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IMPORTANT ADVICE: "CITE AS YOU WRITE!"
(add citations while you are writing, do NOT wait until you have finished)
(scroll down for how-to guides)
Why do I need to cite my sources?
How to Avoid Plagiarism - Free Essay Writing Tips, (n.d.)
The IBO takes plagiarism in EEs VERY seriously.
If you do not cite ALL your sources, both in-text (parenthetically) and in your bibliography, your essay may get a failing grade.
How do I cite my sources?
What the IBO says about citation and referencing in your extended essay
(click the pic)
NB This has useful information on how to cite different types of sources, so do check it, if you're not sure.
Image: International Baccalaureate Organisation, (n.d.).
At Elian's, we use the APA-7 style of formatting
What sources should I cite?
International Baccalaureate Organisation, Effective citing and referencing. (n.d.).
From the IBO:
Students should consistently use a standard style (in our case, APA-7) so that credit is given to all sources used, including sources that have been paraphrased or summarized.
When writing, students must clearly distinguish (in the body of the text) between their words and those of others by the use of quotation marks (or other method like indentation) followed by an appropriate citation that denotes an entry in the bibliography.
Students are not expected to show faultless expertise in referencing, but are expected to demonstrate that all sources have been acknowledged.
Students must be advised that any audio-visual material, text, graphs, images and/or data that is crucial to their work and that is not their own must also attribute the source.
The minimum information given should include:
name of author
date of publication
title of source
page numbers as applicable
date of access (electronic sources, where relevant)
URL for online sources (but not hotlinked)
Examiners will alert the IB when minimum requirements are not met by a student, and the work will be investigated accordingly.
Ignorance of expectations regarding citation will NOT be accepted as an excuse for failing to cite sources.
Academic integrity. (2016). Ibo.org.
https://ibpublishing.ibo.org/extendedessay/apps/dpapp/guide.html?doc=d_0_eeyyy_gui_1602_1_e&part=1&chapter=9§ion=1
How to cite your sources using APA style
(scroll down for brief summaries and examples of the format)
Quick guide on adding citations and a bibliography/works cited list using inbuilt tools on Google Docs
(Howtech, 2021)
Scribbr presentation about APA style citation
Clickable links
VERY IMPORTANT: when using Chrome extension tools like Scribbr and MyBib, always check they have the correct information for the citation. If they don't, follow the advice here, or feed the information manually into the citation tools to ensure you have the relevant details appropriately formatted. NEVER assume the citation is correct without first checking!!
Short Quotations
If a quotation consists of fewer than 40 words, treat it as a short quotation:
Incorporate the quote into the text and enclose it within double quotation marks.
Include the author, year of publication, and page number for the reference.
If the author and date are introduced in the sentence as a narrative citation, then add the page number in parentheses at the end of the quote. For example, Smith (2019) demonstrated how to "..." (p. 112).
If the author and date are not introduced as part of the text (parenthetical citation), then include the author and date with the page number (if relevant). The period should come after the parentheses. For example, "..." (Smith, 2019, p. 112).
For in-text citations of a movie, list the director's last name and the year of release in parentheses. However, if you're using a direct quote from the movie or referencing a particular scene, it's a good idea to also include the time stamp of the starting point in an hour:minute:second format eg (Gerwig, 2023 01:28:40).
Citing Online Sources
When possible, include the year, month, and date in references. If the month and date are not available, use the year of publication. Additionally, APA 7th edition no longer requires the use of “Retrieved from” before URLs or DOIs; special exceptions, however, are made for resources that are unarchived. Including the retrieval date for these sources indicates to readers that the version of the work they retrieve may be different than what was originally used (eg Wikipedia).
