apa documentation in research papers

8/9/2019 APA Documentation in Research Papers

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APA Documentation in Research Papers

The Purpose of Referencing/Documentation

1) to identify (cite) other people’s ideas and information used within your essay or term paper, and

2) to indicate the authors or sources of these in the References at the end of your paper.

APA Format

The APA format is only one of many methods of documentation. Details about the format are found in

• the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.), which is available for purchase in the MR

Bookstore and for use in the MR Library

• the APA website at http://apastyle.apa.org/ , including Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Avoiding Plagiarism - Citation Principles for Essays and Term Papers [ APA pp. 169-170]

Within essays, term papers, and any other written assignments (as in all academic work), you must identify (i.e. reference,

document, cite) all quotations, paraphrases, ideas and images from someone else’s work). You must name the original author or

source and surround quoted material with quotation marks or set it in a block format as described below. Copying any material

and submitting it as your own (plagiarism) is an academic offence. Plagiarism may result in failure on the assignment and, in

some cases, expulsion from a course. ((See the Guide to Avoiding Plagiarism and the section on “Plagiarism & Cheating” in the

MR Office of Student Conduct User Guide at www.mtroyal.ca/codeofstudentconduct.)

NOTE: Page numbers in square brackets refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th

ed.) (APA)

Referencing/Citing Sources Within Your Paper

Whenever you use a quotation from an author or summarize or paraphrase a person’s ideas or research, you must identify

(reference/cite) the source. This in-text citation is formatted with parentheses and shows

• the last name of the author(s) of the work, unless already stated) [ APA pp. 174]

or the first few words of the References list entry (usually the title) if the author is not known [ APA p. 176]

• the year of publication [ APA p. 174]

• page number(s) if available [ APA pp. 170-172]

Citing Short Quotations (fewer than 40 words) [ APA p. 92, pp. 170-172]

When you incorporate a direct quotation into a sentence, you must cite its source. The examples which follow include a quotation

taken from page 82 in a journal article by Kathryn Lee:

Lee (2007) stated, “The ability to think critically is needed in this revolutionary age of technological change” (p.

82). OR

One researcher believed that “the ability to think critically is needed in this revolutionary age of technological

change” (Lee, 2007, p. 82). [ APA p. 174]

http://apastyle.apa.org/



http://www.mtroyal.ca/codeofstudentconduct







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This handout has been compiled by Mount Royal University’s Student Learning Services and Library and was revised Fall 2009.Please consult them for more information on documentation, or go to www.apastyle.org.

Citing Long Quotations (40 or more words) [ APA p. 92, pp. 170-172]

If the quotation is long (40 or more words), you must use

• a block format in which all lines of the quotation are indented approximately ½ inch from the left margin

• no quotation marks.

(See the final block quotation in the sample paragraph on page 3.)

Citing Summaries or Paraphrases [ APA p. 171, p. 174]

Even if you put information in your own words by summarizing or paraphrasing, you must cite the original author or

researcher. For example, a paraphrase of Lee’s earlier quotation could be cited as follows:

Citing Information When You Have Not Seen the Original Source [ APA p. 178]

Sometimes an author writes about research that someone else has done, but you are unable to track down the original research

report. For example, in your paper you might include research described in your course textbook. In the sample paraphrase

below, Pither and Soden’s research is taken from a journal article written by Lee.

Note: Because you did not read Pither and Soden’s review, you will include only Lee’s article in the References list.

Citing Information If No Page Numbers Are Available [ APA p. 171-172]

Many electronic sources such as Web sites contain no page numbers, so you cannot include a page number for the in-text

citation. The exception is for PDFs, which normally show original page numbers. However, when your source explicitly

numbers the paragraphs, you can include paragraph number(s), preceded by the abbreviation “para.” in the citation

parentheses. If the document only has headings (no page or paragraph numbers), use the heading and then give the

number of the paragraph that contains the information you are incorporating in your essay.

