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APA In-Text Citations (7th Ed.) | Multiple Authors & Missing Info

Published on November 4, 2020 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on September 30, 2022.

In-text citations briefly identify the source of information in the body text. They correspond to a full reference entry at the end of your paper.

APA in-text citations consist of the author’s last name and publication year. When citing a specific part of a source, also include a page number or range, for example (Parker, 2020, p. 67) or (Johnson, 2017, pp. 39–41) .

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Table of contents

Apa in-text citations explained in 4 minutes, parenthetical vs. narrative citations, apa in-text citations with multiple authors, no author, date or page number, multiple sources in one parenthesis, avoiding ambiguity in apa in-text citations, citing indirect sources (“as cited in”), citing personal communication, general mentions of websites and software, example paragraph with in-text citations, frequently asked questions.

The in-text citation can be placed in parentheses or naturally integrated into a sentence.

  • Parenthetical : There is a correlation between social media usage and anxiety symptoms in teenagers (Parker, 2019) .
  • Narrative: Parker (2019) found a correlation between social media usage and anxiety symptoms in teenagers.

The publication year appears directly after the author’s name when using the narrative format. The parenthetical citation can be placed within or at the end of a sentence, just before the period. Check out a full example paragraph with in-text citations .

If a work has two authors, separate their names with an ampersand (&) in a parenthetical citation or “and” in a narrative citation. If there are three or more authors, only include the first author’s last name followed by “et al.”, meaning “and others”.

Group authors known by their abbreviations (e.g., CDC) are written in full the first time and are abbreviated in subsequent citations.

If the author of a source is unknown, try to determine if there is an organization or government responsible for creating the content. If so, include its name in the in-text citation (and reference entry).

Alternatively, use the source title in place of the author. Italicize the title if it’s italicized in the reference entry (except for court cases , which are italicized in the in-text citation but not the reference entry). Otherwise, enclose it in double quotation marks.

Apply title case capitalization, and shorten long titles. The first word of the title should always be included so readers can easily locate the corresponding reference entry.

  • (“U.S. Flood Risk,” 2015)
  • ( Thinking, Fast and Slow , 2017)

No publication date

If the publication date is unknown, write “n.d.” (no date) in the in-text citation.

No page number (alternative locators)

Page numbers are only required with direct quotes in APA . If you are quoting from a work that does not have page numbers (e.g., webpages or YouTube videos ), you can use an alternative locator, such as:

  • (Liu, 2020, 03:26 )
  • (Johnson, 2019, Chapter 3 )
  • (McCombes, 2016, para. 4 )
  • (Davis, 2016, Slide 15 )
  • (Flores, 2020, Table 5 )
  • (Streefkerk, 2020, “No page number” section )

Note that Bible citations always use chapter and verse numbers, even when page numbers are available:

If a statement is supported by multiple sources, the in-text citations can be combined in one parenthesis. Order the sources alphabetically, and separate them with a semicolon.

When citing multiple works from the same author, list the years of publication separated by a comma.

When in-text citations are ambiguous because they correspond to multiple reference entries, apply the solutions outlined in the table below.

If you want to refer to a source that you have found in another source, you should always try to access the original or primary source .

However, if you cannot find the original source , you should cite it through the secondary source that led you to it, using the phrase “as cited in”.

If the publication date of the primary source is unknown, include only the year of publication of the secondary source.

Only include a reference entry for the secondary source, not the primary source.

Personal communications , such as phone calls, emails, and interviews, are not included in the reference list because readers can’t access them. The in-text citation is also formatted slightly differently.

Include the initials and last name of the person you communicated with, the words “personal communication,” and the exact date in parentheses.

General mentions of a website or software don’t have to be cited with an in-text citation or entry in the reference list. Instead, incorporate relevant information into the running text.

  • The website of Scribbr (www.scribbr.com) contains various useful resources.
  • Statistical software SPSS (version 25) was used to analyze the data.

When citing a webpage or online article , the APA in-text citation consists of the author’s last name and year of publication. For example: (Worland & Williams, 2015). Note that the author can also be an organization. For example: (American Psychological Association, 2019).

If you’re quoting you should also include a locator. Since web pages don’t have page numbers, you can use one of the following options:

  • Paragraph number: (Smith, 2018, para. 15).
  • Heading or section name: ( CDC, 2020, Flu Season section)
  • Abbreviated heading:  ( CDC, 2020, “Key Facts” section)

Instead of the author’s name, include the first few words of the work’s title in the in-text citation. Enclose the title in double quotation marks when citing an article, web page or book chapter. Italicize the title of periodicals, books, and reports.

If the publication date is unknown , use “n.d.” (no date) instead. For example: (Johnson, n.d.).

The abbreviation “ et al. ” (meaning “and others”) is used to shorten APA in-text citations with three or more authors . Here’s how it works:

Only include the first author’s last name, followed by “et al.”, a comma and the year of publication, for example (Taylor et al., 2018).

Always include page numbers in the APA in-text citation when quoting a source . Don’t include page numbers when referring to a work as a whole – for example, an entire book or journal article.

