How do you correctly cite sources in your research proposal or thesis following APA standards?

When should you include a source reference in your text?

When writing a research proposal, report, or thesis, it is common to extensively utilize sources, such as articles or books, to support arguments, define concepts, and locate and compare theoretical models.

You should always include source references when you copy someone else’s words or ideas. It doesn’t matter whether you copy the words exactly (quote) or rephrase them (paraphrase) in your own words. You also need to provide a source citation when making claims, such as stating that “men are better at leading than women“ or that “Dutch people are increasingly adopting unhealthy eating habits.” If you fail to cite a source for these types of statements, you must support them with arguments. Not providing a reference means that the work is solely your own.

In essence, not referencing a source while basing your work on it constitutes plagiarism (and hence, also fraud). On the other hand, if you mention a source but haven’t actually used it, that is also considered fraud. Therefore, it is important to handle source references with care.

Many colleges and universities employ plagiarism detection software to check whether sources have been used without proper citation. If your plagiarism score is too high, your thesis or research proposal may be rejected.

Tip: Always check the latest APA standard for guidelines.

Please note: Reference systems are regularly updated, so it is best to check if the rules have been tightened. You will find the guidelines on this site.

What are the general rules for APA citations?

Strict rules apply to referencing sources. Due to the wide variety of sources available, such as books, articles, websites, podcasts, and TV broadcasts, there are numerous rules to follow. There are two primary ways to refer to a source: using a direct quotation or paraphrasing it by expressing the information in your own words. The widely accepted set of rules for referencing sources is the American Psychological Association (APA) style.

Below are the most common ways to correctly cite sources in the main text. You can summarize, quote, or paraphrase.

• Summarizing: If you decide to summarize, you will express the main points of the article using your own words.
• Quoting: If you want to quote a writer verbatim, it is important that you use the exact wording in the quotation and enclose it in quotation marks. Additionally, you should include the page number to indicate the source of the quote.
• Paraphrasing: Instead of providing word-for-word quotations, it is also possible to rephrase the information using sources, while still conveying the intended meaning in your own words.

Inserting sources in the main text according to APA style is also possible through the standard function in Microsoft Word. One disadvantage of this method is that the reference might be incorrect, even with the APA setting. Therefore, it is necessary to carefully verify the references and bibliography, even when utilizing Word.

We have also explained how to include source citations in your bibliography. 

APA rules for paraphrasing

If you incorporate texts, articles, or ideas from others into your own written work while providing proper source references, this is considered permissible. This practice is known as paraphrasing. The objective is not to merely replace a few words, but rather to express or describe the information using your own words.

The general rule for paraphrasing is to include the author’s last name and the year of publication of the source. When directly quoting, you should also mention the page number, unless it is not applicable, such as for online sources. It is important to always use and refer to the original source. Only if you are unable to find the original article should you use an indirect reference. If you do not know the publication year of the article, you can indicate it as “n.d.” (no date).

For example:

Joosten (2017) has developed a model for measuring satisfaction with complaint handling.

In 2017, Dekker described a model for measuring satisfaction with complaint handling.

APA rules for citing

Quoting literally means copying individual words or sentences directly from another source. This should not exceed five lines. It is crucial to follow the correct citation format when incorporating a quote. This involves enclosing the quoted text within double quotation marks and providing proper APA citations for the sources used. The general guideline for including quotes is as follows: include the author’s last name, the year of publication, the page number where the quote is found, and enclose the quote in quotation marks.

For example:

Smith & Hyde (2015, p. 23) states that “satisfaction with complaint handling is best measured with three variables: satisfaction with the outcome, satisfaction with the procedure and satisfaction with the interaction”.

Quotes of 40 words or more should always start on a new line with the line indented and end with a blank line.

Other rules

Within the APA standards, there are also specific rules for:

• The use of multiple authors
• If you want to use multiple sources

We explain all APA rules below.

APA rules for citing sources when using multiple authors

The general rule for citing two authors is to include both names.

For example:

A well-known model for measuring satisfaction with complaint handling is the Justice model (Hof & Bloemer, 2017).

If you have three, four, or more authors, the following rule applies: mention all authors at the first reference in the text. In all subsequent references, mention only the first author, followed by ‘et al.‘, written in italics.

The first entry will then appear as follows:

A well-known model for measuring satisfaction with complaint handling is the Justice model (Joosten, Bloemer, Horvath, Peters & Hillebrand, 2017).

The second entry looks like this:

The Justice model is used to measure satisfaction with complaint handling (Joosten et al., 2017).

Do you have six authors? If so, the general rule is as follows: for the initial citation and all subsequent references, only mention the first author, followed by ‘et al.‘ written in italics.

The entry is then as follows:

Johnson et al. (2017, p. 23) state that “satisfaction with complaint handling is best measured with three variables: satisfaction with the outcome, satisfaction with the procedure and satisfaction with the interaction”.

APA rules when using multiple citations

If you want to use multiple source citations, the following rule applies: add a semicolon between the different sources.

For example:

Many researchers use the Justice model to measure satisfaction with complaint handling (Van Strien, 2017; Bloemer, Horvath & Peters, 2015; Hillebrand, 2013).

If you are using multiple sources, it is best to organize them in chronological order, with the most recent sources listed first. Alternatively, you can arrange them in alphabetical order based on the surname of the first author. However, it is important to maintain consistency in your chosen method.

Are there also any useful methods for automatically generating sources?

Yes, there are definitely useful ways to automatically generate citations. You can easily insert sources into your text using a standard function in Microsoft Word. Alternatively, you can generate citations through the database you are using, utilizing the “cite“ function. Another option is to use the ”cite” feature in Google Scholar to generate citations in various formats.

Tip! If you click on the related articles in Google Scholar, you can find more articles related to your topic, which can help widen your search. When using a database provided by your educational institution, there is often an option to easily copy the source and cite it according to APA guidelines using the ‘cite’ function.

Do you need help with checking your APA references?

Citing sources is incredibly important. If you fail to do this correctly, you risk committing plagiarism, which could result in your thesis being rejected. Additionally, it is crucial to keep the reference systems up to date and always adhere to the latest rules. This meticulous task often requires a significant amount of time and attention.

Our proofreaders can review your research proposal or thesis for language, structure, and accuracy of source citations. We have expertise in ensuring that your source citations follow the APA standards and we are also familiar with the Guidelines for Legal Authors.

To learn more, please visit our thesis checking page or schedule a free consultation appointment immediately.