Tips for APA Citation

•

If the author’s name is unavailable, use the shortened title of the article or Web page, including the appropriatecapitalization and quotation marks/italicization format. (“Ancient Tool,” 2009) [ APA p. 176]

• Use ‘&’ between two authors in a parenthetical citation. (Smith & Jones, 2004, p. 82) [ APA p. 175]

• For three to five authors, name all authors the first time you cite their work. (Simpson, Stahl, & Francis, 2004)

• For subsequent citations, provide only the surname of the first author, followed by ‘et al.’. (Simpson et al., 2004)

• For six or more authors, always use the ‘et al.’ format. [ APA p. 175]

One researcher believed that flexibly applied thinking is vital to cope with rapidly changing technology (Lee, 2007, p. 82). or

Lee (2007) believed that flexibly applied thinking is vital to cope with rapidly changing technology (p. 82).

Pither and Soden’s 2000 review found little empirical research on university students’ critical thinking (as cited in Lee,

2007, p. 83).

Members of the Web 2.0 public no longer are “limited to the interpretation of texts” (Beer and Penfold-Mounce, 2009, para. 2).

http://www.apastyle.org/






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Sample Paragraph with Citations

Creating the References List (See the Sample References Page on page 5 of this handout.)

• Start References on a separate page at the end of your paper. [ APA p. 37]

• Include only those sources you have cited within your paper. [ APA p. 180]

Exceptions are personal communications and classical works, such as the Bible and the Qur’an, which do not

appear in the References. [ APA p. 174; 178-179]• Double-space the entire References list. Do not add an extra blank line after the title. [ APA p. 180]

• Position the first line of each reference flush-left, with subsequent lines wrapping with a ½-inch

(hanging) indent. [ APA p. 180]

• Organize the list in alphabetical order according to the first letter beginning each entry. Normally, the author’s last

name, unless unknown, is the first piece of information in each entry. After the last name, include the author’s

initials rather than the author’s first/middle names. [ APA, pp. 181-183]

• Use correct formatting such as punctuation and sequence of information for each entry in your References list.

(See the section below, Using This Handout to Format Your References List, and examples from pages 6-8.)

Using This Handout to Format Your References List

1. Look through the examples of sources on pages 6 - 8 categorized as books, book chapters, journal and newspaper

articles, websites, and other sources of information.

2. For each of your information sources, find the combination of formatting from one or more examples on pages 6-8 that

is the best fit. For example, you might need to combine the “one author edition stated” example with “book with two or

more authors.” Work left to right through the sample reference(s) to reproduce formatting details.

In their examination of students’ acquisition of learning strategies, Simpson, Stahl, and

Francis (2004) stressed that students will use a strategy if they understand how, why, and when

to use it (p. 3). They added that this knowledge is important “if students are expected to

abandon their usual approaches such as rereading and/or highlighting” (p. 3). Lee (2007)

argued that, once students have acquired a repertoire of study strategies, they should be taught

critical thinking skills to evaluate and modify their use of specific strategies (pp. 82-83). P.

Foley, a professor at North London University, observed that motivation is strongly linked to

student use of learning strategies (personal communication, May 16, 2007). Motivation, in turn,

can be influenced by students’ beliefs about learning. Simpson et al. (2004) commented on such

beliefs:

It is not atypical for college freshmen to believe that learning should be easy,

completed quickly (i.e., the night before in a cramming session) and should happen to

them because of what others do for them (i.e., the professor did not teach me to solve

that problem. (p. 4)



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3. Your goal is to provide information in each References listing that would allow someone reading your essay or research

paper to find or get to that particular source of information or document, so accuracy is important.

4. Journal articles when possible should be identified by a digital object identifier (DOI). If articles are accessed from

library subscription, full-text databases such as JSTOR or CPI.Q, database information including URLs (website

addresses) need not be included. However, if articles are directly accessed through the Internet, include their full URLs.

[ APA 187-192]; (See appropriate examples on pages 6-8.)

Explanation of References Listings

Buzan, T. (1988). Make the most of your mind . (Rev. ed.). London, England: Pan.

Lee, K. (2007). Online collaborative case study learning. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 37 , 82-100.

Brown, C., & Austin, D. (2009). Fatty acids, breastfeeding and autism spectrum disorder. E-journal of Applied Psychol

5(1). 49-52. Retrieved from http://ojs.lib.swin.edu.au/index.php/ejap/article/view/158

tu

Buzan, T. (n.d.) Mind maps. Retrieved September 3, 2009, from http://www.buzanworld.com/Mind_Maps.htm

Smith, F. M., & Jones, W. (2004). The college student. In C. Wood (Ed.), Cross-cultural education (pp. 75-105).

