APA (American Psychological Association) 7th edition is the most widely used citation style in psychology, social sciences, education, and nursing. This guide covers everything you need — in-text citations, reference list formatting, and all the common source types with worked examples.
What Changed in APA 7th Edition
If you've used APA 6th before, here's what's different:
| Feature | APA 6th | APA 7th |
|---|---|---|
| DOI format | doi:10.xxxx/xxxx | https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxx (hyperlink) |
| Publisher location | Required for books | Omitted — not required |
| Running head | Required for all papers | Only required for manuscripts submitted for publication |
| Authors in reference (3+) | List first 6, then et al. | List first 20; use et al. from 21st onwards |
| Website author | Often omitted | Include if available; use organisation name if individual unknown |
| Journal volume/issue | Volume italic, issue not italic | Same — volume italic; issue in parentheses, not italic |
In-Text Citations
APA uses the author-date system. Every in-text citation includes the author's last name and the year of publication. Page numbers are required for direct quotations and recommended for paraphrases.
Basic formats
- Parenthetical: (Smith, 2022)
- Narrative (author in text): Smith (2022) argued that...
- Direct quote: (Smith, 2022, p. 45)
- Two authors: (Smith & Jones, 2022) — always use &, not "and," in parentheses
- Three or more authors: (Smith et al., 2022)
- Organisation: First citation — (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023); subsequent — (WHO, 2023)
No author? Use the first few words of the title in double quotation marks: ("Remote Working," 2023). No date? Use n.d.: (Smith, n.d.)
Reference List Formatting
Key rules: hanging indent (second line of each entry indented 0.5 inches), alphabetical by first author's last name, double-spaced, title case for journal names but sentence case for article and book titles.
Journal Article
Format
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article in sentence case. Journal Name in Title Case, Volume(Issue), page–page. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Example
Omondi, J., & Kariuki, P. (2022). Digital literacy and academic performance in Kenyan universities. Journal of Educational Technology, 18(3), 112–127. https://doi.org/10.1080/xyz
Book
Format
Author, A. A. (Year). Title in sentence case. Publisher.
Example
Creswell, J. W., & Creswell, J. D. (2018). Research design: Qualitative, quantitative, and mixed methods approaches (5th ed.). Sage.
Book Chapter (Edited Volume)
Format
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. xx–xx). Publisher.
Example
Bryman, A. (2021). Sampling in qualitative research. In P. Atkinson (Ed.), SAGE handbook of qualitative research (pp. 45–62). Sage.
Website
Format
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL
Example
World Health Organization. (2023, January 15). Mental health atlas 2022. WHO. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240049338
Dissertation/Thesis
ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
Wanjiru, M. K. (2021). Peer mentorship and first-year student retention in Kenyan universities [Doctoral dissertation, University of Nairobi]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses. https://www.proquest.com/docview/xxx
DOI and URL Rules
- Always include a DOI when one is available — even for print sources that have been assigned a DOI
- Format: https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx (lowercase, hyperlinked if possible)
- Only include a URL if there is no DOI and the source was found online
- Do not include database names (e.g., "Retrieved from JSTOR") unless the source would be difficult to find without it
- Accessed dates are not required for most online sources (exception: pages that change frequently, e.g., social media)
5 Common APA Errors
- Italicising the issue number — only the volume is italicised: 18(3), not 18(3)
- Publisher location for books — not required in 7th edition; omit it
- Using "and" in parenthetical citations — use & in parentheses: (Smith & Jones, 2022)
- Capitalising article/book titles in reference list — sentence case only: first word + proper nouns
- Missing DOI or URL — every online source needs one or the other
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