APA 7th Edition: The Basics of APA In-text Citations | Scribbr 🎓

Summary

This video provides a clear and concise guide on how to use in-text citations according to APA Style 7th edition. It covers the basics of citing sources, including how to cite when paraphrasing or quoting, the difference between parenthetical and narrative citations, and what to do when dealing with multiple authors or missing information. The video also touches on specific cases, such as citing works without page numbers or a publication year. Viewers are encouraged to use tools like citation generators and to explore additional resources for more complex scenarios.

Takeaways

• 📚 An in-text citation identifies the source of information or ideas, helping readers locate the corresponding entry in the reference list.
• 🖋️ You must include an in-text citation whenever you paraphrase or quote from a source.
• 🎥 This video explains how to use in-text citations according to APA Style 7th edition guidelines.
• 📝 In-text citations always include the author's last name and the publication year.
• 📖 If citing a specific part of a source, include a locator such as a page number, timestamp, or paragraph number.
• 🔗 Scribbr offers a free citation generator to help keep your in-text citations correct and consistent.
• 👥 For sources with two authors, use an ampersand (&) between their names; for three or more authors, use 'et al.'
• 📅 If the publication year is missing, use 'n.d.' to indicate 'no date.'
• 🏷️ When the author is unknown, use the organization name or the title in italics or quotation marks as the citation.
• 🧐 Additional scenarios, such as citing works with the same author or ambiguous in-text citations, require special consideration.

Q & A

What is the purpose of an in-text citation?

An in-text citation concisely identifies the source of information or ideas, helping readers locate the corresponding entry in the reference list at the end of the paper.

When should you include an in-text citation?

You should include an in-text citation every time you paraphrase or quote from a source.

What elements make up an in-text citation according to APA Style 7th edition?

An in-text citation always consists of the author’s last name and the publication year, regardless of the source type.

When should you include a locator in an in-text citation, and what forms can it take?

A locator should be included if you're citing a specific part of a source. For books, it's usually a page number; for videos, a timestamp; and for webpages, a paragraph number or heading.

How do you format a parenthetical citation?

In a parenthetical citation, the author's last name and the publication year are written within parentheses and usually placed at the end of the sentence, just before the period.

How do you format a narrative citation?

In a narrative citation, the author's name appears naturally within a sentence, with the publication year placed directly after the author's name.

How do you cite a source with multiple authors in APA Style?

For a source with two authors, use an ampersand (&) between their names, followed by the year. For three or more authors, use the first author’s last name followed by 'et al.' and the publication year.

What should you do if the source you're citing is missing the author's name?

If the author is unknown, use the organization name or, if that's not available, the title of the work. Format the title in italics or double quotation marks, and use title case capitalization.

How do you cite a source without a publication year?

If the source lacks a publication year, use 'n.d.' (no date) in place of the year.

What alternatives can you use if your source doesn’t have page numbers?

If your source lacks page numbers, use an alternative locator such as a timestamp, chapter, or paragraph number.