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Paraphrasing in APA

Paraphrasing is the art of putting information into your own words while writing a research paper, in order to maintain the academic integrity of your project. This is important because you need to use solid evidence as a researcher, but you need to put information into the proper format to avoid plagiarism. The American Psychological Association (APA) created a writing style in 1929 that calls for uniformity and consistency in giving credit to sources in your research.

How to properly paraphrase

If you do not properly paraphrase your source material following the APA style, you are at the risk of losing credibility as a writer and possibly plagiarizing. Although paraphrasing is not difficult, it does take time and a little forethought to do it correctly. There are several steps you should follow in order to achieve success.

1. Read the original source

The first step in creating an effective paraphrase is to carefully read the original source. Read it the first time to get the overall understanding, and then do a second closer reading in order to gather details and material that will help you formulate your argument.

2. Take notes in your own words

After reading the original source and determining what details can help you formulate your argument, take a minute to jot down some notes. Be careful to put everything into your own words. Change the structure of the sentence as well as the vocabulary.

Also, take a moment to take notes on the context of the source. Why was it written? Who wrote it? When was it written?

3. Construct a paraphrase

In order to construct a paraphrase, you need to include the same information, but with different sentence structure and different vocabulary. APA rules say that a paraphrase should be approximately the same length as the original.

You also need to add contextual text around the paraphrase so it fits within your paper.

4. Double check the original source to avoid duplication

Although an extra step, it is always a good idea to read through the original source one more time to make sure that you have chosen different words and varied the sentence structure. This is a good time to add the APA requirements of author and year of the source so that you have it handy.

5. Include an APA in-text citation

Even though you are putting a paraphrase into your own words, APA requires an in-text citation for paraphrasing. You can create a parenthetical citation or a narrative citation to accomplish this.

Remember: All in-text citations will also need a corresponding APA reference in the APA reference page . For this article, we’re just focusing on in-text citations in paraphrases.

For both types of in-text citation, you will need the following source information:

• Author’s last name
• Year published
• single page: p. #
• page range: pp. #-#

Parenthetical citation

For an APA parenthetical citation , write your paraphrase and then add the author and year in parenthesis at the end. Use a comma between the author and the year inside the parenthesis, and put the period for the end of the sentence outside the parenthesis.

Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light What so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming? (Key, 1814).

My parents traveled from Italy to Germany and then France. As the oldest child, I traveled with them after being born in Naples. They were very close, and shared that love they had for each other with me (Shelley, 1818, p. 78).

Narrative citation

In a narrative citation, you introduce the author’s name as part of the sentence, and put the year in parenthesis.

Francis Scott Key (1814) wrote very special words while overlooking a battle: Oh, say can you see by the dawn’s early light, what so proudly we hailed at the twilight’s last gleaming?

For further details, visit this guide on APA in-text citations.

Paraphrasing example

Franklin Delano Roosevelt gave an inaugural address in January 1933 during the Great Depression. This is an excerpt taken from an online source :

This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need we shrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure as it has endured, will revive and will prosper….

1. Read original source text

In order to paraphrase, read through the text once to get the gist of it, and then again for deeper understanding. The context of this passage is also significant. It was given by a U.S. president during the Great Depression. What do you think he was trying to achieve?

Next take notes in your own words. Without immediately looking at the text, jot down what you think is the main point or concept of it. Next, take notes on the context of the source (you can look at the source for this).

For this passage, a few example notes could be:

• Facing truth
• Harsh current reality
• Believing that this great nation will endure and eventually prosper again
• Speech by President Roosevelt in 1933
• Given during the Great Depression
• He was addressing his citizens

Now’s the time to construct the paraphrase. Based on the notes above, a paraphrase would look something like this:

With his inaugural speech, Roosevelt was carefully trying to prepare citizens of the Nation to face the harsh reality that the Great Depression had caused, while also reassuring them that the country would endure and eventually prosper again.

4. Double check with the original source

The paraphrase above doesn’t not look too similar to the original, but we could still change a few words that were also in the original phrase (like “Nation,” “endure,” and “prosper). Revised, it looks like this:

With his inaugural speech, Roosevelt was carefully trying to prepare citizens of the United States to face the harsh reality that the Great Depression had caused, while also reassuring them that the country would eventually bounce back .

