How to Cite a Journal Article in APA 7th Edition (With Examples)
If you’re a Kenyan university student working on your thesis proposal, you’ve probably spent hours stressing over how to format your references correctly. Citing journal articles in APA 7th edition can be confusing—especially when you’re juggling multiple authors, DOIs, and different source types.
Getting your citations right is crucial. Your supervisor will check every reference, and incorrect formatting can cost you valuable marks. This guide breaks down exactly how to cite journal articles in APA 7th, with clear examples you can follow.
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The Basic APA 7th Journal Article Citation Formula
Every APA reference needs four parts: author, date, title, and source . The formula looks like this:
Author(s). (Year). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Page range. DOI or URL
Let’s break down each element:
| Element | Formatting Rule |
|---|---|
| Author(s) | Last name, first and middle initials (e.g., Smith, J. A.) |
| Year | In parentheses, followed by a period |
| Article Title | Sentence case (only first word and proper nouns capitalized). No quotation marks. |
| Journal Name | Italicized, in title case (capitalize major words) |
| Volume Number | Italicized (e.g., *27*) |
| Issue Number | In parentheses, not italicized (e.g., (3)) |
| Page Numbers | Full page range (e.g., 561-569) |
| DOI/URL | https://doi.org/xxxxx (DOI preferred) |
Step-by-Step: How to Build Your Citation
Step 1: Format the Author(s)
One author: Last name, comma, first initial. (e.g., Bailey, N. W.)
Two authors: Use an ampersand (&) between names (e.g., Lane, R., & Catling, S.)
3–20 authors: List all authors, with comma and & before the final author
21+ authors: List the first 19 authors, add an ellipsis (…), then the final author
No author: Move the article title to the author position
Step 2: Add the Publication Year
Place the year in parentheses, followed by a period. If no date is available, use (n.d.) .
Step 3: Write the Article Title
Use sentence case—capitalize only the first word, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns. No quotation marks or italics for the article title .
Step 4: Format the Journal Name
Italicize the journal name and use title case (capitalize every major word) .
Step 5: Include Volume and Issue Numbers
Volume number is italicized
Issue number is in parentheses, not italicized
Omit the issue number if it’s not available
Step 6: Add Page Numbers
Include the full page range of the article. For journals that use article numbers instead of page numbers, use “Article” followed by the number .
Step 7: Add DOI or URL
If a DOI is available, include it as
https://doi.org/xxxxxIf there’s no DOI and the article is from an academic database, omit the URL and cite it as a print article
If there’s no DOI and the article is freely available online, include the journal’s homepage URL
Complete Reference Examples
Here are examples for different scenarios you might encounter:
One Author with DOI
Bailey, N. W. (2012). Evolutionary models of extended phenotypes. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 27(3), 561-569. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2012.05.011
Two Authors with DOI
Lane, R., & Catling, S. (2016). Preservice primary teachers’ depth and accuracy of knowledge of tropical cyclones. Journal of Geography, 115(5), 198-211. https://doi.org/10.1080/00221341.2016.1153133
Three to Twenty Authors
Pempek, T. A., Yermolayeva, Y. A., & Calvert, S. L. (2009). College students’ social networking experiences on Facebook. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 3(2), 227-238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2008.12.010
Twenty-One or More Authors
Lubin, D., Zhang, D., Silber, I., Scott, R. C., Kalogeras, P., Battaglia, A., … Vogelmann, A. M. (2020). AWARE: The atmospheric radiation measurement (ARM) West Antarctic radiation experiment. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 101(7), E1069-E1091. https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-18-0278.1
Print Journal (No DOI)
Koopman, W. J. (2001). Prospects for autoimmune disease: Research advances in rheumatoid arthritis. JAMA, 285(5), 648-650.
Online Journal from Database (No DOI)
Dufty, N. (2012). Using social media to build community disaster resilience. The Australian Journal of Emergency Management, 27(1), 40-45.
No Author
Vitamin K for newborns. (2016). Journal of Midwifery & Women’s Health, 61(5), 675-676. https://doi.org/10.1111/jmwh.12550
Article Number Instead of Page Numbers
D’Aquino, S., Kumar, A., Riordan, B., & Callinan, S. (2024). Long-term effects of alcohol consumption on anxiety in adults: A systematic review. Addictive Behaviors, 155, Article 108047. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.108047
In-Text Citation Rules
When you refer to a journal article in your text, you need an in-text citation:
| Scenario | Parenthetical Citation | Narrative Citation |
|---|---|---|
| One author | (Bailey, 2012) | Bailey (2012) states… |
| Two authors | (Lane & Catling, 2016) | Lane and Catling (2016) argue… |
| 3+ authors | (Pempek et al., 2009) | Pempek et al. (2009) found… |
| No author | (“Vitamin K”, 2016) | The article “Vitamin K” (2016) notes… |
For direct quotes, add the page number: (Bailey, 2012, p. 562)
Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Not italicizing journal title and volume number
❌ Using title case for article titles (use sentence case instead)
❌ Omitting DOI when available
❌ Using quotation marks around article titles
❌ Including database names when no DOI is available
Checklist Before Submitting Your Reference List
✅ All author names formatted correctly (Last name, Initials)
✅ Publication year in parentheses
✅ Article title in sentence case, no quotation marks
✅ Journal name italicized in title case
✅ Volume number italicized
✅ Page range or article number included
✅ DOI or URL present (DOI preferred)
✅ Hanging indent applied to each reference
Need More Help?
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