[EN] A Brief Reference Guide

1. Introduction to references

In BMTS we are using popular APA style for refferring soures. In this short guide we will look main APA Reference principals

with example of Book and Magazine. 

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2. Reference positions

Referene in APA style consist mostly with 4 parts, Author, Date, Title and Publisher.

These four parts are structured with  primary positions: A, B, C, and D. Each position corresponds to a specific element of the reference and is associated with a research question that helps in understanding its significance.

We have book example
Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst, from author Robert M. Sapolsky

And magazine example: 
New middle chapter in the story of human evolution article in Magazine Science. 

Following table explains A, B, C, D positions in this reference. 

Position A. Author. Answers to question "Who?

• Represents the individual(s) or entity that produced the work.
• Helps answer the research question: "Who created this work?"

- Examples:

Sapolsky, R. M.
Schaefer, N. K., & Shapiro, B. 

Position B. Date. Answers to question "When?"

• Indicates the year (and sometimes the exact date) the work was published or produced.
• Helps answer the research question: "When was this work published or produced?"

- Examples:

(2017).
(2019, September). 

Position C. Title. Ansers to question "What?"

• Describes the main topic or the content of the work.
• Helps answer the research question: "What is this work about?"

- Examples:

Behave: The biology of humans at our best and worst.
New middle chapter in the story of human evolution. 

Position D. Publisher or Source. Answers to question "Where?"

• Indicates the entity responsible for making the work available to the public or the source from which the work was retrieved.
• Helps answer the research question: "Where was this work published or produced?"
• For journal articles, this would be the journal name.
• For books or other publications, this would be the publishing company.
• For online sources, this would typically be the name of the website or organization that hosts the content, followed by the URL.

  - Examples: 
Penguin Books.
Science, 365(6457), 981–982. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay3550

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3. Formatting Reference

In APA style, references are structured based on four primary positions: A, B, C, and D. This chapter will explain the formatting for each position, highlighting the distinctions between books and magazines when necessary. Punctuation marks are colored to emphasize the importance of their placement

Author (Position A: "Who?"):

• Format: Last name, First initial. Middle initial (if available), followed by a period. If a magazine article has multiple authors, list them separated by commas, using an "&" before the last author's name.

- Example:

Sapolsky, R. M.

Schaefer, N. K., & Shapiro, B.

Date (Position B: "When?"):

Format for books: (Year of publication), enclosed in parentheses and followed by a period.

- Book example:

(2017).

Format for magazines: (Year, Month Day), enclosed in parentheses and followed by a period.

- Magazine example:

(2019, September 06).

Title (Position C: "What?"):

For books: The format is the Title of the book: Capital letter also for subtitle. Title of the book in italics. Only the first word of the title, the first word of the subtitle, and any proper nouns are capitalized. Follow the title with a period.

- Book example:

Behave: The biology of humans at our best and worst.

For magazines: The format is the Title of the article, with only the first word of the title and any proper nouns capitalized. Title of article is not in italics. Follow the title with a period.

- Magazine example:

New middle chapter in the story of human evolution.

Publisher or Source (Position D: "Where?"):

For books: The format is the Publisher name, ending with a period.

- Book example:

Penguin Books.

For magazines: The format is the Title of Magazine, volume number(issue number), followed by the page range. Only the title of the magazine and volume number are in italics. The issue number is in parentheses and is not italicized. The page range is followed by a period. If URL is availible add this in the end. Never add period afer URL. Web address (URL) can be underlined with containing link (but it is not required). Important is to follow consistently same URL format style  in whole the document.  

- Magazine example:

Science, 365(6457), 981–982. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay3550

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4. Results

In this point we have information we need. Lets put it together

Book example

With theese infomration we can put it together.

Position A. (Position B). Position C. Position D. 

Author, A. (Year). Title. Publisher. 

Sapolsky, R. M. (2017). Behave: The biology of humans at our best and worst. Penguin Books.

Sapolsky, R. M. (2017). Behave: The biology of humans at our best and worst. Penguin Books. 

Magazine example

With theese infomration we can put it together.

Position A. (Position B). Position C. Position D. 

Author, A. (Year, Date). Title. Periodical. URL

Schaefer, N. K., & Shapiro, B. (2019, September 6). New middle chapter in the story of human evolution. Science, 365(6457), 981–982. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aay3550

5. Citation in text

In-text citations need to include the author(s) last name and the year (date) of publication.

In-text citations provide a brief reference within the body of your paper to guide the reader to the full citation in your list of sources. The format varies slightly between books and magazines, and the placement can change based on the narrative flow of your sentence.

Citation in text is directly dependent on the full source description in the list of sources. Therefore, it is always recommended to create a proper reference in the list of sources first. In-text citations then use the authors' names and year exactly as they appear in the list of sources.

Books with One Author

For books, the in-text citation format is: 
(Author's Last Name, Year of Publication)

- Examples:

1. End of Sentence:

Throughout the course of human evolution, it has become evident that behavior is influenced by a myriad of biological factors, both intrinsic and extrinsic (Sapolsky, 2017).

2. Direct Quote:

As Sapolsky (2017) insightfully points out, "the brain is a complex organ that regulates our actions and reactions" (p. 45).

3. Narratively in the Middle of a Sentence:

Drawing from extensive research, Sapolsky (2017) provides compelling arguments that our actions and decisions are shaped by a harmonious blend of genetics, environmental stimuli, and individual life experiences.

Magazines with Two Authors

For magazine articles, the in-text citation format is: 
(Author's Last Name & Author's Last Name, Year of Publication)
Ampersand symbol "&" is used in end of the sentence and not narratively in the middle of a sentence:

- Examples:

1. End of Sentence:

With the advent of new archaeological findings, our understanding of human evolution has been enriched, revealing a more intricate chapter than previously believed (Schaefer & Shapiro, 2019).

2. Direct Quote:

Highlighting the depth of their research, Schaefer and Shapiro noted, "The early human societies were more complex than previously thought" (Schaefer & Shapiro, 2019, p. 981).

3. Narratively in the Middle of a Sentence:

In a groundbreaking 2019 article, Schaefer and Shapiro delve deep into the intricacies of human evolution, shedding light on the multifaceted nature of early human societies and their advancements.

Books with Three or More Authors (editors)

For books with three or more authors, the in-text citation format is: 
(First Author's Last Name et al., Year of Publication)
Include both period and comma after et al.

- Examples:

1. End of Sentence:

In the realm of academia, the APA educational psychology handbook stands as a testament to the vast and diverse knowledge encompassing the field of educational psychology (Harris et al., 2012).

2. Direct Quote:

Emphasizing the depth and breadth of the subject, the editors state, "Educational psychology is a multifaceted discipline that requires a holistic approach" (Harris et al., 2012, p. 23).

3. Narratively in the Middle of a Sentence:

As Harris et al. (2012) elucidate in their comprehensive handbook, the study of educational psychology necessitates a deep understanding of the myriad factors that influence educational outcomes, from cognitive processes to environmental influences.

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6. More sources

In this quide we looked shortly examples of referring book and magazine

In all other format you can follow same principals and with help of school formatting guide ans especially with official APA style reference examples you will be able to find answers how to referre different type of sources. 

APA original source APA Style website links are always best place to go if you have questions about APA style reference of sources

APA Style and Grammar Guidelines
https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines

APA Style Blog (for updated information)
(Examples, how to cite irregulars sources, like Chat GPT ond other. And other updated information about APA. 
https://apastyle.apa.org/blog