What Are the Two Types of Citations in APA Format?

Learn about the two types of APA citations: in-text citations and reference list citations, essential for proper academic writing.

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In APA format, there are two types of citations: in-text citations and reference list citations. In-text citations appear within the body of your paper to give credit to sources. They include the author's last name and the publication year, e.g., (Smith, 2020). Reference list citations are found at the end of the document and provide complete details of each source, including author, year, title, and publication details, allowing readers to locate the original sources.

FAQs & Answers

  1. What is an in-text citation in APA format? An in-text citation in APA format appears within the body of your paper and includes the author's last name and publication year to credit the source.
  2. What information is included in an APA reference list citation? An APA reference list citation provides full source details such as author, year, title, and publication information, allowing readers to locate the original source.
  3. Why are there two types of citations in APA format? The two types— in-text citations and reference list citations— work together to credit sources within the text and provide detailed source information at the end of the paper.
  4. How do in-text citations and reference list citations differ in APA style? In-text citations briefly identify a source within the writing, while reference list citations give comprehensive details and are listed at the document's end.