You are in the middle of a literature review with a three-author study, a source you only know through another article and a quotation whose page number you never wrote down. Each citation has to be readable, traceable and matched to the reference list. This guide starts with the two citation forms and a worked example, then covers multiple authors, secondary sources and quotations.
APA 7 pairs each idea with an author and a year. A parenthetical citation puts both inside parentheses once the idea is stated. A narrative citation works the author into the sentence itself, leaving only the year in parentheses. Alternate the two so a synthesis paragraph does not become a parade of surnames.
About the examples. Authors, findings and quotations here are invented for illustration, and none of the sources exist. Your citations must reflect what your own sources say.
| Situation | Citation |
|---|---|
| One author | (Haldane, 2023) or Haldane (2023) |
| Two authors | (Ibarra & Voss, 2022). In a sentence: Ibarra and Voss (2022) |
| Three or more authors | (Castellanos et al., 2021), from the very first citation |
| Group author with an abbreviation | First use: (Northfield Nurse Leadership Alliance [NNLA], 2024). Afterward: (NNLA, 2024) |
| Different first authors sharing a surname | Include first initials: (A. Haldane, 2020; R. Haldane, 2021) |
| Same author, different years | (Haldane, 2019, 2023) |
| Same author and year | (Castellanos, 2021a, 2021b); letters match the reference list |
| No date | (Haldane, n.d.) |
| Several sources, one bracket | List them alphabetically by first author, separated by semicolons: (Haldane, 2023; Ibarra & Voss, 2022) |
If two different works would shorten to the same "first author et al., year" form, name as many authors as needed to tell them apart, then add "et al.": (Castellanos, Ibarra, et al., 2021; Castellanos, Voss, et al., 2021). Use "&" inside brackets and "and" in running text.
Paraphrasing means expressing an idea through your own wording and sentence construction, not exchanging a handful of terms. It still needs a citation, since the idea belongs to the source. A page number is optional for a paraphrase, but it helps when the source is long or dense.
In a long paraphrase, cite at the first sentence and again whenever a reader could lose track of whose idea comes next. The plagiarism guide shows how to test whether you have really rewritten a passage.
Ask for every in-text citation to be matched to a clean reference list. You see the price before you pay, and revisions are free for 14 days after delivery.
Quotations always need the author, year and page number. Graduate nursing writing quotes sparingly, usually for a definition, a policy statement or a phrase whose wording matters.
Use ellipses for omitted words and square brackets for words you add. Never alter a quotation silently.
Use a secondary source when you cannot get the original: an out-of-print book, for instance. Name the original work in your text and add "as cited in" with the source you actually read. The reference list carries the source you consulted and nothing more.
In doctoral work, key evidence should come from primary sources. Treat "as cited in" as a fallback, and try the library first.
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Paraphrase with no citation at all | Cite the idea, not only the direct quotes |
| Listing all authors for a five-author study | Use the first author and "et al." |
| Citing the original of a secondary source in the reference list | List only the work you read |
| Quoting without a page number | Add the page or paragraph locator |
| Year in the citation differs from the reference list | Check both against the source itself |
Academic integrity. Attribute every idea and quotation, and comply with your institution's academic-integrity requirements. For further examples, see the APA Style website or the Purdue OWL.
Cite the first time an idea from a source appears. Cite again when another source intervenes or when it would be unclear which sentences still come from the same source.
APA does not require one, but it encourages a locator when it would help the reader find the passage. Some instructors expect it, so check your assignment.
Substitute the work's title for the author and cite a short form of it in title case: in quotation marks for an article or chapter, in italics for a book, report or web page. If an organization published it, the organization is the author.