UNICAF UNIVERSITY

A Referencing Guide to students

APA Referencing Guide

UNICAF UNIVERSITY

APA Guide

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Table of Contents

Introduction to APA referencing style .......Error! Bookmark not

defined.
General Tips ............................................................................ 2
In-text citation format....................................................................... 2
Online Sources: DOI and URL ................................................. 4
Quotations................................................................................ 5
References ............................................................................... 6
Books .............................................................................................. 6
Articles ............................................................................................ 7
Internet Sources .............................................................................. 9
Quick Referencing Tips for Other Sources .............................. 13
Introduction to APA
referencing style
What is APA Referencing Style?

APA referencing style is the official referencing style of the American

Psychological Association (APA). This formatting style is widely used in
writings in the social sciences. For more information regarding the APA style
visit http://www.apastyle.org/

Why do I need to cite my sources?

It is important both ethically and legally, to use the standardized style when referencing
in order to credit the sources you have used. Furthermore, by properly citing your
sources you are enabling the reader to locate the provided source of information and
assist you to keep track of the information you have used for your assignments.

Cite your sources by providing:

1. In-text citation

&

2. A reference list

 The reference list includes all of the sources used in the writing in an
alphabetical order.

 The reference list is set at the end of the paper on a new page.

Note

The bibliography is not the same as the reference list. The bibliography
contains all of the sources used during a research and background
reading, not just the ones referred to in the writing.

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General Tips- Referencing Guide Format

Title Title 'References' (one word, beginning with a capital letter,

centred, and not in italics)

Indent Hanging indent each reference (space bar in 5 - 7 spaces for the
second and subsequent lines of each reference)
Space References should be double spaced

In-text Citations Format

APA implements the ‘author-date’ method of citation. This method includes the
following information:

 Last name of the author

 Date of publication

 Page number (if applicable)

Examples:

In a study (Smith, 2016), children learned...

In the study conducted by Smith (2016), primary school children

Important Note:

Source with multiple authors:

 Two authors: Both names need to be cited every time the source is referred in
the text e.g. (Smith & Peterson, 2016)

 Three to five authors: All the author surnames need to be cited the first time
the reference occurs in the text. Progressively, the first author followed by the
abbreviation et al. should be used.

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E.g. First citation: Smith, Slonowski, and Peterson (2016) support that...

Following citations: Smith et al. (2016) propose that...

 Six or more authors: Include the name of the first author followed by et al.
and the year.

E.g. Peterson et al. (2016) argue that...

 No identified author: Cite the first few words of the reference entry
(typically the title). Use double quotation marks for the title of an article,
chapter, or Web page. Italicize the title of a periodical, book, brochure, or
report.

E.g. According to the site Medical Miracles, 2017, homeopathic drugs can be useful.

The brochure Education Reform, 2007 highlighted that home schooling can be
beneficial.

Note

Reference to legal materials (e.g. court cases, statutes, and legislation)

should be cited similarly to sources with no author.

In-text citation with more than one source

 Two or more sources in the same parenthetical citation should be listed in the
order they appear in the reference list (i.e., alphabetically, and then
chronologically- in case of same author name).

E.g. According to prior studies (Jones & Smith, 2016; Peterson, 2017; Smith, 2008)

In-text citation and page numbering

 Provide the page number for quotations or to direct the source to a specific
table, chart, chapter, graph, or page.

E.g. (Murphy, 1999, p. 85)

 In the case of an online material without visible page numbers, cite the heading and
the number of the paragraph

e.g. (Smith, 2016, Hospital Experiences section, para. 2)

Secondary Sources

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 When using information that have been cited by other author’s in their work, in-
text citations should include both sources (the primary and the secondary source),
whereas the referencing list should include only the secondary source (the source
that has been read).

 Include the secondary source in the text, name the original work, and give a
citation for the secondary source. If the original source was not read (see example
below e.g. McMahon, 2017), the reference list should include only the secondary
source-the full reference of the source- Peterson, 2006).

