There are five methods for Integrating APA in-text citations:
Use a Complete Signal Sentence (Author + Year + Past Tense Verb) Followed by a Colon
Narrative Example
Professor of psychology Carol Dweck (2006) provided data about how children develop attitudes about themselves: “When we observed in grade school classrooms, we saw that boys got eight times more criticism than girls for their conduct” (p. 79).
Parenthetical Example
Research showed how children develop attitudes about themselves: “When we observed in grade school classrooms, we saw that boys got eight times more criticism than girls for their conduct” (Dweck, 2006, p. 79).
Note: Use a signal sentence and a colon before a block quotation (40 or more words). Indent block quotations ½ inch. Do not use quotation marks. Parenthetical citations go after the final period in the block quotation.
Use an Author/Descriptor + Year + Past Tense Verb as a Signal Phrase
Narrative Example
Dweck (2006) asserted that females, who were less likely to hear the kind of negative comments males give and receive as they are growing up, are more likely to second-guess themselves after hearing the type of offhand comments that would not concern male counterparts (p. 79).
Parenthetical Example
Researchers also found that females, who were less likely to hear the kind of negative comments males give and receive as they are growing up, are more likely to second-guess themselves after hearing the type of offhand comments that would not concern male counterparts (Dweck, 2006, p. 79).
Use with a Prepositional Phrase and Author’s Name/Descriptor + Year Followed by a Comma as the Signal Phrase
Narrative Example
According to Dweck (2006), elementary teachers tended to give boys more feedback on their behavior than on their scholarship (p. 79).
Parenthetical Example
In the opinion of one researcher, elementary teachers tended to give boys more feedback on their behavior than on their scholarship (Dweck, 2006, p. 79).
Some suggested prepositional phrases: According to, in XY’s opinion, as stated in, & as reported by.
Use Short, Quoted Phrases as Part of Your Own Sentence.
Narrative Example
Dweck (2006) maintained that elementary teachers tend to give boys more feedback on their behavior than on their scholarship; they receive fewer positive comments and “eight times more criticism than girls for their conduct” (p. 79).
Parenthetical Example
In addition, elementary teachers tended to give boys more feedback on their behavior than on their scholarship; they receive fewer positive comments and “eight times more criticism than girls for their conduct” (Dweck, 2006 p. 79).
Omit the Signal Phrase—Parenthetical Only
Parenthetical with Quotation
“We saw that boys got eight times more criticism than girls for their conduct” (Dweck, 2006, p. 79).
Parenthetical with Paraphrase
Researchers who visited classrooms to describe the types of interaction between teachers and the students discovered that girls receive negative comments on their behavior one eighth as often as boys (Dweck, 2006, p. 79).
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