APA 7th Edition: The Basics of APA In-text Citations | Scribbr 🎓

Scribbr
3 Nov 202003:47

TLDRThis video tutorial from Scribbr explains the fundamentals of APA 7th Edition in-text citations. It covers the necessity of citing sources, the structure of citations including author's last name and publication year, and the use of locators for direct quotes. The video also addresses how to cite sources with multiple authors and what to do when information like the author's name or publication year is missing. Practical examples and a free citation generator are provided to ensure correct and consistent citations.

Takeaways

  • 📚 In-text citations in APA 7th Edition are essential for identifying the source of information and guiding readers to the reference list.
  • 👀 Include an in-text citation every time you paraphrase or quote from a source to maintain academic integrity.
  • ✍️ The basic in-text citation format includes the author's last name and publication year, with a locator for specific parts of the source.
  • 📖 For direct quotes, always include the page number; for paraphrases, it's optional.
  • 🔍 Use Scribbr’s free citation generator to ensure correct and consistent in-text citations.
  • 📝 Parenthetical citations are placed within parentheses at the end of the sentence, preceding the period.
  • 🗣️ Narrative citations integrate the author's name into the sentence, with the publication year following the name.
  • 👥 For sources with multiple authors, include up to two authors' names; for more, use 'et al.' after the first author's name.
  • 🏢 If the author is unknown, use the organization's name or the source title if no organization is known.
  • 📅 For sources without a publication year, use 'n.d.' to indicate 'no date'.
  • ⏰ When page numbers are unavailable, use alternative locators like timestamps, chapter, or paragraph numbers.

Q & A

  • What is the purpose of an in-text citation in APA 7th edition?

    -An in-text citation in APA 7th edition serves to concisely identify the source of information and helps readers locate the corresponding reference in the list at the end of the paper.

  • When should you include an in-text citation in your work?

    -You should include an in-text citation every time you paraphrase or quote from a source.

  • What are the basic components of an in-text citation in APA 7th edition?

    -The basic components of an in-text citation in APA 7th edition are the author's last name and the publication year.

  • What is a locator and when should it be included in an in-text citation?

    -A locator is a specific part of a source, such as a page number for books, a timestamp for videos, or a paragraph number for webpages. It should be included when you're citing a direct quote or a specific part of the source.

  • How do you integrate an in-text citation into a sentence using parenthetical citation?

    -For parenthetical citations, you write the author's name and publication year within parentheses, usually placed at the end of the sentence, just before the period.

  • What is the difference between a parenthetical and a narrative citation?

    -In a parenthetical citation, the author's name and publication year are enclosed in parentheses and placed at the end of the sentence. In a narrative citation, the author's name appears naturally in the sentence, with the publication year following the name.

  • How do you cite a source with multiple authors in APA 7th edition?

    -If a source has up to two authors, both names are included in the in-text citation. For three or more authors, only the first author's name is followed by 'et al.' and the publication year.

  • What should you do if the author of the source is unknown?

    -If the author is unknown but you know the organization that created the source, use the organization's name. If not, use the title of the work.

  • How do you cite a source without a publication year?

    -If a source does not have a publication year, use 'n.d.' for no date in the in-text citation.

  • What alternative locators can be used if a source doesn't have page numbers?

    -Alternative locators include timestamps for videos, chapter or paragraph numbers for books, or headings for webpages.

  • What should you do if you encounter a source with the same last name as another author cited in your work?

    -In cases where two authors have the same last name, include the first initial of the author's first name to distinguish between them.

