Citing sources is a crucial aspect of academic writing, and following specific guidelines is essential. If you use survey content from another source, you must include a formal citation in your paper. This article will discuss the guidelines for APA survey citation, providing insights into the correct format and usage. Additionally, APA examples will be included to offer a clear understanding of how to properly cite survey content in your work.
APA Survey Citation – In a Nutshell
- You need an official reference entry or a citation in the main text when referring to the contents of a survey conducted by someone else.
- You do not need to cite an original survey. Instead, you can quote it in your academic paper and incorporate its results in the appendix section of your paper.
- You do not require any citation if the survey is not part of your paper’s appendix.
- The key for APA survey citation is following the format used in the source type where the survey appears.
Definition: APA survey citation
APA survey format offers specific instructions for referencing survey data from published, unpublished, and original sources. Here is the standard format for APA survey citation of published data:
| APA format: | Author’s Sir name, first or second name initials. (Publication Year). Title of the survey (Data Set). Publisher. Source link (URL/DOI) |
| APA reference entry: | The American Psychological Association. (2011). American Behavioral Survey 2001: Clinical survey (Data Set). The American Department of Psychology. https://12.21465/ID12S21.v4 |
| APA in-text citation: | (The American Psychological Association, 2011) |
APA survey citation: Denoting to your own survey
If your study includes a survey, it would be wise to quote from it in your research paper. However, you do not need to cite it in the reference entry or in-text citation. Instead, you should include the results of the survey in an appendix.
Example
One participant explained that they found the treatment more harmful than beneficial (refer to appendix C for full survey responses).
APA survey citation: Published surveys
An APA survey citation is necessary when referring to a survey from previously published material like a journal or book. The APA survey citation format for published surveys is as follows:
| APA format: | Author’s Sir name, Other initials. (Publication year). Title of the survey (Data Set). Publisher. Source link |
| APA reference entry: | The American Psychological Association. (2011). American Behavioral Survey 2001: Clinical survey (Data Set). The American Department of Psychology. https://12.21465/ID12S21.v4 |
| APA in-text citation: | (The American Psychological Association, 2011) |
APA survey citation: Unpublished raw data
You can also use content from a survey that has not been published. If the raw data does not have a title, you must provide an account in squared brackets. Sources with titles can be cited with their headings and the words “unpublished raw data” in squared brackets.
| APA format: | Author’s last name, Initials. (Year). {unpublished raw statistics on Topic}. Or Title {Unpublished raw statistics}. Institution or organization or institution name |
| APA reference entry: | Lender, M. (2003). {Unpublished raw data on the effects of remote working on company productivity}. The University of Massachusetts. |
| APA in-text citation: | (Mark, 2003) |
FAQs
Surveys are included in a research paper when using information from the data collected in the survey.
Providing an APA survey citation allows your readers or instructor to verify the data and prevents plagiarism.
The format for APA survey citation differs depending on whether you are using data from a published or unpublished source.
When using the APA survey citation format, you can include it in an appendix.
