APA 7 journal article reference format: Author, A. A., Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Journal Title, volume(issue), page–page. https://doi.org/xxxxx; in text: (Author, Year).
Why APA 7 For Peer-Reviewed Articles Matters
Peer-reviewed work sits at the center of academic writing. APA 7 gives clear, repeatable rules so readers can locate the exact study you used, assess credibility, and trace claims back to data. This guide shows you how to build flawless references and matching in-text citations for journal articles, including multi-author papers, articles with article numbers instead of pages, and items that lack a DOI. You will see the core template, common variations, and quick checks that prevent small mistakes from derailing a good paper. Links to trusted guides appear where they offer extra detail or edge cases you may meet while drafting.
The Core APA 7 Journal Reference
Here is the baseline pattern for a peer-reviewed journal article: Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Article title in sentence case. Journal Title in Title Case, volume(issue), page–page. https://doi.org/xxxxx. Use an ampersand before the final author in the reference entry. List up to twenty authors. For twenty-one or more, write the first nineteen, add an ellipsis, then the final author’s name. The journal title and volume number appear in italics; the issue number sits right after the volume in parentheses without italics. If the article has an eLocator or article number, place it where the page range would go.
| Element | What To Write | Quick Rules |
|---|---|---|
| Authors | Last name, Initials. | Up to 20; use & before last; 21+ uses ellipsis then final name. |
| Year | (2024). | Year only for most journals; add month/day for advance online if shown. |
| Article title | Sentence case. | Lowercase after the first word, except names and proper nouns. |
| Journal title | Title Case | Capitalize major words; italicize the journal name. |
| Volume | 12 | Italicize the volume number. |
| Issue | (3) | No italics; no space between volume and issue. |
| Pages or eLocator | 145–162 or e12345 | Use en dash for ranges; write the article number if given. |
| DOI or URL | https://doi.org/xxxx | Prefer DOI as a URL; use a URL only when no DOI and content is open. |
Need deeper background while you cite? See the Purdue OWL journal articles guide for layouts and samples, and the Purdue OWL in-text rules for author counts and “et al.” usage.
Citing A Peer-Reviewed Article In APA 7: Quick Patterns
Names And “Et Al.”
In the reference list, write every author up to twenty. Commas separate authors, and an ampersand links the last two names. For in-text citations, one or two authors appear in every citation. Three or more authors shorten to the first author’s last name plus “et al.” from the first mention onward. Group authors can be written in full the first time, then abbreviated if the group has a common short form. This approach keeps citations compact while still pointing to the single entry on the reference page.
Dates, Volume, Issue, And Pages
Put the publication year in parentheses right after the authors. Italicize the volume number. Place the issue number in parentheses immediately after the volume with no space. Page ranges use an en dash. Articles that supply an eLocator or article number instead of pages place that identifier after the issue. No period follows a DOI or URL at the end of a reference entry.
Titles: Sentence Case Vs Title Case
Article titles use sentence case, so only the first word and proper nouns begin with capital letters. Journal titles use title case and appear in italics. This contrast helps readers scan entries quickly. Keep subtitles after a colon in sentence case as well. Do not place quotes around article titles in the reference list.
DOIs, URLs, And Databases
When a DOI exists, supply it as a live URL: https://doi.org/xxxxx. If no DOI appears and the article is available on the open web, include the direct URL. If the work comes from a typical research database and lacks a DOI, treat it like a print work and omit the database name and the URL. Retrieval dates are used only for sources designed to change over time.
Sample Entries You Can Trust
Standard Article With DOI
Chen, L., Rivera, M. J., & Soto, K. P. (2023). Sleep duration and memory in young adults. Journal of Behavioral Neuroscience, 37(2), 115–128. https://doi.org/10.1037/jbn0000123
Article Without DOI, Open Access
García, P., & Ahmed, N. (2022). Urban gardens and pollinator counts across seasons. Ecology In Practice, 9(4), e00945. https://ecologyinpractice.org/articles/e00945
Twenty-One Or More Authors
Lopez, R., Zhang, Q., Patel, H., Müller, T., Rossi, A., Nguyen, T., Brown, C., Shah, P., Kim, D., Lee, Y., Ortiz, J., Carter, S., Ivanov, A., Silva, R., Clarke, M., Ali, Z., Murphy, G., Young, E., ... Wilson, J. (2021). Multicenter analysis of cardiac imaging metrics. International Journal of Cardiac Imaging, 45(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1016/ijci.2021.01.005
In-Text Citations That Match The Reference
APA uses author–date citations. Parenthetical style: (Author, Year). Narrative style: Author (Year). For direct quotes, add a page or locator: (Author, Year, p. 24) or (Author, Year, para. 3) when no pages appear. Two authors join with an ampersand in parenthetical style and with “and” in narrative style. Three or more authors always compress to “First Author et al., Year.” Multiple sources in one set of parentheses sort alphabetically and separate with semicolons.
| Scenario | Reference List Pattern | In-Text Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| One author | Lee, J. (2024)… | (Lee, 2024) or Lee (2024) |
| Two authors | Lee, J., & Park, S. (2024)… | (Lee & Park, 2024) or Lee and Park (2024) |
| Three+ authors | Lee, J., Park, S., Chen, R., … (2024)… | (Lee et al., 2024) or Lee et al. (2024) |
| Group author | World Health Organization. (2023)… | (World Health Organization, 2023) then (WHO, 2023) |
| Same author, same year | Lee, J. (2024a)…; Lee, J. (2024b)… | (Lee, 2024a, 2024b) |
| Direct quote | Standard entry | (Lee, 2024, p. 7) or (Lee, 2024, para. 5) |
Edge Cases You Will Meet
No Author
Begin the reference with the article title. Move the title into the author position and follow with the year. In-text, cite the first few words of the title in double quotes plus the year. Keep the journal name and volume details as normal. This keeps entries consistent while signaling the missing author clearly.
No Date
Write “n.d.” in the date position. The rest of the entry remains the same. In-text, write (Author, n.d.). This convention tells readers that the source lacks a date and that you did not overlook it.
Advance Online Publications
Many journals post the accepted version before assigning an issue or page range. Supply the year shown, the article title, the journal title, and the DOI. Omit volume, issue, and pages until they exist. Once the final version appears, update your entry if you can confirm the new details.
Special Pagination
Some journals use eLocators or article numbers instead of pages. Place the article number in place of the page range. Do not add labels such as “Article” or “eLocator.” The style remains clean and machine-readable.
Proofing Checklist Before You Submit
- Authors appear as last name plus initials with commas and an ampersand before the final author.
- Up to twenty authors are listed; twenty-one or more use an ellipsis between the nineteenth and the final author.
- Year sits in parentheses right after the authors.
- Article title uses sentence case; journal title uses title case and italics.
- Volume number is italicized; issue number sits in parentheses with no italics.
- Page range uses an en dash, or an article number replaces the pages when supplied.
- DOI appears as a URL; end the entry with the DOI or URL without a period.
- Every in-text citation has a matching reference entry, and every entry is cited in the text.
Worked Mini-Guide: From Metadata To Finished Entry
Say you have this metadata: Authors: Amina R. Khan, Diego L. Torres, and Priya S. Menon. Year: 2024. Title: “Dietary fiber intake links with blood glucose in midlife.” Journal: Metabolic Health Reports. Volume 18, issue 1. Pages 22–36. DOI: 10.5678/mhr.2024.0005. Build the entry by ordering the parts, trimming first names to initials, applying sentence case to the title, italicizing the journal and volume, placing the issue in parentheses, adding the page range with an en dash, and finishing with the DOI as a URL.
Khan, A. R., Torres, D. L., & Menon, P. S. (2024). Dietary fiber intake links with blood glucose in midlife. Metabolic Health Reports, 18(1), 22–36. https://doi.org/10.5678/mhr.2024.0005
Now craft matching in-text citations. Parenthetical first mention: (Khan et al., 2024). Narrative style: Khan et al. (2024) reported lower post-meal glucose with higher fiber intake. Direct quote: (Khan et al., 2024, p. 28). These patterns keep the text readable while pointing cleanly to the single entry on your reference page.
When To Add URLs And Retrieval Dates
Supply a URL when no DOI exists and the article is free to read on the journal site. Skip database URLs for typical subscription databases. Use a retrieval date only for sources that change over time, such as wikis or dynamic data pages. Journal articles rarely need retrieval dates. Keeping links stable makes your references dependable for readers and indexers.
Formatting Details That Raise Clarity
Punctuation And Spacing
Place a period after the author group, after the year, and after the article title. Put a comma after the journal title, then italicize the volume and follow with the issue in parentheses. After the page range or article number, add a period only when no DOI or URL follows. No extra spaces appear around parentheses or en dashes. Consistent punctuation improves scanning speed for editors and reviewers.
Alphabetizing The Reference List
Order entries by the first author’s last name. When the same first author appears across multiple entries, sort by year and add “a,” “b,” and so on for identical years. Match those letters in text. Use a hanging indent so the first line touches the margin and the rest of the entry indents. This layout helps readers locate sources at a glance.
Troubleshooting Fast
- Missing author? Move the title to the author spot and cite the title in text.
- Missing year? Use “n.d.” in both the reference and in-text citation.
- No pages? Supply the article number; use paragraph numbers for quotes in text.
- Many authors? Count to twenty; twenty-one or more triggers the ellipsis rule.
- Unsure about “et al.”? Three or more authors in text always reduce to “et al.”
Keep A Short Reference Template Nearby
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Article title in sentence case. Journal Title in Title Case, volume(issue), page–page or eLocator. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Pair that template with the in-text patterns above, and your citations will stay clean across drafts, revisions, and submissions. When unusual cases arise, check the linked guides, confirm the element order, and stick to the same punctuation for every entry on the page.