APA
REFERENCING
7
th edition
Based on Mark Sandham’s
Handbook to APA referencing
The APA Referencing Style
• The most widely used style in
the social sciences is that of
the American Psychological
Association (APA).
• The APA’s rules for
referencing are contained in its
fine Publication manual
(2019), and this should be the
final recourse for researchers.
Focus of Presentation
1. Why must I reference?
2. How to format In-Text
citations?
3. How to format the
Reference List
1. Why must I reference
information I use in an assignment?
• Give credit to the person who came up with
the original idea;
• Prove you’re basing your work on solid
research
• Simplifies work of editors
• Establishes your credibility (avoids plagiarism)
• Influences marks – shows range and quality of
your reading
• Direct readers to original source for more
info
Referencing Software
• Packages such as EndNote, RefWorks and
Zotero enable the writer to import references
from databases or to capture them manually.
• All of them claim to have been programmed with
the rules for all the different referencing
conventions.
• Capture more bibliographic details than APA
requires
DO I NEED TO REFERENCE
EVERYTHING?
WHAT I DON’T NEED TO
REFERENCE
General knowledge
Scientific truths
History dates
Opinions
Theories
Statements/Claims
Statistics
Graphs/Tables
Books and journals
Online content
Posters/Audio visuals
Yearbooks, Conference Proceedings
Manuscripts
Government Publications
Theses and Dissertations
Magazines and Newspapers
WHAT IS AN IN-TEXT CITATION?
Summarising
or
paraphrasing
Quotations
THERE ARE TWO WAY TO CITE
A REFERENCE IN TEXT
In the
sentence
End of the
sentence
HOW TO CITE AUTHORS
DEPENDS ON:
1. How many authors are being cited and
2. Whether the citation is made as part of the
sentence or at the end of the sentence.
ONE SOURCE BY ONE AUTHOR
Author’s surname and the year of publication
(do not include suffixes such as Jr. or initials)
1. Stach (2018) found that……………
2. The social worker is skilled to do risk
assessments (Stach, 2018).
ONE SOURCE BY 2 AUTHORS
Name both authors
Use the word "and" between the authors' names in
the sentence and use the ampersand (&) in the
brackets at the end of the sentence.
Example:
- Research by Wegener and Petty (2016) support...
- Research findings show that ………. (Wegener &
Petty, 2016).
Exercise: citation in the
sentence
Name three reasons why this example is not
correct:
J. Perry & D. Scott ,2010, explained that………..
Answer:
Perry and Scott (2010) explained that ……..
Exercise: citation at end of
the sentence
Name two reasons why this example is not
correct:
It is not easy to explain why some students
perform very well and others do not (Dube and
Masinga, ‘18).
Answer:
It is not easy to explain why some students
perform very well and others do not (Dube and
Masinga, ’18).
ONE SOURCE BY 3 or more
AUTHORS
A Work by Three or More Authors
• List only the first author’s name followed by “et al.” in
every citation, even the first, unless doing so would
create ambiguity between different sources.
It is important that we……(Kernis et al., 2019)
Kernis et al. (2019) suggest...
MORE THAN ONE SOURCE
CITED AT THE END OF A
SENTENCE
Arrange alphabetically. Do not use year of
publication to arrange list
Use first author’s last name for each source
Example:
Recent research findings indicate ..........
(Bartlett, 2016; Brown & Miller, 2018; James,
2018)
EXERCISE: SPOT THE
MISTAKES
Recent research findings indicate ..........
(Brown and Miller, 2018, Bartlett, 2016, James,
2019)
Recent research findings indicate ..........
(Bartlett, 2016; Brown & Miller, 2018; James, 2019)
TWO OR MORE WORKS BY THE SAME
AUTHOR IN THE SAME YEAR:
Use the lower-case letters with the year in the in-
text citation (a, b, c…) with the year to order the
entries in the reference list.
Example:
Research by Berndt (2015a) illustrated that...
Berndt (2015b) emphasizes that...
Authors with the same last
name
To prevent confusion, use first initials
with the last names.
Example:
(E. Johnson, 2001; L. Johnson, 1998)
Use the name of the body in the citation.
Example:
Worldbank (2010)…….
In light of the economic depression …….
(Worldbank, 2010).
Avoid by all means!!!!!
Use the word ‘anonymous’ as if were the author’s
name.
