APA 7th Edition: Creating APA Reference Entries | Scribbr 🎓

Summary

The video script from Jessica at Scribbr explains the essentials of APA referencing in academic writing. It covers two methods of creating APA references: manually or using a citation generator like Scribbr's. The script details the four core components of an APA reference: author, date, title, and source, providing examples for various source types. It emphasizes the correct formatting of author names, the inclusion of publication dates, and how to handle titles and sources for both standalone works and those within larger publications. The video also guides viewers on using Scribbr's citation example generator for a clear reference format overview.

Takeaways

• 📚 APA references are crucial for academic writing as they provide detailed information about cited sources.
• 📝 APA references are listed on a reference page and correspond to in-text citations within the paper.
• 🛠️ There are two methods to create APA references: manually or by using a citation generator like the one provided by Scribbr.
• 🔍 When citing an article, search for it by title and use the 'cite source' function to generate the reference.
• 📚 APA references are built from four main components: Author, Date, Title, and Source.
• 👤 The 'Author' component should list the creator(s) of the work, with the last name first, followed by initials and any relevant suffixes.
• 🗓️ The 'Date' component includes the publication year, and can also include month and day for certain types of sources.
• 📖 The 'Title' component includes the name of the work, with different formatting depending on whether it's a standalone work or part of a larger whole.
• 🔍 The 'Source' component indicates where the work can be retrieved, such as the publisher's name, database, or website URL.
• 🎨 For works without a title, a description should be provided in square brackets.
• 📚 When citing a stand-alone work, include the publisher's name and a DOI or URL in the 'Source' component.
• 📘 For works that are part of a larger whole, include additional details like the title of the larger work, edition, volume, issue, page range, and a DOI or URL.
• 📝 Scribbr's citation example generator provides a clear overview of the reference format for different types of sources.

Q & A

What is the purpose of APA references in academic writing?

APA references provide detailed information about a source, listed on the reference page at the end of a paper, and correspond to in-text citations in the body text, which helps in reviewing the accuracy of the work and the tools used.

How can one create APA references?

APA references can be created either manually by understanding the format or by using a citation generator like the free one provided by Scribbr.

What are the four main components of an APA reference?

The four main components of an APA reference are Author, Date, Title, and Source, which provide the necessary details to locate and verify the cited work.

How should an author's name be formatted in an APA reference?

In an APA reference, the author's name is inverted, starting with the last name followed by a comma and the initials. Infixes like 'Van' or 'De' are treated as part of the last name, and suffixes like 'Jr.' are included.

What should be done if there are multiple authors for a source?

If there are multiple authors, their names should be separated by commas, and an ampersand (&) should be inserted before the last author's name.

How is the date of publication included in an APA reference?

The date of publication is included in parentheses and can take forms such as only the year, year and month, year, month, and day, or a year range. 'n.d.' is used if the publication date is unknown.

What is the difference between citing a stand-alone work and a work that is part of a greater whole?

When citing a stand-alone work, the title is in italics and sentence case. When citing a work that is part of a greater whole, such as an article in a journal, both the work's title (in sentence case with no styling) and the title of the larger whole (in italics) are included.

How should a source be described if it does not have a title?

If a work does not have a title, a description should be provided in square brackets in place of the title.

What details are included in the 'Source' component of an APA reference for a stand-alone work?

For a stand-alone work, the 'Source' component includes the name of the publisher, database, platform, or website, along with a DOI or URL.

What additional information is required for citing a work that is part of a greater whole?

For a work that is part of a greater whole, the 'Source' component should include information about the greater whole such as its title, edition, volume or issue information, relevant contributors, page range, publisher, and a DOI or URL.

How can one ensure the accuracy of their APA references?

One can ensure the accuracy of their APA references by double-checking with APA example articles or using an APA citation generator like the one provided by Scribbr.

Outlines

00:00

📚 APA Reference Basics

This paragraph introduces the concept of APA references, which are detailed citations listed on the reference page at the end of a paper. It emphasizes the importance of understanding how to construct an APA reference to ensure the accuracy of academic work. Jessica from Scribbr explains that references can be created manually or using a citation generator like the one provided by Scribbr. The paragraph outlines the four fundamental components of an APA reference: Author, Date, Title, and Source. It also explains how to format the author's name, including handling multiple authors and unknown authors, and how to represent the date of publication in various forms.

