Sometimes you'll be asked to participate in an online class discussion board and cite your sources using APA citation style. The following are general guidelines on formatting discussion posts and responses. If your instructor gives you different guidelines, their direction takes precedence for the completion of the assignment.
Discussion posts are a shorter form of a full essay in APA style. When including references to other sources that you use to support your argument, you'll use both in-text citations in the body of the discussion post and full references underneath the discussion post as seen with our examples below. You'll notice some in-text citations are at the end of the sentence or in the sentence itself when the author is included in the sentence. Furthermore, the references at the end of your discussion post still need to be in alphabetically order by author's last name or organizational name.
One of the most significant challenges early college students face is developing strong time management skills. Students who effectively manage their time tend to perform better academically and experience lower levels of stress (Britton & Tesser, 1991). This is especially important for high schoolers enrolled in dual credit programs, as they must balance both high school and college-level coursework. Creating a weekly schedule and setting realistic goals can help students stay organized and reduce procrastination.
In addition to time management, building information literacy is essential for academic success. The Association of College & Research Libraries (2016) emphasizes that students must be able to locate, evaluate, and use information ethically and effectively. Librarians play a key role in supporting these skills by offering research workshops and one-on-one guidance. By learning how to cite sources properly using APA style, students not only avoid plagiarism but also contribute to scholarly conversations in a respectful and credible way.
References
Association of College & Research Libraries. (2016, January 11). Framework for information literacy for higher education. American Library Association. https://www.ala.org/acrl/standards/ilframework
Britton, B. K., & Tesser, A. (1991). Effects of time-management practices on college grades. Journal of Educational Psychology, 83(3), 405–410. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.83.3.405
This sample discussion post was made using Microsoft Copilot.
I agree that balancing dual credit coursework can be overwhelming without proper planning. In my experience, using digital tools like calendar apps and task managers has helped me stay on track. Research supports this approach—a study found that students who perceived themselves as having control over their time reported lower stress and higher academic performance (Macan et al., 1990). Additionally, developing information literacy early on is crucial. Head (2013) emphasizes that students often struggle with evaluating sources and understanding how to use them effectively, which makes librarian-led instruction especially valuable in helping students become more confident researchers.
References
Head, A. J. (2012, December 5). Learning the ropes: How freshmen conduct course research once they enter college. Project Information Literacy Research Institute. https://projectinfolit.org/publications/first-year-experience-study/
Macan, T. H., Shahani, C., Dipboye, R. L., & Phillips, A. P. (1990). College students' time management: Correlations with academic performance and stress. Journal of Educational Psychology, 82(4), 760–768. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.82.4.760
This sample discussion reply was made using Microsoft Copilot.
Content was adapted from "Cite Sources in Online Course Discussion Posts using APA LibGuide" created by Empire State University Library.