apa format references example journal article

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APA Style (7th Edition) Citation Guide: Journal Articles

• Introduction
• Journal Articles
• Magazine/Newspaper Articles
• Books & Ebooks
• Government & Legal Documents
• Biblical Sources
• Secondary Sources
• Films/Videos/TV Shows
• How to Cite: Other
• Additional Help

Table of Contents

Journal article from library database with doi - one author, journal article from library database with doi - multiple authors, journal article from a website - one author.

Journal Article- No DOI

Note: All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

This Microsoft support page contains instructions about how to format a hanging indent in a paper.

• APA 7th. ed. Journal Article Reference Checklist

If an item has no author, start the citation with the article title.

When an article has one to twenty authors, all authors' names are cited in the References List entry. When an article has twenty-one or more authors list the first nineteen authors followed by three spaced ellipse points (. . .) , and then the last author's name. Rules are different for in-text citations; please see the examples provided.

Cite author names in the order in which they appear on the source, not in alphabetical order (the first author is usually the person who contributed the most work to the publication).

Italicize titles of journals, magazines and newspapers. Do not italicize or use quotation marks for the titles of articles.

Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of the article title. If there is a colon in the article title, also capitalize the first letter of the first word after the colon.

If an item has no date, use the short form n.d. where you would normally put the date.

Volume and Issue Numbers

Italicize volume numbers but not issue numbers.

Retrieval Dates

Most articles will not need these in the citation. Only use them for online articles from places where content may change often, like a free website or a wiki.

Page Numbers

If an article doesn't appear on continuous pages, list all the page numbers the article is on, separated by commas. For example (4, 6, 12-14)

Library Database

Do not include the name of a database for works obtained from most academic research databases (e.g. APA PsycInfo, CINAHL) because works in these resources are widely available. Exceptions are Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, ERIC, ProQuest Dissertations, and UpToDate.

Include the DOI (formatted as a URL: https://doi.org/...) if it is available. If you do not have a DOI, include a URL if the full text of the article is available online (not as part of a library database). If the full text is from a library database, do not include a DOI, URL, or database name.

In the Body of a Paper

Books, Journals, Reports, Webpages, etc.: When you refer to titles of a “stand-alone work,” as the APA calls them on their APA Style website, such as books, journals, reports, and webpages, you should italicize them. Capitalize words as you would for an article title in a reference, e.g., In the book Crying in H Mart: A memoir , author Michelle Zauner (2021) describes her biracial origin and its impact on her identity.

Article or Chapter: When you refer to the title of a part of a work, such as an article or a chapter, put quotation marks around the title and capitalize it as you would for a journal title in a reference, e.g., In the chapter “Where’s the Wine,” Zauner (2021) describes how she decided to become a musician.

The APA Sample Paper below has more information about formatting your paper.

• APA 7th ed. Sample Paper

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number. https://doi.org/doi number

Smith, K. F. (2022). The public and private dialogue about the American family on television: A second look. Journal of Media Communication, 50 (4), 79-110. https://doi.org/10.1152/j.1460-2466.2000.tb02864.x

Note: The DOI number is formatted as a URL: https://doi.org/10.1152/j.1460-2466.2000.tb02864.xIf. 

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Smith, 2000)

In-Text Quote:

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)

Example: (Smith, 2000, p. 80)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given., & Last Name of Second Author, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number. https://doi.org/doi number

Note: Separate the authors' names by putting a comma between them. For the final author listed add an ampersand (&) after the comma and before the final author's last name.

Note: In the reference list invert all authors' names; give last names and initials for only up to and including 20 authors. When a source has 21 or more authors, include the first 19 authors’ names, then three ellipses (…), and add the last author’s name. Don't include an ampersand (&) between the ellipsis and final author.

Note : For works with three or more authors, the first in-text citation is shortened to include the first author's surname followed by "et al."

Reference List Examples

Two to 20 Authors

Case, T. A., Daristotle, Y. A., Hayek, S. L., Smith, R. R., & Raash, L. I. (2011). College students' social networking experiences on Facebook. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 3 (2), 227-238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2008.12.010

21 or more authors

Kalnay, E., Kanamitsu, M., Kistler, R., Collins, W., Deaven, D., Gandin, L., Iredell, M., Saha, J., Mo, K. C., Ropelewski, C., Wang, J., Leetma, A., . . . Joseph, D. (1996). The NCEP/NCAR 40-year reanalysis project. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society , 77 (3), 437-471. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(1996)077<0437:TNYRP>2.0.CO;2

In-Text Citations

Two Authors/Editors

(Case & Daristotle, 2011)

Direct Quote: (Case & Daristotle, 2011, p. 57)

Three or more Authors/Editors

(Case et al., 2011)

Direct Quote: (Case et al., 2011, p. 57)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any.  Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number if given). URL

Flachs, A. (2010). Food for thought: The social impact of community gardens in the Greater Cleveland Area.  Electronic Green Journal, 1 (30). http://escholarship.org/uc/item/6bh7j4z4

Example: (Flachs, 2010)

Example: (Flachs, 2010, Conclusion section, para. 3)

Note: In this example there were no visible page numbers or paragraph numbers, in this case you can cite the section heading and the number of the paragraph in that section to identify where your quote came from. If there are no page or paragraph numbers and no marked section, leave this information out.

Journal Article - No DOI

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any.  Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number. URL [if article is available online, not as part of a library database]

Full-Text Available Online (Not as Part of a Library Database):

Steinberg, M. P., & Lacoe, J. (2017). What do we know about school discipline reform? Assessing the alternatives to suspensions and expulsions.  Education Next, 17 (1), 44–52.  https://www.educationnext.org/what-do-we-know-about-school-discipline-reform-suspensions-expulsions/

Example: (Steinberg & Lacoe, 2017)

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page number)

Example: (Steinberg & Lacoe, 2017, p. 47)

Full-Text Available in Library Database:

Jungers, W. L. (2010). Biomechanics: Barefoot running strikes back.  Nature, 463 (2), 433-434.

Example: (Jungers, 2010)

Example: (Jungers, 2010, p. 433)

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / APA Journal Citation

How to Cite a Journal Article in APA

Journal articles are one of the most important sources of information for research papers. Often times, they will serve as your main source of information, as journal articles contain information that is specific to a topic. This page will show you how to cite journal articles in APA style, updated for the 7th edition.

Guides Overview

Here’s a run-through of everything this page includes:

APA Journal Article Citation

In-text apa citation for journal articles, reference page apa citation for journal articles, how to cite a journal article in apa (print), how to cite a journal article with multiple authors in apa, how to cite a journal article on a database in apa, troubleshooting.

