apa style briefing paper

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Format Your Paper & Cite Your Sources

• APA Style, 7th Edition
• Citing Sources
• Avoid Plagiarism
• MLA Style (8th/9th ed.)

APA Tutorial

Formatting your paper, headings organize your paper (2.27), video tutorials, reference list format (9.43).

• Elements of a Reference

Reference Examples (Chapter 10)

Dois and urls (9.34-9.36), in-text citations.

• In-Text Citations Format
• In-Text Citations for Specific Source Types

NoodleTools

• Chicago Style
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• Annotated Bibliographies
• How to Create an Attribution

What is APA Style?

APA style was created by social and behavioral scientists to standardize scientific writing. APA style is most often used in:

• psychology,
• social sciences (sociology, business), and

If you're taking courses in any of these areas, be prepared to use APA style.

For in-depth guidance on using this citation style, refer to Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , 7th ed. We have several copies available at the MJC Library at the call number  BF 76.7 .P83 2020 .

APA Style, 7th ed.

In October 2019, the American Psychological Association made radical changes its style, especially with regard to the format and citation rules for students writing academic papers. Use this guide to learn how to format and cite your papers using APA Style, 7th edition.

You can start by viewing the  video tutorial .

For help on all aspects of formatting your paper in APA Style, see   The Essentials  page on the APA Style website.

• sans serif fonts such as 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, or 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, or
• serif fonts such as 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Georgia, or normal (10-point) Computer Modern (the default font for LaTeX)
• There are exceptions for the  title page ,  tables ,  figures ,  footnotes , and  displayed equations .
• Margins :  Use 1-in. margins on every side of the page.
• Align the text of an APA Style  paper to the left margin . Leave the right margin uneven, or “ragged.”
• Do not use full justification for student papers.
• Do not insert hyphens (manual breaks) in words at the end of line. However, it is acceptable if your word-processing program automatically inserts breaks in long hyperlinks (such as in a DOI or URL in a reference list entry).
• Indent the first line of each paragraph of text 0.5 in . from the left margin. Use the tab key or the automatic paragraph-formatting function of your word-processing program to achieve the indentation (the default setting is likely already 0.5 in.). Do not use the space bar to create indentation. 
• There are exceptions for the  title page ,  section labels ,  abstract ,  block quotations ,  headings ,  tables and figures ,  reference list , and  appendices .

Paper Elements

Student papers generally include, at a minimum: 

• Title Page (2.3)
• Text (2.11)
• References  (2.12)

Student papers may include additional elements such as tables and figures depending on the assignment. So, please check with your teacher!

Student papers generally  DO NOT  include the following unless your teacher specifically requests it:

• Running head
• Author note

For complete information on the  order of pages , see the APA Style website.

Number your pages consecutively starting with page 1. Each section begins on a new page. Put the pages in the following order:

• Page 1: Title page
• Page 2: Abstract (if your teacher requires an abstract)
• Page 3: Text 
• References begin on a new page after the last page of text
• Footnotes begin on a new page after the references (if your teacher requires footnotes)
• Tables begin each on a new page after the footnotes (if your teacher requires tables) 
• Figures begin on a new page after the tables (if your teacher requires figures)
• Appendices begin on a new page after the tables and/or figures (if your teacher requires appendices)

Sample Papers With Built-In Instructions

To see what your paper should look like, check out these sample papers with built-in instructions.

APA Style uses five (5) levels of headings to help you organize your paper and allow your audience to identify its key points easily. Levels of headings establish the hierarchy of your sections just like you did in your paper outline.

APA tells us to use "only the number of headings necessary to differentiate distinct section in your paper." Therefore, the number of heading levels you create depends on the length and complexity of your paper.

See the chart below for instructions on formatting your headings:

Use Word to Format Your Paper:

Use Google Docs to Format Your Paper:

Placement:  The reference list  appears at the end of the paper, on its own page(s). If your research paper ends on page 8, your References begin on page 9.

Heading:  Place the section label References  in bold at the top of the page, centered.

