APA: Create In-Text Citations
What do I need to do?
You need to include proper citation throughout your paper. APA publications use the author date citation system, identifying the source for the reader and allowing them to locate the information source among the references. An in-text citation must match up with an information source located in the reference list and vice-versa.
A quick reference
See chart below, adapted from The University of Tennessee LibGuide Links to an external site. for quick reference of in-text citations.
Type of Citation | Mentioned in Text | Subsequent Citations in Text | Parenthetical Format, First Citation in Text | Parenthetical Format, Subsequent Citations in Text |
---|---|---|---|---|
One work by one author | Walker (2007) says... | Walker (2007) | (Walker, 2007) | (Walker, 2007) |
One work by two authors | Walker and Allen (2004) believe that... | Walker and Allen (2004) | (Walker & Allen, 2004) | (Walker & Allen, 2004) |
One work by three to five authors | Bradley, Ramirez, and Soo (1999) disagree... | Bradley et al. (1999) | (Bradley, Ramirez, & Soo, 1999) | (Bradley et al., 1999) |
One work by six or more authors | Wasserstein et al. (2005) feel that... | Wasserstein et al. (2005) | (Wasserstein et al., 2005) | (Wasserstein et al., 2005) |
Groups as authors (readily identified through abbreviation) | National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH, 2003) report... | NIMH (2003) | (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2003) | (NIMH, 2003) |
Groups as authors (no abbreviation) | University of Pittsburgh (2005) professors see... | University of Pittsburgh (2005) | (University of Pittsburgh, 2005) | (University of Pittsburgh, 2005) |
Examples
Use the pull-down menu to access examples of the following citations.