How to Cite a Magazine Article in APA Format

Citing a magazine article in APA format requires the author, publication date, article title, magazine name, volume and issue numbers (if available), page numbers, and URL or DOI for online articles.

Basic Magazine Article Citation Format

The standard APA 7th edition format for a magazine article citation is:

Reference list entry:

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Magazine Name, Volume(Issue), Page-Page. https://www.example.com/article

Parenthetical in-text citation: (Author, Year)

Narrative in-text citation: Author (Year)

In-Text Citation Examples

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

• Parenthetical: The article examined the rise of artificial intelligence in healthcare (Thompson, 2024).
• Narrative: Thompson (2024) examined the rise of artificial intelligence in healthcare.

Common Variations

Print Magazine Article

For print articles, omit the URL. Include page numbers.

Smith, J. (2024, March). The future of renewable energy. Scientific American, 330(3), 44-51.

Online Magazine Article

For online articles, include the URL at the end. Page numbers may be omitted if they are not available.

Lee, A. (2024, January 15). How sleep affects your memory. Time. https://time.com/sleep-memory

Magazine Article with No Author

Use the article title in place of the author name. Do not italicize the title in the reference.

The hidden cost of fast fashion. (2024, February). The Atlantic, 333(1), 28-35.

In-text: (“The Hidden Cost,” 2024)

Tips for Citing Magazine Articles

• Do not italicize the article title. Only the magazine name and volume number are italicized.
• Include the full date (year, month, and day for weekly magazines; year and month for monthly magazines).
• Include volume and issue numbers when available.
• Use the URL for online articles but omit it for print-only sources.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is a magazine citation different from a journal citation? Magazine articles use the full date (month or month and day), while journal articles typically use only the year. Journals also always include volume and issue numbers, whereas magazines may not.

Do I need to include page numbers for online magazine articles? Only if they are available. Many online articles do not have page numbers, and APA does not require them for online sources.

How do I cite a magazine article found in a database? Provide the DOI if available. If no DOI is available, provide the URL of the magazine’s website rather than the database URL.