Researching
Finding information, using the ideas of others, citing sources.
Formatting Quotations in APA
The length of any quotation you use will determine how you end up formatting it.
Short Quotes
Quotes under 40 words are worked into the text with quotation marks around them. The most important thing to remember is that you need to name the author of the quote and have the date of publication and page number available as well.
Example:According to the American Psychological Association’s (APA) manual (2001), “Material directly quoted from another author’s work or from one’s own previously published work, material duplicated from a test item, and verbatim instructions to participants should be reproduced word for word” (p. 117). OR “Material directly quoted from another author’s work or from one’s own previously published work, material duplicated from a test item, and verbatim instructions to participants should be reproduced word for word” (American Psychological Association [APA], 2001, p. 117). |
Long Quotes:
Quotations of 40 words or more are put into a “block quotation.” This means that the quotation is begins on a line of its own and the whole quote is indented ½ in and double spaced. When you have a long quote like this, it is no longer necessary to have quotation marks around it. The text following the end of the quotation will begin on a new line and will not be indented. As far as citation goes, you will still need the same author, date, and page as you did with short quotes.
Example:According to the American Psychological Association (2001),
Longer quotations, however, require special formatting.... |
Editing Quotes
Writers often edit quotes to better get the point across in a paper. For ways in which you can do this, see our quotations page.
Sources
American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. 5th ed. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2001.
Hacker, Diana. A Writer’s Reference. 6th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007.
Purdue University. “APA Formatting and Style Guide.” The OWL at Purdue. 4 Dec. 2007. http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/.