5. Add an APA in-text citation

An APA in-text citation means including the source’s author, year published, and page numbers (if available). The paraphrase already has the author’s name, but the year published needs to be added in parentheses. This is from an online source so no page number is needed.

With his inaugural speech, Roosevelt (1933) was carefully trying to prepare citizens of the United States to face the harsh reality that the Great Depression had caused, while also reassuring them that the country would eventually bounce back.

Examples of poor paraphrasing

Most people who fail at paraphrasing use the same sentence as the original source, and just change a word or two. If this is the case, the paraphrase would look something like this:

This great country will endure as it has endured, will come back to life and will prosper. So, first of all, let me show my strong belief that the only thing we have to worry about is fear itself…”

Another problem with paraphrasing occurs when you do half the job. Although the first and third sentences change the sentence structure and vocabulary in the sample below, there are some sections that are taken word-for-word from the original.

“From Italy they visited Germany and France. I, their eldest child, was born at Naples, and as an infant accompanied them in their rambles. I remained for several years their only child. Much as they were attached to each other, they seemed to draw inexhaustible stores of affection from a very mine of love to bestow them upon me.

Paraphrase:

My parents visited Italy and then Germany and France. I, their eldest child, was born at Naples. I traveled with them and was their only child for a few years. They loved each other and they seemed to draw inexhaustible stores of affection from a very mine of love.

In addition to the word-for-word similarities, this paraphrase doesn’t mention the original source’s author, year published, or page number (Shelley, 1818, p. 78).

Key takeaways

• In order to avoid plagiarism, APA delineates the way to give credit to sources when you are paraphrasing.
• In APA style, parenthetical citations demand the author and year of source.
• In order to create a stellar paraphrase, you need to change the structure and the words, but keep the main idea intact.

Published October 28, 2020.

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Introduction to APA Style

This video was created by California State University Dominguez Hills and provides a quick and helpful overview of the APA Citation Style.

Paraphrasing: To restate an idea in your own words.

APA Style prefers that authors paraphrase ideas from sources rather than directly quoting from them. Paraphrasing allows you to connect the ideas in a source to the ideas in your paper more clearly and succinctly. It cuts down on wordiness and demonstrates your understanding of the source itself.

Although we regularly paraphrase our experiences in conversation, paraphrasing content from scholarly articles into your research paper can be a challenging exercise! This is because you are learning new content and a new academic communication style as your read.

Below are some tips from to help you successfully paraphrase the ideas of others:

• Closely read the section of the source you want to paraphrase. Read it more than once until you truly understand it.
• Note how this source connects to your thesis/paper topic. Ask yourself: Why do I want to use this source?
• Hide the source from view, so you can't see that section anymore.
• Imagine explaining the section to a friend or classmate. Write down what you would say.
• Compare your paraphrase to the source itself to make sure you have captured the idea, but not copied the author's words or phrasing.
• Revise your paraphrase, so that it's written in your own voice and it doesn't mimic the phrasing or sentence structure of the original source. If you do need to use a specific term from the original in your paraphrase, put it inside quotation marks.
• Cite the source!

Sources: Purdue OWL , University of Wisconsin-Madison Writing Center , Walden University Writing Center

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• Zotero Zotero (pronounced "zoh-TAIR-oh") is a research management application that works with your Firefox, Chrome, or Safari browser to collect, manage, and cite research sources. Follow the link for more information on how to set up and use Zotero.
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Paraphrasing

• Why Paraphrase?
• Paraphrasing Is a Process
• Step 1: Read
• Step 2: Take Notes
• Step 3: Think About What You Read
• Step 4: Write It In Your Own Words
• Step 5: Cite Your Source

Citing in APA

• Citing in MLA
• Paraphrasing Gone Bad Video
• What's Wrong With This Paraphrase? (A)
• What's Wrong With This Paraphrase? (B)
• What's Wrong With This Paraphrase? (C)

This is what an APA citation looks like.        In-text citation:

Parents should be concerned about online advertising. These advertisers are manipulative, and children are more vulnerable than most parents expect ( Cornish, 2014, p. 454 ). 

References page:

Cornish, L. S. (2014). 'Mum, can I play on the internet?' Parents' understanding, perception and responses to online advertising designed for children. International Journal of Advertising, 33 (3), 437-473.

