In APA, cite peer-reviewed articles with author, year, title, journal, volume(issue), pages, and the DOI or URL when available.
APA style runs on a simple promise: match what you write in the text to a clean entry on the reference list. If you need a fast, reliable path for how to cite peer-reviewed articles in APA, this guide keeps every step tidy and consistent.
APA Basics For Peer-Reviewed Sources
APA uses an author–date system. In the text, you point readers to a source with a brief note. On the reference list, you give the full details. The goal is to help the reader move from a claim to the journal article without friction.
| Element | In-Text Form | Reference List Pattern |
|---|---|---|
| One author | (Rivera, 2024) | Rivera, J. A. (2024). Title of article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx |
| Two authors | (Rivera & Chen, 2024) | Rivera, J. A., & Chen, L. M. (2024). Title of article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx |
| Three+ authors | (Rivera et al., 2024) | Rivera, J. A., Chen, L. M., Patel, R., & Singh, T. (2024). Title of article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx |
| Group author | (World Health Organization, 2021) | World Health Organization. (2021). Title of article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx |
| No author | (“Article title,” 2022) | Article title. (2022). Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx |
| No date | (Rivera, n.d.) | Rivera, J. A. (n.d.). Title of article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), xx–xx. https://doi.org/xxxxx |
| Direct quote | (Rivera, 2024, p. 12) | Use page or paragraph numbers for quotes: p. or pp.; para. for paragraphs. |
Keep the DOI in link format (https://doi.org/xxxxx). If the article lacks a DOI and you read it on a regular scholarly database, stop at the page range. If the article lives on a journal website and no DOI exists, add the URL.
Need the official wording? See APA’s guides on DOIs and URLs and the full set of journal article reference examples.
Citing Peer-Reviewed Articles In APA Style: Step-By-Step
This section walks through the two parts that work together: the in-text citation and the reference entry. Follow the same structure every time, and the workload drops.
Pick The Right In-Text Style
Use narrative style when the name fits the sentence: Rivera (2024) reported a drop in error rates. Use parenthetical style when the name sits better at the end: The error rate dropped (Rivera, 2024).
Handle Author Counts
Two authors use an ampersand in the parentheses: (Rivera & Chen, 2024). In the sentence itself, write “and”: Rivera and Chen (2024). For three or more authors, shorten to the first author plus “et al.” from the first mention onward: (Rivera et al., 2024).
Quote With Precision
Short quotes keep the page number in the citation: “the effect held across labs” (Rivera, 2024, p. 12). For material without pages, count paragraphs: (Rivera, 2024, para. 4). Block quotes follow the same page logic.
Distinguish Works Published In The Same Year
If the same author has two articles from the same year, tag letters after the year in both places: Rivera, J. A. (2024a) … and Rivera, J. A. (2024b) …. The letters match the reference list order.
Use Group Authors Cleanly
Write the full group name in the first citation if an abbreviation helps later use. Example in a sentence: The World Health Organization (WHO, 2021) issued a notice. Later: WHO (2021) framed the policy. If no short form exists, keep the full name.
Build The Reference Entry For A Journal Article
APA reference entries follow one rhythm: Author. (Year). Title of article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), page range. DOI or URL. Apply sentence case to the article title, title case and italics to the journal name, italics to the volume, regular type for the issue, and a hyphen for the page span.
Journal Article With A DOI
Rivera, J. A., Chen, L. M., & Patel, R. (2024). Sample title in sentence case. Journal of Clear Writing, 18(2), 101–118. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx
Journal Article Without A DOI On A Database
End the entry after the page range. No database name. No login URL. That keeps the entry stable across institutions.
Journal Article Without A DOI On A Public Site
Rivera, J. A. (2022). Sample title in sentence case. Open Access Journal, 7(1), 1–9. https://www.journal-site.org/article/123
Article With An Article Number
Many journals now use e-locators. Swap the page range for the article number: Journal Title, 29, Article e12345. Add the DOI when present.
Advance Online Publication
When the article appears online before issue assignment, write “Advance online publication” where the page range would go, then give the DOI: Rivera, J. A. (2025). Sample title. Journal Title. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx
Translated Titles
If the article is not in English and the reference list is, include a bracketed translation of the article title right after the original title. Keep the journal title in its original language.
