Elements of an In-Text Citation and a Reference List Entry
Elements of an In-Text Citation and a Reference List Entry
This section explains each of the elements that are included in an in-text citation and in a reference list entry:
What is a reference list? (9.0)
A reference list appears at the end of an essay or assignment, and it provides the information needed to identify and retrieve each source being cited in the assignment. More information on creating reference list entries can be found later in this chapter, or in Chapter 9 of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (the Publication Manual).
To create a reference list entry, it is important to identify what kind of resource is being cited (9.1). It is also important to remember that the way a work was accessed or obtained (e.g.: online, in print, through interlibrary loan), and the format (e.g.: print vs. PDF, DVD vs. streaming), has very little impact on the reference list entry. For example, printed books and eBooks are cited the same way, because both are books.
A reference list entry includes the following pieces of information:
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Author
What is an author? (9.7)
In both an in-text citation and a reference list entry, the author is the person or people, or the group responsible for creating the work. An author can be a single person, multiple people, a group like an institution or a government agency, or a combination of individuals and groups. This includes the author(s) of books, articles, reports, and other written works. Others who played a primary role in a work’s creation can also be included as “authors” in a reference. This includes directors, producers, hosts, artists, composers, and more. The person(s) or group listed as being responsible for the work depends on the kind of work being cited, e.g.: the director of a film or the host of a podcast.
How do I find the name of the author?
Authors of print works are usually listed on the cover or title page of a book, or the first page of an article. Sometimes, the name of the author needs to be determined from context, and it can take time to find this information. For example, the author of a webpage or website might be found under an “About Us” section, and the name of a director or producer might be found in the credits of a film. If you’re unsure of how to find the name of an author, check in with your instructor, the Library, or with the Writing Clinic.
How do I cite an editor? (9.10, 10.2)
If only an editor(s) is listed, cite them as you would an author, followed by the abbreviation (Ed.) or (Eds.), for multiple editors, e.g.: Lymer, L-A. & Carney, W.W. (Eds.)
What if there is no author? (9.12)
If no author is listed and the author cannot be determined from context, the work is treated as having no author, and the title becomes the first piece of information listed in the reference, followed by the date in parentheses, and then the source information, e.g.: Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary (11th ed.). (2003). Merriam-Webster.
Formatting for Authors (9.8)
Use the following guidelines when recording the author in a reference:
- Individual author names are inverted. The last name appears first, followed by a comma, and the first initial(s), followed by a period, e.g.: Drew Hayden Taylor appears as Taylor, D. H.
- Use one space between initials.
- Group names are listed as they appear (9.11), e.g.: The Writer’s Union of Canada appears as The Writer’s Union of Canada. Abbreviations for groups are only used in in-text citations.
- Individual author names are separated by commas. An ampersand (&) is used before the final author’s name, e.g.: Gord Downie and Jeff Lemire appear as Downie, G. & Lemire, J.
- In a reference list entry, up to 20 authors’ names can be listed. Each name is separated by a comma, with an ampersand (&) used before the final author’s name. If there are more than 21 authors, list the first 19, insert an ellipsis (. . .) and then list the final author’s name. Do not include an ampersand.
- When a first name is hyphenated, keep the hyphen and include a period with no space after each initial, e.g.: Kari-Lynn Winters appears as Winters, K.-L.
- Initials and suffixes like Jr. or III are listed after first initials, separated by a comma, e.g.: Leo McKay, Jr. appears as McKay, L., Jr.
- If an additional author is credited using the word “with”, include them in the reference list in parentheses, e.g.: Kendra Phipps with Mariah Marsden appears as Phipps, K. (with Marsden, M.)
- If an author has only one name, or in cases of online communication, only a screen name, the full name appears without any abbreviations in both the reference list and in in-text citations, e.g.: the Canadian author and illustrator Seth appears as Seth.
- If both a username and a real name are known, list the real name in inverted format followed by the username in square brackets. For platforms where the @ symbol is included in the username, it is included in the reference in the square brackets, e.g.: Geist, M. [@mgeist].
- Do not include titles, positions, ranks, or academic achievements, e.g.: President, PhD.
