NSG 461: Citing Your Sources

It is very important to always cite any information that you use in your papers that comes from another source. Not only does this keep you from plagiarizing (which is a very serious offense that could result in you being expelled from the University), but it also tells readers where you found that information and it gives your writing and work more credibility. When you use other people's words and ideas to support your writing and opinions, it shows readers that you have read what other researchers have discovered about your topic, and it gives your writing and opinions more validity.

In order to properly cite information, you need to use both in-text citations and a reference list at the end of your paper. In-text citations tell the reader immediately where the quote or paraphrase used in your paper came from. The reader can then use your reference list to look up that original work for themselves to read what else that particular author had to say about your topic.

Please watch this short video about Why Citations Matter.

For more information about citations and how they impact academic integrity, visit the Academic Integrity guide.

Q. How do I format my paper according to APA style?  What spacing and font should I use?  What should my title page look like?
A. General APA Formatting Info

Q. How do I cite information in the body of my paper?  What should a quote or paraphrase look like in my paper?
A. In-Text Citation Basics

Q. What should my Reference list at the end of the paper look like?  What should the header for this page look like?  In what order should my references be listed? 
A. Reference List Basics

Q. How do I cite a book, article, website, etc. on my References page?
A. Books  |  Articles  |  Websites and Other Electronic Resources

When quoting an entire source, only the author and year of publication are required. However, when using a direct quote from a source, the author, year and page number(s) are required for the citation. In both citations the author name may be included in the text or in the parenthetical reference. For sources such as websites and e-books that have no page numbers, use a paragraph number, part, or section. More information on citing sources without pagination is given on the APA Style web page.

• When mentioning the author in the text of your sentence, provide the author's last name immediately followed by the year of the publication in parentheses. Example: Kessler (2019) found that...

• When not mentioning the author in the text of your sentence, provide the author and the year at the end of the sentence in parentheses.  Example: Early onset results in a more persistent and severe course (Kessler, 2019).

• When quoting or paraphrasing a specific detail, include the page number in parentheses at the end of the sentence. Example: "...memory" (Kessler, 2019, p. 127)   or   Kessler(2019) states "...scientific proof" (pp. 129-130).

APA Publication Manual pp. 261-269, Section 8.10-8.22

APA Citations (video)

APA Citations (tutorial)

Why Citations Matter (tutorial)

Academic Integrity (video)