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Short answer: in APA Style 7th edition a journal article reference runs Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the article in sentence case. Name of the Periodical, volume(issue), first page–last page. https://doi.org/xxxx. In the text you cite it as (Author, year). This guide is for authors formatting a manuscript, thesis or reference list, and it shows each element with its formatting rule.
The format: how to cite a journal article in APA 7
APA’s own Common Reference Examples handout (7th edition, last updated March 3, 2026) gives the journal article as the first example, under Section 10.1 of the Publication Manual. The template below combines that example with the element rules in APA’s Reference Guide handout (last updated March 23, 2026).
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the article. Name of the Periodical, volume(issue), #–#. https://doi.org/xxxx
| Element | Rule |
|---|---|
| Authors | Surname first, then initials separated by a space; an ampersand before the last author. All authors are listed up to and including 20; for 21 or more, list the first 19, an ellipsis (no ampersand), then the final author. |
| Year | In parentheses, followed by a period. |
| Article title | Sentence case (capitalise only the first word, the first word of a subtitle, and proper nouns). Not italic, not in quotation marks. |
| Periodical name | Title Case and italic. |
| Volume | Italic. |
| Issue | In parentheses directly after the volume with no space, not italic. If the article has no issue number, omit the parentheses and follow the volume with a comma (Author, year, Journal, volume, pages). |
| Pages | Page range with an en dash and no spaces around it. |
| DOI | Include a DOI for every work that has one, written as a https://doi.org/ link. The old “DOI:” label is dropped. No period after the DOI. |
| Database | No database name or database URL for articles you read through an academic database. |
Examples
Example 1: APA’s own journal article example (four authors, with DOI)
This is the example printed in APA’s March 2026 handout:
Niepel, C., Hausen, J. E., Weber, A. M., & Müller, J. (2025). Understanding mean-level and intraindividual variability in state academic self-concept: The role of students’ trait expectancies and values. Journal of Educational Psychology, 117(5), 772–788. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000946
Note the sentence-case article title (only “Understanding” and the subtitle’s first word “The” are capitalised), the italic periodical name and volume, the non-italic issue, and the DOI as a full link.
Example 2: two authors (invented example for illustration)
The source below is fictitious and exists only to show the pattern.
Smith, J., & Lee, K. (2023). Effects of sample size on bias. Journal of Example Studies, 12(3), 45–60. https://doi.org/10.0000/example.123
Example 3: 21 or more authors (pattern)
List authors 1 to 19 in order, each as Surname, A. A., then an ellipsis, then the final author with no ampersand: Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., … (through the nineteenth author) … Author, Z. Z. (Year). Title of the article. Name of the Periodical, volume(issue), #–#. https://doi.org/xxxx
In-text citation version
How to cite a journal article in text in APA
Use the author surname and year. In a parenthetical citation put a comma between them: (Niepel et al., 2025). In a narrative citation the year follows the name in parentheses: Niepel et al. (2025) reported… The in-text form does not include the article title, journal or DOI; those belong only in the reference list.
- Three or more authors: give the first author’s surname plus “et al.” in every citation, including the first. APA 6th edition spelled out several names at first citation; 7th edition does not. If two references would shorten to the same “et al.” form, spell out as many names as needed to tell them apart.
- Direct quotation: add the page: (Author, year, p. 20), or Author (year) “quotation” (p. 20). Quotations under 40 words go in double quotation marks; 40 words or more are set as a block, indented 0.5 in. from the left margin, double-spaced, with no quotation marks.
For related rules see our guides to multiple-authors in-text citations in APA, citing an article with two authors and citing quotes from an article.
Common errors
- Title case on the article title. Only the periodical name takes Title Case. See title case vs sentence case in manuscripts.
- Italicising the wrong parts. Italicise the periodical name and volume number. Do not italicise the article title or the issue number.
- A space before the issue. Write 12(3), not 12 (3).
- A hyphen in the page range. Use an en dash with no spaces.
- Leaving out the DOI, or writing it as “DOI: 10.xxxx”. Include it for every work that has one, as a https://doi.org/ link.
- A period after the DOI. The reference ends at the last character of the link.
- Adding the database name. Not needed for articles from academic databases.
- An ampersand in a 21+ author list. Use an ellipsis and no ampersand before the final author.
- Using “et al.” in the reference list for short author lists. The reference list names all authors up to 20; “et al.” is for in-text citations.
Style-guide edition
This page follows the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition (2020), as set out in APA’s official handouts labelled “7th edition” and last updated March 2026 (sources checked 2026-11-07). Check your journal’s author guidelines and your institution’s thesis rules, which may override or add to APA. For where the reference list sits in a paper see the APA reference page, and for the manual itself see the APA Publication Manual. Whether the list is titled “References” or “Works Cited” is covered in APA: works cited or references?
FAQ
How do you reference an article in APA format?
Author surname and initials, year in parentheses, article title in sentence case, then the periodical name and volume in italics, the issue in parentheses, the page range with an en dash, and the DOI as a https://doi.org/ link.
How do I cite a journal article in APA if there is no DOI?
APA’s handout states that a DOI is included for all works that have one. APA’s common reference examples handout shows the journal article with a DOI only, so for an article without one follow your journal’s or institution’s instructions for that case.
How do I cite the New York Times in APA?
APA’s handout gives the online newspaper pattern Author, A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Newspaper Name. URL, and the print pattern Author, A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Newspaper Name, D4 (the page at the end). Its online example is Bernstein, J. (2024, June 3). The man who couldn’t stop going to college. The New York Times. followed by the article URL.
What are common APA 7 mistakes in journal references?
See the list above: title case on the article title, wrong italics, a hyphen instead of an en dash, a missing or mis-formatted DOI, a period after the DOI, and an ampersand in the wrong place for very long author lists.
How do I cite a journal article in MLA?
This page covers APA 7th edition only. MLA uses a different pattern and citation system, so do not apply the APA template above to an MLA paper.
Sources
- American Psychological Association. Common Reference Examples (7th edition handout, last updated March 3, 2026): https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/reference-examples.pdf. Checked 2026-11-07.
- American Psychological Association. Reference Guide (7th edition handout, last updated March 23, 2026): https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/reference-guide.pdf. Checked 2026-10-28.
- American Psychological Association. Guide to What’s New in the 7th Edition: https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/whats-new-7e-guide.pdf. Checked 2026-11-07.
- American Psychological Association. In-Text Citation Checklist: https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/in-text-citation-checklist.pdf. Checked 2026-10-28.
