Skip to Main Content
Library Home

Special Education Resources

APA Guide

AFIRM: Autism Focused Intervention Module & Resources

Find the authors of individual resources/pages on an evidence-based practice (EBP)  by going to the complete Module, where you will find a suggested citation: https://afirm.fpg.unc.edu/node/2972   You may also find the authors listed at the bottom of individual documents.The AFIRM module citation example is as follows: Griffin comma first initial W period comma first name Sam comma ampersand A F I R M Team period. The year 2016 in parenthesis period. The title of the module in sentence case and italics period. The National Professional Development Center on Autism Spectrum Disorder, comma Frank Porter Graham Child Development Center comma, University of North Carolina period. Accessible URL

In-text Citation

Parenthetical Citation: Social Skills Training (SST) targets a number of goals related to social skills, such as knowing others’ names to understanding and regulating emotions (Griffin, W., Sam, A. & AFIRM Team, 2016).


 

Online or Print, with DOI (p. 316+ in Manual)

On all article citations, whether you read online or print, include the Digital Object Identifier (DOI) if available.  The DOI is like a digital thumbprint: its unique and permanent numbers and letters help identify it. It is typically on the first or last page of the article. It may also be listed in the CrossRef Database. If you are having trouble finding the DOI, ask a librarian.  If there is no DOI, see this example

Note that as of March 2017, CrossRef and APA both recommend that DOIs be formatted as such: https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx with no period at the end.  

General format: author last name comma first initials period open parenthesis publication date close parenthesis period article title period in italics journal title comma volume number non italics open parenthesis issue number close parenthesis comma page numbers period digital object identifier or D O I Example description: Bueger comma C period open parenthesis 2013 close parenthesis period Practice comma pirates comma and Coast Guards colon The grand narrative of Somali piracy period in italics Third World Quarterly comma 34 non italics open parenthesis 10 close parenthesis comma 1811 hyphen 1827 period https colon forward slash forward slash doi period org forward slash 10 period 1080 forward slash 01436597 period  2013 period 851896

In-text Citation

Parenthetical Citation:  The Coast Guard narrative provides meaning to the practice of modern day piracy (Bueger, 2013).

Narrative Citation: According to Bueger (2013) the coast guard narrative can be treated as a "meaningful fiction which gives coherence to the practice of piracy" (p. 1824). 


 

Report (see p. 329-330 in Manual): What Works Clearinghouse

After the report title, include any report number if available and the Source, which can be thought of like the Publisher of a book.

Group Author or Government Report (see p. 329-330 in Manual)

General format: The government agency such as Institute of Education Sciences space open parentheses year comma date close parenthesis period  report title in sentence case and italicized space open parenthesis the word Publication capital N small o period followed by the publication or report number close parenthesis period name of the parent body such as the US Department of education period the accessible U R L Description of this image: Institute of Education sciences period  open parenthesis 2003 comma September close parenthesis periode title in italics Pre-K mathematics intervention report colon preparing young children for school open parentheses no longer italics publication no. wwc2023-009 close parenthesis Department of education period U R L

In-text Citation

Parenthetical Citation: Research based on five studies provides strong evidence that Pre-K Mathematics improved student mathematics achievement (Institute of Education Sciences [IES], 2023).

State the complete name of the agency the first time followed by the abbreviation in brackets. Any following mentions of the same resource may simply use the abbreviation (IES, 2023)

Narrative Citation: The Institute of Education Sciences (2023) reported strong evidence that the Pre-K Mathematics program ...


 

Statute or Act (see p.362 in manual)

Individual with Disabilities Act comma 20 space u period s period c period section symbol section number 1400 space open parentheses 2004 close parenthesis period U R L

Notes:

  • U.S.C. stands for United States Code.
  • To type a §  symbol
    • PC: press and hold the Alt key. Next, type the numbers, “0167,” and then release the Alt key.
    • Mac: press the Option 6 shortcut on your keyboard.
  • The phrase “et seq.” indicates that the act covers not only the initial section cited, but those that follow. Do not include if citing a specific section.
  • For specific parts and sections, see https://sites.ed.gov/idea/slip-laws-vs-code-citations/ for a list of the more commonly cited sections from the IDEA statute and the corresponding U.S.C. cite. 

In-text Citation

The reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education  Act (IDEA, 2004) shapes how federal funds are spent.


 

U.S. Supreme Court Case (see p.358)

General citation format: name of plaintiff small v. name of defendant, , volume number source page open parentheses year close parentheses. URL.  Specific example provided in the image: Brown lowercase v period board of education comma space 347 space U period S period space 483 space open parentheses 1954 close parentheses period U R L

In-text Citation

Parenthetical Citation: The US Supreme Court ruled that state-sanctioned segregation of public schools violates the 14th amendment (Brown v. Board of Education, 1954).
Narrative Citation: In Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the Court ruled against state-sanctioned segregation of public schools.