Stay Organized with a Citation Management System!
Citation Management Systems help you keep track of your sources, easily organize and annotate sources, and assist with citations.
- ZoteroZotero is a free, easy-to-use tool to help you collect, organize, cite, and share research.
Source Matrix
A Source Matrix (also sometimes called a Data Extraction Form) can be a useful supplemental tool to help you put all the articles you plan to use to inform your work into one place. Here you can organize main takeaways from the articles and your thoughts on them to start to structure a skeleton outline of your literature review.
- Source Matrix TemplateThe Source Matrix allows you to deeply read your sources and quickly look across your sources to better synthesize. This can then help you synthesize your sources, especially if you transfer sources onto a thematic synthesis matrix (seen on page 2 of the spreadsheet template). Feel free to take this template and adapt it to your needs!
Additional APA Style Guide Resources
For additional help, here are additional resources at JMU and on the web that address APA Style and citations
- 7th Edition APA Style BlogThe APA Style Blog is the new official companion to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition (released October 2019). It's run by a group of experts who work with APA Style every day.
- 6th Edition APA Style BlogThe APA Style Blog is the official companion to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition.This is an archive of the 6th Edition information.
- APA Style HelpCreated by the American Psychological Association, this site provides tutorials for the APA style as well as a detailed FAQ section to take you straight to the citation answers you need
Publication Manual of the American Psychological AssociationISBN: 9781433832161Print copies are available
- Purdue OWL APA Style ResourcesThis section contains resources on in-text citation and the References page, as well as APA sample papers, slide presentations, and the APA classroom poster.
- Excelsior College OWL APA Style ResourcesThis online writing lab includes information on in-text citations, references, and formatting papers. There are videos and guides, and even an activity to check understanding.
- Citing Copyrighted ImagesAn in-depth look at how to determine copyright and appropriately cite images from a variety of sources.
- APA Inclusive Language GuideThis guide is written to raise awareness, direct learning, and support the use of culturally sensitive terms and phrases that center the voices and perspectives of those who have been historically marginalized or stereotyped. The guide also explains the origins of problematic terms and phrases and offers suitable, more contemporary alternatives.
- Journal Article Reporting Standards: Race, Ethnicity, and CultureThe journal article reporting standards for race, ethnicity, and culture (JARS–REC) guidelines are designed to be used when reporting all research conducted in psychology