Citations and APA Style
This Resource Page will help you:
- Learn what citations, reference lists, and APA style are
- Understand when and why you need to cite
- Create proper citations and reference lists in APA style
What does "citing" mean and what is APA style?
When writing an academic paper, you often need to refer to other people’s research and ideas to support your own arguments and ideas. When you engage in academic writing, you are contributing to an ongoing conversation, so it is important to give credit to other researchers’ contributions. This is why when you refer to other researchers’ work, you should cite the sources you consulted.
Citing means referring to ideas from other authors’ works and providing enough information about these external sources (e.g., author’s name and when the source was published) so that readers can locate them in the reference list at the end of your paper.
Before you learn how to cite, you need to know what a citation style is and which style you should use. A citation style is a set of rules on how to cite (e.g., type and order of information that should be included, formatting, punctuation). There are various citation styles (e.g., Chicago, Modern Language Association). You can find information and guides for different citation styles from
At OISE, most of your course assignments will require you to follow the . APA stands for American Psychological Association (APA), and the APA style is a type of citation standard normally employed by authors writing papers in social science fields, including education and psychology.
In academic papers written in APA style there are two main citation components:
- in-text citations
- reference list
What are In-Text Citations and How to Create them?
An in-text citation is a brief form of reference you insert in the main body of your work where you refer to the content from an external source. There are two types of in-text citations: Paraphrased citations and Direct quotes.
Check the presentation below to learn how to create paraphrased citations and direct quotes. Click on the arrows below the progress bar to move forward and backward through the presentation pages.
Learn more about in-text citations: and (Purdue’s OWL guides).
When should I use direct quotes and how can I introduce them? Check .
- How can I talk about others’ research? Check [Resource page on how to talk about others’ research].
What is a Reference List and How to Create it?
The reference list is a list at the end of your paper where you include all the sources you used for your in-text citations so that readers can find the works you cited in your paper.
A reference list in APA style must
- appear at the end of your paper
- include every source you cited
- include only the sources you cited (i.e., not sources you read or consulted but didn't cite in your paper)
- include all the necessary information for others to find the sources you cited
Check the presentation below to learn how to create reference lists in APA style. Click on the arrows below the progress bar to move forward and backward through the presentation pages. Click on the blue dots to see what information must be included in your references.
To learn about other types of reference list entries, refer to:
- the left-hand menu for reference list entries of different types of publications)
- “References” on
When and Why to cite?
You need to cite when:
- You use the exact words from others’ works (direct quote)
- You paraphrase the words of others’ works in your own words
- You summarize the general or a particular idea of others’ works
You draw on data or statistics from others’ works
When discussing common knowledge, consider several questions to decide if you need to cite. See the diagram on the right.
Our Tips
- When citing literature, you should prioritize paraphrasing the content in your words over quoting from the text as it can better present your understanding of the literature and how it connects with your points. To learn about how to paraphrase other authors’ words and ideas in your own words, please check [Rana’s paraphrasing resource page].
- When working on longer papers and for an easier experience with in-text citations and your references list, consider using citation management software like RefWorks or Zotero. The University of Toronto Library offers students such tools for free. For more information, you can check .
- The OISE Library offers reference and research services to support graduate students. You can with a librarian to seek out resources and services on research work search, and citation management strategies and tools.