As a researcher or reader, a citation is the information needed to locate the article (or book) you are interested in reading. As a writer, a citation is the information necessary to help verify your work. Your credibility as a writer and research can be seriously harmed by poor citation style.
For articles from a database, a complete citation generally includes:
· The author's name
· The title of the article
· The name of the magazine or journal in which it is located
· The volume number of the magazine or journal (and sometimes the issue number)
· The page numbers on which the article is located
· The date when the article was published
Example:
Hagen, Patricia L., and Thomas W. Zelman. "'We Were Never on the Scene of the Crime':
Eavan Boland's Repossession of History." Twentieth Century Literature, vol. 37, no. 4, 1991,
pp. 442-453, InfoTrac Student Edition, doi:10.5465/amle.2013.0337. Accessed 19 Mar. 2016.
For books, a complete citation generally includes:
· The author's name
· The title of the book
· The publication date
· The book's publisher
Example:
Pollan, Michael. Cooked: A Natural History of Transformation. Penguin Press, 2013.
Thanks to Oregon State University librarians for allowing me to use and embellish on their materials.
Aside from purchasing a copy of the Style Guide of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition, reading it, learning it, and living with it; there are a couple of other sources that could help you out when writing papers in it. Remember: the definitive answer to any APA style question is in the guide. No website or outside help is ever as correct as the original source.
But, it can be hard to always have your own copy around, so here are a few other sources that are definitive, but quick and helpful:
Here in the Earl K. Long Library, there are copies on Reserve you can use in the library and check out for 3 hours at a time--they can be checked out, but do not leave the building. But in the mean time, try
Purdue University's Online Writing Lab--APA style
Zotero--a free browser plugin that can help you collect and store your research information and transform it into a bibliography in many styles including the APA
Zotero allows you to start gathering research immediately. Go to Zotero.org and use the Download button to get the latest version. You will want to register for a Zotero account and login so you can sync your account and participate in groups, if you choose. Be sure to also add the your plugin of choice for word processing--Word or LibreOffice. Whenever you update your version of Zotero, please also update your word processor plugin--they may not be compatible otherwise.
Quick Start Guide Support Guide (all topics)
Don't forget that MS Word also has a tab on the ribbon for 'References'. Right now, it has the APA 6th edition on it. It is mostly the same as the 7th, with some changes for digital items. Check with your professor if he/she has a preference that you work with the 6th or 7th editions,
and always follow your instructor's preference for citation. Word.