How do I make in-text citations for APA?
Answer
In-text citations for APA consist of three parts, the author’s last name, the date of publication, and the page number. Page numbers only need to be included if you are referring readings to a specific section or passage that you have quoted or paraphrased. If you summarize the source’s main ideas or findings, you can leave page numbers out.
There are two ways to incorporate in-text citations into your text for APA:
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Start of the sentence
Paraphrasing/Quoting: Smith (2002) writes……(p. 2)
Summarizing: Smith (2002) shows…….
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End of the sentence
Paraphrasing/Quoting: A study….(Smith, 2002, p.2).
Summarizing: A study…(Smith, 2002).
For sources with 1-2 authors include both authors’ last names: Smith or Smith & Jones.
For sources with 3 or more authors include just the first author’s last name followed by et al.: Smith et al.
For more information on APA in-text citations, check out the Purdue OWL and the Library’s In-text Citation Decision Tree on the Citation Help page.
If you need further help, contact a librarian.