Module 7: APA Formatting for In-text Citations and the Reference List
Module 7: APA Formatting for In-text Citations and the Reference List
You've done the hard work of researching, synthesizing, and writing your paper. Now for the final, but crucial, step: proper citation. Academic integrity requires you to give credit where it's due. In this module, you will learn the rules of APA (American Psychological Association) style for in-text citations and the Reference list. Mastering this will ensure your paper is not only well-written but also ethically sound and academically credible.
Upon completion of this module, you will be able to:
Explain the purpose of in-text citations and the Reference list.
Correctly format in-text citations for different source types in APA style.
Correctly format a complete APA-style reference entry for a scholarly journal article.
Understand the difference between quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing in the context of citation.
APA style is the standard format for writing in the social and behavioral sciences, including exercise science. It uses a parenthetical, author-date citation system within the body of your paper, which directs readers to a full list of sources at the end.
In-text Citations: These are brief parenthetical citations that appear within the body of your paper. They include the author's last name and the year of publication. For a direct quote, you must also include the page number.
Reference List: This is a complete, alphabetized list of every source you cited in your paper. Each entry provides full publication details so your reader can easily find the original source.
There are two main ways to include an in-text citation:
Narrative Citation: The author's name is part of the sentence. The year follows in parentheses.
Example: Smith and Jones (2022) found that a 12-week HIIT program significantly reduced body fat percentage in their participants.
Parenthetical Citation: The author's name and year appear in parentheses at the end of the sentence.
Example: A 12-week high-intensity interval training (HIIT) program significantly reduced body fat percentage in college-aged participants (Smith & Jones, 2022).
Key Rules for In-text Citations:
One Author: (Author, Year)
Two Authors: (Author & Author, Year)
Three or More Authors: Use "et al." after the first author's name. (Author et al., Year)
No Author: Use the title of the work and the year. ("Title of Work," Year).
Direct Quote: Always include a page number. (Author, Year, p. X).
Example: According to Smith and Jones (2022), "HIIT is a highly effective method for reducing visceral adiposity" (p. 15).
Your Reference list is a complete list of every source you cited, ordered alphabetically by the first author's last name. The format for each entry is very specific. We will focus on the most common type: the scholarly journal article.
APA Reference Format for a Scholarly Journal Article:
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the article: Subtitle of the article. Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), pages. DOI or URL.
Example:
Jones, A. B., & Smith, J. M. (2022). The effects of high-intensity interval training on body fat in college students. Journal of Exercise Science, 15(3), 45-56. https://doi.org/10.1002/jes.2022.0123
Guided Practice:
Format an In-text Citation: Using the reference information below, write a narrative and a parenthetical in-text citation for a sentence you might use in your paper.
Source: A study by Chen, M., Lopez, R., and Kim, S. (2023)
Sentence: The research found that resistance training is a reliable method for increasing muscle mass.
My Narrative Citation: _________________________
My Parenthetical Citation: _________________________
Format a Reference Entry: Using the information below, format a full APA reference entry for a journal article.
Authors: Johnson, B., & Williams, L.
Year: 2021
Article Title: The role of nutrition in athletic performance
Journal Title: Journal of Sports Nutrition
Volume: 12
Issue: 1
Pages: 50-65
DOI: 10.1001/jsn.2021.10
My Reference Entry: _________________________
Here are examples of common APA citations for different source types, following the 7th edition rules.
This is the most common type of source for a college research paper. Pay close attention to the use of italics for the journal and volume number.
Format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the article: Subtitle of the article. Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), pages. DOI or URL.
Example:
Jones, A. B., & Smith, J. M. (2022). The effects of high-intensity interval training on body fat in college students. Journal of Exercise Science, 15(3), 45–56. https://doi.org/10.1002/jes.2022.0123
This is for a complete, published book.
Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work. Publisher.
Example:
Abernathy, A. P. (2019). Foundations of kinesiology. Human Kinetics.
This is for a single page or article from a website. Use "n.d." if no date is available.
Format: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL
Example:
American College of Sports Medicine. (2023, June 14). Physical activity guidelines for adults. https://www.acsm.org/guidelines/physical-activity
This is used when you are citing a specific chapter written by a different author than the book's editor.
Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of the book (pp. pages). Publisher.
Example:
Ross, B. G. (2020). The science of muscle hypertrophy. In D. M. Brooks (Ed.), Advanced principles of strength and conditioning (pp. 115–130). Routledge.
Common APA citation mistakes fall into several categories, including errors in both in-text citations and the Reference list, as well as general formatting issues.
Missing Author or Year: Every in-text citation must include the author's last name and the year of publication. Forgetting one or both is a frequent error.
Incorrect Use of "et al.": The abbreviation "et al." (which means "and others") is used for sources with three or more authors. It's incorrect to use it for two authors; for two authors, you must list both names (e.g., Smith & Jones, 2022).
Forgetting a Page Number for Direct Quotes: Whenever you use a direct quote, you must include the page number or paragraph number. This is a critical rule for academic integrity and a common oversight.
Incorrect Use of Ampersand (&): The ampersand is used only inside parentheses (e.g., (Smith & Jones, 2022)). When the authors' names are part of the sentence, you must spell out "and" (e.g., Smith and Jones (2022)).
"Orphaned" Citations: Placing a citation at the very end of a paragraph without clearly showing which sentences it supports is a common error. Every piece of information borrowed from a source needs an in-text citation immediately following the statement.
Incorrect Formatting: This is the most common mistake. APA has specific rules for punctuation, capitalization, and italics. For instance, the journal title and volume number are italicized, while the article title is not.
Missing DOI or URL: For electronic sources, you must include the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) if it's available. If there is no DOI, include the URL. Forgetting this crucial identifier is a frequent error.
Capitalization Errors: In APA, the titles of articles and books use sentence case, meaning only the first word of the title, the first word of the subtitle, and proper nouns are capitalized. This is a common point of confusion as it differs from other citation styles.
Not Alphabetizing: The entire Reference list must be alphabetized by the last name of the first author.
Missing Sources: Every source cited in the body of your paper must appear in your Reference list, and every source in your Reference list must be cited in the text. This is a one-to-one relationship.
Using the Wrong Citation Style: Not all courses require APA. Some use MLA, Chicago, or others. Confirming the required style before you start writing can save a lot of work.
Plagiarism: The ultimate mistake. Failure to cite correctly, whether intentional or accidental, can be considered plagiarism. This includes improper paraphrasing where you change a few words but keep the original sentence structure.
In this module, you learned the essential rules of APA style for both in-text citations and the Reference list. You now understand how to correctly credit sources within your paper's text and provide a complete list of those sources at the end. This skill is critical for avoiding plagiarism and upholding the standards of academic writing.
In our final module, you will learn about the crucial final steps of the writing process: drafting, revising, and proofreading your paper to ensure it is polished and ready for submission.