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Reference List: Articles in Periodicals

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Note: This page reflects the latest version of the APA Publication Manual (i.e., APA 7), which released in October 2019. The equivalent resource for the older APA 6 style can be found here .
Please note: the following contains a list of the most commonly cited periodical sources. For a complete list of how to cite periodical publications, please refer to the 7 th edition of the APA Publication Manual.
APA style dictates that authors are named with their last name followed by their initials; publication year goes between parentheses, followed by a period. The title of the article is in sentence-case, meaning only the first word and proper nouns in the title are capitalized. The periodical title is run in title case, and is followed by the volume number which, with the title, is also italicized. If a DOI has been assigned to the article that you are using, you should include this after the page numbers for the article. If no DOI has been assigned and you are accessing the periodical online, use the URL of the website from which you are retrieving the periodical.
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical , volume number (issue number), pages. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyy
Article in Print Journal
Scruton, R. (1996). The eclipse of listening. The New Criterion, 15 (3), 5 – 13.
Note: APA 7 advises writers to include a DOI (if available), even when using the print source. The example above assumes no DOI is available.
Article in Electronic Journal
As noted above, when citing an article in an electronic journal, include a DOI if one is associated with the article.
Baniya, S., & Weech, S. (2019). Data and experience design: Negotiating community-oriented digital research with service-learning. Purdue Journal of Service-Learning and International Engagement , 6 (1), 11 – 16. https://doi.org/10.5703/1288284316979
DOIs may not always be available. In these cases, use a URL. Many academic journals provide stable URLs that function similarly to DOIs. These are preferable to ordinary URLs copied and pasted from the browser's address bar.
Denny, H., Nordlof, J., & Salem, L. (2018). "Tell me exactly what it was that I was doing that was so bad": Understanding the needs and expectations of working-class students in writing centers. Writing Center Journal , 37 (1), 67 – 98. https://www.jstor.org/stable/26537363
Note that, in the example above, there is a quotation in the title of the article. Ordinary titles lack quotation marks.
Article in a Magazine
Peterzell, J. (1990, April). Better late than never. Time, 135 (17), 20 –2 1.
Article in a Newspaper
Schultz, S. (2005, December 28). Calls made to strengthen state energy policies. The Country Today , 1A, 2A.
Baumeister, R. F. (1993). Exposing the self-knowledge myth [Review of the book The self-knower: A hero under control , by R. A. Wicklund & M. Eckert]. Contemporary Psychology , 38 (5), 466–467.
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- APA Referencing: journal articles (video)
Basic format to reference journal articles
- Referencing journal articles: Examples
Related links within this guide
- What is a DOI? Information about digital object identifiers.
- In-text referencing The basics of an in-text reference in APA
- Quotes in APA 7th How to include quotes within the text of your work.
- The Reference List Compiling a Reference List using APA Style.
- Secondary sources Referring to the ideas or words of an author who has been cited in another authors work.
APA Referencing: journal articles
APA Referencing: journal articles from Victoria University Library on Vimeo .
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A basic reference list entry for a journal article in APA must include:
- Author or authors. The surname is followed by first initials.
- Year of publication of the article (in round brackets).
- Article title.
- Journal title (in italics ).
- Volume of journal (in italics ).
- Issue number of journal in round brackets (no italics).
- Page range of article.
- DOI or URL
- The first line of each citation is left adjusted. Every subsequent line is indented 5-7 spaces.
Example:
Ruxton, C. (2016). Tea: Hydration and other health benefits. Primary Health Care , 26 (8), 34-42. https://doi.org/10.7748/phc.2016.e1162

Referencing journals articles: Examples
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How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Style | Format & Example
Published on November 5, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on June 17, 2022.
An APA Style citation for a journal article includes the author name(s), publication year, article title, journal name, volume and issue number, page range of the article, and a DOI (if available). Use the buttons below to explore the format.
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Table of contents, basic format for an apa journal citation, citing unpublished journal articles, special issue of a journal, frequently asked questions about apa style citations.
The article title appears in plain text and sentence case, while the journal name is italicized and in title case (all major words capitalized).
When viewing a journal article online, the required information can usually be found on the access page.

Articles published only in PDF form sometimes provide an e-locator instead of a page range; in this case, include the e-locator in your citation.
Linking to online journal articles
A DOI should always be used where available. Some databases do not list one, but you may still find one by looking for the same article on another database. You don’t need to include the name of the database in your citation.
If no DOI is available and the article was accessed through a database, do not include a URL.
If the article is not from a database, but from another website (e.g. the journal’s own website), you should ideally use a stable URL: this is often provided under a “share” button. Otherwise, copy the URL from your browser’s address bar.
When citing from an article that has not yet been formally published, the format varies depending on whether or not it has already been submitted to a journal. Note that different formats are used for unpublished dissertations and raw data .