Spelling (9.9)
Record last names exactly as they appear, including two-part last names, hyphens, and punctuation, e.g.: Évelyne de la Chenelière appears as de la Chenelière, É., Kamal Al-Solaylee appears as Al-Solaylee, K.
Keep the author’s preferred capitalization, e.g.: author bell hooks appears as hooks, b.
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Date
What is a date? (9.13)
In a reference, the date is the date of publication. The date may appear in different forms, including:
- Year only
- Year, month, and day
- Year and month
- Year and season
- A range of dates; this could be a range of years or a range of exact dates
How do I find the date of publication? (9.13)
- For books, use the copyright date as the date of publication.
- For a journal article, use the year of the volume in which the article is published.
- For a webpage or website, use the copyright date, but ensure that this date applies to the content being cited. Do not use the copyright date from the footer of the site. Instead, use the “last updated” date on the page being cited, if it applies to the work being cited (9.15). If no separate date of publication is listed, the work is treated as having no date (9.17).
What are retrieval dates? When are they included in a reference? (9.16)
Some online resources are designed to be updated or to change, like social media pages. Other resources are designed to reflect information that changes over time, like a map generated by Google Maps, or a webpage that is frequently updated. In these cases, use “n.d.” (see Formatting for Dates below), and include “Retrieved from”, followed by the exact date, after the title.
What if there is no date? (9.17)
If the date of a work is unknown or cannot be determined, APA Style recommends using the abbreviation “n.d.“, which stands for “no date”. This appears in brackets following the author’s name, e.g.: Beaton, K. (n.d.). French Revolution Comics. Retrieved July 14, 2019 from http://www.harkavagrant.com/index.php?id=273.
Formatting for Dates (9.14)
Use the following guidelines when recording the date in a reference:
- The date appears in brackets followed by a period, e.g.: (2019).
- For works that have a month, day, or season, put the year first, followed by a comma and then the month, day, or season, e.g.: (2019, October 17)., or (2019, Fall).
- If the date of publication is approximate, use the abbreviation “ca.”, which stands for “circa” (10.2), e.g.: (ca. 2019).
- Some online works, like websites or web pages, note when the work was last updated. Provide this date as the publication date. Do not include the words “last updated”.
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Title
What is a title? (9.18)
In a reference, the title is the name of the work being cited. There are two kinds of titles:
- Works that stand alone, e.g.: whole books, reports, videos, films,
- Works that are part of a larger work, e.g.: periodical articles, news articles
When a work stands alone, e.g.: a book, the title of the work is listed as the title in the reference. When a work is part of a larger work, e.g.: an article in a journal, the title of that part is listed as the title in the reference, and the title of the larger work, e.g.: the title of the journal is listed as part of the source.
What if there is an edition statement? (10.2)
An edition statement is part of the title. If the work has an edition statement, it is included in parentheses following the title, e.g.: Cosmetology (14th ed.).
What if the title is in a different language? (9.38)
When citing a work in another language, provide a translation of the title in square brackets after the original title, e.g.: L’abri [The shelter]. When citing a work that uses a different alphabet, APA Style advises transliterating the alphabet into the Roman alphabet, used in English, French, and other languages. If it is not possible to transliterate the language, APA Style states that it is acceptable to reproduce the original alphabet in the paper and include the translation in square brackets.
What if there is no title? (9.22)
Formatting for Titles (9.19)
Use the following guidelines when recording the title in a reference:
- Finish the title with a period unless the title ends with a question mark or exclamation mark.
- For works that stand alone, the title appears in italics and is capitalized in sentence case, e.g.: the book Delivering Culturally Competent Nursing Care appears as Delivering culturally competent nursing care.
- For works that are part of a larger work, the title appears in regular font and is capitalized in sentence case. Do not italicize the title or use quotation marks, e.g.: an article titled Citizen Oversight in the United States and Canada: An Overview appears as Citizen oversight in the United States and Canada: An overview.
- To help identify non-print works, provide a description in square brackets after the title and before the period, e.g.: [Computer software], [Audiobook], [Photograph], [Video], etc.
