How to Cite a Conference Paper in APA Format

Citing a conference paper in APA format requires the author, year, paper title, conference name, and DOI or URL. The format varies depending on whether the paper was published in proceedings or presented at a conference.

Basic Conference Paper Citation Format

The standard APA 7th edition format for a conference paper citation is:

Reference list entry (published in proceedings):

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of paper. In Proceedings of the Conference Name (pp. xx-xx). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Parenthetical in-text citation: (Author, Year)

Narrative in-text citation: Author (Year)

In-Text Citation Examples

When you reference a conference paper within your paper, you have two options:

• Parenthetical: The algorithm showed a 20% improvement in accuracy (Chen & Wu, 2023).
• Narrative: Chen and Wu (2023) demonstrated a 20% improvement in accuracy.

Common Variations

Conference Presentation (Not Published)

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of presentation [Conference presentation]. Conference Name, Location. https://www.example.com

Paper Published in Conference Proceedings

Treat published proceedings like a book chapter. Include the proceedings title, page numbers, and DOI.

Martinez, R. (2023). Machine learning in climate modeling. In Proceedings of the 2023 International Conference on AI and Environment (pp. 112-120). IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/example

Poster Presentation

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of poster [Poster presentation]. Conference Name, Location. https://www.example.com

Tips for Citing Conference Papers

• Distinguish between published and unpublished work. Published proceedings follow a book chapter format; unpublished presentations are treated as standalone works.
• Include the DOI when the paper is published in an electronic proceedings volume.
• Use square brackets to describe the format (e.g., [Conference presentation], [Poster presentation]).
• Include the location of the conference for unpublished presentations.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I cite a keynote speech at a conference? Use the conference presentation format with [Keynote address] in square brackets after the title.

What if the conference proceedings have an editor? Include the editor’s name after “In” just as you would for an edited book chapter: In E. Editor (Ed.), Proceedings Title (pp. xx-xx).

Should I cite the abstract or the full paper? Cite the full paper whenever possible. If only the abstract is available, note this in brackets: [Abstract].