Sure, I'd be happy to help you with setting up APA citations and formatting!
APA (American Psychological Association) style is commonly used in the social sciences, including psychology, sociology, and education. It has specific guidelines for formatting papers, creating in-text citations, and creating a reference list. Let's break it down step by step:
1. Setting up APA format:
- Use 1-inch margins on all sides of the document.
- Use a clear and legible font (e.g., Times New Roman) in 12-point size.
- Double-space the entire document, including the title page, abstract, main text, and references.
- Include a running head at the top left of each page. This is a short version of your paper's title, typically in uppercase letters (maximum 50 characters).
- On the title page, include the paper's title (centered), your name, and the institutional affiliation (e.g., your university). Also, include a page number at the top right corner (starting on the title page).
2. In-text citations:
- In-text citations are used whenever you quote, paraphrase, or summarize information from another source within your paper.
- For a paraphrase or summary, include the author's last name and the publication year in parentheses. For example: (Smith, 2021).
- For a direct quotation, include the author's last name, publication year, and page number(s). For example: (Smith, 2021, p. 42).
- If there are multiple authors, use "&" for in-text citations of 2 authors or use "et al." (meaning "and others") for in-text citations of 3 or more authors. For example: (Jones & Smith, 2020) or (Brown et al., 2019).
- If there is no author, use the first few words of the title in quotation marks, followed by the publication year. For example: ("Article Title," 2018).
3. Creating APA citations for the reference list:
- The reference list provides full bibliographic information for every source cited in your paper.
- Each reference entry begins with the author's last name, followed by initials. For example: Smith, J. D.
- Include the publication year (in parentheses), the title of the article (in sentence case, capitalize the first word and any proper nouns), and the title of the journal (in title case, capitalize all major words).
- Include the volume number (in italics) and the issue number (in parentheses), if applicable.
- Include the page range of the article, and if it is an online source, include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) or the URL.
- For example:
Smith, J. D. (2021). Title of the article. Journal Title, 28(2), 45-67. doi:10.xxxxxx or https://www.example.com
Remember that these are just general guidelines. It's always a good idea to consult the official APA Manual (currently in its 7th edition) or a reliable APA style guide for specific details on formatting and citation requirements.
Additionally, there are various online citation generators (e.g., bibme.org, easybib.com) that can help you create APA citations automatically. Just input the required information, and the generator will format the citation for you.
I hope this explanation helps you understand how to set up APA citations, in-text citations, and format your papers properly!