E.g. McMahon’s (2017) experience as cited in Peterson (2006, p. 206) highlights…

Primary Sources  Original, first-hand

Secondary Sources
explanation of an
event.
 Factual not
interpretative.
 Report of scientific
discoveries/
experiments/clinical
trials etc.
 Analyzes and interprets
primary sources
 Second-hand
explanation of events
 Analyzes and interprets
research results/
scientific discoveries.

Online Sources: DOI and URL

The DOI (Digital Object Identifier System) is a unique number which provides a link
to a permanent internet address for an item. The DOI is usually placed on the first
page of the electronic journal article it begins with the number 10 and includes several
numbers and letters. When a DOI is included in the reference, no other retrieval
information is necessary.

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E.g. doi: 10.1002/jclp.20764

If no DOI has been included in the reference, provide the home page URL of the
online source. A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is a web address that directs to a
source’s location.

E.g. Retrieved from https://www.dawsonera.com/abstract/9780857005779

Quotations
Quotations are used when someone wants to borrow other authors’ words while
acknowledging the source. There are two main categories of quotations:

 Indirect Quotations: When paraphrasing and summarizing someone else’s

text.
 Direct Quotations : When transferring word by word someone else’s text
(unchanged text)

Note

 Paraphrasing is the case where you have to completely rephrase

the original text and transfer in detail the information or key
points contained within it in your own words.

 Summarizing is when you present the main meaning of a text or

passage using your own words.

There are two main types of direct quotations: Short and Long

Short Quotations (less than 40 words) should be put in double quotation marks and
be included in the body of the text. The surname of the author (s), year of publication
and page numbers need to be included.

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Examples:

According to Knight and Trowler (2000, p. 69), “the ways in which academic staff
(faculty) experience their work often inhibit them from taking up what the research
consensus suggests are ways to be better teachers”.

Or

It has been noted that “the ways in which academic staff (faculty) experience their
work often inhibit them from taking up what the research consensus suggests are ways
to be better teachers” (Knight & Trowler, 2000, p. 69).

Long quotation of 40 or more words should be indented from the main text as a
separated paragraph and they must be double spaced. As with shorter quotes the
surname of the author (s), year of publication and page numbers need to be included.
However, there is no need to use quotation marks.

Example:

One of the problems with the literature … is that, at least implicitly, it associates
significant leadership of university departments with individuals who are at
least formally in charge of them. It is well known that university departments
contain a variety of formal roles in which there is an expectation of leadership,
such as course directors, directors of research, chairs of important committees,
such as teaching and learning committees, and so on. These roles are
sometimes uncovered by researchers concerned with departmental leadership
in universities, but they are rarely considered in relation to the issue of
departmental leadership effectiveness (Bryman, 2007, p. 705).

References
Books

E-Book:

Author, A. A. (year). Title of book. Retrieved from URL (or doi number)

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  Stuart-Hamilton, I. (2012). The psychology of ageing: an
introduction. (5th ed.). Retrieved from
https://www.dawsonera.com/abstract/9780857005779

Printed book:
Author, A., A. (year). Title of book. Location: Publisher.
 (One Author) Colman, A.M. (1999). What is psychology? (4th ed.). London:
Routledge.
 (Two Authors) Adams, D., & Hamm, M. (1994). New designs for teaching
and learning: Promoting active learning in tomorrow’s schools. San Francisco:
Jossey-Bass.
 (Three to Five Authors) Wood, E., Woloshyn, V. E., & Willoughby, T.
(Eds.). (1995). Cognitive strategy instruction for middle and high school.
Cambridge, MA: Brookline.
Book chapter:
Author, A.A. (year). Title of the chapter book. In surname of the editors (Ed),
Title of the book (in italics), page number. Place of Publication: Publisher

 Jones, K. (2002). Issues in the teaching and learning of geometry. In L.