Example:
“ Students should never cite ‘anonymous’ as a
reference (Anonymous, 2020).
For sources that you have not actually seen, but
which are referred to in another work.
In-text, name the original work and give a citation
for the secondary source.
Example:
Bennett (2015, as cited in Rudman, 2018) defined
social work as….
Bennett defined social work as …(2015, as cited in
Rudman, 2018)
In the References section list the secondary
source you have read.
In-Text: exactly the same as if you are citing a
book reference:
Author’s surname and the year of publication
Example: Smith (2018)………
Cite the same as any other document
by using the author-date style.
Kenneth (2000) explained...
ELECTRONIC SOURCES
APA styles do not require page numbers
in the in-text citation.
However, student are encouraged to
include page numbers if it will help the
reader locate the relevant information in
longer texts.
B. DIRECT QUOTATION OF
SOURCES
Reproduce word for word material directly
quoted from another author’s work or from
your previously published work.
Always include the author, year of publication,
and the specific page number for the reference
p. means one page…………
pp. more than one page
Short
Long
TWO TYPES OF DIRECT
QUOTATIONS
LESS THAN 40
WORDS
MORE THAN 40
WORDS
QUOTATION COMPRISING
LESS THAN 40 WORDS
Directly after quotation:
Use quotation marks “ ……”.
1. Author of source
2. Publication date
3. Page numbers p. or pp.
EXAMPLES OF DIRECT
QUOTES IN-TEXT
APA example less than 40 words
It has been recognised that “students
often have difficulty using the APA styles,
especially when it is their first time”
(Jones, 2010, pp. 169-170).
Why do you think such a short quote is cited as
having two pages?
.
> 40 WORDS = LONG QUOTATION
Indented 5 spaces from the left
Example:
The following information substantiates this point well:
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
…………………………………………………………(Perry, 2018, p. 74)
Do not use quotation marks
EXACT QUOTATIONS WITHOUT
PAGE NUMBERS
If pages are not numbered, but there are headings,
use the heading names and count the number of
paragraphs after the heading to the paragraph
containing the quotation.
Smith, (2003, para. 1)
When an electronic document has numbered
paragraphs, use the ¶ symbol, or the abbreviation
"para." followed by the paragraph number
• (Hall, 2001, ¶ 5) or (Hall, 2001, para. 5).
MAKE PILCROW PARAGRAPH
SYMBOL SIGN
• Hold ALT key and press (while holding) next
buttons on the NumPad (numbers on right
side of keyboard) of your keyboard:
0 then 1 then 8 then 2.
• Release Alt key.
¶
NUMBERS
Spell out numbers from one to nine,
but use numerals for 10 and over, for
percentages and for all tables.
E.g. Please take 20 biscuits, but only
nine coldrinks.
.
Use of abbreviations
APA style permits the use of abbreviations that
appear as word entries, for example, AIDS and HIV.
Other terms to be abbreviated must, on its first
appearance, be written out completely and followed
immediately by its abbreviation in parentheses
Example:
First citation: Reconstruction and Development
Programme (hereafter referred to as RDP)………
Second citation: (RDP, 2000)
Personal
Communication
N.B. No information is required in the reference
list as the data is not retrievable
Cite the communicator’s name with initials, the fact
that it was personal communication, and the date of
the communication.
P. Jones (personal communication, March 19,
2004) commented that...
Lecture notes
Check with your lecturer before referencing lecture
notes. Some lecturers may not regard it as suitable.
In-Text
Considered 'personal communication' as they are
unpublished and 'non-recoverable'.
Cited within the text; not included in the Reference
List.
APA example for a lecture given by N. M.
Blampied:
It is reported that ..... (N. M. Blampied, personal
communication, June 10, 2013)
Be sensitive to labels
✗ The poor
✓ People living in poverty
✗ Transsexuals
✓ Transgender people
Use singular “they”
✗ A researcher’s career depends on how often he
is cited.
✓ A researcher’s career depends on how often they
are cited.
✗ Each examiner submitted his or her assessment.
✓ Each examiner submitted their assessment.
Other important points when
writing in APA style
Use double quotation marks instead of italics
to refer to linguistic examples.
