APA Documentation: Learn It 2

APA In-Text Citations

APA citations follow specific conventions that distinguish them from other styles. In most cases, APA citations in your text will follow the guidelines illustrated below.

In-text Citations in APA

Citation Type Guidance Examples
Single Author List the author’s last name, followed by the year of publication in parentheses. For direct quotes, add a page number after the year.
  • Social class is hard to define (Calvert, 1982).
  • Calvert (1982) argued that social class is hard to define.
  • Calvert (1982) stated it “varies by context” (p. 43).
Two Authors Use an ampersand (&) inside parentheses and “and” outside of them. Add the year.
  • Social class is becoming obsolete (Calvert & Liu, 1987).
  • Calvert and Liu (1987) argued that social class is becoming obsolete.
Three or More Authors Use only the first author’s last name followed by et al., even in the first citation. Include the year.
  • The concept has evolved (Calvert et al., 1987).
  • Calvert et al. (1987) claimed the concept has evolved.
Group Authors – With Abbreviation On first citation, write the full name and abbreviation. On later citations, use only the abbreviation.
  • (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2019)
  • (NIMH, 2019)
Group Authors – Without Abbreviation Write the full group name with the year.
  • (Stanford University, 2018)
  • Stanford University (2018) reported an increase.
Multiple Works – Same Author Separate years with commas in chronological order. Use letters for sources published in the same year.
  • (Calvert, 2004, 2005a, 2005b)
Multiple Works – Different Authors Separate citations with semicolons. List authors alphabetically.
  • (Calvert, 1987; Liu, 2004, 2005; Smith, 2003)
Direct Quotes Add page number to the in-text citation using “p.” or “pp.” for multiple pages. Put quote in quotation marks.
  • “Class structure is shifting rapidly” (Calvert, 1982, p. 14).
  • According to Calvert (1982), “class structure is shifting rapidly” (p. 14).
No Page Numbers Use paragraph number, section name, or heading if no page is available.
  • “Gravity is actually the bending of space” (Williams, 2019, para. 5).
  • Williams (2019) described gravity as “the bending of space” (para. 5).

 

This video will show you what in-text citations should look like and explain why you must use them.
You can view the transcript for “APA In-Text Citations Seventh Edition” here (opens in new window).

If you have questions or need further instruction, visit the APA Style Guide, the Excelsior Online Writing Lab, the Purdue Online Writing Lab, or the APA Guide from Santa Fe College.