How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Format (7th edition)

There are three main ways to cite a journal article in APA format. They are:

  1. Build the citation yourself.
    Follow APA formatting rules and create the citation step by step.
  2. Use a citation generator.
    These tools can quickly create APA-formatted citations, but you should always check them for mistakes.
  3. Copy the citation provided.
    Many journals and library databases supply APA-formatted citations for each article. However, you should check these citations carefully, as they may contain errors.

To cite a journal article in APA format, it is best to learn the rules by building the citation manually.

Once you know the APA formatting rules, you can quickly check and correct errors in citations created by generators or provided by journals and databases.

Mastering the manual method first makes other approaches—like citation generators or copied citations—faster, more reliable, and accurate.

The sections below will show you how to cite a journal article in APA format:

  • Manual Citation
    See how to build a journal article citation step by step with screenshots.
  • Common Mistakes
    Discover the typical errors made when citing a journal article in APA format and how to fix them.
  • Quiz
    Test your ability to cite a journal article in APA format correctly.
  • Citation Generator
    See how a free tool like Zotero creates APA journal article citations automatically.
  • Provided Citations
    See an example of a supplied citation that has an error.
  • FAQs
    Get quick answers to common questions about citing journal articles in APA format.

Have a question or advice? Add it in the Comments section.

Cite a Journal Article in APA Format Yourself

Choose an option below to cite a journal article in APA format correctly.

Author

Select the number of authors who wrote the article.

One Author

Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the citation as follows:

  • Place the author's last name and the publication year inside parentheses.
  • Separate them with a comma and a space.

See Figure A1-1.

Narrative In-text Citation
Format the citation as follows:

  • Use the author’s last name in the sentence.
  • Place the publication year in parentheses right after the name.

See Figure A1-2.

Example (Smith, 2020) showing a parenthetical APA in-text citationFigure A1-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation in APA Format
Example "As Smith (2020) notes" showing a narrative APA in-text citationFigure A1-2: In-text Narrative Citation in APA Format

Reference List Entry
Format the author section of the reference as follows:

  • Enter the last name, followed by a comma and a space.
  • Add the first initial, followed by a period and space.
  • If there are more initials, include each one, followed by a period and space.

See Figure A1-3: One author with one initial.
See Figure A1-4: One author with two initials.

APA reference example with author 'Smith, P.' and placeholders for date, title, and sourceFigure A1-3: One Author With One Initial
APA reference example with author 'White, P. A.' and placeholders for date, title, and sourceFigure A1-4: Author With Two Initials

Two Authors

Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the citation within parentheses as follows:

  • Enter the last name of the first author, followed by a space.
  • Insert an ampersand (&) followed by a space.
  • Enter the last name of the second author.
  • Insert a comma and a space.
  • Enter the publication year.

See Figure A2-1.

Narrative In-text Citation
Format the citation as follows:

  • Enter the last names of both authors, separated by "and" as part of the sentence.
  • Enter the publication year in parentheses right after the names.

See Figure A2-2.

Example (Li & Ng, 2016) showing a parenthetical in-text citation for two authorsFigure A2-1: APA-formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Two Authors
Example "as Li and Ng (2016) note" showing a narrative APA in-text citation for two authorsFigure A2-2: APA-formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Two Authors

Reference List Entry
Format the author section of the reference as follows:

  • Enter the last name of the first author, followed by a comma and a space.
  • Add the initial(s) of the first author as follows:
    • Each initial is followed by a period.
    • If there are multiple initials, separate them with a space.
    • After the last initial (and period), insert a comma.
  • Insert an ampersand (&) with a space before and after it.
  • Type the last name of the second author followed by a comma and a space.
  • Add the initials of the second author, following the same rules.
  • After the last initial (and period), add a space.

See Figure A2-3.

APA reference list entry example with two authors: Li, R., & Ng, T. D., followed by placeholders for date, title, and source.Figure A2-3: Two Authors

Three to Twenty Authors

Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the citation within parentheses as follows:

  • Enter the last name of the first author, followed by a space.
  • Enter "et al." followed by a comma and a space.
  • Enter the publication year.

