How do I cite appropriately for APA 7th edition, so that I do not overcite or undercite?

Answer

Students are often concerned about using the appropriate level of citation in their papers. According to APA Style, "Undercitation can lead to plagiarism and/or self-plagiarism. Overcitation can be distracting and is unnecessary."

When citing a source multiple times in the same paragraph, APA Style considers it "overcitation to repeat the same citation in every sentence when the source and topic have not changed. Instead, when paraphrasing a key point in more than one sentence within a paragraph, cite the source in the first sentence in which it is relevant and do not repeat the citation in subsequent sentences as long as the source remains clear and unchanged."

To avoid undercitation, APA Style recommends that you be sure to cite appropriately (e.g., with an in-text citation) whenever you paraphrase or directly quote the ideas of others (including data or data sets, tables or figures, even those that are free or found through the Creative Commons. and the like).

For more APA citation help, see the library's Citation Help: APA page or Ask a Librarian.