APA: In-text citations

In-text citations:

The most common type of in-text citation is the parenthetical citation. In this citation style, the source (usually referred to by the author), date of publication, and the location are provided in a bracket at the end of the quote or paraphrase (Lastname, 2019, p. 5). 

The second type of citation that is used is the narrative citation (used to be called a signal phrase).

What is a narrative citation?

A narrative citation provides the source in the body of the text, not in the bracket at the end of the paraphrase or quotation. The date follows the author in parentheses. It is a way if signaling to the reader that the material that follows (or precedes) is quoted, paraphrased, or summarized from another source. 

Why use a narrative citation?

A narrative citation is very helpful if you want to emphasize the author's credentials or provide additional information, such as the title of the work, in your text. Further, in longer blocks of texts it can help clarify what is being paraphrased and what is your analysis.

The narrative citation  includes the author (or title), publication date and a verb. It can also use additional information such as the qualifications of the author or the title of the article/source being used.

Examples:

• Researchers  Redelmeier and Tibshirani (n.d.) suggest "..." (3).

• As Sundeen (2010)  noted, "..." (25).

In-text citation: 1-3 authors

Author named in  text:  

Format

Narrative citation: Author (Year), "quote" (p. page number)

Parenthetical citation: "Quote" (Author, Year, p. page number).

Example

One researcher, Carol Gilligan (2005), concluded that "women impose a distinctive construction on moral problems" (p. 105).

As a result, studies suggest that "women impose a distinctive construction on moral problems" (Gilligan, 2005, p. 105).

In-text citation: No author

Use shortened version of title.

Format

Signal phrase, "quote" ("Shortened Title", Year, p. page number). Note: Titles of articles in "Quotation Marks", titles of Books or Longer Works are italicized.

Example

One article stated that, "A death row inmate may demand his execution for notoriety" ("Right", 2005, p. 135).

In-text citation: No publication date

If you cannot find a publication date, use n.d. instead.

Format

Signal phrase with author’s name (n.d.), “quote” (p. page number).

Signal phrase, “quote” (Author, n.d., p. page number).

Example

According to Magnus (n.d.), "it has been difficult to identify a connection between watching television and eating habits" (p. 67).

In-text citations: citing specific parts of a source

The purpose of the citation is to direct the reader to specific information in a source. The following can be cited:

• page (p. or pp.)

• sections, paragraphs (paras.)

• chapters (Chapter)\

• time stamps (1:30:10)

• slides (Slide 2)

In-text citation: Indirect quotes (Quoting a source in a source)

There are occasions where you may find a source that quotes another source that you want to use in your paper. Ideally, you would find the original source to ensure you understand the context of the quote. If you do decide to use the quote from the source you are using, however, you must recognize both sources. For example, in the Critical Insights series, we have a popular book of critical analysis called Things for Apart. One of the chapters, written by Amy Sickels, is entitled "The critical reception of Things fall apart." In her essay, she quotes Keith M. Booker. The following is an example of how you would use this source:

Booker makes the point that the "African novel is always a complex hybrid cultural phenomenon that combines Western and African cultural perspectives" (as cited in Sickels, 2010, 43).

In-text citation: AI

The APA Style Guide recommends using  a narrative citation when citing results found using AI because the results are not retrievable by your reader or referencing the prompt used. They suggest using the following pattern:

When prompted with "prompt given to AI" the Platform-generated text indicated " " (Creator of platform, date)

See the APA Style Guide for more information.