Skip to Main Content
Login to LibApps


Psychology Online

This guide has specifically been developed to support the Online Psychology program in the New College of Arizona State University.

Need Writing Help?

For help writing a better research paper that will earn you top grades check out the Student Success Center.

Citing Your Sources Using APA

Why is Proper Citation Important?

Citing your sources is an important part of the writing process. Documenting your sources gives credit to authors whose thoughts and ideas you have incorporated into your work. Proper citation helps you as a writer by strengthening your position and showing the depth of your research. Citing also helps your readers verify what you've written and follow up with sources they find interesting.

Most importantly, proper citation will help you avoid plagiarism.

How can I effectively cite the sources I use?

Proper citation will link text and facts used in your papers and presentations to the relevant sources quoted or consulted. APA is the most common citation format for the social sciences.

If you have questions about how to cite the sources you find online, the APA website has a wealth of information, including examples.

The ASU Library has also prepared a citation styles guide for your use.

More Help with APA

The ASU Library acknowledges the twenty-two Native Nations that have inhabited this land for centuries. Arizona State University's four campuses are located in the Salt River Valley on ancestral territories of Indigenous peoples, including the Akimel O’odham (Pima) and Pee Posh (Maricopa) Indian Communities, whose care and keeping of these lands allows us to be here today. ASU Library acknowledges the sovereignty of these nations and seeks to foster an environment of success and possibility for Native American students and patrons. We are advocates for the incorporation of Indigenous knowledge systems and research methodologies within contemporary library practice. ASU Library welcomes members of the Akimel O’odham and Pee Posh, and all Native nations to the Library.