WEBPAGE OR PIECE OF ONLINE CONTENT (click the link for more detailed information, or use the dropdown)
If the page names an individual author, cite their name first:
Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of page. Site Name. URL
eg Price, D. (2018, March 23). Laziness does not exist. Medium. https://humanparts.medium.com/laziness-does-not-exist-3af27e312d01
If the resource was written by a group or organization, use the name of the group/organization as the author. Additionally, if the author and site name are the same, omit the site name from the citation:
Group name. (Year, Month Date). Title of page. Site Name. URL
eg American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (2019, November 21). Justice served: Case closed for over 40 dogfighting victims. https://www.aspca.org/news/justice-served-case-closed-over-40-dogfighting-victims
In-text: (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 2019)
If the page's author is not listed, start with the title instead. Additionally, include a retrieval date when the page's content is likely to change over time (like, for instance, if you're citing a wiki that is publicly edited):
Title of page. (Year, Month Date). Site Name. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL
eg Tuscan white bean pasta. (2018, February 25). Budgetbytes. Retrieved March 18, 2020, from https://www.budgetbytes.com/tuscan-white-bean-pasta/
If the date of publication is not listed, use the abbreviation (n.d.):
Author or Group name. (n.d.). Title of page. Site Name (if applicable). URL
eg National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). Mental health conditions. https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions
Retrieval/Access dates for non-archived webpages
When referencing non-archived webpages (webpages designed to change), you should to include a retrieval date with the URL. To find out if a page is archived or non-archived, check for a permalink button. If a permalink is available, the page is archived and no retrieval date is needed.
The following resources require retrieval/access dates:
A continually updated webpage (e.g., a population clock).
Online dictionary/encyclopedia entries
Online maps (e.g., Google Maps)
Social media (e.g. Bluesky profile or Facebook page)
LibGuides: APA 7th Edition Referencing Guide1: Retrieval dates (postgrads). (2019). Wintec.ac.nz. https://libguides.wintec.ac.nz/APA7/postgrads/rdates
Citing ChatGPT (and similar AI tools)
From the IBO:
The in-text citation for an AI resource should contain quotation marks using whichever referencing style already being used by the student, as in the following example:
“the development of the tools and variables required for …” (text taken/paraphrased from ChatGPT, 2023.)
The reference in the bibliography should also contain the prompt given to the AI tool and the date the content was generated, as in the following example:
OpenAI. (23 February 2023). ChatGPT response to prompt [example] about [example] topic.
IBO.org. Supporting student use of AI Tools. Accessed 3rd October 2025
Citing a WIKIPEDIA ARTICLE
APA 7 treats Wikipedia articles as special instances of entries in reference works. Thus, there are a few differences between reference entries for pages on Wikipedia and those for generic webpages:
Title of article. (Year, Month Date). In Wikipedia. URL of archived version of page
eg Quantum Mechanics. (2019, November 19). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quantum_mechanics&oldid=948476810
In-text: ("Quantum Mechanics," 2019)
Narrative: "Quantum Mechanics" (2019)
Wikipedia articles often update frequently. For this reason, the date refers to the date that the cited version of the page was published. Note also that the manual recommends linking to the archived version of the page, rather than the current version of the page on the site, since the latter can change over time. Access the archived version by clicking "View History," then clicking the date/timestamp of the version you'd like to cite.
Purdue University. (2018). Reference List: Electronic Sources - Purdue OWL® - Purdue.edu.
Citing IMAGES sourced online
In your bibliography, you should list the creator’s name, image title, year of origin, type of media, and location from which you accessed the image (such as a website URL or museum name).
eg: Ross, B. (2017). Anatomy of a grammar troll [Infographic]. Grammarly Blog. https://contenthub-static.grammarly.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Grammar-Day-Grammar-Troll-Infographic.jpg.
Parenthetically (in-text): (Ross, 2017)
See the How to cite visual materials link below for more detail, including audiovisual materials.