05:00

🗓️ APA Reference Components and Examples

This paragraph delves deeper into the specifics of each component of an APA reference. It discusses the proper way to present the title of the work being cited, whether it is a stand-alone work or part of a larger whole, and the importance of using italics and sentence case. The paragraph also addresses how to handle works without a title by providing a descriptive title in square brackets. Additionally, it explains how to detail the source of the work, including the publisher's name, database, platform, or website, and the inclusion of a DOI or URL. The paragraph concludes with an example of how to compile all components into a complete reference using Scribbr's citation example generator, and it invites viewers to try creating their own references, with additional resources provided for further guidance.

Keywords

💡APA references

APA references, as explained in the video, are a set of detailed citation guidelines used in academic writing to give credit to the sources used. They are crucial for avoiding plagiarism and ensuring the credibility of research. The script emphasizes the importance of understanding how to construct these references, either manually or with a citation generator, and how they correspond to in-text citations.

💡Citation generator

A citation generator is a tool that automates the creation of citations in various styles, including APA. The video mentions the free citation generator provided by Scribbr, which simplifies the process of citing sources by allowing users to search for articles by title and automatically formats the citation in APA style.

💡In-text citations

In-text citations are brief references within the body of a text that indicate where a piece of information or a quote is derived from. They are directly linked to the full APA reference at the end of the paper. The script explains that understanding APA references helps in accurately placing in-text citations, which is essential for academic integrity.

💡Author

In the context of APA references, the author refers to the individual, group of people, or organization responsible for creating the work being cited. The script provides detailed instructions on how to format the author's name in an inverted order, including handling multiple authors and specific cases like organizations or unknown authors.

💡Publication date

The publication date is a critical component of APA references, indicating when the work was made available to the public. The script outlines various formats for the publication date, ranging from a single year to a full date, and notes the use of 'n.d.' for works without a specified publication date.

💡Title

The title in APA references refers to the name of the work being cited. The script distinguishes between citing a stand-alone work, where the title is italicized and in sentence case, and citing a part of a larger work, where both the work's title and the container's title are included, with different formatting rules.

💡Source

The source component in APA references provides information on where the cited work can be found or retrieved. For stand-alone works like books or webpages, this includes the publisher or website, while for works within a larger context, such as journal articles, it includes the journal's title, volume, issue, page range, and publisher, along with a DOI or URL.

💡DOI (Digital Object Identifier)

A DOI is a unique alphanumeric string assigned to the digital document, such as a journal article, to provide a persistent link to its location on the internet. The script mentions including a DOI when citing sources to ensure that readers can easily access the work.

💡URL (Uniform Resource Locator)

URL is the address of a webpage or online resource. In APA references, especially for web sources, the script instructs to include the URL to guide readers to the exact location of the cited material on the internet.

💡Stand-alone work

A stand-alone work, as discussed in the script, is a complete work that exists independently, such as a book or a painting. When citing such works, the title is italicized, and additional details like the publisher and retrieval information are provided.

💡Part of a greater whole

The script refers to works that are part of a larger compilation, such as an article in a journal or a chapter in a book. These require citing both the title of the individual work and the title of the compilation, each with specific formatting rules, to provide a complete reference.

Highlights

APA references provide detailed information about a source and are crucial for academic integrity.

APA references are listed on the reference page and correspond to in-text citations.

Understanding APA reference structure is essential for reviewing the accuracy of citation tools.

Hi, I’m Jessica from Scribbr, offering guidance to achieve academic goals.

APA references can be created manually or using a citation generator like Scribbr's.

Citation process includes selecting the type of source and searching for the article by title.

APA references consist of four main components: Author, Date, Title, and Source.

Author's name in APA references is inverted, with initials following the last name.

Infixes like 'Van' or 'De' are treated as part of the last name in APA references.

Multiple authors are separated by commas with an ampersand before the last author's name.

If the author is unknown, infer from context or use the organization name.

Publication date can take various forms, including year, month, day, or year range.

If publication date is unknown, use 'n.d.' for 'no date'.

The title of the work is written in sentence case and italicized for stand-alone works.

For works part of a larger whole, include both the article and the journal titles.

If a work lacks a title, provide a description in square brackets.

Source details inform where the work can be retrieved, including publisher or URL.

Citing a journal article includes the author, publication year, title, source, and DOI.