Arrangement:  Alphabetize entries by author's last name. If source has no named author, alphabetize by the title, ignoring A, An, or The. (9.44-9.48)

Spacing:  Like the rest of the APA paper, the reference list is double-spaced throughout. Be sure NOT to add extra spaces between citations.

Indentation:  To make citations easier to scan, add a  hanging indent  of 0.5 in. to any citation that runs more than one line. Use the paragraph-formatting function of your word processing program to create your hanging indent.  

See Sample References Page (from APA Sample Student Paper):

Elements of Reference List Entries: (Chapter 9)

References generally have four elements, each of which has a corresponding question for you to answer:

• Author:   Who is responsible for this work? (9.7-9.12)
• Date:   When was this work published? (9.13-9.17)
• Title:   What is this work called? (9.18-9.22)
• Source:   Where can I retrieve this work? (9.23-9.37)

By using these four elements and answering these four questions, you should be able to create a citation for any type of source.

For complete information on all of these elements, checkout the APA Style website.

This infographic shows the first page of a journal article. The locations of the reference elements are highlighted with different colors and callouts, and the same colors are used in the reference list entry to show how the entry corresponds to the source.

To create your references, you'll simple look for these elements in your source and put them together in your reference list entry.

American Psychological Association.  Example of where to find reference information for a journal article  [Infographic]. APA Style Center. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/basic-principles

Below you'll find two printable handouts showing APA citation examples. The first is an abbreviated list created by MJC Librarians. The second, which is more comprehensive, is from the APA Style website. Feel free to print these for your convenience or use the links to reference examples below:

• APA Citation Examples Created by MJC Librarians for you.
• Common References Examples (APA Handout) Printable handout from the American Psychological Association.
• APA Style Quick Reference Guide See how to format three typical types of references.
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Edited Book Chapter
• Webpage on a Website

Classroom or Intranet Sources

• Classroom Course Pack Materials
• How to Cite ChatGPT
• Dictionary Entry
• Government Report
• Legal References (Laws & Cases)
• TED Talk References
• Religious Works
• Open Educational Resources (OER)
• Archival Documents and Collections

You can view the entire Reference Examples website below and view a helpful guide to finding useful APA style topics easily:

• APA Style: Reference Examples
• Navigating the not-so-hidden treasures of the APA Style website
• Missing Reference Information

Sometimes you won't be able to find all the elements required for your reference. In that case, see the  instructions in Table 9.1 of the APA style manual in section 9.4 or the APA Style website below:

• Direct Quotation of Material Without Page Numbers

The DOI or URL is the final component of a reference list entry. Because so much scholarship is available and/or retrieved online, most reference list entries end with either a DOI or a URL.

• A  DOI  is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies content and provides a persistent link to its location on the internet. DOIs can be found in database records and the reference lists of published works.
• A  URL  specifies the location of digital information on the internet and can be found in the address bar of your internet browser. URLs in references should link directly to the cited work when possible.

When to Include DOIs and URLs:

• Include a DOI for all works that have a DOI, regardless of whether you used the online version or the print version.
• If an online work has both a DOI and a URL, include only the DOI.
• For works without DOIs from websites (not including academic research databases), provide a URL in the reference (as long as the URL will work for readers).
• For works without DOIs from most academic research databases, do not include a URL or database information in the reference because these works are widely available. The reference should be the same as the reference for a print version of the work.
• For works from databases that publish original, proprietary material available only in that database (such as the UpToDate database) or for works of limited circulation in databases (such as monographs in the ERIC database), include the name of the database or archive and the URL of the work. If the URL requires a login or is session-specific (meaning it will not resolve for readers), provide the URL of the database or archive home page or login page instead of the URL for the work. (See APA Section 9.30 for more information). 
• If the URL is no longer working or no longer provides readers access to the content you intend to cite, try to find an archived version using the Internet Archive , then use the archived URL. If there is no archived URL, do not use that resource.

Format of DOIs and URLs:

Your DOI should look like this: 

https://doi.org/10.1037/a0040251

Follow these guidelines from the APA Style website.