If your source does not have page numbers, you can use an alternative locator such as a timestamp, chapter heading or paragraph number.

If you cite several sources by the same author or group of authors, you’ll distinguish between them in your APA in-text citations using the year of publication.

If you cite multiple sources by the same author(s) at the same point , you can just write the author name(s) once and separate the different years with commas, e.g., (Smith, 2020, 2021).

To distinguish between sources with the same author(s) and  the same publication year, add a different lowercase letter after the year for each source, e.g., (Smith, 2020, 2021a, 2021b). Add the same letters to the corresponding reference entries .

In an APA in-text citation , you use the phrase “ as cited in ” if you want to cite a source indirectly (i.e., if you cannot find the original source).

Parenthetical citation: (Brown, 1829, as cited in Mahone, 2018) Narrative citation: Brown (1829, as cited in Mahone, 2018) states that…

On the reference page , you only include the secondary source (Mahone, 2018).

An APA in-text citation is placed before the final punctuation mark in a sentence.

  • The company invested over 40,000 hours in optimizing its algorithm (Davis, 2011) .
  • A recent poll suggests that EU membership “would be backed by 55 percent of Danish voters” in a referendum (Levring, 2018) .

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How to Use ‘‘et al.’’ in APA Style (7th Edition)

The term ‘‘et al.’’ is the abbreviated form of the Latin term ‘‘et alia,’’ which means ‘‘and others.’’ It is used in academic in-text citations when referring to a source with multiple authors. In APA style, for a source with three or more authors, list the first author’s last name and “et al.” for all citations, including the first citation.

purdue apa et al

The Term ‘‘et al.’’ is the Abbreviation of Latin Term ‘‘et elia,’’ Meaning ‘‘and others’’

The term ‘‘et al.’’ is the abbreviated form of the Latin term ‘‘ et alia,’’ which means ‘‘and others.’’ It is used in academic in-text citations when referring to a source with multiple authors. In APA style, for a source with three or more authors , list the first author’s last name and “et al.” for all citations, including the first citation. Note that this rule has changed from APA 6th edition guidelines on using ‘‘et al.’’  which recommend listing all author names in the first citation up to five authors but then using ‘‘et al.’’  for the second and subsequent citations.

In October 2019, the American Psychological Association (APA) introduced the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual, which replaces the 6th edition. The in-intext citation for works with three or more authors is now abbreviated right from the first citation. You only include the first author’s name and  “et al.”

For two authors: Always cite both authors' names in-text everytime you reference them.

Here is how this would look for a source authored by Parker, Robin, and Williams published in 2018.

( Parker et al., 2018)

            or

Parker et al. (2018) claimed that…

Note that there will be no comma between the surname and  ‘‘et al.’’  but a comma should be placed before the date in parentheses citation.  Also, the period goes only after the  ‘‘al.’’     even when it falls in the middle of a sentence.

Use ‘‘et al.’’ in APA Style (7th Edition)

The Correct Use of ‘‘et al.’’

Authors make several mistakes when using ‘‘et al.’’ in academic writings. The “al” in “et al.” is always followed by a period because the period shows that it is the abbreviated form of the term ‘‘et alia.’’

Thus, the following forms are not correct: ‘‘ et al’’, ‘‘et. al’’, ‘‘et. al.’’

The proper use of the abbreviation is ‘‘et al.’’

Also, “et al.” can be directly followed by another punctuation where necessary. However, the period always comes first:

(Parker et al., 2018)

When “et al.” is used right at the end of a sentence, only one period is used:

... by Parker et al. (2018)

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‘‘et al.’’ in APA Style (7th Edition)

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‘‘et al.’’ in APA Style (7th Edition)

For more information about the citation styles and APA style, read the following articles:  

The 9 Most Important Changes in the 7th Edition of the APA Manual

APA Manual 7th Edition: In-Text Citation

How to Present Tables and Figures in APA Style (7th edition)

How to Use et al. in APA Style (7th Edition)?

APA Style: In-Text Citation | Reference List Entry

How to Cite Sources in APA Referencing Style? | With APA 7th Edition Update

How and When to Use ”et al.” in APA In-Text Citations?

Citation Styles | Which Citation Style Should I Use?

APA Formatting Guide for Academic Manuscripts

This handout discusses how and when to use et al. in APA style (7th edition). To give you an opportunity to practice your proofreading, we have left a few spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors in the text. See if you can spot them! If you spot the errors correctly, you will be entitled to a 10% discount.

