Q. I am writing a paper in APA format and was wondering how I cite a long quotation?
The quotation is longer than 40 words.
Answer
If you are citing a large amount of text (longer than 40 words):
- Indent every line of the text .5" (as would the first line of a regular paragraph)
- Do not use quotation marks
- Start the quotation on a new line
- Place your in-text citation in parentheses after the final period
Use long quotations sparingly and only when the information cannot be restated better than the original.
To see an example:
- Visit the APA Help Guide.
- See specifically the handout for Citing Sources in the Text.
- Scroll down to Citing Long Quotations.
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