
The Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution is a critical piece of American history, guaranteeing certain legal protections for individuals accused of crimes. When citing this amendment in an academic paper using APA style, it is essential to follow specific guidelines. All citations of the US Constitution in APA style begin with U.S. Const., followed by the relevant amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. For example, an in-text citation for the Fifth Amendment would be U.S. Const. amend. V. The Bluebook, a publication providing guidelines for legal citations, should be consulted for further details on citing the US Constitution or its amendments accurately.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Start with | U.S. Const. |
| Article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers | Use Roman numerals for article and amendment numbers (I, II, III) and Arabic numerals for section and clause numbers (1, 2, 3) |
| Abbreviations | art., amend., §, and cl. |
| Dates | Include the year in parentheses if referring to an amended or repealed part of the Constitution |
| Reference list entries | U.S. Const. amend. XIX |
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What You'll Learn

Citing the Fifth Amendment in APA Style
To cite the Fifth Amendment to the US Constitution in APA Style, follow these guidelines:
First, if you are simply making a passing reference to the Fifth Amendment without using it as evidence to support a specific point, you can mention it in the text without a reference list entry. However, if you are citing a specific part of the Fifth Amendment to support your argument, you should follow the citation format outlined below.
According to the APA Style Blog, all citations of amendments to the US Constitution follow a standard format. They begin with "U.S. Const." (denoting the US Constitution), followed by "amend." (denoting amendment), and finally the amendment number in Roman numerals. Here's an example of an in-text citation for the Fifth Amendment:
> No person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself (U.S. Const. amend. V).
Note that "amend." is abbreviated and "V" is in Roman numerals, as specified by APA Style.
For the reference page citation, you would simply list:
> U.S. Const. amend. V. Retrieved from [source]
Make sure to replace "[source]" with the resource where you accessed the amendment.
If you are referring to a part of the Fifth Amendment that has been repealed or amended, include the year of repeal or amendment in parentheses. For example:
> U.S. Const. amend. V (repealed 18xx).
Remember, the Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (specifically the 18th edition for APA 6th edition) is the ultimate reference for legal citation styles, including the US Constitution. While the APA Publication Manual provides various legal citation examples, it does not specifically cover citing constitutions. Therefore, for further guidance on citing the Fifth Amendment or any other legal materials, you may need to consult the Bluebook directly or seek assistance from a law librarian.
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Citing the Fifth Amendment in MLA Style
When citing the US Constitution's Fifth Amendment in MLA style, there are a few key guidelines to follow. Firstly, always use the abbreviations "art." (for Article), "amend." (for Amendment), and "sec." (for Section) in your citations. It is also important to convert any Roman numerals used in the text to Arabic numerals. For example, "XIV" becomes "14".
In the in-text citation, instead of using page numbers, use article/amendment and section numbers. An example of this would be: (U.S. Const. amend. V). If you are referencing a specific section within the amendment, you can add the section number, like so: (U.S. Const. amend. V, sec. 2).
It is generally recommended to cite specific pieces of the amendment you are using instead of the entire document. When mentioning the Constitution in your paper, simply refer to it as the "Constitution" without using italics or quotation marks.
For the Works Cited entry, include information about where you accessed the amendment. If you are citing an online version of the Constitution, your citation may look something like this: "U.S. Constitution, amend. V." The Free Dictionary, Farlex, 1995, www.thefreedictionary.com/USConstitution.
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Referencing the Fifth Amendment in text
When referencing the Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution in text, there are a few standard styles that can be used, depending on the context and the style guide that you are following.
APA Style
The APA style is a commonly used format for academic papers and citations. When citing the US Constitution in APA style, the Bluebook is the standard reference. However, the Bluebook does not include specific guidance on citing constitutions.
According to the APA Style Blog, all citations of the US Constitution should begin with "U.S. Const.," followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. The terms "article" and "amendment" are abbreviated as "art." and "amend." and are written in Roman numerals (e.g., V for 5). The terms "section" and "clause" are abbreviated as "§" and "cl." and are written in Arabic numerals (e.g., 1, 2, 3).
