I need help citing sources in APA format
APA format is commonly used in the social sciences. In APA, you will cite information in two ways: in the body of your paper (in-text citations ) and at the end of your paper (the References page). Here are some resources to help you cite in the correct APA style:
- The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th Edition is the official guide to APA style and is available from the library as an ebook. To find examples of correct citations for different types of sources, go to Chapter 10.
- The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) offers a useful and comprehensive guide to citing different types of sources in APA format.
- Prefer videos? Watch this Introduction to Citation Styles from CSU Dominguez Hills: https://youtu.be/_fVv2Jt0o18
- Microsoft Word also offers an APA style template you can download and use to format your paper. Click File>New then search on APA style in the template search box.
Machine-Generated Citations
There are several ways to find citations using online tools. DO NOT TRUST THESE CITATIONS! Garbage in, garbage out. You should always double-check what you find to make sure it is the correct format and correct information. That being said, machine-generated citations are often a good source for the basics, such as title, author, and publication date.
After running a search, click on the title of the article or book you are citing to open the record. In the record, you will see a Citation link above the title.
After running a search, click on the Cite link below the description.
Many library databases offer a cite option, and this option will appear usually after opening an article record. Here is an example for where to look in an EBSCO database:
REMEMBER: ALWAYS DOUBLE-CHECK MACHINE-GENERATED CITATIONS. DO NOT TRUST THEM.