Unpublished article
The text of an article which has not yet appeared online or in publication (i.e. which is only available directly from the author) should be cited as an “Unpublished manuscript.” The title is italicized and information about the author’s university is included if available:
Article submitted for publication
An article that has been submitted to a journal but not yet accepted is cited as a “Manuscript submitted for publication.” The title is italicized, and the name of the journal to which it was submitted is not included:
Article in press
An article that has been submitted and accepted for publication in a journal is cited as “in press.” Here, the name of the journal is included, university information is omitted, and “in press” is written in place of the year (both in the reference list and the in-text citation):
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If you want to cite a special issue of a journal rather than a regular article, the name(s) of the editor(s) and the title of the issue appear in place of the author’s name and article title:
Note that if you want to cite an individual article from the special issue, it can just be cited in the basic format for journal articles.
In an APA journal citation , if a DOI (digital object identifier) is available for an article, always include it.
If an article has no DOI, and you accessed it through a database or in print, just omit the DOI.
If an article has no DOI, and you accessed it through a website other than a database (for example, the journal’s own website), include a URL linking to the article.
Include the DOI at the very end of the APA reference entry . If you’re using the 6th edition APA guidelines, the DOI is preceded by the label “doi:”. In the 7th edition , the DOI is preceded by ‘https://doi.org/’.
- 6th edition: doi: 10.1177/0894439316660340
- 7th edition: https://doi.org/ 10.1177/0894439316660340
APA citation example (7th edition)
Hawi, N. S., & Samaha, M. (2016). The relations among social media addiction, self-esteem, and life satisfaction in university students. Social Science Computer Review , 35 (5), 576–586. https://doi.org/10.1177/0894439316660340
The abbreviation “ et al. ” (meaning “and others”) is used to shorten APA in-text citations with three or more authors . Here’s how it works:
Only include the first author’s last name, followed by “et al.”, a comma and the year of publication, for example (Taylor et al., 2018).
You may include up to 20 authors in a reference list entry .
When an article has more than 20 authors, replace the names prior to the final listed author with an ellipsis, but do not omit the final author:
Davis, Y., Smith, J., Caulfield, F., Pullman, H., Carlisle, J., Donahue, S. D., James, F., O’Donnell, K., Singh, J., Johnson, L., Streefkerk, R., McCombes, S., Corrieri, L., Valck, X., Baldwin, F. M., Lorde, J., Wardell, K., Lao, W., Yang, P., . . . O’Brien, T. (2012).
In an APA reference list , journal article citations include only the year of publication, not the exact date, month, or season.
The inclusion of volume and issue numbers makes a more specific date unnecessary.
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Caulfield, J. (2022, June 17). How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Style | Format & Example. Scribbr. Retrieved March 10, 2023, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-examples/journal-article/
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Cite a Journal
Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper, citing journal articles in apa.
A journal is a scholarly periodical that presents research from experts in a certain field. Typically, but not always, these journals are peer-reviewed in order to ensure that published articles are of the highest quality. That is one reason why journals are a highly credible source of information.
Journal articles in print:
Author Last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year Published). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume (Issue), page range.
Gleditsch, N. P., Pinker, S., Thayer, B. A., Levy, J. S., & Thompson, W. R. (2013). The forum: The decline of war. International Studies Review, 15 (3), 396-419.
Journal articles online:
- If your source is found online, but there is no DOI provided, you can include the URL instead.
- A DOI (digital object identifier) is basically a number that links a source to its location on the Internet. This number isn’t always provided, but if it is, you should include it in your citation rather than including a URL.
- Unlike previous editions, the current edition does not require including a retrieval date or date accessed for online sources. A retrieval date is only necessary if the source is likely to change (ex. Wikipedia, encyclopedia entry, Facebook homepage, etc.).
Author Last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year Published). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume (Issue), page range. https://doi.org/xxxx or URL
Burnell, K. J., Coleman, P. G., & Hunt, N. (2010). Coping with traumatic memories: Second World War veterans’ experiences of social support in relation to the narrative coherence of war memories. Ageing and Society, 30 (1), 57-78. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X0999016X
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Journal Article References
This page contains reference examples for journal articles, including the following:
- Journal article
- Journal article with an article number
- Journal article with missing information
- Retracted journal article
- Retraction notice for a journal article
- Abstract of a journal article from an abstract indexing database
- Monograph as part of a journal issue
- Online-only supplemental material to a journal article
1. Journal article
Grady, J. S., Her, M., Moreno, G., Perez, C., & Yelinek, J. (2019). Emotions in storybooks: A comparison of storybooks that represent ethnic and racial groups in the United States. Psychology of Popular Media Culture , 8 (3), 207–217. https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000185
- Parenthetical citation : (Grady et al., 2019)
- Narrative citation : Grady et al. (2019)
- If a journal article has a DOI, include the DOI in the reference.
- Always include the issue number for a journal article.
- If the journal article does not have a DOI and is from an academic research database, end the reference after the page range (for an explanation of why, see the database information page ). The reference in this case is the same as for a print journal article.
