APA Style FAQ

Today's topic: APA Style FAQ

If there's one thing that can drive people to homicidal rage, it's APA style.  It's complicated, the rules tend to change with every new edition of the handbook, and there are a million little details to remember.  However, many journals (and professors) require APA style, so it's important to learn the basics.  Some aspects of APA style tend to give us more trouble than others.  Here are a few "greatest hits" to help you over the rough spots.

In-text citations: First, check out the quick reference chart on page 177 of the 6th edition APA handbook.  I recommend copying this page and keeping it in a folder (or on the wall above your computer) for easy access.  The chart details the correct format for citing various types of sources in the text.  I refer to mine constantly.

If you don't have the handbook, bookmark these two pages on your computer. The Purdue OWL website offers guides to in-text citations in APA style.  The first gives a basic overview, and the second details how to cite various types of sources in the text:

• http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/
• http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/03/

Okay, let's tackle a few troublesome details.  First, how often should you cite the same source?  For example, let's say that all the info in one paragraph comes from the same source. Do you need to cite the source in every sentence?

The rule of thumb here is CLARITY.  If it is clear to readers from the structure and wording of the paragraph that all this information comes from the same source, then you should be fine with citing the source after the first time you use it, and after the last time you use it in that paragraph.  It can be pretty tiresome for readers to see the same citation at the end of every single sentence.  If you use something from another source in that paragraph, however, then obviously you will need to cite source 1 again after you return to it.  Again, the important thing is to make it clear to readers what info and ideas come from what source. 

Basic formatting for in-text citations in APA style:

• APA uses the "author, date" format.  You can cite in the text in one of two ways--in the text of the sentence, or in parentheses at the end of the sentence.  Example of each:

• In the sentence:  Doe and Jenkins (2009) found that...
• In parentheses at the end of the sentence:  Blah blah blah blah (Doe & Jenkins, 2009).

• Note that when you mention the author's name in the sentence, you must include the date in parentheses immediately thereafter.

• Also note that you should NEVER use the ampersand (&) in the text of the sentence.  Only use it in your parenthetical citations.  Conversely, never use the full word "and" in parenthetical citations; always use the ampersand (&).

• Lastly, note that the period at the end of the sentence goes AFTER the parenthetical citation.
  

When and how to use "et al.":

• Do not put a period after "et," but always put one after "al."  This is because "et" is actually a complete Latin word, while "al." is an abbreviation of the Latin word "alia."
• Always put a comma between "et al." and the date in your parenthetical citations at the ends of sentences (see "Doe & Jenkins" example above).

How to cite sources with multiple authors:

• Sources with 2 authors: Use both authors' names for all citations (see "Doe and Jenkins"/"Doe & Jenkins" examples above).
  

• Sources with 3, 4, or 5 authors: List all authors' names the first time you cite the source.  For every subsequent citation, use the first author's name, then et al. and the date.  Examples:

• Four authors: First citation, in sentence: Jones, Wu, Simpson, and Garcia (2010) asserted that...
• Four authors: First citation, end of sentence: Blah blah blah (Jones, Wu, Simpson, & Garcia, 2010).
• Four authors: Subsequent citations, in sentence: Jones et al. (2010) asserted that...
• Four authors: Subsequent citations, end of sentence: Blah blah blah (Jones et al., 2010).

• Sources with 6 or more authors: Use only the first author's name, then et al. and the date for all citations (first and subsequent). 

Just about every rule has an exception. The exception to the "first author plus 'et al.'" rule applies when you have more than one source with the same first author (or even the same first and second authors, etc.). When this happens, use as many authors' names as you need to distinguish between the sources, and then "et al." and the date.  This will help readers locate the correct source in the References list.

Multiple sources by the same author, in the same year: For example, say you have two sources, each by John Doe, each published in 2010.

• Article 1: "Writing for publication in nursing," published in June of 2010.
• Article 2: "How to write an abstract," published in July of 2010.

Organize the titles alphabetically, and assign a lowercase letter to each (article 1 starts with "W," so it would be b, and article 2 starts with "H," so it would be a). Cite these like this:

• In the sentence, article 1: Doe (2010b) argues that... In parentheses at the end of the sentence: Blah blah blah (Doe, 2010b).  Article 2 would look the same, except you'd identify it as 2010a.

A note on the Oxford (or "serial") comma: APA requires the use of the serial comma, the comma that comes between the second to last name in a citation and the "and" or "&."  Like this: (Doe, Jenkins, & Wu, 2012).  Or this: Doe, Jenkins, and Wu (2012) found that...

A few other odds and ends:

• Back to back parentheses: APA doesn't allow these. 

• WRONG: (e.g., heart failure)(Doe, 2010)
• RIGHT: (e.g., heart failure; Doe, 2010)

• Numbers: When to spell them out, when to use numerals?  The rule says to spell out numbers nine and under, and use numerals for numbers 10 and above.  Exceptions:
  

• Spell out any number that begins a sentence, title, or heading expressed in text (as opposed to a heading that consists solely of a number).  Example:  Twelve patients completed the survey.
• Spell out fractions.  Example:  We polled one third of the patients.
• Spell out numbers that are always spelled out in common usage.  Examples: The Seven Dwarves, the four corners of the earth, the seven wonders of the world, etc.
  

I hope you'll find these tips helpful.  Happy scribbling!

Whitney Kurtz-Ogilvie, MFAW