If you have questions like, “how to do an APA 6th Ed citation?” or “how to cite APA no author” or any questions regarding APA 6Th edition citation. You will surely find the answer here! In this guide, we will tell you everything that is necessary to know in order to cite your sources correctly in APA 6th ed format.

APA, along with other well-known citation styles MLA and Chicago, is one of the most common formats for citing sources.

APA Style comprises two parts:

In-text Citation

In APA, in-text citations are included in the text of your research paper to briefly document the source of your information.

Example of in-text citation

Reference List Entry

A reference list appeared at the end of your research paper. It provides all the information that is necessary for a reader to locate any sources you have cited in the body of the paper. 

Example of Reference List Entry

APA In-text citation

An in-text citation is a concise way to show the reader where the original idea came from and to give credit to the original author. Use one every time you quote or paraphrase a source.

Only the author’s last name and the year of publication will be included when citing a source.

 

Kim (2019) has found that… One study found that… (Kim, 2019).

 

APA in-text citation: No author

When there is no author name mentioned, you can use a few words of the title, or the complete title if it is short.

This research highlights the consequences of global warming (“Global Warming,” 2021)

 

APA in-text citation: 2 authors

When there are two authors, you will separate their last names with an ampersand (&), or you can also use the word ‘and’ when citing a source.

Research shows that action should be taken soon to…. (James & Collins, 2014) or (James and Collin, 2014) James and Collins (2014) write that action should be taken to….

 

APA in-text citation: 3-5 author

When a source has three or more authors, you will use commas to separate their last names. And the last two author names should be separated by a comma and an ampersand.

Research suggests that there is…(Thomas, Evans, Smith, & Cavill, 2018) Thomas, Evans, Smith, & Cavill (2014) argue that

When citing the same sources, you can save space by shortening the citation. Instead of including all the authors’ names, include only the first author and add “et al.” (et al meaning: and others)

Research suggests that there is…(Thomas et al, 2018) Thomas et al. (2014) argue that

APA in-text citation: 6 or more authors

You will use this same citation technique if there are 6 or more authors.

Lawrence et al. (2015) discuss the …

APA in-text citation: Organization as author 

When a source does not mention an individual author, it is usually attributed to an organisation.

According to the data collected….(Bosch Pharma, 2017)

APA in-text citation: Quotes 

If you include a quote in your paper, you will also add the page number along with the author’s last name and date to the in-text citation.

According to the research, “There is also some evidence that children who watch a lot of television during early      elementary school years perform less well on the reading tests and may show deficits in attention.” (Cross, 2018,  p.4).

APA in-text citation: Multiple sources in one citation

Sometimes it is necessary to cite multiple sources in one sentence. You can combine them into one set of parentheses, separated by semicolons.

Various researches prove that … (Thomas & Hammer, 2012; Potter, 2015; Evans, Smith, & Cavill, 2017).

APA Reference List Entry

A reference list only comprises the sources that you cite in your work. The purpose of the reference list is to help your reader to locate your sources.

The reference format varies depending on the source type, but it always starts with the author’s last name and initials, the publication year or date, and the title of the source.

APA Reference List: Book

The format for referencing a book is:

Last Name, Initials. (Year). Book title (edition). City, State/Country: Publisher. Example:  Shambaugh. D.L. (2013). China Goes  Global. The  Partial Superpower. Oxford : Oxford University Press.

Note: The book title should always be italicized.

APA Reference List: Journal Article Citations

The format for referencing a journal article is:

Last Name, Initials., & Last Name, Initials. (Year). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page Number(s). https://doi.org/DoiNumber Example: Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa

Note: The title of the journal and volume number should always be italicized.

APA Reference List: Website Citation

The format for referencing a website is:

 

Last Name, Initials. (Year, Month, Day). Page title [OptionalType]. Retrieved from http://webaddress Example: HealthTimes. (2015). The future of aged care nursing in Australia. Retrieved from https://healthtimes.com.au/hub/aged-care/2/news/nc1/the-future-of-aged-care-nursing-in-australia/495/

 

APA Reference List: Report Citations

The format for referencing a report is:

Organization Name or Author Last Name, Initials. (Year). Report title. Retrieved from http://webaddress Example: Vuong, B. (2018). IBISWorld industry report OD5381. Coffee shops in Australia. Retrieved from IBISWorld database.

 

APA Style Basics

There are some formatting rules that one should follow while writing a paper in APA format.

The following are rules from the 6th edition of the APA Manual: 

• Times New Roman 12 pt
• Double line spacing
• One-inch (2.54 cm) margins
• Left-aligned running head with a shortened title and page number
• Put one space after every punctuation mark

So, this was a short guide about how you can do APA 6th edition citations. We hope you find this article helpful!

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