APA Parenthetical Documentation

• Whenever you use information or ideas from another text in your paper, you must indicate what work you used and where in the text you found it. Parenthetical documentation (or references) also must clearly point to specific sources in the reference list.
• A typical APA reference consists of the author’s last name and the year.

Example : A recent study ( Davis, 1997) indicates that the attention span of college freshmen varies from class to class.

• If the author’s name is mentioned in the text, simply include the year in parentheses.

Example : Davis (1997) notes that the attention span of college freshmen varies from class to class.

• When quoting, include the page number along with the other reference information.

Example : The study concluded that “no correlation between variables was observed” (Davis, 1997, p. 95).

• Within a paragraph, you don’t need to include the year in subsequent references, as long as it can’t be confused with other studies cited in the essay.

A work by two authors Cite both authors every time the reference occurs in text.

Jacobson and Waugh (1985) argue that the death penalty is not warranted because of issues of proving guilt.

A work by more than three authors Cite all authors for the first reference; only list the first author followed by et al. in subsequent citations

Bell , Carter, Dixon, and Reed (1999) explore the evolution of Islam in modern Europe.

Bell et al. (1999) note that the European powers believed they could change the fundamentals of Moslem existence.

A work produced by a group Refer to the full name and acronym of the group in the first reference; use only the acronym afterwards

New figures for stress-related illnesses reveal a disturbing trend (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 1999).

Researchers differ in approaches to dealing with these new challenges (NIMH, 1999).

A work without an author Use a shortened version of the title beginning with the first word on the References page.

Incidents of harassment on college campuses have been on the decline (“Study Finds,” 2001).

The report New Frontiers in Therapy (2000) outlines several alternative approaches in the field.

A work without a publication date If no publication date is indicated, cite the author’s last name, followed by a comma and n.d. (for “no date”)

Lerner (n.d.) questions the variables of guilt and self-esteem in studying serial killers.

 Specific parts of a source Indicate the page number, chapter, figure, table, equation, or paragraph number (electronic source).

Another experiment (Williams, 1998, table 2) finds no relationship.

Same information from more than one workSeparate alphabetical references with a semicolon.

Several studies (Edwards, 1999; Finster, 1995; Sprague, 1992) note a connection between exercise and stress level.

Two or more authors with same last nameInclude the authors’ initials.

R. A. Brown (1995) finds that media influence is negligible; M. N. Brown (1998) concludes the opposite.

A direct quotation which runs forty or more words Indent entire quotation one tab (1/2”), double spaced, with no quotation marks.

Bell (2001) notes that readers and writers have a specific kind of relationship:

Writers stake out a territory to explore, provide maps designed for discovery, and invite readers to join the expedition. Readers, in turn, survey the invitation and weigh the possibilities for discovery before making a commitment to the journey. The next time you’re in a bookstore or library, you can watch these negotiations in action. (p. 1)

APA Parenthetical Documentation for Internet Sources

Is parenthetically citing online sources different from parenthetically citing print sources?

• No, because the same philosophy applies for all APA parenthetical citations. The parenthetical citation should allow a reader to easily find the source in the reference list.

Are there any differences?

• When citing internet sources and a specific quotation is used, the location of that quotation in the text should be cited. Since many online sources lack page numbers, paragraph (abbreviated as para. or ¶ in your parenthetical documentation) numbers are often used. If the online source does not have numbered paragraphs, but uses sections, it is acceptable to cite the section, followed by the paragraph’s number withinthat section.

“You need to put ideas in to get ideas out” (Rapp Young, 2001, Feed Your Brain section, ¶ 1).

 For more information, please refer to:

American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. (2001). (5th ed.)
Washington, D.C.