✗ APA endorses the use of the singular pronoun
they
✓ APA endorses the use of the singular pronoun
“they”
Other important points when
writing in APA style
Instead of broad categories, you should use
exact age ranges that are more relevant and
specific
People over 65 years old
People in the age range of 65 to 75 years old
More fonts to choose from
✓ Times New Roman (12 pt)
✓ Arial (11pt)
✓ Georgia (11pt)
✓ Calibri (11pt)
✓ Lucida Sans Unicode (10pt)
Heading styles
Level
Format
1 Centered, Bold, Title Case
2
Left
-aligned, Bold, Title Case
3
Left
-aligned, Bold, Italic, Title Case
4 Indented, Bold, Title Case, Period.
Text begin on the same line.
5 Indented, Bold, Italic, Title Case,
Period.
Text begin on the same line.
Important tip
google.co.za/imgres?imgurl=http://sp.life123.com/bm.pix/t
Do it now!!!
B. END-OF-TEXT
REFERENCING
Reference List
• At the end of your paper.
• Heading REFERENCES in APA system
(Not REFERENCE LIST)
• No quotation marks, underlining, etc.
• It should be spaced just like the rest of your report
(1.5 spacing).
Alphabetical &
Hanging indentation
• Alphabetized by the last name of the first
author of each work
• All lines after the first line of each entry in
your reference list should be indented 5
spaces from the left margin.
…………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
…………………………………………….
BOOK BY SINGLE
AUTHOR
Author’s Surname, Initials. (Year of
Publication). Book title. Publishers.
The location of publication must not be cited
Shulman, L. (2016). The Skills of Helping.
C.A., Wadsworth.
List by last names and initials; commas separate
author names, while the last author name is preceded
again by ampersand.
Nguyen, T., Carnevale, J. J., Scholer, A. A., Miele, D.
B., & Fujita, K. (2019). Metamotivational knowledge
of the role of high-level and low-level construal in
goal-relevant task performance. Journal of
Personality and Social Psychology, 117(5), 879-
899. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000166
THREE TO TWENTY
AUTHORS
Same first author, different
second and/or third author
Arrange alphabetically by the last name of the second
author, or the last name of the third if the first and second
authors are the same.
Wegener, D. T., Kerr, N. L., Fleming, M. A., & Petty, R. E.
(2015). Flexible corrections of juror judgments: Implications
for jury instructions.Public Policy, & Law, 6, 629-654.
Wegener, D. T., Petty, R. E., & Klein, D. J. (2016). Effects of
mood on high elaboration attitude change: The mediating role of
likelihood judgments. European Journal of Social Psychology,
24, 25-43
.
Using an edition other than
the first edition
Barlow, D. H., & Durand, V. M. (2005). Abnormal
psychology: An integrative approach (4
th
ed.) Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.
What does https mean?
• Stands for Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure
• It is an internet communication protocol that
protects the integrity and confidentiality of data
between the user's computer and the site.
• Users expect a secure and private online
experience when using a website.
What is URL?
URL is the abbreviation of Uniform Resource
Locator and is defined as the global address of
documents and other resources on the World Wide
Web
World Wide Web
Example: https://www.computerhope.com, which is
the URL for the Computer Hope website
What is a DOI?
• A DOI, or digital object identifier, is a unique
alphanumeric string assigned to an online
document such as a journal article or ebook.
• A DOI can be used in a similar way to a URL,
but it is more permanent and reliable.
https://doi.org/10.1080/02626667.2018.1560449
Other items to be referenced
besides books and journals
Online content
Encyclopaedias
Yearbooks, Sets, Conference Proceedings
Non-English Books
Theses and Dissertations
Manuscripts
Government Publications
Scholarly Journals
Magazines and Newspapers
Digital Objects
Audio-Visual Materials
Posters
Other items to be referenced
besides books and journals
Media type
Include as author
Film
Director
TV series
Executive producer(s);
writer & producer
Podcast episode
Host of episode
Webinar
Instructor
Online streaming video
Person or group who
uploaded the video
Photograph
Photographer
Acceptable abbreviations
in reference list
Abbreviation
Book or publication part
ed.
Edition
Rev. ed.
Revised
edition
2nd ed.
Second
edition
Ed.
(Eds.)
Editor (Editors)
n.d
.
No date
Vol.
Volume
(as in Vol. 4)
No.
Number
Pt.
Part
Suppl.
Supplement
Article or Chapter in an
Edited Book
Author, A. & Author, B. (Year of publication). Title of
chapter. In A. Editor & B. Editor (Eds.), Title of book.
(pages of chapter). Publisher.