> No person shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself (U.S. Const. amend. V).
If you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year in parentheses, as follows:
> Women gained the right to vote in 1920 (U.S. Const. amend. XIX).
MLA Style
For MLA style, the Purdue Online Writing Lab is a useful resource. According to the MLA Style Center, the United States Constitution is cited in the Works Cited list as follows:
> United States Constitution. Art./Amend. V, Sec. 1.
> "No person shall ... be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law (United States Constitution, Art./Amend. V)."
Bluebook Style
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation is the standard reference for legal citations. Here is an example of how to cite the Fifth Amendment in Bluebook style:
> U.S. Const. amend. V, § 1.
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Referencing the Fifth Amendment in a reference list
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation (18th ed., 2005; www.legalbluebook.com) sets the standard for all legal citations. However, it is important to note that the Bluebook does not include specific guidance on citing constitutions. For APA style, all citations of the U.S. Constitution begin with "U.S. Const.", followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. The terms "article", "amendment", "section", and "clause" are abbreviated to "art.", "amend.", "§", and "cl.", respectively.
Article and amendment numbers are written using Roman numerals (I, II, III), while section and clause numbers use Arabic numerals (1, 2, 3). For example, to cite the Fifth Amendment in a reference list, the correct format would be:
> U.S. Const. amend. V
If you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year in parentheses. For example:
> U.S. Const. amend. XVIII (repealed 1933)
In-text citations follow a similar format:
> Women gained the right to vote in 1920 (U.S. Const. amend. XIX).
For MLA style, the United States Constitution is represented in the Works Cited list as follows:
> United States Constitution. Art./Amend. XII, Sec. 3.
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Citing an amended Fifth Amendment
To cite an amended Fifth Amendment of the US Constitution, follow the guidelines below, depending on the citation style you are using.
APA Style
According to the APA Style Blog, all citations of the US Constitution begin with "U.S. Const.," followed by the relevant article, amendment, section, and/or clause numbers. The terms "article," "amendment," "section," and "clause" are abbreviated as "art.," "amend.," "§," and "cl.," respectively. Roman numerals are used for article and amendment numbers, while Arabic numerals are used for section and clause numbers.
For an amended Fifth Amendment, your citation would look like this:
In-text citation: "The right against self-incrimination is protected (U.S. Const. amend. V)."
Reference: U.S. Const. amend. V.
If you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been amended, include the year of amendment in parentheses. For example:
In-text citation: "The right against self-incrimination is protected (U.S. Const. amend. V, amended in 1992)."
Reference: U.S. Const. amend. V (amended 1992).
Bluebook Style
The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation sets the standard for all legal citations. If you need specific guidance on citing the US Constitution, consult The Bluebook directly or a law librarian.
MLA Style
According to the MLA Style Center, the section of the United States Constitution is represented in the Works Cited list as follows:
United States Constitution, Art./Amend. V, Sec. 3.
For an amended Fifth Amendment, your citation would look like this:
In-text citation: "The right against self-incrimination is protected (United States Constitution, Amend. V)."
Reference: United States Constitution, Amend. V.
If you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been amended, include the year of amendment in parentheses. For example:
In-text citation: "The right against self-incrimination was strengthened in 1992 (United States Constitution, Amend. V, amended 1992)."
Reference: United States Constitution, Amend. V (amended 1992).
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Frequently asked questions
All citations of the U.S. Constitution in APA style begin with "U.S. Const.", followed by "amend. V" to indicate that you are referring to the Fifth Amendment.
If you want to cite a specific section or clause, you would add ", § #" after "amend. V", replacing "#" with the relevant section or clause number in Arabic numerals (e.g. 1, 2, 3).
The Bluebook states that for parts of the Constitution currently in force, do not include a date. However, if you are referring to a part of the Constitution that has been repealed or amended, include the year that this occurred in parentheses.

