This guide will help you create journal citations in APA format. Check out this hyperlink if you are looking to create APA books citation .

This section will help you create in-text APA citations for journal articles.

In-text citations refer to the crediting of articles within the body of a work, separate from the reference page at the end of a document. An in-text citation comes after a paraphrase or a direct quote. For any APA in-text citation in your own paper, you must include a full citation in your reference page as well.

Paraphrasing in APA

For an in-text APA journal citation that is not a direct quote, or an APA parenthetical citation , all you need to provide is the author’s last name and the year of publication.

You may provide a page number (preceded by “p.” for one page or “pp.” for multiple pages) as well if the passage or idea you are paraphrasing is on a certain page or set of pages, but this is not necessary for APA journal citations.

Narrative In-Text Citation Example:

According to Currie (2001), there is a great deal of evidence to suggest that early intervention programs can be effective.

Parenthetical In-Text  Citation Example:

Research suggests that the absence of behavior problems is just as important to future success as the development of cognitive skills (Currie, 2001, p. 215).

Short quotes in APA

A short quote in APA style must be fewer than 40 words. When using a direct short quote for APA citation of journal articles, you must list the author, the year of publication, the page number(s), and use quotation marks. You can embed this information within the sentence or cite it at the end of the sentence, or use a mixture of both as long as all the components are used in your APA journal citation.

According to Currie (2001), “the difficulty of overcoming poor endowments later in life—through job training programs for high school dropouts, for example—makes early intervention appear attractive as well” (p. 216).

Long quotes in APA

A long quote in APA citation style (also called a block quote in APA ) has 40 words or more. Like short quotes, for APA citation of journal articles, you must also cite the author, year of publication and the page number(s) for long quotes, and this information can be embedded within the sentence surrounding the quote, cited at the end of the sentence, or a mixture of both.

Unlike short quotes, long quotes in an APA citation of journal article require you to start the quote on a new line with a ½ inch indent from the left margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout the quote, and if you haven’t already embedded all the citation information in the sentence preceding the quote, include it at the end of the quote in parentheses after the closing punctuation mark. Do not use any quotation marks around a long quote for journal APA citation.

Currie’s (2001) study found the following:

Equalizing early endowments through early childhood intervention programs may be a superior approach to the problem of unequal allocations, both because it avoids many of the moral hazard problems that arise when society attempts to compensate those with poor outcomes and because early intervention to equalize allocations may be a more cost-effective way of promoting equity than compensating for unequal outcomes. (pp. 215-216)

Citing Multiple Authors in APA

• 2 authors: Give the information for the first author followed by a comma, then use an ampersand (&) and list the information for the second author.
• 3 to 20 authors: Separate the author names with commas and use an ampersand (&) before the final author’s name. In APA citations of journal articles, never list more than 20 authors.
• 21+ authors: List the first 19 names separated by commas. After the 19th author, add a comma, then an ellipsis (…), followed by the final author’s name.

Citing Group/Corporate Authors in APA

For a corporate author in an APA citation of a journal, use the publishing company in place of the author’s name in the citation. Place the name of the publishing company at the beginning of the citation just as you would the author’s name with proper capitalization.

Citing a Source with No Authors in APA

If no author is given, to create the APA citation of a journal, use the title of the article in place of the author information. Then, provide the publication date and publication name without repeating the article title.

This section will help you create an APA reference page or an APA bibliography .

How author names are structured in APA

Author names, if available, will always come first in your reference page for APA citation for journal articles. Start your reference page citation with the last name of the first author followed by a comma, followed by the author’s capitalized first initial and a period. Then list the author’s middle initial, if one is provided, followed by a period.

Rowling, J. K.

• 2 to 20 authors: Use a comma between all of the author names. Place an ampersand (&) before the final author’s name.
• 21 or more authors: List the names of the first 19 authors and use a comma between all of the names. After the 19th name, place an ellipsis (…) and then the final author’s name.

Structuring dates in APA

• Dates follow the author in APA citation for journal articles and should be in parentheses.
• List the year first followed by a comma.
• Then, list the month, fully spelled out (not abbreviated) and properly capitalized.
• Then, without using a comma after the month, list the numerical date.
• If any of this information is missing from the reference, simply omit it.

Structuring journal article titles in APA

• The article title follows the date.
• Only capitalize the first letter of the first word of the article.
• Do not italicize or underline the title of the article.
• Follow the article title with a period.

Structuring the journal name in APA

Follow the rules for journal article titles in APA citations.

• The name is capitalized throughout, just as the publication capitalizes the title
• The name should be italicized and followed by a comma.

Structuring volume and issue numbers in APA

• The volume and issue numbers follow the publication title.
• After the comma following the italicized title, put the volume number in italics.
• Then, omitting the space, put the issue number in parentheses without italics.
• Place a period after the closing parentheses, again omitting the space after the parentheses.

Structuring website addresses (URLs) and DOIs in APA

• URLs and DOIs for a journal article come after the volume and issue number. After the period following the issue number, put a space followed by the full URL or DOI with no period at the end.
• Since URLs can potentially change and DOIs cannot, APA journal citation style recommends using a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) instead of a website URL when possible.
• A DOI in your reference should be formatted like this: https://doi.org/xxxx
• If a source has a DOI, it should be included; it doesn’t matter if you viewed the print or online version.
• In previous editions of APA, an  APA website citation always included “Retrieved from” or “Accessed from” before a URL. Since APA 7th edition, you no longer need to include this.

Yu, H., & Leadbetter, J. R. (2020, July 15). Bacterial chemolithoautotrophy via manganese oxidation.  Nature,   583 (7816), 453–458. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2468-5

How to Cite an Online Journal Article in APA

The following examples show you how to format an online journal citation in APA style.

For an APA citation journal article from a database, you are not required to include the database information. This is because APA format includes a link to the website or the DOI instead, since database information can change over time. Simply follow the format for an APA citation journal from online as described above.

Here is a video that covers journal article citations in APA style:

Solution #1: What to do if you cannot find a journal article’s DOI

The DOI can typically be found on the first page of an article. For an online journal, the DOI is usually at the top of the webpage below the article’s title. It is a unique combination of numbers, letters, periods, which might appear in any of the forms below:

10.1353/shq.2012.0007

doi: 10.1353/shq.2012.0007

https://doi.org/10.1353/shq.2012.0007

Sometimes, an article does not have a DOI, particularly if it is an older resource. Articles found on JSTOR may just have a stable URL instead of a DOI. If it cannot be found, use the URL in its place.