O'Neil, J. & Egan, J. (2018). Men's and women's gender
role journeys. In B. R. Wainrib & Z. Dlamini (Eds.),
Gender issues across the life cycle (pp. 107-123).
Sage Springer.
Article in Journal Paginated
by Volume
Italics must be used for the name of the journal
and the volume number.
The title of the article in the journal must not be put
in italics.
Capitalize the first letter of each word in the journal
name.
Smith, R. (2017). Foster Care in South Africa. The
Social Work Practitioner-Researcher, 21, 5-17.
Article in Journal Paginated
by Volume and Issue
Journals paginated by issue don’t begin with
page one every issue; therefore, the issue number
gets indicated in brackets after the volume.
The brackets and issue number are not italicized
or underlined.
Dhlamini, R. (2009). The scope of occupational
social work in South Africa. The Social Work
Practitioner-Researcher, 21(3), 236 -270.
Electronic Book
For ebooks, the format, platform, or device (e.g.
Kindle) is not included in the reference, and the
publisher is included.
• X Brück, M. (2009). Women in early British and Irish
astronomy: Stars and satellites [Kindle
version]. https:/doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2473-2
• Brück, M. (2009). Women in early British and Irish
astronomy: Stars and satellites. Springer
Nature. https:/doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-2473-2
Periodicals
Items published on a regular basis
• Journals
• Magazines
• Newspapers
• Newsletters
Journal source
online
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication).
Title of article. Title of Online Periodical,
volume number (issue number if available).
URL if no DOI.
Electronic APA example:
Norman, W.C.,Hanson, M.A., & White, L.A. (2000).
Role of early supervisory experience in
supervisor performance. Journal of Applied
Psychology, 78, 443-449.
https://doi:10.1037/0021-9010.
Journal source online cont….
•
Beaudoin, K. M., & Benner, G.J. (2008). Social
validation of services to youth. International
Journal of Special Education, 23 (1), 1-7.
http://www.internationaljournalofeducation.com/
Note: No retrieval date is necessary for content that
is not likely to be changed or updated.
SAME FIRST AUTHOR,
DIFFERENT SECOND AND/OR
THIRD AUTHOR
• Arrange alphabetically by the last name of the second
author, or the last name of the third if the first and
second authors are the same.
Wegener, D., Kerr, N. L., Fleming, M. A., & Petty, R. E.
(2016). Flexible corrections of juror judgments:
Implications for jury instructions. Psychology,
Public Policy, & Law, 6, 629-654.
Wegener, D., Petty, R. E., & Klein, D. J. (2018). Effects of
mood on high elaboration attitude change: The
mediating role of likelihood judgments. European
Journal of Social Psychology, 24, 25-43.
Meetings and
Symposia
For contributions to symposia or for paper or poster
presentations that have not been formally published, use
the following formats.
Contributor, A. A., Contributor, B. B. & Contributor, C.C.
(Year, Month). Title of contribution. In E.E. Chairperson
(Chair), Title of symposium. Symposium conducted at
the meeting of
Organisation Name, Location.
Presenter, A. (Year, Month). Title of paper or poster. Paper
or poster session presented at the meeting of
……..Organisation’s Name, Location.
DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS
AND MASTER’S THESES
Available from a database service:
Author, A. A. (2017). Title of Doctoral dissertation or
Masters thesis. (Doctoral dissertation or
master’s thesis). Name of database. (Accession
or Order No.)
Biswas, S. (2017). Dopamine D3 receptor: A
neuroprotective treatment target in Parkinson's
disease. ProQuest Digital Dissertations. (AAT
3295214)
Unpublished Dissertations
and Master’s Theses
Author, A. A. (2008). Title of doctoral dissertation
or masters thesis. (Unpublished doctoral
dissertation or
master’s thesis). Name of Institution,
Location.
Retrieved from the web
Author, A. A. (2008). Title of doctoral dissertation or
masters thesis. http://www-xxxx
Blog Post
• Grohol, J. M. (2012, August 3). While you
sleep, your brain keeps working [Web
log message]. Retrieved from
http://psychcentral.com/blog/
Note: Title is not in italics
Reference List versus
Bibliography
• Reference list cites works that specifically
support a particular article.
• In contrast, a bibliography cites works for
background or for further reading and may
include descriptive notes
Recommended
resources
END AT LAST!!
Studentnewspaper.org