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purdue apa et al

There are many different citation styles that depend on the academic discipline involved. Some of the most common citation styles are American Psychological Association (APA), Modern Language Association (MLA), and Chicago/Turabian style. APA citation style is used by education, psychology, and social sciences, MLA style is used by the humanities, while Chicago/Turabian style is generally used by business, history, and the fine arts. You will need to check with your manual to determine what is required in your specific area.

purdue apa et al

When you are writing for academic purposes, you need to keep a ton of rules and regulations in mind. However, that is not the whole story, as you also need to keep the style guide in mind. While writing for academic work is not easy, nothing can be impossible with practice. Therefore, we are here with a compact citation style guide that abides by academic standards. If you are new to editing and proofreading or new to the academic side, this article will help you learn about the 8 most common citation styles used in academic writing.

purdue apa et al

The American Psychological Association highlights the need to talk about all people with inclusivity and respect. Writers adopting APA 7th edition must strive to use bias-free language and avoid perpetuating prejudicial beliefs or demeaning attitudes in their writing.

purdue apa et al

The purpose of APA style is to uniform use of elements such as selection of titles, headings, subheadings, citation of references, tone, punctuation, and abbreviations, presentation of numbers and statistics, formatting of tables and figures, and many other elements that are a part of the manuscript. The APA style consists of in-text citation and reference list entry.

purdue apa et al

The American Psychological Association (APA) format is the most common style used to cite sources within the social sciences. This handout will give you a brief guide on the Publication Manual of the APA. For more information, please consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th Edition).

purdue apa et al

Whenever you use words, facts, ideas, or explanations from other works, those sources must be cited. Academic referencing is required when you have copied texts from an essay, an article, a book, or other sources verbatim, which is called quotation. You also need referencing when you use an idea or a fact from another work even if you haven’t used their exact expression.

purdue apa et al

Adopting Modern Language Association (MLA) style makes it easier for readers to navigate and understand the text. It ensures consistency in the use of the English language and formatting in academic writing. In this article, we bring you a complete guide on how you format your academic papers and essays in MLA style.

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APA Sample Paper

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This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.

Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Note:  This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style  can be found here .

Media Files: APA Sample Student Paper  ,  APA Sample Professional Paper

This resource is enhanced by Acrobat PDF files. Download the free Acrobat Reader

Note: The APA Publication Manual, 7 th Edition specifies different formatting conventions for student  and  professional  papers (i.e., papers written for credit in a course and papers intended for scholarly publication). These differences mostly extend to the title page and running head. Crucially, citation practices do not differ between the two styles of paper.

However, for your convenience, we have provided two versions of our APA 7 sample paper below: one in  student style and one in  professional  style.

Note: For accessibility purposes, we have used "Track Changes" to make comments along the margins of these samples. Those authored by [AF] denote explanations of formatting and [AWC] denote directions for writing and citing in APA 7. 

APA 7 Student Paper:

Apa 7 professional paper:.

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  • Purdue OWL A free guide to various citation styles (APA, MLA, Chicago), developed by Purdue University's Online Writing Lab.
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APA 7th edition

Below is a summary of the major changes in the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual.

Essay Format:

  • Font  - While you still can use Times New Roman 12, you are free to use other fonts. Calibri 11, Arial 11, Lucida Sans 10, and Georgia 11 are all acceptable.
  • Headers  - No running headers are required for student papers.
  • Tables and Figures  - There is a standardized format for both tables and figures.

Style, Grammar, Usage:

  • Singular "they" required in two situations: when used by a known person as their personal pronoun or when the gender of a singular person is not known.
  • Use only one space after a sentence-ending period.

Citation Style:

  • Developed the 'Four Elements of a Reference" (Author, Date, Title, Source) to help writers to create references for source types not explicitly examined in the APA Manual.
  • Three or more authors can be abbreviated to First author, et al. on the first citation.
  • Up to 20 authors are spelled out in the References List.
  • Publisher location is not required for books
  • Ebook platform, format, or device is not required for eBooks.  
  • Library database names are generally not required
  • No "doi:" prefix, simply include the doi.
  • All hyperlinks retain the https://
  • Links can be "live" in blue with underline or black without underlining

General APA Guidelines (from Purdue OWL)

Your essay should be typed and double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11"), with 1" margins on all sides. Include a  page header  (also known as the “ running head ”) at the top of every page. For a professional paper, this includes your paper title and the page number. For a student paper, this only includes the page number. To create a  page header/running head , insert page numbers flush right. Then type "TITLE OF YOUR PAPER" in the header flush left using all capital letters. The  running head  is a shortened version of your paper's title and cannot exceed 50 characters including spacing and punctuation.

Commonly Used Terms

Citing : The process of acknowledging the sources of your information and ideas.

DOI (doi) : Some electronic content, such as online journal articles, is assigned a unique number called a Digital Object Identifier (DOI or doi). Items can be tracked down online using their doi.

In-Text Citation : A brief note at the point where information is used from a source to indicate where the information came from. An in-text citation should always match more detailed information that is available in the Reference List.

Paraphrasing : Taking information that you have read and putting it into your own words.

Plagiarism : Taking, using, and passing off as your own, the ideas or words of another.

Quoting : The copying of words of text originally published elsewhere. Direct quotations generally appear in quotation marks and end with a citation.

Reference : Details about one cited source.

Reference List : Contains details on ALL the sources cited in a text or essay, and supports your research and/or premise.

Retrieval Date : Used for websites where content is likely to change over time (e.g. Wikis), the retrieval date refers to the date you last visited the website.

