1. Viterbo University Academic Resource Center
APA Style
Viterbo University
Academic Resource Center

2. APA Style: Crediting sources
In-text citations

3. Crediting Sources
We use information from other sources to support our own claims.
Shows what others have said.
Allows us to make inferences.
Builds your own credibility.
Give credit to your source anytime you
Quote
Paraphrase
Summarize
If you don’t give credit to your sources, you are in danger of plagiarism.

4. Crediting Sources
In-text citations
References
Authors Dates Page numbers Parenthetical citations Signal phrases Punctuation
Type of source
If a source appears in the body of your paper, there must be a corresponding Reference entry for the source.
If a source is listed in your References page, it must be clearly used in the paper.

5. As you research and read sources
Keep track of
Authors, organizations
Title of work and container
Page or paragraph number
Publication information, URLs or DOIs

6. Writing about sources in the body of your paper
Titles
Container titles in italics: books, journals, newspapers, websites, television series
Work within a container in “quotation marks”: chapter of a book, article in a journal or newspaper, page of a website, television episode
“An Unfair Fight” is the title of a chapter within the book Tomatoland
“Optimisation of Food Expectations Using Product Colour and Appearance” is the title of an academic article in the journal Food Quality and Preference.
Capitalization*
Capitalize major words: four letters or more, all verbs, pronouns, nouns, adjectives, adverbs
Do not capitalize articles, conjunctions, or short prepositions
*These capitalization rules apply to the body of the paper. Capitalization of titles on the reference paper follows different rules.

7. Writing about sources in the body of your paper
Authors Only use authors’ last names. Do not include titles (e.g. Dr.) or suffixes (e.g. Jr.). Organizations Spell out the entire name followed by the acronym or abbreviation. According to the Land Stewardship Project (LSP),… Verb Tense Use past tense when writing about an author’s words, work, or ideas.

8. In-text citations: 3 elements to include
1. Author Single, multiple, organization, unknown 2. Date Known or unknown 3. Location Page number or paragraph number Include this information in a signal phrase or parenthetical citation.

9. Authors: Single, Multiple
Listing authors’ names
If a source has two or more authors, write out and when using the authors’ names in text; use an ampersand (&) for parenthetical citations.
For sources with three to five authors, write out each author’s name the first time you use the source. In subsequent citations, use the first author’s last name followed by et al.
If a source has six or more authors, always use the first author’s last name followed by et al.
Examples 

10. Authors: single, multiple
Signal phrase While reporting on the commercial tomato industry in Florida, Estabrook (2011) interviewed a migrant worker from Mexico, Emilio Galindo. Wei, Ou, Luo, and Hutchings (2012) noted the associations that people have between food appearance and taste expectations. (First use) Wei et al. found there was a strong association between memory and taste expectation as well. (Second use) Parenthetical citation The Committee sets the standards for “the exact size, color, texture, and shape of exported slicing tomatoes” (Estabrook, 2011, p. 123). There is a correlation between the appearance and color of food and taste (Wei, Ou, Luo, & Hutchings, 2012). (First use) When the appearance of a food does not match a person’s expectations, the experience of the food can be less enjoyable (Wei et al., 2012).

11. Authors: Organization, Indirect
Farmworker Justice (n.d.) explained that while agricultural workers’ wages are protected under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), workers are not entitled to overtime pay, and small farms that employ fewer than seven people are not required to adhere to the FLSA’s minimum wage standards.
Indirect Sources (when your source cites someone whom you want to cite)
When possible, find the original work. Secondary sources should be used as a last resort.
Christensen claimed, “appropriately coloured foods were perceived to have a stronger intensity of flavor and better quality than inappropriately colored foods” (as cited in Wei et al., 2012, pp ).
Mention the original author in the signal phrase.
Acknowledge the source you used in the parentheses.

12. Dates
Within a paragraph, you must include the date of publication for the first use of a source, within every parenthetical citation, and when switching between sources.
Wei, Ou, Luo, and Hutchings (2012) noted the associations that people have between food appearance and taste expectations. Wei et al. found there was a strong association between memory and taste expectation as well. There is a correlation between the appearance and color of food and taste (Wei, Ou, Luo, & Hutchings, 2012).
Use n.d. when there is not a publication date. This is common for websites. The copyright date often found at the bottom of a webpage should not be used as the publication date.
Farmworker Justice (n.d.) explained that while agricultural workers’ wages are protected under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), workers are not entitled to overtime pay, and small farms that employ fewer than seven people are not required to adhere to the FLSA’s minimum wage standards.

13. Location: page or paragraph number
If you quote or paraphrase from a specific place in the text, include a location with your citation. The Committee sets the standards for “the exact size, color, texture, and shape of exported slicing tomatoes” (Estabrook, 2011, p. 123). Recommendations suggest that tomatoes are picked when they are in the Mature Green 2 phase, meaning the locular jelly, the part of the tomato that contributes to taste, has begun to form (Suslow & Cantwell, 2013, para. 1).

14. APA style: Crediting sources
Reference list

15. Reference List: Basics
Begin the reference list on a new page. Include the title References centered, not bold at the top of the page. Include a reference entry for each source that appears in the paper. List sources in alphabetical order. Use a hanging indent for entries that are more than one line in length. Capitalization Books and other nonperiodical reports: Capitalize the first word of the title, subtitle, and proper nouns. Italicize the title. Periodical titles: Use uppercase and lowercase letters. Italicize the title. Articles or chapter titles: Capitalize the first word of the title, subtitle, and proper nouns. Do not put in italics or quotation marks.

16. references Pay attention to punctuation and formatting.
Book with one author
Author, A. (date). Title of book: Capitalize subheading. Location: Publisher.
Estabrook, B. (2011). Tomatoland: How modern industrial agriculture destroyed our most alluring fruit. Kansas City: Andrews McMeel Publishing.
Article from an online periodical with DOI
Author, A, & Author, B. (date). Article title: capitalize subheading. Journal Title Capitalized, volume(issue), page range. doi
Wei, S., Ou, L., Luo, M. R., & Hutchings, J. B. (2012). Optimisation of food expectations using product colour and appearance. Food Quality & Preference, 23(1), doi: /j.foodqual

17. References: Electronic Sources
Farmworker Justice. (n.d.). US labor law for farmworkers. Retrieved from Suslow, T. V., & Cantwell, M. (2013). Tomato: Recommendations for maintaining postharvest quality. Retrieved from

18. Apa format
View an APA sample paper