This guide offers a variety of examples of reference list entries and in-text citations for different types of sources commonly used in academic assignments. Examples are based on our interpretation of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition. You can also view APA's official Style & Grammar Guidelines online.
Please note: Your professor may have different citing expectations than the rules outlined in this guide. Always check at the beginning of term and before starting assignments that the citing rules you are using are appropriate for your class.
Topics from this module are available as an interactive webinar, clinic, or gamified learning session hosted by Library & Learning Services. Register for an upcoming live session
APA Style is widely used in the sciences as well as other academic disciplines, and therefore fits well with many of Sheridan's programs. Using a recognized citation style by a credible organization ensures consistency and makes it easier for your reader to understand what information you have cited, and where you found that information.
You must provide a citation for any information, image or other media that you use from another source. Citing your sources both provides credit to the original author(s), as well as provides credibility to your argument. If you can imagine your reader asking 'how do you know that?' or 'did you create that?', provide a citation.
You should have as many citations as are needed to support your argument or report. There is no limit. However, your instructor will also want you to provide your own argument and demonstrate your understanding of the content of what you have read. Your citations should be added within your own analysis. Always refer to your assignment guidelines and ask your instructor to clarify the expectations for the assignment.
Not necessarily. There are relatively few rules for in-text citations and they are generally fairly easy to complete manually. However, if you use the References tab in Word to build your reference list, generating the in-text citations is even easier. Keep in mind, there are no perfect citation generators and students are expected to check all their citations no matter what generator is used. Other commonly used citation generators for the reference list include Mendeley and Zotero.
See Citation Managers for more details.
There are times you will not be able to identify an author, or a publication date, or a title, or the source. In these cases, APA has some recommendations you can follow. See Missing Reference Information
.Tutoring and library staff can answer questions about citing your sources, and can help clarify citation rules. Our role is to help students learn how to cite. Students are responsible for proofreading their own citations.
Appointments with English/Writing Tutors or AIR Specialists can be booked through TutorOcean.