- Do not include database information in the reference unless the journal article comes from a database that publishes works of limited circulation or original, proprietary content, such as UpToDate .
- If the journal article does not have a DOI but does have a URL that will resolve for readers (e.g., it is from an online journal that is not part of a database), include the URL of the article at the end of the reference.
2. Journal article with an article number
Jerrentrup, A., Mueller, T., Glowalla, U., Herder, M., Henrichs, N., Neubauer, A., & Schaefer, J. R. (2018). Teaching medicine with the help of “Dr. House.” PLoS ONE , 13 (3), Article e0193972. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0193972
- Parenthetical citation : (Jerrentrup et al., 2018)
- Narrative citation : Jerrentrup et al. (2018)
- If the journal article has an article number instead of a page range, include the word “Article” and then the article number instead of the page range.
3. Journal article with missing information
Missing volume number.
Stegmeir, M. (2016). Climate change: New discipline practices promote college access. The Journal of College Admission , (231), 44–47. https://www.nxtbook.com/ygsreprints/NACAC/nacac_jca_spring2016/#/46
Missing issue number
Sanchiz, M., Chevalier, A., & Amadieu, F. (2017). How do older and young adults start searching for information? Impact of age, domain knowledge and problem complexity on the different steps of information searching. Computers in Human Behavior , 72 , 67–78. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.02.038
Missing page or article number
Butler, J. (2017). Where access meets multimodality: The case of ASL music videos. Kairos: A Journal of Rhetoric, Technology, and Pedagogy , 21 (1). http://technorhetoric.net/21.1/topoi/butler/index.html
- Parenthetical citations : (Butler, 2017; Sanchiz et al., 2017; Stegmeir, 2016)
- Narrative citations : Butler (2017), Sanchiz et al. (2017), and Stegmeir (2016)
- If the journal does not use volume, issue, and/or article or page numbers, omit the missing element(s) from the reference.
- If the volume, issue, and/or article or page numbers have simply not yet been assigned, use the format for an advance online publication (see Example 7 in the Publication Manual ) or an in-press article (see Example 8 in the Publication Manual ).
4. Retracted journal article
Joly, J. F., Stapel, D. A., & Lindenberg, S. M. (2008). Silence and table manners: When environments activate norms. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin , 34 (8), 1047–1056. https://doi.org/10.1177/0146167208318401 (Retraction published 2012, Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 38 [10], 1378)
- Parenthetical citation : (Joly et al., 2008)
- Narrative citation : Joly et al. (2008)
- Use this format to cite the retracted article itself, for example, to discuss the contents of the retracted article.
- First provide publication details of the original article. Then provide information about the retraction in parentheses, including its year, journal, volume, issue, and page number(s).
5. Retraction notice for a journal article
de la Fuente, R., Bernad, A., Garcia-Castro, J., Martin, M. C., & Cigudosa, J. C. (2010). Retraction: Spontaneous human adult stem cell transformation. Cancer Research , 70 (16), 6682. https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-10-2451
The Editors of the Lancet. (2010). Retraction—Ileal-lymphoid-nodular hyperplasia, non-specific colitis, and pervasive developmental disorder in children. The Lancet , 375 (9713), 445. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)60175-4
- Parenthetical citations : (de la Fuente et al., 2010; The Editors of the Lancet, 2010)
- Narrative citations : de la Fuente et al. (2010) and The Editors of the Lancet (2010)
- Use this format to cite a retraction notice rather than a retracted article, for example, to provide information on why an article was retracted.
- The author of the retraction notice may be an editor, editorial board, or some or all authors of the article. Examine the retraction notice to determine who to credit as the author.
- Reproduce the title of the retraction notice as shown on the work. Note that the title may include the words “retraction,” “retraction notice,” or “retraction note” as well as the title of the original article.
6. Abstract of a journal article from an abstract indexing database
Hare, L. R., & O'Neill, K. (2000). Effectiveness and efficiency in small academic peer groups: A case study (Accession No. 200010185) [Abstract from Sociological Abstracts]. Small Group Research , 31 (1), 24–53. https://doi.org/10.1177/104649640003100102
- Parenthetical citation : (Hare & O’Neill, 2000)
- Narrative citation : Hare and O’Neill (2000)
- Although it is preferable to cite the whole article, the abstract can be cited if that is your only available source.
- The foundation of the reference is the same as for a journal article.
- If the abstract has a database accession number, place it in parentheses after the title.
- Note that you retrieved only the abstract by putting the words “Abstract from” and then the name of the abstract indexing database in square brackets. Place this bracketed description after the title and any accession number.
- Accession numbers are sometimes referred to as unique identifiers or as publication numbers (e.g., as PubMed IDs); use the term provided by the database in your reference.

