Style Include?

• the format & structure of your paper
• how you cite other authors within the body of your paper
• how you compile a references page at the end of your paper

Citing Sources in APA: Books & Web Resources

If you need help citing sources your best resource is the Wolak Learning Center This link opens in a new window (Campus Students) or the Academic Support Center This link opens in a new window (Online Students). However, the library has a number of resources that can help and librarians can lead you to web resources that may also be useful. The following are some recommended resources to help you cite sources:

• OWL at Purdue This link opens in a new window
• APA Style Guide (Shapiro Library)
• Citing Your Sources Guide (Shapiro Library)

Helpful Books from the Library

Helpful Web Resources

• APA Formatting & Style Guide (Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)) This link opens in a new window
• APA Overview & Workshop (Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)) This link opens in a new window
• APA Sample Paper (Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)) This link opens in a new window
• APA Citation Style (Cornell University Library) This link opens in a new window
• APA Style Help (American Psychological Association) This link opens in a new window

These web resources may be helpful if you need assistance citing sources in APA Style. However, be sure to evaluate any sources you use--the Shapiro Library cannot vouch for the accuracy of information provided on external websites.

Examples of Sources Cited in APA

Visit these links to see examples of citing sources in APA. Check out the OWL at Purdue This link opens in a new window website for more examples of APA style formatting. 

• Books (Shapiro Library APA Guide)
• Journal Articles (Shapiro Library APA Guide)
• Magazines (Shapiro Library APA Guide)
• Newspapers (Shapiro Library APA Guide)
• Reference Works (Shapiro Library APA Guide)
• Websites (Shapiro Library APA Guide)
• Images/Media (Shapiro Library APA Guide)
• In-Text Citations (Shapiro Library APA Guide)
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• Boston University Libraries

APA Citations (7th edition)

Citing web resources.

• In-Text Citations
• In-Text Citation Checklist
• Citing Books and eBooks
• Citing Journal Articles
• Citing Videos
• Reference List

APA: Citing Web Resources  from  Lawrence W. Tyree Library  on  Vimeo : View a transcript  here.

In this tutorial, you will learn the basics for citing a web page, a blog post, and what you should do if you are missing a date.

Every APA reference needs four parts:  author, date, title,  and  source . As you go through these examples, you will learn how to identify these four parts and how to place and format them into a proper APA reference.

Example 1: A Webpage

For the first example, you will learn how to cite a webpage. The first step is to identify who wrote the content. In this example, the author is Ashley Strickland.

To list a specific author, write the  last name , a  comma , and the  initials , followed by a  period .

Example: Strickland, A.

Next, identify when this webpage was published. Dates are usually found near the top or the bottom of the page. Do not use a general copyright date for an overall website.

Unless an item is a newspaper, newsletter, magazine article, or blog post, you only need to provide the year. Since this example is an online news article, you should provide the whole date. After the author, list the entire date in  parentheses , starting with the  year , a  comma , and then the  month and day . End with a period.

Example: Strickland, A. (2019, November 19).

Next, identify the  title of the page . The title will usually be above the text, in a larger size font.

List the  title  of the page in  italics  after the date. Make sure you only capitalize the  first word of the title ,  the first word of the subtitle , which comes after a colon, and any  proper nouns . End with a period.

Example: Strickland, A. (2019, November 19).  Neptune's moons perform a strange orbit dance around each other .

The last information you need is the  source  For webpages, this is the  website title  and the  URL , or Web address. In this case, the website is CNN. If you are having trouble locating the name of the website, try looking at the URL, which is located in the address bar at the top of the browser.

The  title of the website  is listed after the title of the webpage, with a period at the end. Type the website title, a period, and then the  URL . There is no period after the URL. This completes your reference.

Example: Strickland, A. (2019, November 19).  Neptune's moons perform a strange orbit dance around each other . CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2019/11/19/world/neptune-moons-orbit-scn-trnd/index.html

If you refer to a work in your paper, either by directly quoting, paraphrasing, or by referring to main ideas, you will need to include an in-text parenthetical citation. There are a number of ways to do this. In this example, a  signal phrase  is used to introduce a direct quote. Note that the  author's name  is given in the text, and the  publication date  and  location  are enclosed in parentheses at the beginning and end of the sentence. Since there are no page numbers, you should describe where the information is located, either by paragraph number or section.

Example: Strickland (2019) explains that "Naiad is in a tilted, varying orbit that resembles an oddly zigzagging pattern" (para. 2).

Example 2: No Date

Sometimes a webpage may not provide all the information you need for a citation. This example shows how to cite a webpage with no date. Start with the author. While resources are often written by specific people, sometimes an entire organization is the author. In this case,  Santa Fe College  is the author. Most webpages with no personal author will have an organizational author.

For organizational authors, simply list the name of the organization, capitalizing all important words. Because there is no date, use the abbreviation  n.d.  in place of a year. This stands for  no date.

Example: Santa Fe College. (n.d.).

Next, find the title and the source for this webpage.

Type the title of the webpage in italics and end with a period. Since the website title is the same as the author, this component can be omitted.

Example: Santa Fe College. (n.d.).  History of the college .  Santa Fe College.

Finally, add the URL. Do not include a period at the end. This concludes the reference.

Example: Santa Fe College. (n.d.).  History of the college . https://www.sfcollege.edu/about/history-of-the-college/index

For in-text citations with no date, use the abbreviation  n.d.

