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Literature Review with Scholarly Sources: In-text Citations

IN-TEXT CITATIONS

What are In-Text Citations? In-text citation is when a writer puts into the text a note about where they got the information. This lets your reader know what source the fact or idea is from. 

When do You Use In-Text Citations? You must include an in-text citation when quote directly from a source, paraphrase information in your own words, or refer to a source. For every in-text citation in your paper, there must be a corresponding entry in your Works Cited or References list.

WHAT TYPICALLY GOES INTO AN APA STYLE IN-TEXT CITATION?

If you are using the ideas from another source, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the year of publication should appear in your text, for example, (Smith, 2014).  

If page numbers are provided and you are directly quoting or borrowing from another work, you should include the page number at the end of the parenthetical citation. For example, you might write (Smith, 2014, p. 199) or (Jones, 2014, pp. 199–201).

Learn more at APA Citations: The Basics, OWL Online Writing Guide, Purdue University.

THE BASICS OF APA IN-TEXT CITATIONS

Scribbr. (2020). The basics of APA in-text citations . In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opp259YvaoE

This guide contains all of the information presented in the video: How to Cite in APA Format (7th edition) | Guide & Generator (scribbr.com)

APA 7 IN MINUTES: IN-TEXT CITATIONS

University of Guelph-Humber Libraries. (2020). APA 7th in minutes: In-text citations [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXn2UITEqlo

THE "COMMON KNOWLEDGE" EXCEPTION

Cite Your Sources: When writing and presenting your research, just about all of the information from your sources needs to be cited with an in-text citation. 

The Common Knowledge Exception: Common knowledge" is information that is generally known by an educated reader. It does not require a citation when used in a paper.

Common knowledge may include: 

  • General information an educated person would know
  • Widely known facts that can be easily looked up and found in five or more sources
  • Dates: historical events & birth dates of famous people
  • Geographical features & facts
  • Title of a book or painting

Examples of Common Knowledge Include:

  • Water freezes at 0 degrees Celsius.
  • Paris is the capital of France.
  • Martin Luther King Jr. was a prominent civil rights leader.

When in doubt, cite! If you are not sure if the information is considered common knowledge, you should cite it with an in-text citation.

Information adapted & quoted from: Evans, S. (2025, January 13). Common knowledge. Johns Hopkins Sheridan Libraries. https://guides.library.jhu.edu/avoidingplagiarism/common_knowledge. Poorvu Center for Teaching and Learning. (2021). Common knowledge. Yale University. https://poorvucenter.yale.edu/undergraduates/using-sources/understanding-and-avoiding-plagiarism/common-knowledge

SAMPLE APA IN-TEXT CITATIONS AND FORMATTING

USE NOODLE TOOLS TO HELP WITH IN-TEXT CITATIONS

WHAT DOES THE ACRONYM APA MEAN?

“APA stands for the "American Psychological Association.” When you are instructed to write a paper or assignment "in APA" this means that you should format your writing according to the guidelines in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition.

 

APA style is used by researchers and professionals who work in the social sciences and some sciences to format papers, cite sources in-text, and list references at the end of their papers.”

From: Rasmussen University Library. (2024). What is APA? Rasmussen University . https://rasmussen.libanswers.com/faq/32281