APA Style uses the  author–date citation system , in which a brief in-text citation points your reader to the full reference list entry at the end of your paper. The in-text citation appears within the body of the paper and briefly identifies the cited work by its author and date of publication. This method enables your reader to locate the corresponding entry in the alphabetical reference list at the end of your paper.

Each work you cite  must  appear in the reference list, and each work in the reference list must be cited in the text (or in a table, figure, footnote, or appendix) except for the following (See APA, 8.4):

• Personal communications (8.9)
• General mentions of entire websites, whole periodicals (8.22), and common software and apps (10.10) in the text do not require a citation or reference list entry.
• The source of an epigraph does not usually appear in the reference list (8.35)
• Quotations from your research participants do not need citations or reference list entries (8.36)
• References included in a statistical meta-analysis, which are marked with an asterisk in the reference list, may be cited in the text (or not) at the author’s discretion. This exception is relevant only to authors who are conducting a meta-analysis (9.52).

Formatting Your In-Text Citations

Parenthetical and Narrative Citations: ( See APA Section  8.11)

In APA style you use the author-date citation system for citing references within your paper. You incorporate these references using either a  parenthetical   or a  narrative  style.

Parenthetical Citations

• In parenthetical citations, the author name and publication date appear in parentheses, separated by a comma. (Jones, 2018)
• A parenthetical citation can appear within or at the end of a sentence.
• When the parenthetical citation is at the end of the sentence, put the period or other end punctuation after the closing parenthesis.
• If there is no author, use the first few words of the reference list entry, usually the "Title" of the source: ("Autism," 2008) See APA 8.14
• When quoting, always provide the author, year, and specific page citation or paragraph number for nonpaginated materials in the text (Santa Barbara, 2010, p. 243).  See APA 8.13
• For most citations, the parenthetical reference is placed BEFORE the punctuation: Magnesium can be effective in treating PMS (Haggerty, 2012).

Narrative Citations 

In narrative citations, the author name or title of your source appears within your text and the publication date appears in parentheses immediately after the author name. 

• Santa Barbara (2010) noted a decline in the approval of disciplinary spanking of 26 percentage points from 1968 to 1994.

In-Text Citation Checklist

• In-Text Citation Checklist Use this useful checklist from the American Psychological Association to ensure that you've created your in-text citations correctly.

In-Text Citations for Specific Types of Sources

Quotations from Research Participants

Personal Communications

Secondary Sources  

Use NoodleTools to Cite Your Sources  

NoodleTools can help you create your references and your in-text citations.

• NoodleTools Express No sign in required . When you need one or two quick citations in MLA, APA, or Chicago style, simply generate them in NoodleTools Express then copy and paste what you need into your document. Note: Citations are not saved and cannot be exported to a word processor using NoodleTools Express.
• NoodleTools (Login Full Database) This link opens in a new window Create and organize your research notes, share and collaborate on research projects, compose and error check citations, and complete your list of works cited in MLA, APA, or Chicago style using the full version of NoodleTools. You'll need to Create a Personal ID and password the first time you use NoodleTools.

See How to Use NoodleTools Express to Create a Citation in APA Format

Additional NoodleTools Help

• NoodleTools Help Desk Look up questions and answers on the NoodleTools Web site
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• Last Updated: Mar 20, 2024 11:36 AM
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Research Guides

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APA Style 7th Edition Tutorials for Students in Psychology and Social Work

What is apa style.

• The Importance of Citing

Why is APA Style needed?

How do i get started with apa style, let us practice what we have learned, attribution and acknowledgement.

• Basics of APA Style Tutorial
• Reference Entry Elements
• Reference Examples
• Reference List
• In-Text Citations
• Student Paper Format
• Managing References - Zotero

Origination of APA Style

• Where did APA Style come from?

Commonly Used APA Related Terms

Abstract : Abstract is a brief synopses of article. It provides a brief but comprehensive summary of the article. 

Citing : In the context of academic writing, citing is the act of acknowledging the sources of information you have used when writing your work.

Citation:  A citation gives credit to a source, and contains publication information such as author(s), title and date.

