APA Writing

and
Citation Tips

February 7, 2022
Michelle Nicopolis, Ph.D., LPCC
Professor, Psychology
Sample paper screenshots and information summarized from
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/
APA’s Inclusive Language Guide
Words matter. “For the first time, the American Psychological Association (APA) is
systematically and institutionally examining, acknowledging, and charting a path
forward to address its role in racism and other forms of destructive social hierarchies
including, but not limited to, sexism, ableism, ageism, heterosexism, classism, and
religious bigotry. The organization is assessing the harms and is committing to true
change. This requires avoiding language that perpetuates harm or offense toward
members of marginalized communities through our communications.”

https://www.apa.org/about/apa/equity-diversity-inclusion/language-
guidelines?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=apa-
edi&utm_content=inclusive-lang-guide

Examples in writing/speaking:
• Use the singular “they” or “their” instead of he/she, s/he, his or hers

• Undocumented citizens instead of illegal aliens

• Person with schizophrenia instead of schizophrenic; person with alcohol use

disorder instead of alcoholic
• Family with income below the federal poverty threshold instead of poor people
 Title Page

• Not needed for this class

• If you need one for another class in

APA format, see sampleà
 Page 1 Tips
NO:
• Name on paper (goes through Blackboard
and is attached to your account)
• Running head - APA format as of Spring 2020
• Extra spacing or enlarged font

YES:
• Page # in the top right corner of every page
• Bolded, centered title at the top of page
• Double-space between title and first line of
paper
• Font: accessible and consistent
• Check w/professor
• Typical = 11-point Arial or Calibri/12-
point Times New Roman
Italics or ”Quotation Marks”?

https://rasmussen.libanswers.com/faq/32501

Acronyms
Write the full name out first mention in your paper, then follow with the acronym in ( ) .

(American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013) then refer to it as (APA, 2013) thereafter.
 IN-TEXT CITATIONS
1
1. Use ORIGINAL Source! 2

2. ONE Author:
• According to Smith (2022)…
3
• Smith (2022) suggests…
• Write your sentence, end with (Smith, 2022).

3. TWO Authors:
• Same as above, but (Smith & Jones, 2022)

4
4. THREE or MORE Authors:
• Same as above, but (Smith et al., 2022)
• Use first author followed by “et al.”
IN-TEXT CITATIONS
NO Publication Date: Organization as Author:
• Look at very top and bottom of article text • If there’s no specific author, but the
organization provided the information
• n.d. = No Date • According to the National Eating Disorder
• (National Eating Disorders Association [NEDA], n.d.) Association (NEDA), some warning signs…
• After spelling out acronym, use: (NEDA, n.d.) (n.d.).
• NEDA (n.d.) suggests…
• Write your sentence paraphrased from the
source and end sentence with (NEDA, n.d.).
 DIRECT QUOTES
1. Properly cite direct quotes so the reader knows EXACTLY where to go to find the quote.

2. Put direct quotes in “ “ marks:

Smith (2022) noted “it is easier to adapt to APA formatting the more you use it” (p. 3).
OR
“It is easier to adapt to APA formatting the more you use it” (Smith, 2022, p. 3)

3. Quote from a text (book, journal, etc.), put the (Author’s last name, Date, p. xx)
o (Smith, 2022, p. 2)
o (Smith, 2022, pp. 2-3) if quote runs across more than one page

4. Quote from a website, use “para.” = paragraph where the quote is found
(Author’s last name, Date, para. x)
o (Smith, 2022, para. 2)
o If the website has section names, include the section AND the paragraph of that section where the
quote is found:
(Smith, 2022, History of anorexia section, para. 3)

5. Quote from a video/film/song, (Author/Director’s last name, Date, hr:min:sec) for the time
(hour:minute:second) the quote begins
o (Smith, 2022, 2:15)
WEBSITE CITATIONS
Author Is Named: Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of page. Site name. URL
Pacheco, D. (2020, December 1). Sleep disorders. Sleep Foundation. https://www.sleepfoundation.org/sleep-disorders

In-Text: (Lastname, Year) or (Lastname, Year, para. x) or (Lastname, Year, Section name, para x)
(Pacheco, 2020) or (Pacheco, 2020, para. 2) or if sections exist, (Pacheco, 2020, Sleep Apnea Section, para. 2)

Organization/Group is Author: Group name. (Year, Month Date). Title of page. Site name. URL
*If the organization and site name are the same, omit site name.

Innocence Project. (n.d.). Exonerate the innocent. https://innocenceproject.org/exonerate/

No Author or Organization/Group: Title of page. (Year, Month Date). Site name. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL

No need to put “retrieved” date unless website is likely to frequently update:

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Braggadocio. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved January 13, 2020,

from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/braggadocio

Use most recent date if updates have been made to a site and are noted

With dates that include month, day, and year (likely on a website), use this format: (2018, March 23)
FILM/VIDEO: Director, D. D. (Director). (Date of publication). Title of motion picture [Film]. Production company.
Loyd, P. (Director). (2008). Mamma mia! [Film]. Universal Pictures.

(Loyd, 2008) or (Loyd, 2008, 3:15)

YouTube: Person or group who uploaded video. (Date of publication). Title of video [Video]. Website host. URL
Tasty. (2018, March 7). 7 recipes you can make in 5 minutes [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_5wHw6l11o

(Tasty, 2018) or (Tasty, 2018, 1:23)

ALBUM:
Recording artist. (Year of release). Title of album [Album]. Record label.

The National. (2019). I am easy to find [Album]. 4AD.

SONG:
Recording artist. (Year of release). Title of song [Song]. On Title of album [Album]. Record label.
 Website Citation Example
• Look at top & bottom of page for author

• No author, but the APA (organization) is!

• In-text Citation = (APA, 2021)

References Page Citation =

American Psychological Association. (2021, January 15). COVID-19 stress management

tools. https://www.apa.org/topics/covid-19/stress-management-tools
 Journal Article Example
• Look for author(s),
date, title, volume,
edition, page #s, DOI

• In-text Citation =
(Wilkins et al., 2022)

References Page Citation =

Wilkins, C. L., Wellman, J. D., Toosi, N. R., Miller, C. A., Lisnek, J. A., & Martin, L. A. (2022). Is LGBT progress

seen as an attack on Christians?: Examining Christian/sexual orientation zero-sum beliefs. Journal of

Personality and Social Psychology, 122(1), 73-101. doi:10.1037/PSPI0000363

REFERENCES PAGE
• References bold, centered. Do NOT use
"Works Cited" or “Citations”.
• Double space
• Indent after first line in a reference
• Alphabetical order
• List all authors up to 19th …final author (20 at
most listed)
• Only capitalize first word of title and first word
after ":", along w/proper nouns and acronyms
• Two or more authors, see formatting à
Need tips not found in the APA Guide?

APA Style @
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_
and_style_guide/general_format.html

APA Style Blog @ https://apastyle.apa.org/blog

Tri-C’s Writing Center is open for in-person and email/web meeting/phone

consultation @ https://www.tri-c.edu/writingcenter
Email your paper/question to a consultant @ [email protected]
Using the Purdue Owl Website for Formatting Tips

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html