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Behavioural Science

Research Guide

Citing Your Sources in APA

When developing your research papers and other assignments, it is important to be sure that you give credit where credit is due. Throughout scholarly communication, you will notice that researchers cite the sources of information they use. By citing sources, we not only give credit to the original authors of information we use, but we show our readers (this includes our professors!) that we've done thorough research and have used quality sources.

There are two components to citing sources:

  • In-text Citations are used when paraphrasing or quoting an author in your assignments.
  • The Reference List page is the bibliography at the end of your assignments.

There are specific guidelines (citation styles) to follow when citing and referencing. Remember, our Library Search tool has a citation builder within it - but make sure you use with caution - there will be errors in any citation builder that you will need to correct. Use the guides below to help support you. 

APA: Step-by-Step

  • The Library's APA Tip Sheet provides examples of how to cite commonly used information sources.
  • The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) is a popular source for APA formatting and style guide help
  • The Library's APA in Minutes video series walks viewers through referencing and in-text citation. Pause, rewind, or fast forward through these videos that provide on screen examples with voice over and captioning.
  • The print version of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) is available at the research desk in the Library. - ask us for help!