APA Citation Style Quick Guide
The following sources were referenced:
Aaron, J. E. (Ed.). (2015). The little, brown essential handbook (8th ed.). Boston, MA: Pearson. And
Wyant, D. (2010). APA quick reference guide. Charlotte, NC.
Basic Components for APA Papers
Papers written in APA have four basic components*:
1. Cover or title page
2. Abstract
3. Body of the paper
4. Reference section
*Papers can also include elements like tables, figures, and appendices.
Basic APA Formatting
Margins
Font
Font Size
Spacing
Paragraphs
Pagination
Numbers
Minimum of 1” margin on all sides
Left Alignment
Times New Roman for text
Sans Serif font (e.g., Arial) for statistics in tables and figures
12 pt. for texts and headings; Table font can be reduced to 10 pt. but no smaller
Double-spaced throughout, including references
One space following any punctuation mark; one space between sentences
Indent the beginning of a new paragraph 0.5”.
Avoid one-sentence paragraphs.
Page numbers begin with the title page (i.e. page 1), but the number is not shown on the title
page. Beginning with page 2, numbers are placed in the upper right-hand corner.
Allow 5 spaces between the end of the header and the page number.
Numbers less than 10 are written out as words (i.e. one through nine).
Numbers 10 and greater use Arabic figures (10-999,999)
Use the % symbol and figures to report any number as a percentage (i.e. 6%, 23.5%).
Exceptions: Do not use a figure to start a sentence; write out the number.
-When writing out the number, also write out “percent.”
-Use the word “percentage” when writing in general terms and not referring to a specific
numerical value.
Abbreviations APA recognizes only seven acronyms as words that do not require definition:
HIV, AIDS, IQ, ESP, REM, NADP, ACTH
& Acronyms
Define all other abbreviations by writing out the name in full on first use and putting
abbreviations in parentheses. Example: “…School of Social Work (SSW)…”
Once defined, you must use the abbreviation for all subsequent references. No flip-flopping!
Headings
APA format uses five levels of headings. These headings disclose your paper’s organization to the reader and can
clarify how material from various sections relate to each other. Most students use two or three levels of headings.
Level 1
Level 2
Level 3
Level 4
Level 5
Centered, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading
Flush Left, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading
Indented, boldface, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period.
Indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period.
Indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period.
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Title or Cover Page
Running Head: 50 CHARACTERS MAX. ALL CAPS
Your Paper Title: 10-12 Words
Your Name
Motlow State Community College
Class Number and Shortened Title (SOCI 1020: Intro to Sociology)
Instructor’s Name
Date of Submission
Abstracts
Abstracts are typically the 2nd page of your paper, and though they may vary in length, 120 words is a typical
length for this component of your paper. Your abstract should contain the following:
1. The purpose of your study
2. The methods used
3. Your findings
4. Your conclusions or implications
The word “Abstract” should be centered at the top of the page, not bolded. Do not indent on the first line of the
abstract the way you would a paragraph. Your abstract should also use the present tense whenever possible.
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*Remember: Starting with the 2nd page of your paper, you should include your header ½” from the top of
the page. This header is the same as your Running Head on your title page but does not use the words “Running
Head.”
Citing Sources in Your Text
When you make reference to someone else’s idea through paraphrasing, summarizing, or quoting, you should:


give the author’s last name, provide the year the source was published, and then list the page number of
the work in a parenthetical citation;
provide full citation information for the source on your References page.
Paraphrasing and summarizing involve putting a source’s information into your own words and sentence
structures, while quoting is copying the author’s words and structures exactly as written or spoken and placing
them within quotation marks. Citations have two parts. There is a parenthetical citation (a.k.a. in-text citation)
and a corresponding entry on your References page.
APA In-text Citations
Your parenthetical citation should give enough information to identify the source listed on your References page.
APA style uses an author-date method of citation. When you quote, paraphrase, or reference an idea from a
source, you must include the author’s name and the publication date in your text. When providing page numbers
for citations, use “p.” to identify the page number for a quote from a single page; use “pp.” for a quote that spans
a range of pages.
A “signal phrase” introduces a quotation in order to help the reader understand why it is important and how it
fits into the rest of the paper. In the first example below, “Robertson (2010) maintains that…” is the signal
phrase.
IF THE AUTHOR IS NAMED IN SIGNAL PHRASE:
If the author is named and a publication date given while introducing the sourced material, then only a page
number is necessary in your citation:
Quotation:
Smith (2014) points out that “parents from Group A were exposed to similar sensory stimuli” (p. 136).
Paraphrase:
According to A. Toffler (2012), there have been two periods of revolutionary change in history: the agricultural
revolution and the industrial revolution (p. 10).
Note that the above source is paraphrased and not quoted. When paraphrasing specific information from a
source, that source still must be cited in the paper and in the references list.
