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Citations: When to Include the Year

When to Include the Year

In APA, writers include the date with any parenthetical reference to a source. Additionally, they should include the date after the first reference in a paragraph when the author is referred to as part of the sentence.  Then, writers repeat the date again if referred to in parentheses; however, writers do not need to repeat the date when the author is cited again in that paragraph:

Patterson (2009) found citing is fun. It could also be said that "citing is sometimes perplexing" (Patterson, 2009, p. 23). Patterson concluded that APA gets easier the more you use it. Patterson also argued that students secretly enjoy APA style rules.

Once a new paragraph begins, however, this rule starts over. For help knowing how and when to cite in a paragraph, check out our tips on how to cite.

Knowledge Check: When to Include the Year