7. Monograph as part of a journal issue
Ganster, D. C., Schaubroeck, J., Sime, W. E., & Mayes, B. T. (1991). The nomological validity of the Type A personality among employed adults [Monograph]. Journal of Applied Psychology , 76 (1), 143–168. http://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.76.1.143
- Parenthetical citation : (Ganster et al., 1991)
- Narrative citation : Ganster et al. (1991)
- For a monograph with an issue (or whole) number, include the issue number in parentheses followed by the serial number, for example, 58 (1, Serial No. 231).
- For a monograph bound separately as a supplement to a journal, give the issue number and supplement or part number in parentheses after the volume number, for example, 80 (3, Pt. 2).
8. Online-only supplemental material to a journal article
Freeberg, T. M. (2019). From simple rules of individual proximity, complex and coordinated collective movement [Supplemental material]. Journal of Comparative Psychology , 133 (2), 141–142. https://doi.org/10.1037/com0000181
- Parenthetical citation : (Freeberg, 2019)
- Narrative citation : Freeberg (2019)
- Include the description “[Supplemental material]” in square brackets after the article title.
- If you cite both the main article and the supplemental material, provide only a reference for the article.

This guidance has been revised from the 6th edition.
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Citing online articles in apa format, sources for apa citation.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th Edition BF76.7 C66
APA Style online (use Style & Grammar Guidelines menu)
Information needed for citations:
- Author name(s)
- Date of publication
- Title of article
- Title of source (e.g. journal, etc.) plus volume number and issue number
- Inclusive page numbers of article
- DOI (if included)
The DOI (digital object identifier) is a unique number that provides a persistent link to the location of content on the internet. It should be formatted as a URL.
- Example: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222224
If there is no DOI listed for an article, the citation ends after the page range of the article. Do not include database information for works obtained from most academic research databases or platforms because works in these resources are widely available.
- Authors are typed as Last Name, First Initial. Middle Initial. (Marie L. Jones would be Jones, M. L.)
- If there is no author listed, list the title of the article first, capitalizing the first word.
- Note that only the first word, proper nouns, and the word immediately after a colon are capitalized within the title of the article.
- Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C.
- Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author, D. D., Author, E. E., Author, F. F., Author, G. G., Author, H. H., Author, I. I., Author, J. J., Author, K. K., Author, L. L., Author, M. M., Author, N. N., Author, O. O., Author, P. P., Author, Q. Q., Author, R. R., Author, S. S., . . . Author, Z. Z.
In-Text Citations: Narrative Citations
- Example: Jones (2009) found that diabetes symptoms improve with exercise.
- Example: Jones and Smith (2010) found that aerobic exercise improved circulation problems of diabetics.
- Example: Jones, et al. (2008) observed that blood glucose levels decreased following aerobic activity.
In-Text Citations: Parenthetical Citations
- Example: Increased exercise resulted in diminished diabetes symptoms (Jones, 2009).
- Example: Increased exercise resulted in diminished diabetes symptoms (Jones & Smith, 2009).
- Example: Blood glucose levels were observed to decrease following aerobic activity (Jones, et al., 2008).
- Example: Increased exercise promoted cardio-vascular health within diabetics ("Exercise and Type 2 Diabetes," 2010).
- every in-text citation must have a corresponding citation on the References page
- no source should be included on the References page if there is no corresponding in-text citation in the paper
Sample reference citations for online journal articles with and without DOI
(no author, with DOI)
Title of article. (year). Title of Journal, volume (issue), page number – page number. https://doi.org/xxxxxxx
- Do not capitalize “a,” “an,” or “the” unless it is the first word of the title or subtitle.
(no author, without DOI)
Title of article. (year). Title of Journal, volume (issue), page number–page number.
(one author, with DOI)
Author’s last name, Author’s first initial. Author’s middle initial (if known). (year). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume (issue), page number–page number. https://doi.org/xxxxxxx
(one author, without DOI)
Author’s last name, Author’s first initial. Author’s middle initial if known. (year). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume (issue), page number – page number.
(two authors, with DOI)
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume (issue), page number–page number. https://doi.org/xxxxxxx
(two authors, without DOI)
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume (issue), page number – page number.
(three to twenty authors, with DOI)
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author, D. D., Author, E. E., Author, F. F., Author, G. G., Author, H. H., Author, I. I., Author, J. J., Author, K. K., Author, L. L., Author, M. M., Author, N. N., Author, O. O., Author, P. P., Author, Q. Q., Author, R. R., Author, S. S., & Author, T. T. (year). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume (issue), page number–page number. https://doi.org/xxxxxxx
(three to twenty authors, without DOI)
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author, D. D., Author, E. E., Author, F. F., Author, G. G., Author, H. H., Author, I. I., Author, J. J., Author, K. K., Author, L. L., Author, M. M., Author, N. N., Author, O. O., Author, P. P., Author, Q. Q., Author, R. R., Author, S. S., & Author, T. T. (year). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume (issue), page number– page number.