See Figure A3-1.

Narrative In-text Citation
Format the citation as follows:

  • Enter the last name of the first author, followed by "et al." and a space as part of the sentence.
  • Enter the publication year in parentheses after the name.

See Figure A3-2.

Example "(Fox et al., 2018)" showing a parenthetical APA in-text citation for three authorsFigure A3-1: APA-formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Three Authors
Example "As Fox et al. (2018) note" showing a narrative APA in-text citation for three authorsFigure A3-2: APA-formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Three Authors

Reference List Entry
Format the author section of the reference as follows:

  • For each author except the last:
    • Enter the last name, followed by a comma and a space.
    • Enter the initials of the author's given names as follows:
      • Each initial is followed by a period.
      • Separate multiple initials with a space.
      • After the last initial, add a comma and a space.
        Examples: "Li, R., " "Xi, A. B., " "Yi, D. O. K., "
  • Before the last author, insert an ampersand (&) followed by a space.
  • Enter the last name and initials of the last author except do not insert a comma for the last initial. Only add a period followed by a space.

See Figure A3-3: Three authors.

Reference entry example with three authors: Fox, J., Day, E., & Green, K. L. T. D., followed by placeholders for date, title, and sourceFigure A3-3: Three Authors

Figures A3-4 and A3-5 show example in-text citations for twenty authors.

Example (Lee et al., 2012) showing a parenthetical APA in-text citation for twenty authorsFigure A3-4: APA-formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Twenty Authors
Example "As Lee et al. (2012) explain" showing a narrative APA in-text citation for twenty authorsFigure A3-5: APA-formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Twenty Authors

Figure A3-6 shows an example reference list entry for twenty authors.

APA reference list entry showing twenty authors followed by placeholders for date, title, and sourceFigure A3-6: Twenty Authors

Use the same format for any number of authors from three to twenty. Just change how many names you include.

Twenty-One or More Authors

Parenthetical In-text Citation
Format the citation within parentheses as follows:

  • Enter the last name of the first author, followed by a space.
  • Insert "et al." followed by a comma and a space.
  • Enter the publication date.

See Figure A20-1.

Narrative In-text Citation
Format the citation as follows:

  • Enter the last name of the first author, followed by "et al." as part of the sentence.
  • Add the publication date in parentheses after the name.

See Figure A20-2.

Example (Ali et al., 2021) showing a parenthetical APA in-text citation for more than twenty authorsFigure A20-1: APA-formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation for Twenty Plus Authors
Example "as Ali et al. (2021) note…" showing a narrative APA in-text citation for more than twenty authorsFigure A20-2: APA-formatted In-text Narrative Citation for Twenty Plus Authors

Reference List Entry
Format the author section of the reference as follows:

  • For each of the first 19 authors:
    • Enter the last name of the author, followed by a comma and a space.
    • Add the initials of the author's given names as follows:
      • Add a period after each initial.
      • Separate multiple initials with a space.
      • After the last initial, add a comma and a space.
        Examples: "Li, R., " "Xi, A. B., " "Yi, D. O. K., "
  • Insert an ellipsis (…) followed by a space.
  • Enter the last name and initials of the final author (same format as above), except do not insert a comma after the last initial. Only add a period followed by a space.

See Figure A20-3.

An example of an APA reference list entry for more than 20 authors. It contains the last names and initials of the first 19 authors followed by an ellipsis and then the last name and initials of the last author, followed by placeholders "Date, Title, Source" for the rest of the citation.Figure A20-3: Twenty Plus Authors

Date

You need to include the date of publication to cite a journal article in APA format. Use the date the article was published. This is usually shown near the article title or in the citation details.

If no date is available, write n.d. instead. This means “no date.”

Year Only

Include a parenthetical or narrative in-text citation.

Parenthetical In-text Citation
This citation shows the author(s) or editor(s), and the publication date (See the Author section above for how to format names).
Examples:
(Lee, 2020)  (Lee & Chan, 2020)  (Lee et al., 2020)
See Figure Y-1.

