APA citation style is a widely used format for citing sources in academic papers, particularly in social sciences. It was created by the American Psychological Association (APA) to provide a standardized way of citing sources, making it easier for readers to locate and understand the sources used in a paper.In APA citation style, a citation has two components: an in-text citation and a reference list entry. The in-text citation provides brief information about the source within the body of the paper, while the reference list entry provides detailed information about the source at the end of the paper.Here is an example table of APA citation style for different types of sources:
Type of source | In-text citation format | Reference list entry format |
---|---|---|
Book with one author | (Author, Year) | Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher. |
Journal article with one author | (Author, Year) | Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume number(issue number), page range. DOI or URL |
Website | (Author, Year) | Author, A. A. (Year). Title of webpage. Website Name. URL |
Newspaper article | (Author, Year) | Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Newspaper Name. URL |
Government report | (Agency or Department, Year) | Agency or Department. (Year). Title of report. Publisher. |
It is important to follow the specific guidelines for APA citation style to ensure that sources are accurately cited and properly formatted. This can help to establish credibility, provide evidence for arguments, and avoid plagiarism.