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Test your knowledge of the APA style rules on in-text citation with this 'In-text citations quiz questions and answers.' Generally, an in-text citation is a short version of a reference that you include in the body of your work (like in your thesis or paper). The below quiz contains a few basic questions related to this format. Do you think you can easily crack all of them? Why don't you give it a try and see for yourself? Play it now.
Questions and Answers
1.
When citing one or two authors in-text, never use et al; instead, always provide the author(s)' names.
A.
True
B.
False
Correct Answer
A. True
Explanation The given statement is true. When citing one or two authors in-text, it is not appropriate to use "et al." Instead, it is important to always provide the full names of the author(s). This ensures proper attribution and gives credit to the specific individuals responsible for the work being cited.
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2.
When providing two or more authors' names in a parenthetical citation, use "and" to join the names, not the ampersand symbol. For example, (Lastname, Lastname, and Lastname, year, p. X).
A.
True
B.
False
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation Use the ampersand within in-text citations and the references: (Lastname, Lastname, & Lastname, year, p. X). Use "and" when listing authors within a sentence: Lastname, Lastname, and Lastname (year) studied XYZ (p. X).
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3.
Et al. should be used after the first author's last name every time a source with three to five authors is introduced in the text. For example: "Lastname et al. (year) argued that...".
A.
True
B.
False
Correct Answer
B. False
Explanation The statement is false because "et al." should be used after the first author's last name only when a source with more than five authors is introduced in the text. For sources with three to five authors, all authors' last names should be listed the first time they are mentioned, and "et al." should be used in subsequent mentions.
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4.
When mentioning a source with six or more authors in a sentence, in either a parenthetical citation or in the sentence text, only the first author's name and et al. should be provided: "Lastname et al. (year) argued that...".
A.
True
B.
False
Correct Answer
A. True
Explanation When citing a source with six or more authors in a sentence, it is common practice to include only the first author's name followed by "et al." and the year of publication. This is done to simplify the citation and avoid excessive repetition of names. By using "et al." (which is short for "et alii" meaning "and others" in Latin), it acknowledges that there are additional authors without listing them all. This format is widely accepted in academic writing and helps to maintain clarity and conciseness in citations. Therefore, the statement is true.
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5.
Which of the following choices is the correct formatting for a citation to personal communication?
A.
(J. Johnson, email, para. 4)
B.
(Johnson, personal communication, para. 4)
C.
(J. Johnson, personal communication, September 3, 2014)
D.
(Johnson, email, September 3, 2014)
Correct Answer
C. (J. Johnson, personal communication, September 3, 2014)
Explanation The correct formatting for a citation to personal communication is to include the person's last name followed by "personal communication" and the date of the communication in parentheses. In this case, the correct answer is (J. Johnson, personal communication, September 3, 2014).
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6.
If the cited resource doesn't provide a publication or copyright date, which of the following options is correct?
A.
No citation is necessary
B.
(Lastname, no date, p. X)
C.
(Lastname, n.d., p. X)
D.
(Lastname, date, p. X)
Correct Answer
C. (Lastname, n.d., p. X)
Explanation When a cited resource does not provide a publication or copyright date, the correct option is to use "(Lastname, n.d., p. X)" in the citation. This abbreviation "n.d." stands for "no date" and indicates that the publication or copyright date is unavailable. Including this in the citation helps to accurately attribute the information to the author while acknowledging the lack of a specific date.
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7.
If the cited resource doesn't have an identified author. What information should be provided in the in-text citation?
A.
(The first few words of the title of the resource, year, p. X)
B.
No citation is necessary
C.
(Anonymous, year, p. X)
D.
(Anonymous, year)
Correct Answer
A. (The first few words of the title of the resource, year, p. X)
Explanation When the cited resource does not have an identified author, the in-text citation should include the first few words of the title of the resource, the year of publication, and the page number (if applicable). This allows readers to easily locate the source in the reference list and provides enough information to give credit to the appropriate source.
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8.
When citing a direct quotation from an ebook that doesn't have page numbers, which of the following is the correct approach to indicating the location of the information within the ebook?
A.
A paragraph number
B.
A heading plus a paragraph number within the section
C.
An abbreviated heading in quotation marks if the original heading is long
D.
Any of these options, depending on how the information is presented within the book.
Correct Answer
D. Any of these options, depending on how the information is presented within the book.
Explanation When citing a direct quotation from an ebook that doesn't have page numbers, the correct approach to indicating the location of the information within the ebook can vary. It depends on how the information is presented within the book. One option is to use a paragraph number, which can help locate the specific section. Another option is to use a heading plus a paragraph number within the section, which provides additional context. Alternatively, if the original heading is long, an abbreviated heading in quotation marks can be used. Therefore, any of these options can be correct depending on the presentation of information in the ebook.
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9.
If the only way to cite a source is through a secondary source citation, which of the following citations is the correct formatting? In the examples below, Lastname1 refers to the author of the text you read, whereas Lastname2 refers to the secondary author quoted by Lastname1.
A.
(Lastname2, year, as cited in Lastname1, year, p. X)
B.
(Lastname2, as cited in Lastname1, year, p. X)
C.
(Lastname1, year, p. X)
D.
(Lastname2, year, p. X)
Correct Answer
A. (Lastname2, year, as cited in Lastname1, year, p. X)
Explanation When citing a source that you have not directly read but have encountered through a secondary source, the correct formatting is to use the phrase "as cited in" to indicate the indirect source. This helps acknowledge that you are referring to information found in Lastname1, who quoted or cited Lastname2. The correct format is (Lastname2, year, as cited in Lastname1, year, p. X).
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10.
If the author's last name and the year of publication are provided in the signal phrase before a quotation, what information is required in the parenthetical citation? For example: "Lastname (year) noted that, "quotation text" [what should be here?]".
A.
No citation is necessary
B.
(p. X) or (para. X)
C.
(page X) or (paragraph X)
D.
The URL where the resource was retrieved
Correct Answer
B. (p. X) or (para. X)
Explanation When the author's last name and the year of publication are provided in the signal phrase before a quotation, the information required in the parenthetical citation is either (p. X) for page numbers or (para. X) for paragraph numbers. This allows readers to easily locate the specific location within the source where the quotation can be found.
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