Narrative In-text Citation
Include the author(s) or editor(s) as part of the sentence.
Place the publication date in parentheses immediately after the name(s) (See the Author section above for how to format names).
Examples:
Lee (2020)…  Lee and Chan (2020)…  Lee et al. (2020)…
See Figure Y-2.

Example showing a parenthetical APA formatted in-text citation with year onlyFigure Y-1: APA-formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation (Year Only)
Example showing a narrative APA-formatted in-text citation with year onlyFigure Y-2: APA-formatted In-text Narrative Citation (Year Only)

Reference List Entry
Format the date section of the citation as follows:

  • Enter the year in parentheses.
  • Add a period and space after the closing parenthesis.

See Figure Y-3.

Example of a reference list entry with year only after the author sectionFigure Y-3: Reference List Entry with Date (Year Only)

Year and Month

Include a parenthetical or narrative in-text citation.

Parenthetical In-text Citation
This citation shows the author(s) or editor(s), and the year of the publication date (see the Author section above for how to format names).
Note: The month is not shown in the in-text citation.
Examples:
(Brown, 2024)  (Brown & Greene, 2024)  (Black et al., 2024)
See Figure YM-1.

Narrative In-text Citation
Include the author(s) or editor(s) as part of the sentence.
Place the publication date in parentheses immediately after the name(s) (see the Author section above for how to format names).
Note: The month is not shown in the in-text citation.
Examples:
Lee (2024)…  Lee and Chan (2024)…  Lee et al. (2024)…
See Figure YM-2.

Example showing a parenthetical APA formatted in-text citation with a year and month dateFigure YM-1: APA-formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation (Year and Month)
Example showing a narrative APA formatted in-text citation with a year and month dateFigure YM-2: APA-formatted In-text Narrative Citation (Year and Month)

Reference List Entry
Format the date section of the citation as follows:

  • Enter the year and month, separated by a comma and space, within parentheses.
    Enter the month in full (do not abbreviate).
  • Add a period and space after the closing parenthesis.

See Figure YM-3.

Example of a reference list entry with a year and month date after the author sectionFigure YM-3: Figure YMD-3: Reference List Entry with Date (Year and Month).

Year, Month, and Day

Include a parenthetical or narrative in-text citation.

Parenthetical In-text Citation
This citation shows the author(s) or editor(s), and the year of the publication date (see the Author section above for how to format names).
Note: The month and day are not shown in the in-text citation.
Examples:
(Bruce, 2022)  (Bruce & Gibbs, 2022)  (Bruce et al., 2022)
See Figure YMD-1.

Narrative In-text Citation
Include the author(s) or editor(s) as part of the sentence.
Place the publication year in parentheses immediately after the name(s) (see the Author section above for how to format names).
Note: The month and day are not shown in the in-text citation.
Examples:
Bruce (2022)…  Bruce and Gibbs (2022)…  Bruce et al. (2024)…
See Figure YMD-2.

Example showing the year only in parenthetical APA-formatted in-text citationFigure YMD-1: APA-formatted In-text Parenthetical Citation (Year, Month, and Day)
Example of a narrative in-text citation where the author's (or editor's) last name appears in the text, followed by the publication date in parentheses.Figure YMD-2: APA-formatted In-text Narrative Citation (Year, Month, and Day)

Reference List Entry
Format the date section of the citation within parentheses as follows:

  • Enter the year.
  • Insert a comma followed by a space.
  • Enter the month in full (do not abbreviate) followed by a space.
  • Enter the day.

See Figure YMD-3.

Example of a reference list entry with a year, month, and day date after the author sectionFigure YMD-3: Reference List Entry with Date (Year, Month, and Day).

Year and Season

Include a parenthetical or narrative in-text citation.

Parenthetical In-text Citation
This citation shows the author(s) or editor(s), and the year of the publication date (see the Author section above for how to format names).
Note: The season is not shown in the in-text citation.
Examples:
(Sykes, 2022)  (Sykes & Gleason, 2022)  (Cummins et al., 2022)
See Figure YS-1.

