Tips on referencing in APA

Tips on Using References

Frank Pajares

Emory University

Make every effort to avoid beginning a paragraph with
- Smith and Wesson (1894) found that young people are strange as a rule.
If you buy the conclusions of the researchers, write
- Young people are strange (Smith & Wesson, 1894).
If you are a bit tenuous about the conclusion, try
- There is evidence to suggest that young people are strange (see Smith & Wesson, 1894).
If you disagree with the researcher’s conclusions, try
- Some researchers have reported that young people are strange (Smith & Wesson, 1894), but (and here you state the reason why you disagree with the conclusion, for example) the data on which this conclusion has generally been based were collected primarily from adolescents. Consequently, it has not yet been established whether infants, toddlers, and small children are strange as well.
When you can, group researchers under one conclusion or theme
- Growing evidence suggests that young people are strange (e.g., Pajares, 1994; Smith & Wesson, 1894; Wilbur, 1994).
When you specifically want to discuss a study, try this
- There is evidence to suggest that young people are strange. For example, Smith and Wesson (1894) interviewed 230 early adolescents and discovered that . . .
Make every effort to avoid saying
- Smith and Wesson's (1894) study showed that . . .
Instead, go straight to the point
- Smith and Wesson (1894) reported that . . .
Remember — group studies under the point you wish to make. State that point up front, cite the appropriate studies, and provide one or two relevant examples.
Think hard about the verb you decide to use. There are differences either in meaning or nuance between verbs such as
- Smith and Wesson (1894)
  examined . . . studied . . . explored . . . investigated . . . looked at . . . analyzed . . . suggested . . . concluded . . . inferred . . . noted . . . insisted . . . reasoned . . . wrote . . . argued . . . maintained . . . observed . . . found . . . reported . . . discovered . . . believed . . .
- What Smith and Wesson (1894) do not do, however, is say.