Elements of Citation
Why do we Cite our Sources?
Citing your sources is an important academic and professional skill. Whenever you quote, paraphrase, summarize, or copy content from someone else, you must cite your sources. By including citations, you:
Respect the author or creator whose ideas/concepts you are using
Show where you found your information, and prove you used credible sources
Add credibility and support to your own argument
Avoid Plagiarism
Parts of an APA Style Citation
Every citation in APA style must include two parts:
- In-text citations: found in the body of your paper; consist of three key pieces of information:
AUTHOR
Who is responsible
for the work?DATE
When was the work created?PAGE
Where was the quote found? - References: listed on a separate page; consist of four key pieces of information:
AUTHOR
Who is responsible
for the work?DATE
When was the work created?TITLE
What is the
work called?SOURCE
Where was the work
published?
By matching the author and date, your in-text citations point to the corresponding entry in your references list.
APA Style provides strict guidelines on when, where, and how to include these key pieces of information in in-text citations and reference lists. Capitalization and punctuation are very important! Follow the examples provided in this guide very carefully.