Narrative In-text Citation
Include the author(s) or editor(s) as part of the sentence.
Place the publication date in parentheses immediately after the name(s) (see the Author section above for how to format names).
Note: The season is not shown in the in-text citation.
Examples:
Sykes (2022)…  Sykes and Gleason (2022)…  Cummins et al. (2024)…See Figure YS-2.

Example of a parenthetical in-text citation where the publication date (year only) follows the author's (or editor's) last name, separated by a comma and space, within parentheses.Figure YS-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation with Publication Date (Year Only)
Example of a narrative in-text citation where the author's (or editor's) last name appears in the text, followed by the publication year in parentheses.Figure YS-2: In-text Narrative Citation with Publication Date (Year Only)

Reference List Entry
Format the date section of the citation within parentheses as follows:

  • Enter the year.
  • Insert a comma followed by a space.
  • Enter the season.

See Figure YS3.

Example of a reference list entry where the publication date (year and season) follows the author's section, separated by a comma and space.Figure YS3: Reference List Entry with Date (Year and Season)

No Date Available

Include a parenthetical or narrative in-text citation.

Parenthetical In-text Citation
Include the authors or editors last names, and n.d. for the date within parentheses (see the Author section above for how to format names).
Examples:
(Bell, n.d.)  (Bell & Sykes, n.d.)  (Bell et al., n.d.)
See Figure YND-1.

Narrative In-text Citation
Include the author(s) or editor(s) last names as part of the sentence.
Enter n.d. as the publication date in parentheses immediately after the name or  (see the Author section above for how to format names).
Example:
Bell (n.d.)… Bell and Sykes (n.d.)… Bett et al. (n.d.)…
See Figure YND-2.

Example of a parenthetical in-text citation with an unknown date that follows the author's (or editor's) last name, separated by a comma and space, within parentheses.Figure YND-1: In-text Parenthetical Citation with Unknown Date.
Example of a narrative in-text citation where the author's (or editor's) last name appears in the text, followed by n.d. (no date) in parentheses.Figure YND-2: In-text Narrative Citation with Unknown Date

Reference List Entry
Format the date section of the citation as follows:

  • Enter n.d. within parentheses.
  • Enter a full stop and space after the parentheses.

See Figure YND-3.

Example of a reference list entry where n.d. is entered for the publication date after the author's section, separated by a comma and space.Figure YND-3: Reference List Entry with No Date

Title

When you cite a journal article, you need to include two titles:

  1. The title of the article
    This is the title of the paper you are citing.
    Use sentence case (only the first word and proper nouns are capitalized).
    Do not use italics or quotation marks.
  2. The name of the journal
    This is the title of the journal where the article was published.
    This is part of the source of the article (see Source below).

In APA format, the article title shows what you are citing, and the journal name shows where it was published.

Title Only

Reference List Entry
Format the title of the journal article in the reference entry as follows:

  • Enter the title in sentence case (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns) followed by a period and a space.
  • Do not italicize.

See Figure T-1.

Reference list entry for a journal article with a simple title (i.e., no subtitle) entered in sentence case.Figure T-1: Journal Article Title in APA Format

The full citation is 

Hamilton, W. D. (1977). The selfish gene. Nature (London), 267(5607), 102–102. https://doi.org/10.1038/267102a0

Title and Subtitle

Reference List Entry
Format the title section of the reference entry as follows:

  • Enter the title in sentence case (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns). Do not italicize.
  • Enter a colon followed by a space.
  • Enter the subtitle in sentence case. Do not italicize.
  • Enter a period after the subtitle followed by a space.

See Figure TS-1.

A journal article title and subtitle in sentence case in a reference list entryFigure TS-1. APA-formatted Title and Subtitle for a Journal Article in a Reference List

The full citation is
Harsin, J. (2024). Taxis v. Uber in Paris: Technology, capital, and the sharing economy. Labor History, 65(6), 784–800. https://doi.org/10.1080/0023656X.2024.2327461


Source

To cite a journal article in APA format, you need to include the name of the journal as part of the source.
Write the journal name in title case (Capitalize All Main Words), and place a period (full stop) after it.
If a DOI or URL is available, include it at the end of the citation.