Bibliography : Is a list of documents consulted but not necessarily referred to in a specific essay or assignment. A bibliography can also be a comprehensive list of works on a specific subject, for example,  The Bibliography of Bioethics . When researching a topic it is a good idea to prepare a bibliography for your own use, even if in your essay you need to cite only some of these items in a works cited or references list.

Descriptive elements : Are the necessary parts of a reference. A few examples of these elements are: author, title, edition, date of publication, internet address, etc.

Electronic : Is a generic term used to describe documents available from the internet or from databases or published in a digitized format.

Introduction to APA 7th ed

Major Paper Sections

Your essay should include  four  major sections: the  Title Page ,  Abstract ,  Main Body , and  References .

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APA 7th edition

About apa 7th edition, in-text citations, secondary source citation, paraphrasing and using quotes, one or more authors, clinical practice references, formatting your paper, who can help.

  • APA 6 vs. APA 7 - What's changed?

Online APA resources

  • OWL at Purdue APA guide (7th ed.) The Purdue Online Writing Lab is an excellent online version of the APA manual.
  • Zbib This is the single-cite citation generator recommended by Ursuline Librarians!

Attribution note:

Most of this guide's content was copied from https://libguides.csudh.edu/citation/apa-7 , a guide created by Tessa Withorn at CSUDH Library and licensed under a  Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License . Some content and formatting has been adapted for use at Ursuline College.

This guide is a quick introduction to the American Psychological Association (APA) Style for references and citations. Be sure to consult the Publication Manual of the APA  or the  APA Style  website for detailed standards and procedures. 

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  • A Quick Guide to APA Citation 7th Edition

When you reference another source, use an in-text citation in the body of your paper. There are two ways to reference another source as you write - summarizing/paraphrasing, and direct quotes. Both use the same basic format for in-text citation.

Basic Format: (Author's Last Name(s) or Organization, Year).

In scholarly works, authors reference and cite other works. The APA manual refers to a primary source as the one reporting the original content; the secondary source refers to and cites the primary source. When possible, locate the original or primary source for the information you wish to cite and reference it directly. Otherwise, cite the secondary source as follows:

(Rabbitt, 1982, as cited in Lyon et al., 2014) - Only Lyon et al.'s work appears in the reference list.

Secondary sources are covered in Section 8.6 of the APA Publication Manual, 7th ed., p. 258, and on the APA Style website .

  • Paraphrasing and/or summarizing
  • Direct quotes

Paraphrasing or summarizing the main findings or takeaways from a research article is the preferred method of citing sources in an APA paper. Always include the last name of the author(s) and the year of the article, so your reader can find the full citation in the reference list.

According to Shavers (2007), limitations of studying socioeconomic status in research on health disparities include difficulties in collecting data on socioeconomic status and the complications of classifying women, children, and employment status.

If you're quoting the exact words of someone else, introduce the quote with an in-text citation in parentheses. Any sentence punctuation goes after the closing parenthesis.

  • According to Brown (2019), "Direct quote" (p. 1021).
  • Brown (2019) found that "Direct quote" (p. 1021).
  • [Some other introduction] "Direct quote" (Brown, 2019, p. 1021).

If you're directly quoting more than 40 words, use a block quote . Block quotes don't need quotation marks. Instead, indent the text 1/2" as a visual cue that you are citing. The in-text citation in parentheses goes after the punctuation of the quote.

Shavers (2007) study found the following:

While research studies have established that socioeconomic status influences disease incidence, severity and access to healthcare, there has been relatively less study of the specific manner in which low SES influences receipt of quality care and consequent morbidity and mortality among patients with similar disease characteristics, particularly among those who have gained access to the healthcare system. (p. 1021)

Use direct quotes sparingly! Focus on summarizing the findings from multiple research studies. In the sciences and social sciences, only use the exact phrasing or argument of an individual when necessary.

  • 3 or more authors
  • Group author

You only need the author's last name and the year.

(Abrams, 2018)

Connect both authors' last names with & (ampersand) and include the year.

(Wegener & Petty, 1994)

If there are 3 or more authors use et al., which means "and others."

(Harris et al., 2018)

First time with an abbreviation:

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2019)

Then all subsequent citations: (CDC, 2019)

  • Basic format
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Include the complete citation at the end of your paper in a references section. References are organized by the author's last name in alphabetic (A-Z) order. Apply hanging indent formatting (see below for instructions) to your references to separate them - do not add extra spacing between references.