Outlines

00:00

📚 In-Text Citations: APA 7th Edition Guidelines

This paragraph introduces the concept of in-text citations, emphasizing their importance in academic writing for referencing sources. It outlines the APA Style 7th edition guidelines for in-text citations, including the necessity of citing the author's last name and publication year, and the use of locators for specific parts of sources. The video promises to cover how to integrate citations into sentences, handle multiple authors, and address missing information. The speaker, Jessica from Scribbr, offers assistance for academic success and mentions the use of a free citation generator for accuracy and consistency.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡In-text citation

An in-text citation in APA 7th Edition is a brief reference within the body of a paper that corresponds to a full citation in the reference list. It is used to acknowledge the source of information or ideas when paraphrasing or quoting. The script explains that it should include the author's last name and the publication year, and a locator if citing a specific part of the source. For example, 'There is a positive correlation between social media usage and anxiety symptoms in teenagers (Parker, 2019).'

💡Reference list

The reference list is a comprehensive collection of all the sources cited in an academic paper, formatted according to specific style guidelines. In the context of the video, it is mentioned that in-text citations help readers locate the corresponding full citation in the reference list at the end of the paper.

💡Locator

A locator in APA citation is a specific point of reference within a source that helps readers find the exact location of the information cited. For books, it's typically a page number, for videos a timestamp, and for webpages, it could be a paragraph number or heading. The script specifies that a page number is only necessary when using a direct quote.

💡Parenthetical citation

A parenthetical citation is a method of in-text citation where the author's last name and the publication year are enclosed in parentheses and placed at the end of the sentence. The video script illustrates this with the example: 'There is a positive correlation between social media usage and anxiety symptoms in teenagers (Parker, 2019).'

💡Narrative citation

Narrative citation is another form of in-text citation where the author's name is mentioned in the text of the sentence, and the publication year follows the name. The script provides an example: 'Parker (2019) found a positive correlation between social media usage and anxiety symptoms in teenagers.'

💡Multiple authors

When a source has two authors, both names are included in the in-text citation. If there are more than two, 'et al.' is used after the first author's name to indicate additional authors. The script clarifies that for a source with 2 authors, an ampersand is used, 'Harris & Cook (2020)', and for 3 or more, 'et al.' is added after the first author's name.

💡Unknown author

If the author of a source is unknown, the script advises using the name of the organization that created the source, if known, or the title of the source if the organization is also unknown. An example given is 'The costs of solar energy have decreased by 34% in the past three years (Tesla, 2020).'

💡Publication year

The publication year is a crucial component of an in-text citation, indicating when the source was published. It helps in establishing the currency and relevance of the information. The script emphasizes its inclusion after the author's name or within the parentheses for parenthetical citations.

💡No date (n.d.)

When a source lacks a publication year, 'n.d.', which stands for 'no date', is used in the in-text citation to indicate the absence of this information. The script provides an example: '(Johnson, n.d.)'.

💡Alternative locator

In cases where a source does not have page numbers, alternative locators such as timestamps, chapter numbers, or paragraph numbers are used. The script gives examples like 'Timestamp: (Liu, 2020, 03:26)', 'Chapter number: (Johnson, 2019, Chapter 3)', and 'Paragraph number: (McCombes, 2016, para. 4)'.

Highlights

An in-text citation identifies the source of information and helps readers locate the corresponding reference.

In-text citations are required every time you paraphrase or quote from a source.

Learn how to use in-text citations according to APA Style 7th edition.

In-text citation includes the author’s last name and the publication year.

A locator, such as a page number, timestamp, or paragraph number, is included for specific parts of a source.

Page numbers are only needed for direct quotes.

Use Scribbr’s free citation generator to keep in-text citations consistent.

In-text citations can be integrated as parenthetical or narrative citations.

For parenthetical citations, the author and year are enclosed in parentheses.

Narrative citations place the author's name in the sentence with the year following.

For multiple authors, include up to two names in the in-text citation.

Use 'et al.' for sources with more than two authors.

If the author is unknown, use the organization name or the title of the source.

Format titles in in-text citations as in the reference list, using italics or quotation marks.

Shorten long titles in in-text citations.

Use 'n.d.' for sources without a publication year.

For sources without page numbers, use alternative locators like timestamps or chapter numbers.

Explore more about APA 7th edition in-text citations and exceptions in additional resources.

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