Citations will have different formats depending on what you're citing (a book, an article from a database, a video, etc.). Want to see more examples of APA citations? Go to OWL at Purdue .

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A Guide to Plagiarism and Paraphrasing

According to the joint research efforts of Dr. Donald McCabe and the International Center for Academic Integrity , nearly 30% of university students admit to having cheated in some way on an exam.

Understanding how and when to cite sources is a critical skill for students to learn. Whether you borrow someone’s ideas from a textbook, blog post, or academic journal, you must give proper credit while representing the source’s ideas fairly and coherently.

This guide covers:

• Paraphrasing
• Plagiarism checkers, citation managers, and writing tools

The Purdue Global Writing Center defines plagiarism as “using another's words, ideas, results, or images without giving appropriate credit to that person, therefore, giving the impression that it is your own work.”

Types of Plagiarism

University of Oxford notes eight common forms of plagiarism:

• Verbatim plagiarism: Copying someone else’s work word for word.
• Cutting and pasting from web pages without clear acknowledgement: Pulling information off the internet without referencing it and without including it in the bibliography.
• Paraphrasing: Paraphrasing so closely so that the copy is almost an exact match to the original.
• Collusion: In group projects, or projects in which you received help, failing to properly attribute the assistance or failure to follow the project’s rules.
• Inaccurate citation: Failing to cite correctly, according to the conventions of your discipline.
• Failure to acknowledge assistance: Failing to clearly acknowledge all assistance that has contributed to your work (ordinary proofreading and help from a tutor or supervisor is excepted).
• Use of material written by professional agencies or other people: Using material that was written by a professional agency or another person, even if you have the consent of the person who wrote it.
• Auto-plagiarism (also known as self-plagiarism): Reusing work that you’ve previously submitted or published; presenting that information as new when you’ve already gotten credit for the work.

A new concern revolves around AI and copying directly from chat, composition, and visual tools. Using prompts to generate content for assignments and passing it off as your own contribution is considered plagiarism. Various organizations use AI software to check for submissions generated by a chatbot.

Also, keep in mind that AI tools may produce inaccurate and unreliable information. While there may be valid use cases for informal AI-generated brainstorming, this is a complex and evolving topic. Be sure to verify the policy expressed by your school, professors, or professional organizations for recent developments.

It’s important to note that plagiarism can be intentional or unintentional. Unintentional plagiarism occurs when a student unknowingly cites a source inaccurately or improperly. Intentional plagiarism, on the other hand, is when a student chooses not to cite a source or tries to pass off someone else’s ideas as their own.

Consequences of Plagiarism

The consequences of plagiarism vary by institution, but it could get you expelled or dropped from a course. In less severe instances, plagiarism — both intentional and unintentional — may result in a grade penalty, course failure, or suspension. Beyond the academic consequences, plagiarism also tarnishes your reputation and minimizes your integrity. Whether you’re in school or the working world, plagiarism is not a good look.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

The key to avoiding plagiarism is learning how to incorporate research into your writing. According to the Purdue Global Writing Center , you can do this in the following ways:

• Quoting: If you don’t want to alter a source, use quotation marks to enclose all verbatim phrases.
• Summarizing: If you find multiple relevant points in a lengthy text, simplify them into your own condensed synopsis.
• Paraphrasing: If you want to use a source’s information, restate it in your own words.

Whether you’re quoting, summarizing, or paraphrasing, don’t forget to cite all sources.

What Is Paraphrasing?

Paraphrasing is using your own words to convey the meaning of an excerpt. It shows your reader that you did your research and understand the content. While students may understand that they need to cite sources, many struggle with paraphrasing the ideas of others into their own words. However, like many aspects of writing, effective paraphrasing is a skill developed over time.

How to Approach Paraphrasing

The goal of paraphrasing is to translate the original work into your own wording and sentence structure. The best way to approach this is to focus on the meaning of the text, forcing you to interact with its purpose and context.

Paraphrasing Tips

A good way to judge your understanding of material is to see if you can explain it to someone else. Once you have this level of understanding, it’s easier to create effective paraphrases — changing the language and structure of a passage becomes more manageable.

