If you want to cite a research article in the APA citation style, you will need to use a specific citation format that differs based on the type of source text. Consider whether the source text is an article or report published in an academic journal or book, or an unpublished research paper (eg a printed thesis or dissertation, without digital documents). Regardless of the type of text, the in-text citation you include in your article must include information about the author (if available) and the date of publication or authorship of the source.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Creating Quotes in Text
Step 1. Mention the author's name and date of publication in the article before the citation
To simplify in-text citations, insert the author's last name in the sentence to precede the cited information, then add the date of publication of the source (in parentheses). After that, you do not need to mention the author's name and date of publication in the cited information.
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For example, you might write something like this: “Gardner (2008) notes, ‘There are several factors to consider about lobsters’ (p. 199).”
For example in Indonesian: “Gardner (2008) mentions, 'There are several factors to consider when it comes to lobster' (p. 199).”
Step 2. Include the author's last name in the quote if you didn't mention it in the sentence before the information cited
If you don't want to mention the author's name in the sentence, start the citation segment in the text at the end of the utterance or cited information with the author's last name (in parentheses). If the source text is written by more than one author, list the last names of all authors and separate each name with a comma.
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For example, you might write it down as follows: “'There are several factors to consider about lobsters' (Gardner, 2008, p. 199)” or “The paper claims, 'The fallen angel trope is common in religious and non-religious texts ' (Meek & Hill, 2015, p.13-14).”
- For example in Indonesian: “'There are several factors to consider regarding lobster' (Gardner, 2008, p. 199).”
- Next example: “This article states that 'fallen angels are a metaphor that often appears, both in religious and non-religious texts' (Meek & Hill, 2015, pp. 13-14).”
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For articles written by 3-5 authors, mention all authors' names in the first in-text citation entry. For example: “(Hammett, Wooster, Smith, & Charles, 1928)”. In subsequent in-text citations, mention only the first author's name, followed by the phrase “et al.” or “et al.”: “(Hammett et al., 1928)”.
For example in Indonesian: “(Hammett et al., 1928)”
- If the text is written by 6 or more people, state the last name of the first author that appears in the source text, then use the phrase “et al.” or “etc.” To indicate that there are more than 5 authors who compiled the source text.
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For example, you might write something like this: "'This is a quote' (Minaj et al., 1997, p. 45)."
Example in Indonesian: “'This is a direct quote' (Minaj et al., 1977, p. 45).”
Step 3. Write the name of the organization concerned if author information is not available
If you are citing information from a research paper or article that does not include the author's name, look for the name of the organization that published the text.
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For example, you might write something like this: “‘The risk of cervical cancer in women is rising’ (American Cancer Society, 2012, p. 2).”
Example in Indonesian: “‘The risk of cervical cancer in women has increased’ (American Cancer Society, 2012, p. 2).”
Step 4. Use the first 1-4 words of the title text (enclosed in quotation marks) if there is no author or organization information
If you do not find information on the author or organization that published the source text, use the first 1-4 words of the text title.
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For example, you might write something like this: “'Shakespeare may have been a woman' (“Radical English Literature,” 2004, p. 45)” or “The paper notes, 'There is a boom in Virgin Mary imagery' (“Art History in Italy,” 2011, p. 32).”
- Example in Indonesian: “'It is possible that Shakespeare was a woman' (“Radical English Literature”, 2004, p. 45).”
- Next example: “This article states that ‘there has been an explosion in the number of depictions of the Blessed Virgin Mary’ (“Art History in Italy”, 2011, p. 32).”
Step 5. Include the year the source text was published
Place a comma between the author's name or the title of the text and the date of publication.
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For example, you might write it down as follows: “'There are several factors to consider about lobsters' (Gardner, 2008, p. 199)” or “The paper claims, 'The fallen angel trope is common in religious and non-religious texts ' (“Iconography in Italian Frescos,” 2015, p.13-14).”
- For example in Indonesian: “'There are several factors to consider regarding lobster' (Gardner, 2008, p. 199).”
- Next example: “This paper mentions that ‘fallen angel is a figure of speech that often appears, both in religious and non-religious texts’ (“Iconography in Italian Frescos”, 2015, pp. 13-14).”
Step 6. Use the phrase “n.d
” if you can't find the issue date.
For example, you might write something like this: “‘Shakespeare may have been a woman’ (“Radical English Literature,” n.d., p. 12).” For another example: “Minaj (n.d., p. 45) notes, ‘The study of psychology has been underfunded.'”
