How to Use In-Text Citations

This is a skill that many students struggle with at first. How do you actually insert an original author into your text? If you name the author in your text, then you don’t need to include it in your in-text citation because it is redundant. I know that might sound confusing, but let me show you.

Author is named in a signal phrase:

Aggressive driving is characterized by the tendency to view driving as a competition rather than as a means of getting from one place to another. Although most drivers are content to move along with the flow of traffic, aggressive drivers weave from lane to lane, seeking any advantage that will place them ahead of others. According to researcher P. Arlove, “aggressive drivers are also more likely to tailgate and honk the horn in an effort to intimidate other drivers or simply to move them along faster” (2007).

Author is not named in a signal phrase:

Aggressive driving is characterized by the tendency to view driving as a competition rather than as a means of getting from one place to another. Although most drivers are content to move along with the flow of traffic, aggressive drivers weave from lane to lane, seeking any advantage that will place them ahead of others. According to one researcher, “aggressive drivers are also more likely to tailgate and honk the horn in an effort to intimidate other drivers or simply to move them along faster” (Arlove, 2007).

Your audience needs to know, not only the name of your source, but who that person is. Give him/her some kind of introduction or title. If you are using the person as a source, the audience needs to know why this person is an expert worth quoting. Notice in my first example above that I said “researcher” P. Arlove. However, after the first time the source is introduced, you can simply reference him/her by last name only. 

Finally, the source information you are given from most libraries is NOT in APA format. They simply give you all the information you might need when making a citation. An APA reference page citation for a book looks like this:

Arlove, P. (2007). Wordsmith: A Guide to College Writing. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall.

So if all you do is copy and paste the reference into your paper or reference page, you are doing it wrong.