Education: APA referencing

Referencing the ideas and research you use in your essays is a vital part of all academic work because it:

• acknowledges how others' work has influenced your thinking

• provides evidence for your arguments

• assists other researchers to locate the sources you use

APA is a publishing style developed by the American Psychological Association. It is now widely aused in the social and behavioural sciences -especially the referencing aspect.

There are two parts to APA referencing:

1. In-text citations: these usually require the author surname and date and sometimes the page of paragraph
2. Reference list: a more detailed entry of each of the in-text citations (there maybe some exceptions)

The most recent version is, APA 7th edition (APA 7)

APA 7 has its own manual, but there are also many websites and pdf guides available.  A selection of these resources is listed below, plus a link to further resources if you need them.

If you have any questions about APA referencing, please contact the Subject Librarian for Education: Paula Whitelock 

If your Dept provides information about APA that differs from what you find on the APA website or APA publications, please consult your tutor, lecturer or department before deciding what version to use.