“APA in-text citation” means giving a short source reference inside your writing when you use an idea, fact, or quote from another source. In APA style, this usually includes the author’s last name and the year of publication, and sometimes a page number too.
People use APA in-text citations in essays, research papers, reports, and articles to show where information came from. It helps readers find the original source and shows that your work is based on reliable references.
Meaning & Usage
In APA style, an in-text citation appears right in the sentence or at the end of it. For example: (Smith, 2020). If you mention the author in the sentence, you may write: Smith (2020) says…
Examples
Example: Climate change affects weather patterns (Johnson, 2021).
Example: Johnson (2021) explains that climate change affects weather patterns.
Why do people use APA in-text citations?
They use them to give credit to the original writer and avoid plagiarism.
Do APA in-text citations always need page numbers?
No. Page numbers are usually needed for direct quotes, but not always for paraphrased ideas.
Where do APA in-text citations appear?
They usually appear inside the sentence or at the end of the sentence, near the information being used.
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