How should in-text citations be formatted in APA style? A Author(s), title B Author(s), page numbers C Publication date, author(s) D Author(s), publication date
The correct answer and explanation is:
Correct Answer: D) Author(s), publication date
Explanation (Approx. 300 words):
In-text citations in APA (American Psychological Association) style are a key component of academic writing, used to give proper credit to sources and to allow readers to locate the original material. The correct format for in-text citations in APA style is Author(s), publication date, which corresponds to option D.
There are two main types of in-text citations in APA: parenthetical and narrative.
- Parenthetical citation: The author’s last name and the year of publication are enclosed in parentheses at the end of a sentence or clause.
- Example: (Smith, 2020)
- Narrative citation: The author’s name is incorporated into the text as part of the sentence, with the publication year in parentheses immediately after.
- Example: Smith (2020) argues that…
This format helps maintain clarity and consistency, especially in disciplines such as psychology, education, and other social sciences, where APA is commonly used.
If a work has two authors, cite both names every time:
- (Johnson & Lee, 2019) or Johnson and Lee (2019)
For three or more authors, use the first author’s last name followed by “et al.”:
- (Martinez et al., 2021)
The publication date is essential in APA style because it emphasizes the recency and relevance of the information, particularly in rapidly evolving fields. Unlike MLA, which emphasizes page numbers, APA prioritizes when the information was published.
Page numbers are only included in APA in-text citations when quoting directly, in which case the format is:
- (Smith, 2020, p. 23)
In summary, APA in-text citations always include the author’s last name and the year of publication, which makes Option D the correct answer. This format helps readers identify sources and understand the timeliness of the cited material.