Corrigan, P.W. (2000) Mental health stigma as social attribution: Implications for research methods and attitude change. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 7 (1), 28-67. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2000-13942-004

Solution #2: How to cite another text cited within a journal article

If you wish to use a quote or information from an article that is cited as coming from another source, use the reference information provided to find the original source. Find the quote within the source and reference its original author and location. If you cannot locate it, you must still cite both sources, identifying the original author and its location within the secondary source.

Solution #3: How to find the volume and issue number of a journal

The volume and issue number can typically be found on the front cover of a journal. Within the pages of an article, they also might be listed in the top or bottom corners of the page. For an online journal, the volume and issue number are listed after the title of a journal.  

Some other formats it might be found in:

vol. 18, no. 4

vol. 18, iss. 4

Published May 9, 2019. Updated July 16, 2020.

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

• Annotated Bibliography
• Block Quotes
• et al Usage
• In-text Citations
• Multiple Authors
• Paraphrasing
• Page Numbers
• Parenthetical Citations
• Reference Page
• Sample Paper
• APA 7 Updates
• View APA Guide

Citation Examples

• Book Chapter
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Website (no author)
• View all APA Examples

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Journal articles are the content within journals, which are a type of literature and are released periodically, are peer-reviewed, and provide some of the most up-to-date studies — basically, a great source for research. They typically focus on a particular topic and contain peer-reviewed articles written by experts in order to educate and inform other experts on the subject. Journals may contain several articles, similar to chapters in a book or articles in a magazine. Articles usually have an abstract, or a short summary of the article, at the beginning and a list of references at the end.

A “scholarly” article is an article that comes from an academic, peer-reviewed source. Because academic journals and non-academic magazines have a lot of structural similarities, the term “scholarly” differentiates this type of article from magazine articles. A scholarly article is typically written by experts for experts, and is peer-reviewed by other experts in the field.

A “peer-reviewed” article is one that has been reviewed by a board of experts in the field for quality and accuracy of the information before publishing. A “peer-reviewed” article is a more trustworthy source because it has been checked and approved by experts and is not based on opinion, low-quality research, or obsolete data.

Articles exist both in print and online and can be found at most academic libraries. Online articles can usually be found using academic databases, which contain structured sets of data or information. Many databases charge a fee to use the database and/or to access full articles. Most university library websites will provide information for accessing different academic databases.

Do not include the publisher and place of publication when citing a journal article in APA style. Publisher names are used for book-type references, reports, computer software and mobile apps, and data sets. Do not include the publisher’s location in references. Instead, the name of the journal will be included, which will provide the reader with sufficient information for locating the source.

To format a journal article in APA style, you will need the author name, publication year, title of the article, journal title, volume number, issue number, page range, and/or DOI (digital object identifier) or URL (uniform resource locator). The format for a journal article having just one author is given below:

Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Article title: Subtitle. Journal Title, Volume (issue), page range. URL or DOI

Note that the first name and middle name, following the author’s surname, are abbreviated and separated by a space. The title of the article should be set in sentence case. The first word of the subtitle, if present, should be capitalized. The name of the journal should be set in title case. Set the journal title and the volume number in italics, including the comma that separates them. An example is given below:

Rancière, J. (2016). Un-what? Philosophy & Rhetoric, 49 (4), 589–606. https://doi:10.5325/philrhet.49.4.0589

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APA 7th Referencing

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APA 7th Referencing: Journal Articles

• In-text referencing
• Compiling a Reference list
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On this page

Basic format to reference journal articles.

• Referencing journal articles: Examples

APA Referencing: journal articles from Victoria University Library on Vimeo .

Select the 'cc' on the video to turn on/off the captions.

A basic reference list entry for a journal article in APA must include:

• Author or authors.  The surname is followed by first initials.
• Year of publication of the article (in round brackets).
• Article title.
• Journal title (in italics ).
• Volume of journal (in italics ).
• Issue number of journal in round brackets (no italics).
• Page range of article.
• DOI  or URL
• The first line of each citation is left adjusted. Every subsequent line is indented 5-7 spaces.

Example:  

Ruxton, C. (2016). Tea: Hydration and other health benefits. Primary Health Care , 26 (8), 34-42. https://doi.org/10.7748/phc.2016.e1162

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APA Citation Guide (7th edition) : Journal Articles

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• Journal Articles
• Magazine Articles
• Newspaper Articles
• Personal Communication (Interviews, Emails)
• Social Media
• Videos and DVDs
• When Creating Digital Assignments
• When Information Is Missing
• Works Cited in Another Source
• Paraphrasing
• Reference List & Sample Paper
• Annotated Bibliography

On This Page

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is a DOI?

How do i know if it's a journal.

Examples (Journal Article From Library Database with DOI):

• Two to Twenty Authors

Examples (Journal Article From Library Database no DOI):

In-Text Citation:

• Two or More Authors
• Group or Corporate Authors

More Examples:

Journal Article From a Website - One Author

• Journal Article in Print - One Author
• When You Have Twenty-one or More Authors

Works by the Same Author with the Same Year

DOI Numbers in Library Databases

Some electronic content is assigned a unique number called a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). If a DOI is provided for a journal article, include it after the page numbers of the article as a hyperlink - https://doi.org/xxxxx

You do not need to put a period after a DOI number.

Photo from Flickr under Creative Commons license, created by the.Firebottle

Not sure whether your article is from a journal? Look for these characteristics:

• Main purpose is often to report results of original search
• Articles usually have a very narrow, technical subject focus
• May see labeled sections such as the abstract, discussion, results, and conclusion
• Author of the article is an expert or specialist in the field and often their credentials are listed
• Article is intended for students, scientists, researchers and/or professionals instead of the general public
• Usually includes a References list at the end

Articles may also come from magazines and newspapers .

Today, scientific articles can have many authors due to large-scale experiments run by large teams. In some research areas, an article can even have hundreds of authors! Generally, the first author is considered the lead author, so when citing it is important not to change the order co-authors are listed in. For details on how to balance efficiency and accuracy when citing academic articles with long lists of authors, see the various examples on this page.

Italicize titles of journals, magazines and newspapers. Do not italicize the titles of articles.

Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of the article title. If there is a colon in the article title, also capitalize the first letter of the first word after the colon.

If an item has no date, use the short form n.d. where you would normally put the date.

Volume and Issue Numbers

Italicize volume numbers but not issue numbers

Retrieval Dates

Most articles will not need these in the citation. Only use them for online articles from places where content may change often, such as a social media site like Academia.edu.

Page Numbers

If an article doesn't appear on continuous pages, list all the page numbers the article is on, separated by commas. For example (4, 6, 12-14)

Hanging Indents:

All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

Hyperlinks:

It is acceptable for hyperlinks to be blue and underlined (live) or black without underlining.

