PSY 216: Lifespan Human Development Prof. Gaudino-Goering: APA Citation Style

A citation is a reference that gives a reader information about a source.

It generally includes the author, title of the work or journal, title of the article, volume and issue number and date.

Digital articles often include a DOI number, or digital object identifier. This is the permanent link to an online article.

There are several citation styles used by academics. Psychologists generally use APA format.

APA stands for American Psychological Association. Their standards for citation may be found in the Publication Manual of the APA. Check out the links on the right for more help and information about APA style.

Here are some links to APA format that will be of help.

Librarians will help you with your citations. Go to the Information Commons Help Desks or use the "Ask a Librarian" links. Writing Center tutors will help as well. Check the link below for locations and times for the Writing Center labs.

Formats may be found in the APA Style manual or at the websites below.

Sources used in each chapter of your textbook will be cited at the end of the chapter.  These citations may be used to locate the original article.

This is an example of an APA citation:

Most of the databases now provide citations for articles. You must locate the tools box and look for the link to cite or citation tools.

This is the tool box for all EBSCO databases such as Academic Search Complete and Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection. Once you click on the Cite link, you will be given all possible citation formats for the article. Copy and paste the citation into your works cited page. Be sure to check that titles are capitalized and formats are correct.

 If you are using a database such as Newsday or Historical New York Times, click on the cite link in the tool menu above the article.

Select the latest APA edition (or the version required for the assignment) version of the citations you are using!

CQ Researcher and CQ Weekly also generate citations for you.  Click on the Cite Now! link and then select APA from the choices.

In APA style, indicate the source of your information within the sentence or paragraph. This is known as in-text citation.

Direct Quote with Author's Name

Include the author, year of publication, and the page number for the reference (preceded by "p."). Introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses.

Maria Smith (2010) has found  "Rates of obesity among men have caused an increased risk of heart disease" (p. 42).

Paraphrase with Author's Name

When paraphrasing another's ideas, include the author and year of publication.

Smith (2010) noted a correlation between obesity and heart disease.

Citation with no Author

When there is no author, use the first word or two of the title in the sentence or at the end of the quote. Titles of books and reports are italicized or underlined; titles of articles, chapters, and web pages are in quotation marks.

"Cases of obesity-related diabetes have increased 20 percent  in the last ten years" (Diabetes Statistics).

Citation with an Organization as Author

 If the author is an organization or a government agency, mention the organization at the beginning of the sentence or in the parenthetical citation the first time you cite the source.

According to the Centers for Disease Control [CDC], (2011) obesity increases your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

When referring to the organization again in a later quote, you may use the abbreviation.

"Research  trials have shown that type 2 diabetes can be prevented or delayed in people at high risk for the disease who make lifestyle changes" (CDC, 2011).

All references must appear in your References list at the end of your paper!

General Guidelines for the Body of your Paper

Title Page

The title page should have these items:

• Title
• Running head ( shortened title placed at the top of each page)
• Author's name
• Author affiliation (Nassau Community College)

Your professor may require more information- ask!

Sample Title Page 

Running Head: OBESITY AMONG CHILDREN                                                                                                            1

Obesity: A Growing Threat Among Children

Anna Williams

Nassau Community College