An APA in-text citation for a direct quote needs three things: the author’s last name, the year, and the page number. A short quote goes inside quotation marks with the citation right after: “students often struggled with the format” (Jones, 1998, p. 199). The page number is preceded by “p.” for one page or “pp.” for a range.
Here is the format for every case in APA 7th edition, including quotes with no page numbers and quotes of 40 words or more.
Parenthetical vs narrative citation
APA gives you two ways to place the citation.
A parenthetical citation puts all three elements in parentheses after the quote: “the results were inconclusive” (Jones, 1998, p. 199).
A narrative citation works the author into your sentence, with the year right after the name and the page after the quote: Jones (1998) found that “the results were inconclusive” (p. 199).
Use whichever reads better. Narrative citations are good when you want to emphasize the author; parenthetical ones keep the focus on the information. For where the citation sits relative to the quote, see in-text citation after a quote.
Short quotes (fewer than 40 words)
A quote of fewer than 40 words stays in your paragraph, wrapped in double quotation marks. The citation comes immediately after the closing quotation mark, and the sentence period goes after the citation:
The study noted that “participants rarely followed the instructions as written” (Lee, 2020, p. 44).
Note the order: closing quote mark, then the parentheses, then the period. The period never goes inside the parentheses for a short quote.
Block quotes (40 words or more)
A quote of 40 words or more becomes a block quote. Start it on a new line, indent the entire quote half an inch, and do not use quotation marks. For a block quote, the period goes before the citation, not after:
Indented block of 40+ words ends with a period. (Lee, 2020, p. 44)
This is the opposite of the short-quote rule, and it is the detail people miss most often. For the full block format, see APA block quote.
Direct quote with no page number
Web pages, videos, and other sources often have no page numbers. APA 7 says to use another locator instead so the reader can find the passage.
Use a paragraph number, counting from the top of the section: (Smith, 2021, para. 4). Use a section heading if the source has them: (Smith, 2021, Methods section). For audio or video, use a timestamp: (Smith, 2021, 2:14). The goal is any marker that points to the exact spot.
Quoting a source with multiple authors
For two authors, name both every time, joined by an ampersand in parentheses: (Jones & Lee, 2019, p. 12). For three or more authors, name the first author followed by “et al.” from the first citation on: (Jones et al., 2019, p. 12).
For the broader picture of APA direct-quote rules, see APA quote citation. If you are deciding between styles, see how to cite a quote.
FAQ
Do you need a page number for an APA direct quote?
Yes. Every direct quote in APA needs a page number, or another locator like a paragraph number or timestamp if the source has no pages.
Where does the period go in an APA quote?
For a short quote, the period goes after the parenthetical citation. For a block quote of 40 or more words, the period goes before the citation.
What is the difference between p. and pp. in APA?
Use “p.” when quoting from a single page and “pp.” when the quote spans a range, such as (Jones, 1998, pp. 199–200).
How do you cite a direct quote with no author?
Use the first few words of the title in place of the author, in quotation marks for an article or italics for a book: (“Study Methods,” 2021, p. 4).
Leave a Reply