All hyperlinks must include https://

Do not put a period after DOIs or hyperlinks.

Journal Article From Library Database with DOI - One Author

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number. DOI formatted as a hyperlink

Bailey, N.W. (2012). Evolutionary models of extended phenotypes. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 27 (3), 561-569. https://doi.org/10.1037/rev0000126

(Author's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Bailey, 2012)

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)

(Bailey, 2012, p. 562)

Journal Article From Library Database with DOI - Two to Twenty Authors

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given., & Last Name of Second Author, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number. DOI formatted as a hyperlink

Note : Separate the authors' names by putting a comma between them. For the final author listed add an ampersand (&) after the comma and before the final author's last name.

Pempek, T.A., Yermolayeva, Y.A., & Calvert, S.L. (2009). College students' social networking experiences on Facebook. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 3 (2) , 227-238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2008.12.010t

Journal Article From Library Database no DOI - One Author

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number.

Note : The APA Manual (7th ed.) recommends not including the database or the URL of the journal home page for online articles without a DOI. 

Carlisle, D. (2012). In the line of fire. Nursing Standard, 26 (39), 18-19.

Example: (Carlisle, 2012)

Example: (Carlisle, 2012, p. 18)

Journal Article From Library Database no DOI - Two to Twenty Authors

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given., & Last Name of Second Author, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number if given. 

Note : In the reference list invert all authors' names; give last names and initials for only up to and including twenty authors. When a source has twenty-one or more authors, include the first twenty authors’ names, then three ellipses (…), and add the last author’s name. 

Note:  The APA Manual (7th ed.) recommends not including the library database for journal articles without a DOI as these works are widely available.

Bogan, E., & Paun, E. (2011). The assimilation of immigrants into the British labor market.  Geopolitics, History, and International Relations, 3 (2), 272.

In-Text Citation For Two or More Authors/Editors

For two authors/editors

(Case & Daristotle, 2011)

(Case & Daristotle, 2011, p. 57)

For more authors/editors

(Case et al., 2011)

(Case et al., 2011, p. 57)

In-Text Citation for Group or Corporate Authors

Groups readily identified through abbreviations

(National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2003)

(NIMH, 2003)

(National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2003, p. 5)

(NIMH, 2003, p. 5)

Groups with no abbreviations

(University of Pittsburgh, 2005)

(University of Pittsburgh, 2005, p. 2)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number if given). URL

Flachs, A. (2010). Food for thought: The social impact of community gardens in the Greater Cleveland Area. Electronic Green Journal, 1 (30). https://escholarship.org/uc/item/6bh7j4z4

(Flachs, 2010)

Example: (Flachs, 2010, Conclusion section, para. 3)

Note : In this example there were no visible page numbers or paragraph numbers, so you can cite the section heading and the number of the paragraph in that section to identify where your quote came from. 

Journal Article In Print - One Author

Jungers, W.L. (2010). Biomechanics: Barefoot running strikes back. Nature, 463 (2), 433-434.

Example: (Jungers, 2010)

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page number)

Example: (Jungers, 2010, p. 433)

When You Have 21 or More Authors

When a journal article has twenty-one or more authors:

References List

List the first nineteen authors followed by three spaced ellipse points (. . .) , and then the last author's name.

Kalnay, E., Kanamitsu, M., Kistler, R., Collins, W., Deaven, D., Gandin, L., Iredell, M., Sha, S., White, G., Woollen, J., Zhu, Y., Chelliah, M., Ebisuzaki, W., Higgins, W., Janowiak, J., Mo, K. C., Ropepelewski, C., Wang, J., Leetmaa, A., ... Joesph, D. (1996). The NCEP/NCAR 40-year reanalysis project.  Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society , 77(3), 437-471. https://doi.org/fg6rf9

(First author's last name et al., Year)

Example: (Nilsson et al., 2016)

(First author's last name et al., Year, p. Page number quote is from)

Example: (Nilsson et al., 2016, p. 103)

When you are citing two different sources that share the same author and year of publication, assign lowercase letters after the year of publication (a, b, c, etc.). Assign these letters according to which title comes first alphabetically. Use these letters in both in-text citations and the Reference list.

Example In-Text :

Paraphrasing content from first source by this author (Daristotle, 2015a). "Now I am quoting from the second source by the same author" (Daristotle, 2015b, p. 50).

Example Reference List entries:

Daristotle, J. (2015a). Name of first article Made Up Journal, 26

Daristotle, J. (2015b). Title of second article. Another Made Up Journal, 35 (1), 48-55.

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• APA Style 7th edition

How to Cite in APA Format (7th edition) | Guide & Generator

This citation guide outlines the most important citation guidelines from the 7th edition APA Publication Manual (2020). Scribbr also offers free guides for the older APA 6th edition , MLA Style , and Chicago Style .

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Table of contents

Apa in-text citations, apa references, formatting the apa reference page, free lecture slides, frequently asked questions.

In-text citations are brief references in the running text that direct readers to the reference entry at the end of the paper. You include them every time you quote or paraphrase someone else’s ideas or words to avoid plagiarism .

An APA in-text citation consists of the author’s last name and the year of publication (also known as the author-date system). If you’re citing a specific part of a source, you should also include a locator such as a page number or timestamp. For example: (Smith, 2020, p. 170) .

Parenthetical vs. narrative citation

The in-text citation can take two forms: parenthetical and narrative. Both types are generated automatically when citing a source with Scribbr’s APA Citation Generator.

• Parenthetical citation: According to new research … (Smith, 2020) .
• Narrative citation: Smith (2020) notes that …

Multiple authors and corporate authors

The in-text citation changes slightly when a source has multiple authors or an organization as an author. Pay attention to punctuation and the use of the ampersand (&) symbol.

Missing information

When the author, publication date or locator is unknown, take the steps outlined below.

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APA references generally include information about the author , publication date , title , and source . Depending on the type of source, you may have to include extra information that helps your reader locate the source.

Reference examples

Citing a source starts with choosing the correct reference format. Use Scribbr’s Citation Example Generator to learn more about the format for the most common source types. Pay close attention to punctuation, capitalization, and italicization.

Generate APA citations for free

It is not uncommon for certain information to be unknown or missing, especially with sources found online. In these cases, the reference is slightly adjusted.

On the first line of the page, write the section label “References” (in bold and centered). On the second line, start listing your references in alphabetical order .

