What is the correct citation for a study when discussing its findings?

In APA format, when discussing the findings of a study, it is essential to include the author's last name and the year of publication in the in-text citation. This practice allows readers to locate the source material easily, ensuring transparency and academic integrity. The standard format typically involves stating the author's name followed by the publication year in parentheses, which provides concise acknowledgment of the original source without overwhelming the reader with unnecessary details.

Continuous citations of all authors in every instance can be cumbersome, particularly if there are multiple authors, as APA allows for abbreviated citations after the first mention. Summarizing without citation would fail to give credit to the original research and could lead to issues of plagiarism. Citing only the last author does not adhere to APA guidelines, which require proper attribution to the primary contributor(s) of the work. Therefore, the correct approach is to include the author's name and the year of the study to appropriately link the findings to their source.