London, ON: MacMillan.

book title

author book edition

publisher

chapterauthors

article title name of journal volume #article author

year published

website titleno publicationdate website URL

place published

year published

page #

article authors article title name of journ

website URLvolume # issue #

date retrieved

chapter title

book editor

book title

place published

total chapter pages

year published

publisher

page #







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Sample References: Books

Book, with one author / edition stated [ APA p. 203, p. 205]

Buzan, T. (1988). Make the most of your mind . (Rev. ed.). London, England: Pan.

book with two to seven authors [ APA p. 184]

Downing, L., Carter, J. C., & McManus, T. (2007). Students in our midst. Toronto, ON: Doubleday.

e-book version of print book, retrieved from a library subscription database [ APA p. 203]

O’Brien-Pallas, L., Hiroz, J., Cook, A., & Mildon, B. (2005). Nurse-physician relationships: Solutions and recommendations

for change. Retrieved from ebrary database.

e-book, retrieved online [ APA p. 203]

Arnold, A. (1985). Afghanistan: The Soviet invasion in perspective (Rev. ed.). Retrieved http://books.google.com/

Sample References: Articles or Chapters in Edited Books or Encyclopedia

chapter with known author(s) in an edited book [ APA p. 204]

Smith, F. M., & Jones, W. (2004). The college student. In C. Wood & M. Meyer (Eds.), Cross-cultural education (pp.

75-105). London, ON: MacMillan.

chapter from an edited book, included in a course pack [ APA p. 204]

Jefferson, T. (1997). Masculinities and crimes. In D. E. King & J. A. Winterdyk (Eds.), Diversity issues and the criminal

justice system: Course readings for Applied Justice Studies (AJUS) 2231 (pp. 325-347). Calgary, AB: Mount Royal

College. (Reprinted from The Oxford handbook of criminology (2nd

ed.), pp. 535-557, by M. Maguire, R Morgan &

R. Reiner, Eds., 1997, Oxford, England: Oxford University Press)

article or definition in an online encyclopedia, author known [ APA p. 205]Smith, P. (2007). Recidivism. In G. Ritzer (Ed.), Blackwell encyclopedia of sociology. doi:10.1111/b.9781405124331.2007.x

article or definition in an online encyclopedia, author unknown [ APA p. 205]

Raphael. (2009). In Encyclopaedia Britannica online. Retrieved from http://search.eb.com/eb/article-9062704

chapter in a customized textbook

Bennett, J. D., & Briggs, W. L. (n.d.). Statistical reasoning. In Scientific and mathematical literacy for the modern world (2nd

custom ed., pp. 69-132). Toronto, ON: Pearson Custom Publishing.

Sample References: Periodical/Journal Articles

scholarly journal article with one author, paper-bound, no DOI available [ APA p. 18; p. 199]

Lee, K. (2007). Online collaborative case study learning. Journal of College Reading and Learning, 37 , 82-100.

scholarly journal article with more than seven authors, with DOI (print or online) [ APA p. 198]

Kallai, J., Makany, T., Csatho, A., Karadi, K., Horvath, D., Kovacs-Labadi, B., . . . Jacobs, J. W. (2007). Cognitive and

affective aspects of thigmotaxis strategy in humans. Behavioral Neuroscience, 121, 21-30. doi:10.1037/0735-

7044.121.21







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scholarly journal article with up to seven authors, from a library-subscription, full-text database, no DOI

available [ APA p. 199; p. 192]

Simpson, M. L., Stahl, N. A., & Francis, M. A. (2004). Reading and learning strategies: Recommendations for the 21st

century. Journal of Developmental Education, 28 (2), 2-15, 32.

scholarly article with two authors, from a journal published only on the web [ APA pp. 191-192; p.199]

Brown, C., & Austin, D. (2009). Fatty acids, breastfeeding and autism spectrum disorder. E-journal of Applied Psychology,

