Secondary referencing – citing something when you haven’t read the original… in the APA7 style
09/05/2023

So, you’re doing some research and you come across a really great quotation. You want to use it in your own text but there’s a problem. The quotation is not from the author(s) of this article, but rather from another author who is cited within your article. So what do you do?
If possible, the best thing you can do is to find and read the original source to make sure you understand the context of the extract, in which case, you would then reference the original source. But if this is not an option, fear not! This is an easy one. It’s known as secondary referencing. You are going to cite something that has already been cited in one of your references!
The way to do this in the APA7 style is to use the phrase “as cited in” within your in-text citation. So to use an idea from Richard Branson which was cited by Burns, you could write…
Branson highlights the essential role played by fun in the success of his commercial ventures (1998, as cited in Burns, 2013).
or, if you wanted to quote Branson directly…
“Fun is at the core of the way I like to do business and has informed everything I’ve done from the outset. More than any other element fun is the secret of Virgin’s success” (Branson, 1998, as cited in Burns, 2013, p. 41).
Then…
At the end of your document, your bibliography or reference list will include only the sources that you read directly, so your reference would be for Burns (2013) and would read as follows…
Burns, P. (2013). Corporate entrepreneurship: Innovation and strategy in large organizations (3rd ed.). Palgrave Macmillan.
Remember to format your reference with a hanging indent. As always, if you have any questions about referencing or citations, please contact your Library service.
Please note: Cranfield supports two different referencing styles – APA7 (Author-date) and Numbered (NLM). Please make sure you use the style preferred by your supervisor or lecturer. The advice above relates only to the APA7 style. If you have any questions about referencing, please contact the Library.
Feature image from Pixabay. Available at https://cdn.pixabay.com/photo/2016/06/01/06/26/open-book-1428428_960_720.jpg
Categories & Tags:
Leave a comment on this post:
You might also like…
Want to improve your reading skills?
Are you starting to wade through the mountains of reading that you have discovered for your project? You've searched the library databases, journals and printed collection and now have a reading list that stretches to ...
What a Mango Scientist Learned from Anthropy 23
Anthropy 23 and the ‘Emerging Leader’ title As a researcher, a setting like Anthropy was quite foreign to me. The conferences I have attended before were scientific/academic gatherings, where people presented data they had gathered ...
The beginning of my Cranfield journey as a Water student.
Joining Cranfield University is a dream come true! I made this decision based on what I had learnt from some of my colleagues from my home country who had studied here, and alumni of ...
Webinars and workshops running in December
Our Library Services staff run a wide range of webinars and in-person workshops to support your work and boost your success at Cranfield. They cover topics including using our databases effectively, referencing, study skills, the ...
World Soil Day 2023, 5 December – showcasing the Cranfield University Soilscapes Viewer tool
UN World Soil Day on 5 December is a vital reminder of the importance of soil in all our lives. Supporting growth of the food we eat; cleaning the water we drink; supporting the foundations ...
Collect your reservations 24/7 from the SOM Library locker
SOM Library customers, did you know that you can reserve items on Library Search and then pick them up at any time of the day or night from our SOM Library locker using your University ...