(more than twenty authors, with DOI)
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author, D. D., Author, E. E., Author, F. F., Author, G. G., Author, H. H., Author, I. I., Author, J. J., Author, K. K., Author, L. L., Author, M. M., Author, N. N., Author, O. O., Author, P. P., Author, Q. Q., Author, R. R., Author, S. S., . . . Author, Z. Z. (year). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume (issue), page number– page number. https://doi.org/xxxxxxx
(more than twenty authors, without DOI)
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., Author, D. D., Author, E. E., Author, F. F., Author, G. G., Author, H. H., Author, I. I., Author, J. J., Author, K. K., Author, L. L., Author, M. M., Author, N. N., Author, O. O., Author, P. P., Author, Q. Q., Author, R. R., Author, S. S., . . . Author, Z. Z. (year). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume (issue), page number– page number.
Sample References Page


APA Citation Guide (7th edition) : Journal Articles
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Volume, issue, and number in a journal citation, journal article from library database with doi - one author, journal article from library database with doi - two to twenty authors, journal article from library database no doi - one author, journal article from library database no doi - two to twenty authors, journal article from a website - one author, journal article in print - one author, when you have 21 or more authors, in-text citation for two or more authors/editors, works by the same author with the same year, in-text citation for group or corporate authors, what is a doi.
DOI Numbers in Library Databases
Some electronic content is assigned a unique number called a Digital Object Identifier (DOI). If a DOI is provided for a journal article, include it after the page numbers of the article as a hyperlink - https://doi.org/xxxxx
You do not need to put a period after a DOI number.
Hanging Indents:
All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.
A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.
Hyperlinks:
It is acceptable for hyperlinks to be blue and underlined (live) or black without underlining.
All hyperlinks must include https://
Do not put a period after DOIs or hyperlinks.
How Do I Know If It's a Journal?
Photo from Flickr under Creative Commons license, created by the.Firebottle
Not sure whether your article is from a journal? Look for these characteristics:
- Main purpose is often to report results of original search
- Articles usually have a very narrow, technical subject focus
- May see labeled sections such as the abstract, discussion, results, and conclusion
- Author of the article is an expert or specialist in the field and often their credentials are listed
- Article is intended for students, scientists, researchers and/or professionals instead of the general public
- Usually includes a References list at the end
Articles may also come from magazines or newspapers .
Today, scientific articles can have many authors due to large-scale experiments run by large teams. In some research areas, an article can even have hundreds of authors! Generally, the first author is considered the lead author, so when citing it is important not to change the order co-authors are listed in. For details on how to balance efficiency and accuracy when citing academic articles with long lists of authors, see the various examples on this page.
Italicize titles of journals, magazines and newspapers. Do not italicize the titles of articles.
Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of the article title. If there is a colon in the article title, also capitalize the first letter of the first word after the colon.
If an item has no date, use the short form n.d. where you would normally put the date.
Volume and Issue Numbers
Italicize volume numbers but not issue numbers
Retrieval Dates
Most articles will not need these in the citation. Only use them for online articles from places where content may change often, such as a social media site like Academia.edu.
Page Numbers
If an article doesn't appear on continuous pages, list all the page numbers the article is on, separated by commas. For example (4, 6, 12-14)
Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number. https://doi.org/DOInumber
Author's Last N ame, First Initial. Second Initial if Given., & Last Name of Second Author, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number. https://doi.org/DOInumber
Note : Separate the authors' names by putting a comma between them. For the final author listed add an ampersand (&) after the comma and before the final author's last name.
Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number.
Note : The APA Manual (7th ed.) recommends not including the database or the URL of the journal home page for online articles without a DOI.
Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given., & Last Name of Second Author, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number if given.
Note : In the reference list invert all authors' names; give last names and initials for only up to and including twenty authors. When a source has twenty-one or more authors, include the first twenty authors’ names, then three ellipses (…), and add the last author’s name.
Note: The APA Manual (7th ed.) recommends not including the library database for journal articles without a DOI as these works are widely available.
Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number if given). URL
Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number.
When a journal article has twenty-one or more authors:
References List
List the first nineteen authors followed by three spaced ellipse points (. . .) , and then the last author's name.
When you are citing two different sources that share the same author and year of publication, assign lowercase letters after the year of publication (a, b, c, etc.). Assign these letters according to which title comes first alphabetically. Use these letters in both in-text citations and the Reference list.
Example In-Text :
Paraphrasing content from first source by this author (Daristotle, 2015a). "Now I am quoting from the second source by the same author" (Daristotle, 2015b, p. 50).
Example Reference List entries:
Daristotle, J. (2015a). Name of first article . Made Up Journal, 26 (39), 18-19.
Daristotle, J. (2015b). Title of second article. Another Made Up Journal, 35 (1), 48-55.
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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / APA Journal Citation
How to Cite a Journal Article in APA
Journal articles are one of the most important sources of information for research papers. Often times, they will serve as your main source of information, as journal articles contain information that is specific to a topic. This page will show you how to cite journal articles in APA style, updated for the 7th edition.