Apply these formatting guidelines to the APA reference page:

• Double spacing (within and between references)
• Hanging indent of ½ inch
• Legible font (e.g. Times New Roman 12 or Arial 11)
• Page number in the top right header

Which sources to include

On the reference page, you only include sources that you have cited in the text (with an in-text citation ). You should not include references to personal communications that your reader can’t access (e.g. emails, phone conversations or private online material).

Are you a teacher or professor looking to introduce your students to APA Style? Download our free introductory lecture slides, available for Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint.

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The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:

• Missing commas and periods
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• Missing reference entries

When no individual author name is listed, but the source can clearly be attributed to a specific organization—e.g., a press release by a charity, a report by an agency, or a page from a company’s website—use the organization’s name as the author in the reference entry and APA in-text citations .

When no author at all can be determined—e.g. a collaboratively edited wiki or an online article published anonymously—use the title in place of the author. In the in-text citation, put the title in quotation marks if it appears in plain text in the reference list, and in italics if it appears in italics in the reference list. Shorten it if necessary.

When you quote or paraphrase a specific passage from a source, you need to indicate the location of the passage in your APA in-text citation . If there are no page numbers (e.g. when citing a website ) but the text is long, you can instead use section headings, paragraph numbers, or a combination of the two:

(Caulfield, 2019, Linking section, para. 1).

Section headings can be shortened if necessary. Kindle location numbers should not be used in ebook citations , as they are unreliable.

If you are referring to the source as a whole, it’s not necessary to include a page number or other marker.

The abbreviation “ et al. ” (meaning “and others”) is used to shorten APA in-text citations with three or more authors . Here’s how it works:

Only include the first author’s last name, followed by “et al.”, a comma and the year of publication, for example (Taylor et al., 2018).

APA Style usually does not require an access date. You never need to include one when citing journal articles , e-books , or other stable online sources.

However, if you are citing a website or online article that’s designed to change over time, it’s a good idea to include an access date. In this case, write it in the following format at the end of the reference: Retrieved October 19, 2020, from https://www.uva.nl/en/about-the-uva/about-the-university/about-the-university.html

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APA Journal Article Citation

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How to Reference a Journal Article in APA

Bibme can create journal citations in apa automatically.

Use the following template to cite a journal article using the APA citation format. We also provide style guides for the MLA and check out our free APA citation maker .

Once you’re finished with your citations, we can also help you with creating an APA title page .

Citing a journal article in APA (print)

   Author, A. (Publication Year). Article title. Periodical Title , Volume (Issue), pp-pp.

   Nevin, A. (1990). The changing of teacher education special education. Teacher Education and Special Education: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children , 13 (4), 147-148.

Citing an online journal article in APA

   Author, A. (Publication Year). Article title. Periodical Title , Volume (Issue), pp-pp. doi:XX.XXXXX or Retrieved from URL

   Jameson, J. (2013). E-Leadership in higher education: The fifth “age” of educational technology research. British Journal of Educational Technology , 44 (6), 889-915. doi: 10.1111/bjet.12103

Notes: When creating your online journal article citation, keep in mind:

• APA does NOT require you to include the date of access/retrieval date or database information for electronic sources.
• You can use the URL of the journal homepage if there is no doi number assigned and the reference was retrieved online.
• Example: Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1467-8535;jsessionid=956132F3DE76EEB120577E99EE74CE9C.f04t01
• A doi (digital object identifier) is an assigned number that helps link content to its location on the Internet. It is therefore important, if one is provided, to use it when creating a citation. All doi numbers begin with a 10 and are separated by a slash.

Citing unpublished journal articles in APA

Unpublished article

   Author, A. (Year). Article title . [Unpublished manuscript]. Department Name, University Name.

   Allen, J. (2020). The Landscape of US Public Health Education.  [Unpublished manuscript]. Department of Health, University of Texas

Submitted for publication

   Author, A. (Year). Article title . [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Department Name, University Name.

  Allen, J. (2020). The Landscape of US Public Health Education.  [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Department of Health, University of Texas

Accepted for publication

   Author, A. (in press). Article title.  Journal Name.

  Allen, J. (in press). The Landscape of US Public Health Education .  Health Education Research.

For more information on how to cite in APA, check out Cornell .

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If any journal article in your reference list is not yet published, then it should be specifically mentioned and marked as an “Unpublished manuscript.” Use the below format to understand and create your own entry.

Last Name, Initials. (Year). Title [Unpublished manuscript]. Name of the Department, Name of the University.

Rajeshwari, K.L., & Kernool, L. (2021). A microscopic view into the minds of toddlers. [Unpublished manuscript]. Department of Psychology, University of Hogsworth.

For a reference entry for a journal article without a DOI, include the author name(s), the date published, the article’s title, the journal’s title, and if applicable, the volume number, issue number, and page range.

Reference Example

Müller, R. D., Royer, J. Y., & Lawver, L. A. (1993). Revised plate motions relative to the hotspots from combined Atlantic and Indian Ocean hotspot tracks. Journal of Petrology , 21 (4), 275–278.

For in-text citations, include the author’s last name(s) and the year of publication in the following formats:

Example for 1 author

Parenthetical Citation: (Wilson, 1963)

Narrative Citation: Wilson (1963)…

Example for 2 authors

Parenthetical Citation: (Koppers & Watts, 2010)

Narrative Citation: Koppers and Watts (2010)…

Example for 3+ authors

Parenthetical Citation: (Müller et al., 1993)

Narrative Citation: Muller et al. (1993)…

APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Journal Article with 3–20 Authors

• General Style Guidelines
• One Author or Editor
• Two Authors or Editors
• Three to Five Authors or Editors
• Article or Chapter in an Edited Book
• Article in a Reference Book
• Edition other than the First
• Translation
• Government Publication
• Journal Article with 1 Author
• Journal Article with 2 Authors
• Journal Article with 3–20 Authors
• Journal Article 21 or more Authors
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Basic Web Page
• Web page from a University site
• Web Page with No Author
• Entry in a Reference Work
• Government Document
• Film and Television
• Youtube Video
• Audio Podcast
• Electronic Image
• Twitter/Instagram
• Lecture/PPT
• Conferences
• Secondary Sources
• Citation Support
• Avoiding Plagiarism
• Formatting Your Paper

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

What is a DOI? A DOI ( digital object identifier ) is a unique alphanumeric string assigned by a registration agency (the International DOI Foundation) to identify content and provide a persistent link to its location on the internet. 

NOTE: It is regarded as the most important part of the citation because it will accurately direct users to the specific article.

Think of it as a "digital fingerprint" or an article's DNA!

The rules for DOIs have been updated in the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. They should be included as URLs, rather than just the alphanumeric string.

