Research oriented assignments require in-text citations that refer to references used to compile the paper/report. Following are in-text citation examples using the APA (American Psychological Association) style format, the preferred style for business writing:

According to Smith (2020), "students often had trouble using APA style, particularly when it was their first time" (p. 199).

Smith (2020) found "students often had trouble using APA style" (p. 199); what implications does this have for teachers?

He stated, "Students often had trouble using APA style" (Smith, 2020, p. 199), but he did not offer an explanation for this.

Any references cited in your paper/report should be listed at the end of it, with a heading titled "References." Each reference should be formatted using APA (American Psychological Association) style. The basic form of an article reference using APA style is as follows:

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume number(issue number), pages. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyy

Not all references will follow this form exactly; some will be variations of this form. Following are APA examples for online article references that do not include a volume number, issue number, or pages:

Baertlein., L. & Bose., N (2018, August). Kroger partners with Alibaba in China grocery sales venture. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/article/us-kroger-alibaba/kroger-partners-with-alibaba-in-china-grocery-sales-venture-idUSKBN1KZ256

Zorrilla, M. M. (2019, December 16). Walgreens and Kroger partner to cut supply costs: The retailers aim to enhance customer convenience. Adweek. https://www.adweek.com/brand-marketing/walgreens-and-kroger-partner-to-cut-supply-costs/

For a complete list of all the different variations of APA style citations, see The concise APA handbook (electronic book) or one of the many respected websites that offer this information, like Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab).