APA 7th Edition Citation Guide

APA 7th Edition Citation Guide

The APA citation guide you are about to read covers everything you need to know about citing sources in APA 7th edition format. Published by the American Psychological Association, the APA format reference style is the most widely used citation system in social sciences, education, nursing, and many health science disciplines. Whether you are writing a thesis, a journal article, or a class paper, understanding APA 7th edition rules for in-text citations, reference lists, and page formatting is essential. This guide provides clear examples, explains the key changes from APA 6th edition, and highlights common mistakes so you can cite with confidence.

Overview of APA 7th Edition

The 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association was published in October 2019 and has been the standard since 2020. It introduced significant changes aimed at simplifying the citation process, promoting inclusive language, and updating guidelines for digital and online sources.

Key principles of APA style include:

• **Crediting sources** to avoid plagiarism and allow readers to locate original works
• **Consistency** in formatting throughout the document
• **Clarity** in writing, free from bias and jargon
• **Accessibility** of cited resources through DOIs and URLs

APA 7th edition is used across thousands of journals and academic institutions worldwide. Mastering it is not optional for most academic researchers — it is a requirement.

In-Text Citations

In-text citations appear within the body of your text and direct the reader to the corresponding entry in your reference list. APA uses the author-date system.

Basic format:

• Parenthetical citation: (Author, Year)
• Narrative citation: Author (Year) stated that...

One author: - Parenthetical: (Smith, 2023) - Narrative: Smith (2023) found that...

Two authors: - Parenthetical: (Smith & Jones, 2023) - Narrative: Smith and Jones (2023) reported... - Note: Use "&" in parenthetical citations but "and" in narrative citations.

Three or more authors: - Use "et al." from the first citation onward: (Smith et al., 2023) - This is a major change from APA 6th edition, which required listing all authors (up to five) in the first citation.

Organization as author: - First citation: (World Health Organization [WHO], 2024) - Subsequent citations: (WHO, 2024)

No author: - Use the first few words of the title in quotation marks for articles or italics for books: ("How to Prevent," 2023) or (Research Methods, 2022)

Multiple works in one citation: - List alphabetically, separated by semicolons: (Jones, 2021; Smith, 2023; Williams, 2022)

Direct quotations: - Include the page number: (Smith, 2023, p. 45) - For electronic sources without page numbers, use paragraph number or section heading: (Smith, 2023, para. 4)

Secondary sources (citing a source within a source): - Use "as cited in": According to Jones (as cited in Smith, 2023)... - Only Smith (2023) appears in the reference list. Use secondary citations sparingly — always try to find the original source.

Reference List Formatting

The reference list appears at the end of your paper and provides full details for every source cited in the text. It is titled "References" (centered, bold) and follows these general rules:

• Double-spaced, with hanging indent (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches)
• Alphabetized by the first author's surname
• Include the DOI (Digital Object Identifier) as a hyperlink whenever available
• Do not include sources not cited in the text

The general format for a reference entry is: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of work. Source. https://doi.org/xxxxx

The four elements are: Who (author), When (date), What (title), and Where (source/DOI/URL).

Reference Examples by Source Type

Journal Article (with DOI):

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (2023). Title of the article in sentence case. *Title of the Journal in Title Case and Italics*, *Volume*(Issue), Page range. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Example: Smith, J. D., & Jones, M. R. (2023). Effectiveness of telehealth interventions for chronic disease management: A systematic review. *Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare*, *29*(4), 234-248. https://doi.org/10.1177/1357633X231154321

Key points: - Only the first word of the article title and proper nouns are capitalized (sentence case) - The journal name is in title case and italicized - The volume number is italicized; the issue number is in parentheses and not italicized - Include the DOI as a live hyperlink (no period at the end)

Journal Article (without DOI, from database):

If no DOI is available and the article was retrieved from a common academic database (PubMed, PsycINFO, etc.), do not include a URL. The database name is sufficient context for readers to locate the article.

If the article is from an uncommon database or a niche source, include the URL.

Book:

Author, A. A. (Year). *Title of the book in sentence case and italics* (Edition if not first). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Example: American Psychological Association. (2020). *Publication manual of the American Psychological Association* (7th ed.). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

Key points: - Italicize the book title - Include edition in parentheses after the title (if not the first edition) - Include DOI if available (many newer books have DOIs) - Do not include publisher location (this was removed in APA 7th edition)

Edited Book Chapter:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), *Title of the book* (pp. xx-xx). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Example: Williams, R. T. (2022). Cognitive rehabilitation after stroke. In M. Johnson & P. Clark (Eds.), *Handbook of neurological rehabilitation* (3rd ed., pp. 145-178). Oxford University Press.

Website:

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). *Title of the page or article*. Website Name. URL

Example: World Health Organization. (2024, January 15). *Mental health: Strengthening our response*. WHO. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-health-strengthening-our-response

Key points: - If the author is the same as the website name, omit the website name to avoid repetition - Include the most specific date available - If no date is available, use (n.d.)

Thesis or Dissertation:

Author, A. A. (Year). *Title of the thesis or dissertation* [Doctoral dissertation or Master's thesis, Name of Institution]. Database Name. URL

Example: Garcia, L. M. (2023). *Impact of mindfulness-based stress reduction on nursing student burnout* [Master's thesis, University of California]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Conference Presentation:

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Days). *Title of the presentation* [Type of presentation]. Conference Name, Location. URL

Example: Chen, W., & Park, S. (2024, March 5-8). *Machine learning approaches to clinical decision support* [Paper presentation]. AMIA 2024 Annual Symposium, San Francisco, CA, United States.

