Why use documentation style?
There are 3 main components of APA style
There are two ways to cite your information in your paper.
If you include all the information about your source in the parenthesis at the end of the sentence, it is called a parenthetical in-text citation. Add page numbers for direct quotes.
If you include the author's name in the sentence, it is called a narrative in-text citation. The date goes in the parenthesis.
Whenever you have a reference at the end of your paper, you need at least one intext citation to go with it. Every intext citation should point to a reference at the end of your paper.
References and Intext Citations Go Together Like Peas and Carrots.
Your intext citation contains the first word(s) of your reference and the date so the reader can find it easily. For example:
You write this in your paper: For optimal decomposition, experts believe you should aim for a carbon to nitrogen ratio of 30:1 (Johnson, 2001).
This is in your Reference List:
Johnson, L. (2001, February). Compost Happens: The Secret to Making Quick Gardener's Gold Instead of a Slow, Stinking Mess Requires, Like Everything Else, Balance. Canadian Gardening, 12(1), 28-33.
Common knowledge is information that your average reader doesn't have to look up and you DON'T have to cite or reference.
For example:
If you are in a biology class and writing for your instructor or students with more knowledge of biology than the average reader then these facts probably don't need to be cited
If your audience are all of a similar cultural or national group, you don't need to cite information common to shared history.
You always need to cite and reference:
For example:
When in doubt, cite your sources!