- Example in Indonesian: “'It is possible that Shakespeare was a woman' (“Radical English Literature”, n.d., p. 12).”
- Next example: “Minaj (n.d., p. 45) says, 'Research in psychology is underfunded.'”
Step 7. Include page numbers in the source text containing the saying or information cited
Write “p.” or “thing.” as a page number marker, and insert a dash between the page numbers if the cited information is contained on more than one page.
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For example, you might write it down as follows: “'There are several factors to consider about lobsters' (Gardner, 2008, p. 199)” or “The paper claims, 'The fallen angel trope is common in religious and non-religious texts ' (“Iconography in Italian Frescos,” 2015, p.145-146).”
- For example in Indonesian: “'There are several factors to consider regarding lobster' (Gardner, 2008, p. 199).”
- Next example: “This paper mentions that ‘fallen angel is a figure of speech that often appears, both in religious and non-religious texts’ (“Iconography in Italian Frescos”, 2015, pp. 145-146).”
Step 8. Use the term “para.” if there is no page number in the research article.
Count the number of paragraphs in the source text and number them in order. After that, state the number of paragraphs containing the quoted information by writing the word “para”, followed by the number of the relevant paragraph.
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For example, you might write something like this: “‘The effects of food deprivation are long-term’ (Mett, 2005, para. 18).”
Example in Indonesian: “‘Food shortages have a long-term impact’ (Mett, 2005, para. 18).”
Part 2 of 3: Creating Reference Entries for Published Sources
Step 1. Determine whether the source text used has been published
There are various ways to tell if an existing source is considered “published”. One of the easiest ways to try is to look for publishing information on the title page, header of the page, or at the foot of the page. For example, if you are citing a chapter from a book, check the title page for information on the publishing company, as well as the place and date of publication.
- Materials available on the website are also considered “published” material, although they may not have been reviewed or associated with a formal publishing company.
- While academic dissertations or theses available only in print are considered unpublished sources, they become published sources if they are available in online databases (eg ProQuest) or added to the institution's repository.
Step 2. State the last name and two initials of the author of the source text
Insert a comma between the last name and the initials of the first and second names (if you know them). If the text is written by several people, list the last names and initials of the first and middle names of all authors, and separate each author's name with a comma.
- For example, you might write something like this: “Gardner, L. M” or “Meek, P. Q., Kendrick, L. H., & Hill, R. W.”
- If there is no information about the author, you can mention the name of the organization that published the article or research paper. For example, you could use an organization name like "American Cancer Society" or "The Reading Room."
- Documents that are formally issued and do not include the author's name or are written by the company are usually reports or white papers.
Step 3. Include the year the source text was published in parentheses, followed by a period
Insert a period between the name of the author or organization and the year the article or research paper was published.
For example, you might write something like this: “Gardner, L. M. (2008)” or “American Cancer Society. (2015)”
Step 4. State the title of the text
Include the full title of the article or paper in the reference entry. If you are citing an article published in a periodical or an edited book, do not enclose the title in quotation marks or italicize it. Use only capital letters as the first letter of the first word, as well as existing personal names.
For example, you might write something like this: “Gardner, L. M. (2008). Crustaceans: Research and data” or “American Cancer Society. (2015). Cervical cancer rates in women ages 20-45.”
Step 5. Include the title of the publication that contains the article or paper
If you are citing an article published in an academic journal, follow the title of the article with the journal title and volume number, as well as the page number of the article. If the article or paper is published in a book, state the names of the editors, the title of the book, the relevant pages, and the name and location of the publisher.
- For example, for a journal article you might write it as follows: “Gardner, L. M. (2008). Crustaceans: Research and data. Modern Journal of Malacostracan Research, 25, 150-305.”
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For a chapter in a book, you might write it as follows: “Wooster, B. W. (1937). A comparative study of modern Dutch cow creamers. In T. E. Travers (Ed.), A Detailed History of Tea Serviceware (pp. 127-155). London: Wimble Press."
In Indonesian, “In” and “pp.” can be changed to “In” and “thing.”
Step 6. Name the website you visited to access the source if the text is web based
If you are accessing the source text from the internet, please mention the site in question in the reference entry by including the “Retrieved from” segment. Write the name of the organization or publisher, followed by the URL of the article.
