How to cite a journal article in APA 7th edition with examples
Quick answer
An APA 7 journal article reference reads: Last name, F. M., & Last name, F. M. (Year). Article title. Journal Name, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxx. The journal name and volume are in italics, while the article title stays in plain type.
What does an article reference look like?
Rivera, A., & Torres, M. (2022). Rooftop plots and local jobs. Journal of Urban Studies, 14(2), 45-62. https://doi.org/10.0000/exampleIn italics: Journal of Urban Studies and 14. The example is fictional.
What elements does it have?
| Element | How to write it |
|---|---|
| Authors | Last name, initials; "&" before the last |
| Year | In parentheses |
| Article title | Plain, sentence case |
| Journal | Italic, title case |
| Volume and issue | Volume italic, issue plain in parentheses |
| Pages | With a hyphen: 45-62 |
| DOI | Full link |
How do I cite it in the text?
- Parenthetical: Local jobs improved with rooftop plots (Rivera & Torres, 2022).
- Narrative: Rivera and Torres (2022) measured the effect of rooftop plots on local jobs.
What if there is no DOI?
If you read it on a web page, use the article URL. If you read it in a database with restricted access, leave the link out. Do not add "Retrieved from" or an access date.
What about many authors?
Up to 20 are written out. With more, list the first 19, an ellipsis and the last author.
Checklist
- Journal and volume in italics
- Article title in plain type
- Page range with a hyphen
- DOI as https://doi.org/
- No "Retrieved from"
Frequently asked questions
How do you cite a journal article in APA?
Give authors, year, article title, journal name in italics with volume, issue in parentheses, page range and DOI as a link. In the text, use author and year: (Rivera & Torres, 2022).
How do you write a DOI in APA 7?
As a full link starting with https://doi.org/, with no DOI: label and no Retrieved from. If the article has no DOI, use a stable URL for the article page. If it is behind a paywall, the link is still useful.
What goes in italics in an article reference?
The journal name and the volume number. The article title and the issue number, which sits in parentheses after the volume, stay in plain type. Page ranges are plain too, written with a hyphen.