APA Style Guide: Quotation

The APA Style advises that when using another's exact words, known as direct quotation, then those words must be placed in double inverted commas/quotation marks (e.g. ""), followed by an in-text citation that includes the Author Last name, Year and Page numbers. A full reference should then appear in your reference list.

If unsure, always check with your lecturer or tutor.

Short quotations - less than 40 words

Short quotations are held to be less than 40 words in the APA Style. An example of a short direct quotation would be

The findings suggest children have a "high level of enjoyment" (Fitzgerald et al., 2008, p. 66), while exercising with the system as indicated by the positive responses to all three questions.

Long quotations - 40 words or more

Long quotations in the APA Style are held to have 40 words or more. These are laid out in a separate paragraph of text and indented about half an inch from the left margin. No inverted commas/quotation marks are included. An example of a long quotation would be

In their research on rehabilitation using Wobbleballs, Fitzgerald and her team conclude that:

The fourth question collected some feedback from children and while most provided positive comments a small number of children (n=13) mentioned that the wobble board was “difficult to control” or “hard to use”. We must therefore investigate some easier methods to control the game as an option for some children. Future research is needed to investigate the benefits of the system as an exercise intervention for children and to examine how training using Wobbleball could be integrated into the existing physical education curriculum in schools. (Fitzgerald et al., 2008, p. 66)

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