How to cite using APA in the Health Sciences

Author-Date System Standard

For more on formatting, see Authors.

The author in APA refers to the individual(s) or entity that is responsible for the work. This could refer to one person or three, a university, a professional organization, a software developer, etc. The author responsible for the work will be named among the publication information, and you will want to cite it as it appears. In the case of individuals, the standard of APA's author-date citation system is to use the author's surname. 

The APA is an organization based in the U.S.A, using conventions set over time that regard "first name-last name" as the typical practice. However, it is important to note that these conventions are not reflective of the diverse naming practices used by researchers in or outside of the U.S.A.

Multicultural Naming Practices

Naming practices can vary according to which culture they belong to. For example, in China, placement of the family name precedes the individual name, while in Iran, names often include references to the place an author was born. In some cultures, such as in South India or among Aboriginal Australians, family names are not a traditional feature in an individual's name (Gasparayan et al., 2016). In other cultures, colonial practices may impose a surname. 

As a general rule, follow the spelling as it appears in the publication information. It is up to the writer to cite authors properly: double-check for seemingly small errors, such as spelling, hyphens, spacing, and capitalization. Sometimes citation generators will change the capitalization or the order of name; always make sure that the proper name appears in the citation, and that the correct initials are used in the reference list.

If you are presenting your research, find out how to properly pronounce the name of anyone you are citing. Try to find resources online-- look for YouTube videos that may have recorded how they introduce themselves. If they have an online profile, check to see if they have an app like NameDrop or Namecoach. Or try to contact them directly if possible.

If you come across work that is by someone who uses a singular name, use the name that they have provided.

Non-Latin Characters

Officially, non-Latin scripts cannot appear in APA style papers. For example, any text written in Arabic, Mandarin, or Russian script must be translated into Latin characters and then into English. Diacritics-- symbols appearing on Latin characters such as "ç", "é", "ñ", "ó"-- are accepted.

Examples

(Hoàng & Cissé, 2020)

(Baker Smith, 2012)

(De Silva & Diaz-López, 2013)

(Van der Meer et al., 2020)

(Ahmad-Reza & Al Tajir, 2015)

(D'Angelo, 2022)

The latest edition of the APA Publication Guide recommends that if referring to an author, it is best to always use "they" when uncertain of their gender identity.

It is possible for people to publish under multiple names because they have undergone a name change. This can be for a variety of reasons, such as changes in marital status, for example. Some transgender and non-binary people choose to adopt a new name that aligns with their gender identity. A "deadname" refers to the former name, and deadnaming someone who is transgender or non-binary is harmful. 

So what happens to authors who have publications under their deadname and their new name? Unfortunately, while the publishing world is beginning to implement critical changes that allow for retroactive name changes, many journals and databases continue to circulate publications under authors' deadnames (Lazet & Watson, 2022).

Whether a name-change is due to a change in marital status, gender identity, or other reason, there may rarely be a need to note in-text that two names refer to the same person. In fact, on the contrary, such a note could be seen as outing someone who is transgender, and an invasion of their privacy. It is important to treat the matter respectfully. If an occasion does arise where it is necessary to clarify that two names refer to the same person (e.g. to avoid confusion when reviewing an author's body of work), the APA recommends that it is best to "consult the person and respect the preferences in whether and how to address the name change" (APA, 2020, p. 267). While this is an important step, APA does not consider what action to take in the event that a person cannot be reached. If you need more help, it is best to reach out to a librarian.

American Psychological Association (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). American

Psychological Association.

Gasparyan, A. Y., Yessirkepov, M., Gerasimov, A. N., Kostyukova, E. I., & Kitas, G. D. (2016). Scientific author names: Errors,

corrections, and identity profiles. Biochemia Medica, 26(2), 169–173. https://doi.org/10.11613/BM.2016.017

Lazet, A., & Watson, B. (2022). The case for retroactive author name changes. College & Research Libraries, 83(3), 361.

https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.83.3.361

Don't leave it blank! Find out how to properly indicate that information is missing from one of your reference elements by reading more about missing information.

Information on this page was adapted from "Chapter 8: Works Credited in the Text", in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.), as well as the APA webpage, "In-Text Citations".