Academic Writer Tutorial: Basics of Seventh Edition APA Style
Writing assignments for Cabarrus College of Health Sciences are to be completed using the American Psychological Association (APA) 7th edition citation and format style. Follow this format for all works submitted.
Best resources for help are your copy of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition (2020) and the APA Style website, which offers guidance and examples for students.
Other resources are available through Purdue's Online Writing Center (OWL) APA General Format page.
New to APA Style? Start here Academic Writer Tutorial: Basics of Seventh Edition APA Style
Citation is acknowledging other people's works and/or ideas within your own work (paper, poster, presentation, etc.). It is the formal method of letting your readers know which material in your work came from another source and gives your reader the information necessary to find that source again. Citation also shows the amount of research you have done and strengthens your work by lending outside support to your ideas.
Please review Dr. Sarah Elaine Eaton's blog post regarding the difference between Citation and Reference for more information.
Cabarrus College of Health Sciences requires the use of the APA method of citation, format and reference.
Citation is a matter of "giving credit where credit is due!" Anytime you quote, summarize, paraphrase or refer to anyone else's work, you need to cite it! Citing is the method of giving credit to other people's work when you use them in your own work (such as papers, speeches, posters or projects). Citing is the best way to avoid plagiarism!
Please refer to the article "Why Cite? Three Reasons to Cite your Sources" and Falcon Scientific Editing for "6 Reasons Why Citation of Sources is Important When Writing" for additional information regarding citing your sources.
You may not have to cite anything that is considered common knowledge, such as dates, well known facts, etc. For example, "Washington, D.C. is the capital of the United States of America". This statement is common knowledge and does not require citation.
Below are some examples of things that need to be cited. This list is not comprehensive. If you have any questions regarding what needs to be cited for your work, please contact your instructor.
A good rule of thumb is that you should cite anything that comes from another source, either directly or indirectly.
Students in higher education programs often prefer to use citation management programs for scholarly writing assignments. There are many programs available, some at a cost and others that are free. Cabarrus College does not promote any specific citation management program; however, students may choose to use one during the course of their studies. Please be aware that you are still responsible for the end result, so it would be prudent to review all the results from a citation manager to verify that they are correct!
A few, but by no means all, popular citation managers include:
EndNote
Mendeley Reference Manager
RefWorks (individual subscription required)
Zotero (Cross-Platform, Open Source)
Some universities have created tutorial web pages on citation management. Examples include:
Below are additional websites that will provide assistance with APA citation: