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Referencing - APA 7th

Attribute in APA Style

If you are reproducing third-party materials in your work (whether it be published or a university assignment) such as images, figures, or tables, you need to include an attribution statement in addition to a reference list entry. This is usually formatted like an in-text citation, but also includes copyright, usage and licensing information.

Various sections of the 7th ed of the APA Style Manual cover how to correctly attribute copyrighted material within your work.

For lengthy quotations (e.g. usually more than 400 words) and/or for test or scale items within the text, an attribution statement should be provided in a footnote.

For a table, figure or image that is reprinted or reproduced in a work, a copyright attribution statement should appear in the caption underneath the relevant material. When you use a copyright attribution, you need to provide a reference list entry. However, the copyright attribution is used instead of an in-text citation; you do not need to include both.

Required information and layout

In your attribution statement, you usually include, in this order:

  • Add the word/s “From” if you are including an exact copy or use the term “Adapted from” if you are included an altered version of the material.
  • Provide the title, author, year of publication, and source of the material.
  • Add a copyright statement. This could be one of the following:
    • Copyright year by copyright holder
    • In the public domain
    • Creative Commons licence (hyperlinked to the relevant licence deed on the CC website).
  • If permission has been provided to use the figure, include Reprinted with permission after the copyright statement.

Journal

  • From or Adapted from “Title of Article,” by Author, Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), p xx (DOI or URL). Copyright statement. Permission statement [if required].

Book or report

  • From or Adapted from Title of Book or Report (p. xx), by Author, year, Publisher (DOI or URL). Copyright statement. Permission statement [if required].

Website

  • From or Adapted from Title of Webpage, by Author, year, Site name (DOI or URL). Copyright statement. Permission statement [if required].
Example

From “Evidence-Based Practice Models and Frameworks in the Healthcare Setting: a Scoping Review,” by J. Dusin, A. Melanson, L. Mische-Lawson, 2023, BMJ Open(13) (https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2022-071188). CC-BY-NC.4.0