References are important in an academic paper. It is because these sources which are studied while conducting the research determine the authenticity of the paper. These references make it easy for the reader to follow the argument presented and provide the author with the power to support his point through the prior studies conducted. American Psychological Association (APA) is one of the most used reference styles. It is an author-date reference style mostly part of the social science papers. There is the standard structure of the APA reference which is followed universally such as:

“Author’s last name, First Initial. Middle initial. (Publication date). Source Title. URL of the site retrieved”

Q1. What are the paper requirements of APA?

These are the following things which must be included in the paper:

• The main page i.e. cover or title page
• The detail or the body of the paper
• A separate page for the reference
• Appendix if required

Q2. How to do in-text citation in APA?

Once we extract a piece of information from the source, it is essential that we incorporate the source details in it, so that plagiarism does not occur which is said to weaken the research strength. The in-text citation in the APA appears to have the author’s name, year, and page number.

Q3: Where are full APA citation listed in the paper?

The full citation refers to the complete detailed of the source which has been utilized for gathering the data. The full APA citation is listed in the separate reference list which is present at the end of the document. The full citation structure varies for every source type, although, the format determined for the source type remains same.

Q4: How are references structured or aligned on the reference page?

The sources which are mentioned on the reference page are aligned according to their alphabetical order. In cases where the name of the author is same, they are aligned on the base of their publication date.

Q5: How many types of citation are there?

The type of APA citation used in a paper is listed below along with their structure:

• APA citation of a printed book:

The printed book citation in the APA usually follows the structure such as:

“Last name of the author, First name. Middle name. (Year published). Title of book. Location of publisher: Publisher”

• APA citation of an e-book:

The online book i.e. a digital form of the book has the APA citation structure as follows:

“Last name of the author, First name. Middle name. (Year published). Work Title. URL Retrieved.”

• APA citation of a website:

Ensure that the source used for the site is authentic. The structure of the of the APA website citation is as follow:

If the author name is listed then the citation will include the following:

“Last name of the author, First name. Middle name. (Year or Month Day published). Article or page title. Retrieved URL”

If the author name is not listed then the citation will be  structured as follows:

“Title of Article. (Publication Year, Month Date). URL Retrieved”

• APA citation of a journal:

Journals articles in the printed form usually followed the structure such as

“Last name of the author, First name. Middle name. (Year published). Title of the Article. Periodical Title, Volume (Issue), pp.-pp.”

Journals articles in the online form usually followed the structure such as

“Last name of the author, First name. Middle name. (Year published). Article title. Title of Journal, volume number (issue number), page range. URL Retrieved.”

• APA citation of an online publication

Following is the structure of the online publication APA citation

“Last name of the author, First name. Middle name. (Year published). Work Title [E-reader version]. Retrieved from URL”

Conclusion:

According to the writers at Assignment Writing UK, the students usually fail to recognize the difference which exists among the various types of citation. The information catered to you above is said to eradicate all your errors in terms of APA citation. However, if you still have some confusion you can take assistance from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.