APA Style 7th Edition

Short Quotations

You can introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses.

Example:

According to Jones (1998), "students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199).

Jones (1998) found "students often had difficulty using APA style" (p. 199); what implications does this have for teachers?

Example: 

If you do not include the author’s name in the text of the sentence, place the author's last name, the year of publication, and the page number in parentheses after the quotation.

She stated, "Students often had difficulty using APA style" (Jones, 1998, p. 199), but she did not offer an explanation as to why.

Long Quotations

Quotations longer than 40 words are formatted as block quotations:

• Start on a new line
• Omit double quotation marks
• Indent the entire quotation about half an inch from the left margin
• Double space the entire quote
• Place citation after the final punctuation mark in the quotation

Block quotation with parenthetical citation:

Researchers have studied how people talk to themselves:

Inner speech is a paradoxical phenomenon. It is an experience that is central to many people’s everyday lives, and yet it presents considerable challenges to any effort to study it scientifically. Nevertheless, a wide range of methodologies and approaches have combined to shed light on the subjective experience of inner speech and its cognitive and neural underpinnings. (Alderson-Day & Fernyhough, 2015, p. 957)

Block quotation with narrative citation:

Flores et al. (2018) described how they addressed potential researcher bias when working with an intersectional community of transgender people of color:

Everyone on the research team belonged to a stigmatized group but also held privileged identities. Throughout the research process, we attended to the ways in which our privileged and oppressed identities may have influenced the research process, findings, and presentation of results. (p. 311)

Paraphrasing 

Paraphrasing involves expressing the ideas of a source in your own words, while a summary provides a condensed overview of a source. Unlike a summary, a paraphrase maintains the original source's level of detail, making it generally comparable in length to the source material.

Authors: Smith and Johnson, 2023

Original Source:

Many students struggle with citing sources due to a lack of experience in academic writing conventions. Inexperienced writers may find it challenging to navigate the intricate rules and formats associated with citations, leading to errors and inconsistencies. The unfamiliarity with citation styles, such as APA or MLA, can be a significant hurdle for students who have limited exposure to scholarly writing. 

Paraphrase example:

Smith and Johnson (2023) found that many students struggle with citing sources due to a lack of familiarity with academic writing conventions, leading to errors and inconsistencies. New writers may find it challenging to grasp the intricate rules and formats associated with citations, especially if they have limited exposure to styles like APA or MLA.

Summarizing

Summarizing involves condensing an author's key points, ranging from a few sentences to a longer version based on the text's complexity. In your paper, summarizing is essential when introducing a source, allowing readers to grasp its argument, main ideas, or plot before presenting your own analysis or response.

Authors: Smith and Johnson, 2023

Original Source: 

It was observed that students faced challenges in forming accurate citations. The research delved into the complexities students encountered during the citation process, shedding light on the common difficulties faced in academic writing.

Summarizing example:

Smith and Johnson's (2023) study revealed significant difficulties among students in accurately forming citations. The research highlighted common challenges faced in the academic writing process, emphasizing the need for interventions to improve citation skills.

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