Example: Santa Fe College (n.d.) states that “community colleges are a uniquely American creation” (para. 2).

Example 3: A Blog Post

Blog posts are cited similarly to webpages. You will need to identify the author of the post, the title of the post, the blog name, date, and URL.

Assemble your citation components in the same order as the previous examples. The only difference in the formatting is that the title of the blog is italicized, and the title of the blog post is not. You will also want to include the entire date.

Example: Kaplan, H. (2017, October 4). Lumia: The art of light.  Eye Level . https://americanart.si.edu/blog/eye-level/2017/04/56195/lumia-art-light

This page is excerpted from  APA: Citing Web Resources  from  Lawrence W. Tyree Library .

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• Last Updated: Sep 18, 2024 1:06 PM
• URL: https://library.bu.edu/apacitations

Paper Format

Consistency in the order, structure, and format of a paper allows readers to focus on a paper’s content rather than its presentation.

To format a paper in APA Style, writers can typically use the default settings and automatic formatting tools of their word-processing program or make only minor adjustments.

The guidelines for paper format apply to both student assignments and manuscripts being submitted for publication to a journal. If you are using APA Style to create another kind of work (e.g., a website, conference poster, or PowerPoint presentation), you may need to format your work differently in order to optimize its presentation, for example, by using different line spacing and font sizes. Follow the guidelines of your institution or publisher to adapt APA Style formatting guidelines as needed.

Academic Writer ®

Master academic writing with APA’s essential teaching and learning resource

Course Adoption

Teaching APA Style? Become a course adopter of the 7th edition Publication Manual

Instructional Aids

Guides, checklists, webinars, tutorials, and sample papers for anyone looking to improve their knowledge of APA Style

APA Research Paper Outline: Examples and Template

Table of contents

• 1 Why Is Research Paper Format Necessary?
• 2.1 Purpose of research paper outline
• 2.2 APA outline example
• 3.1 APA paper outline example
• 3.2 Introduction:
• 3.4 Conclusion:
• 4 The Basic APA Outline Format
• 5 APA Style Outline Template Breakdown
• 6.1 APA Research Paper Outline Example
• 6.2 APA Paper Outline Format Example
• 7.1 First Paragraph: Hook and Thesis
• 7.2 Main Body
• 7.3 Conclusion
• 7.4 Decimal APA outline format example
• 7.5 Decimal APA outline format layout
• 8.1 A definite goal
• 8.2 Division
• 8.3 Parallelism
• 8.4 Coordination
• 8.5 Subordination
• 8.6 Avoid Redundancy
• 8.7 Wrap it up in a good way
• 8.8 Conclusion

Formatting your paper in APA can be daunting if this is your first time. The American Psychological Association (APA) offers a guide or rules to follow when conducting projects in the social sciences or writing papers. The standard APA fromat a research paper outline includes a proper layout from the title page to the final reference pages. There are formatting samples to create outlines before writing a paper. Amongst other strategies, creating an outline is the easiest way to APA format outline template.

Why Is Research Paper Format Necessary?

Consistency in the sequence, structure, and format when writing a research paper encourages readers to concentrate on the substance of a paper rather than how it is presented. The requirements for paper format apply to student assignments and papers submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed publication. APA paper outline template style may be used to create a website, conference poster, or PowerPoint presentation . If you plan to use the style for other types of work like a website, conference poster, or even PowerPoint presentation, you must format your work accordingly to adjust to requirements. For example, you may need different line spacing and font sizes. Follow the formatting rules provided by your institution or publication to ensure its formatting standards are followed as closely as possible. However, to logically structure your document, you need a research paper outline in APA format. You may ask: why is it necessary to create an outline for an APA research paper? Crafting a well-organized APA outline is crucial for any research paper. If you’re struggling with this process, consider seeking help from a professional research paper writer , who can guide you through each step.

Concept & Purposes of Research Paper Outline

A path, direction, or action plan! Writing short essays without a layout may seem easy, but not for 10,000 or more words. Yet, confusing a table of contents with an outline is a major issue. The table of contents is an orderly list of all the chapters’ front matter, primary, and back matter. It includes sections and, often, figures in your work, labeled by page number. On the other hand, a research APA-style paper outline is a proper structure to follow.

Purpose of research paper outline

An outline is a formalized essay in which you give your own argument to support your point of view. And when you write your apa outline template, you expand on what you already know about the topic. Academic writing papers examine an area of expertise to get the latest and most accurate information to work on that topic. It serves various purposes, including:

• APA paper outline discusses the study’s core concepts.
• The research paper outlines to define the link between your ideas and the thesis.
• It provides you with manageable portions that you can handle.
• The research paper’s APA outline enables the detection of structural faults or gaps.
• As shown in the example, it must clearly comprehend the subject at hand.

Trust your APA research paper to experts! Get your paper written by a professional writer Get Help Reviews.io 4.9/5

APA outline example

This research paper outline example will guide you in formatting the layout for a clear direction to work on. It eliminates the inconsistency along with lacking proper substance in the paper.

Understanding the APA Outline Format

It would not be wrong to say there is no standard outline format. The official publishing handbook does not give precise guidelines for preparing an outline. But, it requires certain basic guidelines to follow regarding typeface, font size, structure, margins, etc.

