APA style papers are written for social science fields such as psychology. As such, the material tends to be complex using high language. When you’re preparing your APA paper, you may find yourself using longer quotations from other researchers to strengthen your argument.
Using long quotations is acceptable in APA style. These style rules require that any direct quotations that are 40 words or longer must be set off in a block quote. In your literature review section, you’ll use quotations often. You may also use them in your abstract.
Formatting an APA Block Quotation
Keep these guidelines in mind as you format a block quote in your APA paper.
- Start the quotation on a new line.
- Indent the block 0.5 inches from the margin.
- Do not put quotation marks around the block.
- Double-space the entire quote.
- Place the parenthetical (in-text) citation at the end of the block after the final period.
- If the block quote consists of more than one paragraph, indent the first line of the second paragraph 0.5 inches.
Block Quote Example
Review these examples for how a block quote should look in an APA academic paper.
Wetli (2019) in her literature review about inclusivity in archival spaces noted that:
Scholar’s [sic] view archives as the custodial spaces of history and its artifacts, a model which predicates ownership, power, and control. To negate this, many organizations have moved towards a model of stewardship. These institutional archives work cooperatively with the communities whose histories they are preserving by providing stable infrastructure, training, and technological support. (p. 4)
Wetli (2019) in her literature review about inclusivity in archival spaces noted that:
Scholar’s [sic] view archives as the custodial spaces of history and its artifacts, a model which predicates ownership, power, and control. To negate this, many organizations [natural museums and large libraries] have moved towards a model of stewardship. These institutional archives work cooperatively with the communities whose histories they are preserving by providing stable infrastructure, training, and technological support. (p. 4)
Wetli, A. (2019). Promoting inclusivity in the archive: A literature review reassessing tradition through theory and practice. School of Information Student Research Journal, 8(2). Retrieved from http://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/slissrj/vol8/iss2/4
Short Quotations
Integrate short quotations (fewer than 40 words) within the sentence. Remember to include the author, date and page number.
Example
As Babbie (2014) mentions, the survey method is “probably the best method available to the social researcher who is interested in collecting original data for describing a population too large to observe directly” (p. 118).
Block Quote for Truth
Including quotations, even longer ones, is a good way to demonstrate your understanding of the topic. You can also show how the quote bolsters your thesis or purpose statement. As always, follow your assignment rubric as some teachers may require a certain number of quotations.