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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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Citation Help for APA, 7th Edition: Journal Article

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General Example & Explanation

Image Credit: American Psychological Association. (2019). APA Style 7th ed. Quick Reference Guide . Copyright American Psychological Association 2019. Image used with permission. 

Variation - Multiple Authors?

Multiple Authors - 20 Authors or Less?

List all authors up to and including 20 authors. 

Clarke, N., D'Amato, A., Higgs, M., & Ramesh, V. (2018). Responsible leadership in projects: Insights into ethical decision making .  Project Management Institute.

Explanation

List each author's last name first followed by a comma. Then, add the initials for the first and middle names (if there is one). Add a period after each initial. Separate each author with a comma. Insert an ampersand (&) before the last author.

Parenthetical & Narrative Citations

For one or two authors, list all authors in the reference. For three or more authors, list the first author followed by et al. This includes the first time the source is used in the paper. 

Parenthetical Citation Example

(Clarke et al., 2018)

Narrative Citation Example

Clarke et al. (2018) found ......

Multiple Authors - 21 or More Authors?

List the first 19 authors' names, then insert an ellipse, and then add the last author's name.

Gilbert, J. R., Smith, J. D., Johnson, R. S., Anderson, A., Plath, S., Martin, G., Sorenson, K., Jones, R., Adams, T., Rothbaum, Z., Esty, K., Gibbs, M., Taultson, B., Christner, G, Paulson, L., Tolo, K., Jacobson, W. L., Robinson, R. A., Maurer, O., . . . White, N. (2014 ). Choosing a title (2nd ed.). Unnamed  Publishing.

(Gilbert et al., 2014)

Gilbert et al. (2014) ...

More Information

For more information about author format, see Section 9.8 on page 286 of the APA Manual, 7th edition.

Variation - Periodical Information?

In the event there is any missing periodical information (i.e., journal volume, journal issue, or page numbers), then omit this information from the reference.  

More Information:

For more information, see Section 9.26 on page 294 of the APA Manual, 7th edition. 

Variations - DOIs?

Some DOIs may be long and complicated. APA 7th edition allows the use of shorter DOI numbers. Shortened DOIs can be located at the International DOI Foundations, shortDOI Service . 

For more information about DOIs, see Section 9.36 on page 300 of APA Manual, 7th edition. 

NOTE: Check your instructor's preference for using short DOIs. Some instructors may want the full DOI. 

Variations - URLs?

Some URLs may be long and complicated. APA 7th edition allows the use of shorter URLs. Shortened URLs can be created using any URL shortener service; however, if you choose to shorten the URL, you must double-check that the URL is functioning and brings the reader to the correct website. 

Common URL Shortner websites include:

For more information about URLs, see Section 9.36 on page 300 of APA Manual, 7th edition. 

NOTE:  Check your instructor's preference about using short URLs. Some instructors may want the full URL. 

Variations - Live Hyperlinks?

Should my urls be live.

It depends. When adding URLs to a paper or other work, first, be sure to include the full hyperlink. This includes the http:// or the https://. Additionally, consider where and how the paper or work will be published or read. If the work will only be read in print or as a Word doc or Google Doc, then the URLs should not be live (i.e., they are not blue or underlined). However, if the work will be published or read online, then APA advises to include live URLs. This would allow the reader to click on a link and go to the source.   

For more information, see Section 9.35 on pages 299-300 of the APA Manual, 7th edition. 

NOTE: Check your instructor's preference about using live URLs. Some instructors may not want you to use live URLs. 

Introduction

Journal or magazine.

Before citing an article from a periodical, one needs to determine if the article is from a magazine or a scholarly journal. There are two general clues to look to in order to make this determination:

• Frequency of publication. Journals are more likely to be monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly publications. If the periodical is published weekly, then it is a magazine and not a journal.
• Pagination. Magazines are generally paginated by issue (i.e., with each new issue the page numbers start over with number one). Oftentimes, scholarly journals are paginated consecutively throughout the volume year. Page numbering does not begin with number one again until the first issue of the next volume year.

Examine your article and determine if it is a magazine article or not. For an article coming from a magazine, see the Magazine Article page. Remember, book reviews and newspaper articles are cited differently from both magazine and journal articles.

Other NEW Important Information in APA, 7th edition:

• ​All journal articles will include the issue number. Regardless, of whether or not the journal is continuously paginated.
• All articles coming from an academic database should be treated as a print journal. If the article has a DOI, include the DOI at the end of the reference. If the article does not have a DOI, then omit from the reference.
• If periodical information (e.g., volume number, issue number, page range) is missing, omit this information from the reference.  

For more information about articles and periodicals, see Sections 9.25 and 9.26 on page 294 as well as Section 10.1 and the examples on pages 316-321 of the APA Manual, 7th edition.

Journal Article with DOI

Kennedy, A. K., Winter, V. R., & Corbin, M. M. (2019). Physical education class and body image perception: Are they related? Physical Educator,

76 (2), 467-484. https://doi.org/10.18666/tpe-2019-v76-i2-8766

Authors: Kennedy, A. K., Winter, V. R., & Corbin, M. M. 

Begin the reference with the first author's last name. Add a comma after the author's last name. Then, add the initials of the author's first and middle names (if present). Add a period after each initial. If the author provides a middle name or middle initial, be sure to add a space between the initials. If there are additional authors, add a comma after the first author's middle initial, and proceed to add the other authors using the same format as previously described. Add the authors in the exact order they are listed in the article. Do not change the order of the authors. Before the last author, add an ampersand (&).     

Date of Publication: (2019). 

Next, in parentheses, add the year the article was published. Add a period after the parentheses.   

Title of Article: Physical education class and body image perception: Are they related?

Next, add the title of the article. The title and subtitle (if present) are separated by a colon. Capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle as well as proper nouns. Add a period after the title. If the title includes a question mark or exclamation mark, replace the period with the appropriate punctuation. Do not put a period after the question mark or exclamation point.   

Source Information: Physical Educator, 76 (2), 467-484. https://doi.org/10.18666/tpe-2019-v76-i2-8766

Complete the reference with the source information. In this case, it would be the journal title, the journal volume number, the journal issue number, the page numbers of the article, and the DOI. For the journal title, capitalize all major words in the title, including an initial article (e.g., The, A, An). Do not capitalize prepositions or articles in the middle of a journal title (e.g., of, the, an, etc.). Italicize the journal title. After the journal title, add the journal volume number and be sure to italicize the volume number. Then, add the issue number in parentheses. The parentheses and journal issue are not italicized. Add a comma after the parentheses, and then include the page range of the article (for those articles with designated page numbers on each page of the article). Add a period after the page numbers. Then, add the DOI using the current standard of the DOI, which starts with https://doi.org/

For more information about articles and periodicals, see Sections 9.25 and 9.26 on page 294 as well as Section 10.1 and the examples on pages 316-321 of the APA Manual, 7th edition. 

Parenthetical Citation Example:

(Kennedy et al., 2019)

Narrative Citation Example:

Kennedy et al. (2019) outlined ...

If a source has 3 or more authors, list the first author followed by et al. Follow this format even when using the source for the first time in the document.  For more information about author format in parenthetical and narrative citations, see Section 8.17 and Table 8.1 on page 266 of the APA Manual, 7th edition. 

Print Journal Article or Article from an Academic Database without DOI

Rush, M. A., Skora, J. I., Lawrence, J. H., & D'Aurora Richardson, L. (2019). Health care's new wilderness: The intersection of telehealth

and ancillary services. Journal of Health Care Compliance, 21 (3), 5-16.

Authors: Rush, M. A., Skora, J. I., Lawrence, J. H., & D'Aurora Richardson, L. 

Begin the reference with the first author's last name. Add a comma after the author's last name. Then, add the initials of the author's first and middle names (if present). Add a period after each initial. If the author provides a middle name or middle initial, be sure to add a space between the initials. If there are additional authors, add a comma after the first author's middle initial, and proceed to add the other authors using the same format as previously described. Add the authors in the exact order they are listed in the article. Do not change the order of the authors. Before the last author, add an ampersand (&).   

Next, in parentheses, add the year of publication. Add a period after the parentheses.   

Title of Article: Health care's new wilderness: The intersection of telehealth and ancillary services. 

Next, add the title of the article. The title and subtitle (if present) are separated by a colon. Capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle as well as proper nouns. Add a period after the title.   

Source Information: Journal of Health Care Compliance, 21 (3), 5-16.

Complete the reference with the source information. In this case, it would be the journal title, the journal volume number, the journal issue number, and the page numbers of the article. For the journal title, capitalize all major words in the title, including an initial article (e.g., The, A, An). Do not capitalize prepositions or articles in the middle of a journal title (e.g., of the, an, etc.). Italicize the journal title. After the journal title, add the journal volume number and be sure to italicize the volume number. Then, add the issue number in parentheses. The parentheses and journal issue are not italicized. Add a comma after the parentheses, and then include the page range of the article (for those articles with designated page numbers on each page of the article). Add a period after the page numbers. 

More Information:  

(Rush et al., 2019)

Rush et al. (2019) discussed ...

Online Journal Article not from a Database and without DOI

Faggella-Luby, M., Gelbar, N., Dukes, L., III, Madaus, J., Lalor, A., & Lombardi, A. (2019). Learning strategy instruction for college

students with disabilities: A systematic review of the literature. Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 32 (1), 63-61.

https://www.ahead.org/professional-resources/publications/jped/archived-jped/jped-volume-32

Authors: Faggella-Luby, M. Gelbar, N., Dukes, L., III, Madaus, J. Lalor, A., & Lombardi, A.  

Begin the reference with the first author's last name, Add a comma after the author's last name. Then, add the initials of the author's first and middle names (if present). Add a period after each initial. If the author provides a middle name or middle initial, be sure to add a space between the initials. If there are additional authors, add a comma after first author's middle initial, and proceed with the other authors using the same format as previously described. Add the authors in the exact order they are listed in the article. Do not change the order of the authors. Before the last author, add an ampersand (&).   

Date of Publication: (2019).

Title of article: learning strategy instruction for college students with disabilities: a systematic review of the literature. , source information: journal of postsecondary education and disability, 32 (1), 63-81.  https://www.ahead.org/professional-resources/publications/jped/archived-jped/jped-volume-32.

Complete the reference with the source information. In this case, it would be the journal title, the journal volume number, the journal issue number, and the page numbers of the article. For the journal title, capitalize all major words in the title, including an initial article (e.g., The, A, An). Do not capitalize prepositions or articles in the middle of a journal title (e.g., of, the, an, etc.). Italicize the journal title. After the journal title, add the journal volume number and be sure to italicize the volume number. Then, add the issue number in parentheses. The parentheses and journal issue are not italicized. Add a comma after the parentheses, and then include the page range of the article (for those articles with designated page numbers on each page of the article. Add a period after the page numbers. Then, add the URL to the journal article.  

More Information: 

(Faggella-Luby et al., 2019)

Faggella-Luby et al. (2019) reiterated the importance .....

If a source has 3 or more authors, list the first author followed by et al. Follow this format even when using the source for the first time in the document. For more information about author format in parenthetical and narrative citations, see Section 8.17 on page 266 of the APA Manual, 7th edtion. 

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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)…

• Library Guides

APA 7th Referencing

• Journal Articles

APA 7th Referencing: Journal Articles

• In-text referencing
• Compiling a Reference list
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• DOIs and Live hyperlinks
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• Sample Reference List

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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• Last Updated: Apr 10, 2024 11:36 AM
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• UWF Libraries

APA Format & Citation Style, 7th edition

• Journal Article with 3 or More Authors
• General Style Guidelines
• One Author or Editor
• Two Authors or Editors
• Three or More 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 One Author
• Journal Article with 2 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
• Lecture/PPT
• Conferences
• Secondary Sources
• Formatting Your Paper
• APA Handouts & Guides This link opens in a new window

Journal Article with Three or More Authors

General Format

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Author Surname et al., Year).

In-Text Citation (Quotation):

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

References:

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 ellipses, then list the final author.

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial., Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial., Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial., 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 [if available]  OR  [nothing - if in an online database and does not have a doi]  OR  URL to document on website if readers can access.

(Yonkers et al., 2001, p. 1859)

Written within the sentence:

Yonkers et al. (2001) argued " . . . " (p.1859).

Yonkers, K. A., Ramin, S. M., Rush, A. J., Navarrete, C. A., Carmody, T., March, D., Heartwell, S., & Leveno, K. J. (2001). Onset and persistence of postpartum depression in an inner-city maternal health clinic system.  American Journal of Psychiatry, 158 (11), 1856-1863. http://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.158.11.1856

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 . You will not have to include a different URL or the database from which you retrieved the article if a DOI is available.  Include a DOI for all works that have a DOI, regardless of whether you used the online version or the print version.

Online Database:  If you viewed a journal article in an  online database  and it does not have a DOI, the reference should be the same as the reference for a print version of the work. In other words, nothing after the page numbers will appear.

Website/Online:  If an online work (not including academic research databases), provide the URL in the reference (as long as the URL will work for readers).

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.

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• Last Updated: May 10, 2024 3:48 PM
• URL: https://libguides.uwf.edu/apa7

APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Journal Article with 2 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 Two Authors (p. 198)

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.

General Format 

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): 

(Author Surname & Author Surname, Year)

In-Text Citation (Quotation):

(Author Surname & Author Surname, Year, page number)

References:

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

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Sillick & Schutte, 2006)

(Sillick & Schutte, 2006, p. 43)

Sillick, T. J., & Schutte, N. S. (2006). Emotional intelligence and self-esteem mediate between perceived early parental love and adult happiness. E-Journal of Applied Psychology, 2 (2), 38-48. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182010800

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

Subject Guide

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• Last Updated: Feb 6, 2024 11:45 AM
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