General approximations on how to cite APA standards
It seems that the APA format only talks about how to quote If you navigate well, you will surely find templates of the two types of covers on the net according to the, but there are so many types of sources that many ways of making citations have emerged, although the same formats are maintained to always give the necessary information so that the reader can find the original author of the phrase reproduced.
Let us remember that the APA was created with two main purposes: standardize the form of presentation of academic works and to respect copyright, so it's no surprise that formats are included for each of the existing font types.
Let's talk a little about how to cite APA standards
APA style uses an "author-date" citation system. That is, each citation must contain these two main pieces of information to work. Already in the references more background will be given to locate the determined source. These data are essential so that the reader can locate the rest of the source data in the references and thus access it.
Only write the first surname of the author followed by the year of publication of the source. The initials of the names are only written if it is necessary to distinguish between two or more authors with the same surname.
Although the source contains much more specific data on the date, it limits itself to giving know the year of publication. Now, if on the contrary you do not have the date of the source, then the abbreviation is used “s.f.” that means "without date". also accepted “n.d.” (no date).
If you are citing journal articles that have not been published, but are approved, you can use “in press” or “in press”, which means that it is in the printing process.
The citation is written within the body of the text and can be parenthetical or narrative. In the first, the author and the date are in parentheses, only separated by a comma. In the case of narrative citations, the information is added to the text as part of the composition.
Everything that is cited must appear in the list of references. The only exceptions are personal communications to which the reader cannot access because they are private and any citation made in the dedication of your degree work or scientific article.
in-text citations
If you are going to make an in-text citation, you should follow these guidelines:
- Make sure the Author names and dates match with what is stated in the references. Otherwise, the reference is invalid.
- You can only cite works you have read and the ideas that are part of your text. Remember that the quotes will serve to contrast visions, support key information, definitions or relevant data.
- Don't fill your text with quotes. Only use them when really necessary to support your point. A work full of citations can be heavy on the reader.
- As long as possible, always go and cite the primary source of the information. This ensures that the original author is credited and that the citation is actually done properly. Secondary sources are also allowed (known as citation citation) and should be used as a last resort and sparingly.
- You can choose cite sources when sharing facts and figures that are not common knowledge. We know that you master the subject, but it is always better to have the "approval" of another institution, especially when it comes to figures.
- If you are citing a specific part of a source, then you should give a little more information. Keep the author-date format, but you must specify where you found this information (page, paragraph, chapter, etc).
- In the case of having a non-recoverable source, credit it in the text, but it cannot be part of the references. Avoid making these types of citations because it gives rise to doubts and the reader has the right to access the main source.
How many citations can I make in my academic work?
Not many, not few. common sense will tell you how many citations should your work containespecially for the purpose of research. Most small papers only cite two sources, but if you're writing a literature review or a long term paper, the list of citations, and thus references, is much longer.
You must give credit to the source when: paraphrase an idea that is not your own (paraphrase quotes), directly quote the words of another author, refer to data not collected by you, reprint or adapt a table or figure, or reprint a long passage of text.
There are two problems you should avoid: subcitation and supercitation. Subcitation occurs when you do not make enough citations because you give the feeling that your research is not grounded enough in a good theoretical foundation. Also, it's very easy to plagiarize when you do this.
But if you do the opposite and abuse dating, you drop the overstimulation which can distract the reader. In addition, it is also a sign that you did not really understand the topic on which your research is focused, but that you you put quotes left and right instead of understanding the information.
Apps that make work easier
If all this citing and referencing is too complicated for you, there are applications and web pages that make your job easier.
These are citation and reference generators that have quite friendly platforms. They offer an information box that you must fill in with all the information they ask for and, after making a simple click, you will have the citation and the reference ready to copy and paste.
Of course, make sure it is a citation generator updated to the latest APA guidelines.
Keep in mind that not all sources can go through these citation generators, as it may be a somewhat "special" source. That is, there may not yet be a reference generator for that type of source.
Remember that there are endless books and web pages that explain very well how to follow the apa rules. Just pay attention and follow the instructions. Once you master "the art of quoting" you will do it with your eyes closed.