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Welcome friends. Today we will discuss APA citation.
Citation is a major part of APA. The purpose of APA citation is for authors to justify
their claims, align new knowledge with existing theory or research, advance the knowledge
base of a field, and share results with readers so they can validate findings.
There are two broad categories of information sources authors in APA use in citation. These
include theory, such as Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences, and research, such
as research articles written by Johnson and Johnson on the effects of cooperative learning.
In order to understand APA citation, we need to comprehend some definitions.
Citation is the process of paraphrasing or quoting a source in a paper.
Although sources may be grouped broadly into theory and research, practical examples include
research articles, textbooks, reports, newspaper articles, and the like.
Paraphrasing means restating information in another form. Here is an example. Pause and
read the paraphrase for yourself….
Quoting, which is used less often in APA, means copying the source word-for-word. If
a direct quote is shown it is also necessary to show the page number at the end of the
quote.
Reference is the process of linking the reader to the source in the paper, and the reference
page is the list of sources, located at the end of the paper.
The APA system of citation includes two major elements. Citation of the source in the paper
itself, and the reference list, which links the reader to the source. Citations are shown
throughout the paper, and the corresponding source for the citation is shown on the reference
list.
Let’s consider each element separately, beginning with citation in the paper.
There are no rules dictating when to cite. There are only guidelines.
Citation is usually needed when whatever is being written is contentious; that is, when
a claim is made with which some agree and others disagree.
Citing is also helpful anytime the author believes that a source is needed to advance
an argument. However, citing to support contentious claims
or advance an argument depends on the author’s knowledge of the topic and judgment.
Nevertheless, supporting an academic paper with comprehensive citations is an expectation.
Finally, note that it is not necessary to cite when the claim is considered common knowledge,
such as the claims shown below.
Generally, APA citation depends on the author’s last name and the publication year of the
source, like this. The system does not depend on the titles of
books or articles, or the authors first name. Neither the title nor the first name of the
author is shown in the paper as part of the citation.
There are two ways to cite a source in the paper, either in-text or parenthetical.
Here is an example of in-text citation. This citation is “in-text” because the author
is the subject of the sentence. In this case, Kellor, the last name of the author, states
something. Notice that the publication year of the source shows in parentheses behind
the authors name.
Alternatively, parenthetical citation has something else besides the author as the subject.
In this example, the subject is the “portion of the portfolio.” However, note that the
author’s last name and publication date, separated with a comma, are shown in parentheses.
Here is another example of in-text citation. This citation is a paraphrase, like those
previously shown. Notice use of the last name of the author as the subject, followed by
the publication year. Here is what it looks like when there are
two authors of the source. Both of the last names of the authors are included, again,
followed by the publication year.
Here is another example of parenthetical citation with one author. The last name of the author
and the publication year, separated with a comma, are shown at the end of the sentence.
Again, with two authors, we see the last names of the authors separated with the ampersand
symbol, and a comma between the names and publication year.
Please note, the page number of the source must be included if you are using a quote
as part of the citation. The page number always appears at the end of the quote, whether in-text
or parenthetical citations are used. Note that the abbreviation for page, is p.
Here is another example.
However, it may be best to avoid direct quotation since paraphrasing is the preferred method
for reporting information in APA. Nevertheless, if a quote is necessary, be sure to include
the page number.
Some common misconceptions surrounding citation include using the first and last name of the
author. Only the last name of the author is required. Including the title of the source
in the text of the paper is unnecessary, and distracting. And, when using parenthetical
citation do not include an extra period before the parenthesis. The parentheses, author’s
last name, and publication year are part of the sentence.
The other major element is the reference page. This page links the reader to the sources
used in the paper.
The reference page appears at the end of the paper. It follows all of the formatting points
previously discussed, such as double space, 12-point font, one inch margins, and the like.
Each source cited in the paper should appear on the reference page. Do not include a source
unless it was cited in the paper.
Each source is shown with a hanging indent. The hanging indents on these five references
are shown by these brackets.
The format of a reference follows this model. The last name of the author, followed by the
authors initials with a period and space. The publication year in parentheses. The title
of the article, followed by the title of the periodical in italics. Then a comma and the
issue number followed by the page numbers. The reference is concluded with a period.
Use commas to separate multiple authors, like this.
Assembling a reference page may be done by formatting information for a source following
the examples shown in the APA manual. However, two other methods which may save time include
copy-pasting a reference from a class syllabus, or from a library database, such as EBSCO
Host. If a reference is copy-pasted from either a syllabus or database it should be proofread
for formatting errors.
This concludes our discussion a APA citation. Thanks for joining me.