APA In-Text Citation Format (7th Edition)

Learn how to format in-text citations in APA Style (7th edition) — including examples for books, websites, and journal articles. This guide explains how to cite multiple authors, sources with no date, direct quotes, and more using APA in-text citation rules.

Basic Format for APA In-Text Citations

APA in-text citations use the author–date system. This means each source you quote or paraphrase must include the author's last name and the year of publication. There are two styles: parenthetical and narrative .

Parenthetical citation:
(Smith, 2023)

Narrative citation:
Smith (2023) argues that ...

If you directly quote a source, include a page number or paragraph number:

Quote example:
(Brown, 2021, p. 45)
Johnson (2019, para. 4) explains that ...

Use sentence case in the main body of your writing and avoid including titles or initials in the citation. The full reference should appear on the APA references page.

APA In-Text Citations for Multiple Authors

APA 7th edition has specific rules for citing sources with multiple authors. Use an ampersand (&) in parenthetical citations and “and” in narrative citations.

Two Authors

Parenthetical: (Taylor & Ruiz, 2020)
Narrative: Taylor and Ruiz (2020) found that ...

Three or More Authors

Parenthetical: (Lee et al., 2021)
Narrative: Lee et al. (2021) concluded ...

Always use et al. (with a period) for three or more authors in APA in-text citations — even for the first mention.

Note: Do not italicise “et al.” and do not include a comma before it.

APA In-Text Citation Examples by Source Type

Use these examples to correctly cite common source types in APA 7th edition:

📘 Book

Parenthetical: (Rowling, 2007)
Narrative: Rowling (2007) describes...

📰 Journal Article

Parenthetical: (Nguyen & Davis, 2020)
Narrative: Nguyen and Davis (2020) argue that...

🌐 Website

Parenthetical: (World Health Organization, 2022)
Narrative: According to the World Health Organization (2022)...

❓ No Author or No Date

No Author: ("APA Guidelines", 2021)
No Date: (CDC, n.d.)

Quoting vs Paraphrasing in APA In-Text Citations

In APA Style, both quotations and paraphrased content must be cited with the author and year. However, direct quotes require additional information — typically a page or paragraph number.

🔹 Quoting

When quoting directly, include the page number:


                      "Cognitive development occurs in stages" (Piaget, 1952, p.
                      45).

🔹 Paraphrasing

Paraphrased material requires only the author and year:


                      Piaget (1952) proposed that cognitive development unfolds
                      in stages.

You do not need to include a page number for paraphrased content, but doing so can be helpful for clarity — especially in longer works.

FAQs About APA In-Text Citations

Use the first few words of the title in quotation marks in place of the author. Example: ("APA Guidelines", 2023) .

Page or paragraph numbers are only required for direct quotations. They are optional for paraphrased information, though recommended for clarity.

List sources alphabetically by the first author’s surname, separated by semicolons. Example: (Johnson, 2021; Smith, 2020) .

Use “et al.” only when a source has three or more authors. List the first author's surname followed by et al. in all citations.

In-text citations are brief (author, year) references within the body of your paper. The full source details are listed on your APA reference page.

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