How Do I Create an In-Text Citation?
Answer
How you create an in-text citation depends on whether you mention the author in the sentence and whether you create a paraphrase or a quote. However, use the author-date format for all in-text citations.
There are two types of in-text citations:
Use a narrative citation when mentioning the source in the sentence. A narrative citation includes the author’s name followed by the publication year in parentheses: Author (date).
Use a parenthetical citation when the source is not mentioned in the sentence. The author’s last name and publication year are placed in parentheses: (Author, date).
| Narrative | Parenthetical |
|
Smith (2019) asserted… |
Citing in-text and parenthetically is necessary (Smith, 2018). |
When quoting, include a narrative or parenthetical citation and include the page or paragraph number where the quote can be found.
| Narrative | Parenthetical |
| Smith (2018) explained that "APA Style is often difficult for students to grasp, especially their first time citing sources" (p. 27). | When citing for the first time, "APA Style is often difficult for students to grasp" (Smith, 2018, p. 27). |
For both examples, notice there is a signal phrase before the quote. Be sure to always introduce a quote.
For additional support, review our Citations resource page in the ASC.
