Writing academic papers, especially such big and important ones as a dissertation, is a hard task by itself. However, all sorts of papers have always been and still are a big part of higher education. So, since there is no way to avoid it, students have to learn how to deal with it.
However, that’s only the tip of the iceberg. Although coping with dozens of papers every semester is hard, what is even harder is getting used to citing your papers correctly.
With so many citation styles, it is easy to feel overwhelmed. Every style is unique and imposes its own rules and limitations. And the only way to score high grades for your papers is to know exactly how to use each style.
In this article, we are going to talk about one of the most common formats and tell you everything you need to know to cite sources in it with ease! (https://www.freepik.com/premium-photo/stack-different-books-gray-hand-sticks-out-from- pile-shows-up-index-finger_4903713.htm#page=1&query=dissertation&position=5)
An Introduction to The APA Citation Style
One of the most widespread and accepted styles is APA. The format was introduced in 1929 by the American Psychological Association, which is exactly what its name stands for.
The manual was designed to create and regulate the uniform formatting of research publications in a range of behavioral and social areas like:
● Psychology
● Anthropology
● Sociology
● Linguistics
● Economics
● Cognitive Science
● Human Geography
● Neuroscience
● Political Science
● Archeology
● And others
The style manual focuses on two major goals – to ensure clarity and consistency in publications. It offers a set of recommendations on how to format the work and its separate elements, as well as suggests how to cite various sources. Citing Sources in APA: Top Handy Tips Each Student Should Know If you are wondering how to cite a dissertation or any other paper in the APA style, here are the top seven tips to help you out.
1. Use Available Tools
An easy way to handle APA citations is by using the available tools to your benefit. On the Internet, there are dozens of handy bibliography and citation tools. These tools help you create accurate citations in a few simple clicks. And the best part of it is that many of these tools are absolutely free of charge! By using one of them, you can free your time to get a job and start earning money even as a student. This way, you will have both your education listing on resume and the job experience. Handy, right?
2. Brush Up on the Basics
Before you get to work, be sure to revise the general rules of this style. It is vital to understand that apart from references, there are many other nuances on how to format a paper in APA. To make sure you do everything right, start by looking through a complete APA guide.
3. Grasp the Difference Between Citation Types
Basically, there are two types of citations in the APA style – the ones you put right in your text and reference list entries. As soon as you figure out the difference between them, you will cite your sources easily.
Here are the main two things you have to remember:
In-text – this is a short reference that doesn’t require providing all the bibliographic information about the used source and follows right after the mention of the source.
It should be provided in parentheses. When referencing in text, you only need to provide the author’s last name and the year of publication. For example, (Fitzgerald, 1925). Reference list – you must include every source in the reference list at the end of your work.
Here, you will be providing full bibliographical details. In the next tip, we will tell you how to shape your references with ease. Once you are done with your references, you can start thinking about what you are going to do in the future. For many graduates, looking for their first job is a dreadful process.
Not having any experience can be bad not only for your resume, but also for your self-esteem. What you can do in this case is look for the best professional cover letter writing service and reach out to them for help.A professional writer is able to turn your lack of experience into a positive thing, highlighting all your educational achievements. (https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/hardworking-excited-african-american-student-feeling happy_9761689.htm#page=1&query=essay%20writing&position=52)
4. Memorize the Formula
If you are wondering how to cite in APA with ease, we have some great news for you! There is a universal formula you can use for this: Author’s surname, initial(s). (Date of publication). Title of source. Location of publisher: publisher. Retrieved from URL (this is only used for online sources). Use the formula with the same punctuation for your references. However, there is one more thing to keep in mind. Depending on the type of source you are referencing, be it a textbook, website, article, or scientific publication, you will need to add additional bibliographical details. Thus, apart from learning this formula, you also have to study how the citations of various sources are different.
5. Remember How to Cite a Direct Quote
Typically, most of your in-text references will come in the “author, publication date” format. However, there is an exception. When putting a direct quote in your text, you should also add the page number in parentheses. In this case, your parentheses should follow right after the quote and look like this: (Fitzgerald, 1925, p. 97) In all other cases, when there is no direct quote, there is no need to specify the page number.
6. Know Your Alternatives
One more tip concerning in-text references is that you can actually do it in two different ways. We’ve already discussed that you can provide the author’s last name and publication date after the relevant information in parentheses.
However, you can also include the author’s name in a sentence. When you mention the author in the sentence, you don’t need to repeat their last name in parentheses.
For example: In his book, F. Scott Fitzgerald tells us about … (1925) These are only a few of the many tips. However, we hope that this guide will help you understand the APA style a bit better and receive a deserved high mark for your paper with ease!