Guides Overview
Here’s a run-through of everything this page includes:
APA Journal Article Citation
In-text apa citation for journal articles, reference page apa citation for journal articles, how to cite a journal article in apa (print), how to cite a journal article with multiple authors in apa, how to cite a journal article on a database in apa, troubleshooting.
This guide will help you create journal citations in APA format. Check out this hyperlink if you are looking to create APA books citation .
This section will help you create in-text APA citations for journal articles.
In-text citations refer to the crediting of articles within the body of a work, separate from the reference page at the end of a document. An in-text citation comes after a paraphrase or a direct quote. For any APA in-text citation in your own paper, you must include a full citation in your reference page as well.
Paraphrasing in APA
For an in-text APA journal citation that is not a direct quote, or an APA parenthetical citation , all you need to provide is the author’s last name and the year of publication.
You may provide a page number (preceded by “p.” for one page or “pp.” for multiple pages) as well if the passage or idea you are paraphrasing is on a certain page or set of pages, but this is not necessary for APA journal citations.
Narrative In-Text Citation Example:
According to Currie (2001), there is a great deal of evidence to suggest that early intervention programs can be effective.
Parenthetical In-Text Citation Example:
Research suggests that the absence of behavior problems is just as important to future success as the development of cognitive skills (Currie, 2001, p. 215).
Short quotes in APA
A short quote in APA style must be fewer than 40 words. When using a direct short quote for APA citation of journal articles, you must list the author, the year of publication, the page number(s), and use quotation marks. You can embed this information within the sentence or cite it at the end of the sentence, or use a mixture of both as long as all the components are used in your APA journal citation.
According to Currie (2001), “the difficulty of overcoming poor endowments later in life—through job training programs for high school dropouts, for example—makes early intervention appear attractive as well” (p. 216).
Long quotes in APA
A long quote in APA citation style (also called a block quote in APA ) has 40 words or more. Like short quotes, for APA citation of journal articles, you must also cite the author, year of publication and the page number(s) for long quotes, and this information can be embedded within the sentence surrounding the quote, cited at the end of the sentence, or a mixture of both.
Unlike short quotes, long quotes in an APA citation of journal article require you to start the quote on a new line with a ½ inch indent from the left margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout the quote, and if you haven’t already embedded all the citation information in the sentence preceding the quote, include it at the end of the quote in parentheses after the closing punctuation mark. Do not use any quotation marks around a long quote for journal APA citation.
Currie’s (2001) study found the following:
Equalizing early endowments through early childhood intervention programs may be a superior approach to the problem of unequal allocations, both because it avoids many of the moral hazard problems that arise when society attempts to compensate those with poor outcomes and because early intervention to equalize allocations may be a more cost-effective way of promoting equity than compensating for unequal outcomes. (pp. 215-216)
Citing Multiple Authors in APA
- 2 authors: Give the information for the first author followed by a comma, then use an ampersand (&) and list the information for the second author.
- 3 to 20 authors: Separate the author names with commas and use an ampersand (&) before the final author’s name. In APA citations of journal articles, never list more than 20 authors.
- 21+ authors: List the first 19 names separated by commas. After the 19th author, add a comma, then an ellipsis (…), followed by the final author’s name.
Citing Group/Corporate Authors in APA
For a corporate author in an APA citation of a journal, use the publishing company in place of the author’s name in the citation. Place the name of the publishing company at the beginning of the citation just as you would the author’s name with proper capitalization.
Citing a Source with No Authors in APA
If no author is given, to create the APA citation of a journal, use the title of the article in place of the author information. Then, provide the publication date and publication name without repeating the article title.
This section will help you create an APA reference page or an APA bibliography .
How author names are structured in APA
Author names, if available, will always come first in your reference page for APA citation for journal articles. Start your reference page citation with the last name of the first author followed by a comma, followed by the author’s capitalized first initial and a period. Then list the author’s middle initial, if one is provided, followed by a period.
Rowling, J. K.
- 2 to 20 authors: Use a comma between all of the author names. Place an ampersand (&) before the final author’s name.
- 21 or more authors: List the names of the first 19 authors and use a comma between all of the names. After the 19th name, place an ellipsis (…) and then the final author’s name.
Structuring dates in APA
- Dates follow the author in APA citation for journal articles and should be in parentheses.
- List the year first followed by a comma.
- Then, list the month, fully spelled out (not abbreviated) and properly capitalized.
- Then, without using a comma after the month, list the numerical date.
- If any of this information is missing from the reference, simply omit it.
Structuring journal article titles in APA
- The article title follows the date.
- Only capitalize the first letter of the first word of the article.
- Do not italicize or underline the title of the article.
- Follow the article title with a period.
Structuring the journal name in APA
Follow the rules for journal article titles in APA citations.
- The name is capitalized throughout, just as the publication capitalizes the title
- The name should be italicized and followed by a comma.
