When you write any paper, assignment, you are required to refer to the work of other authors. Each time you do so, it is necessary to identify their work by making reference to it— both in the text of your assignment and in a list at the end of your assignment. This practice of acknowledging authors is known as referencing. References must be provided whenever you use someone else’s opinions, theories, data or organization of material. You need to reference information from books, articles, videos, computers, other print or electronic sources, and personal communications.
APA style is a format for academic documents such as journal articles and books. It is codified in the style guide of the American Psychological Association (APA), titled the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.