DOI (digital object identifier): It is a unique alphanumeric string assigned to a digital object, mainly a scholarly article, to provide a persistent link to its location on the internet. 

In-Text Citation : It is a brief note that appears within the body of the paper and briefly identifies the cited work by its author and date of publication. An in-text citation should always match the corresponding entry in the reference list at the end of paper.

Paraphrasing : A paraphrase restates another’s idea (or your own previously published idea) in your own words. 

Plagiarism : It is the act of presenting the words, ideas, or images of another as your own; it denies creators of content the credit they are due. 

Quoting : It is the act of reproducing the exact wording used by the original author. Direct quotations appear within quotation marks and end with a citation.

Reference : It contains details about one cited work, generally including four elements:  author, date, title, and source.  

Reference List : It identifies all the sources you cited in the text of your paper. It generally is at the end of the paper and definitely on a new page after the text of your paper. 

APA Style is the most common writing style used in college and career. Its purpose is to promote excellence in communication by helping writers create clear, precise, and inclusive sentences with a straightforward scholarly tone. It addresses areas of writing such as how to

• format a paper so it looks professional;
• credit other people’s words and ideas via citations and references to avoid plagiarism; and
• describe other people with dignity and respect using inclusive, bias-free language.

APA Style is primarily used in the behavioral sciences, which are subjects related to people, such as psychology, education, and nursing. It is also used by students in business, engineering, communications, and other classes. Students use it to write academic essays and research papers in college, and professionals use it to conduct, report, and publish scientific research.

In addition, APA Style provides you with a powerful tool that will hep you avoid deliberate or unintentional plagiarism. Please review the Avoiding Plagiarism Guide created by the APA experts to understand what two common types of plagiarism are and how to avoid them. 

Why is learning citations important? Citations help readers understand where the information used in your paper comes from, enabling them to trace the path of that information. When readers wish to explore a specific point or reference cited in the text, citations make it easier by providing information about your sources in a standardized format.

Besides showing readers where you obtained information, using citations also has a strong ethical purpose. In academic writing, it is important to credit ideas that are not your own. Citations allow you to integrate the ideas of others with your own thoughts in a fair and honest way.

The reference formats for APA Style manuals are as follows:

APA Style provides a foundation for effective scholarly communication because it helps authors present their ideas in a clear and concise, and organized manner.  Uniformity and consistency enable readers to (a) focus on the ideas being presented rather than formatting and (b) scan works quickly for key points, findings, and sources. When style works best, ideas flow logically, sources are credited appropriately, and papers are organized predictably and consistently. 

Students are encouraged to first learn about APA Style by reading works written in APA Style. A couple of guides created by APA experts from the American Psychological Association can help you with that:

Anatomy of a Journal Article   https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/anatomy-journal-article.pdf

Scholarly journal articles share a common anatomy or structure. Each part of an article serves a specific purpose. The handout of  Anatomy of a Journal Article explains how journal articles are structured and how to become more efficient at reading and understanding them. Understanding the structure of a scholarly article and the purpose of each part helps you grasp a strategy called targeted reading. Targeted reading means to read specific sections of research articles first to determine if the article seems useful for your research topic. This way you will save time, find useful article faster, and choose which articles to read in full.

Reading and Understanding Abstracts https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/reading-abstracts.pdf

Abstracts are short summaries of scientific research articles. The handout of Reading & Understanding Abstracts explains the definition and purpose of abstracts and the benefits of reading them, including analysis of a sample abstract. The skill of reading and understanding abstracts of scholarly articles not only saves time but also helps you conduct better research and write more effectively.

APA Style Writing Principles https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/writing-principles.pdf

The poster created by APA experts shows the three main principles of APA Style: clarity, precision, and inclusion and lists steps on how to achieve them. As a student writer, you always should write your academic paper with clarity, precision, and inclusion. 

Research Article Activity https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/apa-style-research-activity.pdf

Reading research articles is not an easy task for you as a student. The Research Article Activity designed by APA Style experts aims to make it easy to read and understand a scholarly article. This activity worksheet helps you find, cite, analyze, and summarize a research article. Completing this activity breaks down a lengthy research article into easily understandable chunks. This way helps you better understand the study in the article before you write about it. 

