APA 7th Edition Citation Guide – Complete Reference Examples
Complete APA 7th Edition citation guide with ready-to-use examples for journal articles, books, websites, reports, and dissertations. Covers in-text citations and reference list rules.
APA 7th Edition is the most widely used citation style in psychology, education, business, nursing, and the social sciences. Updated in 2019, the 7th edition introduced several important changes from the 6th — including new rules for authors, DOIs, and online sources. This complete guide covers everything you need to cite correctly in APA 7, with ready-to-use examples for every common source type.
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Quick Summary: APA 7 uses an author-date in-text citation system (Author, Year) and a reference list at the end. Key updates in APA 7 include: up to 20 authors listed in the reference list, DOIs formatted as hyperlinks, and running heads no longer required for student papers.
APA 7 Basics: The Author-Date System
APA uses parenthetical in-text citations that include the author's last name and year of publication. Page numbers are required for direct quotes and recommended for paraphrases.
| Citation Type | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Paraphrase (1 author) | (Author, Year) | (Smith, 2023) |
| Paraphrase (2 authors) | (Author & Author, Year) | (Smith & Jones, 2023) |
| Paraphrase (3+ authors) | (First Author et al., Year) | (Smith et al., 2023) |
| Direct quote | (Author, Year, p. X) | (Smith, 2023, p. 45) |
| Narrative citation | Author (Year) | Smith (2023) argued that… |
| No author | (Title, Year) | ("Climate Change," 2023) |
| Organisation as author | (Organisation, Year) | (WHO, 2023) |
Journal Articles
Format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx
One AuthorSmith, J. A. (2023). The impact of remote work on employee wellbeing. Journal of Organizational Psychology, 45(2), 112–128. https://doi.org/10.1000/xyz123Two AuthorsSmith, J. A., & Jones, R. B. (2023). Leadership styles in SMEs. Business Leadership Quarterly, 18(3), 56–74. https://doi.org/10.1000/abc4563–20 AuthorsSmith, J. A., Jones, R. B., & Williams, C. D. (2023). Title of article. Journal Name, 10(1), 1–20.APA 7 change: In APA 7, list up to 20 authors in the reference list. For 21 or more authors, list the first 19, insert an ellipsis (…), then the final author's name.
Books
Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book: Subtitle (Edition, if not first). Publisher.
Single Author BookBrown, L. K. (2022). Qualitative research methods in education (3rd ed.). Sage.Edited BookGreen, P. A. (Ed.). (2021). Advances in cognitive psychology. Cambridge University Press.Chapter in Edited BookTaylor, M. S. (2022). Motivation in the workplace. In P. A. Green (Ed.), Advances in organisational behaviour (pp. 45–67). Sage.Websites and Web Pages
Format: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL
Webpage with AuthorWorld Health Organization. (2024, March 15). Mental health facts and statistics. https://www.who.int/mental-health/factsNo Author WebpageClimate change overview. (2024). Environmental Agency. https://www.example.gov/climateReports and Dissertations
Government/Organisation ReportDepartment for Education. (2023). Annual education statistics report 2023. UK Government. https://www.gov.uk/exampleDissertation / ThesisPatel, R. (2022). The effect of mindfulness interventions on student anxiety [Doctoral dissertation, University of Manchester]. ProQuest Dissertations.APA 7 Key Rules to Remember
| Rule | APA 7 Requirement |
|---|---|
| Capitalisation (article titles) | Sentence case only — capitalise first word, proper nouns, and word after colon |
| Journal names | Title Case and italicised |
| DOI format | Written as a hyperlink: https://doi.org/xxxxx |
| Page range | Use en dash (–) not hyphen (-): pp. 45–67 |
| Running head | Not required for student papers in APA 7 |
| Publisher location | No longer required in APA 7 |
| Edition number | Only include if not the first edition: (3rd ed.) |
Reference List Formatting
- Start on a new page headed "References" (centred, bold)
- List all entries alphabetically by author's last name
- Use a hanging indent: first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches
- Double-space all entries (no extra space between entries)
- Only include sources cited in the text — not everything you read
Final Thoughts
APA 7th Edition is logical once you understand its author-date system and the rules for each source type. The most common errors are capitalisation of article titles, DOI formatting, and author list limits. Always verify your citations against the official APA Publication Manual or a trusted guide. For expert academic writing with perfectly formatted APA 7 references, Academia Helper provides professional support.
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