5(1), 49-52. Retrieved from http://ojs.lib.swin.edu.au/

newspaper article, with author, on multiple, discontinuous pages, print publication [ APA p. 200]

Fung, M. (2006, December 12). Asthma rates increasing. Winnipeg Free Press, pp. C4, C7-C8.

newspaper article, author unknown, online version, NOT from a library database [ APA p. 200]

Ancient tool makers discovered fire treatment. (2009, August 13). Globe and Mail. Retrieved from

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/

magazine article, with author, from a library database [ APA p. 200]

Wells, P. (2009, August 3). Our universities can be smarter. Maclean’s, 122(29/30), 32-34.

magazine article, with author, online version] [ APA p. 200]

Wells, P. (2009, July 28). Our universities can be smarter. Maclean’s, 122(29/30). Retrieved from

http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/07/28/our-universities-can-be-smarter/

review of a book, in a magazine, from a library database, no DOI available [ APA p. 209]

Klein, N. (2002). The new apartheid [Review of the book We are the poors: Community struggles in post-apartheid South

Africa, by A. Desai]. Nation, 275, 25-28.

Sample References: Web Siteswebsite with one author [ APA pp. 205-206, p. 192, BUT see APA p. 176 and FAQ]

Buzan, T. (n.d.). Mind maps. Retrieved September 3, 2009, from http://www.buzanworld.com/Mind_Maps.htm

website, author unknown, [ APA pp. 205-206, p. 192, BUT see APA p. 176 and FAQ]

How to study effectively- 8 concentration strategies. (2007). Retrieved September 10, 2009, from

http://studenthacks.org/2007/10/12/study-effectively/

blog post [ APA p. 215]

Webber, S. (2007, July 11). Re: Survey of plagiarism penalties [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://information-

literacy.blogspot.com/2007/07/this-was-published-last-month-tennant-p.html

message posted to online forum [ APA. p. 215]

Rodrigiez, J. (2003, February 12). Re: New learning [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/postsecondarylearning/9

video blog post (YouTube) [ APA p. 215]

Skateboarding dog [Video file]. (2007, June 28). Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQzUs






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Sample References: Other Kinds of Information Sources

government report, publisher same as the author, paper-bound [ APA p. 205]

Alberta Social Services and Community Health. (2005). Breaking the pattern: Understanding wife abuse. Edmonton, AB:

Author.

government report with identified author, on a website [ APA p. 204]

Sosiak, A. (1999). Evaluation of recent trends in water quality in the Elbow River upstream from Glenmore Reservoir .

Retrieved from Alberta Environment website: http://www.assembly.ab.ca/lao/library/egovdocs/alen/1999/70097.pdf

Statistics Canada data report, on a website [ APA p. 211]

Statistics Canada. (2005). Frequency of language by work, by census metropolitan areas, 2001 census, Calgary. Retrieved

from http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo45v-eng.htm

annual report of a corporation, on a website [ APA p. 206]

TransCanada. (2006). Annual report . Retrieved from http://www.transcanada.com/investor/annual_reports/2006/

ERIC document, with Document Reproduction Service number identified [ APA p. 211-212]

Beswick, D. M., Chuprina, L., & Canipe, J. B. (2002). Investigating self-directed learning in culture, learning styles and

creativity. Retrieved from ERIC database. (ED473804)

motion picture, with producer and director identified [ APA p. 209]

Brandt, F. (Producer), & Messina, P. F. (Director). (1995). Too smart for strangers [Motion picture]. Burbank, CA: Walt

Disney Home Video.

lab manual [ APA p. 223]

Department of Chemical, and Biological Sciences. (2008, Fall). Chemistry 1201 laboratory manual. Calgary, AB: Mount

Royal College.

brochure, corporate author [ APA p. 186]

Family Counselling Centre. (2003). Dealing with a delinquent student [Brochure]. Calgary, AB: Author.

course website / Blackboard site [ APA pp. 205-206]

Szetny, M. (2003). Midterm review points. Retrieved from Mount Royal College PSYC 2200 Blackboard Web site:

http://courseware.mymrc.ca/courses/1/PSYC-2200-081_Psychology_200301/content/_82391_1/

Midterm_Review_Points.doc





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