The APA Citation Style
APA has a considerable learning value as it shows students how papers must be structured, what vocabulary is preferable for each type of work, and how grammar can help express ideas in the most effective way. Furthermore, it teaches an objective language, making it possible to avoid bias. This ensures that the ideas expressed in the study (its goals, methods, discussion, results, and conclusions) will be successfully communicated to the reader. When a student follows APA guidelines, his/her academic writing becomes clear and consistent in tone (otherwise it cannot be accepted). Another important aspect of the APA citation style is its legitimacy and credibility. Since the paper formatted in such a way contains citations (both direct and indirect) and references, it is much easier for the reader to verify whether the information indeed comes from the indicated sources. A sufficient bulk of transparent evidence makes it possible to fully explore the contents of the study.
As far as in-text citations are concerned, there are three arguments supporting their significance. First and foremost, it allows the author of the research to give credit to sources that he/she is using to support his/her claims. In other words, it helps researchers avoid plagiarizing other works, which is highly important for a high-quality study. Second, giving in-text quotations, the author facilitates the searching process for the reader, who can find the original sources to further investigate the issue. Finally, in-text citations give researchers authority as they show that the article is based not only on their own assumptions but also on other works.
The in-text citation for my article will run as follows: (Chapman, Stévant, & Larssen, 2015).
Direct Citation
The popularity of seaweeds in Europe is accounted for by “well-known nutritional and health benefits of seaweeds in human diets, especially regarding the high content of minerals, vitamins and trace elements in the most relevant species” (Chapman, Stévant, & Larssen, 2015).
“In north-western Europe, using seaweeds as food currently represents a novel development, despite traditions of macroalgal diets reaching back to the Viking period” (Chapman et al., 2015).
“Developing this new field of research will help establish best practices for harvesting, processing and storage of seaweeds for high-quality, i.e. defined and standardized, products” (Chapman et al., 2015).
References
Chapman, A. S., Stévant, P., & Larssen, W. E. (2015). Food or fad? Challenges and opportunities for including seaweeds in a Nordic diet. Botanica Marina, 58(6), 423-433.