Building your reference list is only half the job of crediting your sources. The other half happens inside the body of your paper, and that’s where in-text citations come in.

An in-text citation points your reader to the full reference on your References page. It tells them exactly where an idea came from so they can verify it themselves. In the APA format, those citations are parenthetical, meaning all the relevant information goes inside parentheses right before the closing punctuation of the sentence.

When to use in-text citations

Any time you use someone else’s ideas in your paper – whether you’re quoting directly or restating the idea in your own words – you need an in-text citation. That includes:

• Direct quotes
• Paraphrased ideas
• Summarized content
• Specific data points or findings

The one exception: common knowledge. If it’s a fact that’s widely known and easily verified like a historical date or basic scientific principle, then you can skip the citation. When in doubt, include one.

The basic APA in-text citation format

A standard APA in-text citation includes the author’s last name, the year of publication, and – if you’re quoting directly – a page number or location. All of it goes in parentheses at the end of the sentence, just before the period.

Paraphrase: Sasquatches may migrate seasonally across mountain ranges (Medley, 2007).

Direct quote: “The evidence is compelling” (Medley, 2007, p. 53).

Note that for direct quotes, the citation follows the closing quotation mark but comes before the period. If a quote spans multiple pages, use an en dash between the page numbers: (Medley, 2007, pp. 53–54).

In-text citations with multiple authors

Two authors

Include both last names, connected by an ampersand inside the parentheses.

(Strange & Weber, 2020)

Three or more authors

Use only the first author’s last name followed by et al.

(Nguyen et al., 2021)

A few things to note: et al. is not italicized, there’s no comma before it, and this format applies every time you cite the source, including the first.

What to do when there’s no author

First, check whether an organization is listed as the author. If so, use the organization’s name in place of an individual’s last name.

(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2023)

If there’s no author at all, use the title of the work instead. Italicize the title in the citation if it was italicized in the references (books and webpages), or use quotation marks if it wasn’t (journal articles). Either way, the title uses title case in the citation – even if it’s sentence case in the reference.

Book or webpage: (Sasquatch Studies, 2020)

Journal article: (“Cryptid Migrations,” 2022)

If the title is long, you can shorten it to a recognizable length.

Narrative citations

If you mention the author’s name in the sentence itself, you don’t need to repeat it in the parentheses, just include the year (and page number if quoting). This is called a narrative citation.

Lin (2022) explores how environmental shifts affect migration patterns.

According to Lin (2022), “the findings were inconclusive” (p. 12).

Citing multiple sources in one sentence

When two or more sources support the same idea, include them together in one set of parentheses. List them in alphabetical order – the same order the appear in your reference list – separated by semicolons.

(Clifton, 2015; Strange & Weber, 2020)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an in-text citation in APA?

An in-text citation is a brief parenthetical reference placed in the body of your paper any time you use someone else’s ideas, whether quoted or paraphrased. In the APA format, it typically includes the author’s last name and the year of publication.

Do you need a page number in every APA in-text citation?

No. Page numbers are required for direct quotes and encouraged when pointing to a specific passage. For general paraphrases or references to an overall idea, the author and year are sufficient.

How do you cite a source with three or more authors in APA?

Use the first author’s last name followed by et al. and the year – every time, including the first citation: (Nguyen et al., 2021).

What if a source has no author?

Use an organizational author if one is listed. If there’s no author at all, use the title of the work. Italicize it if the title is italicized in the reference; use quotation marks if it’s not. Always use title case, even if the title is sentence case in the reference.

How do you cite multiple sources in one APA citation?

List all sources in alphabetical order inside one set of parentheses, separated by semicolons: (Clifton, 2015; Strange & Weber, 2020).

Where does the in-text citation go in a sentence?

For paraphrases, at the end of the sentence before the period. For direct quotes, after the closing quotation mark and before the period. Block quotes are the exception – the citation follows the final punctuation of the quoted passage.

PERRLA builds in-text citations automatically as you add them to your paper, no manual formatting required. Try PERRLA free for 7 days, no credit card required.