IF THE AUTHOR IS NOT NAMED IN SIGNAL PHRASE:
Quote:
It may be true that “students often have difficulty using APA Style” (Jones, 1998, p. 199).
Paraphrase:
Some claim that APA style is often difficult for many learners (Jones, 1998, p. 199).
Note that although APA style does not require you to list page numbers when paraphrasing or summarizing a
text, it is strongly encouraged.
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IF USING TWO OR MORE WORKS BY THE SAME AUTHOR:
Use a comma to separate years of multiple works. In in-text citations, the year of publication acts as the
distinguishing characteristic between multiple works by the same author.
IF USING AN INTERNET OR ELECTRONIC SOURCE WITH NO AUTHOR OR PAGE NUMBER:
Author Unknown:
List the organization as the author in the citation: (Planned Parenthood, 2015).
Date Unknown:
When the date of publication is unknown, use the date given on the Web page as copyright date, last updated, or
last revised date for the publication date (usually at the bottom of the Web page). If no date is given, use the
abbreviation “n.d.” for no date: (National Health Statistics, n.d.)
Note that you should NOT use web addresses in the text of your paper for citation material.
INDIRECT QUOTATION:
While you should always try to reference material from the original source, at times, you may have to use a
secondhand or indirect source, that is, a quotation you find in another source that was quoting from the original.
Name the original source in the text of your paper, and cite the secondary source in parentheses. Use “as cited in”
to indicate the source.
“Wallace argues that…(as cited in Smith, 2009).” *In this case, only the Smith reference should be listed on the
reference list.
LONG OR BLOCK QUOTATIONS
Sometimes, you will want to use long quotations. If your quotation is 40 words or more, you will format the quote
as a block quote. Omit the quotation marks and start the quotation on a new line. This block quote should be
indented 5 spaces from the left margin throughout and should maintain double spacing throughout. With a block
quote, your ending punctuation will come before the parenthetical citation.
Block quote example:
As identified by Newacheck et al. (2004), these increased costs are incurred and cause
extraordinary needs:
…elevated requirements for primary and specialty medical car, as well as supportive services
such as rehabilitation, environmental adaptations, personal assistance, mental health, or respite
care. Therapeutics often allow families to care for their children at home rather than seek
outside and often publically-financed out-of-home care. (p.59)
MULTIPLE AUTHORS
Sometimes, you will have sources by multiple authors. Use the chart below to determine your citation formatting.
(Author 1 & Author 2, year) Use “&” within parentheses. Write out the word “and”
2 authors
When authors’ names are used in the signal phrase.
“…thus, leading to higher rates of HIV infection” (Peacock & Slocum, 2004).
According to Peacock and Slocum (2004), the “higher rates of HIV…”
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First use: List all authors, separating names with commas, and publication date.
(Ivy, Dees, & Coe, 1999)
Subsequent use: List first author + “et al.” and the publication date
(Ivy et al., 1999)
6 or more authors List the first author + “et al.” and the date
(Bucket et al., 2003)
3-5 authors
APA References Page
The basic format for all APA reference entries, no matter what the source, includes as much of the
following as is available:
1. the author’s name
2. the year of publication
3. the title of the work (italics if a book, in quotation marks if an article)
4. the city of publication
5. the publisher or n.p. (for no publisher given)
6. unless citing an entire work, the page number, or page range
For electronic or internet sources, you should also include:
7. the assigned DOI number or, if no DOI is given, the URL preceded by “Retrieved
from”
Indent all lines of an entry after the first one by 5 spaces and include a period (.) at the end of all citations. Also,
reference pages must be double-spaced. The examples in this handout are not.
OTHER IMPORTANT ELEMENTS:
 Invert authors’ names, using each author’s last name first, and first initial.
 Alphabetize entries by the first author’s last name.
 Do not include extra line spacing between each entry.
 Capitalize the first word in the title, the first word in a subtitle (if given), and any proper names.
 Italicize the titles of books, journals, magazines, newspapers, and films.
 Do not use end punctuation if a URL is the final piece of information in an entry.
Remember that References pages must be double-spaced. The examples in this handout are not.
BASIC FORMAT FOR A BOOK:
Author Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of book. City of Publication, State: Publisher.
One author:
Toffler, A. (1981). The third wave. New York, NY: Bantam.
Two authors:
Livermore, J. B., & Quigley, E. (2002). Field assessment in crisis counseling (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
If there are multiple authors, list all of their last names and first initials (as done in the example for 2 authors) up
to a total of 7 authors. If there are more than seven authors,, list the first six authors and then use “…, &” before
listing the very last author instead of writing all of the authors’ names (List first 6 + …, & last).
EDITED BOOK:
Editor Last Name, First Initial. (Ed.). (Year of Publication). Title of book. City of Publication, State: Publisher.
Richman, J., & Fraser, M. (Eds.). (2004). Assessment tools for behavior of elementary-school children. New
York, NY: Aldine.
