APA Documentation

Created by Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

Learning Outcomes

Integrate an APA parenthetical (in-text) citation into the body of your paper.

Write a full reference in APA format for an article, book, and Web site.

Incorporate knowledge of DOIs into references.

Know where to find support materials.

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

I. APA Basics

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

Paper Format

1-inch margins; double-space textTitle page contains the paper’s title,

writer’s name, and school’s name, double-spaced and centered, plus a “Running head:” at the top left.

The Running head with page number appears on every page in the upper right margin. In Word, use the Header & Footer function to set this up. Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

APA Sample Title PageDNA Problems 1

Running head: DNA PROBLEMS

Problems with Collecting DNAEvidence at Crime Scenes

Sarah McCarthySacramento City College

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

In-text Citations

Also called parenthetical or internal citations.

APA in-text citations contain author’s last name and year of publication: (Smith, 55).

They are usually placed at the beginning of a sentence:

Jordon and Block (2001) found that incarcerated juveniles had less recidivism when they participated in creative writing courses.Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

References

The Reference list is the final page(s) of your paper.

It is entitled References, which is centered at the top of the page.

References contain full citations (complete bibliographic information) of sources you referred to in your paper.

It contains only material referred to in your paper.Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

Sample References Page

DNA Problems 7

ReferencesBellefeuille, J., Bowen, K., Dixon, P.,

Hanniman, J., Hillier, E., Lama, D.,…Yamashita, D. (2003). Crime scene DNA collection: Research and practical considerations.  Journal of Forensic Identification, 53(6), 729-734.  Retrieved from http://www.theiai.org/publications/jfi.php

Yount, L. (2007). Forensic science: From fibers to fingerprints. New York: Facts on File, Inc.

   

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

Elements of References

The essential elements of a full APA Reference:

Book: author’s last name & first initial, date of publication, title, city of publication, and the publisher.

Article: author, date, title of article, journal name, volume, issue, pages, DOI (digital object identifier, if available).

Web Site: author, date listed on page or n.d. if no date listed, title of Web page, and the phrase Retrieved from with the URL (Internet address) following that.

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

APA Sample Papers

Sample APA Paper with Labeled Parts

Sample APA Paper Easy View

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

II. Integrating In-text CitationsCite your sources gracefully.

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

Use Phrases and Action VerbsUse introductory phrases:

In a 2002 study,… According to Jones & Feingold, Recent findings (Jones, Jakeman, &

Marca, 2002; Lind & Ortega, 2006) indicate that…

Use research-oriented verbs such as discovered, proved, indicated, asserted, found, and noted. Garcia (2006) asserts that… Stutz (2009) found that... Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

Incorporate with Introductions Introduce authors and their

findings in a sentence with publication date in parentheses immediately after authors’ names: In a ground-breaking study, Smith and

Stephenson (1987) discovered that prolonged cocaine use creates permanent structural changes in the brain.

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

Summarize & Cite

Summarize key point and cite the source at end of the sentence: Children who were never read to as babies

have a more difficult time listening to stories as preschoolers than those who were read to at least 15 minutes per day (Jones, Jakeman, & Marca, 1998).

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

More Brief ExamplesIn a 1987 (Smith & Stephenson) study,

cocaine was found to create permanent changes in the brain.

In a ten-year study, Jones, Jakeman, and

Marca (1998) discovered that children…

Marcel, Lipman, and Bjork (2009) noted that even when…

Janes (2005), Golski (1999), and Rogers (1999) all found that…Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

III. Reference ListIn-text Citations Direct Readers to References.

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

APA Sample “References”Book (one author):Lockhart, G. (2000).

Neurophysiological theory of addiction. New York: Columbia Press.

Journal Article, print:Millam, D. (1992). Starting I.V.s: How

to develop your venipuncture expertise. Nursing, 22(9), 33-48.

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

DOI: Digital Object Identifier Articles located in electronic format need

an extra element in their reference called a DOI.

DOI is a combination of numbers and sometimes letters that create a persistent (permanent) link to an electronic resource.

Often listed on the first page of an article or on its abstract page in a library database.

If available, copy and paste it into your References.

If unavailable, look it up at crossref.org’s Free DOI Lookup or list the journal’s Internet address instead.

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

DOI on Article’s Title Page

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

DOI

APA Sample “References”Journal Article from Database with

DOI: Keltner, N., & Wilson, D. (2009).

Biological perspectives. Perspectives in Psychiatric Care, 45(4), 292-296. doi:10.1111/j.1744-

6163.2009.00231.x. No DOI listed in database? Quickly locate

DOIs at crossref.org. Mouse over Researchers tab and select Free DOI Name Lookup. Scroll down to Search on Article Title and enter title.

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

APA Sample “References”Journal Article from database

without DOI:

Smitherman, T. & Thompson, J. (2002). “Writing Our Stories”: An anti-violence creative writing program. Journal of Correctional Education, 53(2), 77-83. Retrieved from http://static.ashland.edu/centers/gill/edjournal

Here, a simple Internet search located the journal’s URL, which was used instead of a DOI.

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

APA Sample “References”Web Site:Paddock, C. (2009). 15 cigarettes

equal one DNA mutation. Retrieved from http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/174409.php

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

APA ResourcesThe Online Writing Lab at Purdue:

APA Formatting and Style Guide

American Psychological Association: www.apastyle.org Scroll down to the “Most Popular” section.

University of Maryland University College Library

Publication Manual of the American

Psychological Association, 6th Edition, available at libraries and book stores.

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS

Formatting Tools

EBSCOHost databases and others offer citation formatting. Look for the Citation and Cite icons.

http://www.noodletools.com Formats citations into APA or MLA styles.

http://citationmachine.net Formats citations into APA, MLA,

Turabian, and Chicago styles.Double-check the results for accuracy.

Margaret Keys, MA, MLIS