APA paper outline example

Moreover, the final shape of your work relies on your instructor’s specifications and your particular preferences for APA citation format. Though, it would be better to follow some standards for formatting your outline, for instance:

Times New Roman is a widely accessible standard typeface for an APA essay format in 12-point font. However, serif and sans serif fonts like Arial and Georgia are acceptable in font size 11pt.

The text of your paper format should be double-spaced.

The primary headlines use Roman and Arabic numerals to write an outline.

Headings & Subheadings

While writing an APA essay, there are particular standards for utilizing headings in your outline: I – Main headings are numbered by Roman numerals like I, II, III, IV A  – Subheadings are numbered with Capital letters (A, B, C, D) 1  – The APA outline uses Arabic numerals (1-9 type numbers) within those subheadings. a  – Below Arabic number subheadings, lower-case letters are used (a, b, a). [1] – Headings below those subheadings use Arabic numbers enclosed in parenthesis.

APA format offers a standard layout for each paper, such as

• 1-inch margins on the top, bottom, left, and right.
• The page number on the upper right corner.

The structure of writing an outline consists of three major sections:

• Introduction

Introduction:

This section highlights crucial background information.

Explain the primary points that support your ideas.

Conclusion:

• Summarize your key arguments.
• Explain how these concepts support your ultimate stance, as shown in APA outline example below.

An outline in APA has three common formats that vary in the numeric sequence of all. To make it easier for you, we have compiled all three templates. You can format your document using these examples for added coherence and structure.

The Basic APA Outline Format

APA Style Outline Template Breakdown

Numbering the APA style format follows five levels of headings that use different alphabets and numbers. For instance, I – Headings use Roman numerals like I, II, and III. A – CAPITAL ALPHABETS”, such as A, B, C, etc. 1 – Headings and subheadings use Arabic numbers (1, 2, 3). a – If there are further headings (the fourth level), use lower-case alphabets. [1] – Headings below that (the fifth level) use Arabic numerals enclosed in parentheses, such as [1], [2], [3].

Full Sentence Outline Format

As the name specifies, the full-sentence style outline format requires every line to be a proper sentence. Full-sentence APA style outline is best recommended for essays and speeches. It gives your writing process an idea or a logical path to follow.

APA Research Paper Outline Example

If you are looking for how to write a research paper outline APA in Full Sentence Format, here is an example:

Full Sentence APA format heading utilizes Roman numerals I, II, and III. Every heading must be a full sentence. Here is an APA style paper outline template for the full-sentence format that will clear all your confusion on how to write an outline in full-sentence format.

APA Paper Outline Format Example

I. Introduction

III. Conclusion

Decimal Outline Format

The decimal outline format for APA research papers differs from other formats. The decimal APA style is simple and uses paragraphs for structure. It contains three main paragraphs, introduction, main body, and conclusion.

First Paragraph: Hook and Thesis

• The first paragraph is a sentence or two that introduces the central concept of your article.
• Introduce your topic or subject of study where your research is applicable as a context for further research.
• Explain why the mentioned issue is essential or relevant to the audience.
• A thesis statement is a claim that you make throughout your whole essay.
• The topic phrase is the first point in any writing to support a thesis statement.
• Give an explanation or provide evidence to support your point.
• Provide verifiable facts, figures, and/or citations from credible sources in your writing. It helps in the substantiating assertion.
• Include as many supporting statements and related evidence in your decimal outline.

Finally, when you write an outline, provide a concluding remark to support your claims.

Decimal APA outline format example

1.0 The main heading 1.1 Subheading under the main heading 1.2 Second digit is represented by subheadings under the main headings 1.2.1 Further division adds another digit in decimal format 1.2.2 You can number them as per the number of paragraphs or points, or lines An easy way to write in decimal APA outline format is to remember the structure, i.e.; 1.1.1 = Heading.Paragraph.Sentence/point under paragraph.”

Decimal APA outline format layout

1.0 Main heading 1.1 First paragraph for first heading. 1.2 Second paragraph for first heading. 1.2.1 First point or sentence for the second paragraph. 2.0 Second heading 2.1 Second heading, first paragraph. 2.2 Second heading, second paragraph. 2.2.1 Second, heading, second paragraph, first sentence, or point. 3.0 Decimal working 3.1 You must remember that each digit represents a segment. 3.2 It is easier to remember the placement of numbers. 3.2.1 First digit represents the heading 3.2.2 Second digit represents the paragraph under the main heading <3.2.3 The third digit represents any point or sentence under the paragraph.

Tips for Writing an Outline: Organize Your Ideas

You may feel it is easier to write without outlines, but once you start writing, organizing your ideas or thoughts becomes hard. Even if you have some fantastic ideas, producing an engaging story is practically hard. If you are not first creating an outline or conceptual guides while writing a research paper, you may lose track. A well-written outline is essential in completing your paper and maintaining quality. Establishing your point in paper writing is easy if you create an outline first. You can find an APA research paper outline template that best suits your requirement. Moreover, these tips can help you polish your writing. These tips and sample papers can help you write outstanding outlines without making any hassle.

A definite goal

For better expression, make a list of primary objectives on a title page in a single phrase or less. Your goal should be specific and measurable. If it is too broad or imprecise, you will not achieve anything. If you are working on a large paper format that covers a variety of themes or topics, you may have a more general purpose in mind. But, if you plan to write an essay, the aim should be as specific and clear as possible to be effective.

Breaking things up rather than allowing them to become verbose is known as the division rule. Make sure that each subsection in the document corresponds to its parent heading. If it doesn’t compare to the section, removing it or moving it to another location is better.