Basic Format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date). Title of the work. Source where you can retrieve the work . URL or DOI if available

How to make a hanging indent in Word:

1. Highlight the citaiton with your cursor. 

2. Right click. 

3. Select Paragraph .

4. Under Indentation, select Special and Hanging .

  • Author(s). Note: List each author's last name and initial as Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. Use an ampersand (&) before the final author's name. Read more from the APA Style website if there are 21 or more authors.
  • Title of the article. Note: For works that are part of a greater whole (e.g. articles, chapter), use sentence case. Only the first word of the title and subtitle and proper nouns are capitalized.
  • Title of the Journal , Note: Italicize and capitalize each word in the journal.
  • Volume Note: Italicize the journal volume. If there is no issue, include a comma before the page range.
  • (Issue), Note: If there is a issue number in addition to a volume number, include it in parentheses.
  • Page range.
  • DOI (Digital Object Identifier) Read more about DOIs from the APA Style wesbite.
Ashing‐Giwa, K. T., Padilla, G., Tejero, J., Kraemer, J., Wright, K., Coscarelli, A., Clayton, S., Williams, I., & Hills, D. (2004). Understanding the breast cancer experience of women: A qualitative study of African American, Asian American, Latina and Caucasian cancer survivors. Psycho‐Oncology , 13 (6), 408-428. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.750
  • Author(s). Note: List each author's last name and initials as Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. Use an ampersand (&) before the final author's name.
  • (Year, Month Date). Note: You do not need to abbreviate the month.
  • Title of the Newspaper or Publication. Note: Italicize and capitalize each word in the publication.
Kennedy, M. (2018, October 15). To prevent wildfires, PG&E pre-emptively cuts power to thousands in California. NPR . https://www.npr.org/2018/10/15/657468903/to-prevent-wildfires-pg-e-preemptively-cuts-power-to-thousands-in-california
  • Title of the book. Note: For works that stand alone (e.g. books, reports), italicize the title. Only capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle and any proper nouns.
  • (Edition). Note: If there is an edition or volume, include it in parentheses and use abbreviations of ed. or vol.
  • Publisher. Note: You do not need to include the publisher location or databases where you retrieved it.
Schmidt, N. A., & Brown, J. M. (2017). Evidence-based practice for nurses: Appraisal and application of research (4th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning, LLC.
  • Author(s). Note: List each chapter author's last name and initials as Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. Use an ampersand (&) before the final author's name.
  • Title of the chapter. Note: For works that are part of a greater whole (e.g. articles, chapter), use sentence case. Only the first word of the title and subtitle and proper nouns are capitalized.
  • In Editor(s), Note: List each editor's last name and initials as A. A. Editor, B. B. Editor, & C. C. Editors, include (Ed.) or (Eds.) in parentheses, and end with a comma.
  • Title of the book Note: For works that stand alone (e.g. books, reports), italicize the title. Only capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle and any proper nouns.
  • (pp.xx-xx).
McCormack, B., McCance, T., & Maben, J. (2013). Outcome evaluation in the development of person-centred practice. In B. McCormack, K. Manley, & A. Titchen (Eds.), Practice development in nursing and healthcare (pp. 190-211). John Wiley & Sons.
  • Author(s). Note: List each author's last name and initials as Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. If there is no author, spell out the name of the organization or site.
  • (Year, Month Date). Note: Read more about date formats from the APA Style website . Provide as specific a date as is available. Use the date last updated, but not the date last reviewed or copyright date. If there is no date, use (n.d.).
  • Title of page or section. Note: Italicize the title of the page.
  • Source. Note: Usually the official name of the website. If the source would be the same as the author, you can omit the source to avoid repetition.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Preventing HPV-associated cancers . https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/hpv/basic_info/prevention.htm/

Additional examples of citing a webpage on a website:

  • Webpage on a news website
  • Comment on a webpage on a news website
  • Webpage on a website with a government agency group author
  • Webpage on a website with an organizational group author
  • Webpage on a website with an individual author
  • Webpage on a website with a retrieval date

  • How to cite a review from Mental Measurements Yearbook
  • APA Citations (7th ed.): Tests, Scales, & Inventories
  • Author(s). Note: List each author's last name and initials as Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. If there is no author, spell out the name of the organization that published the report.
  • (Year, Month Date). Note: Provide as specific a date as is available.
  • Title of the report or document. Note: For works that stand alone (e.g. books, reports), italicize the title. Only capitalize the first word of the title and subtitle and any proper nouns.
  • Source. Includes the names of parent agencies or other organizations not listed in the group author name here.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. (2017, January). Key indicators of health by service planning area . http://publichealth.lacounty.gov/ha/
  • APA Style Blog- How to Cite a Podcast
  • How to cite a podcast Citing an etire podcast or a episode
  • More examples
  • How to cite a Cochrane Review Since Cochrane Reviews are not technically journal articles, there is often debate about the best way to cite them. For those using the 7th edition of the APA manual, Ursuline recommends following guidance provided in the APA 7th edition style blog.

Some resources that are commonly used in clinical nursing practice are confusing to cite. They do not fit into categories like "book" or "article." The APA manual provides examples of such references throughout the 7th edition. For ease of reference, see the consolidated list linked below.

  • Clinical practice references This page contains reference examples for clinical practice for nurses, including the following: 1. UpToDate article (Ursuline does not subscribe, but major healthcare providers have access) 2. Cochrane review 3. Clinical practice guideline with a group author 4. Clinical practice guideline by individual authors at a government agency, published as part of a series 5. Drug information 6. Lab or diagnostic manual 7. Mobile app reference work 8. Entry in a mobile app reference work

What does an APA paper look like?