Citing a book includes the author, date, title, edition, and publisher.

For webpages, include the author, date, title, website name, and URL.

Use APA example articles or the APA citation generator for guidance on creating references.

Learn how to format the reference page by watching the next video.

Transcripts

APA references provide detailed information about a source. They’re listed on the reference

page at the end of your paper and correspond to in-text citations in the body text.

It’s important to understand how an APA reference is built. This enables you to review

both your own work and the accuracy of any tool you might be using.

Hi, I’m Jessica from Scribbr, here to help you achieve your academic goals.

So how do you create your APA references? There are two ways: either manually,

or use a citation generator, like the free one Scribbr provides!

Let's say I want to cite an article.

Click on "journal", search the article by title,

and "cite source".

Although the reference format differs depending on the type of source, for example, a book,

webpage, or video, they’re built from the same four components:

Author: who is responsible for creating the work?

Date: when was the work published? Title: what is the work called?

Source: where can the work be retrieved?

Combine all of them, and you’ll have a reference like this. We'll now take a closer look at

these four elements and show you some examples. The reference usually starts with the author’s

name. This can be an individual, multiple people, or an organization.

In an APA reference, the author’s name is inverted: start with the last name, so Smith,

followed by a comma and the initials, T, separated by a period and space.

Treat infixes, such as “Van” or “De”, as part of the last name. Don’t include

personal titles such as Ph.D. or Dr., but do include suffixes, like Jr..

If there are multiple authors, separate their names with commas. Before the last author’s

name, you should also insert an ampersand (&). So here I have Miller, T. C., Brown,

M. J., & Wilson, G. L.

If the author is unknown, try inferring it from the context. For example, an “About

us” page on a website is usually written by the organization behind the website. So

use the organization name in your reference, in our case, it's Wistia. If you really don’t

know who’s responsible for creating the work, you can start the reference with the

title instead. After the author, you include the date of

publication in parentheses. It can take several forms:

(2020) - only the publication year (2020, January) - year and month

(2020, January 15) - year, month and day (1997–1999) - year range

In most cases, you only include the year of publication in the reference entry. Sources

that are published more frequently like newspapers, blogs, YouTube videos, etc., usually include

the full date.

If the publication date is unknown, write “n.d.” for “no date” in its place.

After the date, include the title. Here is where you write the name of the work that

you’re citing.

This can be the title of a whole book, which is a stand-alone work. So in our example,

Never split the difference: Negotiating as if your life depended on it is the book title.

When citing a stand-alone work, its title appears in the “title” component, in italics

and sentence case.

You might also want to cite an article from a journal or a chapter from a book, so a work

that is part of a greater whole. In this case, you need to include two titles. The first

is the article title: Influencer marketing: How message value and credibility affect consumer

trust of branded content on social media. And the journal title: Journal of Interactive

Advertising.

When citing a work that is part of a larger whole, the title of the work appears in the

“title” component. Use sentence case capitalization with no styling. And the title of the larger

whole appears in the “source” component in italics.

If a work does not have a title, like this painting from Van Gogh, provide a description

of it in square brackets in place of the title. Well, it is a portrait of a woman.

After the title, you give details of the source, which tells your reader where the work can

be retrieved.

When citing a stand-alone work, like a book or webpage, you include the name of the publisher,

database, platform, or website (whichever is relevant

to your source), and a DOI or URL. So in our case, it's Sage Publications.

When citing a work that is part of a greater whole (for example, an article in a journal),

you include information about this greater whole, like its title, which is Journal of

Interactive Advertising, relevant edition, volume or issue information, so volume 17,

issue 2, relevant contributors (like editors), the page range, which is page 138–149 and the publisher,

as well as a DOI or URL linking to the work.

Okay, let's take a look at all of the components together. In Scribbr's citation example generator,

you can get a clear overview of a reference format.

So for a journal article, you first have the author component, followed by the publication

year, then the title, and finally the source, including the title of the greater whole,

page range, publisher and a DOI.

For a book, similarly include the author, date, title, and source, including the edition

and publisher.

For a webpage, also include the author, date, and title. For the source, you should include

the website name and the URL.

Now it’s time to try doing it yourself! When in doubt, you can always double check

with our APA example articles linked down below, or use our APA citation generator!

After that, you should format the reference page itself, watch this video next to learn

how to do so, see you there!