Structuring volume and issue numbers in APA
- The volume and issue numbers follow the publication title.
- After the comma following the italicized title, put the volume number in italics.
- Then, omitting the space, put the issue number in parentheses without italics.
- Place a period after the closing parentheses, again omitting the space after the parentheses.
Structuring website addresses (URLs) and DOIs in APA
- URLs and DOIs for a journal article come after the volume and issue number. After the period following the issue number, put a space followed by the full URL or DOI with no period at the end.
- Since URLs can potentially change and DOIs cannot, APA journal citation style recommends using a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) instead of a website URL when possible.
- A DOI in your reference should be formatted like this: https://doi.org/xxxx
- If a source has a DOI, it should be included; it doesn’t matter if you viewed the print or online version.
- In previous editions of APA, an APA website citation always included “Retrieved from” or “Accessed from” before a URL. Since APA 7th edition, you no longer need to include this.
Yu, H., & Leadbetter, J. R. (2020, July 15). Bacterial chemolithoautotrophy via manganese oxidation. Nature, 583 (7816), 453–458. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2468-5
How to Cite an Online Journal Article in APA
The following examples show you how to format an online journal citation in APA style.
For an APA citation journal article from a database, you are not required to include the database information. This is because APA format includes a link to the website or the DOI instead, since database information can change over time. Simply follow the format for an APA citation journal from online as described above.
Here is a video that covers journal article citations in APA style:
Solution #1: What to do if you cannot find a journal article’s DOI
The DOI can typically be found on the first page of an article. For an online journal, the DOI is usually at the top of the webpage below the article’s title. It is a unique combination of numbers, letters, periods, which might appear in any of the forms below:
10.1353/shq.2012.0007
doi: 10.1353/shq.2012.0007
https://doi.org/10.1353/shq.2012.0007
Sometimes, an article does not have a DOI, particularly if it is an older resource. Articles found on JSTOR may just have a stable URL instead of a DOI. If it cannot be found, use the URL in its place.
Corrigan, P.W. (2000) Mental health stigma as social attribution: Implications for research methods and attitude change. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 7 (1), 28-67. https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2000-13942-004
Solution #2: How to cite another text cited within a journal article
If you wish to use a quote or information from an article that is cited as coming from another source, use the reference information provided to find the original source. Find the quote within the source and reference its original author and location. If you cannot locate it, you must still cite both sources, identifying the original author and its location within the secondary source.
Solution #3: How to find the volume and issue number of a journal
The volume and issue number can typically be found on the front cover of a journal. Within the pages of an article, they also might be listed in the top or bottom corners of the page. For an online journal, the volume and issue number are listed after the title of a journal.
Some other formats it might be found in:
vol. 18, no. 4
vol. 18, iss. 4
Published May 9, 2019. Updated July 16, 2020.
APA Formatting Guide
APA Formatting
- Annotated Bibliography
- Block Quotes
- et al Usage
- In-text Citations
- Multiple Authors
- Paraphrasing
- Page Numbers
- Parenthetical Citations
- Reference Page
- Sample Paper
- APA 7 Updates
- View APA Guide
Citation Examples
- Book Chapter
- Journal Article
- Magazine Article
- Newspaper Article
- Website (no author)
- View all APA Examples
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Journal articles are the content within journals, which are a type of literature and are released periodically, are peer-reviewed, and provide some of the most up-to-date studies — basically, a great source for research. They typically focus on a particular topic and contain peer-reviewed articles written by experts in order to educate and inform other experts on the subject. Journals may contain several articles, similar to chapters in a book or articles in a magazine. Articles usually have an abstract, or a short summary of the article, at the beginning and a list of references at the end.
A “scholarly” article is an article that comes from an academic, peer-reviewed source. Because academic journals and non-academic magazines have a lot of structural similarities, the term “scholarly” differentiates this type of article from magazine articles. A scholarly article is typically written by experts for experts, and is peer-reviewed by other experts in the field.
A “peer-reviewed” article is one that has been reviewed by a board of experts in the field for quality and accuracy of the information before publishing. A “peer-reviewed” article is a more trustworthy source because it has been checked and approved by experts and is not based on opinion, low-quality research, or obsolete data.
Articles exist both in print and online and can be found at most academic libraries. Online articles can usually be found using academic databases, which contain structured sets of data or information. Many databases charge a fee to use the database and/or to access full articles. Most university library websites will provide information for accessing different academic databases.
Do not include the publisher and place of publication when citing a journal article in APA style. Publisher names are used for book-type references, reports, computer software and mobile apps, and data sets. Do not include the publisher’s location in references. Instead, the name of the journal will be included, which will provide the reader with sufficient information for locating the source.