Parallelism

It is mainly related to the consistency and structure of the document. It keeps your paper’s layout tidy and also ensures relevancy. For instance, if you begin one heading with a verb, make sure all other headings and subheadings also start with a verb.

Coordination

Having headings aligned is critical to creating a well-organized outline. This rule also applies to subheadings, which is a good thing. If one title is less important than another, consider changing your layout by incorporating it into a subsection instead.

Subordination

Subordination deals with maintaining a connection between your paper’s headings and subheadings. It helps in the proper sequencing of headings and subheadings. Headings should be broad at the outset. At the same time, the subheadings become more particular as they go further into the document.

Avoid Redundancy

While writing a paper outline, look through it many times and cross out any items that aren’t necessary or have no significance. While outlining, make sure to be specific and concise. It will prevent you from adding information that does not supporting your final essay. Remove all the extra information and points while c that weighs you down while you write.

Wrap it up in a good way

Creating an outline does not only help in writing a coherent term paper, but it also helps in ending with precise understanding. Be considerate of your audience’s time and effort when you write an outline in APA, and ensure it serves its purpose. If you still have any doubts about formatting your paper outline, you can use this APA-style research paper outline template to write your document. We have provided Outline Format Example for every style.

People find it hard to write an outline in APA, but if you are aware of the requirements and structure, it’s no breeze. Sometimes, your instructor may alter your paper format by introducing or removing existing sections. As a result, if you come across any templates for an outline in APA, pay close attention to them. If you are looking for a quick answer to how to outline an APA paper, here’s a standard logical sequence of typical parts to include when writing an outline in APA:

• Thesis statement
• Techniques employed
• Body of paper
• Conclusions section
• List of references

A well-written outline is an excellent tool for presenting an outstanding paper. Including the key components while writing an outline for a research paper is necessary.

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Education (Higher)

• Finding Books
• Selected Journals
• Websites to Know
• Tests and Meaures Resources
• Statistical Resources for Education
• Legal Resources for Education
• In-Text Citations
• Books and Periodicals
• Web Sources and AV materials
• Reports, Theses and Disserations
• Business Sources

APA Style Guide

For online APA 7th edition answers, check out APA's  free online seventh edition style and grammar guidelines .

Online Resources

• APA Style Blog The best source for those random items you need cited: a lecture, course notes, mobile apps, social media, YouTube videos, etc. Run by a group of experts who work with APA Style every day and updated frequently.

General Rules

• All citations should be double spaced; Indent after the first line of each entry
• Alphabetize by the first word of the entry; entries are not numbered
• Editions of books are noted after the title in the following format: (2nd ed.) First editions are not listed as such. If no edition is listed, omit the edition section
• Italics must be used for book and periodical titles
• Capitalize ONLY the first word of a title, the first word of a subtitle, and proper nouns in titles of books and articles, no matter how they appear in a database or catalog
• Use the abbreviations p. or pp. only for multi-page newspaper articles, encyclopedia entries, and chapters or articles in edited books; Do not use the abbreviation p. or pp. (or any other abbreviation) for magazine and journal articles
• Dates are in Year, Month Day format (e.g., 1999, December 20)
• If no author is listed, begin with the title
• The date is in parenthesis after the author's name (or title if no author is listed)
• Use (n.d.) if no date is given
• Personal Communication includes private letters, memos, some electronic communication (i.e. email or messages from nonarchival discussion groups), personal interviews, telephone conversations, etc. Cite personal communications in text only.
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• URL: https://lib.murraystate.edu/eduhigher

COM-271: Introduction to Media Writing

• APA, 7th edition
• In Class Practice

On This Page

Examples of Common APA Citations

Still struggling.

Conversing with someone else about your research and writing process can be incredibly helpful.  Contact staff at McKillop Library or the Writing Center using the links below.

• Ask-a-Librarian
• Meet with a Writing Consultant

• Excelsior OWL APA Resource provides an overview of paper formatting, in-text citations, and bibliographic entries. Use the left navigation bar to find needed information.
• Purdue OWL APA Resource provides an overview of paper formatting, in-text citations, and bibliographic entries. Use the left navigation bar to find needed information. more... less... The Online Writing Lab (OWL) at Purdue University houses writing resources and instructional material, and we provide these as a free service of the Writing Lab at Purdue. Students, members of the community, and users worldwide will find information to assist with many writing projects. Teachers and trainers may use this material for in-class and out-of-class instruction.

Book with one author:

Lastname, F. M.   (Year).   Title of book: Subtitle of book .   Publisher. 

Chojnacki, M .  (2013).   Alternative movie posters: Film art from the underground .  Schiffer Publishing.

Books with 2-20 authors:

Lastname, F. M., Surname, F. M., & Lastname, F. M.   (Year).  Title of book: Subtitle of book .  Publisher. 

An edited book:

Editor, F. M.  (Ed.).   (Year).   Title of book: Subtitle of book .   Publisher.

