Study Skill · Referencing
Referencing
How to cite sources accurately and build a reliable reference list using APA 7th edition.
Why does referencing matter?
Referencing is how you show where your ideas and evidence come from. It serves three purposes: it gives credit to the original researchers, it allows the reader to check your sources, and it protects you from plagiarism. In psychology, the standard format is APA 7th edition. Accurate referencing is not just a formatting exercise — it is a core academic skill that demonstrates intellectual honesty and attention to detail. Every factual claim that is not common knowledge needs a citation.
📖 Example 1: Effective In-Text Citation
Student Writing
Bowlby (1969) proposed that infants form a primary attachment to one caregiver, a concept he termed 'monotropy.' This was later supported by Ainsworth et al. (1978), whose Strange Situation paradigm identified distinct patterns of attachment behaviour. However, cross-cultural research has challenged the universality of these categories (Takahashi, 1990; Van IJzendoorn & Kroonenberg, 1988).
Why this works: Each claim is supported by a correctly formatted citation. When the author is part of the sentence, the year follows in brackets: "Bowlby (1969) proposed..." When the citation is parenthetical, both author and year go in brackets: "(Takahashi, 1990)." Multiple sources are separated by semicolons. For three or more authors, "et al." is used from the first citation (APA 7th edition rule).
📖 Example 2: Common Referencing Mistakes
❌ Incorrect
Research has shown that attachment is important for development. Bowlby's theory says that children need a primary caregiver (Bowlby, John, 1969). According to a study, insecure children have more problems later (Hazan & Shaver).
Three mistakes here:
1. The first sentence makes a claim with no citation at all — which research? Who found this?
2. The second citation includes the first name — APA uses surname and year only: (Bowlby, 1969).
3. The third citation is missing the year — it should be (Hazan & Shaver, 1987). Without the year, the reader cannot locate the source.
1. The first sentence makes a claim with no citation at all — which research? Who found this?
2. The second citation includes the first name — APA uses surname and year only: (Bowlby, 1969).
3. The third citation is missing the year — it should be (Hazan & Shaver, 1987). Without the year, the reader cannot locate the source.
✅ Corrected
Research consistently demonstrates that early attachment quality influences later emotional development (Bowlby, 1969; Sroufe, 2005). Bowlby's (1969) attachment theory proposes that children are biologically predisposed to form a primary bond with one caregiver. Hazan and Shaver (1987) extended this framework to adult romantic relationships, finding that attachment styles formed in infancy predicted patterns of adult intimacy.
Why this is correct: Every claim has a citation. Author surnames are used without first names. Years are always included. When citing two authors in the text, use "and": "Hazan and Shaver (1987)." When citing in brackets, use "&": "(Hazan & Shaver, 1987).
✏️ Practice: Write With Correct Citations
Use the information below to write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences) with correctly formatted APA 7th edition in-text citations. Make sure every factual claim has a reference.
- Claim: working memory has limited capacity
- Source: Miller (1956) — proposed the "magic number seven, plus or minus two" — people can hold about 7 items in short-term memory
- More recent finding: Cowan (2001) argued the true limit is about 4 chunks, not 7
- Application: Baddeley and Hitch (1974) developed the working memory model, which separates storage from processing
- Significance: understanding working memory capacity has practical implications for education and cognitive load theory
Write your paragraph with correct APA citations: