In APA 7th, a peer-reviewed journal article is cited as: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx
APA rules can feel fussy, yet once you see the pattern, it clicks. This guide gives you steps, templates, and no-nonsense examples to build journal citations.
Citing A Peer Reviewed Journal In APA Style
Reference List Basics
Your reference needs four blocks: author, year, title, and source. For journals, the source packs the title, volume, issue, page range or eLocator, and a DOI link. Capitalize the journal title in title case, italicize the journal title and volume, and present the DOI as a live https link.
For full pattern guidance and edge cases, see APA’s official journal article references page.
APA Journal Reference Templates: Quick Patterns
| Scenario | Template | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Standard article with DOI | Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Use sentence case for the article title. |
| Online first / advance online | Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Journal Title. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Drop volume, issue, and pages until assigned. |
| Article number (no page range) | Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Journal Title, Volume, Article e12345. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Use the article number label shown by the journal. |
| No DOI but URL | Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx. URL | Use a stable URL only when no DOI exists. |
| No DOI and print-only | Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx. | End the reference after page range. |
| Twenty-one or more authors | List first 19 authors, …, Final, Z. Z. (Year). Title. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Use an ellipsis, no ampersand before the last name. |
| Retracted article | Author, A. A. (Year). Title [Retraction of]. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Follow the current APA note style. |
| Non-English title | Author, A. A. (Year). Title in language [English translation]. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Include the translation in brackets. |
| Supplement issue | Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Journal Title, Volume(Suppl. 1), xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Use the supplement label the journal provides. |
| Special issue article | Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Cite the article as usual; name the issue in text if needed. |
Build The Reference Step By Step
- Start with authors. Surname first, then initials. Use an ampersand before the final name. For 21+ authors, list the first 19, add an ellipsis, then the last author.
- Add the year. Put the year in parentheses followed by a period. Include a month or day only when the journal supplies it.
- Write the article title. Sentence case, no quotes. Keep only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon capitalized.
- Give the source. Add the journal title in title case and italics, the volume in italics, the issue in parentheses (not italic), and the page range or article number.
- Finish with a DOI link. Use the https format only: https://doi.org/xxxxx. No “Retrieved from”.
Here’s an example with a DOI:
Hernandez, L. M., & Kim, S. J. (2023). Social reward tracking in daily life. Journal of Behavioral Science, 58(4), 211–229. https://doi.org/10.1037/abc0009999
Print-only sample without a DOI:
Porter, R. A. (2019). Learning curves and spaced practice. Teaching Review, 12(2), 45–59.
APA In-Text Citations For Journal Articles
Narrative Vs Parenthetical
Use author and year inside your sentence or in parentheses. One author: Smith (2022) or (Smith, 2022). Two authors: Chen and Ruiz (2021) or (Chen & Ruiz, 2021). Three or more: Patel et al. (2020) or (Patel et al., 2020). For a group author, write the full name the first time and an abbreviation after that if the group uses one.
Quotations
Direct quotes add a locator: (Nguyen, 2020, p. 84). When an article uses eLocators, use the section or paragraph tag the journal provides, such as (Lee, 2021, Section 3) or (Lee, 2021, para. 12).
For more examples, see Purdue OWL’s page on in-text citations.
Formatting Details That Matter
Capitalization Rules
Article titles use sentence case. Proper nouns and acronyms keep capitals. Journal titles use title case, and every major word gets a capital letter. Keep the journal title and the volume in italics.
Punctuation And Spacing
Place a period after the author block, after the year, and after the article title. Put a comma after the journal title, then the italic volume number. The issue number sits in plain parentheses with no space before it. Use a comma before the page range or eLocator, and finish with a period unless a DOI follows.
DOI And URL Styling
Use live, secure links. The current style is https://doi.org/ plus the DOI string. Drop “Retrieved from” for journal articles. If a URL is needed, use the shortest stable form and skip long tracking strings.
When Pages Are Missing
Some journals post only an article number. Include that label exactly. If a publisher lists an eLocator and sections, use those labels for quotes and summaries inside the paper.
Edge Cases You’ll See
No DOI Given
If the article lacks a DOI and you accessed it online, use a stable URL only when the site is open to readers. Subscription links often break for others, so skip the URL in that case.
Advance Online Publication
Some journals post accepted articles ahead of issue assignment. Use the “Advance online publication” label and include only the journal title and DOI until volume, issue, and pages arrive.
Article Numbers Instead Of Pages
Many open-access journals tag articles with eNumbers. Include the volume and the exact article number string, then the DOI.
More Than Twenty Authors
Write the first 19 names, insert an ellipsis, then add the last author’s name. No ampersand before the final author in this case.
Non-English Titles
Keep the original title. Add an English translation in brackets right after it so readers grasp the topic quickly.
Common Errors And Fixes
| Slip-Up | Why It’s Off | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Title in title case | APA wants sentence case for article titles. | Lowercase words after the first, except proper nouns. |
| “Retrieved from” before a DOI | DOIs are links, not retrieval dates. | Use only the https://doi.org/ format. |
| Journal title not italicized | Formatting signals the source. | Italicize the journal title and volume. |
| Using "and" inside parentheses | APA uses an ampersand there. | Write (Lopez & Wang, 2022). |
| Listing all authors for 3+ | Text flow suffers, and APA says to shorten. | Use “et al.” from the first citation. |
| Page range missing en dash | Hyphens look odd and can misread. | Use 123–129, not 123-129. |
| URL when a DOI exists | DOI is the preferred link. | Swap the URL for the DOI. |
| Issue number in italics | Only the volume gets italics. | Put the issue in plain text parentheses. |
Quick Workflow For Speed And Accuracy
- Open the article PDF or landing page and copy the author names exactly as published.
- Check the year and any month or day on the journal page, not a preprint server.
- Copy the article title, then convert it to sentence case.
- Copy the journal title and volume straight from the masthead to avoid typos.
- Grab the issue number and pages or the article number.
- Copy the DOI and paste it after https://doi.org/ with no spaces.
- Paste the full reference into your list, then add the matching in-text form.
When The Record Changes
Early view items later gain a volume, issue, and pages. Update your reference to the final version once those details appear. If a correction or retraction posts, follow the journal notice and the latest APA guidance for labeling. Your in-text citations stay the same unless the year on the record changes.
Citation tools can speed data entry, but export fields often arrive in mixed case or with missing pieces. Always proofread spacing, italics, and the DOI string before you ship work to readers. Keep records tidy always.
Checklist Before You Hit Publish
- Names set as Surname, Initials; comma after each author; ampersand before the last.
- Year in parentheses with a period right after.
- Article title in sentence case; no extra capitalization.
- Journal title and volume italicized; issue in parentheses right after the volume.
- Exact page range or correct article number string.
- Live DOI link in https format whenever supplied.
- In-text matches the reference list for author and year.
- Direct quotes carry a page, paragraph, or section locator.
Copy-Ready Examples You Can Adapt
Single Author
Rossi, M. L. (2022). Sleep timing and academic outcomes. Learning Studies, 41(2), 77–92. https://doi.org/10.1177/1234567890
Narrative: Rossi (2022) mapped the link between sleep and grades. Parenthetical: (Rossi, 2022).
Two Authors
Shah, P., & Duarte, R. (2021). Visual primes and recall. Cognitive Reports, 19(3), 145–160. https://doi.org/10.1080/987654321
In text: Shah and Duarte (2021) or (Shah & Duarte, 2021).
Three Or More Authors
Okeke, A., Li, T., & Park, J. (2020). Bilingual advantage in task switching. Language Research, 12(1), 9–25. https://doi.org/10.1111/abcdefg
In text: Okeke et al. (2020) or (Okeke et al., 2020).
Article With An eLocator
Martins, D. F., & Cole, H. (2024). Neural rhythms during rest. Open Neuroscience, 8, e10452. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.98765
In text: (Martins & Cole, 2024).
Twenty-One Or More Authors
Garcia, L., Ahmed, S., Brown, K., Chen, Y., Davis, P., Evans, R., Foster, Q., Green, T., Hall, U., Ito, V., Jones, W., Khan, X., Lee, Y., Miller, Z., Novak, A., Ortiz, B., Patel, C., Quinn, D., … Zhao, E. (2018). Multisite norms for working memory. Clinical Mind & Brain, 26(6), 301–315. https://doi.org/10.2466/98765
In text: (Garcia et al., 2018).