Article found in a database or open web with one author:

Lastname, F. M.  (Year).  Title of article.   Title of Journal,  volume (issue),  pages.  https://doi.org/xxxx

Öztürk, F. Ö.  (2017).  The impact of science-fiction movies on the self-efficacy perceptions of their science literacy of science teacher candidates.  Educational Sciences: Theory & Practice ,   17 (5),  1573-1603.  https://doi.org/10.12738/estp.2017.5.0058

Article found in print with one author:

Lastname, F. M.   (Year).  Title of article.   Title of Journal,  volume (issue),  pages.  https://doi.org/xxxx 

Article found on the open web with one author:

Lastname, F. M.  (Year).   Title of article.  Title of Journal,  volume if available (issue if available),  pages if available.  https://doi.org/xxxx 

Article (from the open web) with two authors:

Lastname, F. M., & Surname, F. M.  (Year).  Title of article.   Title of Journal ,  volume (issue),  pages.  https://doi.org/xxxx 

Article with 2-20 authors:

Lastname, F. M., Surname, F. M., & Lastname, F. M.   (Year).  Title of article.   Title of Journal,  volume (issue),  pages.     

Article with 21 or more authors:

Author1, F. M., Author2, F. M., Author3, F. M.,  Author4 ,  F. M., Author5 ,  F. M.,  Author6 , F. M.,  Author7 ,  F. M., Author8 ,  F. M.,  Author9 , F. M.,  Author10 ,  F. M., Author11 ,  F. M.,  Author12 , F. M.,  Author13 ,  F. M., Author14 ,  F. M.,  Author15 , F. M.,  Author16 ,  F. M., Author17 ,  F. M.,  Author18 , F. M.,  Author19 ,  F. M., ...   Finalauthor , F. M.   (Year).  Title of article.   Title of Journal,  volume (issue),  pages.     

Note: this is for websites only—online newspapers/magazines articles are similar to articles above

Web site with one author:

Lastname, F. M.  (Date published).  Title of page.   Name of Website. URL

Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M., Soderland, L., & Brizee, A.  (2010, May 5).   General format .   Purdue Online Writing Lab.    https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/

Web site with a corporate or organizational author:

Organization name .  (Date published).  Title of page.   Name of Website (if different from organization name).   URL

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Penn State University Libraries

Psych447 - mental health practicum with children.

• Finding Cultural and Empirical Information
• APA Style Citations

Writing Help

• Academic Integrity (Penn State) explains how to avoid plagiarism, cheating, and other academic integrity violations.
• Penn State Learning provides free writing help for students (in person and online)
• Style for Students Online Penn State guide by Joe Schall (College of Earth and Mineral Sciences)
• English for Professional Purposes Intercultural Center (EPPIC) offers tutoring and writing workshops for international students
• The Graduate Writing Center provides one-on-one writing consultations and group workshops for graduate students

APA Paper Format

• APA Quick Citation Guide Penn State guide for APA references with examples.

With minor adjustments to Microsoft Word defaults, allow your readers to focus on what you've written and not be distracted by your paper's formatting and organization. These include, but aren't limited to: 

• header/page numbering
• section headers.

Formatting your paper, citations, and references following an established style, like that of the American Psychological Association (APA) is a small, but important part of academic communication.

Follow the instructions for APA 7th edition format on either the APA website or the Purdue OWL website:

• APA Paper Format (7th ed) "Consistency in the order, structure, and format of a paper allows readers to focus on a paper’s content rather than its presentation." Here you will find instructions for formatting your paper and sample papers to review.
• APA Student Title Page (7th ed) Simplified instructions for a student title page, new with the 7th ed.
• APA Formatting and Style Guide (Purdue OWL) Extensive explanations and examples for how to cite using the APA style, commonly used in the social sciences.

This guide contains examples of common citation formats in APA (American Psychological Association) Style, based on the sixth edition (2009) of the Publication Manual. APA style is commonly used in the social sciences.

For information on the seventh edition (2020) , see the APA Quick Guide to the seventh edition.

Just need a quick citation? Try ZoteroBib .

Questions about APA Style? Ask a Librarian!

For more information about APA Style, use the following resources.

• Frequently Asked Questions from the APA website Quick answers to common questions about using APA style, including questions about formatting, headings, title page, etc.
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• Last Updated: Sep 19, 2024 3:33 PM
• URL: https://guides.libraries.psu.edu/Psych447

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Nursing Research

• Citation Help
• Find Articles
• Find Books & Ebooks
• Find Videos
• NCLEX Resources
• Google Scholar
• InterLibrary Loan

Still needing help with APA?

The MBA program and faculty have generally agreed on using a modified APA “lite” in our programs.

This guide provides you with the needed information for writing papers and documenting sources while you are enrolled in the MBA program.

The   APA Style Research Guide  has more detailed APA information

Intended for use by MBA students Note: Statista APA format is not included. Use the information in Statista for correct APA formatting.  

APA & Industry Research Databases

Citing from Industry Research databases such as Hoover's Academic and First Research can be a bit tricky when applying APA formatting. Below are accurate examples of citations you can follow:

Citing from First Research database

Hoover’s Inc. (2018).  Coffee Shops: Industries.  Retrieved Dec. 30, 2018, from First Research database.

Citing from Hoover’s Academic database

Hoover's Inc. (2018).  Ambulance Services.  Hoover's: Industries. Retrieved Jan. 29, 2018, from Hoover’s Academic database.

Citation and Documentation Styles

Trevecca has three primary citation styles, APA, Chicago, and MLA, that students should apply when writing research papers.  Each of these styles is discipline-specific. View the Citation Style Research Guide for specific tutorials and resources by citation style .

