Frequently Asked Questions

In APA 7th Edition, there are two main types of in-text citations: parenthetical and narrative. Here's an overview:

1. Parenthetical Citations

• The author(s) and year of publication are placed in parentheses at the end of the sentence or clause.

• Example:

  • (Smith, 2020)
  • (Smith & Johnson, 2020)
  • (Smith et al., 2020) (for three or more authors)

• For direct quotations, the page number (p.) or paragraph number (para.) information is included:

  • (Smith, 2020, p. 45)
  • (Smith, 2020, para. 4) (for sources without page numbers, like websites)

2. Narrative Citations

• The author(s) are incorporated into the sentence as part of the narrative, with the year of publication immediately following in parentheses.

• Example:

  • Smith (2020) states that...
  • According to Smith and Johnson (2020)...
  • Smith et al. (2020) found that...

• For direct quotations, the page number or location information is added at the end of the sentence:

  • Smith (2020) noted that "..." (p. 45).

Additional Considerations:

• Citing Multiple Works in One Parenthesis:

  • When citing multiple sources, separate them with semicolons:
    • (Johnson, 2019; Lee, 2018; Smith, 2020)
  • Arrange them alphabetically by the first author’s last name.

• Citing a Group Author:

  • For organizations or groups, write the full name in the first citation and include an abbreviation if applicable:
    • First parenthetical citation: (National Institute of Health [NIH], 2020)
    • Subsequent parenthetical citations: (NIH, 2020)
       
    • First narrative citation: According to the American Nurses Association (ANA, 2022)
    • Subsequent narrative citations: ANA (2022)

• Citing Secondary Sources:

  • If citing a source quoted in another work, mention both sources:
    • (Smith, 2020, as cited in Johnson, 2023)