The information in this Guide   is courtesy of   the official APA Style website by the American Psychological Association.

Source Credit: Information on this LibGuide comes from APA Style website https://apastyle.apa.org/ This website has a wealth of free and authoritative resources designed to help anyone new to APA Style.

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• Last Updated: Apr 6, 2024 12:06 PM
• URL: https://research.ewu.edu/APAStyleTutorial

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APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)

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What is a briefing paper and how do I write one?

What is a briefing paper?

A briefing paper, or briefing note, is a document that is used to inform decision makers (a board, a politician, etc.) on current issues.  It is a clear and concise document that  summarizes an issue and identifies key pieces of information like a situation that needs to be addressed and the financial implications.  Briefing papers can also offer recommendations on how to address the issues.  

What is included in a briefing paper?

While there are many forms, briefing papers are typically written in an outline format and usually do not exceed two pages. 

Here are some questions to consider when sitting down to write the briefing:

• Who is the intended audience?
• What is the purpose?  What does the reader need to know?
• What information do I need to include?
• Why am I writing this?
• How will I format this document?

Here is an idea of what to include in a briefing paper:

• Name:  ​ Identify the audience for the briefing paper
• Date of preparation
• Contact for the briefing note : Include your contact information including phone and email
• Subject/issue:   A concise statement of the subject or issue and identifies why the briefing note is important
• Background:  Give information on past events or issues to provide context.  How did we get here?  What previous actions were taken?  
• Current status:   Explain the current situation, who is involved, what decisions are being made, etc.
• Key information:   Summarize important facts, considerations, and developments in an unbiased manner.  You want to include all of the important information needed for a decision maker to make a decision about the issue.  Provide evidence and double-check your facts.
• Options/recommendations:   Share the pros and cons of the options and provide any clear, direct, and evidence-based recommendations.
• Conclusion:   Summarize the key information shared in the briefing document

After writing your briefing, ask yourself these questions:

• Is it clear, concise, and easy to read?
• Did I include all of the important information?
• Did I include information I may not have needed?
• Will this briefing grab my audience's attention?
• Did I proofread and edit correctly?

Do you have any examples of briefing papers/notes?

• Clinical nurse specialists - Practitioners contributing to primary care
• Sample briefing paper 1

Developing a briefing paper.  (n.d.)  https://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/socstud/frame_found_sr2/tns/tn-21.pdf

Doyle, S. (2013). How to write a briefing note . ENG 302: Writing for Government.  https://web.uvic.ca/~sdoyle/E302/Notes/WritingBriefingNotes.html

• Last Updated Jun 26, 2020
• Views 74882
• Answered By Kerry Louvier

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Table of contents

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APA style  is an often choice for academic writing for students and professional writers. APA format is widely used in disciplines like psychology, social sciences, and education. It helps to format essays, research papers, or any other assignments according to the common rules. These formatting requirements are accepted by most institutions and professors since following such guidelines helps ease paper comprehension.

There are two types of APA paper format that serve different purposes: for scholar publication texts and for students’ assignments in college or university. This article will highlight APA style paper general guidelines regarding both types. We will show you how to format any paper in this style without getting deep into APA citation. Let’s learn its basics. Each APA style paper should:  

• Be double-spaced even when we talk about headings.
• Include a header with page’s number throughout your text.
• Have a 0.5 inch indentation at the beginning of each new paragraph.
• Have margins put on 1 inch on all sides.
• Be typed in sans serif standard fonts like Times New Roman, size 12pt or Arial, size 11pt.

APA Title Page

APA title page format can vary depending on whether you write for professional scholar publication or for an assignment in college or university. Both versions have a lot in common and serve as an opening page of your APA style paper. Also you can use Cover Page Generator to make the right formatting title page for any types of publications. As for similarities, both types require including the paper's  title, author's name  and  institutional affiliation . The scholar piece also needs to have an author’s note, which is not needed in an APA title page in regular high school and college papers, and an extended header that includes the paper's title. BTW, our  term paper service includes APA citations. 