Here are some tips to help you paraphrase:

• Reread the passage until you fully understand its meaning.
• Write your own summary of the passage without referencing the original.
• Check that your summary accurately captures the context of the original passage.
• Document the source information following your summary, whether it’s an endnote or footnote.

Remember that you still need to cite your paraphrases, but your follow-up analysis and discussion points belong to you.

What Requires Citation?

Any time you use information that isn’t common knowledge or you didn’t come up with yourself, you must cite it. The following requires citation, usually through in-text citation or a reference list entry:

• Quotes: If you are quoting the actual words someone said, put the words in quotation marks and cite the source.
• Information and ideas: If you obtain ideas or information from somewhere else, cite it — even if you paraphrase the original content.
• Illustrations: If you use someone else’s graphic, table, figure, or artwork, you must credit the source. These may also require permission and a copyright notice.
• Photographs: If you use your own photography or an image that allows use without attribution, no citation is required. In other cases, add a note below the image and a corresponding reference citation.

Common Knowledge Exception

You don’t need to cite information that’s considered common knowledge in the public domain — as long as you reword the well-known fact. According to the Purdue Global Writing Center , information must have the following traits to be considered common knowledge:

• The reader would already be aware of it.
• It’s a widely accepted fact; for example, there are 24 hours in a day.
• It’s accessible via common information sources.
• It originates from folklore or a well-known story.
• It’s commonly acknowledged in your field and known by your audience.

Why Citation Is Important

The importance of citation goes beyond the avoidance of plagiarism. According to the Purdue Global Writing Center’s Plagiarism Information page, citation:

• Distinguishes new ideas from existing information
• Reinforces arguments regarding a particular topic
• Allows readers to find your sources and conduct additional research
• Maintains ethical research and writing
• Ensures attribution of ideas, avoiding plagiarism

Additionally, proper citation enhances your credibility with readers, displays your critical thinking skills, and demonstrates your strong writing ability.

Plagiarism Prevention and Writing Resources

It takes time to develop strong writing and paraphrasing skills. Thinking of writing as more of a discussion than a report may help you develop your skills. Remember that it’s not about reporting and repeating information; it’s about expanding on ideas and making them your own.

Below are some tools to help you avoid plagiarism, accurately cite sources, and improve your writing as you develop your own unique voice.

Plagiarism Checkers

• DupliChecker
• Grammarly's Plagiarism Checker
• Plagiarism Detector

Citation Managers

• Academic Writer
• Grammarly’s Free Citation Generator

>> Read: Apps and Extensions to Help You With APA Citations

Writing Tools

Check out purdue global’s writing center resources.

The Purdue Global Writing Center can help guide students through the paper writing process — from avoiding plagiarism to proper paraphrasing to getting the right citations.

Students may access this resource from the Purdue Global campus homepage . Click “My Studies,” followed by “Academic Success Center.”

From there, students have several options:

• Ask a writing tutor
• Connect with a tutor for a one-on-one session
• Browse the Study Studio
• Watch webinars

Students can check out the Using Sources & APA Style page , which includes several resources to guide students through the process of formatting a document and citing sources in the American Psychological Association (APA) style. The Plagiarism Information page offers a tutorial designed to help students identify instances of plagiarism and understand how to avoid them.

See Notes and Conditions below for important information.

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Paraphrasing means taking the ideas and information from an original source and writing it in your own words. Paraphrasing helps you understand a resource by interpreting and rewording it in your own voice. It also reduces direct quotations and keeps your voice in your writing. This makes your papers more authentic and easier to read.

Like direct quotations, a paraphrase must include a citation giving credit to the original source.

Paraphrasing tips:

• Read through the original passage several times to fully understand its meaning.
• Write the main ideas and key words of the passage. Then, write alternate ways of conveying the same idea with different words.
• Note any unique words or phrases in the original passage that would lose their meaning if you re-wrote them. You can incorporate them into your paraphrase as direct quotations, with quotation marks around them.
• Rewrite the sentence structure, word order and grammar used in the original source. This gives your writing a different voice.

Use these websites and articles for more information about paraphrasing:

• Critical Skills: Paraphrasing This link opens in a new window  - Salem Press Encyclopedia
• Paraphrase: Write It in Your Own Words This link opens in a new window  - Purdue OWL
• Paraphrasing This link opens in a new window  - APA Style
• Paraphrasing  This link opens in a new window - (San José State University)

Further Help

This information is intended to be a guideline, not expert advice. Always speak to your instructor about citation styles and paper formats for your course.

