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APA 7^{th} Citations
The American Psychological Association (APA), the main professional organization of psychologists in the US, publishes the style and formatting guide used in most behavioral and social science disciplines.
Why do we follow these rules?
Formatting: By formatting the same way every time, we...
- make reading easier for our professors and on publishers, who might struggle if all papers are formatted differently.
- can practice all of the rules and make writing easier for us, too.
Citation: When we are quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing, or even using images, we...
- give credit. Other authors have worked hard on their material, and it is our job to respect that.
- give yourself credibility. Citations show that you studied your topic and are connecting with other authors.
What does this look like?
In-Text Citations
Page 2
References Page
Page 4
In-Text Citations
What do they look like?
When giving credit inside of the paper, APA commonly uses the authors' names with date of publication. APA also gives writers two options for citation: in the sentence (narrative), or after the sentence (parenthetical). ***Parentheticals include a comma. ***
| Guideline | Narrative Example | Parenthetical Example |
|---|---|---|
| One author use the author's name and the date of publication | Thompson (2024) proves that the white ash tree is critically endangered. | The white ash tree is critically endangered (Thompson, 2024). |
| Two authors use an ampersand (&) in parentheticals | French and Daniels (2018) recorded 428 different zebra stripe patterns out of 428 zebras. | According to the study, no two zebras seem to have the same stripe pattern (French & Daniels, 2018). |
| Three or more authors use only the first author's name, follow it with "et al."; there is no period after "et" | Huxley et al. (2004) carbon-dated the fossilized musk ox bone, finding that it is approximately 9000 years old. | After researchers carbon-dated the musk ox bone, it was found to be approximately 9000 years old (Huxley et al., 2004). |
| Organization as author the first time, use the full name and acronym; after the first, use only the acronym | The American Dental Association (ADA, 2025) has found that private practice ownership has dropped 12.2% since 2023. | Private practice ownership in the United States has dropped 12.2% since 2023 (American Dental Association [ADA], 2025). |
| No author listed use the title or shortened title; this may cause credibility issues | The “Purdue OWL” (2024) website provides a multitude of helpful APA and MLA tips. | There are plenty of websites that provide helpful APA and MLA tips (e.g., “Purdue OWL,” 2024). |
| Citing information found in a different source use “as cited in,” but try to find the original source | Parnell’s (as cited in Al-Hadid, 2022) findings illustrate the damaging effects of long-term exposure to plutonium in nuclear power plants. | Long-term exposure to plutonium in nuclear power plants damages the health of workers severely (Parnell, as cited in Al-Hadid, 2022). |
| Direct quotes add where you found it using page numbers or paragraphs | Zhang (2019) explains that “oceanic oil spills damage most ecosystems for 2–10 years” (p. 13). | The study explains, “Elephants seals are highly aggressive creatures, especially during mating season” (AINA, 2013, para. 4). |
adapted from University of Louisville Writing Center "APA 7th Edition Citation (PDF)"
Reference Page Entries
What are they?
These are the full APA citations. Below, we break down the entries and their many forms. Pay attention to capitalization, italics, parentheses, and punctuation.
*****
Articles
Author, A. A. (date published). Title of the work. The Article's Journal, journal volume(issue number), first page-last page. doi or link
Ruxton, C. (2016, May 31). Tea: Hydration and other health benefits. Primary Health Care, 26(8), 34–42. https://doi.org/10.7748/phc.2016.e1162
Books
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (date published). Title of book: With subtitles (edition). Publisher. doi or link
Svendsen, S., & Løber, L. (2020). The big picture: Academic writing: The one-hour guide (3rd digital ed.). Hans Reitzel Forlag. https://thebigpicture-academicwriting.digi.hansreitzel.dk/
Webpages
Author. (date published). Title of the webpage: With subtitle. Publisher/Website. doi or link
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. (2017). Understanding the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls: A joint project with the Australian Human Rights Commission. Australian Government. https://www.niaa.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/publications/factsheet-supporting-indigenous-women-girls.pdf
Up to 20 Authors??
Yes, APA 7th requires you to include up to 20 authors. If there are more than 20, list 19, place an ellipse (...) and end on the very last author.
Wiskunde, B., Arslan, M., Fischer, P., Nowak, L., Van den Berg, O., Coetzee, L., Juárez, U., Riyaziyyat, E., Wang, C., Zhang, I., Li, P., Yang, R., Kumar, B., Xu, A., Martinez, R., McIntosh, V., Ibáñez, L. M., Mäkinen, G., Virtanen, E., … Kovács, A. (2019). Indie pop rocks mathematics: Twenty One Pilots, Nicolas Bourbaki, and the empty set. Journal of Improbable Mathematics, 27(1), 1935–1968. https://doi.org/10.0000/3mp7y-537
References Page
What is it?
The References page is often the final page of paper. This is where you will compile and alphabetize all of your sources. This section lets your readers find and interact with the sources. It proves that the sources in your paper are real and available. Below is a sample References page in 11 pt., Arial, double-spaced with a hanging indent. "References" at the top should be centered and bolded.
13
References
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. (2017). Understanding the needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and girls: A joint project with the Australian Human Rights Commission. Australian Government.
https://www.niaa.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/publications/factsheet-supporting-indigenous-women-girls.pdf
Ruxton, C. (2016, May 31). Tea: Hydration and other health benefits. Primary Health Care, 26(8), 34–42. https://doi.org/10.7748/phc.2016.e1162
Svendsen, S., & Løber, L. (2020). The big picture: Academic writing: The one-hour guide (3rd digital ed.). Hans Reitzel Forlag. https://thebigpicture-academicwriting.digi.hansreitzel.dk/
Wiskunde, B., Arslan, M., Fischer, P., Nowak, L., Van den Berg, O., Coetzee, L., Juárez, U., Riyaziyyat, E., Wang, C., Zhang, I., Li, P., Yang, R., Kumar, B., Xu, A., Martinez, R., McIntosh, V., Ibáñez, L. M., Mäkinen, G., Virtanen, E., … Kovács, A. (2019). Indie pop rocks mathematics: Twenty One Pilots, Nicolas Bourbaki, and the empty set. Journal of Improbable Mathematics, 27(1), 1935–1968. https://doi.org/10.0000/3mp7y-537