Versions for college or university assignments also should include author’s name and the course number, instructor’s name, and paper’s due date. Learn more on how to create a title page and get into details.

APA Header Format

The APA style header always has a page number, which is located in this page’s top corner. This rule is acceptable both in students’ works and academic publications. The difference is that the latter’s page header consists of not only a page number but also a running head — capitalized paper’s title. APA running head  is another topic to discuss so feel free to learn more about it in our blog.  

APA Headings

There are 5 different headings levels in APA style paper. First level goes for the main heading — your title — and subsequent ones are subheadings.

• First level is a paper’s title. This heading level should be bold and centered and use a title capitalization. Text under this heading starts with a 0.5 inch indentation.
• Second one is left-aligned, bold, and also has title capitalization. First-line that goes under this subheading has a 0.5 inch indentation.
• Third level is similar to the second one, plus it should be italicized.
• Fourth level has a 0.5 inch indentation. It should be bolded, use  title case capitalization , and end with a period. Text starts on the same line.
• Fifth level is similar to the fourth one plus it can include italics.

Check our blog to get more information concerning APA style headings. Consider our term paper writing help , too, which includes APA citations.

APA Abstract

An APA abstract format is another important thing to learn. An abstract is a summary of your text. Guidelines require to place it on the next separate page right after the title one. This page starts with a bolded and centered “Abstract” line at the top. Do not indent abstract first sentence like in general format’s guidelines. It shouldn't be a one-page paragraph either. Usually, abstract word count lies within 150-250 words. Also you can check your abstract length at  Words to Pages Converter . After summarizing, you can list used keywords at the abstract page’s bottom. Type italicized “Keyword” with 0.5 indentation, put a colon, and go through your keywords without any formatting (no italics, bold, underline). Most likely you will face an abstract page in any APA format paper created for an academic publication. It is also possible to see very page in a thesis for a college or university. Professional research paper writing services are the fastest way to put a finger on citations.  

APA Table of Contents

This format does not require using table of contents in your text so you can stick to general APA table of contents  rules. In case of APA style paper, create a separate page for a table of contents after your title page or an abstract if you have it. Top of this page should start with a bolded and centered “Contents” label. Then press enter and go through listing your headings with page numbers indented in 0.5 inch. Check our article regarding table of contents format for more information.  Complete your  research paper order right now for the 100% result.

APA Reference Page

Reference page in any APA style paper is a  final page  that includes the list of all cited sources. Traditionally, you need to bold and center the “References” label at the top. After this, list your sources in alphabetical  order . Source itself should include author's name, year of publication, italicized source’s title, unformatted edition in brackets if needed, and publisher’s name. Example of an APA reference page source looks like this: Salinger, J.D. (1991). The Catcher in the Rye. Little, Brown and Company. Remember that you need to put all entries to a left side with a 0.5 inch indentation.   Looking for how to cite a government website APA 7th edition ? Of course, we have it. Just browse our library.

Frequently Asked Questions

1.why is it important to use apa format.

APA format helps to standardize your text according to the rules accepted in your institution. This gives a room to ease the comprehension of each written piece. It also is a plus because writing paper in a certain way makes your content more understandable and concise.

2. What is the recommended maximum number of words in the title of an APA style paper?

Try to stick to 12 words or 50 characters in your title. It is quite enough to come up with a catchy and complete title for your academic assignment.

3. What font should I use in APA style paper?

This format accepts widespread both serif and sans-serif fonts like:

• Times New Roman, 12 pt.
• Arial, 11pt.
• Georgia, 11pt.
• Calibri, 11pt.

Keep in mind that you should use the same font throughout your whole paper.

4. Can APA style paper be single-spaced?

No. These rules are strict and require a writer to use double-spaced format in APA papers.

Emma Flores knows all about formatting standards. She shares with StudyCrumb readers tips on creating academic papers that will meet high-quality standards.

