Use: Author, A. A. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Clean APA references make graders happy and help readers reach your sources fast. This guide walks you through the exact pattern for a peer-reviewed journal article, with clear rules, quick patterns for in-text use, and fixes for edge cases.
APA Basics For Journal Articles
An APA reference rests on four parts: author, date, title, and source. For journal articles, the source is the periodical plus a DOI link when the article has one. If you want an official pattern while you read, open the APA journal article reference examples. For link format and when to include one, the APA DOI and URL rules page lays out the details.
| Element | What To Capture | Where It Appears |
|---|---|---|
| Author | Last name, initials; list up to 20 authors; ampersand before the final name | Byline on the PDF or article page |
| Date | Year in parentheses; use “n.d.” if no year | Citation box or header |
| Article Title | Sentence case; no italics; only proper nouns capitalized | Top of the first page |
| Journal Title | Title case and italics | Header, footer, or cover page |
| Volume | Italic number | Next to the journal title |
| Issue | Number in parentheses after the volume; not italic | Right after the volume |
| Pages | Inclusive range (e.g., 145–162) or an article number | First page or citation box |
| DOI | Live link in https://doi.org/ format; no period after it | Landing page or PDF footer |
Cite A Peer-Reviewed Journal Article In APA Style: Step-By-Step
Follow these steps in order and you will land on a tidy, correct reference every time.
1) List Authors Correctly
Start with the last name, then initials: Gomez, L. R. Use commas between names, and an ampersand before the final author. For three to twenty authors, list them all. For more than twenty, list the first nineteen, add an ellipsis, then the final author. No “and” in the reference list.
2) Add The Year
Place the year in parentheses right after the authors, followed by a period. If the journal shows a season or month, keep only the year in the reference list.
3) Write The Article Title
Use sentence case: first word capitalized, plus proper nouns and acronyms. No italics and no quotation marks.
4) Add The Journal Name And Volume
Write the journal title in title case and italics, followed by a comma. Then add the volume number in italics. This pair is the visual anchor of a journal reference.
5) Insert The Issue Number
Put the issue number in parentheses right after the volume, not italicized, followed by a comma. If the journal has no issue numbers, skip this part.
6) Give Pages Or Article Number
Use the full page range with an en dash. Some journals use an eLocator or article number; include that in place of pages.
7) Finish With The DOI Link
Include the DOI as an active URL that starts with https://doi.org/ followed by the DOI string. Do not add a period after the link. If no DOI exists and the article sits in a common research database, end the reference after the page range. If the article is only on a journal website and has no DOI, add the article URL.
In-Text APA Citations That Match The Reference
APA uses author–date in the text. For a paraphrase, write (Nguyen, 2022). For a narrative use, write Nguyen (2022). For two authors: (Nguyen & Patel, 2022) or Nguyen and Patel (2022). For three or more authors, shorten to the first author plus “et al.” from the first mention, like this: (Garcia et al., 2021). For a direct quote, add a page or paragraph number: (Nguyen, 2022, p. 8) or (Garcia et al., 2021, para. 4). If two works share the same author and year, add letters in the reference list and carry them into the text, e.g., 2020a and 2020b.
Signal Your Peer Review
Your reference does not label a source as peer reviewed. That status comes from the journal itself. Use a database filter or the journal site to confirm review before you cite it.
Formatting Touches That Keep Things Clear
Keep italics for the journal title and the volume number only. The issue number and page range are plain text. Do not write “Retrieved from” before a DOI or URL, and do not place a period after the link. Hyperlinks may be blue and underlined or plain text; pick one style and stay consistent across your list. The link text itself should be the DOI or URL, not a phrase.
| Case | Reference Pattern | In-Text Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Two Authors | Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title. Journal, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Use “&” in parentheses; use “and” in narrative |
| Three Or More Authors | Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., … Author, Z. Z. (Year). Title. Journal, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Use “et al.” from the first citation |
| No DOI; Journal Page | Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Journal, volume(issue), pages. URL | Use the article URL |
| No DOI; Database | Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Journal, volume(issue), pages. | Omit the database name and link |
| Article Number | Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Journal, volume(issue), Article e12345. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Use the eLocator in place of pages |
| More Than 20 Authors | List first 19, add an ellipsis, then the final author | In text, still use “et al.” |
Complete Sample References
With DOI:
Kim, J., Rahman, S., & Li, H. (2023). Sleep timing and mood in young adults. Journal of Behavioral Health, 12(3), 211–224. https://doi.org/10.1234/jbh.2023.03456
No DOI; Journal Website:
Osei, K. (2021). Rural pharmacy access and adherence trends. Health Policy Review, 18(2), 77–90. https://www.hprjournal.org/articles/2021-022
No DOI; Database Record:
Diaz, R., & Chen, M. (2020). Parent coaching during telehealth. Clinical Practice Reports, 9(1), 33–48.
Common Errors To Avoid
- Putting the article title in title case or italics.
- Adding a period after the DOI link.
- Writing “Retrieved from” before a DOI or URL.
- Including database names or accession numbers.
- Forgetting the issue number when the journal supplies one.
- Dropping accent marks from author names.
- Using “and” instead of an ampersand before the last author.
- Missing a comma before the issue number.
Quick Build: From Article PDF To APA Entry
Scan The First Page
Highlight the author line, year, title, journal name, volume, issue, and pages. If pages are missing, look for an eLocator or article number.
Copy The DOI
Grab the DOI from the landing page or the PDF. Convert it to a live link that starts with https://doi.org/ followed by the DOI string.
Assemble The Pieces
Paste the parts in this order: Author. (Year). Title. Journal, volume(issue), pages or article number. DOI or URL when needed.
Matching In-Text Citations: Fast Patterns
Paraphrase
General point: (Ali, 2019). Mention in the sentence: Ali (2019) reports the same trend.
Short Quote
Add a locator: (Ali, 2019, p. 52). For web-only articles with no pages, use a paragraph number.
Same Author, Same Year
Label the year with letters in the reference list and carry those letters into the text, like 2020a and 2020b.
Troubleshooting Notes
What If A Name Looks Unusual?
Keep hyphens, particles, and accents as the journal shows them. If the author lists one given name, use the initial you see. If an organization is the author, write the full name as the author.
What If The Journal Uses Continuous Pagination?
Some journals number pages across issues. You still include the issue number when the journal lists one next to the volume.
What If You Only Have An Abstract?
Cite the abstract as the source you read. If you did not read the full article, add a bracket note after the title: [Abstract]. Use the DOI or URL that leads to the abstract.
Final Check Before You Submit
- Each in-text callout has a matching reference entry.
- Reference entries use a hanging indent and double spacing in your document.
- Journal titles and volume numbers are italic; issue numbers are not.
- DOI links are live and have no trailing punctuation.
- Names appear in the order the article presents them.