APA Parenthetical Citations

This in-text referencing system directs readers to a "Reference List" at the end of a research paper or accompanying a research project. The text reference usually includes an author name and date in the text being cited. A page number is also given for direct quotes.

How to do parenthetical citations

The purpose of parenthetical references is to give credit to sources that you use.

• Cite direct quotations, paraphrases, ideas peculiar to an author, case studies, statistics, and graphics, such as maps, charts, diagrams, and scientific research results.
• Place citations directly after the quotation or paraphrase.
• Include  the author's last name and year of publication in parentheses at the end of the sentence:

(Smith 2015)

• Include the page number following a direct quote:

(Johnson, 2009, p. 234)

• Use the first few words of the title of the source as listed on the reference list page if no author or editor is credited:

(Webster's Dictionary, 1990)

• If the author's name appears in the same sentence as the cited material include only the publication year:

(2015)

• If two authors are cited for a source, list both authors.  If three to five authors are cited, list all the authors' last names the first time the source is cited.  If six or more authors, use the first author's last name followed by et al.  In all cases of more than two authors, use et al. in subsequent citations of the source. Follow all with the publication year:

(Anderson & Henderson, 2012) (Smith, Walker, Jones,  & Williams, 2013) (Saunders et al., 2016)

• Personal communications such as letters, email, personal interviews, telephone conversations, etc. are cited in text only, not included in the reference list:

(M. M. Lee, personal communication, April 28, 2014)

Examples of parenthetical citations

• Native peoples have little to lose by adopting these practices (Johnson, 2013). [Author's last name and publication date]

• Viviano sees advantages in this line of defense (2012). [Cite only the publication date if the author's name appears in the same sentence]

• According to police reports, there were no skid marks indicting that the distracted driver who killed John and Carole Hall had even tried to stop. (Stockwell, Mann, & Gates, 2014). [When more than one author is cited, include up to five and publication date]

• "As of 2001, at least three hundred towns and municipalities had considered legislation regulating use of cell phones while driving" (Lawson,'2011, p. 22). [If using a direct quote, Author's last name, publication date, and page number]