RN to BSN: Parenthetical References

In-text citations, or parenthetical citations, are those that are inside the running text, or narrative of your text, and act as pointers to the more complete reference list at the end of the paper. In-text citations can follow very different rules than citations found in the reference list, so it’s important to place them in separate mental compartments.

The in-text citation almost always needs the author, year, and page(s).  The basic template looks like this for quotations:

(Author, year, p. x)

(Author, year, pp. xx-xx)

Notice that the year always follows the author, and the page number(s) is always at the end. Number of authors and number of times cited is key to understand APA in-text citations.

One Author

Research by Garcia (2017) found blah (p. 25).

Research found blah (Garcia, 2017, p. 25).

Notice that the year always follows the author, and the page number(s) is always at the end.

Number of authors and number of times cited is key to understanding APA in-text citations.

Two Authors 

Garcia and Bartle (2017) found blah (p. 25).

Research found blah (Garcia & Bartle, 2017, p. 25).

 

Three, Four, and Five Authors—First Time 

Garcia, Bartle, Sorrell, and Singleton (2017) found blah (p. 25).

Garcia, Bartle, Sorrell, and Singleton (2017) found “blah” (p. 25).

Research found blah (Garcia, Bartle, Sorrell, & Singleton, 2017, p. 25).

Three, Four, and Five Authors—Second+ Time 

Garcia et al. (2017) found blah (p. 25).

Research found blah (Garcia et al., 2017, p. 25).

Six or More Authors

Garcia et al. (2017) found blah (p. 25).

Research found blah (Garcia et al., 2017, p. 25).

Research found “blah” (Garcia et al., 2017, p. 25).

No Author

Research found blah (“Title of Article in Quotation Marks and Title Case,” 2017)

Research found blah (Title of Book in Italics and Title Case, 2017)

In “Title of Article in Quotation Marks and Title Case” (2017)

In Title of Book in Italics and Title Case (2017)

Multiple Sources

Several studies (Lowe, 2015; Mancha, 2007; Smith & Jones; 1993) have found blah.

In a multiple sources, in-text citation, order the different citations alphabetically as they appear in the reference list, so the reader can find them easily. Each is separated by a semi-colon.

Same Author/Same Year/Different Works

Research found (Garcia, 1981a)

Garcia (1981b) found

In your reference list, these would look like:

Garcia, C. (1981a). Article title.   [other article citation information].

Garcia, C. (1981b). Book title.   [other book citation information].

Citing Someone Who is Being Cited by Someone