To cite a peer-reviewed journal in APA, give an author–date in text and a reference with author, year, title, journal, volume(issue), pages, and DOI.
APA Journal Basics For Peer-Reviewed Sources
APA uses an author–date system. That means every in-text mention points to one matching reference entry at the end. Your goal is simple: help a reader see who wrote the article and where to find it. For peer-reviewed journals, the reference follows a fixed order and punctuation pattern that never changes.
At a glance, a journal reference lists author, year, article title in sentence case, journal title in title case and italics, volume in italics, issue in parentheses, page range, and a DOI link. If no DOI exists and the article is from a website, add a working URL.
Core Reference Templates And Examples
Use these quick patterns for the most common peer-reviewed situations. Match the scenario, copy the template, and swap in your details.
| Scenario | Template | Example |
|---|---|---|
| One author | Author, A. A. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Rahman, R. (2023). Sleep timing and mood. Mind & Body, 14(2), 115–129. https://doi.org/10.1234/mb.2023.4567 |
| Two authors | Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Nguyen, L., & Sosa, P. (2022). Beta cells in focus. Endocrine Reports, 8(1), 9–21. https://doi.org/10.1097/er.2022.00002 |
| Three or more authors | Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., … Author, Z. Z. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Akter, S., Ali, H., Chowdhury, M., & Khan, T. (2024). Urban heat and sleep debt. Public Health Today, 19(3), 201–214. https://doi.org/10.5678/pht.19.3.201 |
| Article with article number | Author, A. A. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, volume, Article e12345. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Silva, J. (2021). Glucose sensors at home. Digital Medicine, 5, Article e01988. https://doi.org/10.1000/dm.5.01988 |
| No DOI; web version | Author, A. A. (Year). Article title. Journal Title, volume(issue), pages. URL | Hoque, M. (2020). Herbal teas and reflux. Herbal Science, 3(4), 55–61. https://herbalscience.org/2020/4/55 |
| Advance online | Author, A. A. (Year). Article title. Journal Title. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/xxxxx | Perez, V. (2025). Microbiome drift after travel. Gut Notes. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.7777/gn.2025.008 |
| Same author, same year | Author, A. A. (Yeara). Title A. Journal Title, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx Author, A. A. (Yearb). Title B. Journal Title, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx |
Daristotle, J. (2024a). Iron intake in teens. Youth Nutrition, 26(2), 18–19. https://doi.org/10.1001/yn.2024.1 Daristotle, J. (2024b). Zinc in school meals. Youth Nutrition, 26(3), 44–47. https://doi.org/10.1001/yn.2024.2 |
In-Text Citations That Match Your Reference List
In text, include the author last name and year. The pair can appear inside parentheses or woven into your sentence. For a direct quote or a figure, add a page or paragraph marker.
For three or more authors, shorten to the first author plus “et al.” from the first citation onward. Group authors use the full name at first mention; if an abbreviation is well known, introduce it once and use the short form later.
Parenthetical Vs Narrative
Parenthetical style keeps both parts inside brackets: (Iqbal, 2021). Narrative style puts the author in the sentence and the year in brackets: Iqbal (2021) found a clear dose-response.
Quotations And Page Numbers
Add a locator for quotes and for charts you borrow. Use p. for one page and pp. for a span: (Saha, 2020, p. 7) or (Roy, 2019, pp. 15–17). If the article has no pages, cite a section heading or paragraph number.
Group Authors And Abbreviations
Name the organization the first time, then add the abbreviation in brackets if one exists. Example: World Health Organization (WHO, 2022). Later citations can use the short form: (WHO, 2022).
Peer-Reviewed Or Not? Quick Ways To Verify
Check the journal website for an “About” or “Instructions for authors” page that describes blind review. Library databases often include a peer-reviewed filter or a referee icon. If you are still unsure, ask a librarian or search a university guide that lists signs of scholarly review.
Citing Peer-Reviewed Journals In APA — Common Cases
Here are clean patterns you can trust when the details change. Swap titles, names, and numbers, but keep the punctuation and order.
Article With A DOI
Reference: Rahman, R. (2023). Sleep timing and mood. Mind & Body, 14(2), 115–129. https://doi.org/10.1234/mb.2023.4567 In text: (Rahman, 2023) or Rahman (2023).
