Citing Sources as per APA Honest and ethical reporting of research studies and their results is of paramount importance. You must take great care to produce your own work. When information from another person s work is presented, the author must be cited properly. To appropriately cite the source of another person s work, you can use the style guide from the American Psychological Association (APA). This guide provides lists of the various ways to present cited information and authors. These include the use of quotation marks (when appropriate), paraphrasing, in-text citations, and a reference list. Failing to properly cite another person s work will mean that it has been plagiarized. Plagiarism is a serious academic offense, which can result in disciplinary action. Following the rules of APA style will help you avoid plagiarizing and will promote responsible attribution of sources. Transcripts/Audio Clips Source: Transcript and audio of President Barack Obama s interview with National Public Radio (NPR) hosts, Michele Norris and Steve Inskeep on June 1, 2009. Norris, M., & Inskeep, S. (Interviewers) & Obama, B. (Interviewee). (2009, June 1). Transcript: Obama s full interview with NPR [Interview transcript and radio program]. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyid=104806528 In-text (Norris & Inskeep, 2009). Conversations Sources: 1) Professor B. Jones phoned her student to discuss the test on January 1, 2010. 2) Professor M. Smith texted another student about an assignment on April 2, 2011. 1) Phone conversations or verbal interviews that are not documented in text or audio are not included in the reference list, but you may use in-text citations for them. (B. Jones, personal communication, January 1, 2010). 2) Real-time communication that is in written form (Instant messages, chat transcripts, texts, e.g.) is formatted this way: Smith, M. (2011, April 2). Real time communication via text message. The in-text citation would be as follows: (Smith, 2011, April 2). Page 1 of 8
2 E-mail Source: Professor T. Johnson e-mailed her student feedback on the final exam on February 3, 2011. E-mail is not included in the reference list, but you may use in-text citations for them as given below. (T. Johnson, personal communication, February 3, 2011). Online and Print Articles Source: Tim Hatcher published an article about ethical, scholarly writing in a print journal that was made available online. Citation for Online Article: Hatcher, T. (2011). Becoming an ethical scholarly writer. Journal of Scholarly Publishing, 42(2), 142-159. Retrieved from http://utpjournals.metapress.com/content/en52270x0206xk53/ Citation for Print Article: If you accessed this same article in print form, the citation would be the same, except that you would omit the Web address. In-text In both cases, the in-text citation would be (Hatcher, 2011). Online and Printed Books Sources: 1) The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing, a Google ebook on college writing is available online. 2) The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Associationis only available offline. Online Book Harvey, M. (2003). The nuts and bolts of college writing. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/ebooks?id=a5ulflwj0gic In-text (Harvey, 2003). Printed Book American Psychological Association (APA). (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. Washington, DC: Author. Page 2 of 8
3 In-text (APA, 2010). Online and Offline Videos Sources: 1) The Case of Don Johnson A Freshman is a fictional video of a professor questioning a student about a suspected case of plagiarism, available online. The video is used for educational purposes. 2) Writing a Great Research Paper: Plagiarism & Other Pitfalls, is a video from a series available for purchase (not viewable online). Online Video Center for Intellectual Property. (n.d.) The case of Don Johnson a freshman [Video]. Adelphi, MD: University of Maryland University College. Retrieved from http://www.umuc.edu/distance/odell/cip/learningobjects.shtml Offline Video Weber, K. (2006). Writing a great research paper: Plagiarism & other pitfalls. [DVD]. Hicksville, NY: Video Aided Instruction. Page 3 of 8
4 Characteristics of a Credible Source The most valuable resource available to you as an Argosy University student is the university library. Resources available at the university library are most likely to be of the highest academic quality. Argosy s University online library search engine allows you to screen those resources so that your results lists articles that are peer-reviewed and for which the full text and not just the abstract, is available. We live in the Information Age, as it has been dubbed; there are vast amounts of information at our fingertips. The most vexing aspect of living in this age, however, is the need to filter all of that information down to the most current, relevant, valid, reliable, academic data available. Your task is to find and learn the most valuable information available. The examples of sources you have just reviewed are all credible resources. Each of them demonstrates several characteristics of a credible source. Transcripts/Audio Clips Norris, M., & Inskeep, S. (Interviewers) & Obama, B. (Interviewee). (2009, June 1). Transcript: Obama s full interview with NPR [Interview transcript and radio program]. Retrieved from http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyid=104806528 This is an authoritative source as it is published by a credible, nonprofit agency. Credentials are provided and information has been edited/peer-reviewed. Conversations (B. Jones, personal communication, January 1, 2010). and (2011, April 2). Real time communication via text message. This is a credible source as both professors are authoritative sources with available credentials. E-mail Professor T. Johnson e-mailed her student feedback on the final exam on February 3, 2011. (T. Johnson, personal communication, February 3, 2011). The Professor is an authoritative source as credentials are available. Journal Articles Hatcher, T. (2011). Becoming an ethical scholarly writer. Journal of Scholarly Publishing, 42(2), 142-159. Retrieved from http://utpjournals.metapress.com/content/en52270x0206xk53/ This article is a credible source as it was published in an academic journal, which indicates peer review and editing was involved. In addition, the author s credentials are provided in the article. Online and Print Books Harvey, M. (2003). The nuts and bolts of college writing. Indianapolis, IN: Hackett Publishing Company. Retrieved from http://books.google.com/ebooks?id=a5ulflwj0gic and American Psychological Association (APA). (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. Washington, DC: Author. Page 4 of 8