DOI and URL Guidelines

DOIs are critical in APA 7th edition. Follow these rules:

• **Always include a DOI when available.** DOIs are permanent identifiers that link directly to the content, regardless of where it is hosted.
• **Format:** Present DOIs as hyperlinks: https://doi.org/xxxxx (not "doi: xxxxx" as in APA 6th edition)
• **No period after a DOI or URL.** This prevents the period from being mistakenly included in the link.
• **Use a URL when no DOI is available** and the source is online. For articles from academic databases, a URL is generally not needed.
• **Retrieval dates** are only required for sources that may change over time (e.g., Wikipedia articles, social media posts). For stable sources, no retrieval date is needed.

Page Formatting in APA 7th Edition

APA 7th edition specifies the following page formatting requirements:

Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides.

Font: APA 7th edition now allows several font options: Times New Roman (12 pt), Calibri (11 pt), Arial (11 pt), Lucida Sans Unicode (10 pt), and Georgia (11 pt). Choose one and use it consistently.

Line spacing: Double-spaced throughout, including the title page, abstract, body text, and references. No extra spacing before or after paragraphs.

Paragraph indentation: First line of each paragraph indented 0.5 inches. Do not add extra space between paragraphs.

Title page: APA 7th edition has different title pages for student papers and professional papers: - Student paper: Title, author name(s), affiliation (department and institution), course number and name, instructor name, assignment due date. No running head required. - Professional paper: Title, author name(s), affiliation(s), author note, running head (shortened title in the header, max 50 characters).

Page numbers: In the top-right corner of every page, starting from the title page.

Headings: APA uses five levels of headings: - Level 1: Centered, Bold, Title Case - Level 2: Left-Aligned, Bold, Title Case - Level 3: Left-Aligned, Bold Italic, Title Case - Level 4: Indented, Bold, Title Case, Ending with a Period. - Level 5: Indented, Bold Italic, Title Case, Ending with a Period.

Changes from APA 6th to APA 7th Edition

Understanding the key differences helps researchers transitioning from APA 6th edition:

| Feature | APA 6th Edition | APA 7th Edition | |---|---|---| | Authors in citation | List up to 5 in first citation | Use et al. from first citation for 3+ authors | | Publisher location | Required (e.g., New York, NY: Publisher) | Removed — no location needed | | DOI format | doi: 10.xxxx | https://doi.org/10.xxxx | | Running head label | "Running head: TITLE" on first page | "TITLE" only (no "Running head:" label) | | Student title page | Same as professional | Simplified version for students | | Font options | Times New Roman 12pt only | Multiple fonts allowed | | Singular "they" | Not explicitly endorsed | Endorsed as gender-neutral pronoun | | Bold headings | Only Level 1 and 2 bold | All levels include bold | | Number of authors in reference | List up to 7, then ... last author | List up to 20 authors | | Retrieval dates | Required for online sources | Only for sources that may change |

Common APA Citation Mistakes

Avoid these frequently seen errors:

1. **Inconsistent citation styles within a document.** Mixing APA 6th and 7th edition rules is surprisingly common. Pick one and stick with it.

1. **Missing DOIs.** Always check for DOIs using doi.org or CrossRef. Many older articles have had DOIs assigned retroactively.

1. **Incorrect capitalization of titles.** Article and book titles use sentence case (only first word and proper nouns capitalized). Journal names use title case.

1. **Forgetting the hanging indent.** Reference list entries must use a hanging indent (0.5 inches). This is a formatting requirement, not a stylistic choice.

1. **Including sources not cited in the text.** Every reference list entry must correspond to an in-text citation, and vice versa. APA calls this "reference-citation matching."

1. **Incorrect et al. usage.** In APA 7th edition, use et al. from the first citation for three or more authors. Do not list all authors in the first citation (that was APA 6th edition).

1. **Adding a period after a DOI or URL.** This can break the hyperlink. APA 7th edition explicitly states no period after DOIs or URLs.

1. **Using "&" in narrative citations.** Use "and" in narrative citations (Smith and Jones, 2023) and "&" in parenthetical citations (Smith & Jones, 2023).

1. **Including the publisher location.** APA 7th edition removed the requirement for publisher locations. Including them is not technically wrong but is unnecessary.

1. **Not using the most recent edition guidelines.** Many style guides and online resources still reference APA 6th edition rules. Always verify against the 7th edition manual.

Tools for APA Citation Management

Several tools can help automate and manage APA citations:

• **Zotero:** Free, open-source reference manager with browser extension for capturing citations and Word/Google Docs integration for inserting citations.
• **Mendeley:** Free reference manager with PDF annotation features and citation plug-ins.
• **EndNote:** Comprehensive (paid) reference manager popular in academic institutions.
• **Citation Machine / EasyBib:** Online generators for quick individual citations (always verify output).
• **Google Scholar:** Provides formatted citations (click the quotation mark icon under any search result), though you should verify accuracy.

Always verify auto-generated citations against APA 7th edition rules. Reference managers are helpful but not infallible — they sometimes produce errors in capitalization, italicization, or DOI formatting.

For guidance on presenting your research, see our academic presentation tips guide.

Conclusion

APA 7th edition citation is a skill that improves with practice. By understanding the principles behind the rules — crediting sources, enabling readers to find original works, and maintaining consistency — you can apply APA formatting accurately across any type of source. Use this guide as a reference whenever you encounter a new source type or are unsure about a specific rule. With consistent practice and attention to detail, APA citation will become second nature.

---

**Focus on your research, not formatting.** PubMEDIS helps you find, analyze, and cite research literature with AI-powered tools designed for academics. Start for free and let technology handle the busywork while you focus on discovery.