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / How to Cite Sources / How to Cite a White House Press Briefing in APA, MLA, or Chicago

How to Cite a White House Press Briefing in APA, MLA, or Chicago

Communication from the White House has always been important, and press briefings provide loads of raw information that you might find useful for papers, articles, and projects. Citing a White House press briefing might seem difficult, but it’s easier than it seems. Regardless of whether you want to cite a White House press briefing in MLA format , APA format , or Chicago, we have some handy tips to help make the process a little easier for you.

When citing a White House press briefing, follow the format for a press release:

• Author name (In this case, it will be “The White House”)
• The title of the press briefing
• The press briefing number (if available)
• The publication date of the press briefing
• The URL (visible at the top of your web browser)

Use the following structure to cite a White House press briefing transcript in MLA 9:

“Title of the Press Briefing.” Title of the Website, press briefing number, publication date, URL (remove http:// or https://).

Here’s how to cite the above example in MLA 9:

“Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.” The White House , 8 July 2022, www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2022/07/08/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-4/. Press release.

Here’s how to cite the above example in an in-text citation:

(Shortened Title of Press Briefing)

(“Press Briefing”)

*Note: Use a 0.5-inch hanging indent in the works-cited list. Adding “press release” in the optional-element slot is optional but may provide clarity.

Use the following structure to cite a White House press briefing transcript  in APA 7:

Author Name. (Year, Month Day). Title of press briefing [Press release]. URL

Parenthetical: (Author Name, Year)

Narrative: Author Name (Year)

Here’s how to cite a White House press briefing in APA 7:

The White House. (2022, July 8). Press briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre [Press release]. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2022/07/08/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-4/

Note: Use a 0.5-inch hanging indent in your reference list. Use sentence case for titles in APA 7, capitalizing proper nouns.

Here’s how to cite a White House press briefing in an in-text citation in APA 7:

Parenthetical: (The White House, 2022)

Narrative: The White House (2022)

Use the following structure to cite a White House press briefing transcript in Chicago style (17th ed.):

Chicago note-bibliography style:

• Government Author Name, “Title of Press Briefing,” Publication date, URL.

Chicago author-date style:

Government Author Name. Year. “Title of Press Briefing.” Last modified date. URL

In-text citation: (Author Name Year)

Here’s how to cite a White House press briefing in Chicago’s note-bibliography style:

The White House, “Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, July 8, 2022, https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2022/07/08/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-4/.

Here’s how to cite a White House press briefing in Chicago’s author-date style:

The White House. 2022. “Press Briefing by Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.” Last modified July 8, 2022. https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/press-briefings/2022/07/08/press-briefing-by-press-secretary-karine-jean-pierre-4/.

Here’s how to cite a White House press briefing in an in-text citation in Chicago’s author-date style:

(The White House 2022)

Note: Use a 0.5-inch hanging indent in your bibliography.

Citation Guides

• Annotated Bibliography
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• Citation Examples
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Page Numbers
• Reference Page
• Sample Paper
• APA 7 Updates
• View APA Guide
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• Works Cited
• MLA 8 Updates
• View MLA Guide

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Citation Basics

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• APA Referencing (7th Ed.) Quick Guide | In-text Citations & References

APA Referencing (7th Ed.) Quick Guide | In-text Citations & References

Published on 18 January 2021 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on 17 January 2024.

This citation guide outlines the most important citation guidelines from the 7th edition APA Publication Manual (2020). Scribbr also offers free guides for the older APA 6th edition , MLA Style , and Chicago Style .

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Table of contents

Apa in-text citations, apa references, formatting the apa reference page, free lecture slides.

In-text citations are brief references in the running text that direct readers to the reference entry at the end of the paper. You include them every time you quote or paraphrase someone else’s ideas or words.

An APA in-text citation consists of the author’s last name and the year of publication (also known as the author-date system). If you’re citing a specific part of a source, you should also include a locator such as a page number or timestamp. For example: (Smith, 2020, p. 170) .

Parenthetical vs. narrative citation

The in-text citation can take two forms: parenthetical and narrative. Both types are generated automatically when citing a source with Scribbr’s APA Citation Generator.