Haggarty (Ed.), Aspects of Teaching Secondary Mathematics, 121-139. London:
RoutledgeFalmer
Edited Book:
Editor’s surname, editor’s initials (Ed./Eds.). (Year). Title (in italics). Edition
number if relevant (ed. in round brackets). Place of publication: Publisher.
 Gellatly, A., & Braisby, N. (Eds.). (2012). Cognitive psychology. (2nd ed.).
Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Articles

Printed Journal Article:

Author/s surname, Initial/s. Year of publication. Title of article.
Journal Title (in italics), Volume (issue - in brackets), pages.

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  Norcross, J. C. and Wampold, B. E. (2011). What works
for whom: Tailoring psychotherapy to the person. Journal of
Clinical Psychology, 67, 127–132.

Online Journal Article:

Author/s surname, Initial/s. Year of publication. Title of article.
Journal Title (in italics), Volume (issue - in brackets), pages. Doi:
xxxxxxx

 Torrance, M., Thomas, G. V., & Robinson, E. J. (1999).

Individual differences in the writing behaviour of
undergraduate students. British Journal of Educational
Psychology, 69, 189-199. doi: 10.1348/00070999915766

Online Journal Article (without DOI):

When DOI is not available for an online article use a URL.

Author/s surname, Initial/s. Year of publication. Title of article.

Journal Title(in italics), Volume (issue - in brackets), pages.
Retrieved from http://xxxxxx...

 Norcross, J. C. and Wampold, B. E. (2011). What works

for whom: Tailoring psychotherapy to the person. Journal of
Clinical Psychology, 67, 127–132. Retrieved from
http://www.unknown.com

Newspaper Article:
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Newspaper.
Retrieved from http://www....

 Smith, T. (2016, May 25). Psychiatry handbook linked to

drug industry. The New York Times. Retrieved from
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/05/06/psychiatry-handb

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Internet Sources

Web Page:
Author, A.A. (date of last update). Site title (in italics). Retrieved
from URL

 Newman, L. (2006). Facts from NLTS2. Retrieved from

www.nlts2.org.

Webpage (with or without an author and or date):

When citing a webpage sometimes a given author or a date is not
indicated. When there is no author, use the title of the Website and
when there is no date use: n.d.

Title.(n.d). In itle of the Website (in italics). Retrieved from

http://www.

 The Children and Young People’s Health Outcomes

Forum –Mental Health Sub-Group. (2017, October 13). In
CYP Mental Health. Retrieved from
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploa
ds/attachment_data/file/216853/CYP-Mental-Health.pdf.
 The College of William and Mary. (n.d.). In College mission
statement. Retrieved from
http://www.wm.edu/about/administration/provost/missi
on/index.php

YouTube video:
Author, A. A. (Year, Month day). Title [Video file]. Retrieved from
URL.

 American Psychological Association. (2014, March 19).

Measuring and analyzing human behavior in the world of
gaming [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPZAo1L63_
M&list=UU1yk0FVuAQctI6yjRlqc1Eg
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Online Encyclopedias and Dictionaries:
Typically encyclopedias and dictionaries do not include authors'
names. In such cases, the entry name should be added (instead of
author’s name). Provide publication dates if present or specify
(n.d.) if no date is present in the entry.

Entry Name. (Year/ or n.d, if year is not provided). In Name of the

Source. Retrieved from http://www...

 Bullying. (n.d.). In Encyclopædia Britannica online. Retrieved

from
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/724633/b
ullyingook-linked-to-drug-industry/?_r=0

Online Lecture Notes and Presentation Slides:

When citing online lecture notes, provide the file format (e.g.
PowerPoint slides, Word document) in brackets right after the
lecture title.

Author, A. A. Lecture Notes [File Format]. Retrieved from

Lecture Notes Online Web site: http://www. ..

 Peterson, A. Duality in Consumer Theory [PDF

document]. Retrieved from Lecture Notes Online Web
site:
http://www.econ.iastate.edu/classes/econ501/Hallam/in
dex.html

Wikis:

Wikis online sources (e.g. Wikipedia) can be useful tools when one is seeking general
information to comprehend a topic.

