APA Style Examples

NOTE: The year can be omitted from a citation only when multiple narrative citations to work appear within a single paragraph. The year is always included in parenthetical citations (section 8.16, pp. 265-266)

Paraphrased examples:

One author:

• In 2015, Mardis has noted that Web Usability Studies are commonly conducted in libraries.
• Mardis has noted that Web Usability Studies are commonly conducted in libraries (2015).
• Mardis (2015) has noted that Web Usability Studies are commonly conducted in libraries.

Two authors:

• Mardis and Johnson argue that libraries should eliminate jargon (2014).

Three or more authors (include the name of only the first author plus "et al." in every citation, including the first citation, unless ambiguity is created):

• This is an important issue highlighted by Baudino et al. (2020).

If ambiguity occurs when the citation is shortened to the first author, write as many names are needed to distinguish references and abbreviate the rest to "et al.":

• Mardis, Baudino, Sweet, et al. (2019) state that libraries should create learning commons. 
• Mardis, Baudino, Munson, et al. (2019) provide examples of maker spaces incorporated into libraries. 

Directly quoting the words of others example:

Two authors:

• Mardis and Johnson argue "that libraries should provide welcoming environments" (2014, p. 2).
• Mardis and Johnson argue "that libraries should adapt rapidly to change" (2014, para. 5).

Section 8.17, p. 266 and section 8.21, p. 268:

• An abbreviation of a group author can sometimes be used in-text if the abbreviation is well-known, will avoid repetition, or will appear 3+ times in a paper.
  • Provide the full name the first time the group author is referenced
    • The Modern Language Association (MLA, 2019) states . . . 
    • (Modern Language Association [MLA], 2019)
• Do not abbreviate group author name in the reference list

• When there is no author, the title moves to the first position of the references entry.
• Long titles can be shortened for in-text citations.
• If the title of the work is italicized in the reference, also italicize the title in the in-text citation. If it is not italicized in the reference list, surround the title in double quotation marks within the in-text citation.  Capitalize the titles in the text using title case (sentence case in reference list).  
  • Book with no author: (Management by Proxy, 2019).
  • Magazine article with no author: ("Diabetes and You," 2020).

 Reference example:

All 33 Chile miners freed in flawless rescue. (2010, October 13). http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39625809/ns/world_news-americas/  
 

To cite in text use the first few words of the reference list entry (usually the title) and the year. Use double quotation marks around the title or abbreviated title.

 In text example:

      ("All 33 Chile Miners," 2010).

When citing a specific part of a source, list the author, date, plus information for the specific part (pages, paragraphs, sections, tables, figures, footnotes, webpage, time stamps, slide numbers).  

For example:

• (Council on Environmental Quality, 2019, p. 5).
• (Johnson, 2017, pp. 5-18). 
• (Mardis, 2018, Chapter 5).
• (Duncan, 2020, Slide 8).
• (Young, 2017, Table 3).
• (Howel, 2020, paras. 3-4).

When multiple studies are relevant to your argument, place the citations in alphabetical order and separate with semicolons within parentheses. In running text, address studies in whatever order is wished. 

• Fluency studies for third grade students have produced mixed results (Baudino & Wyatt, 2013; Brady, 2010; Mardis, Drew, & Johnson, 2012).
• Mardis, Drew, and Johnson (2012) reported an increase in fluency among third grade students, while Brady (2010) reported a decrease. Baudino and Wyatt (2013) found no significant differences in reading fluency. 

Arrange two or more works by the same authors in chronological order (place citations with no dates first) with the authors' surnames listed once.

• (Department of Motor Vehicles, n.d., 2016a, 2016b, 2018).

To signify the source(s) that are most relevant to your point, place those citations first within parentheses listed alphabetically and then insert a semicolon and a phrase (i.e., "see also") before the remaining citations that are listed in alphabetical order.  This highlights for the reader the most recent and/or important research on the topic.  

• (Mardis & Drew, 2020; see also Albright, 2017; Johnson et al., 2018; Zork, 2016).

• Citing works with the same author
  • "Arrange two or more works by the same authors by year of publication. Place citations with no date first, followed by works with dates in chronological order; in-press citations appear last. Give the authors' surnames once; for each subsequent work, give only the date" (section 8.12, p. 263 and section 8.19, p. 267)
    • (Department of Interior, n.d., 2021a, 2021b, 2022)
    • Mardis (n.d., 2001, 2003, in press)
• Citing direct quotations
• Citing source found in another source (secondary sources)
• Dealing with missing information