Question

How do I cite a whole paragraph from one source?

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If I am using the same source multiple times throughout one paragraph, how do you intext cite that source? For example, do I cite the source only at the end of the paragraph, one time when I first start using the source followed by only the year after each sentence, etc.? I am also not using quotations (since I know that also has different formatting after so many words). 
 
I have been told multiple ways by various professors and I cannot find this answer in the APA book, Owl Purdue, or APA style blog. 

Answered By: Emily Thornton
Last Updated: Mar 16, 2020     Views: 21610

This is a great question. It's a bit of a judgment call, which is why you're getting multiple answers. 

 
The general idea is to cite the source once at the beginning and once at the end. If your paragraph is very long and there's any danger that your reader will get lost and wonder if it's the same source, throw another in-text citation in the middle of the paragraph as a reminder. 
 
All of this only applies if the entire paragraph came from one source. If it's mostly from Source A but a little from Source B, you have to be very explicit about which parts came from which source.
 
This FAQ from another library provides some good examples:  http://rasmussen.libanswers.com/faq/32328 
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