AMA Style Manual

APA (American Psychological Association) Style   View the APA guide page here

• Used in Business, some Communication courses, Education, Medical, Psychology, Sciences, and some Social Sciences programs

Chicago or Turabian Style:  View the Chicago / Turabian style page here

• Used in some History courses and the Religion program.

MLA (Modern Language Association) Style   View the MLA style page here

• Used in some Communication courses, English & Literature, History courses, and social sciences programs.

If your major or program of study is not on the list above, check with your professor to see what citation style is preferred.

APA 7 Learning Resources

• APA 7 Video tutorials
• Resource Links
• Online Self-Paced Course to learn APA
• Quizzes, flashcards

Start with a PLAYLIST.  A playlist means consecutive videos about the topic begin automatically from one URL.

• Scribbr: APA 7 video tutorial PLAYLIST - Basics of APA 7 In-Text Citations - Creating an APA 7 Reference Entries - Set Up an APA 7 Paper in 6 min! - Formatting the APA 7 Reference List

Choose a single video to help illustrate a topic

Setting up a word doc or google doc to comply with apa 7 student paper format guidelines. .

• Scribbr: Easy Formatting for APA Style 7th Edition Format your paper in APA Style (7th edition) in just 6 minutes. Everything from the title page and header to the abstract, body section, and reference page. Let’s get started!
• Univ of Maryland Library: APA 7 Paper Formatting in Word Shows how to set up a Word document to comply with APA 7 Student Paper format guidelines. (5 min 30 sec)

Formatting the References Page or List

• OWL@Purdue: APA 7th References | Part I In this video, Alyssa explains how to assemble and format a reference list in APA 7. Includes page number references to the APA 7 Publication Manual.
• OWL@Purdue: APA 7th References | Part II In this video, Alyssa explains how to assemble and format a reference list in APA 7. Includes page number references to the APA 7 Publication Manual.
• Scribbr: APA 7th Edition: Formatting the APA Reference Page/List: In this video you will learn: how to format the APA reference page, how to create the references, and how to format an annotated bibliography. Scribbr
• Scribbr: Creating an APA 7 Reference Entries In this video, you’ll learn how to create APA reference entries for different source types (books, journal articles, videos, etc.) and what to do with multiple authors or missing information. It’s simpler than you think!
• In-Text Citations
• OWL@Purdue: APA 7th In-Text Citations In this video, Alyssa explains how to write in-text citations according to the 7th edition of the APA style guide. Includes page number references to the APA 7 Publication Manual.
• Scribbr: The Basics of APA7 In-Text Citations This video will go through what to include in an APA in-text citation, where to place it in a sentence, and how to deal with missing information.

Documents - Handouts, Samples, PDF 

• APA 7th ed.: Sample Papers You can look through some sample papers provided by APA to find examples of how to format your paper and your reference page.
• APA 7 Ed.: Scaffolded Reference Elements Worksheet Download this worksheet to help guide you with including the right elements for the various types of resources that may be on your References List. VERY HELPFUL!
• APA 7th Ed.: Student Sample Paper with Annotations Pop out guide points are included on this sample paper available for PDF download
• APA 7: Database inclusion in a citation - APA Style Blog Here's what APA says about whether or not to include the database where you found information. What about DOI's? Always include them in your citation if they are available with your article.
• DOI or URLS: The APA Style Blog, 7th ed.
• APA 7th ed.: In-text Citations - APA Style Blog Specific guidance for in-text citation, including formats for interviews, classroom and intranet sources, and personal communications; in-text citations in general; and paraphrases and direct quotations.
• APA 7th ed.: References Basic citation format, database citations, examples, what to do if information is missing, and more from APA.
• Basics of APA 7th Edition: Academic Writer Tutorial Basics information about the seventh edition of APA Manual of Style, 7th edition, introductory tutorial more... less... Provided by APA
• APA 7th Ed. Quiz & Scavenger Hunt Learn more about APA 7 formatting by completing the open book quiz and scavenger hunt.
• Learn APA 7- Flashcards from Quizlet Flashcards to help you learn APA 7 basics and general formatting.

This video explains how to format and coordinate your APA in-text citations with your APA reference citations.

Journal Article Review, APA 7th Ed.

• Sample Journal Article Review Template
• FAQ's about APA
• Basic Citation Format
• Web Site Citation
• References page
• Online Citation Guides

Everything in this section applies to APA 6th edition Style.

APA Style ®  (American Psychological Association) originated in 1929 when a group of psychologists, anthropologists, and business managers convened and sought to establish a simple set of procedures, or  style rules , that would codify the many components of scientific writing to increase the ease of reading comprehension.

As with other editorial styles, APA Style consists of rules or guidelines that a publisher observes to ensure a clear and consistent presentation of written material. 

Frequently Asked Questions About APA Style ®

APA's Publication Manual, 6th Edition , provides complete style guidelines and should be consulted first in all matters concerning APA Style ® , but these FAQs will help clarify frequent areas of confusion. You might also want to search the  APA 6th Edition Style blog . Search your topic in the search box, top right to navigate to the example information

Basic Citation Formatting

• APA 6th states that including database information in citations is not necessary because databases change over time
• Because online materials can potentially change URLs, APA recommends providing a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), when it is available, as opposed to the URL. DOIs are an attempt to provide stable, long-lasting links for online articles.
• Only use Retrieved from dates  (APA 6th) if the source could change, such as census or industry data sources.

How do you cite the Bible or other classic works?

According to the APA Style Blog, reference list entries are NOT required when you cite ancient Greek and Roman works or classical religious works [such as the Bible'. 

However, in the first text citation, w hether it is general or a direct quote or paraphrase, identify the version you used. You do not need to repeat the version name in subsequent references .

See more here from the  APA Style Blog

Citing Web Sources

For a passing reference to a website in text, the URL is sufficient; no reference list entry is needed.

Gussie Fink-Nottle has set up a discussion forum for newt fanciers (http://gfnnfg.livejournal.com/).

However, when you are citing a particular document or piece of information from a website, include both a reference list entry and an in-text citation. The key to creating the reference list entry is to determine the type of content on the web page. Basically, provide the following four pieces of information on the References list citation:

Author, A. (date). Title of document [Format description]. Retrieved from http://xxxxxxxxx

The in-text citation i ncludes the author and date (Author, date), as with any other APA Style citation.

More information the APA Style Blog

Publication Manual (6th ed., section 6.32, pp. 189–192; Chapter 7, Examples 29, 30, 54, 55, and 76, pp. 198–215)

From the APA Style website:

• How do you reference a web page that lists no author?
• How do you cite website material that has no author, no year, and no page numbers?

From the APA Style Blog:

• How to Cite Something You Found on a Website in APA Style
• How to Cite Multiple Pages From the Same Website
• When to Include Retrieval Dates for Online Sources

Information above attributed to :

American Psychological Association. APA Style Blog, Quick Answers - References - Websites.

      Retrieved Jan. 31, 2018 from http://www.apastyle.org/learn/quick-guide-on-references.aspx

The References Page

In-Text  Citations

Start by viewing the video tutorial below to learn more about APA 6th in-text citation formatting.

References Versus Citations

by Timothy McAdoo

APA Style Blog Post , Sept. 20, 2017

In the APA Publication Manual and in many, many blog posts here, we refer to both references and citations . If you are new to writing with APA Style, you might wonder “What’s the difference?” Like this apple and orange, they are created separately but work well together!

References appear at the end of a manuscript. They follow a who – when – what – where format.

For example:

They appear (a) so you can give credit to your sources and (b) to provide a path for your readers to retrieve those sources and read them firsthand.

Citations appear in the body of your paper and point your reader to your references. For that reason, we sometimes call them in-text citations . They are also sometimes called simply cites .

Citations can appear in a paper in two ways:

• parenthetically: (Becker, 2012; Lee, 2016; McAdoo, 2017) and
• narratively: Becker (2012), Lee (2016), and McAdoo (2017) wrote blog posts about APA Style.

Include them i n a paper to support claims you have made and/or to provide the sources for paraphrases and direct quotations.

As shown in the examples above, citations are almost always composed of an author surname or surnames and a date. The surname(s) that appear in a citation must exactly match those used in the reference. Likewise, the year in the citation matches the year shown in the reference . When the reference has a more precise date, the in-text citation includes the year only. For example, compare the reference and the in-text citation for a tweet . For more about creating in-text citations, see Writing In-Text Citations in APA Style .

As noted above, most citations include author names; but, because some references have no author, their citations also have no author: When the reference includes no author, the citation includes the title (or a short version of the title) . Also, many types of legal references do not include author names. To learn more about legal references and citations, see Introduction to APA Style Legal References .

McAdoo, T. (2017, September 20). References versus citations [Blog post].

           Retrieved Jan. 31, 2018 from http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2017/09/References-versus-citations

Quick, easy to access to online APA guides, bookmark these!

• APA Style Blog 6th edition Only APA 6th Ed. guidelines. Search your topic in the search box, top right to navigate to the example information.
• Purdue OWL - APA 6th Ed. APA 6th Ed. basics, examples of citations for References list, and in-text citations from the Online Writing Center (OWL) at Purdue.

• RefWorks This link opens in a new window RefWorks is a robust citation manager tool that is freely available to Trevecca faculty and students at all levels.
• Mendeley Reference Manager A free web and desktop reference management application.
• TypeCite A free citation tool specializing in APA, MLA, and Harvard formats.
• Zotero A free browser extension for managing your citations.

• Recite Recite checks that the authors and dates in the body of your work match up with the references at the end. Then Recite tells you where it finds errors. For dissertation work, note that the Free Access allows for 2 Uploads per day with the first 2,500 words checked for citations and only the first 50 references checked. Copy & paste this link to view the reasonable subscription pricing. https://reciteworks.com/pricing

What is a Citation?

Other citation tools on the web.

• Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) - Provides information on academic citation styles and documentation, research tips, grammar and mechanics, and writing instructions. Also included is information about Stylebooks, e.g., AP Stylebook Online.
• AP (Associated Press) Stylebook
• APA Style Citation or APA Academic Writing
• Chicago Academic Citation Style
• MLA Academic Citation Style
• Scribbr Citation Generator Look up a source's title, URL, ISBN, or DOI. Then the Citation Generator will automatically find all the necessary information to generate a citation.

MLA 9th Edition

• About MLA 9th Ed.
• Video Tutorials
• Flashcards & Quizzes

MLA 9th Ed. (2021)

This information is a quick introduction to the Modern Language Association 9th edition citation style. Consult the  MLA Handbook  or the online  MLA Style Center  for detailed standards and procedures. 

Start with a PLAYLIST.   That means consecutive videos about the topic begin automatically from one URL.

