APA (American Psychological Association) Citation Style

WHAT IS A REFERENCE CITATION?

A reference citation is the documentation needed to make your paper acceptable for
academic purposes. It gives authoritative sources for your statements, helps the reader gain
access to those sources, and acknowledges the fact that the information used in a paper did
not originate with the writer.
WHAT IS APA'S STYLE OF REFERENCE CITATION?
APA style uses the author/date method of citation in which the author's last name and the
year of the publication are inserted in the actual text of the paper. It is the style
recommended by the American Psychological Association and used in many of the social
sciences.
EXAMPLES OF REFERENCE CITATIONS IN TEXT--APA STYLE

Example/s
1. If author's name occurs in the text, follow it with Piaget (1970) compared
year of publication in parentheses. reaction times...
2. If author's name is not in the text, insert last In a recent study of reaction
name, comma, year in parenthesis. times (Piaget, 1978) …
3. If a work has more than two authors (but fewer First occurrence: Williams,
than six), cite all authors the first time the French and Joseph (1962)
reference occurs; include the last name followed found... Subsequent citations:
by "et al." and the year in subsequent citations of Williams et al. (1962)
the same reference. recommended...

THE REFERENCE LIST

APA style suggests using a reference list for references cited in the text of a paper rather than
a bibliography. A reference list includes only those references which were cited in the text of
one's paper. There must be total agreement between the two. A bibliography includes all
literature consulted which was "immediately relevant" to the research process, even though
the material was not cited in the text of one's paper.

 Alphabetically by surname
 Double Spacing with hanging indents
 Italics (titles of books, journals, and videos)

FORMAT:
Author last name, Initials (Year). Report Title: Subtitle (report no.). Publisher name. URL

Batirzal, J. (2017). Research in Teaching Science. Western Philippines University.

https://www.EDUC.com/research0/reports/10j803
Gerarman, C.B. &Servando, K.J. (2019). The Role of theory in research: Test,
Measures of Personality, Surveys and Observation. Western Philippines University.
https://www.EDUC.com/research1/reports/04087hb3
Penonia, M.B. et.al. (2021). APA Citation style and the Role of theory in
research: An overview. Western Philippines University.
https://www.EDUC.com/research2/reports/0713
 The roles of Theory in Research tools of research: Tests, Measures of
Personality, Surveys, Observations
DEFINITION
Theories are formulated to explain, predict, and understand phenomena and, in many cases,
to challenge and extend existing knowledge within the limits of critical bounding
assumptions.
The theoretical framework is the structure that can hold or support a theory of a research
study. The theoretical framework introduces and describes the theory that explains why the
research problem under study exists.

THEORITICAL FRAMEWORK VS CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

 Is a theory in the form of a  Is the researcher’s own model

model/paradigm that serves
as the basis of the study. It
mentions the proponents of
the study and their results.
illustrating variables that specify
the problem and gives direction to
the study. It may be an adaptation
of a model in an early theory, with
modifications to suit the inquiry.

IMPORTANCE
A theoretical framework consists of concepts and, together with their
definitions and reference to relevant scholarly literature, existing theory
that is used for your particular study. The theoretical framework must
demonstrate an understanding of theories and concepts that are relevant to the topic of
your research paper and that relate to the broader areas of knowledge being considered.

The theoretical framework is most often not something readily found

within the literature. You must review course readings and pertinent research
studies for theories and analytic models that are relevant to the research problem you
are investigating. The selection of a theory should depend on its appropriateness, ease
of application, and explanatory power.

The theoretical framework strengthens the study in the following ways:

1. An explicit statement of theoretical assumptions permits the reader to

evaluate them critically.
2. The theoretical framework connects the researcher to existing knowledge.
Guided by a relevant theory, you are given a basis for your hypotheses and
choice of research methods.
3. Articulating the theoretical assumptions of a research study forces you to
address questions of why and how. It permits you to intellectually transition
from simply describing a phenomenon you have observed to generalizing
about various aspects of that phenomenon.
4. Having a theory helps you identify the limits to those generalizations. A
theoretical framework specifies which key variables influence a phenomenon
of interest and highlights the need to examine how those key variables might
differ and under what circumstances.

By virtue of its applicative nature, good theory in the social sciences is of value
precisely because it fulfills one primary purpose: to explain the meaning, nature, and
challenges associated with a phenomenon, often experienced but unexplained in the
world in which we live, so that we may use that knowledge and understanding to act in
more informed and effective ways.

References:
Tav, I. (2016). Hot to cite and reference in APA style. Retrieve from:
https://www.slideshare.net/iSkillsTav/how-to-cite-and-reference-in-apa-style
University of Toledo (2008). APA Style Reference Citations: Library Resource Guide.
Retrieve
from:https://www.utoledo.edu/library/help/guides/docs/apastyle.pdf
USC Libraries (2021). Organizing Your Social Sciences Research Paper. Retrieve from:
https://libguides.usc.edu/writingguide/theoreticalframework#:~:text=Theories
%20are%20formulated%20to%20explain,limits%20of%20critical%20bounding
%20assumptions.&text=The%20theoretical%20framework%20introduces
%20and,research%20problem%20under%20study%20exists.
Western Sydney University (2020). American Psychological Association (APA) Referencing
Style Guide. Retrieve from:
https://library.westernsydney.edu.au/main/sites/default/files/pdf/cite_APA.pdf