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CHAPTER IN EDITED BOOK:
Author Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of chapter. In Editor’s Name (Ed.), Title of book (pp.
numbers). City of Publication, State: Publisher.
Sharpe, T. J., & Creed, R. T. (2007). Developmental disabilities. In S. J. Parish & H. Hu (Eds.), Advances in
serving vulnerable populations (pp. 33-67). Medfield, OR: Walnut Press.
Note that the editors’ names are not inverted.
GOVERNMENT, CORPORATE, OR ORGANIZATION WEB SITE:
Name of Government. Government Agency/ies. (Year of Publication). Title of the site [or Description: Home
page]. City of Publication, State: Publisher.
Department of Health and Human Services. (2007). Guide to service policy and program administration.
Washington, DC: Author.
If the agency or organization is also the publisher, put “Author” in the spot for publisher rather than repeating
the name.
REFERENCE FOR FEDERAL LAWS:
Name of Act § Section Number, Volume Number U.S.C. § Section Number (Year of Publication).
or
Name of Act, Pub. L. No. Number, § Section Number, Volume Number Stat. Page Number
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 § 102, 42 U.S.C. § 4332 (1994).
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-336, §2, 104 Stat. 328 (1991).
ARTICLE IN AN ONLINE NEWSPAPER:
Author Last Name, First Initial. (Date of Publication). Title of article. Title of Newspaper. Retrieved from
http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/
Parker-Pope, T. (2008, May 6). Psychiatry handbook linked to drug industry. The New York Times. Retrieved
from http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/06/psychiatry-handbook-linked-to-drug-industry/?_r=0
ARTICLE IN A SCHOLARLY JOURNAL (OR MAGAZINE):
Author Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of article. Title of Journal or Periodical, Volume
(Issue Number), Page Numbers.
Gambrill, E. D. (2001). The tide is turning: Corporeal punishment in our schools. Quarterly of Social Work
Teaching and Education, 27(2), 14-19.
If the article has 7 authors, follow the same instructions for listing their names as noted under the basic book
format. For more than 7 authors, follow the instructions listed under the basic book format as well.
If a journal uses continuous pagination, do not include the issue number in the reference. If each issue of a
journal begins with page 1, include the issue number in the reference.
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ARTICLE IN AN ONLINE SCHOLARLY JOURNAL (OR MAGAZINE) WITH DOI:
Author Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of article. Title of Journal or Periodical, Volume
(Issue Number), Page Numbers. doi: number.
Smokowski, P. R., & Bacallao, M. L. (2006). Acculturation and aggression in Latino adolescents. Journal of
Abnormal Child Psychology, 34, 657-671. doi:10.1007/s10802-006-9049-4
DOI stands for digital object identifier; it is a unique identifier that acts as a persistent link to specific Web
content. When using a DOI, no retrieval date is needed. Do NOT add punctuation after the DOI number. Do
not add space between the colon that follows the DOI and the actual number.
ARTICLE IN AN ONLINE SCHOLARLY JOURNAL (OR MAGAZINE)- NO DOI AVAILABLE:
Author Last Name, First Initial. (Year of Publication). Title of article. Title of Journal or Periodical, Volume
(Issue Number), Page Numbers. Retrieved from URL Address
Sillick, T. J. & Schutte, N. S. (2006). Emotional intelligence and self-esteem. E-Journal of Applied Psychology,
45, 12-20. Retrieved from http://ojs.lib.swin.edu.au/index.php/ejap/article/view/71
If the work is retrieved from a public database or journal with open access, give the specific URL. If the work is
from a database that requires a subscription, give the URL for the journal’s home page.
DICTIONARY OR WORK WITH NO AUTHOR:
Title of book. (Edition). (Year of Publication). City of Publication, State: Publisher.
Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary. (10th ed.). (1998). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.
WEB PAGE OR WEB SITE:
Author Last Name, First Initial. (Date of Publication). Title of document. Retrieved from http://Web address
Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M., Soderland, L., & Brizee, A. (2010, May 5).
General format. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
ONLINE VIDEO:
Author Last Name, First Initial. or Screen name. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video file]. Retrieved from
URL
Goyen, A. (2007, February 22). Downtown Marquette dog sled races [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gW3CNCGGgTY
BLOG:
Author Last Name, First Initial. or Screen name. (Year, Month Day). Title of post [Web log post]. Retrieved
from URL
Kraus, L. (2010, July 1). Great animation on motivation [Web log post]. Retrieved from
http://www.leekrausonline.com/
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INTERVIEWS, EMAILS, OR OTHER PERSONAL COMMUNICATION:
Do not include forms of personal communication on your References page in APA style. Instead, list the
necessary info in your in-text citation.
(First Initial. Last Name, personal communication, Date of Communication).
(G. Smith, personal communication, April 14, 2015).
All other types of sources not listed on this quick guide may be found in APA style guides.
Created Summer 2015 by Meagan McManus