How to cite using APA in the Health Sciences

A direct quote is taken word-for-word from the original text. Indicate it is a quote by using double quotation marks around the original phrase. The citation appears after the closing quotation mark but before a period, comma, colon, or semi-colon. Do not place period at the end of the quotation.

Because you are citing a specific part of a source, you must also include information about where to find it. For a direct quotation, add a comma after the date and include the abbreviation "p." for a single page, and then the page number. For multiple pages use "pp." separating the pages with a dash. If the pages are discontinuous, use a comma instead of a dash. While most direct quotations will usually require a page number to denote location, if the work does not have page numbers you may also be a paragraph number, chapter number, etc. View alternative ways to denote locations here.

Remember, if a quote contains forty words or more, use a block quote instead. 

Examples

Direct Quotation from a Single Page (i.e. Book or Journal Article)

"Racialized Canadians often experience poorer health outcomes and face barriers to accessing high-quality healthcare due to systemic racism" (Barter, 2024, p.18).

According to Barter (2024), it is apparent that "racialized Canadians often experience poorer health outcomes and face barriers to accessing high-quality healthcare due to systemic racism" (p.18).

Direct Quotation from Multiple Continuous Pages (i.e. Book or Journal Article)

"The intersection of queer and disability studies in healthcare critiques the one-size-fits-all approach, highlighting how heteronormative assumptions and lack of disability awareness can create significant barriers to LGBTQ+ individuals receiving equitable and inclusive healthcare" (Quispe & Garcia, 2023, pp. 136-137).

In the work of Quispe & Garcia (2023), queer and disability studies in healthcare critically examines "the one-size-fits-all approach, highlighting how heteronormative assumptions and lack of disability awareness can create significant barriers to LGBTQ+ individuals receiving equitable and inclusive healthcare" (pp. 136-137).

Direct Quotation from a Paragraph (i.e. Website Page)

"Historically, blood donation policies in Canada excluded gay and bisexual men due to outdated concerns about HIV transmission. This policy was widely criticized as discriminatory, finally being replaced in 2022 with a behavior-based screening system for all donors" (Blood News, 2024, para. 5.)

Note: The 'original' writing samples above were generated by Google Gemini and formatted by the author. Author and date attributions are fictitious. 

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".