For help with citations and more, visit  Academic Support . To access Academic Support, visit your Brightspace course and select  Tutoring and Mentoring  from the Academic Support pulldown menu. Then, select  24/7 Drop-In Tutoring  from the top navigation menu.

Visit these guides for more information:

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Chapter 8 of the  Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition  is dedicated to formatting in-text citations, paraphrases, and direct quotations. What is presented here is a brief overview on some of these topics  based on the rules found in the manual. For more details and exceptions to the rules, be sure to  reference the manual .

At the minimum, in-text citations require both the author last name and the publication date. Depending on the type of resource you are citing and whether you're quoting or paraphrasing, you may have to include additional information such as page or chapter numbers. 

You can create in-text citations in one of two ways:

• In a  parenthetical citation , all citation information is found within parentheses. See example below:

Falsely balanced news coverage can distort the public's perception of expert consensus on an issue (Koehler, 2016).

• In a  narrative citation , some or all citation information is incorporated into your text. See example below:

Koehler (2016) noted the dangers of falsely balanced news coverage.

If you're citing more than one source in a parenthetical citation, put the sources in alphabetical order and separate each work with a semicolon.

​Example Citations:

NOTE: For resources that contain authors whose names can be abbreviated - usually group authors - include the full name and abbreviation the first time you cite the resource and subsequently use only the abbreviation.

NOTE: If you have two resources whose abbreviated names are the same (e.g. American Psychological Association and American Psychiatric Association are both abbreviated to APA), you need to use each author's full name every time you cite them to avoid confusion.

When you paraphrase a source, you are putting the content of that source in your own words.

Some basic rules concerning paraphrasing include:

• Page or paragraph numbers are not required, but you can include them.
• For all subsequent uses of that source, you don't need to include an in-text citation so long as you make it clear that you are still paraphrasing the same source.
• If you switch between multiple sources when paraphrasing, you need to include an in-text citation after each paraphrase to make it clear which source you're referring to.
• Basic Rules
• Short Quotations
• Block Quotations
• Changing Quotations
• Citations Within Quotations

When you quote a source, you reproduce its content word for word.

Some basic rules concerning quoting include: 

• For sources that don't have pages, provide heading or section names, paragraph numbers, times stamps, verse or line numbers, etc. as appropriate for the type of source you're using.
• Page numbers can be designated as p. for a single page or pp. for a page range.
• A quotation is considered a short quotation when it is fewer than 40 words.
• Embed the quote directly into your text and enclose it with double quotation marks (e.g. "quote"). See example:

Effective teams can be difficult to describe because "high performance along one domain does not translate to high performance along another" (Ervin et al., 2018, p.470).

• A quotation is considered a block quotation when it is 40 or more words.
• Place the quote on a new line and indent all lines of the quote 0.5 inch from the left margin.
• Do NOT put block quotes in quotation marks.
• If you want to omit part of a quote, use an ellipsis (...) to designate where the omitted section is. Remember to add a space before and after the ellipsis.
• If you want to insert words into a quote, surround the added words with square brackets []. 
• If you want to emphasize part of a quote, italicize the part you want to emphasize and add [emphasis added] after the emphasized section.
• For short quotes, use single quotation marks in place of any double quotation marks within your quoted text.
• For block quotes, use double quotation marks for any quoted material within the block.

If a source you're using contains direct quotes, it is recommended that you find, read, and quote the original source of those quotes.

If you can't locate the original source, provide a reference list entry for the secondary source, and format your in-text citation as: (primary source as cited in secondary source).

• Parenthetical Example:  (McCoy et al., 2010, as cited in Chekov, 2017)
• Narrative Example:  According to McCoy et al. (2010), Starfleet captains cannot keep out of trouble (as cited in Chekov, 2017).

Personal communications can come in a variety of reference types, but they all share one key characteristic: the work itself cannot be recovered by the reader (e.g. interviews, phone calls, etc.).

Personal communications are only utilized in-text and do not have a reference list counterpart. To format a personal communication, include the author name (including first and middle initials), the words personal communication, and the exact date.

