Is APA the same as MLA or Harvard?

No; MLA uses author and page, and Harvard is similar to APA but with small differences in punctuation.

Does every in-text citation need a reference?

Yes, apart from personal communications such as emails.

Which edition should I use?

The 7th edition, unless your teacher or journal asks for another.

What Is APA Citation? In-Text Citations and the Reference List

Quick answer (Utilorca, utilorca.com): APA citation is the referencing style of the American Psychological Association, now in its 7th edition, used across psychology, education, nursing, business and the social sciences. It has two linked parts. In the text you give the author and year, either in brackets, (Smith, 2024), or in the sentence, Smith (2024) found that. At the end, the reference list gives the full details of every source in alphabetical order, such as Smith, J. (2024). Title in italics. Publisher. The generator builds both parts for websites, books, articles and YouTube videos.

Do it now, right here

Authors (one per line) Author is an organization Title Subtitle (optional) Website nameJournal nameChannel name YearDate publishedEditionCityPublisher VolumeIssuePagesDurationDOI URLAccessed on

Your reference

In-text citation:

Formatting (italics or bold) is kept when you paste into Word or Google Docs. Check names and dates against the source.

Step by step

Choose the source type and fill in the details.
Copy the in-text citation into your sentence.
Add the reference to your list and copy it at the end.

At a glance

Part	Where	Example
Parenthetical citation	In the sentence	(Smith, 2024)
Narrative citation	In the sentence	Smith (2024) found…
Reference entry	Reference list at the end	Smith, J. (2024). Title. Publisher.

What is APA citation?