APA Citation Guide
The American Psychological Association (APA) citation style is one of the most widely used formats in academic writing, particularly in the social sciences, education, and psychology. This guide covers the APA 7th edition, the most current version, with clear examples for every common source type. Whether you are writing your first research paper or need a quick refresher, this guide has everything you need to cite sources correctly in APA format.
APA Format Basics
APA style uses an author-date citation system with two components:
- In-text citations: Brief references within your text that point readers to the full reference. Format: (Author, Year) or Author (Year).
- Reference list: A complete list of all sources cited, appearing at the end of your paper on a separate page titled "References."
General Formatting Rules
- Double-space the entire paper, including the reference list
- Use a readable font (12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Calibri, or 11-point Arial)
- Set 1-inch margins on all sides
- Include a running head on each page (shortened title in all caps)
- Number all pages in the top-right corner
- The reference list starts on a new page with "References" centered and bolded at the top
- References use a hanging indent (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches)
In-Text Citations
APA in-text citations include the author's last name and the year of publication. Page numbers are required for direct quotes.
Parenthetical Citations
Place the citation at the end of the sentence, inside the period:
- One author:
(Smith, 2023) - Two authors:
(Smith & Jones, 2023) - Three or more authors:
(Smith et al., 2023) - Direct quote:
(Smith, 2023, p. 45)
Narrative Citations
When the author's name is part of the sentence, only the year goes in parentheses:
- One author:
Smith (2023) found that... - Two authors:
Smith and Jones (2023) argued... - Three or more:
Smith et al. (2023) reported...
Special Cases
- No author: Use the first few words of the title in quotation marks:
("Study Finds," 2023) - No date: Use
(Smith, n.d.) - Multiple works: Separate with semicolons:
(Smith, 2023; Jones, 2022) - Same author, same year: Add lowercase letters:
(Smith, 2023a, 2023b)
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Reference List Examples
Here are reference list entries for the most common source types in APA 7th edition:
Journal Article
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume(Issue), Page range. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Example:
Grady, J. S., Her, M., Moreno, G., Perez, C., & Yelber, J. (2019). Emotions in storybooks: A comparison of storybooks that represent ethnic and racial groups in the United States. Psychology of Popular Media Culture, 8(3), 207--217. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000185
Book
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Website
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. https://url
Chapter in an Edited Book
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xx--xx). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Formatting the Reference List
Follow these rules when assembling your APA reference list:
Ordering
- List entries alphabetically by the first author's last name
- For multiple works by the same author, order by year (earliest first)
- For same author, same year, add lowercase letters (2023a, 2023b) and alphabetize by title
- Single-author entries come before multi-author entries starting with the same surname
Formatting Details
- Use a hanging indent for each entry (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches)
- Double-space all entries with no extra space between them
- Italicize titles of books, journals, and volumes
- Capitalize only the first word of book/article titles, first word after a colon, and proper nouns
- Use title case for journal names (capitalize all major words)
- Include DOIs as hyperlinks when available (https://doi.org/xxxxx format)
- For URLs without DOIs, include the full URL without a period at the end
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APA 7th Edition Updates
The 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual introduced several important changes from the 6th edition:
- Up to 20 authors: List all authors in the reference (the 6th edition cut off at 7)
- No more "Retrieved from": Just include the URL directly, without "Retrieved from" before it
- DOI format: Use the https://doi.org/xxxxx format instead of "doi:xxxxx"
- No location for publishers: Do not include the publisher's city and state
- Running head simplified: Student papers no longer require a running head (only professional papers do)
- Singular "they": APA endorses the singular "they" as a gender-neutral pronoun
- Bold headings: All levels of headings are now bolded
- Inclusive language: Updated guidelines for writing about people with sensitivity and specificity
If your instructor or publication requires APA 6th edition, check with them before applying 7th edition rules.
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