Ultimate Guide to APA Citation Style [+1 Perfect Sample]

All students have had this thought at least once in their lives: Citation styles are just another cruel way for professors to make my life difficult. Sure, when you’re in the middle of writing several long research papers at the same time, it may be hard to understand the need for different reference styles, whether APA or MLA. But think back to the original purpose of quoting and citing: to encourage researchers to back up their claims with sufficient evidence to give more credibility to their work. And why do we need that?  Can we write our best essays without proper referencing? Ultimately, proper referencing ensures that all published research is of the highest quality. And the truth is: You should be flattered that your professors expect you to follow the same high professional standard. Your educators recognize the value of your work and treat it with respect. Each academic discipline follows a particular citation style. So what about the APA citation format? This format was developed by the American Psychological Association, and it is most widely used in the social sciences. Chances are, if you have to write a paper in the APA essay format, it’s for a subject such as psychology, political science, or anthropology. Like most style guides, the APA formatting rules are always changing—right now they come from the latest 6th edition manual, which is where we got these guidelines.