Article Without A DOI
Reference: Hoque, M. (2020). Herbal teas and reflux. Herbal Science, 3(4), 55–61. https://herbalscience.org/2020/4/55 In text: (Hoque, 2020).
Advance Online Publication
Reference: Perez, V. (2025). Microbiome drift after travel. Gut Notes. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.7777/gn.2025.008 In text: (Perez, 2025).
Many Authors
Reference: Akter, S., Ali, H., Chowdhury, M., & Khan, T. (2024). Urban heat and sleep debt. Public Health Today, 19(3), 201–214. https://doi.org/10.5678/pht.19.3.201 In text: Akter et al. (2024) or (Akter et al., 2024).
Formatting Fine Points That Save Grades
Use sentence case for article titles and title case for journal names. Italicize the journal title and the volume number, but not the issue number. Use an en dash for page ranges. End the reference with a live DOI link when present.
Do not add database names or access dates for standard journal articles. Include issue numbers for every journal that numbers each issue. If the article has an eLocator or article number, write “Article” before it.
APA In-Text Patterns At A Glance
These quick patterns cover paraphrases and quotes. Choose one and keep it consistent across your paper.
| Situation | Pattern | Example |
|---|---|---|
| One author paraphrase | (Author, Year) | (Iqbal, 2021) |
| Two authors paraphrase | (Author & Author, Year) | (Nguyen & Sosa, 2022) |
| Three or more paraphrase | (Author et al., Year) | (Akter et al., 2024) |
| Narrative style | Author (Year) | Rahman (2023) |
| Short quote | (Author, Year, p. x) | (Saha, 2020, p. 7) |
| Block quote 40+ words | Author (Year, p. x) then the block | Rahman (2023, p. 118) |
Links And Quick Tools
See APA’s author–date system and DOI rules for journals and articles.
Common Mistakes And Fast Fixes
Missing DOI link: If a DOI exists, present it as a live https URL, not as “doi:” text. Name order errors: Keep surnames first and initials after, with commas between authors.
Wrong capitalization: Keep only the first word of the article title and proper nouns capitalized. Journal names keep major words capitalized and italicized.
Broken link: Test your DOI and URLs in a browser. Mismatch between in-text and reference: Every citation needs one reference, and every reference must be cited in text.
Worked Examples You Can Copy
Paraphrase with one author: Physical activity improves sleep quality (Rahman, 2023). Quote with page: “Short daytime naps aided alertness” (Nguyen & Sosa, 2022, p. 15).
Group author first mention: World Health Organization (WHO, 2022) described regional trends. Later: (WHO, 2022).
Two items same author and year: Daristotle (2024a, 2024b) reported nutrient shifts across terms. Parenthetical form: (Daristotle, 2024a, 2024b).
Step-By-Step Workflow From Article To Citation
1) Grab the article PDF or landing page. Copy author names exactly as shown, with initials. 2) Find the year near the title or in the citation header. 3) Copy the article title and convert to sentence case; keep proper nouns capitalized. 4) Copy the journal title and keep major words capitalized; set it in italics when you format. 5) Record volume, issue, and page range or the article number. 6) Locate a DOI on the first page or publisher page; format as an https link beginning with https://doi.org/. 7) Arrange the parts in the standard order with the right commas and periods. 8) Build the matching in-text citation.
Name punctuation matters. Use a comma between each author and an ampersand before the final author in the reference. Inside parentheses use an ampersand; in narrative text use “and.” If the author list exceeds 20, include the first 19, add an ellipsis, then the final author.
Edge Cases You Might See
No author: Start with the article title, then the year. In text, shorten the title in double quotation marks with the year. Advance online items: Use the phrase “Advance online publication” and include the DOI. Supplements: If the issue is a supplement, write it like 12(Suppl. 2). Errata or retractions: When you cite the notice, add a bracketed label after the title, such as [Retraction notice]. Special issues follow the normal pattern unless editors are credited as authors. Check punctuation carefully.
Quick Checklist For APA Journal Citations
1) Author names and initials match the article.
2) Year appears right after the authors in brackets.
3) Article title uses sentence case.
4) Journal title uses title case and italics.
5) Volume number is italic, issue number is in round brackets.
6) Give a page range or an article number.
7) End with a DOI link when present; otherwise add a clean URL if needed.
8) In-text citations show author and year, with a page for direct quotes.
9) Every in-text citation has a matching reference entry.
10) Punctuation and spaces match APA style exactly.