Multiple Works By The Same Authors
List entries by year, earliest first. Same year entries sort by title and use “a,” “b,” and so on after the year. Those letters must appear in both the in-text citations and the references.
Quick Fixes For Tricky Cases
Real articles sometimes carry quirks. Use these quick patterns to keep your APA citation for a peer-reviewed article tight and clear.
| Scenario | In-Text | Reference Entry |
|---|---|---|
| One author, narrative | Rivera (2024) | Rivera, J. A. (2024). Title. Journal Title, 18(2), 101–118. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx |
| Two authors, parenthetical | (Rivera & Chen, 2024) | Rivera, J. A., & Chen, L. M. (2024). Title. Journal Title, 18(2), 101–118. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx |
| Three+ authors | (Rivera et al., 2024) | Rivera, J. A., Chen, L. M., Patel, R., & Singh, T. (2024). Title. Journal Title, 18(2), 101–118. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx |
| No DOI, database | (Rivera, 2022) | Rivera, J. A. (2022). Title. Journal Title, 7(1), 1–9. |
| No DOI, public URL | (Rivera, 2022) | Rivera, J. A. (2022). Title. Open Access Journal, 7(1), 1–9. https://www.journal-site.org/article/123 |
| Article number | (Rivera, 2023) | Rivera, J. A. (2023). Title. Journal Title, 29, Article e12345. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx |
| Advance online publication | (Rivera, 2025) | Rivera, J. A. (2025). Title. Journal Title. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx |
| Group author | (World Health Organization, 2021) | World Health Organization. (2021). Title. Journal Title, 12(3), 33–40. https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx |
| Same author, same year | (Rivera, 2024a; Rivera, 2024b) | Label entries with a, b, etc., and repeat those letters in the year in text. |
Proof Your APA Citation Before You Publish
Scan for these fast checks. Author names in initials only on the reference list. Year in parentheses after the author. Article title in sentence case. Journal title in title case and italics. Volume in italics, issue in parentheses right after the volume with no space. Use an en dash in page ranges. End with the DOI link, or a clean URL for public articles with no DOI.
Match Every In-Text Citation To A Reference
Every article you cite in the text needs a matching entry on the list. Every entry on the list should appear in the text. One-to-one pairing avoids confusion for readers and reviewers.
Watch Common Name Variations
Hyphenated surnames stay hyphenated. Keep accents in names when possible. For surnames with particles, follow the journal’s indexing rules if known.
Tune Formatting Details
APA asks for a hanging indent on the reference list. Most writing tools can set this in paragraph options. Set double spacing across the list, and keep one space after periods in the references.
Examples You Can Reuse
These sample entries mirror what you will write for peer-reviewed journal articles in APA. Swap in the correct names, year, titles, and identifiers.
Standard Article With DOI
Nguyen, M. T., Salim, A., & Ortega, P. (2023). Measuring skill transfer across tasks. Learning Science Quarterly, 12(4), 255–274. https://doi.org/10.5555/abc123
Database Article Without DOI
Alvarez, R. (2021). Task switching under time pressure. Journal of Applied Methods, 9(1), 44–57.
Open Web Article Without DOI
Vargas, A., & Sun, Y. (2020). Memory decay in low-noise settings. Open Methods, 4(2), 1–10. https://openmethods.org/vol4/issue2/vargas-sun
Article With Article Number
Li, C. (2022). Reinforcement patterns in novice learning. Education Reports, 5, Article e21008. https://doi.org/10.1000/xyz789
Advance Online Publication With DOI
Khan, S. (2025). Meta-analysis on spaced practice. Research Syntheses. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.7777/def456
Why This Approach Works For Any Peer-Reviewed Article
APA rules target findability. Readers can see who wrote the article, when it appeared, what it’s called, where it lives, and how to reach it. That is why the author at the front and the DOI at the end matter so much. With this pattern in muscle memory, citing peer-reviewed articles in APA becomes quick and repeatable for any topic.
Fast Checklist
- Match every in-text note to one reference.
- Use sentence case for article titles.
- Italicize the journal and volume.
- Link the DOI with https://doi.org/.
- Skip database URLs when no DOI exists.
- Check year, volume, issue, and pages for typos before you publish. Keep spacing and punctuation consistent everywhere.