Answered By: Reeti Brar
Last Updated: Apr 11, 2024     Views: 92

Yes, you can include full names in your narrative in-text citations. While it's conventional to use only surnames, especially in in-text citations, there's no strict "rule" in the APA Publication Manual against using full names. For instance, when referencing a well-known person, you might opt to use their full name initially and then switch to their surname in subsequent mentions and in in-text citations. Each text varies, and there may be situations where continuing to use a full name makes sense. The guidelines in the APA Publication Manual for in-text citations aim to cover the most common scenarios, but like any guidelines, there are occasional exceptions.

Examples:

  • Betty White was a television icon. Although she was a phenomenal comedic performer, she once stated, “Writing is my favorite thing” (White, 2011).
  • In her treatise, Marie Curie (1910) wrote about radioactivity. Curie won a second Nobel Prize in 1911.