American Psychological Association (APA) style is commonly used for citing references in science and social science courses, such as Nursing, Psychology, Education, and Social Work.
This guide is based on the APA Manual (7th ed.), published in October 2019.
APA style was created by the American Psychological Association. It is a set of rules for publications, including research papers.
In APA, you must "cite" sources that you have paraphrased, quoted or otherwise used to write your research paper. Cite your sources in two places:
In all types of research and scholarly writing, it is important to cite your sources in order to:
Readers may want to locate the source you have cited, to verify the information or to learn more about the topic. A proper citation includes all of the information for readers to locate the source.
Scholarly writing is grounded in research. Citations strengthen your argument by demonstrating that your position is thoroughly researched.
Giving proper credit to those whose ideas, words, and thoughts you use is not only respectful to those authors, but also helps you avoid plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious academic offense, usually consisting of "the submission by a student of the writings, ideas or data of another individual as the student’s own in any essay or assignment. Avoid the consequences of plagiarism by giving proper references to your sources” (from the RDC Academic Terminology Glossary).
APA Blog (official) - 7th edition Provides clarification and corrections related to the APA Manual, and addresses new information sources that did not exist when the Manual was written.
If you are just transitioning from the APA 6th edition to the APA 7th edition, this resource produced by the American Psychological Association discusses some of the key changes.
Writing resources and instructional material provided by Purdue University. Includes extensive examples.
A printable handout for APA Citation, created by Augustana Library.
APA 7th edition tutorial created by the University of Alberta Library.