Correct:  

• http://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-12-114
• http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-12-114

Incorrect:     

• doi: 10.1186/1471-2288-12-114
• Retrieved from http://doi:10.1186/1471-2288-12-114
• FREE DOI Look-up (Cross-Ref)
• DOI System: FAQ
• Looking up a DOI
• DOI Flowchart

Journal Article with Three to Twenty Authors

Helpful Tips:

DOI: If a journal article has a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) listed, you will always include this identifier in your reference as a URL.

Online Database: For works from databases that publish works of limited circulation (such as the ERIC database) or original, proprietary material available only in that database (such as UpToDate), include the name of the database or archive and the URL of the work. If the URL requires a login or is session specific, meaning it will not resolve for readers, provide the URL of the database or specific archive home page or login page instead of the URL for the work.

Print: If you viewed a journal article in its print format , be sure to check if it has a DOI listed. If it does not, your reference to the article would end after you provide the page range of the article.

Date: When possible, include the year, month, and date in references. If the month and date are not available, use the year of publication.

Surnames and initials for  up to twenty authors  should be provided in the reference list.  For more than 20 authors, list the first 19, followed by an ellipsis, then list the final author.

General Format

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Author Surname et al., Year)

NOTE: The in-text citation for works with three or more authors is shortened to the first author's name, followed by et al. and the year.

In-Text Citation (Quotation):

(Author Surname et al., Year, page number)

References:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial., Author Surname, First Initial.Second Initial., & Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year). Article title: Subtitle. Journal Title, Volume (issue), page range. http://doi.org/xx.xxxxxxxxxx

(Westhues et al., 2001)

(Westhues et al., 2001, p. 40)

Westhues, A., Lafrance, J., & Schmidt, G. (2001). A SWOT analysis of social work education in Canada. Social Work Education, 20 (1), 35-56. http://doi.org/10.1080/02615470020028364

(Dietz et al., 2007)

(Dietz et al., 2007, p. 1518)

Dietz, P. M., Williams, S. B., Callaghan, W. M., Bachman, D. J., Whitlock, E. P., & Hornbrook, M. C. (2007). Clinically identified maternal depression before, during, and after pregnancies ending in live births.  American Journal of Psychiatry, 164 (10), 1515-1520. http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.061118936

ePub Ahead of Print

ePub Ahead of Print  articles, also labeled  Advanced Online Publication  articles, may not have a volume number, issue number, or page numbers assigned to them. If you cannot find a fully published version of the article that includes this information, you can cite the article as an advanced online publication, noting its status where you would usually include the volume, issue, and page numbers. If possible, update your reference to the final version of the source when it becomes available.

Muldoon, K., Towse, J., Simms, V., Perra, O., & Menzies, V. (2012). A longitudinal analysis of estimation, counting skills, and mathematical ability across the first school year.  Developmental Psychology . Advance online publication.  https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028240

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APA Style: Basics

Journal Articles

NOTE: Don't forget to indent the second and subsequent lines. 

Journal Article with a DOI

General Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date). Title of article. Title of Journal , Volume (Issue), page numbers. DOI

For Example

Robins, T. G., Roberts, R. M., & Sarris, A. (2018). The role of student burnout in predicting future burnout: Exploring the transition from university to the workplace. Higher Education Research and Development , 37 (1), 115–130. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2017.1344827

Corresponding In-Text Citation

(Robins et al., 2018)

Robins et al. (2018)

Journal Article without DOI - Print & from Online Research Database

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date). Title of article. Title of Journal , Volume (Issue), page numbers.

Mea, W. J., & Sims, R. R. (2019). Human dignity-centered business ethics: A conceptual framework for business leaders. Journal of Business Ethics , 160 (1), 53-69.

(Mea & Sims, 2019)

Mea and Sims (2019)

Journal Article - Advance Online Publication

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date). Title of article. Title of Journal . Advance online publication. DOI

Wang, X., Yang, J., Wang, P., Zhang, Y., Li, B., Xie, X., & Lei L. (2019). Deviant peer affiliation and bullying perpetration in adolescents: The mediating role of moral disengagement and the moderating role of moral identity. Journal of Psychology . Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2019.1696733

(Wang et al., 2019)

Wang et al. (2019)

Journal Article - In Press

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (in press). Title of article. Title of Journal . DOI

Hensley, J. G., & Beardsley, J. R. (in press). Insomnia treatment in the primary care setting. Advances in Family Practice Nursing . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfpn.2020.01.012

NOTE: If the article doesn't have a DOI end the citation with the journal title.

(Hensley & Beardsley, in press)

Hensley and Beardsley (in press)

Article from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author, D. D., & Author, E. E. (Date). Title of review. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews . DOI

Sinclair, D. J., Zhao, S., Qi, F., Nyakyoma, K., Kwong, J. S., & Adams, C. E. (2019). Electroconvulsive therapy for treatment‐resistant schizophrenia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews . https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD011847.pub2

(Sinclair et al., 2019)

Sinclair et al. (2019)

More Information

Have multiple authors? The 7th edition has updated the format of authors in citations. Learn how to format authors on the Elements of APA Reference Lists This link opens in a new window page.

For more information, visit the APA Style page Journal Article References This link opens in a new window

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How to Reference Articles in APA Format

Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

Emily is a board-certified science editor who has worked with top digital publishing brands like Voices for Biodiversity, Study.com, GoodTherapy, Vox, and Verywell.

If you write a psychology paper, you will need to reference several sources in APA format. Journal articles are often used and cited to summarize the results of studies and experiments conducted by researchers. In most cases, you will need to create references for at least five or more journal articles for every APA format paper you write.

APA format details a set of strict rules for referencing articles that appear in academic journals and other periodicals. These vary somewhat based on where the article appears and who the authors are. While most articles you will use in your paper appear in academic and professional journals, you may also find articles in magazines, newspapers, and online publications.

Keep reading for a breakdown of the rules for creating references in APA format.

Basic Structure for Journal Article References

Begin the reference with the author's last name and first initials, followed by the date of publication in parentheses. Provide the title of the article, but only capitalize the first letter of the title. Next, include the journal or periodical and volume number in italics, followed by the issue number in parentheses. Finally, provide the page numbers where the article can be found.

Author, I. N. (Year). Title of the article. Title of the Journal or Periodical, volume number (issue number), page numbers.

Smith, L. V. (2000). Referencing articles in APA format. APA Format Weekly, 34 (1), 4-10.

If possible, include the DOI (digital object identifier) number at the end of your reference. If a DOI number is not available and you accessed the article online, give the URL of the journal's home page.

Formatting Rules

• The title , subtitle and all proper nouns should be capitalized.
• Your reference page should be double-spaced.
• The first line of each reference should be flush left and remaining lines should be indented

Be sure to check your references using the official Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. See an example of different types of references and learn more about APA format .

Magazine Articles

The structure of a reference for an article appearing in a magazine is similar to that of a journal article. However, be sure to add the month and day of publication to the publication date.

James, S. A. (2001, June 7). Magazine articles in APA format. Newsweek, 20, 48-52.

Newspaper Articles

References for newspaper articles follow the basic structure as magazines, but you should list each individual page the article appears on rather than a page range.

Tensky, J. A. (2004, January 5). How to cite newspaper articles. The New York Times, 4D, 5D.

Articles With Two Authors

If an article has two authors, follow the basic format for a journal reference. Place a comma after the first initial of the first author followed by an ampersand (&). Then, include the last name and first initial of the second author.

Mischel, W., & Baker, N. (1975). Cognitive transformations of reward objects through instructions.  Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 31 , 254-261.

Articles With Three to Twenty Authors

 For journal articles with three to 20 authors, you will follow a similar format as with two authors but each author and their initials will be separated with a comma. The final author should be preceded by an ampersand. Follow this same format for each additional author up to 20 authors.

Hart, D., Keller, M., Edelstein, W., & Hofmann, V. (1998). Childhood personality influences on social-cognitive development: A longitudinal study. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 74, 1288-1289. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.74.5.1278

Keller, J. L., Smithfield, K. B., Ellis, M., Michelina, R., & Bels, S. (1987). The limitations of anchoring bias. J ournal of Market Research, 17 , 115-119.

Articles With More Than Twenty Authors

The rules for referencing both single and multiple authors apply to all sources, whether the material came from books, magazine articles, newspaper articles, journal articles, or online sources. Include the last name and first initials of each author, with individuals' names separated by a comma. The last author should be preceded with an ampersand.

If the article includes 20 or fewer authors, list each author separately. If there are more than 20, include the first 19 and then include an ellipse (. . . ) in place of the authors' names before listing the final author.

Arlo, A., Black, B., Clark, C., Davidson, D., Emerson, E., Fischer, F., Grahmann, G., Habib, H., Ianelli, I., Juarez, J., Kobayashi, K., Lee, L., Martin, M., Naim, N., Odelsson, O., Pierce, P., Qiang, Q., Reed, R., Scofield, S., . . . Thatcher, T. (2011). Even more references. APA Format Today, 11 (4), 30-38.

Articles With No Author

If an article does not cite any authors, start the reference with the title of the article. Follow this with the publication date, source, and URL if the article was accessed electronically.

Scientists seek source of creativity. (2012, March, 6). Dayton County News. http://www.daytoncountynews.com/news/39756_39275.html

The reference section is one of the easiest places to lose points due to incorrect APA format, so be sure to check your references before you hand in your psychology papers . While it may be tedioous, learning to reference articles in proper APA style will help you throughout your study of psychology.

American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association  (7th ed.). The American Psychological Association, 2019.

By Kendra Cherry, MSEd Kendra Cherry, MS, is a psychosocial rehabilitation specialist, psychology educator, and author of the "Everything Psychology Book."

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• What's New in the 7th Edition?
• Paper Formatting
• Reference Components
• Book Examples

Journal Articles

Newspaper articles, magazine articles, reviews (book, film, or video), cochrane library, documents from eric, other database content, advance online publication.

• Media Examples
• Internet Resources Examples
• Other Examples
• In-Text Citations

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Refer to the Multiple Authors guidelines, if needed.

Online Article with DOI

Author, A. A., Author B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume (Issue), pages–pages. https://doi.org/XXXXXXXXXXX

Reed, M. J., Kennett, D. J., Lewis, T., Lund-Lucas, E., Stallberg, C., & Newbold, I. L. (2009). The relative effects of university success courses and individualized interventions for students with learning disabilities. Higher Education Research & Development , 28 (4), 385–400. https://doi.org/10.1080/07294360903067013

(Reed et al., 2009)

Example 2: Article with an Article Number

Omit the page numbers and use the article number in its place.

Derry, K. (2018). Myth and monstrosity: Teaching indigenous films. Journal of Religion & Film, 22 (3), Article 7. https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/jrf/

(Derry, 2018)

Online Article Without DOI/Print Article

Author, A. A., Author B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume (Issue), pages–pages.

Husain, A. N., Colby, T. V., Ordóñez, N. G., Krausz, T., Borczuk, A., Cagle, P. T, Chirieac, L. R., Churg, A., Galeateau-Salle, F., Gibbs, A. R., Gown, A. M., Hammar, S. P., Lizky, A. A., Roggli, V. L., Travis, W. D., & Wick, M. R. (2009). Guidelines for pathologic diagnosis of malignant mesothelioma. Archives of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, 133 (8), 1317–1331.

(Husain et al., 2009)

Note: Do not include the name of a database, except for very rare occasions where the content is exclusive to the database. See Other Database Content for more guidance.

Sources: Publication Manual , 10.1 (examples 1-6)

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Newspaper Title , pages–pages.

Clark, A. (2009, August 9). Apartment glut good for students, bad for owners. The Gainesville Sun , pp. 1A, 9A.

(Clark, 2009)

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Newspaper. http://xxxxx

Associated Press. (2019, October 7). Unions sue USDA seeking to halt new pork processing rule. The New York Times . https://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2019/10/07/us/ap-us-pork-slaughter-changes.html

(Associated Press, 2019)

Johnson, K. (2017, January 16). Rwanda takes vital baby steps for preschool education. East African . https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/Rwanda/News/Rwanda-takes-vital-baby-steps-for-pre-school-education/1433218-3519704-bi37kl/index.html

(Johnson, 2017)

Source: Publication Manual , 10.1 (example 16)

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Magazine, Volume (Issue, if available), pages–pages.

Erim, K. T. (1967, August). Ancient Aphrodisias and its marble treasures. National Geographic , 132 (2), 280–294.

(Erim, 1967)

If you are unable to find the volume/issue, omit that component.

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Magazine, Volume (Issue) . http://xxxxx

Tizon, A. (2017, June). My family's slave. The Atlantic , 319 (5). https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2017/06/lolas-story/524490/

(Tizon, 2017)

The supermarket of the future. (2017, May 23). Consumer Reports . https://www.consumerreports.org/grocery-stores-supermarkets/supermarket-of-the-future/

("The Supermarket," 2017)

Source: Publication Manual , 10.1 (example 15)

Book Review

Reviewer, A. A. (Year). Title of review [Review of the book Title of book , by B. B. Author]. Source information.

