How should in-text citations be punctuated according to APA style?

In APA style, in-text citations are punctuated with the publication year included in parentheses. This formatting ensures clarity and consistency when referencing sources within the text. For instance, when citing a source, the standard format is to include the author's last name followed by the year of publication in parentheses, such as (Smith, 2020). This method allows readers to easily identify the source and the date of publication, which is crucial for assessing the relevance of the information presented.

The use of parentheses encapsulates the year and differentiates it from the author's name, maintaining a clean and readable format within the sentence. This practice helps avoid unnecessary confusion and keeps the focus on the content of the writing. The inclusion of other types of punctuation, like commas or brackets, would disrupt the flow of the text and deviate from the standard APA citation style, making them less suitable for in-text citations.