The American Psychological Association (APA) style is one of the most popular and widely-used citation styles in academic writing. It is most commonly used in the following fields:
For more information on the APA publication manual, please see the resources below:
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition)
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The in-text citation appears within the body of your writing and identifies the cited work by its author and publication date. Both paraphrasing and quotes require in-text citations.
In-text citations may be parenthetical or narrative:
Here is a guide on how to format in-text citations:
| Author type | Parenthetical citation | Narrative citation |
|---|---|---|
| One author | (Ward, 2025) | Ward (2025) |
| Two authors | (Schwartz & Bahrman, 2020) | Schwartz and Bahrman (2020) |
| Three or more authors | (Yu et al., 2025) | Yu et al. (2025) |
|
Group author with abbreviation First citation Subsequent citations |
(U.S. Environmental Protection Agency [EPA], 2024) (EPA, 2024) |
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, 2024) EPA (2024) |
| Group author without abbreviation | (Duke University, 2021) | Duke University (2021) |
At the end of your work, you will include a reference list or bibliography containing each work you cited within your text. Here are three common types of references and how to format their citations:
|
Journal article Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, volume(issue), pages. DOI/URL |
Example
Yu, J. H., Chauhan, D., Iqbal, R. A., & Yeoh, E. (2025). Mapping academic perspectives on AI in education: Trends, challenges, and sentiments in educational research (2018–2024). Educational Technology Research and Development, 73(1), 199-227. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11423-024-10425-2
|
Book chapter (in edited book) Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Book chapter title. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Book title (pages). Publisher. DOI (if available) |
Example
Schwartz, J., & Bahrman, J. (2020). Women and the criminal justice system: A psychology of men perspective. In C. C. Datchi, & J. R. Ancis (Eds.), Gender, psychology, and justice (pp. 280-301). New York University Press. https://doi.org/10.18574/nyu/9781479819850.003.0012
|
Electronic source Author, A. A. or Organization. (Year, month day). Title of page. Site Name. URL |
Example
Ward, A. (2025, June 25). Extreme heat is breaking America. New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/25/opinion/heat-wave-climate.html
