How to Cite a Citation Within a Citation in APA
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0 sourcesHow To Cite A Citation Within A Citation APA — cite it as a secondary source: name the original author and year, write “as cited in,” then the work you actually read. In text: (Vygotsky, 1978, as cited in Kearney, 2019). Only the source you read appears in your reference list.
What does “a citation within a citation” mean in APA?
A citation within a citation happens when you want to cite a source that you did not read directly, but that another author quoted or summarised. APA calls the work you actually read the secondary source and the quoted work the original (or primary) source. You credit both, but only one goes in your references.
For example, suppose you are reading Kearney’s 2019 textbook, and Kearney quotes a 1978 idea from Vygotsky. You never opened Vygotsky yourself. Because Kearney is the source in your hands, Vygotsky becomes the original source and Kearney becomes the secondary source that carries the quote to you.
How do you cite a source cited in another source?
Name the original author and year first, add the phrase as cited in, then give the author and year of the secondary source you read. APA structures the in-text citation so the reader can see whose idea it is and where you found it in a single parenthetical.
The parenthetical template is (Original Author, Original Year, as cited in Secondary Author, Secondary Year). The narrative template weaves the original author into the sentence: Original Author (as cited in Secondary Author, Secondary Year) argued that…. The comma before “as cited in” and lowercase phrasing are required.
- Original author — the person whose idea it is (Vygotsky), placed first.
- Original year — the date of the original work, if known; omit it if you cannot find it.
- “as cited in” — the fixed connector, lowercase, following a comma.
- Secondary author — the author of the work you actually read (Kearney).
- Secondary year — the publication year of that source you read.
What do the in-text examples look like?
Both parenthetical and narrative forms are valid; choose the one that reads best in your sentence. Direct quotations still need a page or paragraph number from the secondary source, because that is the copy you consulted. The table and copy-ready lines below show the common patterns.
| Situation | In-text citation |
|---|---|
| Parenthetical, year known | (Vygotsky, 1978, as cited in Kearney, 2019) |
| Narrative, year known | Vygotsky (as cited in Kearney, 2019) |
| Original year unknown | (Allport, as cited in Nicholson, 2003) |
| Direct quote (add page) | (Bandura, 1977, as cited in Kearney, 2019, p. 54) |
ParentheticalScaffolding lets learners reach beyond their current level (Vygotsky, 1978, as cited in Kearney, 2019).
NarrativeVygotsky (as cited in Kearney, 2019) described the zone of proximal development as the gap between assisted and independent performance.
Direct quoteSelf-efficacy shapes “the level of motivation” people bring to a task (Bandura, 1977, as cited in Kearney, 2019, p. 54).
What goes in the reference list?
Only the secondary source — the work you actually read — appears in your reference list. Do not create an entry for the original source, because you never consulted it and cannot verify its exact details. This is the single most important rule of secondary citation and the one students most often get wrong.
So for the Vygotsky example, your reference list contains Kearney alone. The original author’s name lives only in the in-text citation, signalling whose idea you are reporting while the entry points readers to the source you can vouch for.
Reference (read)Kearney, C. A. (2019). Abnormal psychology and life: A dimensional approach (3rd ed.). Cengage Learning.
Reference (read)Nicholson, I. (2003). Inventing personality: Gordon Allport and the science of selfhood. American Psychological Association.
When should you use a secondary-source citation?
APA advises using secondary sources sparingly — only when the original work is out of print, unavailable through your library, or written in a language you cannot read. Whenever you can locate and read the original, cite it directly instead, and skip the “as cited in” construction entirely.
Reaching for the original is not just a formality. Secondary authors sometimes paraphrase, condense, or subtly misread the work they quote, so a chain citation carries their interpretation, not the source itself. Tracking down the primary source protects your accuracy and lets you cite the original author’s year and page with confidence.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Adding the original source to the references. Only the source you read belongs there. Listing an original you never opened misrepresents your research.
- Reversing the order. The original author always comes first, the source you read second. Writing “(Kearney, 2019, as cited in Vygotsky, 1978)” is backwards.
- Capitalising or rephrasing the connector. Use exactly
as cited in— not “cited in,” “quoted in,” or “As Cited In.” - Dropping the page number on a direct quote. Quotations need a locator from the secondary source you actually held.
- Guessing the original’s details. If you cannot confirm the original year, omit it rather than invent one.
How accurate is this guidance, and what are its limits?
This page reflects APA 7th edition, the current standard for most psychology, education, nursing, and social-science courses. The “as cited in” method is stable across the 6th and 7th editions, so older examples you find online generally still apply. The core mechanics have not changed.
The limitation is judgement, not format. APA cannot tell you whether a secondary citation is justified in your specific case — that depends on whether the original is genuinely inaccessible. Instructors and journals may also cap how many secondary citations they accept. When in doubt, find the original, and confirm any course-specific rules with your instructor or style guide.
FAQ
How do you cite a citation within a citation in APA? Name the original author and year, add “as cited in,” then the author and year of the source you read — for example, (Vygotsky, 1978, as cited in Kearney, 2019). Only the source you read is listed in the references.
Do you put both sources in the reference list? No. Only the secondary source — the work you actually read — appears in the reference list. The original author is named in the in-text citation but never gets its own entry.
What does “as cited in” mean? It signals that you found the original author’s idea inside another author’s work rather than reading the original yourself. It links the primary source to the secondary source you consulted.
What if I don’t know the year of the original source? Omit the original year and cite it as (Allport, as cited in Nicholson, 2003). Never guess or fabricate a date you cannot verify from the source you read.
Do I need a page number for a secondary citation? Only for direct quotations. Add the page or paragraph number from the secondary source you read: (Bandura, 1977, as cited in Kearney, 2019, p. 54).
Is it better to find and cite the original source? Yes. APA recommends secondary sources only when the original is out of print, unavailable, or in a language you cannot read. If you can access the original, read and cite it directly.