To format a journal article in APA style, you will need the author name, publication year, title of the article, journal title, volume number, issue number, page range, and/or DOI (digital object identifier) or URL (uniform resource locator). The format for a journal article having just one author is given below:
Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Article title: Subtitle. Journal Title, Volume (issue), page range. URL or DOI
Note that the first name and middle name, following the author’s surname, are abbreviated and separated by a space. The title of the article should be set in sentence case. The first word of the subtitle, if present, should be capitalized. The name of the journal should be set in title case. Set the journal title and the volume number in italics, including the comma that separates them. An example is given below:
Rancière, J. (2016). Un-what? Philosophy & Rhetoric, 49 (4), 589–606. https://doi:10.5325/philrhet.49.4.0589
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How to Reference a Journal Article in APA
Bibme can create journal citations in apa automatically.
Use the following template to cite a journal article using the APA citation format. We also provide style guides for the MLA and check out our free APA citation maker .
Once you’re finished with your citations, we can also help you with creating an APA title page .
Citing a journal article in APA (print)
Author, A. (Publication Year). Article title. Periodical Title , Volume (Issue), pp-pp.
Nevin, A. (1990). The changing of teacher education special education. Teacher Education and Special Education: The Journal of the Teacher Education Division of the Council for Exceptional Children , 13 (4), 147-148.
Citing an online journal article in APA
Author, A. (Publication Year). Article title. Periodical Title , Volume (Issue), pp-pp. doi:XX.XXXXX or Retrieved from URL
Jameson, J. (2013). E-Leadership in higher education: The fifth “age” of educational technology research. British Journal of Educational Technology , 44 (6), 889-915. doi: 10.1111/bjet.12103
Notes: When creating your online journal article citation, keep in mind:
- APA does NOT require you to include the date of access/retrieval date or database information for electronic sources.
- You can use the URL of the journal homepage if there is no doi number assigned and the reference was retrieved online.
- Example: Retrieved from http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1467-8535;jsessionid=956132F3DE76EEB120577E99EE74CE9C.f04t01
- A doi (digital object identifier) is an assigned number that helps link content to its location on the Internet. It is therefore important, if one is provided, to use it when creating a citation. All doi numbers begin with a 10 and are separated by a slash.
Citing unpublished journal articles in APA
Unpublished article
Author, A. (Year). Article title . [Unpublished manuscript]. Department Name, University Name.
Allen, J. (2020). The Landscape of US Public Health Education. [Unpublished manuscript]. Department of Health, University of Texas
Submitted for publication
Author, A. (Year). Article title . [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Department Name, University Name.
Allen, J. (2020). The Landscape of US Public Health Education. [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Department of Health, University of Texas
Accepted for publication
Author, A. (in press). Article title. Journal Name.
Allen, J. (in press). The Landscape of US Public Health Education . Health Education Research.
For more information on how to cite in APA, check out Cornell .
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If any journal article in your reference list is not yet published, then it should be specifically mentioned and marked as an “Unpublished manuscript.” Use the below format to understand and create your own entry.
Last Name, Initials. (Year). Title [Unpublished manuscript]. Name of the Department, Name of the University.
Rajeshwari, K.L., & Kernool, L. (2021). A microscopic view into the minds of toddlers. [Unpublished manuscript]. Department of Psychology, University of Hogsworth.
For a reference entry for a journal article without a DOI, include the author name(s), the date published, the article’s title, the journal’s title, and if applicable, the volume number, issue number, and page range.
Reference Example
Müller, R. D., Royer, J. Y., & Lawver, L. A. (1993). Revised plate motions relative to the hotspots from combined Atlantic and Indian Ocean hotspot tracks. Journal of Petrology , 21 (4), 275–278.
For in-text citations, include the author’s last name(s) and the year of publication in the following formats:
Example for 1 author
Parenthetical Citation: (Wilson, 1963)
Narrative Citation: Wilson (1963)…
Example for 2 authors
Parenthetical Citation: (Koppers & Watts, 2010)
Narrative Citation: Koppers and Watts (2010)…
Example for 3+ authors
Parenthetical Citation: (Müller et al., 1993)
Narrative Citation: Muller et al. (1993)…

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COMMENTS
Give the name of the organization or individual followed by the date and the title. If there is no title, in brackets, you should provide a brief explanation of
APA style dictates that authors are named with their last name followed by their initials; publication year goes between parentheses, followed by a period. The
Basic format to reference journal articles · Author or authors. The surname is followed by first initials. · Year of publication of the article (
An APA Style citation for a journal article includes the author name(s), publication year, article title, journal name, volume and issue
Author Last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year Published). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume(Issue), page range. Example: Gleditsch
First provide publication details of the original article. Then provide information about the retraction in parentheses, including its year, journal, volume
Information needed for citations: · Author name(s) · Date of publication · Title of article · Title of source (e.g. journal, etc.) plus volume number and issue
Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume
Author's last name, Author's first initial. Author's middle initial., & Author's last name, Author's first initial. Author's middle initial. (
Author, A. (Year). Article title. [Manuscript submitted for publication]. Department Name, University Name. Example: Allen, J. (2020)