How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Format

Journal articles are the backbone of academic research citations. APA 7th edition provides specific formatting rules for journal articles, whether accessed in print, through a database, or online.

Basic Journal Article Citation Format

The standard APA reference entry for a journal article is:

Reference list entry:

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, volume(issue), page-page. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Parenthetical in-text citation: (Author et al., Year)

Narrative in-text citation: Author et al. (Year)

Key Elements Explained

• Authors: List all authors up to 20. For 21 or more, list the first 19, then an ellipsis, then the final author.
• Year: Use the year of publication in parentheses.
• Article title: Use sentence case (capitalize only the first word and proper nouns). Do not italicize.
• Journal name: Italicize and use title case (capitalize all major words).
• Volume: Italicize the volume number.
• Issue: Include the issue number in parentheses after the volume. Do not italicize.
• Pages: Use the full page range with an en dash.
• DOI: Include as a URL format (https://doi.org/…) whenever available.

In-Text Citation Examples

• One author: (Miller, 2022) or Miller (2022)
• Two authors: (Miller & Thompson, 2022) or Miller and Thompson (2022)
• Three or more authors: (Miller et al., 2022) or Miller et al. (2022)

For direct quotations, include the page number:

(Miller, 2022, p. 15) or Miller (2022, p. 15)

Common Variations

Article With a DOI

Most modern journal articles have a DOI. Always include it when available:

Smith, J. A., & Brown, K. L. (2023). Effects of mindfulness on academic performance. Journal of Educational Psychology, 115(3), 412-428. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000123

Online Article Without a DOI

If there is no DOI, include the journal’s homepage URL:

Smith, J. A. (2023). Title of article. Journal Name, 10(2), 50-65. https://www.journalname.com

Article With Article Number Instead of Pages

Some online journals use article numbers instead of page ranges:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, volume(issue), Article e12345. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Advance Online Publication

For articles published online before being assigned to an issue:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Special Issue Article

For articles in a special issue, include the special issue title:

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, volume(issue, Special issue title), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Tips for Citing Journal Articles

1. Always look for a DOI. Even older articles may have been assigned DOIs retroactively. Use CrossRef.org to check.
2. Do not include database information. If you accessed an article through a database like JSTOR or PubMed, do not include the database name or URL — use the DOI instead.
3. Use sentence case for article titles but title case for journal names.
4. Italicize the journal name and volume number but not the issue number or page range.
5. For preprints, indicate the archive name (e.g., PsyArXiv) in place of the journal name and note it as a preprint if not yet peer reviewed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to include the database I used? No. APA 7th edition removed this requirement. Use the DOI or, if no DOI exists, the journal homepage URL.

How many authors do I list? List up to 20 authors. For 21 or more, list the first 19, insert an ellipsis (…), and then the last author.

What if the article is not in English? Include the original title followed by the English translation in brackets: Author, A. A. (Year). Title in original language [English translation]. Journal Name, volume(issue), pages.