Online (with DOI)

Reference List Entry
Format the source section of the reference entry as follows:

  • Enter the journal title in italics and title case.
  • Insert a comma followed by a space.
  • Enter the volume number in italics.
  • Enter the issue number within parentheses immediately after the volume number.
    The issue number is not italicized.
  • Insert a comma followed by a space.
  • Enter the range of page numbers where the article appears in the journal.
    Use an en dash between the page numbers (e.g., 45–60).
    Do not use p. or pp. before the page number(s).
  • Insert a period and a space.
  • Enter the DOI in the format https://doi.org/xxxxx
    Do not add a period after the DOI.
    Note: If there is no DOI and the article is not from a recognized academic research database, insert the URL address.

See Figure SD-1.

A reference list entry for a journal article with a DOI.Figure SD-1: Source for an APA-formatted Journal Article

The complete reference is:
Harsin, J. (2024). Taxis v. Uber in Paris: Technology, capital, and the sharing economy. Labor History, 65(6), 784–800. https://doi.org/10.1080/0023656X.2024.2327461

No DOI (Print or from an Academic Database)

If the article is from a print journal or a journal found in an academic research database (such as ProQuest or EBSCO), format the source section as follows:

  • Enter the journal title in italics and title case.
  • Insert a comma followed by a space.
  • Enter the volume number in italics.
  • Enter the issue number in parentheses immediately after the volume number.
    The issue number is not italicized.
  • Insert a comma followed by a space.
  • Enter the range of page numbers where the article appears in the journal.
    Use an en dash between the page numbers (e.g.,  45–60).
    Do not use p. or pp. before the page number(s).
  • End the entry with a period.

See Figure SP-1.

A reference list entry for a journal article without a DOIFigure SP-1: Source for a Journal Article Without a DOI

The complete reference is:
Woolf, L. (1954). Adolescents are here to stay. Educational Leadership, 12(3), 142–147.


Common Mistakes When Citing a Journal Article in APA Format

Here are common errors to watch for when you cite a journal article in APA format — and how to fix them:

  • Using title case instead of sentence case for the journal article title in the reference list.
    Incorrect: Teaching U.S. History in the World
    Correct: Teaching U.S. history in the world
  • Italicizing the journal article title in the reference list.
    Incorrect: Teaching U.S. history in the world
    Correct: Teaching U.S. history in the world
  • Using sentence case instead of title case for the journal name in the reference list.
    Incorrect: Modern American history
    Correct: Modern American History
  • Not italicizing the journal name in the reference list.
    Incorrect: Modern American History
    Correct: Modern American History
  • Not italicizing the volume number of the journal in the reference list.
    Incorrect: Modern American History, 7(1), 114–126.
    Correct:   Modern American History, 7(1), 114–126.
  • Italicizing the issue number of the volume of the journal in the reference list.
    Incorrect: Modern American History, 7(1), 114–126.
    Correct:   Modern American History, 7(1), 114–126.
  • Using a hyphen instead of an en dash for the page range in the reference list.
    Incorrect: Modern American History, 7(1), 114-126.
    Correct:   Modern American History, 7(1), 114–126.
  • Adding a period after a DOI or URL in the reference list.
    Incorrect: https://doi.org/10.1017/mah.2023.61.
    Correct: https://doi.org/10.1017/mah.2023.61
  • Not creating a hyperlink for a DOI or URL in the reference list.
    Incorrect: https://doi.org/10.1017/mah.2023.61
    Correct: https://doi.org/10.1017/mah.2023.61
  • Using "and" instead of "&" in a parenthetical in-text citation.
    Incorrect: (Young and Rudd, 2016)
    Correct: (Young & Rudd, 2016)
  • Using "&" instead of "and" in a narrative in-text citation.
    Incorrect: As Young & Rudd (2016) note
    Correct: As Young and Rudd (2016) note
  • Including three or more author names in in-text citations instead of using et al.
    Incorrect: (Young, Green, & Brown, 2025)
    Correct: (Young et al., 2025)
    Incorrect: As Young, Green, and Brown (2025) noted
    Correct: As Young et al. (2025) noted
    Note: APA 6th edition used full author lists for up to five authors.
  • Not spacing the initials in author names in the reference list.
    Incorrect: Daniels, S.N.
    Correct: Daniels, S. N.
  • Missing citations: Either having an in-text citation with no matching reference list entry, or a reference entry with no in-text citation.

