This document provides guidance on citing sources and avoiding plagiarism using APA style. It explains that citations are needed to give credit to works used in research and outlines how to properly cite direct quotations, paraphrased ideas, and various media in both in-text citations and reference list entries. Examples are given for citing sources with one, multiple, and no known authors in both the text and reference list. The guidelines also cover basic reference list entries for different source types such as books, periodicals, government documents, and films.

1. CITERIGHT WITH
APA
Brought to you by the Librarians of John B. Coleman
and the Writing Center.

2. Citations and avoiding Plagiarism
 Plagiarism can be intentional or unintentional
 Citations help you avoid plagiarism by giving credit to works you use in your
research.
 Be sure to cite:





Direct quotations
Paraphrased words or ideas
Data, tables, or graphs used
Audio or video files, including film and television
Images

3. The Format Golden Rule
Always follow your
Instructor’s guidelines.
Even when it comes to citations.

4. The Basics: In-Text Citations
 Parenthetical citations are used.
 Author’s name and date of publication are used.
 Additionally, quotations and close paragraphs require a page
number
 For electronic sources that do not have page numbers, use
the paragraph number preceded by the abbreviation “para”.

5. The Basics: In-Text Citation Examples
Examples of In-Text source with Author:
According to Skal, (2002) Halloween became more about the “reaffirmation of parental control”
(2).
Halloween has overtime become more about the “reaffirmation of parental control” (Skal, 2002,
2).
Reference List Entry
Skal, D. J. (2002). Death makes a holiday: A cultural history of Halloween. New York, NY:
Bloomsbury.

6. The Basics: In-Text Citation Examples
Examples of In-Text Source without Author:
On Halloween, elementary and middle school-aged pedestrian deaths are four times the
amount of pedestrian deaths of the same age group when compared to any other night (Center
for Disease Control, 1997, para 1).
Reference List Entry
 Center for Disease Control. (1997). Childhood pedestrian deaths during Halloween:
United States, 1975-1996. MMWR: Morbidity & Mortality Weekly
Report, 46(42), 987-990.

7. The Basics: In-Text Citation Examples
Example of In-Text Citation with Multiple Authors
Marchal et al. (2011) state that the mutant embryos of the Halloween class of genes “share a
common phenotype characterized by severe disruptions in morphogenesis, low ecdysteroid
titers, undifferentiated cuticle, compact appearance, a failure of head involution and dorsal
closure, abnormal looping of the hindgut and inability to induce ecdysteroid responsive genes,
eventually followed by death” (1).
The mutant embryos of the Halloween class of genes “share a common phenotype
characterized by severe disruptions in morphogenesis, low ecdysteroid titers, undifferentiated
cuticle, compact appearance, a failure of head involution and dorsal closure, abnormal looping
of the hindgut and inability to induce ecdysteroid responsive genes, eventually followed by
death” (Marchal et al., 2011, 1).

8. Reference List Entry for Multiple Authors
Marchal, E., Badisco, L., Verlinden, H., Vandersmissen, T., Van Soest, S., Van
Wielendaele, P., & Vanden Broeck, J. (2011). Role of the Halloween genes,
spook and phantom in ecdysteroidogenesis in the desert locust, schistocerca
gregaria. Journal of Insect Physiology, 57(9), 1240-1248.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.05.009
*note, entries with 1-7 authors will need to list all authors by last name and more than
7 authors, list first six authors use an ellipses (…) in place of the authors names
followed by the last authors name. Every entry should only have 7 authors listed.
Note on In-Text Citations for Multiple Authors:
When there are 3-5 authors, cite all of them the first time and subsequently list only
the first author followed by the phrase et al. (Latin for "and others") and the year in
place of the following authors' names. For 6 or more authors, cite the first author’s
lastname followed by et al. with the year in the first and subsequent citations.

9. The Basics: References Page
References
Center for Disease Control. (1997). Childhood pedestrian deaths during Halloween: United States, 1975-1996. MMWR:
Morbidity & Mortality Weekly Report, 46(42), 987-990. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.
Clegg, D. (1998). The Halloween man. New York: Leisure Books. Retrieved from
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=40548&site=ehost-live
Kirschner, D. (Producer), & Ortega, K. (Director). (2002). Hocus pocus. [Motion Picture]. United States: Walt Disney Home
Video.
Marchal, E., Badisco, L., Verlinden, H., Vandersmissen, T., Van Soest, S., Van Wielendaele, P., & Vanden Broeck, J. (2011).
Role of the Halloween genes, spook and phantom in ecdysteroidogenesis in the desert locust, schistocerca
gregaria. Journal of Insect Physiology, 57(9), 1240-1248. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.05.009
Mathis, K. (2012). Arsenic and old lace. Good Housekeeping, 255(4), 150-155.
Skal, D. J. (2002). Death makes a holiday: A cultural history of Halloween. New York, NY: Bloomsbury.
Tsurutani, B. T., Mannucci, A. J., Iijima, B., Guarnieri, F. L., Gonzalez, W. D., Judge, D. L., . . . Pap, J. (2006). The extreme
Halloween 2003 solar flares (and bastille day, 2000 flare), ICMEs, and resultant extreme ionospheric effects: A
review. Advances in Space Research, 37(8), 1583-1588. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.asr.2005.05.114

10. The Basics: References Page
Books.
Format:
Lastname, Initials. (Year of Publication). Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher.
Example:
Skal, D. J. (2002). Death makes a holiday: A cultural history of Halloween. New York,
NY: Bloomsbury.

11. The Basics: References Page
Periodicals.
Format:
Author(s). (Year).Title of Article. Title of Periodical , Volume(Issue), pages.
Examples:
Mathis, K. (2012). Arsenic and old lace. Good Housekeeping, 255(4), 150-155.
Marchal, E., Badisco, L., Verlinden, H., Vandersmissen, T., Van Soest, S., Van
Wielendaele, P., & Vanden Broeck, J. (2011). Role of the Halloween genes,
spook and phantom in ecdysteroidogenesis in the desert locust, schistocerca
gregaria. Journal of Insect Physiology, 57(9), 1240-1248.
doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jinsphys.2011.05.009

12. The Basics: References Page
Government Document.
Format:
Term or article title. (Year). Article title (if one, if not italicize name of document.
Name of document. If applicable, volume(issue), page range. Place of
Publication: Publisher.
Example:

Center for Disease Control. (1997). Childhood pedestrian deaths during Halloween:
United States, 1975-1996. MMWR: Morbidity & Mortality Weekly
Report, 46(42), 987-990. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing Office.

13. The Basics: References Page
Film.
Format:
Producer, P. (Producer), & Director, D. (Director). (Date of publication).Title Of
Film. [Motion picture]. Country of origin: Studio or distributor.
Example:
Kirschner, D. (Producer), & Ortega, K. (Director). (2002). Hocus pocus.
[Motion Picture]. United States: Walt Disney Home Video.

14. For Help or Questions:
Ask a Librarian @ John B.
Coleman Library
The Writing Center
askalibrarian@pvamu.edu
writingcenter@pvamu.edu
936-261-1535
936-261-3724
Located on the 1st floor of the library
Located in Hilliard Hall Rm. 121 and
Coleman Library Rm. 209 (Tutoring
Center)
Follow us on Twitter: @PVAMULibrary