King, N. (2009). The psychology of personal constructs [Review of the book George Kelly: The psychology of personal constructs , by T. Butt]. History & Philosophy of Psychology, 11 (1), 44–47. http://www.bps.org.uk/publications/member-network-publications/member-publications/history-and-philosophy-psychology

(King, 2009)

Film or Video Review

Reviewer, A. A. (Year). Title of review [Review of the film Film , by A. A. Director, Dir.]. Source information.

Schickel, R. (2006). The power of Babel [Review of the film Babel , by A. G. Iñárritu, Dir.]. Time, 168 (18), 70.

(Schickel, 2006)

Source: Publication Manual , 10.7 (examples 67-68)

Use for systematic reviews found through the Cochrane Library database.

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. https://doi.org/XXXXXXXXXXX

Butterworth, A. D., Thomas, A. G., & Akobeng, A. K. (2008). Probiotics for induction of remission in Crohn's disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews . https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD006634.pub2

(Butterworth, et al., 2008)

Source:  Publication Manual , 10.1 (example 13)

The ERIC database sometimes includes non-periodical results, including manuscripts, policy briefs, and other documents. This template provides guidance for creating references for those documents.

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work (ERIC Document Number). ERIC. http://xxxxx

Asio, J. M. R., & Gadia, E. D. (2019). Awareness and understanding of college students towards teacher bullying: Basis for policy inclusion in the student handbook (ED595107). ERIC. https://eric.ed.gov/?id=ED595107

(Asio & Gadia, 2019)

Source: Publication Manual , 10.8 (example 74)

Only use this template for items in library databases that are exclusive content to the database ( i.e.  are not found outside the database). Databases include A to Z the World and some resources in Opposing Viewpoints and Health and Wellness. Otherwise, use the guidelines for journal or newspaper articles.

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Database Name . https://doi.org/XXXXXXXXXXX OR http://xxxxx

Kirby, J. (n.d.). Austria: The business experience. A to Z the World . Retrieved October 7, 2019, from http://www.atoztheworld.com/

(Kirby, n.d.)

Sources: Publication Manual , 10.1 (examples 13-14); APA Style: Database Information in References

For online journal articles that are published online before they are available in print.

Capone, L. J., Albert, N. M., Bena, J. F., & Tang, A. S. (2012). Serious fall injuries in hospitalized patients with and without cancer. Journal of Nursing Care Quality . Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1097/NCQ.0b013e3182679056

(Capone at al., 2012)

Source:  Publication Manual,  10.1 (example 7)

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How To - Use the APA Style Guide

• APA Style: Home
• What is new in the 7th Edition?
• Elements of APA Reference Lists
• Formatting & Sample Papers
• Book Reference Examples
• Journal Article Reference Examples
• Magazine Article Reference Examples
• Newspaper Article Reference Examples
• Reference Work Reference Examples
• Websites Reference Examples
• Images/Art Reference Examples
• Video & Film Reference Examples
• Social Media Reference Examples
• Citations for Paraphrased Sources
• Citing Direct Quotations
• Formatting Authors in In-Text Citations
• Citing Secondary Sources
• Video Tutorials: APA Style
• Annotated Bibliography This link opens in a new window
• --- How To - Use Citation Style Guides ---
• Using Zotero This link opens in a new window
• Using Mendeley This link opens in a new window

7th ed Journal Article Examples

Journal articles.

NOTE: Don't forget to indent the second and subsequent lines. 

Journal Article with a DOI

General Format

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date). Title of article. Title of Journal , Volume (Issue), page numbers. DOI

For Example

Robins, T. G., Roberts, R. M., & Sarris, A. (2018). The role of student burnout in predicting future burnout: Exploring the transition from university to the workplace. Higher Education Research and Development , 37 (1), 115–130. https://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07294360.2017.1344827

Corresponding In-Text Citation

(Robins et al., 2018)

Robins et al. (2018)

Journal Article without DOI - Print & from Online Research Database

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date). Title of article. Title of Journal , Volume (Issue), page numbers.

Mea, W. J., & Sims, R. R. (2019). Human dignity-centered business ethics: A conceptual framework for business leaders. Journal of Business Ethics , 160 (1), 53-69.

(Mea & Sims, 2019)

Mea and Sims (2019)

Journal Article - Advance Online Publication

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date). Title of article. Title of Journal . Advance online publication. DOI

Wang, X., Yang, J., Wang, P., Zhang, Y., Li, B., Xie, X., & Lei L. (2019). Deviant peer affiliation and bullying perpetration in adolescents: The mediating role of moral disengagement and the moderating role of moral identity. Journal of Psychology . Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2019.1696733

(Wang et al., 2019)

Wang et al. (2019)

Journal Article - In Press

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (in press). Title of article. Title of Journal . DOI

Hensley, J. G., & Beardsley, J. R. (in press). Insomnia treatment in the primary care setting. Advances in Family Practice Nursing . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yfpn.2020.01.012

NOTE: If the article doesn't have a DOI end the citation with the journal title.

(Hensley & Beardsley, in press)

Hensley and Beardsley (in press)

Article from the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author, D. D., & Author, E. E. (Date). Title of review. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews . DOI

Sinclair, D. J., Zhao, S., Qi, F., Nyakyoma, K., Kwong, J. S., & Adams, C. E. (2019). Electroconvulsive therapy for treatment‐resistant schizophrenia. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews . https://dx.doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD011847.pub2

(Sinclair et al., 2019)

Sinclair et al. (2019)

More Information

Have multiple authors? The 7th edition has updated the format of authors in citations. Learn how to format authors on the Elements of APA Reference Lists This link opens in a new window page.

For more information, visit the APA Style page Journal Article References This link opens in a new window

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• Last Updated: Jan 18, 2024 8:33 AM
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APA Sample Paper

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Note:  This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style  can be found here .

Media Files: APA Sample Student Paper  ,  APA Sample Professional Paper

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Note: The APA Publication Manual, 7 th Edition specifies different formatting conventions for student  and  professional  papers (i.e., papers written for credit in a course and papers intended for scholarly publication). These differences mostly extend to the title page and running head. Crucially, citation practices do not differ between the two styles of paper.

However, for your convenience, we have provided two versions of our APA 7 sample paper below: one in  student style and one in  professional  style.

Note: For accessibility purposes, we have used "Track Changes" to make comments along the margins of these samples. Those authored by [AF] denote explanations of formatting and [AWC] denote directions for writing and citing in APA 7. 

APA 7 Student Paper:

Apa 7 professional paper:.