APA Style offers sample student and professional papers , including a free annotated student sample paper .

  • Sample Student Paper (APA 7th edition) Download and use this Word document as a template for your paper!

The APA manual provides style rules and guidelines that sometimes require interpretation. Your instructor has the final word , but tutors and librarians can help!

Need help writing your APA paper? Looking for someone to go over what you've written to make sure it's correct? Want someone to review your citations? Email [email protected] and ask to be connected with a writing tutor .

Having trouble citing a particular source? Need help finding the correct citation format? Schedule time to meet with a librarian .

  • The Writing Center Make an appointment at the Writing Center for help at any point in the writing or editing process. The Writing Center is located on the second floor of Ursuline Library.
  • Next: APA 6 vs. APA 7 - What's changed? >>
  • Last Updated: Oct 26, 2023 3:56 PM
  • URL: https://libraryguides.ursuline.edu/APA7th
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APA Style Guide: Home

Created by health science librarians.

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APA 7th Edition

Commonly used sources, apa style guidelines (apastyle.apa.org), important apa links.

  • Other sources
  • Citation managers

Help with 7th edition

For more help, you can

  • Ask a Librarian  
  • Visit the Purdue OWL APA Style Guide for a quick and easy guide  
  • Check the APA Style Guidelines or APA Style Blog for FAQ's and tips  
  • Read or borrow the APA Publication Manual (7th ed.) at the HSL  

Help with 6th edition

  • Browse the UNC Libraries' APA guide with in-text, print, and online examples  
  • Read or borrow the APA Publication Manual (6th ed.) at the HSL  
  • Cite legal materials using A Micro Guide from the UNC School of Social Work

Please note that this guide reflects the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual , which was released in October 2019. For help with the 6th edition, see the box of resources on the bottom left side of this page.

  • Posters/Abstracts
  • Social Media

Journal Article

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume number (issue number), pages. http://dx.doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyyy

In-press Articles

Author, A. A. (in press). Title of article. Title of Periodical.

 Author, A. A. (year). Title of article . Repository Name. D  OI or URL

See also the APA Style Blog entry on Preprint Article References .

Magazine Article

Author, A. A. (year, month day). Title of article. Title of Magazine, issue, pages.  

Newspaper Article

Author, A. A. (year, month day). Title of article. Title of Newspaper , pp. A1, A2.*

*for one page use p. A1; for two or more pages use p.p. A1, A2,A3.

Lots of authors? See how to cite with one or two authors, 3-20 authors, 21 or more authors, or unknown authors in your reference list at the Purdue OWL Authors page .

Wondering how to write an in-text citation for them?  See this Purdue OWL In-text Citation Authors page too.

Whole Websites

There is no need to create references for whole websites. You can mention the website in the text. For example:

We created our visualizations using Vos Viewer (https://www.vosviewer.com/).

For more information, see the APA Style Blog entry on Whole Website References .

Webpages from one website

American Psychological Association. (n.d.-a). Divisions . http://www.apa.org/about/division/

American Psychological Association. (n.d.-b). Exercise and sport psychology . http://www.apa.org/about/division/div47.aspx

American Psychological Association. (n.d.-c). For division leaders. http://www.apa.org/about/division/officers/index.aspx

For more information, see the APA Style Blog entry on Webpage on a Website References .

Online periodicals

American Psychological Association. (2009). Blog guidelines.  APA Style Blog. https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/blog-guidelines.html

For more information on citing online resources, visit the Electronic Resources page of the Purdue OWL website or see the APA Academic Writer Quick Guide Website or Webpage Reference .

Author, A. A. (Copyright year). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle . Publisher.  

Electronic book

Author, A. A. (Copyright year).  Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle . Publisher. URL  

Electronic book chapter

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Copyright year). Chapter title. In: A. A. Editor & B. B. Editor (Eds.).  Book title  (pp. #-#). Publisher. DOI or URL  

Edited book without author

EditorName, B. B. & EditorName, C. (Eds.). (Copyright year). Title of book . Publisher. DOI or URL  

Edited book with author

Author, A. A. (Copyright year). Title of book. B.B. EditorName (Ed.). Publisher. DOI or URL

Presented paper/poster : Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year, Month Day). Title of paper or poster [Description]. Title of Conference, Location.

Published Proceedings : Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of paper or poster. Title of Proceedings, Volume , Issue, Pages-Pages. DOI or URL

Guideline with named authors

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of guideline . Publisher. URL  

Guideline with institution as author

Name of the organization. (Year). Title of guideline . Publisher. URL  

Guideline published in journal

Name of the organization. (Year). Title of guideline. Title of Journal, volume( issue) , pages. http://dx.doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyyy

For more information on citing guidelines and clinical references, see the APA Style Blog entry on Clinical Practice References .

Rightsholder, A. A. (year). Title of software or program (Version number) [Mobile application software]. Publisher. URL

Author, A. A. (Year). Name of data set (Version No.) [Data set]. Publisher. DOI or URL

See more information on the APA Style Blog entry on Data Set References .