• MLA 9th edition (2021) - David Taylor 3 short videos illustrating how to set your paper up to meet MLA 9th format guidelines, In-Text citations, and formatting the Works Cited list. - MLA Style Essay Format (9th ed. - Complete Guide (2023) - MLA In-Text Citations 9th ed. - Complete Guide (2023) - MLA Works Cited Citations - Complete Guide (2023)
• Scribbr: MLA 9 video tutorial PLAYLIST 3 short videos illustrating MLA 9th Ed. formatting for a paper, the Works Cited list, and in-text citations. - Setting up MLA Format Paper in Google Docs Step-by-Step (2020) - Basics of MLA In-Text Citations - MLA Works Cited: References and Formatting

Choose a single video to help understand a MLA element

• MLA 9 Style Tutorial: Part I, Creating citations Cover the basics of MLA 9 citations as well as creating citations, in-text citations, and examples of each.
• MLA 9 Style Tutorial Part 2: Setting up a paper in Word 2016 In this video, you will see how to set up your paper in MLA 9 formatting using Word 2016. Be sure to check with your instructor to make sure they do not have any specific guidelines they would like you to follow for setting up your paper.

MLA 9 Citation & Formatting Tools

• MLA 9 Paper (Project) Format Guidelines These guidelines standardize manuscript formatting. Elements include margins, text formatting, title, running head, and more. This is a free chapter excerpt from MLA Handbook 9th ed. Chapter 1.0: Introduction to Formatting Your Research Project.
• Interactive Practice Template The template is a tool for teaching and learning MLA style, not a citation generator. To verify that your entry is correct, consult the MLA 9th Edition Handbook.
• Works Cited: A Quick Guide Interactive, self-paced guide to creating citations and building a Works Cited page.

Online MLA Citation Sites for Examples

• MLA Style from the OWL@Purdue Guidelines and examples used here use MLA 9th edition.
• Works Cited List Entries - MLA Style Center Each entry in the list of works cited is composed of facts common to most works—the MLA 9 core elements. They are assembled in a specific order that is detailed on this webpage.
• MLA 9 Style - Quizlet Practice MLA 9 knowledge using this set of flashcards and other learning activities.
• MLA Style Quiz Test your understanding of some basic MLA Style rules by completing this 10-question quiz created by NIC Library & Learning Commons.

Works Cited List:  Author Last Name, First Name.  Title. Publisher, Year.

In-text:  (Author Last Name Page Number)

Cite an e-book as you would a book, but afterward, include the container (the site that hosts the e-book) and the location (URL). 

Journal Article from Database  

In the Works Cited List:   Author Last Name, First Name. "Title."  Journal/Magazine/Newspaper Title , Publication Information [volume, issue/number, year, pages].  Name of Database , DOI, Permalink, or shortened URL for an article in the database. 

MLA 9th Ed. Citation Examples

• About MLA 8th Ed.

Works Cited

MLA 8th Edition (2016)

This information is for MLA 8th Ed. users. Keep in mind the most current MLA edition is the 9th Edition (2021). 

• Using MLA Format Be cautious as much of this content is still using MLA 8. Verify-in MLA 9 before submitting your work.

MLA 8th edition examples. Note:  The hanging indent is not applied in these citations. 

Book with one or two authors -  List the authors in order of appearance on the title page. Use a comma and an  and  to separate authors.

Books (or Articles) with three or more authors -  When a source has three or more authors, only the first one shown in the source is normally given. It is followed by  et al.

Article found in print, not online  - Basic format elements for a journal article citation:

• Name of the author  as it appears in the journal 
• Title of the article in quotation marks 
• Title of the journal (italicized)
• Volume number, issue number (include issue number whenever available)
• Date of publication (abbreviate all months except May, June, and July)
• First and last page numbers
• Capitalize first and last word, and all principal words in the article title (See MLA Handbook 8th. ed., section 1.2 on Title of Sources)

Article from a database -   The formatting for articles from online databases is the same as the print periodical formatting above. However, to aid in locating the article, the container (name of database) and the location (URL, doi, or permalink) should be added unless otherwise instructed by your professor.

Works Cited is the title of the bibliography.

It is a list of 'Works Cited' within the document's text.

The title 'Works Cited' is centered on a new page.

This video shows how to format a Works Cited page in Microsoft Word properly. The example page uses the newest updated 2016 MLA 8th edition citation guidelines.

In-Text Citation

The list of Works Cited at the end of your paper tells your reader what resources you used to write your paper. To avoid plagiarism or taking credit for ideas that are not your own, you must also indicate in the text of your paper precisely what is borrowed from a source and where to locate that information in the source.

The in-text citation usually appears in parentheses and corresponds directly to an entry in your list of Works Cited. The author's last name and the page number are usually enough to indicate the location in the source. If the author's name is used in the introductory sentence, do not repeat it in the citation.

[Narrative format] - Author’s name in the text

...Sellers had expressed that the market changed in the 17th century (91-92).  

[Parenthical format] - The author’s name follows paraphrased content

…the view on economic growth is not widely embraced among historians (Sellers 91).

Online MLA 8th ed. Citation Guides

• MLA Style 8th Ed from the OWL@Purdue Some guidelines and examples of MLA 8th ed. formatting.
• MLA 8 Formatting Guidelines from EasyBib Concise information about using MLA 8th, Ed. Style for formatting.
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• Last Updated: Sep 19, 2024 2:37 PM