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A Guide to Health Research for JUMP Students

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Cautionary Note Regarding APA Citing

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association -  (in print format) is the authoritative source for APA citing.  The Cline Library has print copies.

If you find a situation that is not covered in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, then contact your faculty member. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Assocation takes precedence over other types of APA guides and documents online.

  • APA Style Owl Purdue - Important warning: the Owl Purdue APA Style website contains errors, so use with discernment.

Citing Definitions

citation reflects all of the information a person would need to locate a particular source. For example, basic citation information for a book consists of name(s) of author(s) or editor(s), title of book, name of publisher, place of publication, and most recent copyright date.

A citation style dictates the information required for a citation and the order of how the information is presented, as well as punctuation and other formatting. 

bibliography lists citations for all of the relevant resources a person consulted during the research process.

In an annotated bibliography, each citation is followed by a brief summary, or annotation, that describes and/or evaluates the source and the information found in it.

works cited list presents citations for those sources referenced in a particular paper, presentation, or other composition.

An in-text citation consists of required information required by citation style to correspond to a source's full citation in a Works Cited list. In-text citations often require a page number (or numbers) showing exactly where relevant information was found in the original source.

APA Citing

Purdue Owl

Vidcast: APA Formatting: the Basics - Purdue OWL  Important warning: the Owl Purdue APA Style website contains errors, so use with discernment.

Citing Resources

Identify Journal Title, Article Title, Volume, Issue

Identify the journal title from the italicized journal name. Example: Ostomy Wound Management.

Identify the article title, located after the authors: Example: Does sterile or nonsterile technique make a difference in wounds healing by secondary intention?

Identify the volume: italicized number after the journal title: 49

Identify the issue number in parentheses after the volume: (4)

Identify the page numbers: 56-60.

APA citation of a journal article with three authors:

Lawson, C., Juliano, L., & Ratliff, C. (2003). Does sterile or nonsterile technique make a difference in  wounds healing by secondary intention? Ostomy Wound Management, 49(4), 56-60.