There are certain basic things you need to cite just about any source, using just about any format:

• The AUTHOR (or creator) of the work.  This may be one person, many people, or a group or organization.
• The TITLE OF THE WORK itself.  For example, the article title, the book title, the chapter title, etc.
• The JOURNAL or the PUBLISHER.  For an article, you include the name of the specific magazine or journal.  For a book, the publishing house.
• The PUBLICATION DATE.

There are also certain things that must be included for specific types of works.  For example, for an article or a book chapter, you would provide page numbers.  For a website, you would provide the URL.

The moment when you are most likely to have easy access to all of this information?  When you find it in the first place.  Know then what you need to take note of to cite it effectively later.

Cite your sources using the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) 7th edition.

Many databases provide citation assistance. It's often available under links like "Cite this article" or "Choose a bibliographic style." Be sure to check your references for accuracy! Online database citation tools are often helpful, but lack true comprehension of their sources.

Here are some online guides that will help with APA citation.

Citation management programs like Zotero and EndNote let you store, annotate, and organize your citations. OSU Guides have more information: