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How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Style | Format & Example
Published on November 5, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on January 17, 2024.
An APA Style citation for a journal article includes the author name(s), publication year, article title, journal name, volume and issue number, page range of the article, and a DOI (if available). Use the buttons below to explore the format, or try the free APA Citation Generator to quickly and easily create citations.
Cite a journal article in APA Style now:
Table of contents, basic format for an apa journal citation, citing an article with an elocator or article number, citing unpublished journal articles, special issue of a journal, frequently asked questions about apa style citations.
The article title appears in plain text and sentence case, while the journal name is italicized and in title case (all major words capitalized).
APA format | Last name, Initials. (Year). Article title. , (Issue), Page range. DOI or URL |
---|---|
Mounier-Kuhn, P. (2012). Computer science in French universities: Early entrants and latecomers. (4), 414–456. https://doi.org/10.7560/IC47402 | |
(Mounier-Kuhn, 2012) |
When viewing a journal article online, the required information can usually be found on the access page.
![apa style journal article APA journal source info](https://www.scribbr.nl/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/apa-journal-citation.png)
Linking to online journal articles
A DOI should always be used where available. Some databases do not list one, but you may still find one by looking for the same article on another database. You don’t need to include the name of the database in your citation.
If no DOI is available and the article was accessed through a database, do not include a URL.
If the article is not from a database, but from another website (e.g. the journal’s own website), you should ideally use a stable URL: this is often provided under a “share” button. Otherwise, copy the URL from your browser’s address bar.
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Articles published only in PDF form may provide an article number or “eLocator” instead of a page range; in this case, include the number in your citation, preceded by the word “Article.”
APA format | Last name, Initials. (Year). Article title. , (Issue), Article Number. DOI or URL |
---|---|
Burin, D., Kilteni, K., Rabuffetti, M., Slater, M., & Pia, L. (2019). Body ownership increases the interference between observed and executed movements. , (1), Article e0209899. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209899 | |
(Burin et al., 2019) |
When citing from an article that has not yet been formally published, the format varies depending on whether or not it has already been submitted to a journal. Note that different formats are used for unpublished dissertations and raw data .
Unpublished article
The text of an article which has not yet appeared online or in publication (i.e. which is only available directly from the author) should be cited as an “Unpublished manuscript.” The title is italicized and information about the author’s university is included if available:
APA format | Last name, Initials. (Year). [Unpublished manuscript]. Department Name, University Name. |
---|---|
Smith, J. M., & Davis, H. (2019). [Unpublished manuscript]. Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame. | |
(Smith & Davis, 2019) |
Article submitted for publication
An article that has been submitted to a journal but not yet accepted is cited as a “Manuscript submitted for publication.” The title is italicized, and the name of the journal to which it was submitted is not included:
APA format | Last name, Initials. (Year). [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Department Name, University Name. |
---|---|
Smith, J. M., & Davis, H. (2019). [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Department of Psychology, University of Notre Dame. | |
(Smith & Davis, 2019) |
Article in press
An article that has been submitted and accepted for publication in a journal is cited as “in press.” Here, the name of the journal is included, university information is omitted, and “in press” is written in place of the year (both in the reference list and the in-text citation):
APA format | Last name, Initials. (in press). Article title. . |
---|---|
Smith, J. M., & Davis, H. (in press). Language acquisition among autistic children. . | |
(Smith & Davis, in press) |
If you want to cite a special issue of a journal rather than a regular article, the name(s) of the editor(s) and the title of the issue appear in place of the author’s name and article title:
APA format | Last name, Initials. (Ed. or Eds.). (Year). Title of issue [Special issue]. , (Issue). |
---|---|
Pollak, S. D., Camras, L. A., & Cole, P. M. (Eds.). (2019). New perspectives on the development of human emotion [Special issue]. , (9). | |
(Pollak et al., 2019) |
Note that if you want to cite an individual article from the special issue, it can just be cited in the basic format for journal articles.
Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.
In an APA journal citation , if a DOI (digital object identifier) is available for an article, always include it.
If an article has no DOI, and you accessed it through a database or in print, just omit the DOI.
If an article has no DOI, and you accessed it through a website other than a database (for example, the journal’s own website), include a URL linking to the article.
Include the DOI at the very end of the APA reference entry . If you’re using the 6th edition APA guidelines, the DOI is preceded by the label “doi:”. In the 7th edition , the DOI is preceded by ‘https://doi.org/’.
- 6th edition: doi: 10.1177/0894439316660340
- 7th edition: https://doi.org/ 10.1177/0894439316660340
APA citation example (7th edition)
Hawi, N. S., & Samaha, M. (2016). The relations among social media addiction, self-esteem, and life satisfaction in university students. Social Science Computer Review , 35 (5), 576–586. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439316660340
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).
You may include up to 20 authors in a reference list entry .
When an article has more than 20 authors, replace the names prior to the final listed author with an ellipsis, but do not omit the final author:
Davis, Y., Smith, J., Caulfield, F., Pullman, H., Carlisle, J., Donahue, S. D., James, F., O’Donnell, K., Singh, J., Johnson, L., Streefkerk, R., McCombes, S., Corrieri, L., Valck, X., Baldwin, F. M., Lorde, J., Wardell, K., Lao, W., Yang, P., . . . O’Brien, T. (2012).
In an APA reference list , journal article citations include only the year of publication, not the exact date, month, or season.
The inclusion of volume and issue numbers makes a more specific date unnecessary.
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Caulfield, J. (2024, January 17). How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Style | Format & Example. Scribbr. Retrieved June 24, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/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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APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)
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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.
![](http://academicwritinghelp.pw/777/templates/cheerup1/res/banner1.gif)
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
Reference Page | |
---|---|
Structure | Author’s last name, Author’s first initial. Author’s middle initial. (Year, Month Date published). Article title. (Issue), page number(s). https://doi.org/—– (if available) |
Example | Jacoby, W. G. (1994). Public attitudes toward government spending. (2), 336-361. https://doi.org/10.2307/2111407 |
Reference Page | |
---|---|
Structure | Author’s last name, Author’s first initial. Author’s middle initial., & Author’s last name, Author’s first initial. Author’s middle initial. (Year published). Article title. (Issue), page number(s). |
Example | Fearon, J. D., & Laitin, D. D. (2003). Ethnicity, insurgency, and civil war. (01), 75. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003055403000534 |
How to Cite an Online Journal Article in APA
The following examples show you how to format an online journal citation in APA style.
Reference Page | |
---|---|
Structure | Author’s last name, Author’s first initial. Author’s middle initial. (Year, Month Date published). Article title. (Issue). URL |
Example | Poiger, U. G. (1996). Rock ‘n’ roll, female sexuality, and the Cold War battle over German identities. (3). https://www.jstor.org/stable/2946768 |
Reference Page | |
---|---|
Structure | Author’s last name, Author’s first initial. Author’s middle initial. (Year, Month Date published). Article title. (Issue). https://doi.org/—– |
Example | Poiger, U. G. (1996). Rock ‘n’ roll, female sexuality, and the Cold War Battle over German Identities. (3), 577. https://doi.org/10.1086/245343 |
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
APA Citation Examples
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APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Journals
- 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
Helpful Tip!
How do you cite online articles ?
Online articles follow the same guidelines as printed articles. Include all information the online host makes available, including an issue number in parentheses. If the DOI (digital object identifier) is available use it in your citation instead of the URL.
- If you are accessing the article through a database, you may need to do a quick search to locate the home page of the journal
- It is not necessary to include database information
- Do NOT include retrieval dates unless the source material may change over time
- When the DOI is available used it instead of the URL
- If there is NO DOI use the home page URL of the journal
Situations this Section Covers
This section will cover the following examples:
- Journal Article with One Author
- Journal Article with Two Authors
- Journal Article with Three to Twenty Authors
For more examples and information, consult the following publications:
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.)
Call Number: BF76.7 .P83 2020
Locations: Main Reference Collection 1st Floor (1 copy); Book Stacks (5 copies)
About Citing Journal/Magazine Articles
For each type of source in this guide, both the general form and an example will be provided.
The following format will be used:
In-Text Citation (Paraphrase) - entry that appears in the body of your paper when you express the ideas of a researcher or author using your own words. For more tips on paraphrasing check out The OWL at Purdue .
In-Text Citation (Quotation) - entry that appears in the body of your paper after a direct quote.
References - entry that appears at the end of your paper.
Information on citing and several of the examples were drawn from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).
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
- << Previous: Government Publication
- Next: Journal Article with 1 Author >>
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- Last Updated: Jun 25, 2024 9:21 AM
- URL: https://guides.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/APA
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APA 7th referencing style
- About APA 7th
- Printing this guide
- In-text references
- Direct quotations
- Reference list
- Author information
- Additional referencing information
- Using headings
- Book chapter
- Brochure and pamphlets
- ChatGPT and other generative AI tools
- Conferences
- Dictionary or encyclopaedia
- Government legislation
Print article
Two authors, three to twenty authors, 21 authors or more, advance online publication, article in press, cochrane systematic review, article number (instead of page numbers), article from academic database.
- Lecture notes and slides
- Legal sources
- Newspaper or magazine article
- Other web sources
- Patents and standards
- Personal communication
- Press (media) release
- Secondary source (indirect citation)
- Social media
- Software and mobile apps
- Specialised health information
- Television program
- Works in non-English languages
- Works in non-English scripts, such as Arabic or Chinese
Elements of the reference | Author(s) of journal article – family name and initials, use & for multiple authors. (Year). Title of journal article. , (Issue or number), Page number(s). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In-text reference | (Lowrie & Diezmann, 2009) Lowrie and Diezmann (2009) have found that .... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reference list | Lowrie, T., & Diezmann, C. M. (2009). National numeracy tests: A graphic tells a thousand words. , , 141-158. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
EndNote reference type | Journal article |
Elements of the reference | Author(s) of journal article – family name and initials, use & for multiple authors. (Year). Title of journal article. , (Issue or number), Page number(s). DOI address OR Web address (if no DOI available) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In-text reference | (Osman, 2010) OR Osman (2010) thought that…. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reference list | Osman, M. (2010). Controlling uncertainty: A review of human behavior in complex dynamic environments. , (1), 65-86. http://doi.org/10.1037/a0017815 The number is in | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
EndNote reference type | Journal article (print) Electronic article |
Elements of the reference | Author(s) of journal article – family name and initials, use & for multiple authors. (Year). Title of journal article. , (Issue or number), Page number(s). DOI address OR Web address (if no DOI available) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In-text reference | (Kerrigan & Kingdon, 2010) Kerrigan and Kingdon (2010) mentioned that .... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reference list | Kerrigan, A. M., & Kingdon, C. (2010). Maternal obesity and pregnancy: A retrospective study. , , 138-146. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.midw.2008.12.005 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
EndNote reference type | Journal article |
Elements of the reference | Author(s) of journal article – family name and initials, use & for multiple authors. (Year). Title of journal article. (Issue or number), Page number(s). DOI address OR Web address (if no DOI available) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In-text reference | (Skenderian et al., 2008) Skenderian et al. (2008) stated that .... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reference list | Skenderian, J. J., Siegel, J. T., Crano, W. D., Lac, A., & Alvaro, E. E. (2008). Expectancy change and adolescents' intentions to use marijuana. , , 563-569. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0013020 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
EndNote reference type | Journal article |
Elements of the reference | Author(s) of journal article – family name and initials for first 19 . . . Last Author family name, initial(s). (Year). Title of journal article. (Issue or number), Page number(s). DOI address OR Web address (if available) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In-text reference | (Nath et al., 2008) Nath et al. (2008) have said that .... Use only the followed by , for every use of the reference. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reference list | Nath, A. P., Ritchie, S. C., Grinberg, N. F., Tang, H. H., Huang, Q. Q., Teo, S. M., Ahola-Olli, A. V., Wurtz, P., Havulinna, A. S., Santalahti, K., Pitkanen, N., Lehtimaki, T., Kahonen, M., Lyytikainen, L. P., Raitoharju, E., Seppala, I., Sarin, A. P., Ripatti, S., Palotie, A., . . . Inouye, M. (2019). Multivariate genome-wide association analysis of a cytokine network reveals variants with widespread immune, haematological, and cardiometabolic pleiotropy. (6), 1076-1090. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajhg.2019.10.001 List authors up to For 21 or more authors, include the , then an ellipsis - ... - followed by the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
EndNote reference type | Journal article |
Elements of the reference | Title of article. (Year). , (Issue or number), Page number(s). DOI OR Web Address (if no DOI available) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In-text reference | ("Vitamin K for Newborns", 2016) Use the of the Use around the | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reference list | Vitamin K for newborns. (2016). , (5), 675-676. http://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.12550 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
EndNote reference type | Journal article |
Elements of the reference | Author(s) of journal article – family name and initials, use & for multiple authors. (Year). Title of journal article. Journal name – italicised. Advance online publication. DOI address OR Web address (if no DOI available) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In-text reference | (Allan, 2010) Allan (2010) found that .... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reference list | Allan, H. (2010). The perils facing nurse education: A call for leadership for learning. . Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2010.01.002 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
EndNote reference type | Journal article Add Advance online publication to Article Number field |
Elements of the reference | Author(s) of journal article – family name and initials, use & for multiple authors. (in press). Title of journal article. DOI address OR Web address (if no DOI available) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In-text reference | (Baldwin & Keefer, in press) Baldwin and Keefer (in press) stated that .... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reference list | Baldwin, M., & Keefer, L. A. (in press). Being here and now: The benefits of belonging in space and time. . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10902-019-00214-7 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
EndNote reference type | Journal article Add in press in Year field |
Elements of the reference | Author(s) of article – family name and initials, use & for multiple authors. (Year). Title of article. DOI address. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In-text reference | (Shaw et al., 2005) Shaw et al. (2005) stated that .... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reference list | Shaw, K., O'Rourke, P., Del Mar, C., & Kenardy, J. (2005). Psychological interventions for overweight or obesity. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003818.pub2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
EndNote reference type | Journal article |
Elements of the reference | Author(s) of journal article – family name and initials, use & for multiple authors. (Year). Title of journal article. – italicised, - italicised(Issue number), Article article number. DOI address OR Web address (if no DOI available) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In-text reference | (de Boer et al., 2014) de Boer et al. (2014) stated that .... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reference list | de Boer, M. J., Steinhagen, H. E., Versteegen, G. J., Struys, M. M. R. F., & Sanderman, R. (2014). Mindfulness, acceptance and catastrophizing in chronic pain. , (1), Article e87445. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0087445 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
EndNote reference type | Journal article Add the word Article followed by the article number in the Pages field of the reference eg. Article e87445 |
Elements of the reference | Author(s) of journal article – family name and initials, use & for multiple authors. (Year). Title of journal article. , (Issue or number), Page number(s). | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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In-text reference | (Duffy, 2012) Duffy (2012) have found that .... | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Reference list | Dufty, N. (2012). Using social media to build community disaster resilience. , 27(1), 40–45. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
EndNote reference type | Journal article |
Only use if there is no DOI
If DOI available, use examples above
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IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
An APA Style citation for a journal article includes the author name (s), publication year, article title, journal name, volume and issue number, page range of the article, and a DOI (if available).
APA Style (7th Edition) Citation Guide: Journal Articles. 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. https://doi.org/doi number.
Resources on writing an APA style reference list, including citation formats Basic Rules Basic guidelines for formatting the reference list at the end of a standard APA research paper
Reference Guide for Journal Articles, Books, and Edited Book Chapters. Invert names so that the last name comes first, followed by a comma and the initials. Leave a space between initials. Retain the order of authors’ names. Place the year in parentheses. End with a period.
Find examples of journal article references in Section 10.1 of both the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.) and the Concise Guide to APA Style (7th ed.) as well as on the Journal Articles References page of the APA Style website.
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).
APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Journals. Situations this Section Covers. This section will cover the following examples: Journal Article with One Author. Journal Article with Two Authors. Journal Article with Three to Twenty Authors. Magazine Article. Newspaper Article. For more examples and information, consult the following publications:
APA 7th referencing style. This is a guide to using the APA7 referencing style from the American Psychological Association. It is based on the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.