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Source
What is a source? (9.23)
In a reference, the source tells the reader where they can find the work being cited. Like titles, sources fall into two categories:
- Works that stand alone, e.g.: whole books, reports, videos, films
- Works that are part of a larger work, e.g.: periodical articles, news articles
For works that stand alone, the source is the publisher, e.g.: when citing something from a print book, the publisher of the book is the source. For works that are part of a greater whole, that greater whole is the source, e.g.: when citing an article from a journal, the journal is the source, along with any digital object identifier (DOI) or URL, if the article is electronic.
Formatting for Sources (9.24)
Use the following guidelines when recording the source in a reference:
- The source may have one or two parts, depending on the category of the reference, e.g.: the source of a print book has one part: the book publisher, and the source of an electronic article has two parts: the journal and the URL or DOI.
- In a reference entry, publisher’s names are followed by a period, e.g.: McGill-Queen’s University Press.
- Do not change the spelling or capitalization.
- Do not include designations of business structure with a publisher’s name, e.g.: Inc., Ltd., LCC.
- If a work is published by an imprint or division, list the imprint or division as the publisher, e.g.: list Doubleday Canada instead of Penguin Random House Canada.
- If two or more publishers are listed, include them all, separated by a semicolon, e.g.: McGraw-Hill Ryerson; Broadview Press.
- When the author and the publisher are the same, e.g.: an annual report written and published by the same company, do not include the name of the publisher from the reference.
- If a source is electronic, e.g.: found in an online database or on a website, the publisher’s name is followed by a DOI or a URL, e.g.: Canadian Medical Association Journal. DOI:10.1503/cmaj.180694
What are DOIs and URLs? (9.34)
The DOI and the URL is the part of the source, and it is the reference list entry, and either a DOI or URL is included in a reference list entry when the source is retrieved online. DOIs, or digital object identifiers, are strings of letters and numbers that act as a persistent link to the source. The DOI is usually found on the first page of an article, and it starts with “DOI”, “https://doi.org”, or “http://dx.doi.org”. URLs are persistent links to information on the Internet. URLs can be found in the address bar of the web browser.
How are DOIs and URLs formatted? When are they included in a reference? (9.34, 9.36)
- DOIs are included for all works that have a DOI, regardless of whether the print or online version was used.
- If a source has both a DOI and a URL, include only the DOI.
- If a source has a URL and no DOI, include the URL in the reference. Make sure the URL works for readers.
- If a source was found in an academic database, do not include the URL or any other database information.
- DOIs and URLs may be very long or complex. In these cases, APA Style recommends using an appropriate DOI or URL shortener, such as the Short DOI Service provided by the International DOI Foundation. It is very important to check that the shortened DOI or URL works before including it in the reference list entry.
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In-Text Citations
In-text citations include the last name(s) of the author(s), and the year of publication. These usually appear in brackets. If you are quoting directly, a page number must be included. You can find more information about how to create in-text citations for different kinds of resources later in this chapter.
Do I need a page number if I’m paraphrasing? (8.23)
According to APA Style, it is not required to provide a page number when paraphrasing, only the last name(s) of the author(s), and the year of publication. However, a page number can be included if it would help interested readers to find the relevant section in the resource being cited.
What if the resource doesn’t have a page number?
Some types of resources, like webpages, websites, and other electronic resources, do not have page numbers. According to the APA Style Blog article “Direct Quotation of Material Without Page Numbers”, there are several options for quoting resources that do not have page numbers:
- Provide a heading or section name. It is okay to abbreviate a long heading or section name, e.g.: (Gecht-Silver & Duncombe, 2015, Osteoarthritis section).
- Provide a paragraph number; count the paragraphs manually if they are not numbered, e.g.: (Chamberlin, 2014, para. 1).
- Provide a heading or section name in combination with a paragraph number, e.g.: (DeAngelis, 2018, Musical Forays section, para. 4).
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Hint! Do not include Kindle location numbers with in-text citations. Instead, include the page number or use one of the options described above.
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What about audiovisual resources, like videos or podcasts?
To directly quote from an audiovisual work, like a podcast, a YouTube video, a film, etc., include a time stamp for the beginning of the material being quoted, and include the time stamp in place of the page number, e.g.: (Cuddy, 2012, 2:12).
You can learn more about citing resources without page numbers on the APA Style Blog, which is linked below, or in section 8.28 of the Publication Manual.
What’s Next?
