APA: In-Text Citations

Examples and Guidance

A paper composed in APA format should include in-text parenthetical citations for quotations, paraphrases, summaries and other specific information used from another author or work. APA style in-text citations require providing the original author's name and the year of publication for all in-text citations.

The purpose of the in-text citations is to refer a reader to the reference list for more information about the sources being used. View the APA Reference Page on this site for more information about APA reference page citations.

Below are directions and examples for common APA style in-text citations.

Author’s Name in Parentheses

When both the author’s name and the year of publication are provided in parentheses, separate them with a comma.

Example: One recent study examines the emotional intensity of “the fan’s link to the star” (Gitlin, 2001, p. 129).

Author’s Name in Discussion (in text)

When an author’s name is included in text, as part of the sentence, give the date of the source in parentheses after the name. 

Example: For Gitlin (2001), emotion is the basis of “the fan’s link to the star”.

Specific Parts of a Source

To cite a specific area, provide an author-date citation for the work plus information about the specific part. There are many possibilities, but here are some examples:

• • Pages (Author, Year, pp.3-17)

  • Paragraphs (Author, Year, paras. 2-3)

  • Chapters (Author, Year, Chapter 3)

  • Tables (Author, Year, Table 1)

  • Slides (Author, Year, Slide 7)

  • Timestamp (Author, Year, 1:30:40)

One Author

In-text citations can be varied to present both the name and date in parentheses, both in the text, or the name in the text and the date in parentheses.

Example: Dell’s 2002 study of charter schools confirmed issues identified earlier (James, 1996) and also updated Rau’s (1998) school classification.

Two Authors

In a parenthetical citation, separate the names with an ampersand (&); when used within the text, use the word ‘and’ instead of the ampersand. 

Example: Given evidence that married men earn more than unmarried men (Chun & Lee, 2001), Nakosteen and Zimmer (2001) investigate how earnings affect spousal selection.

Three Authors

Include all the names, separated by commas, in the first citation. In parenthetical citations, use an ampersand (&) rather than ‘and.’

Example: Sadeh, Raviv, and Gruber (2000) related “sleep problems and neuropsychological functioning in children” (p. 292).

*NOTE: If referencing the same source again later in the paper, give only the first author’s name and the term et al. (a Latin term meaning “and others”): 

Example: Sadeh et al. (2000) reported their findings.

Four or More Authors

In all text citations, follow the first author with the term et al (a Latin term meaning and others).

Example: (Berg et el., 1998).

Corporate or Group Author

Spell out the name of the organization, corporation or agency in the first citation. Follow any lengthy or cumbersome name with an abbreviation in brackets, and use the shorter form or acronym in later citations.

Example, first citation: Besides instilling fear, hate crimes limit where women live and work (National Organization of Women [NOW], 2001).

Example, later citation: Pending legislation would strengthen the statuses on bias-motivated crimes (NOW, 2001).

No Author Given

Give the full title or, if the title is lengthy, provide the first few words of the title.

Example: These photographs represent people from all walks of life (Friendship, 2001).

Full title = Friendship: Celebration of Humanity

Citing More Than Once

When the same source is cited more than once in a paragraph, repeat the source as necessary to clarify a page reference or specify one of several sources. If a second reference is clear, don’t repeat the date.

Example: Much of the increase in personal debt can be linked to unrestrained use of credit cards (Schor, 1998, p. 73). In fact, according to Schor, roughly a third of consumers “describe themselves as either heavily or moderately in financial debt” (p. 72).

Authors with the Same Name

When references include works by two authors who share the same last name, provide the author’s initials for each in-text citation to differentiate between the two.

Example: Scholars have examined the development of African- American culture during slavery and reconstruction (E. Foner, 1988), including the role of Frederick Douglass in this process (P. Foner, 1950).

Personal Communications, Including Interviews and Email

Within the text, cite letters, interviews, memos, emails, telephone calls, etc. using the name of the person, the expression personal communication and the full date. Readers have no access to such sources, so these sources may be omitted from the reference list.

Example: According to J. M. Hostos, the state no longer funds services duplicated by county agencies (personal communication, Oct. 7, 2003).

Two or More Sources with Similar Information/Findings

If information from several sources is summarized, include all sources in the citation. Separate the authors and years with commas; separate the sources with semicolons. List the sources alphabetically, then oldest to most recent for several by the same author.

Example: Several studies have related job satisfaction with performance (Faire, 2002; Hall, 1996, 1999).

Two or More Works by the Same Author in the Same Year

If you use works published in the same year by the same author or author team, alphabetize the works, and add letters (a, b, c, etc.) after the year to differentiate them.

Example: Gould (1987a, p. 73) makes a similar point.