summary or paraphrase from source
If you are summarizing or paraphrasing an idea from another work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference. APA (American Psychological Association) guidelines encourage you to also provide the page number for sources that supply this information. Page numbers should be given in parentheses at the end of the sentence (but before the final punctuation mark), preceded by a "p." for a single page and by "pp." for a range of pages.
Example with page number:
➤ According to Jones (1998), ... (pp. 15-16).
Many online sources, including the online lessons for this course, do not include page numbers. If the source is likely to change in the near future (for example, in the case of a website that is updated frequently), include the paragraph number. Paragraph numbers should be given in the same way as page numbers (described above), but with the abbreviation "para." followed by the paragraph number.
Example with paragraph number:
➤ According to the American Academy of Religion (2015), .... (para. 4).
short quotations from sources
If you are directly quoting from a resource, you will need to include the author, year of publication, and the page number for the reference (preceded by "p."). Introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses.
Example:
➤ According to Jones (1998), "Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199).
Notice that in the example given above, the closing quotation mark comes before the parentheses containing the page number, while the final period of the sentence follows the parentheses.
Recommended form for quoting content from this course:
➤ According to Module 1.1, "Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time."
Note: Be sure to use quotation marks when using direct quotes. As a rule of thumb, any time that you use more than 3 or 4 words in a row from a resource without rephrasing, this is a direct quote and should be marked appropriately.
electronic sources
If possible, cite an electronic document the same as any other document by using the author-date style.
Example:
➤ Kenneth (2000) explained...
sources with unknown author and unknown date
If no author is given, use the title of the work in your signal phrase or the first word or two of the title in the parentheses. Use the abbreviation "n.d." (for "no date"), if the year of publication is not given.
Examples:
➤ According to "Tutoring and APA" (n.d.), another study of students and research decisions discovered that students succeeded with tutoring.
➤ Another study of students and research decisions discovered that students succeeded with tutoring ("Tutoring and APA," n.d.).
You will notice that the lessons for this course do not give the author or the date of publication. As a result, you can use the module number or the title of the module where you got your information.
Recommended forms for citing information from this course:
➤ According to Module 1.1 (Rio Salado, n.d.), another study of students and research decisions discovered that students succeeded with tutoring.
➤ Another study of students and research decisions discovered that students succeeded with tutoring (Rio Salado, n.d.).
Again, note that the final punctuation mark in the sentence comes after the parentheses of the citation.
sources with out page numbers
When an electronic source lacks page numbers, you should try to include information that will help readers find the passage being cited. This is especially important if the content of the online resource is likely to change in the near future (for example, if it is a website that is updated frequently).
When an electronic document has numbered paragraphs, use the abbreviation "para." followed by the paragraph number. If the paragraphs are not numbered and the document includes headings, provide the appropriate heading and specify the paragraph under that heading. Note that in some electronic sources, like web pages, people can use the find function in their browser to locate any passages you cite.
Examples:
➤ Another study of students and research decisions discovered that students succeeded with tutoring (Hall, 2001, para. 5).
➤ According to Smith (1997), ... (Mind over Matter section, para. 6).
Since the lessons for this online course are not likely to change in the near future, including the paragraph number is optional.
Recommended form for citing information from this course using paragraph numbers:
➤ According to Module 1.1 (Rio Salado, n.d.) ... (para. 3).
adding sources to a reference list
Each in-text citation needs a corresponding reference entry added to the References List. The basic form for a reference in an APA reference list is:
Author's last name, first initial. (Year of publication). Title of work. City, State: Publisher.
If there is no author given, use the title of the work in place of the author's name. If there is no date of publication given, use "n.d." for "no date."
Recommended form for referencing the course materials:
Rio Salado. (n.d.). PSY101 Introduction to Psychology Lesson 1 Module 1.1. Retrieved from www.riolearn.org.
Referencing a website:
Giovanetti, F. (2020, December 13). Why we are so obsessed with personality types. NewsBreak Original. Retrieved from https://original.newsbreak.com/@fab-giovanetti-561444/2124127316253-why-we-are-so-obsessed-with-personality-types(opens in a new tab)
For assistance citing other types of resources, explore Rio Salado's APA guide(opens in a new tab).