APA Style Examples
For each source you cite in your paper, you will need to format both an in-text citation and a bibliography or reference list entry. The bibliography/reference list is typically at the end of a paper and provides complete citation information for that reference. In-text citations must appear any time you quote or paraphrase a source. An in-text citation is enclosed in parentheses, and the information included helps readers quickly find the corresponding full citation in your reference list.
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Example of In-Text Citation vs Reference List Entry
In-Text Citation:
"If you are referring to an idea from another work but NOT directly quoting the material, or making reference to an entire book, article or other work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication and not the page number in your in-text reference. On the other hand, if you are directly quoting or borrowing from another work, you should include the page number at the end of the parenthetical citation" (Purdue University, n.d., paras. 4-5).
Reference List:
Purdue University. (n.d.) In-Text Citations: The Basics. Purdue University Online Writing Lab. https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/in_text_citations_the_basics.html
The following examples were retrieved from the Reference Examples page on the APA Style website.
An article in an electronic journal
In-text Citation
(Grady et al., 2019)
Bibliography or Reference
Grady, J. S., Her, M., Moreno, G., Perez, C., & Yelinek, J. (2019). Emotions in storybooks: A comparison of storybooks that represent ethnic and racial groups in the United States. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 8(3), 207–217. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000185
A book
In-text Citation
(Sapolsky, 2017)
Bibliography or Reference
Sapolsky, R. M. (2017). Behave: The biology of humans at our best and worst. Penguin Books.
When citing an e-book, provide the DOI or Permalink as a URL at the end of the citation in your bibliography/reference list.
A chapter in a book with an editor
In-text Citation
(Dillard, 2020)
Bibliography or Reference
Dillard, J. P. (2020). Currents in the study of persuasion. In M. B. Oliver, A. A. Raney, & J. Bryant (Eds.), Media effects: Advances in theory and research (4th ed., pp. 115–129). Routledge.
If the chapter is from a book with an author rather than an editor, use the standard format for book citations.
A page on a website
In-text Citation
(Bologna, 2019)
Bibliography or Reference
Bologna, C. (2019, October 31). Why some people with anxiety love watching horror movies. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/anxiety-love-watching-horror-movies_l_5d277587e4b02a5a5d57b59e
A page on a government website with an agency group author
In-text Citation
(National Institute of Mental Health, 2018)
Bibliography or Reference
National Institute of Mental Health. (2018, July). Anxiety disorders. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml
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