APA (American Psychological Association)
APA is a citation style developed by the American Psychological Association, most commonly used in the social sciences. An APA-style citation includes two components:
- An in-text citation within the body of your paper, whenever you quote or paraphrase another author. It includes the author's name, year of publication, and sometimes a page number.
- A reference list entry at the end of your paper. It includes full citation details so a reader can look up the source.
For more details, visit the In-Text Citations page and the Reference List page.
U of A Library guides
The U of A Library's APA QuickGuide, available in PDF and Google Doc formats, briefly describes the elements of APA style citations and gives example citations for common types of sources.
Note: The QuickGuides have been updated for accessibility and ease of use.
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APA Style Infographic (PDF)Gives a visual overview of APA style.
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Style APA (français)Includes French-language guidance for citing sources in APA style.
Additional online guides
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APA Style and Grammar Guidelines (APA)Includes guidance and examples of how to create in-text citations and reference list entries, as well as how to format your paper, construct tables and figures, and more.
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APA Style BlogAPA often writes about unique or tricky citations in their blog. If you can't find the answer you need, search the blog!
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APA Formatting and Style Guide (Purdue OWL)Includes a detailed introduction to APA style, templates and examples for citing common types of sources, and instructions for formatting an APA-style paper.
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Student Paper Setup Guide, APA Style 7th EditionThis PDF document shows how to format your paper using APA style.
Complete manual
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Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th edition, Print)
Call Number: PE 1475 A52 2020Publication Date: 2020
APA Style Tutorials
Just getting started with APA style? Try the following tutorials.
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APA Style Citation Tutorial (U of A)This free ebook introduces APA style and shows how to create in-text citations and reference list entries.
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Intro to APA Module 1: IntroductionWelcome to the Intro to APA style tutorial! This first lesson introduces the concepts of citation, avoiding plagiarism, and APA style. You will be introduced to the University of Alberta Library’s online APA guide and the two parts of APA style.
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Intro to APA Module 2: Reference CitationsThis lesson is about creating reference list entries. You will learn about the parts of a reference, how to use the APA guide to help you create your references, and format your references list.
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Intro to APA Module 3: In-Text CitationsThis lesson introduces in-text citation. You will learn where in-text citations should go and what information you need to include.
