APA Citation

Citation

What is citation? According to plagiarism.org it is “the way you tell your readers that certain material in your work came from another source. It also gives your readers the information necessary to find that source again, including:[sic]

  • Name of the author/editor

  • the title of the work

  • the name and location of the company that published your copy of the source

  • the date your copy was published

  • the page numbers of the material you are borrowing”.

To cite properly keep track of the material you use by listing author’s name, title of work, publisher, publishing date, and pages used. An organizer will be provided to help you.

When do I need to cite?

According to plagiarism.org, “[w]henever you borrow words or ideas, you need to acknowledge their source. The following situations almost always require citation:

Whenever you use quotes

  • Whenever you paraphrase

  • Whenever you use an idea that someone else has already expressed

  • Whenever someone else’s work has been critical in developing your own ideas.”

CITATIONS

Every discipline has its own citation style. English and literature use MLA; history uses Chicago style, and psychology and social sciences use APA . When using APA style, you will cite the information both in-text and in the bibliography.

Bibliography

As mentioned above, the bibliography gives COMPLETE publishing information for your reader. Format your bibliography:

  • Bibliography should be its own page

  • Bibliography should be labeled at the top of the page

  • Organized alphabetically

  • Provide complete publishing information such as

    • Author. Year. Title of book. City published: Publisher. Numbers used.

Example

IN-TEXT: Richard Kasschau (2001) defines psychology as "the scientific study of behavior and mental processes."

Bibliography:

Kasschau, R.A. (2001). Understanding Psychology. New York, NY: Glencoe McGraw-Hill.