Final answer:
The APA in-text citation includes the author's name, publication year, and page number. It guides the reader to the full reference list for detailed publication information.
Step-by-step explanation:
In APA style, the three basic elements of an in-text citation include the author's name, the year of publication, and, when direct quotations are used, the page number of the source. When the author's name is not mentioned within the text, the citation consists of the author's name and the year of publication within parentheses, followed by the page number if there is a direct quote. For example, a citation might appear as (Smith, 2020, p. 15). When the author is mentioned within the text, only the year of publication and page number are given in parentheses, such as Smith (2020, p. 15). The in-text citation guides the reader to the full reference entry at the end of the paper, where detailed publication information is provided.