APA 7th edition uses an author-date citation system: you place a brief reference in the text of your paper (the in-text citation) and provide full details on a reference list at the end. Every source you cite in the text needs a corresponding entry on the reference list, and every reference list entry should match a citation in the text. Once you understand the pattern for in-text citations, reference entries, and a few special cases, the system is straightforward to apply.
In-Text Citations
In-text citations come in two forms. A parenthetical citation places the author and year inside parentheses at the end of a sentence: (Smith, 2022). A narrative citation works the author’s name into the sentence itself, with only the year in parentheses: Smith (2022) found that…
The number of authors changes how you write the citation:
- One author: Include the name in every citation. (Johnson, 2021) or Johnson (2021).
- Two authors: Include both names every time. In parenthetical citations, use an ampersand: (Salas & D’Agostino, 2020). In narrative citations, spell out “and”: Salas and D’Agostino (2020).
- Three or more authors: Use only the first author’s name followed by “et al.” in every citation, including the very first one. (Martin et al., 2020) or Martin et al. (2020).
When you quote directly, add a page number after the year: (Smith, 2022, p. 14). For paraphrased material, page numbers are encouraged but not strictly required.
Building a Reference List Entry
Every reference follows the same four-element skeleton: Author. (Date). Title. Source. The punctuation between elements is always a period, and the entire list is double-spaced with a hanging indent (the first line of each entry is flush left, subsequent lines are indented half an inch). Entries are alphabetized by the first author’s last name.
Here is how the skeleton looks for the most common source types:
Journal Articles
Last name, Initials. (Year). Title of the article. Title of the Journal, Volume(Issue), Page range. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Capitalize only the first word of the article title and any proper nouns. The journal name and volume number are italicized. Include the issue number in parentheses, not italicized, directly after the volume number with no space. Always include a DOI when one exists, formatted as a hyperlink beginning with “https://doi.org/”. Do not put a period after the DOI, because that can break the link.
Books
Last name, Initials. (Year). Title of the book (Edition if not the first). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Italicize the book title. Capitalize only the first word, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns. Include the edition in parentheses after the title if it is not the first edition. If the book has a DOI, include it. If you accessed an online book without a DOI, include the URL instead.
Webpages and Online Reports
Author or Organization. (Year, Month Day). Title of the page or report. Site Name. URL
When the author and site name are the same (for example, a government agency publishing on its own website), omit the site name to avoid repetition. You no longer need to write “Retrieved from” before a URL unless the content is designed to change over time, such as a wiki page, in which case you add a retrieval date.
YouTube Videos
Use the name of the account that uploaded the video as the author. Provide the specific upload date, italicize the video title, and include the label [Video] in square brackets.
Account Name. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. YouTube. URL
For a YouTube channel page, use (n.d.) for the date because channel content changes over time, and include a retrieval date: Retrieved Month Day, Year, from URL.
Formatting DOIs and URLs
Include a DOI for every work that has one, whether you read the print version or the online version. Present DOIs as hyperlinks in the format https://doi.org/ followed by the DOI number. Do not add a period after a DOI or URL, do not manually insert line breaks into a link, and do not change the capitalization of the DOI string. If a work has no DOI and you accessed it online, include the URL instead.
When Information Is Missing
Sources do not always provide every piece of information you need. APA 7th edition has clear substitution rules for each gap.
No author: Move the title into the author position. In the reference list, the entry starts with the title. In the text, use a shortened version of the title and the year: (“Shortened Title,” 2023). Do not write “Anonymous” unless the work is literally signed “Anonymous.”
No date: Replace the year with “n.d.” (short for “no date”) in both the reference list entry and the in-text citation. Author. (n.d.). Title. Source. The in-text citation would be (Author, n.d.).
No page number for a direct quote: Use a paragraph number (para. 3), a section heading, or another locator that helps the reader find the passage.
Setting Up a Student Paper
APA 7th edition distinguishes between student papers and professional manuscripts, and since most people searching for citation help are writing for a class, here is what your paper should look like.
Your title page includes six elements, all centered and double-spaced: the paper title (bold, three to four lines down from the top), your name, your department and institution, the course number and name, the instructor’s name, and the assignment due date. Page numbering starts at 1 on the title page, placed in the top right corner using your word processor’s automatic page-number function. Student papers do not require a running head unless your instructor specifically asks for one.
Use a readable font (12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Calibri, or 11-point Arial are all acceptable). Set one-inch margins on all sides. Double-space the entire paper, including the reference list. Your reference list starts on a new page with the word “References” centered and bolded at the top.
Quick Reference for Common Entry Types
- Journal article: Author, A. B. (Year). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pages. DOI
- Book: Author, A. B. (Year). Book title. Publisher. DOI or URL
- Edited book chapter: Author, A. B. (Year). Chapter title. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Book title (pp. xx–xx). Publisher. DOI or URL
- Webpage: Author or Organization. (Year, Month Day). Page title. Site Name. URL
- YouTube video: Uploader. (Year, Month Day). Video title [Video]. YouTube. URL
Capitalize only the first word (and proper nouns) in titles of articles, books, chapters, and webpages. Capitalize all major words in journal names. Italicize titles of longer works (books, journals, videos, reports) but not shorter works like articles or chapters. End every reference entry with either a DOI, a URL, or a period, but never place a period after a DOI or URL.