Quiz (15 Questions)

Zotero - a Free Citation Generator

Zotero is a free, open-source tool that you can use to manage and cite a journal article in APA format. With Zotero, you can:

  • Save a journal article's information to your Zotero library using the article's DOI.
  • Add in-text citations straight into your Word document.
  • Create an APA-formatted reference list automatically in your Word document.

Learn how to use Zotero to cite a journal article in APA format easily.

Provided Citations

Often the journal article or the university or college's library website will provide the citation for you to copy and paste into your document.

This can be useful but you should check for accuracy as they are not always 100% correct. If you know the APA citation format rules, you can scan the citaion quickly and make the necessary corrections.

Figure C1 shows the cite tool for a journal article accessed through an online library system.

Select cite tool to provide citation details for a journal article.Figure C1: Select Cite Tool

Figure C2 shows the resulting APA 7th edition citation.

It has an obvious flaw–the journal article title should be in sentence case, not title case.

Provided citation with incorrect APA format (article title is in title case instead of sentence case).Figure C2: Incorrect APA Format for a Journal Article

Summary

You can cite a journal article in APA format by either:

  • creating the citation yourself (good for learning APA 7th edition rules),
  • using a citation generator like Zotero (always check for accuracy), or
  • copying the citation provided (always check for accuracy). 

Manual Citation Method

Follow these steps to cite a journal article in APA format:

  • Author: Format names based on how many authors there are.
  • Date: Enclose within parentheses.
  • Title: Use sentence case for the journal article title.
  • Source: Use title case and italicize the journal name, include the volume number (in italics), issue number and page number range, and add the DOI or URL.

Zotero (Free Citation Generator)

Follow these steps to cite a journal article in APA format:

  • Add the journal article to Zotero using its DOI.
  • Check and correct any formatting errors (e.g., title in sentence case).
  • Insert in-text citations into your Word document.
  • Add a reference list by placing the cursor on your References page and clicking Add/Edit Bibliography.

Zotero speeds up citation formatting but still requires a careful review for APA accuracy.

Provided Citation 

Use the citation provided but check that the citation is in correct APA 7th edition format.

Frequently Asked Questions

When, why, and how do I include a page number (or page numbers) when I cite a journal article in APA format?

Include the page numbers (if available) for the journal article in the reference list entry.

These page numbers are the location of the article within a journal that usually includes several other articles. So it is possible that the article you have cited does not start at page 1.

For example, consider the following reference list entry:
Woolf, L. (1954). Adolescents are here to stay. Educational Leadership, 12(3), 142–147.
The article 'Adolescents are here to stay' is found from pages 142 to 147 of issue number 3 from volume number 12.

The pages are separated by an en dash, and there are no abbreviations (p. or pp.) used for page numbers.

What symbol is used to define the page range? 

An en dash (–), ) not a hyphen(-) for page ranges.
Example: 132–133.

See how to insert an en dash.

I have three references I want to cite. How do I do that?

Parenthetical in-text citation
List all sources alphabetically by the authors’ last names. Separate them with semicolons:
Example: (Martin, 2000; Pope, 2011; Hindley, (2025)

Narrative in-text citation
Mention each source in the sentence itself. They can appear in any order. Example: Martin (2000), Hindley (2025), and Pope (2011) all support this finding.

Note: This formatting applies to any number of sources.

How do I cite a journal article in APA format if it has a DOI?

If the article includes a DOI (Digital Object Identifier), always add it at the end of the reference list entry. This helps readers locate the article online.

Example:
Reeve, J. (2009). Why teachers adopt a controlling motivating style toward students and how they can become more autonomy supportive. Educational Psychologist, 44(3), 159–175. https://doi.org/10.1080/00461520903028990

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