For tweets, status updates, photo or video posts, infographics, blog posts, etc.

Author [screen name]. (year, month day). Title [Type of content*]. Site name. URL

For real examples of these, see the APA Academic Writer Quick Guide Social Media Posts Reference

*Types of content: Tweet, Facebook status update, Video file, Infographic, Web log post, etc.

Two Authors: Research by Wegener and Petty (1994) supports... (Wegener & Petty, 1994)

Three or More Authors: Harris et al. (2001) argued... (Harris et al., 2001)

Unknown Author: A similar study was done of students learning to format research papers ("Using APA," 2001).

Organization as an Author: According to the American Psychological Association (2000),... First time: (Mothers Against Drunk Driving [MADD], 2000) Next time: (MADD, 2000)

Indirect Sources Johnson argued that...(as cited in Smith, 2003, p. 102).

See the Purdue OWL site for these examples and more details.

The style and grammar guidelines pages present information about APA Style as described in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition and the Concise Guide to APA Style, Seventh Edition .

  • Paper Format guidelines The guidelines for paper format apply to both student assignments and manuscripts being submitted for publication to a journal. If you are using APA Style to create another kind of work (e.g., a website, conference poster, or PowerPoint presentation), you may need to format your work differently in order to optimize its presentation, for example, by using different line spacing and font sizes. Paper format is covered in Chapter 2 of the APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition
  • In-Text Citations guidelines The guidelines provide specific guidance for in-text citation, including formats for interviews, classroom and intranet sources, and personal communications; in-text citations in general; and paraphrases and direct quotations. In-text citations are covered in Chapter 8 of the APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition
  • Tables and Figures guidelines A table usually shows numerical values (e.g., means and standard deviations) and/or textual information (e.g., lists of stimulus words, responses from participants) arranged in columns and rows. A figure may be a chart, graph, photograph, drawing, plot, infographic, or any other illustration that is not a table. Tables and figures are covered in Chapter 7 of the APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition
  • References guidelines References provide the information necessary for readers to identify and retrieve each work cited in the text. Check each reference carefully against the original publication to ensure information is accurate and complete. Accurately prepared references help establish your credibility as a careful researcher and writer. References are covered in Chapters 9 and 10 of the APA Publication Manual, Seventh Edition

View more style guidelines at apastyle.apa.org.

  • Sample APA Papers This page contains sample papers formatted in seventh edition APA Style. The sample papers show the format that authors should use to submit a manuscript for publication in a professional journal and that students should use to submit a paper to an instructor for a course assignment. You can download the Word files to use as templates and edit them as needed for the purposes of your own papers
  • APA Style Blog Reference Examples
  • Purdue OWL APA guide
  • Crossref.org's DOI lookup
  • doi.org's DOI lookup
  • APA 7th Ed. Guide -- UNC-Chapel Hill School of Nursing
  • EndNote APA 7th Ed. Style
  • Next: Other sources >>
  • Last Updated: Feb 6, 2024 9:51 AM
  • URL: https://guides.lib.unc.edu/APA

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COMMENTS

  1. In-Text Citations: Author/Authors

    General Format In-Text Citations: The Basics In-Text Citations: Author/Authors Reference List: Basic Rules Reference List: Author/Authors Reference List: Articles in Periodicals Reference List: Books Reference List: Other Print Sources Reference List: Electronic Sources Reference List: Audiovisual Media Reference List: Other Non-Print Sources

  2. APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)

    The Basics General guidelines for referring to the works of others in your essay Author/Authors How to refer to authors in-text, including single and multiple authors, unknown authors, organizations, etc. Reference List Resources on writing an APA style reference list, including citation formats Cite your source automatically in APA Cite

  3. APA Style Introduction

    APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 7 th edition of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page.

  4. Reference List: Articles in Periodicals

    Cite Using citation machines responsibly Powered by Basic Form APA style dictates that authors are named with their last name followed by their initials; publication year goes between parentheses, followed by a period. The title of the article is in sentence-case, meaning only the first word and proper nouns in the title are capitalized.

  5. APA In-Text Citations (7th Ed.)

    Home Knowledge Base APA Style 7th edition Beginner's guide to APA in-text citation APA In-Text Citations (7th Ed.) | Multiple Authors & Missing Info Published on November 4, 2020 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on September 30, 2022. This article reflects the APA 7th edition guidelines. Click here for APA 6th edition guidelines.

  6. Using Sources & APA Style

    The Purdue Global Writing Center supports writers in college composition and across the curriculum with resources that cover a range of topics on using sources and APA Style from documentation guidelines and videos on formatting a title page and reference list to writing with integrity and avoiding plagiarism.

  7. APA Citation Style

    Citation Management Citation management software can help you manage your citations and easily organize and format your citations in a wide variety of citation styles. Check out the links below for more information about these useful programs. Citation Management Basics

  8. APA Style Guide

    Purdue University, 610 Purdue Mall, West Lafayette, IN, 47907, 765-494-4600 Purdue University Libraries is a congressionally designated depository for U.S. Government information. Access to the government information collection is open to the public.