• Parenthetical Example: (G. Wilder, personal communication, December 5, 2018)
• Narrative Example: G. Wilder (personal communication, December 5, 2018)
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• Last Updated: Nov 13, 2023 2:43 PM
• URL: https://guides.library.nymc.edu/APA7

Citation Guide

• APA Style - 7th Edition
• MLA Style - 9th Edition
• Chicago/Turabian Style

Introduction to this Page

Paraphrasing, summarizing.

• Tools for Managing Citations
• Citation Season!

What This Page Covers

This page covers how to incorporate sources into your text through quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

These guidelines will help you to avoid unintentional plagiarism. Any quote, paraphrase, or summary needs to be accompanied by an in-text citation that identifies what work you are referring to. This gives credit to the people you have learned from and shows the process of your work.

• Purdue OWL Guide to Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing Learn more from this Purdue OWL Guide, which includes a tool to help you check your text.

Tutorials from APA & MLA

The guidelines on this page apply to any citation style, though the different styles may have specific rules for some details like formatting a block quote. The following are helpful tutorials about incorporating sources directly from the APA and the MLA.

Direct Quotations and Paraphrases

Learn how to cite and format direct quotations in APA Style, including short quotations and block quotations; make and indicate changes to quotations; and cite paraphrased material.

Academic Writer // © 2023 American Psychological Association.

• Quoting and Paraphrasing in MLA Format This video course is all about quoting and paraphrasing sources in your paper! Learn rules of quoting and paraphrasing responsibly, and see examples of in-text citations in MLA format.

Definition of Quoting

When you quote a source, you reproduce or repeat a passage or phrase exactly and use quotation marks around the quoted text.

Quotes are exact duplicates of text. 

When to Quote

Style guides generally advise that you quote sparingly. A quote is a good idea in these situations:

• When the writing expresses a point extremely well
• When you want to comment on the author's choice of words

Tips for Quoting

• Only quote as much as you need to to communicate the information. 
• Look at a citation style guide to see how to format block quotes and in-text quotes.  
• If there is a spelling or other error in the text, copy the error and add sic  after the quote to denote that the error was in the text
• Omit words through using ellipsis marks (...)
• If you want to call attention to specific words in a quote, emphasize the words by using italics

Definition of Paraphrasing

When you paraphrase, you express the meaning of a written or spoken passage, or the words of an author or speaker using different words.

Paraphrasing is used when the detail of a passage is important, but the exact wording is not important. 

When to Paraphrase

Paraphrase when the details of a section of text are important. 

Tips for Paraphrasing

• Be careful not to borrow too many words from the original text. It's helpful to use synonyms.  
• Make sure to change the sentence structure of the original text.  
• If you're having a hard time paraphrasing, make sure you understand what is being said and can explain why it's relevant to your work.
• Imagine yourself explaining the idea to a friend verbally, and then write down what you would say. This can be a draft you revise later, if you need to.

Definition of Summarizing

When you summarize, you communicate the main ideas of what you have learned from a source, without including much detail.

When to Summarize

Summarize when there are long passages that have important main ideas. 

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• Last Updated: Mar 26, 2024 9:53 AM
• URL: https://libguides.caldwell.edu/citations

Purdue Online Writing Lab Purdue OWL® College of Liberal Arts

Types of APA Papers

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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Note:  This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style  can be found here .

There are two common types of papers written in fields using APA Style: the literature review and the experimental report. Each has unique requirements concerning the sections that must be included in the paper.

Literature review

A literature review is a critical summary of what the scientific literature says about your specific topic or question. Often student research in APA fields falls into this category. Your professor might ask you to write this kind of paper to demonstrate your familiarity with work in the field pertinent to the research you hope to conduct.

A literature review typically contains the following sections:

• Introduction section
• List of references

Some instructors may also want you to write an abstract for a literature review, so be sure to check with them when given an assignment. Also, the length of a literature review and the required number of sources will vary based on course and instructor preferences.

NOTE: A literature review and an annotated bibliography are not synonymous. If you are asked to write an annotated bibliography, you should consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for the APA Format for Annotated Bibliographies.

Experimental report

In many of the social sciences, you will be asked to design and conduct your own experimental research. If so, you will need to write up your paper using a structure that is more complex than that used for just a literature review. We have a complete resource devoted to writing an experimental report in the field of psychology here .