- For example, you might write it as follows: “Kotb, M. A., Kamal, A. M., Aldossary, N. M., & Bedewi, M. A. (2019). Effect of vitamin D replacement on depression in multiple sclerosis patients. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, 29, 111-117. Retrieved from PubMed,
Example in Indonesian: “Kotb, M. A., Kamal, A. M., Aldossary, N. M., & Bedewi, M. A. (2019). Effect of vitamin D replacement on depression in multiple sclerosis patients. Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders, 29, 111-117. Retrieved from PubMed,
- If you are citing an article or paper published on the internet but not from a journal or academic database, state the author information (if known), the date of publication (if available), and the website containing the source text. For example: “Hill, M. (n.d.). Egypt in the Ptolemaic Period. Retrieved from
Example in Indonesian: “Hill, M. (n.d.). Egypt in the Ptolemaic Period. Taken from
Part 3 of 3: Citing Unpublished Sources in the Reference List
Step 1. Verify that the source is unpublished text
You need to cite an unpublished article or research paper in a slightly different way from the published text. First, make sure the source is considered not to be formally published. You also need to make sure that you are allowed to use unpublished or formally reviewed sources for assignments or writings. Some types of text that are not formally published include:
- Dissertations or theses are available in print only.
- Articles or chapters in a book that are still in print, or have just been prepared or sent for publication.
- Articles rejected by the publisher or not made for formal publication in the first place (eg unpublished student research papers or conference articles).
Step 2. State the source status if the text is still in the process of publishing
If you are citing a source that is still being processed for publication, you will need to mention the status of the publishing process in the reference entry. Include the author's name, title of the article, and a note regarding the status of the text.
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If the article is being prepared for publication, state the author's name, year of completion of the draft, and the title of the article (in italics), followed by the phrase “Manuscript in preparation” or “Manuscript in preparation”. For example: “Wooster, B. W. (1932). What the well-dressed man is wearing. Manuscripts in preparation."
Example in Indonesian: “Wooster, B. W. (1932). What the well-dressed man is wearing. Manuscript in preparation."
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If the text has already been submitted for publication, use the same format as the text that is still being prepared. However, follow the title of the text with the phrase “Manuscript submitted for publication” or “Manuscript has been submitted for publication”. For example: “Wooster, B. W. (1932). What the well-dressed man is wearing. Manuscripts submitted for publication.”
Example in Indonesian: “Wooster, B. W. (1932). What the well-dressed man is wearing. The manuscript has been submitted for publication."
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If the text has been approved, but not yet published, replace the date information with the phrase “in press” (“in printing”). Do not italicize the title of the text, but mention the title of the journal or book to be published and italicize the title. For example: “Wooster, B. W. (in press). What the well-dressed man is wearing. Milady's Boudoir.”
Example in Indonesian: “Wooster, B. W. (in printing). What the well-dressed man is wearing. Milady's Boudoir.”
Step 3. Include the status of the text that was not created for publication
Sometimes, you may need to cite an article that was never submitted or approved for publication. In this situation, you will need to state the author's name, date of writing or presentation, title of the source (in italics), and context of the source (eg place and purpose of writing the text). As an example:
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If the text was written for conference purposes, but never formally published, your reference entry would look something like this: “Riker, W. T. (2019, March). Traditional methods for the preparation of spiny lobe-fish. Paper presented at the 325th Annual Intergalactic Culinary Conference, San Francisco, CA.”
Example in Indonesian: “Riker, W. T. (2019, March). Traditional methods for the preparation of spiny lobe-fish. Paper presented at the 325th Annual Intergalactic Culinary Conference, San Francisco, CA.”
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For texts that are not formally published and written by students for class assignments, include details about the institution concerned. For example: Crusher, B. H. (2019). A typology of Cardassian skin diseases. Unpublished manuscript, Department of External Medicine, Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, CA.
Example in Indonesian: Crusher, B. H. (2019). A typology of Cardassian skin diseases. Unpublished manuscript, Department of External Medicine, Starfleet Academy, San Francisco, CA
Step 4. Describe the status of unpublished dissertations and theses
If you are citing an academic thesis or dissertation that is only available in print, you need to mention that the source was not formally published. Include the author's name, date of completion, and title of the dissertation or thesis (in italics). Continue with the phrase “(Unpublished doctoral dissertation)” or “(Unpublished doctoral dissertation”). End the entry with information about the university that covered the dissertation or thesis.
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For example, you might write something like this: “Pendlebottom, R. H. (2011). Iconography in Italian Frescos (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). New York University, New York, United States."
Example in Indonesian: “Pendlebottom, R. H. (2011). Iconography in Italian Frescos (Unpublished doctoral dissertation). New York University, New York, United States of America.”
