How to Cite on a Business Memo

by Louise Balle

A business memo communicates information to key contacts at an organization. Just like any formal communication, you might have to back up certain statements — especially those concerning numerical statistics and quotations from third parties. Properly cite this data in your memo so that recipients can quickly reference the information if necessary. As is the case for many types of official communications, APA (American Psychological Association) citation rules usually apply.

Write out your business memo in the proper format. Start with the heading, which lists the recipient, sender, date and subject. The opening summarizes the purpose of the memo and the background expands on the situation. The body of the memo goes into detail and the final closing provides readers with courses of action for addressing the issue in your memo.

Review the background, body and closing of the memo for items that require a formal citation.

Enter the last name of the author (or authors) and the corresponding year for the reference within the memo text in parentheses. For instance, “Four day work weeks optimize productivity (Smith, 2005).'' If it is a reference from an organization rather than a person, use the name of the organization in place of the author’s name (Working Organization, 2005).

Enter the book or publication name in place of the author if the reference does not have an author. For instance (“TIME Magazine,” 2000). If no date is available enter “n.d.” in place of the year.

Provide a page number from the source if you want to make a very specific reference to a large work. For instance, (Smith, 2005, p. 201).

List the full corresponding reference in APA style at the end of the memo (after the conclusion). The general format for listing citations is author (last name, first initial), date in parentheses, title, publication, volume, issue and page number. For instance, “Smith, K. (2005, December 22). Four day work weeks. Journal of Working Weeks, 120(4), 201-210. List each citation in alphabetical order by the first author’s last name and indent each line after the first line.

Tip

  • Use an ampersand symbol when connecting two or more authors in the in-text citation as well as when listing out the entire reference at the end.

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