APA 7th edition is an author-date citation style: you cite the author's surname and the year in the text, and list full details in a References page. It is the standard style in psychology, nursing, education and many social sciences.
This guide covers in-text citations, reference entries for common sources and the formatting rules for student papers, with examples you can follow.
APA 7th in Thirty Seconds
- In text: (Okafor, 2020) or Okafor (2020); add a page number for quotations, as in (Okafor, 2020, p. 14).
- Three or more authors: first author plus "et al." from the first citation.
- References page: alphabetical, double-spaced, with a 0.5-inch hanging indent.
- Titles: sentence case for articles and books; title case for journal names.
- DOIs: written as https://doi.org/ links.
In-Text Citations
| Situation | Parenthetical | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| One author | (Okafor, 2020) | Okafor (2020) |
| Two authors | (Lee & Patel, 2022) | Lee and Patel (2022) |
| Three or more authors | (Lee et al., 2022) | Lee et al. (2022) |
| Group author, first citation | (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023) | World Health Organization (WHO, 2023) |
| Group author, later citations | (WHO, 2023) | WHO (2023) |
| No date | (Okafor, n.d.) | Okafor (n.d.) |
| Direct quotation | (Okafor, 2020, p. 14) | Okafor (2020) wrote that "..." (p. 14). |
Use "&" inside brackets and "and" in running text. For several sources in one bracket, list them alphabetically and separate them with semicolons: (Lee, 2020; Okafor, 2020).
No Author
Use the first few words of the title in place of the author. Put article, chapter and web page titles in double quotation marks and book or report titles in italics, using title case in the citation: ("Rising Sea Levels," 2023).
Reference List Rules
- Title the page "References", bold and centered, on a new page.
- Order entries alphabetically by the first author's surname.
- Double-space all entries and use a 0.5-inch hanging indent.
- Give surnames and initials: Okafor, A. M.
- List up to 20 authors. For 21 or more, give the first 19, an ellipsis, then the final author.
- Use sentence case for article, book and web page titles, and title case for journal names.
- Italicize book titles, journal names and journal volume numbers, but not issue numbers.
- Leave out publisher locations.
Reference Examples
Journal Article
Lee, H., & Patel, R. (2022). Self-scheduling and burnout in hospital nurses. Journal of Nursing Management, 30(4), 512–520. https://doi.org/10.0000/example
Book
Okafor, A. M. (2020). Learning that lasts: Spaced practice in higher education (2nd ed.). Northgate Press.
Chapter in an Edited Book
Mensah, K. (2021). Feedback and motivation. In L. Ford & T. Ahmed (Eds.), Teaching in universities (pp. 45–62). Northgate Press.
Web Page with an Individual Author
Grant, S. (2023, May 4). How sleep affects memory. Study Health Hub. https://www.example.org/sleep-memory
Web Page by an Organization
National Sleep Council. (2023, March 31). Sleep and young adults. https://www.example.org/sleep-young-adults
When the author and the website name are the same, leave out the site name, as in the example above. Retrieval dates are only needed for pages designed to change over time.
All names, publishers, DOIs and URLs above are illustrative.
Student Paper Formatting
| Element | APA 7th student paper rule |
|---|---|
| Title page | Title in bold, author, affiliation, course number and name, instructor and due date |
| Running head | Not required for student papers |
| Page numbers | Top right on every page, including the title page |
| Font | A legible font, such as 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Calibri, Arial or Georgia |
| Spacing and margins | Double-spaced throughout, with 1-inch margins |
| Paragraphs | First line indented 0.5 inches |
Your tutor's instructions override these defaults, so check the brief for any department-specific changes.
APA Headings
| Level | Format |
|---|---|
| 1 | Centered, bold, title case |
| 2 | Flush left, bold, title case |
| 3 | Flush left, bold italic, title case |
| 4 | Indented, bold, title case, ending with a full stop; text continues on the same line |
| 5 | Indented, bold italic, title case, ending with a full stop; text continues on the same line |
Do not label the introduction with the heading "Introduction". The paper title at the top of the first page serves that purpose.
Common APA 7th Errors
| Error | Correct approach |
|---|---|
| Italicizing the issue number | Italicize only the volume: 30(4) |
| Including the publisher's city | Leave it out in APA 7th |
| "and" inside brackets | Use "&": (Lee & Patel, 2022) |
| Title case for article titles | Use sentence case in the reference list |
| Writing "doi:" before the number | Use the https://doi.org/ format |
| Listing every author in text for three or more | Use "et al." from the first citation |
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Frequently Asked Questions
APA 7th drops publisher locations, uses "et al." from the first citation for three or more authors, formats DOIs as links and removes the running head from student papers.
Yes for direct quotations. For paraphrases they are encouraged but not required.
Use "n.d." in place of the year: (Okafor, n.d.).
Only if your tutor asks for one. Student papers usually do not need an abstract.
Yes. Double-space all entries, within and between them, and use a hanging indent.
Up to 20. For 21 or more, list the first 19, add an ellipsis and then the final author.
No. Use the DOI when one exists, and a URL only when there is no DOI.
Name the original work and add "as cited in" with the source you read, such as (Mensah, 2015, as cited in Okafor, 2020). Only the source you actually read goes in your reference list.
APA has published guidance that treats the tool's developer as the author, for example (OpenAI, 2023), with a reference entry naming the tool and version. Check whether your course allows AI tools at all before citing one.