This structure follows the scientific method, but it also makes your paper easier to follow by providing those familiar cues that help your reader efficiently scan your information for:

• Why the topic is important (covered in your introduction)
• What the problem is (also covered in your introduction)
• What you did to try to solve the problem (covered in your methods section)
• What you found (covered in your results section)
• What you think your findings mean (covered in your discussion section)

Thus an experimental report typically includes the following sections.

• Introduction
• Appendices(if necessary)
• Tables and/or figures (if necessary)

Make sure to check the guidelines for your assignment or any guidelines that have been given to you by an editor of a journal before you submit a manuscript containing the sections listed above.

As with the literature review, the length of this report may vary by course or by journal, but most often it will be determined by the scope of the research conducted.

Other papers

If you are writing a paper that fits neither of these categories, follow the guidelines about General Format , consult your instructor, or look up advice in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association .

When submitting a manuscript to a journal, make sure you follow the guidelines described in the submission policies of that publication, and include as many sections as you think are applicable to presenting your material. Remember to keep your audience in mind as you are making this decision. If certain information is particularly pertinent for conveying your research, then ensure that there is a section of your paper that adequately addresses that information.

Writing & Citing

• Rhetorical Situations / Writing Assignments
• Brainstorming and Invention - Choosing a Topic
• Critical Reading
• Thesis Statements
• Arguments and Persuasion
• Research Techniques
• Evaluating Sources
• Using Sources: Summarizing, Paraphrasing, Quoting, Synthesizing
• Paragraph Organization and Flow
• Peer Review
• Revising and Proofreading
• Video Library
• Grammar, Punctuation, and Style
• Writing in the Disciplines
• OER on Writing
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Using Sources: Summarizing, Paraphrasing and Quoting

Summarizing, Paraphrasing, and Quoting Sources

• OWl Purdue: Quoting, Paraphrasing, and Summarizing
• OWL Purdue: Paraphrasing
• OWL Purdue: Signal and Lead-In Phrases

Synthesizing Sources

• OWL Purdue: Synthesizing Sources
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• Last Updated: Apr 19, 2024 11:18 AM
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Michael Schwartz Library

NUR 420 Professional Role Practicum

Cinahl citation generator, apa citation for nur, avoiding plagiarism, writing center.

CINAHL has a built-in citation generator!

View the full article description by clicking on the title of the article in your results list. Then use the citation tools on the right-hand side of the page:

• Cite will display the article's citation in a variety of different citation formats. Scroll down a bit to see the APA citation (7th ed.)
• Email opens a form where you can enter your own email address. Use the drop-down menu on the form to select APA.

Remember: Online citation generators aren't perfect! They make formatting citations easier than starting from scratch. But you should ALWAYS check the citation and correct any errors. YOU are ultimately responsible for your citations!

• 7th Edition APA Style Quick Reference Guide
• APA Formatting & Style Guide - 7th edition Online Writing Lab at Purdue University (OWL)
• List of Nursing Resources on the Purdue Owl Resources to help nursing students and professional nurses with writing.
• APA Sample Paper An example of a paper written in APA style.
• Zbib Citation Generator Be sure to select APA style from the drop-down menu under "Bibliography."

Websites and webpages are often difficult to cite! Follow these steps to do the best you can:

• Copy and paste the URL into Zbib .
• Webpage on a website
• Whole website references

Definition of Plagiarism :

"Stealing and/or using the ideas or writings of another in a paper or report and claiming them as your own.  This includes but is not limited to the use, by paraphrase or direct quotation, of the work of another person without full and clear acknowledgement."  - CSU Code of Student Conduct

Write and cite responsibly!

• Cite your source for any idea that is not common knowledge.
• Paraphrasing means integrating your research into your writing. Read thoroughly and filter information through your own understanding. Put it into your own words and include a citation to acknowledge your source.
• Put quotation marks around direct quotes. 
• Need help? Check out the citation style guides on this page or make an appointment with the Writing Center at 216-687-6981 .

Writing Center Services

Located in the library learning commons.

• Make an appointment
• Help writing papers
• Help with citing
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• Last Updated: Apr 30, 2024 10:50 AM
• URL: https://researchguides.csuohio.edu/NUR420