What Is APA Format Citation?
- A group of psychologists, anthropologists and business people devised APA style in 1929, according to the APA. Their goal was to make scientific literature easier to read by setting up stylistic standards to guide its creation. As of March 2010, APA style is used across academia, government and some areas of business to provide clarity and consistency to research papers.
- Most students and other writers recognize APA style as a popular way to cite the sources you use in a research paper. APA style also governs selection and use of headings; punctuation and abbreviation; presentation of statistics, numbers, tables and figures; spacing and margin requirements; and other elements that are part of a manuscript. Purdue's OWL notes that using APA style keeps readers focused on the material by not distracting them with unconventional formatting.
- As Purdue's OWL points out, when you borrow information from someone else for use in your paper, you must document its source. APA style requires you do this in the text of your paper, as close to the information you are using as possible. In some cases, you will cite the source at the end of the sentence by listing the author's last name followed by the year of the work in parenthesis. At other times you will include the citation in the middle of a sentence or use the author's name as part of your text, as shown below.
Ten percent of the mammals showed signs of improvement (Jones, 1999).
Jones (1999) notes that 10 percent of the mammals showed signs of improvement. - Each in-text citation corresponds with a reference that is part of a list at the end of your paper. The latest edition of the "Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association" offers complete details on how to construct references for all type of sources, ranging from traditional mediums, such as books and journals, to electronic resources, such as movies and websites. How to cite one of the most common sources you will use---a book---is illustrated below, as adapted from Purdue's OWL. Note that APA requires you to include the title of a book in italics in your citation.
Jones, A. A. (1999). Mammals: How They Get By. New York: Random House. - APA style is wide-ranging. It truly covers "style," beyond the logistic and structural aspects of a paper. For instance, Purdue's OWL explains that APA style advises against using biased language when writing about gender, race and sexual orientation. For instance, Purdue notes that APA suggests limiting the use of gendered pronouns when identifying people in your work.