Note

Any person can write or edit any article or any topic in such websites.
The sources which are used are not necessarily cited, therefore, such

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 websites are not suitable or acceptable tools for academic writing.
However, often the sources listed at the bottom of the webpage are
valid academic sources worth examining.

Topic. (n.d.). In Source (in italics). Retrieved Month/ date, Year, from http://www..

 Sociology. (n.d.). In Wikipedia. Retrieved May 14, 2017, from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sociology

Blog Post:

When citing an information obtained through a blog, the reference should specify
details explaining who, when, what and where. The title of the post should not be
written in italics because it is an unpublished material.

Author, A. A. (Year, Month, Date). Title of the post. [Web log post]. Retrieved from
http://...

 Smith, D. M. (2016, January 23). The likeness and sameness of the ones in the
middle. [Web log post]. Retrieved from
http://www.blogspace.com/lincolnworld/2009/1/23.php

Images, Diagrams and Artistic Works:

All images, diagrams and artistic works should be cited as any other type of work.

Note

Visuals within the text are typically accompanied by a caption that

includes copyright information and a statement of permission for use.

In-text Citations Guidelines for visuals should enhance to the reader’s

understanding of the content of the paper. They should not merely be included as
a visual interest.

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 a) Below the visual add the word Figure followed by a number (in
italics, the number will reflect if it is the first (1), second (2), third
(3), etc. figure in the, paper).
b) Then add a brief explanation of what the visual is about. Double-
space the caption that appears under a figure.
c) Include a citation: by Author First Initial. Second Initial. Surname,
Year, Place of Publication: Publisher. Copyright [Year] by the
Name of Copyright Holder (if available). Reprinted [or adapted]
with permission.
No author
When the author/artist is not identifiable then use the title in your signal phrase or
the first word or two of the title.
No date
When there is no date available then use the abbreviation "n.d." (for "no date").

Figure from a Website:

Figure X. Descriptive phrase that is used as a title and description. Reprinted [or

adapted] from Title of Website, by Author First Initial. Second Initial. Surname,Year,

Retrieved from URL. Copyright [year] by the Name of Copyright Holder.

Reprinted [or adapted] with permission.

Figure 1. Illustration of Pavlov’s classical conditioning theory. Reprinted from

Behavioral Psychology, In Wikipedia, n.d., Retrieved October 28, 2016, from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki /Behavioral_Psychology_Pavlov. Copyright 20016

by John Smith. Reprinted with permission.

Referencing visuals:

With an author:

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Artist Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year). Title of the artwork (in italics)
[Format]. Retrieved from URL (address of web site)

Without an author:

Title of work(in italics) [Type of work]. (Year image was created). Retrieved from URL
(address of web site)

No Author, No Title, No Date:

Try to identifying the missing information by clicking on the image, and/or looking at
the bottom of the image.

[Title of the image/subject and type of work]. Retrieved from URL (address of web
site)

 Jackson, B. (2016). Cholera Treatment [Online image]. Retrieved October 24,

2012 from https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org

 Flu epidemic [Online image]. (2017). Retrieved November 8, 2017 from

http://www.history.net/photo/flu-epidemic-art/collections

 [Untitled illustration of a sleeping cat]. Retrieved December 8, 2017 from

http://www.sleepinganimals/pix.com

Quick Referencing Tips for Other Sources

The following list includes sources that can be confusing to cite, however, the
template for these references is relatively simple and includes main information:
Author, Date, Title and Source.

Author, A. (Date). Title of document [Format description]. Retrieved form

http://URL

The format description in brackets is used only in cases where the source needs to
be clarified (e.g. blog post, Pdf, Power Point etc.)

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 Interview  Review

 Map  Blog Post

 Tweet, Facebook Update  Press Release

 Wikipedia article  Lecture Notes

 Artwork  Information on a page

 Government Report  Technical Report

 YouTube Video  Memorandum

Important Note!

This guide does not include all possible sources that might be
encountered. The APA manual is the main source for APA style and
referencing guidelines.

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