By Emily Winters
Out of the nearly 7000 students enrolled at Rutgers Camden, science and nursing students make up a large percentage. Given this, one of the most frequently asked questions I receive as a writing tutor at the Center for Learning and Student Success is how to use APA citation style properly.
APA is used in biology, nursing, sociology, and social work courses, among many more disciplines. Odds are, your professor will be paying very close attention to your citation style and dedicating a percentage of your grade to its proper execution as well.
So then, wondering how you can cite and format your paper properly, and make the grade? You’ve come to the right place!
Why is citation style important?
Citation style is important for a number of reasons. First and foremost, it makes sure that you cannot be flagged for plagiarizing another author’s work, which can lead to intense disciplinary measures and possible expulsion. Secondly, think of formatting styles as a common language everyone in your field speaks. Professionals will be looking for certain information in places they know they should be located (all your sources on a reference page, for example). Using proper APA style allows your work be more easily understood by others who “speak the same language.”
How is APA style similar to other citation styles like MLA?
Like MLA style, you should use size 12 Times New Roman, size 11 Arial font, etc. as long as it is legible and clear! Also, like MLA, your paper should be formatted using 1 inch margins.
Like MLA style, APA uses in-text citations rather than footnotes or endnotes. However, APA, in addition to the author’s last name and the page number, includes the publication date of the article or book.
For example, your in text citation may look like this (Smith, 2002, p. 3).
Your parentheses should always go before the period!
[Also, page numbers are not always required in APA style. However, it is recommended that you use them when citing direct quotations.]
Like Chicago and MLA style, the last page of your paper should include all your full citations in alphabetical order using a hanging indent (click here for a tutorial on creating a hanging indent in Microsoft Word).
How is it different?
Unlike with MLA or Chicago style, the final page of your paper with all your alphabetized sources is called “References,” and not “Works Cited” or “Citations.”
You may be asked to include an Abstract (which is a summary of your research and a preview of your main arguments).
Your full citations on the References page are organized a little differently!
ARTICLE CITATION FORMAT:
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title
of Periodical, volume number(issue number), pages. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyy
BOOK CITATION FORMAT:
Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle.
Publisher Name. DOI (if available)
Example APA title page (courtesy of Purdue OWL):
I hope this was a helpful introduction to APA style! Happy writing!
Have more questions? Email us at learningcenter@camden.rutgers.edu
Would you like to schedule peer tutoring? Visit http://raptorconnect.camden.rutgers.edu/ to schedule today!
Fun fact! APA stands for “American Psychological Association.”
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