10.6 Creating In-Text Citations And References

To prove formally that research has been carried out, a two-part system for documenting sources is used. The first part is a citation that gives a few brief pieces of information about the source right where that source is used in the document and points to the second part, the bibliographic reference at the end of the document. This second part gives further details about the source so that readers can easily retrieve it themselves. American Psychology Association (APA), Modern Languages Association (MLA), and The Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS) are some of the most common styles.

The American Psychological Association’s documentation style is preferred by the social sciences and general disciplines such as business because it strips the essential elements of a citation down to a few pieces of information that briefly identify the source and cue the reader to further details in the references list at the end of the document.

Creating an In-Text Citation

An in-text citation tells the reader where the information in a particular sentence came from. If the in-text citation is done well, the reader will be able to use it to find the full reference in the bibliography, then easily find the exact source where the idea/quote came from.

In APA style, an in-text citation generally consists of the author’s last name and the date the work was created. If you are quoting directly, you should include the page number.

• “We know our cultures have meaning and worth, and that culture lives and breathes inside our languages.” (Elliot, 2019, p. 18).
• According to Haudenosaunee writer Alicia Elliot, “We know our cultures have meaning and worth, and that culture lives and breathes inside our languages.” (2019, p. 18).

If you’ve already used the author’s name in the sentence, you don’t have to repeat it in the in-text citation.

Tips

• If you don’t know the name of the author, simply put the first few words of the title.
• If you don’t know the date, write “n.d.” for No Date.
• If you don’t know the page number, put in the paragraph number.

Creating a Reference

The purpose of a reference is to give enough information for the reader to find the original source.

The APA reference for the quotation cited above is as follows:

• Elliot, A. (2019). A Mind Spread Out on the Ground. Toronto: Doubleday Canada. Print.

Citation styles have different rules and learning them all can be daunting. Purdue Owl provides an up-to-date guide on how to cite sources in the different styles. You can also use a citation generator to create your references as long as you double-check for accuracy.

When Don’t You Cite?

Do you need to cite every source you use in your research? With so much emphasis on plagiarism and citation, it is can be difficult to determine when citation is not necessary.

• Don’t cite when what you are saying is your own insight. Research involves forming opinions and insights around what you learn. You may be citing several sources that have helped you learn, but at some point, you are integrating your own opinion, conclusion, or insight into the work. The fact that you are NOT citing it helps the reader understand that this portion of the work is your unique contribution developed through your own research efforts.
• Don’t cite when you are stating common knowledge. What is common knowledge is sometimes difficult to discern. Generally, quick facts like historical dates or events are not cited because they are common knowledge.
  • Examples of information that would not need to be cited include:
    • Vancouver is the 8th largest city in Canada.
    • The earth revolves around the sun.