APA How-To: Use of Secondary Sources

Sometimes, writers will come across a source within another source that is perfect for whatever argument they are attempting to make. If writers are not careful, this situation can lead to confusing APA-style citation situations. So much so, APA style contains special formatting guidelines for citing this type of secondary source.

According to APA Publication Manual, 6th edition, p. 178, §6.17: “Use secondary sources sparingly, for instance, when the original work is out of print, unavailable through usual sources, or not available in English.” With all the full text available these days, there is an expectation that, if a quote is preferred, its original source should be obtained and read. Otherwise, you are asking your readers needlessly to trust an unknown intermediary. 

If you must use a secondary source, however, you can't cite it alone; it’s not that simple. You need to “give the secondary source in the reference list,” according to APA Publication Manual (6th ed., p. 178, §6.17). Then, “in [the] text, name the original work and give a citation for the secondary source. For example, if Allport’s work is cited in Nicholson and you did not read Allport’s work, list the Nicholson reference in the reference list. In the text, use the following citation: Allport’s diary (as cited in Nicholson, 2003).” All of this information is needed because readers need to know your sources; they also need context for the quote from the original, in this case, Allport’s diary.

Tim McIndoo is a Senior Dissertation Editor in the Walden Writing Center. He came to Walden University in 2007 with over 30 years of editorial experience, including work as translator and photographer. He lives in Minneapolis with four cats.

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