The next sections explain how to create in-text citations and reference list entries for different kinds of resources, including books, journal articles, social media content, and more.
Sources
American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association: The official guide to APA style. (7th ed.).
APA Style Blog. (2024). Direct quotation of material without page numbers. American Psychological Association. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/quotations/no-page-numbers
In-text citations appear in the body of a paper or other assignment. They briefly identify a work by author and date of publication. In-text citations also help the reader to find the full reference list entry in the reference list at the end of the paper. In-text citations must have corresponding reference list entries. In-text citations can be narrative or parenthetical.
A reference list entry is the information in a reference list at the end of an assignment or essay. An APA Style reference list entry includes author(s), a date, a title, and a source.
A reference list appears at the end of an assignment or essay, and it contains all of the reference list entries for information resources used for that assignment or essay.
Resources, sometimes called sources, are sources of information; this is where information is found when conducting research. This can sometimes lead to confusion, because one of the pieces of information in a reference list entry is also called a source.
Citing is the process of acknowledging the sources of information and ideas. This takes the form of a citation. Citations must include specific pieces of information and must follow a consistent format. There are two parts of a citation – the in-text citation, and the reference list entry.
In an APA Style citation, the author is the person or people, or the group responsible for creating the work. An author can be a single person, multiple people, a group like an institution or a government agency, or a combination of individuals and groups.
In an APA Style citation, the date refers to the date of publication.
In an APA Style in-text citation or reference list entry, the title refers to the name of the work being cited.
In an APA Style citation, the source refers to where the information was found. The source includes - but is not limited to - the names of publishers, URLs and DOIs.
Books provide overviews, background, history and introductions as well as in-depth examinations of topics. It's common to wonder about the differences between books and eBooks, and which one is better. The only difference between books and eBooks is access and format; print books are physical items and eBooks are digital files that can be accessed from a variety of devices. The content and quality are the same.
Academic journals, sometimes called “peer reviewed” or “scholarly” journals are ideal for finding in-depth current research in a specific area. They publish academic or scholarly articles. These articles are written by experts in a field of study. They’re longer, written in an academic style, use professional terminology and language, and the topic of the article is narrowly focused and explored in-depth. They’re heavy on text and light on illustration, but may contain charts, graphs, and other statistical data. The content in the article is typically based on either original research or authorities in the field, instead of personal opinion. Sources are well cited in a particular format, like APA Style, and there are both in-text citations or foot- or endnotes, and a bibliography or works cited page. Often, journal issues will have a volume and issue number – like Volume 6 Issue 4. Journal covers are usually plain with an emphasis on the key research articles in a particular issue.
Dictionaries help us to understand key terms. Most people are familiar with defining dictionaries – the ones that give definitions of words, like the Oxford English Dictionary (OED). There are also bilingual or translation dictionaries, which are used to translate words or phrases from one language to another. Finally, there are specialized or technical dictionaries, which focus on one topic or field of study. These are useful for terms that are unique to a certain subject area. Dictionaries can be in print or electronic, and there are free online dictionaries.
APA Style is set of guidelines created by the American Psychological Association (the APA). These guidelines help writers, including students, to format written work and citations in a consistent way.
A newspaper is a publication, usually issued daily or weekly, printed on large, folded sheets of newsprint, usually in black and white. They contain news, feature articles, advertisements, and correspondence. Many newspapers also publish articles online, and newspaper articles can sometimes be found in library databases. Newspaper articles are written by journalists who may or may not be experts in the subject of the article, and the articles are not peer-reviewed. The articles are written for a general audience, are free of technical jargon and easy to understand. They don’t always follow a specific structure, and don’t have foot- or endnotes, and don’t cite sources using a bibliography or works cited page.
DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier. A DOI is a string of numbers, letters and symbols used to permanently identify an article or document, and to link to it online. A DOI will help to easily locate a document from a reference list. The DOI will always refer to the same article, and only that article. DOIs can usually be found on the article itself, either on the first page, or in the header or footer of the article.
URLs are persistent links to information on the Internet. URLs can be found in the address bar of the web browser.
A database is an organized collection of information that can be searched. Databases can hold different kinds of information, including journal articles, newspaper articles, eBooks, streaming videos, etc.
