A Complete Guide On How To Cite Sources In An APA Style Research Paper

Citing sources when you are writing your paper in the APA style is an important part of your work. There are a lot of students who take this for granted, but in the long run, it comes back to bite them. Citing sources in your paper is an important part of your work, because it helps you show the teacher how good or deep you went in terms of the research you did on the paper.

You must also understand that if you do some good research on your work, there is a strong likelihood that you will manage to get good results. This often shows in the quality of sources you use for your paper. For teachers who have been marking these papers for a really long time, it will become easier to decipher whether the quality of your work is worth the marks that you desire. For your APA style research paper, the following guide will assist you learn how to cite sources:

  • Get quality sources
  • Use a good sample paper
  • Focus on the surnames
  • Do not use outdated sources

Get quality sources

Before you start thinking about citing sources in your work, it is important for you to ensure that you know how to select the best of them all. You do not need to choose a particular source just because you like it, but choose simply because it is of a good quality, and will help your paper.

Use a good sample paper

There are times when a sample paper will come in handy for you as you attempt to get this work done. Choose some of the best of these samples, read from them and then you will be in a good position to see firsthand what good work is all about.

Focus on the surnames

Citations for sources in the APA format must always be done based on the surname of the author and the year. In fact, to make your work easier you can even use the word processor that you have installed on your paper to help you get this done automatically and much faster.

Do not use outdated sources

It is important to get your sources correct. Get sources that are not outdated. You can consult your teacher about the duration within which you can consider your sources to be legitimate for this task.