APA 7th edition is the most widely used citation style in psychology, education, social sciences, nursing, and business. This guide covers everything you need to cite correctly.
In-text citations
APA uses an author-date system. Place the author's surname and publication year in parentheses.
One author: (Smith, 2023)
Two authors: (Smith & Jones, 2023)
Three or more authors: (Smith et al., 2023)
Direct quote: (Smith, 2023, p. 45)
Narrative citation: Smith (2023) found that...
Reference list format
Every in-text citation needs a corresponding entry in your reference list. The reference list appears at the end of your paper, alphabetised by first author surname.
Journal article
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), Page–Page. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Example: Smith, J. R., & Lee, M. (2023). Social media use and adolescent wellbeing: A longitudinal study. Journal of Youth Studies, 26(3), 412–428. https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2023.1234567
Book
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Website
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. https://www.example.com/page
Edited book chapter
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xx–xx). Publisher.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Missing DOIs — always include the DOI if one exists
- Incorrect et al. usage — only use for 3+ authors
- Inconsistent formatting — italicise journal titles and volumes
- Missing page numbers for direct quotes — required for all verbatim text
- Using "&" vs "and" — use "&" in parenthetical citations, "and" in narrative citations
APA 7 changes from APA 6
- Use "et al." from the first citation for 3+ authors (APA 6 required listing up to 5)
- Include up to 20 authors in reference list entries (APA 6 capped at 7)
- No location for publisher
- Running head only required if instructed
- Bold heading for "References"
Quick formatting rules
- Font: 12pt Times New Roman, 11pt Calibri, or 11pt Arial
- Spacing: Double-spaced throughout
- Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) all sides
- Page numbers: Top right, starting from title page
- Hanging indent: 0.5 inch for reference list entries
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