Content

• To step
• Method 1 of 2: The basics
• Method 2 of 2: Making your quotes
• Tips
• Warnings

Many organizations use the American Psychological Association (APA) style for referencing, especially in scientific publications. This has subtle, but important differences in layout and content, compared to the MLA (Modern Language Association) style. Learn the basics of APA-style citation to simplify the entire process of writing your next research paper.

To step

Method 1 of 2: The basics

1. Use indents correctly. When creating the "References" page at the end of your essay, provide a list of citations. When you do this, you should write them so that the first line is equal to the margin, and additional lines are indented.
   • There should be no white space between items in a reference list. The ability to tell the different quotes apart is due to the first line aligned with the left margin.
   • Don't number your quotes, just use the dashes to tell them apart.
2. Alphabetize the list. The entire "References" page should be listed alphabetically by the authors' last names. The authors listed in individual citations do not need to be listed in alphabetical order, but must be listed in the order in which they are listed in their publications.
3. Use capital letters correctly. In any citations you use, make sure that the names of all authors, titles of books and other works, and any directly quoted words that were already in capital letters, are capitalized.
4. List authors appropriately. In APA format, all names of the authors are quoted with the last name and then the first name. For one writer you can state both the first and last name. For multiple authors, you must state the surname and first initial. A citation with more than three authors must display all names in the citation, but can simply be included as (author 1, et al.) In the in-text references.
5. State the titles correctly. For extensive works such as complete books, (scientific) journals or magazines, place the title in italics. You can also choose to underline the name of the work. If you are referring to only part of an article or chapter of a book, it does not need to be in italics. Also make sure that the important words of the title are always capitalized.

Method 2 of 2: Making your quotes

1. Referring to a book. To properly quote a book, include the author's name (last name first), date of publication, title of work, place of publication, and publisher. If you have not been able to obtain any of that information, omit it from your citation.
   • For example: Jones, Anna (2001). Beginning Psychology. New York and London. New York University Press.
2. Mentioning an article from a scientific journal. Gather the following information and put it in this order: Author (s), date of publication, title of the article, name of the journal or journal, volume number, and the page numbers you are referring to.
   • For example: Gill, Smith, Percy (June 8, 1992). Growing Concerns in Adolescent Drug Abuse. Psychology Quarterly, 21, 153-157.
3. Listing a website. Websites can be tricky as a reference because they often lack the information necessary for an accurate citation, such as author or date of publication. To quote a website, include the author, date of publication, title, and URL to the page.
   • For example: Alexander, 2012. Tips for Healthy Relationships. http://www.psychologywebsitehere.com/tipsforhealthyrelationships.
4. References in the text. In-text references are required for the APA format and are used to cite a source in your text. They should be placed at the end of the sentence, which uses information from the quoted source, before the period. Place references in the text in brackets, and include the author's name and the date of publication. If you don't have either, use the title of the work you are referring to.
   • If you don't mention the author in the text, put the following at the end of the sentence: (Author, Date).
   • If you want to include the author's name in your sentence, include the date in parentheses immediately after the name, instead of at the end of the sentence. For example, "Jones (2001) also had an interesting theory, in which she stated that ..."

Tips

• The APA style gets simpler with a little practice.
• Ask your teacher about the details of how you cite sources in your class (for example, when quoting from a lecture).

Warnings

• Keep in mind that wikiHow uses the MLA style, not the APA.