5 In this case, The Nuts and Bolts of College Writing ebook is published by a reputable publishing agency, with peer-review and editing. In addition, it is an authoritative source with credentials provided. The APA manual is published by an established, professional, nonprofit organization. The material is peerreviewed and edited. Online and Offline Videos Center for Intellectual Property. (n.d.) The case of Don Johnson a freshman [Video]. Adelphi, MD: University of Maryland University College. Retrieved from http://www.umuc.edu/distance/odell/cip/learningobjects.shtml Weber, K. (2006). Writing a great research paper: Plagiarism & other pitfalls. [DVD]. Hicksville, NY: Video Aided Instruction. The video of the fictional student is produced by a university, which is an authoritative source. In addition, credentials are provided and the information has been peer-reviewed by the educational group. In the second case, the DVD s actor is a reputable source in the field of writing, with credentials provided. The DVD is reviewed and approved by educational professionals at university settings. Page 5 of 8
6 Checklists Use the following checklists to identify and evaluate credible sources and take caution against unstable sources. Checklist for Identifying Credible Sources The more items you are able to check, the more likely the source is credible. The author is identified. The author s credentials are provided. The publisher is identified. The publisher is an established publishing agency or an educational or governmental institution. The publisher does not have a clear bias in favor of any particular political or social agenda. The source was published within the past five years. The source is based on a research study conducted by the author, and the research study was conducted at an educational institution, such as a university, or by a well-respected governmental agency. If the information is accessed on a Web site, the URL ends in.org,.edu, or.gov. The content appears to be of good quality. The author cites sources in footnotes or with links that function properly. The purpose of the information is to provide facts or data, rather than to sell, persuade, or promote a cause. The information is published in an academic, peer-reviewed journal and was found in the university s library, or education-related search engine, such as Google Scholar. References: Barker, J. (2007). Evaluating web pages checklist. Berkeley, CA: University of California. Retrieved from http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/teachinglib/guides/internet/webeval-questionstoask.pdf Flood, A., Murray, W., & Rowell, G. (2009). Using sources: A guide for students: Find it, check it, credit it. UK: The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual). Retrieved from http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/files/2009-12-24-plagiarism-students.pdf Page 6 of 8
7 Checklist of Cautionary Characteristics of Sources The more items you check, the less likely the source is credible. The author is not identified and/or the author s credentials are not provided. The publisher is not identifiable. The date of publication is not provided or is more than ten years ago. The author expresses bias against a person, group of people, or institution. The author attempts to persuade, sell, entice, or otherwise manipulate the reader. The author does not cite sources for the information. Links in the source do not work. The information was not peer-reviewed or edited. The information was accessed on a Web site with a URL ending in.com or.net, and it is sponsored by a company generating revenue. There is a tilde symbol (~) in the URL, which indicates the author is an individual, whose views may not be supported by the domain on which the information is published. The content of the source is opinion, rather than fact. References: Barker, J. (2007). Evaluating web pages checklist. Berkeley, CA: University of California. Retrieved from http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/teachinglib/guides/internet/webeval-questionstoask.pdf Flood, A., Murray, W., & Rowell, G. (2009). Using sources: A guide for students: Find it, check it, credit it. UK: The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual). Retrieved from http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/files/2009-12-24-plagiarism-students.pdf Page 7 of 8
8 Links for Further Referencing APA Style. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.apastyle.org Barker, J. (2007). Evaluating web pages checklist. Berkeley, CA: University of California. Retrieved from http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/teachinglib/guides/internet/webeval-questionstoask.pdf Flood, A., Murray, W., & Rowell, G. (2009). Using sources: A guide for students: Find it, check it, credit it. UK: The Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation (Ofqual). Retrieved from http://www.ofqual.gov.uk/files/2009-12-24-plagiarism-students.pdf The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL). (2011). Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ Page 8 of 8