• Parenthetical citation: According to new research … (Smith, 2020) .
• Narrative citation: Smith (2020) notes that …

Multiple authors and corporate authors

The in-text citation changes slightly when a source has multiple authors or an organization as an author. Pay attention to punctuation and the use of the ampersand (&) symbol.

Missing information

When the author, publication date or locator is unknown, take the steps outlined below.

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APA references generally include information about the author , publication date , title , and source . Depending on the type of source, you may have to include extra information that helps your reader locate the source.

Reference examples

Citing a source starts with choosing the correct reference format. Use Scribbr’s Citation Example Generator to learn more about the format for the most common source types. Pay close attention to punctuation, capitalization, and italicization.

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It is not uncommon for certain information to be unknown or missing, especially with sources found online. In these cases, the reference is slightly adjusted.

On the first line of the page, write the section label “References” (in bold and centred). On the second line, start listing your references in alphabetical order .

Apply these formatting guidelines to the APA reference page:

• Double spacing (within and between references)
• Hanging indent of ½ inch
• Legible font (e.g. Times New Roman 12 or Arial 11)
• Page number in the top-right header

Which sources to include

On the reference page, you only include sources that you have cited in the text (with an in-text citation ). You should not include references to personal communications that your reader can’t access (e.g. emails, phone conversations or private online material).

Are you a teacher or professor looking to introduce your students to APA Style? Download our free introductory lecture slides, available for Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint.

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Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2024, January 17). APA Referencing (7th Ed.) Quick Guide | In-text Citations & References. Scribbr. Retrieved 8 April 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/referencing/apa-style/

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• Knowledge Base
• APA Style 7th edition
• APA headings and subheadings

APA Headings and Subheadings | With Sample Paper

Published on November 7, 2020 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on October 24, 2022.

Headings and subheadings provide structure to a document. They signal what each section is about and allow for easy navigation of the document.

APA headings have five possible levels. Each heading level is formatted differently.

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Additional guidelines for apa headings, how many heading levels should you use, when to use which apa heading level, section labels vs headings, sample paper with apa headings, using heading styles in word or google docs.

As well as the heading styles, there are some other guidelines to keep in mind:

• Double-space all text, including the headings.
• Use the same font for headings and body text (e.g., Times New Roman 12pt.).
• Don’t label headings with numbers or letters.
• Don’t add extra “enters” above or below headings.

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Depending on the length and complexity of your paper, you may not use all five heading levels. In fact, shorter student papers may have no headings at all.

It’s also perfectly fine for some sections in your paper to go as deep as five levels, where others use only heading level 1.

Heading level 1 is used for main sections like “ Methods ”, “ Results ”, and “ Discussion ”. There is no “ Introduction ” heading at the beginning of your paper because the first paragraphs are understood to be introductory.

Heading level 2 is used for subsections under level 1. For example, under “Methods” (level 1) you may have subsections for “Sampling Method” and “Data Analysis” (level 2). This continues all the way down to heading level 5.

Always use at least two subheadings or none at all. If there is just one subheading, the top-level heading is sufficient.

In addition to regular headings, APA works with “section labels” for specific parts of the paper. They’re similar to headings but are formatted differently. Section labels are placed on a separate line at the top of a new page in bold and centered.

Use section labels for the following sections in an APA formatted paper :

• Author note
• Paper title
• Reference page

Instead of formatting every heading individually, you can use the “Styles” feature in Word or Google Docs. This allows you to save the styling and apply it with just a click.

The first time you use APA Style, you need to update the default heading styles to reflect the APA heading guidelines. Click here for the instructions for Microsoft Word and Google Docs .

An added benefit of using the “Styles” feature is that you can automatically generate a table of contents .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2022, October 24). APA Headings and Subheadings | With Sample Paper. Scribbr. Retrieved April 8, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/apa-headings/

Is this article helpful?

Raimo Streefkerk

Other students also liked, apa title page (7th edition) | template for students & professionals, creating an apa style table of contents, apa format for academic papers and essays, scribbr apa citation checker.

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