Overview
This lecture explains the basics of APA 7th edition in-text citations, covering why they're important, formatting rules, and how to handle various scenarios.
Importance of In-Text Citations
- In-text citations give credit for others' ideas and prevent plagiarism.
- Plagiarism, intentional or not, can result in academic penalties such as lost points or failing grades.
- In-text citations link to full references in your paper’s reference list.
Basic APA 7th Edition In-Text Citation Format
- All in-text citations include the author’s last name and publication year.
- A source locator (page number, timestamp, slide, etc.) is required for direct quotes and when helpful.
Parenthetical vs. Narrative Citations
- Parenthetical citations place author and year in parentheses, usually at the sentence end, separated by a comma.
- Narrative citations include the author's name in the text, followed by the year in parentheses.
Special Scenarios
- For two authors: Parenthetical uses ampersand (&), narrative uses "and".
- For three or more authors: Use the first author’s last name followed by "et al."
- For group authors: Spell out the organization’s name; abbreviate after first use if appropriate.
- No author: Use a shortened title in the citation; italicize or put in quotes based on reference list formatting.
- No date: Use "n.d." in place of the year.
- Multiple sources at once: Separate parenthetical citations with semicolons; narrative citations with commas.
- Same author and year: Add “a,” “b,” etc., after the year to differentiate sources.
Direct Quotes & Block Quotes
- Direct quotes under 40 words use double quotations and a source locator.
- Block quotes (40+ words) are indented, double-spaced, have no quotation marks, and citation follows the final punctuation.
Key Terms & Definitions
- In-text citation — Shortened reference within your paper linking to the full reference list entry.
- Parenthetical citation — Citation where author and year appear in parentheses.
- Narrative citation — Author’s name appears in the sentence, year in parentheses.
- Source locator — Indicates the part of source used (page, timestamp, slide, paragraph).
- Block quote — Direct quote of 40+ words, formatted as an indented block.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Download and review handouts on citation formats.
- Practice applying different citation scenarios to your writing.
- Watch additional videos or consult resources for more APA 7th edition help.