How to Cite an Image or Photo in APA Format. (2022, June 6). How to Cite an Image or Photo in APA Format, with Examples | Grammarly. https://www.grammarly.com/blog/citations/cite-image-apa
Citing WORKS IN TRANSLATION
If a work has been republished since its original publication, you must cite the year of publication of the edition you are using, as well as the year when the work was originally published. In the full citation, put the translater's name in parenthesis after the title of the work. For in-text citations, include the original year of publication and the year of your edition, separated by a backslash (see below)
Allende, I. (2008). Daughter of Fortune (M. Sayers Peden, Trans.). Harper Perennial. (Original work published 1999).
Parenthetical citation: (Allende, 1999/2008)
Narrative citation: Allende (1999/2008)
Leskov, N. (2020). Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk (R. Chandler, Trans.). New York Review of Books (Original work published 1865).
Parenthetical citation: (Leskov, 1865/2020)
Narrative citation: Leskov (1865/2020)
Can't find the format you need? Check the links below.
Still no?
Put: "how to cite a [insert required format here] apa" into a search engine.
Prioritise the official APA website in the answers, although "LibGuides" and advice from other academic institutions can also be trusted.
Not sure if you've formatted a citation correctly? Try feeding the information into Scribbr's free tool to do it for you.
Scribbr. (2024, October 23). Free Citation Generator, Scribbr.
Examples of APA formatting
American Psychological Association. (2022). APA Style common reference examples guide.
Audiovisual materials: ideally, include a timestamp (see here)
APA Style 6th Edition Blog: Timestamps for Audiovisual Materials in APA Style. (2014). Apastyle.org.
Correctly format your quotations!
Click here to find out how, and to check you're doing it in the accepted manner.
Citing journals and books (APA guide)
American Psychological Association. (2020).Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
How to cite visual materials
Artwork references. (2020). Artwork references.
How to cite songs
(Photo illustration (2024) Fluellen, M., Los Angeles Times; photos Koerner, J., Getty Images, Benavidez, E., House, C., Los Angeles Times, Schaben, A.J., Los Angeles Times, Davidson, B., Los Angeles Times
NB CITATION INFORMATION AND THE BIBLIOGRAPHY ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE OVERALL EXTENDED ESSAY WORD COUNT. BUT THE QUOTED/PARAPHRASED WORDS ARE INCLUDED IN THE WORD COUNT.
NB LA INFORMACIÓN DE LAS CITAS Y LA BIBLIOGRAFÍA NO SE INCLUYEN EN EL RECUENTO TOTAL DE PALABRAS DE LA MONOGRAFÍA. PERO LAS PALABRAS CITADAS/PARAFRASEADAS SÍ SE INCLUYEN EN EL RECUENTO DE PALABRAS.
How To Create A BIBLIOGRAPHY (APA-7 style)
Click the pic above to get instructions!
Bibliography.com also has a handy citation generator
Your bibliography must contain details of all the sources you have cited in your extended essay.
You should also include details of sources where you found useful information, even if you didn't directly quote or paraphrase from them.
The references must be in alphabetical order.
Put your citation list into alphabetical order with the Word Counter online tool. Or use the Sorted Paragraphs Google docs tool (you can add it from the list of permitted extensions / add-ons.
LLMs are also good at alphabetising reference lists.
For the most professional look, use a hanging ident to clearly delineate each source:
Along the top menu, click on "Format," then go down to "Align & indent," then click on "Indentation options." In the Indentation options menu, under "Special," select "Hanging." Put the number 1 in the box that appears on the right, then click "Apply."
Para un aspecto más profesional, utiliza un identificador colgante para delimitar claramente cada fuente:
En el menú superior, haz clic en «Formato», baja hasta «Alinear y sangrar» y haz clic en «Opciones de sangría». En el menú de opciones de sangría, en «Especial», selecciona «Colgante». Pon el número 1 en la casilla que aparece a la derecha y haz clic en «Aplicar».
What does a bibliography / reference list look like?
Here's an example.
How to Write an APA Bibliography. (2019, November 25). Bibliography.com. https://www.bibliography.com/apa/how-to-write-an-apa-bibliography/
Arapahoe Community College LibGuides: Citations Guide: Plagiarism Flowchart, 2023
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