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.
Publication Year Quick Tip Video
Related Resources
- Three Key Points for Knowing When to Use the Year or Date in APA Citations (blog post)Writing Center blog post
- Citing An Author Through a Paragraph: Notes on a Tricky APA Shortcut (blog post)Writing Center blog post