APA Style Guide for Citations and Student Papers: In-Text Citations

When using information sources, you are required to include in-text citations in addition to the full citations in the reference list. In-text citations, also called parenthetical documentation, should be included in the body of your paper any time you quote or paraphrase information from another author. Usually, in-text citations include the author's name and the year of publication. If you are quoting information from your source, then your in-text citation will also include a page number. Each in-text citation will direct the reader to the full citation on your reference list.

Here are a few tips:

• Use in-text citations to give credit to another person’s quotes or ideas that are in the text of your paper.
• For paraphrased information, i.e. information you have put in your own words, in parentheses, enter the author’s last name and the year of publication.
• For direct quotes from a source, in parentheses, enter the author's last name, the year of publication, and the page number(s).
• If you are quoting information from a source with no page numbers, then use a paragraph number (para.) or section (sect.) to identify a location.
• If there is no author, use the title in the in-text citation.

Work with one author

Full citation from reference page: 

Skloot, R. (2010). The immortal life of Henrietta Lacks. Crown Publishers.

In-text citation for a paraphrase: (Skloot, 2010)

In-text citation for a quote: (Skloot, 2010, pp. 34-35)

Work with two authors

Full citation from reference page: 

Belasen, A. & Angiello, J. (2018). The important role of women in social entrepreneurship. In F. L. Denmark & M. A. Paludi (Eds.) Women and leadership (pp. 37-52). Springer.

In-text citation: (Belasen & Angiello, 2018)

In-text citation for a quote: (Belasen & Angiello, 2018, p. 101)

Work with three or more authors

Full citation from reference page: 

Bowman, N. D., Kowert, R., & Cohen, E. (2015, December). When the ball stops, the fun stops too: The impact of social inclusion on video game enjoyment. Computers in Human Behavior, 53, 131-139. https://doi: 10.1016/j.chb.2015.06.036

In-text citation: (Bowman et al., 2015)

In-text citation for a quote: (Bowman et al., 2015, p. 135)

Unknown author

Full citation from reference page: 

Are supplements safe? Current regulations don’t protect consumers. (2020, February). Consumer Reports On Health, 32(2), 2.

In-text citation: (Are supplements safe?, 2020)

In-text citation for a quote: (Are supplements safe?, 2020, para. 2)

Group author

Full citation from reference page: 

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Alcohol use and your health. https://www.cdc.gov/alcohol/fact-sheets/alcohol-use.htm

In-text citation: (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019)

In-text citation for a quote: (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2019, para. 1)