A Cochrane Review in APA 7th uses the review authors, year, “Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews,” volume(issue), article number, and DOI.
Working with Cochrane Reviews? Here’s a clean, copy-ready way to build a flawless APA 7th reference and matching in-text citations. You’ll see exactly which bits to pull from the review page, how to place punctuation, and how to handle quirks like article numbers, protocols, and updates.
APA treats a Cochrane Review like a journal article. The journal title is Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and most entries carry an issue, an article number, and a DOI. Follow the steps below and you’ll have citations that read well and pass any style check.
Build The Reference: Element By Element
| Element | What To Include | Notes / Rule |
|---|---|---|
| Author(s) | Last name, initials for up to 20 authors | Use an ampersand before the final author; list up to 20 in full |
| Year | (Year) | Use the year shown on the review; omit month and day |
| Title of review | Sentence case | Capitalize only the first word, proper nouns, and after a colon |
| Journal | Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews | Italicize the journal title |
| Volume & issue | Year(Issue) | Cochrane uses the year as the volume |
| Article number | Article CDxxxxxx | Use the CD code in place of page range |
| DOI | https://doi.org/… | Present as a URL with the https://doi.org prefix |
General article rules—title case for journals, italics for the volume, and DOI formatting—mirror standard APA guidance for periodicals. For a refresher on those rules, see the
Purdue OWL page on periodicals.
For Cochrane-specific examples, many university libraries note that Cochrane Reviews follow the journal-article pattern with an article number and DOI; one clear outline is
University of Manitoba’s Cochrane Review guide.
How To Cite A Cochrane Review In APA 7th: Clean Steps
Step 1: Grab The Authors Exactly As Shown
Copy authors in the order listed on the review. Convert given names to initials with spaces after commas:
Smith, J. A., Lee, K., & Patel, R.
For three or more authors, in-text citations shorten to the first author’s surname plus “et al.”
Step 2: Add The Year In Parentheses
Place the year after the authors:
(2024).
Cochrane shows a version history, but the reference uses the publication year for the version you read.
Step 3: Write The Review Title In Sentence Case
Use lowercase for the title except the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon:
Vitamin D for fracture prevention in adults.
Step 4: Insert The Journal Name
Type the journal in italics:
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
Step 5: Supply Volume, Issue, And Article Number
Format as
2024(3)
for volume and issue, then add the article number:
Article CD012345.
Cochrane uses article numbers instead of page ranges.
Where To Find The CD Code
You’ll see a CD-style code (for example, CD012345) near the DOI or in the citation box on the review page. That code is your article number.
Step 6: Finish With The DOI Link
End with the DOI in URL form, no period:
https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012345.pub3.
Full Reference And In-Text Examples
Standard Review (Three Authors)
Reference: Smith, J. A., Lee, K., & Patel, R. (2024). Vitamin D for fracture prevention in adults. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2024(3), Article CD012345. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD012345.pub3
Parenthetical: (Smith et al., 2024)
Narrative: Smith et al. (2024)
Long Author List (More Than 20 Authors)
Reference: List the first 19 authors, an ellipsis, then the final author. In-text, still shorten to the first author’s surname plus “et al.”
Parenthetical: (Garcia et al., 2023)
Direct Quote Without Page Numbers
Many reviews are read online. If a page range is missing, cite a section heading and paragraph number:
(Smith et al., 2024, Results, para. 4).
Handle Common Variations
Cochrane Protocol
Protocols are labeled on the review page. Keep the same journal and format, and include the word Protocol in the title if it appears there.
Reference: Nguyen, T., & Brown, P. (2023). Early mobilization after hip fracture surgery (Protocol). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2023(7), Article CD098765. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD098765
Updated Review Version
Cochrane updates reviews. Cite the version you used by year and DOI on that version’s page.
Group Author
Occasionally the author is a group. Use the group name as the author:
Cochrane Dementia and Cognitive Improvement Group.
In-text, shorten a long group name after the first mention by adding an abbreviation in brackets, then use the abbreviation thereafter.
Abbreviations In Text
First use:
(Cochrane Stroke Group [CSG], 2021).
Later uses:
(CSG, 2021).
In-Text Patterns At A Glance
| Situation | Parenthetical | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| One author | (Adams, 2022) | Adams (2022) |
| Two authors | (Adams & Li, 2022) | Adams and Li (2022) |
| Three or more authors | (Adams et al., 2022) | Adams et al. (2022) |
| Group author (first use) | (Cochrane Stroke Group [CSG], 2021) | Cochrane Stroke Group (CSG, 2021) |
| Group author (later use) | (CSG, 2021) | CSG (2021) |
| Direct quote, no pages | (Adams et al., 2022, Methods, para. 2) | Adams et al. (2022, Methods, para. 2) |
Frequent Mistakes And Quick Fixes
Missing Article Number
Many citation tools skip the CD code. Add it as
Article CDxxxxxx
right after the issue. University guides for APA 7 confirm using article numbers when no page range appears.
Wrong Journal Name
Do not write “Cochrane Library” as the journal. The journal is
Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.
The Library is the platform that hosts the journal.
Extra Period After The DOI
Leave the DOI as a live link with no trailing punctuation.
Mixing Month/Day Into The Year
Use only the year in the reference, even if the review page lists a full date.
Copy-Ready Templates
Template: Standard Review
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of review in sentence case. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Year(Issue), Article CDxxxxxx. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CDxxxxxx.pubx
Template: Protocol
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of review in sentence case (Protocol). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Year(Issue), Article CDxxxxxx. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CDxxxxxx
Template: Group Author
Group Name. (Year). Title of review in sentence case. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Year(Issue), Article CDxxxxxx. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CDxxxxxx
Where Each Piece Lives On A Review Page
Authors And Year
Both sit at the top of the review page and in the “Cite” box. Copy the author order exactly and use the year that appears with the current version you accessed.
Title And Journal
The title appears under the authors; the journal is listed as Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Keep the title in sentence case and the journal in title case.
Issue, Article Number, And DOI
You’ll find the issue number next to the year-as-volume. The article number sits near the DOI or inside a downloadable citation. Use the DOI link exactly as shown.
Quick Recap
Think journal article: authors, year, review title in sentence case, the journal name in italics, the year as the volume, the issue in parentheses, the CD article number, and the DOI link. Match your in-text citation style to the author count, and use a section label plus a paragraph number when you quote text with no page range. With those moves set, every Cochrane Review you cite will be tidy and consistent.