  9. How to Use ''et al.'' in APA Style (7th Edition)

    In October 2019, the American Psychological Association (APA) introduced the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual, which replaces the 6th edition. The in-intext citation for works with three or more authors is now abbreviated right from the first citation. You only include the first author's name and "et al.".

  10. PDF Using "et al." in APA 7: A Quick Rundown

    Typically, "et al." will be used when referring to source material by three or more authors within the body text of a paper. A source with one author will, of course, always just be referenced by their own name (e.g., Smith (2018) states...). A source with two authors will always be referenced in full (e.g., Johnson and Smith (2019) state...).

  11. PDF APA 7th Edition (2020): Citations & Reference List

    to the APA Publication Manual (2019) in book format or online (apastyle.apa.org), or the Purdue OWL (owl.purdue.edu). In-Text Citations for a Work by Multiple Authors • For a work by two authors, name both authors each time you cite the work. When using a signal ... phrase "et al." (Latin for "and the rest"). o Graeble et al. (2007 ...

  12. In-Text (Citation) References

    For four or more authors, use the first author's last name plus et al. in all citations. (Nilson et al. 1962) Name of Author Unknown For institutional authorship, supply the minimum identification needed from the beginning of the complete reference to find it in the reference list. (U.S. Bureau of the Census 1963:117) Multiple Citations

  13. APA Style (7th Edition)

    APA Headings and Seriation; APA PowerPoint Slide Presentation; APA Sample Paper; Tables and Figures; Abbreviations APA Classroom Poster; Changes in the 7th Edition; General APA FAQs; APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition) Suggested Resources Style Guide Overview MLA Guide APA Guide Chicago Guide OWL Exercises. Purdue OWL; Research and ...

  14. Research Guides: Public Health: APA Style

    APA Style is a way to format scholarly papers, including college term papers as well as research-based manuscripts submitted for journal publication. APA Style covers everything about writing a paper, from the title page to the references list at the end. Purdue OWL resources that will help you use the American Psychological Association (APA ...

  15. APA Sample Paper

    Using citation machines responsibly Powered by This resource is enhanced by Acrobat PDF files. Download the free Acrobat Reader Note: The APA Publication Manual, 7th Edition specifies different formatting conventions for student and professional papers (i.e., papers written for credit in a course and papers intended for scholarly publication).

  16. APA Style 6th Edition Blog: The Proper Use of Et Al. in APA Style

    Namely, use et al. as usual but also include lowercase letters after the year (2010a, 2010b, etc.) to tell the references apart. For more information and examples on citing references in text, see Chapter 6 of our sixth edition Publication Manual (pp. 174-179). You may also be interested in our primer on how in-text citations work and our ...

  17. APA Citation Format

    APA Style Manual Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th ed. by American Psychological Association Call Number: BF76.7 .P83 2020 (three copies at HSSE reference desk, one in HICKS) ISBN: 9781433832161 Publication Date: 2020 Last Updated: Dec 7, 2023 8:40 AM URL: https://guides.lib.purdue.edu/psychology Print Page

  18. Common Citations and References in APA Style (7th Ed.)

    The American Psychological Association (APA) established writing and documentation guidelines in 1929, so readers could easily understand the major points and findings in scientific research. Today, APA Style is used across the disciplines as a standard style for academic and professional writing.

  19. APA Style

    A free guide to various citation styles (APA, MLA, Chicago), developed by Purdue University's Online Writing Lab. APA Style Blog The APA Style blog is the official companion to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition. It's run by the APA Style team—a group of style experts who work with APA Style every day.

  20. APA 7th edition

    Direct quotes Paraphrasing or summarizing the main findings or takeaways from a research article is the preferred method of citing sources in an APA paper. Always include the last name of the author (s) and the year of the article, so your reader can find the full citation in the reference list.

  21. APA Style Guide: Home

    Visit the Purdue OWL APA Style Guide for a quick and easy guide ; Check the APA Style Guidelines or APA Style Blog for FAQ's and tips ; Read or borrow the APA Publication Manual ... (Harris et al., 2001) Unknown Author: A similar study was done of students learning to format research papers ("Using APA," 2001).

  22. Secondary sources

    Allport's diary (as cited in Nicholson, 2003) Last updated: July 2022 Date created: September 2019 In scholarly work, a primary source reports original content; a secondary source refers to content first reported in another source.

  23. PDF Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) QUOTATIONS

    author followed by "et al." and the date. Use this format for every citation including the first citation. No comma after the author name and use a period after "al." Haag et al. (2019) reported that…

  24. PDF APA 7th Edition Style

    Parenthetical citations: (Hygum & Pedersen, 2010; Kesharwani, 2020; Torino et al., 2019) Narrative citations: Hygum and Pedersen (2010), Kesharwani (2020), and Torino et al. (2019) 3. Republished book, with editor ... Purdue Owl Writing Lab. (2022). APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th edition). Purdue University. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl ...