Citing APA style
In academic and business writing we often make use of other peoples’ ideas. This is usually done to give support to your own ideas (provide evidence). We use direct quotations, paraphrases and summaries to illustrate these ideas in our writing.
NOTE: The latest edition of APA style is APA 7th. There are some differences between the 6th and 7th editions.
Direct quotations
What do I need to cite?
When you use a direct quotation: the exact words of the author
How do I insert the citation?
Include the author, year and page number.
Examples:
- Sustainability is the “endurance of systems and processes” (Smith, 2016, p.14).
- According to Smith (2016) sustainability is the “endurance of systems and processes” (p.14).
Paraphrase
When you use a paraphrase: information that has been rewritten from a source into your own words without changing the meaning.
How do I insert the citation?
Include the author and year.
Examples:
- Sustainability can be defined as a socio-ecological process (Smith, 2016).
- According to Smith (2016), sustainability is…
- Smith (2016) defines sustainability as a …
Summary
When you use a summary: a summary of the main ideas from a text into one or two sentences.
How do I insert the citation?
Include the author and year.
Examples (referencing is the same for both a paraphrase and a summary):
- Sustainability can be defined as a socio-ecological process (Smith, 2016).
- According to Smith (2016), sustainability is…
- Smith (2016) defines sustainability as a …
NOTE: Lack of referencing as well as copying large amounts of information from other sources can be seen as plagiarism (cheating) and you may face penalties. All University of Auckland students must complete an Academic Integrity Course to make sure you understand your responsibility as a student.
Citing multiple authors
The following shows you how to cite one or more authors in your writing:
One of the most common ways to incorporate these citations into your writing is to use reporting verbs to help you to present the information (Smith & Jones, 2016).
Cite only the surname of the first author followed by ‘et al.’
Academic writing requires you to use citations to refer to the original source when you have used someone else’s ideas or concepts in your writing (Smith et al., 2016).
Note: this is the new format for APA7th ed.
Cheating and plagiarism
Cheating in coursework is a serious academic offence. The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating or assisting others to cheat.
The work you submit for grading must be your own. If you use work from other sources, you must acknowledge it properly. This also applies to online sources such as the web. Your work will be assessed against electronic source material using computerised detection tools.
Visit the Academic integrity and copyright website for further information.
Additional Resources
The University of Auckland provides a comprehensive APA guide for Business students.
Zotero is a free programme that helps you manage your sources. You can add citations directly into Word documents and the programme will create a reference list for you at the click of a button.
Referencite has an interactive tool that will identify how to cite and reference a source correctly based on the information you put into the tool.
Check out this video introducing APA style referencing:
