APA (American Psychological Association) referencing is widely used in education, psychology, business, and social sciences. APA uses an author–date system with specific formatting rules for in-text citations and reference lists. This guide walks you through the essentials with simple examples.
APA In-text Citation Examples
APA uses the author’s surname and the year, plus a comma between them. Let’s say you’re explaining that interactive learning tools help improve student engagement. This idea comes from a study written by John Kim, published in 2020.
You can cite the source in two main ways:
Citation at the end
Digital learning tools can increase classroom participation (Kim, 2020).Citation integrated into the sentence
Kim (2020) found that digital tools improve engagement among students.
Citing Multiple Authors
APA referencing works much like Harvard, but the key difference is how it handles multiple authors—especially when three or more authors are listed. Here’s a quick breakdown with simple examples to show how each format works.
|
Single author |
Regular physical activity significantly improves mental health (Brown, 2018). |
|
Two authors |
Regular physical activity significantly improves mental health (Brown & Patel, 2018). |
|
Three or more authors |
Regular physical activity significantly improves mental health (Brown et al., 2018). |
Multiple Sources at the Same Point
Sometimes you may need to support a statement using more than one source. When this happens, list all the citations together and separate them with semicolons.
If you reference several sources at once, place citations in alphabetical order and separate them with semicolons.
Example
Digital learning is now widely used in classrooms (Adams, 2018; Kim, 2020; Turner & Wells, 2019).
Multiple Works by the Same Author in the Same Year
Sometimes an author releases more than one publication in the same year. In these cases, add letters after the year to tell the sources apart.
When the same author publishes several works in one year, add letters after the date to distinguish them.
Example
Research shows rapid growth in digital platforms (Lopez, 2021a; Lopez, 2021b; Lopez, 2021c).
Secondary References (Citing a Source You Found in Another Source)
Sometimes you need to cite an idea mentioned in another author’s work, but you can’t access the original source. This is known as secondary referencing, and in APA it should only be used when the original source cannot be obtained.
When using a secondary reference, you cite both authors in the text, but only include the source you actually read in your reference list. If Kim (2020) cites a study by Harris (2015) that you cannot access:
Example
Digital learning improves student motivation (Harris, 2015, as cited in Kim, 2020).Reference list entry
Kim, J. (2020). The impact of digital learning tools on student engagement. Journal of Educational Technology, 15(3), 122–135.
Direct Quotes from Sources
If you quote text word-for-word, you must include the exact page number, whether it’s from one page or a range.
For direct quotations, APA style requires page numbers. Use p. for a single page. Use pp. for multiple pages
Single-page quote
Gamified lessons help students stay motivated” (Wang, 2022, p. 44).Multi-page quote
“Gamified lessons help students stay motivated” (Wang, 2022, pp. 44–46).
Citing AI tools like ChatGPT in APA style
APA treats generative AI tools such as ChatGPT differently from traditional sources because their responses are not recoverable by others. For this reason, AI-generated content is cited as personal communication, unless you are referencing the software itself.
Citing ChatGPT as personal communication (Use this when you include text generated by ChatGPT)
In-text citation
AI tools can help students brainstorm ideas (ChatGPT, personal communication, March 18, 2025).Reference list entry
Note: Personal communications do not appear in the reference list because the content cannot be retrieved by readers.
Citing ChatGPT as Software (when discussing the tool itself)
In-text citation
ChatGPT has become a widely used tool for drafting and editing academic text (OpenAI, 2025).Reference list entry
OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT (March 2025 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/.
Citing a specific prompt (if required by your institution)
In-text citation
Digital learning tools offer several strategies for improving lesson interactivity (ChatGPT, personal communication, March 18, 2025).Reference list entry
ChatGPT. (2025, March 18). Response to the prompt: “Explain the impact of digital learning tools.” https://chat.openai.com/
⚠️ Important Note on Citing AI Tools
Guidelines for citing AI tools like ChatGPT vary widely between universities, and many institutions are still updating their policies. Always check your department’s or university’s official referencing guide to ensure you follow the correct requirements.
Reference List
The reference list appears on a new page titled References and is ordered alphabetically by the first author’s surname. APA recommends including DOIs wherever available. The first line of your reference should be aligned with the left margin and each line after that should be indented half an inch from the left margin.
For a clearer understanding of how different sources should be formatted, here are sample APA references for common source types. For further information, read this blog.
References Formatted in APA Style
Journal article
Kim, J. (2020). The impact of digital learning tools on student engagement. Journal of Educational Technology, 15(3), 122–135. https://doi.org/10.1234/edtech.56789Book
Lopez, R. (2021a). Digital classrooms: A modern approach to teaching. Routledge.Website
EdTech Review. (2022). Benefits of interactive learning. https://www.edtechreview.com/interactive-learningConference paper
Lee, M., Carter, J. and Wilson, K. (2020) ‘Improving battery storage efficiency in residential areas’, in Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Power Systems. Glasgow: IEEE, pp. 58–66.Thesis / Dissertation
Rahman, S. (2021). Assessing the impact of digital microlearning tools (Doctoral dissertation, University of Manchester). Manchester eScholar.Report
International Education Board. (2023). Digital learning trends in higher education. IEB Publications. https://www.ieb.org/reports/digital-learningYouTube Video
EduTech Insights. (2024, February 10). How AI transforms classroom learning [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=example123Dataset
LearnData Lab. (2022). Student engagement metrics in online courses, 2019–2022 [Data set]. LearnData Repository. https://www.learndata.org/engagement-datasetLegislation
Digital Education Act, 2021. United Kingdom. https://www.gov.uk/digital-education-act
Conclusion
APA referencing may look detailed at first, but once you understand the basics—author–date citations, page numbers for quotes, rules for multiple authors—it becomes much more manageable. Using tools like plagiarism checkers, paraphrasing tools, and citation generators can also help you avoid errors and maintain academic integrity.
If you’re ready to explore practical questions students often ask, continue to the APA Referencing FAQs section.
