How to Cite a Journal Article in APA 7th Edition

Journal articles are among the most frequently cited sources in academic writing, and APA 7th edition provides a clear format for citing them correctly. Whether you’re citing a print journal, an online article, or a digital database, this guide covers every scenario with practical examples.

Basic Journal Article Citation Format

The standard format for citing a journal article in APA 7th edition includes these elements in this specific order:

Author(s). (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), page range. DOI or URL

Example:

Smith, J. A., & Johnson, R. B. (2023). Advances in cognitive psychology research.
Journal of Psychological Studies, 45(3), 234-256. https://doi.org/10.1234/jps.2023.001

Step-by-Step Citation Instructions

Step 1: Identify the Author(s)

List all authors in the order they appear in the article.

• Single author: Last name, First initial(s).
• Two authors: Last name, First initial. & Last name, First initial.
• Three or more authors: List all authors; use ampersand (&) before the final author.

Examples:

Brown, M. J.

Davis, K. L., & Martinez, C. R.

Wilson, T. P., Lee, S. H., & Thompson, J. B.

Step 2: Write the Publication Year

The year appears in parentheses immediately after the author names.

Example: (2023)

If the publication date is uncertain, use (n.d.) for “no date.”

Step 3: Include the Article Title

Use sentence case: capitalize only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon. Do not use quotation marks around the article title.

Example: Research methods in social science inquiry

Step 4: Format the Journal Name

The journal title is italicized and uses title case (capitalize major words).

Example: Journal of Psychological Studies

Step 5: Add Volume and Issue Numbers

The volume number is italicized. The issue number is in parentheses (not italicized) and immediately follows the volume number.

Format:

Journal Name, Volume(Issue)

Example:

*Journal of Psychological Studies*, 45(3)

Step 6: Include Page Range

Page numbers follow the volume and issue information.

Example:

*Journal of Psychological Studies*, 45(3), 234-256.

Step 7: Add DOI or URL

If available, include the DOI (preferred). If no DOI exists, include the URL of the journal website or database.

With DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1234/jps.2023.001

Without DOI:

https://www.journalname.com/article

Complete Citation Examples

Single Author, Online with DOI

Anderson, B. R. (2023). The impact of technology on modern education.
Educational Research Review, 28(4), 112-128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.edurev.2023.001

Multiple Authors, Online Database

Chen, L., Rodriguez, M. J., & Williams, K. T. (2022). Sustainable development
practices in manufacturing. International Journal of Environmental Science, 19(2),
78-95. https://doi.org/10.3456/ijes.2022.005

Two Authors, Print Journal (with volume and issue)

Patel, R. S., & Kumar, A. (2023). Clinical applications of behavioral therapy.
The Journal of Clinical Psychology, 79(5), 445-460.

Three Authors, No DOI (with URL)

Thompson, J. L., White, S. M., & Davis, E. R. (2021). Innovations in renewable
energy systems. Journal of Sustainable Technology, 14(1), 23-41.
https://www.jstech.org/articles/2021

Print Journal (No URL or DOI)

For print journals without online availability, omit the DOI/URL:

Grant, M. P., & Schmidt, H. L. (2020). Early childhood development outcomes.
Child Psychology Quarterly, 33(2), 156-172.

In-Text Citation Examples

When citing a journal article in the text of your paper, use parenthetical citations with the author’s last name and year.

Paraphrase:

Research indicates that technology has transformed modern learning environments
(Anderson, 2023).

Direct Quote:

"Technology has fundamentally altered the landscape of modern education"
(Anderson, 2023, p. 115).

Multiple Authors (First mention):

A study found that sustainable manufacturing practices increase efficiency by 23%
(Chen, Rodriguez, & Williams, 2022).

Multiple Authors (Subsequent mentions):

Chen et al. (2022) further demonstrated...

Special Situations

Article with 20 or More Authors

List the first 19 authors, then insert an ellipsis (…) followed by the final author’s name.

Author1, A., Author2, B., Author3, C., Author4, D., Author5, E., Author6, F.,
Author7, G., Author8, H., Author9, I., Author10, J., Author11, K., Author12, L.,
Author13, M., Author14, N., Author15, O., Author16, P., Author17, Q., Author18, R.,
… LastAuthor, Z. (2023). Title of article. *Journal Name*, 45(2), 100-120.

Online Journal Article with No Issue Number

When an online journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers:

Martinez, C. D. (2023). Emerging trends in data science. Digital Computing Journal,
12, Article e245. https://doi.org/10.2849/dcj.2023.245

Advance Online Publication

When an article is published online before print:

Thompson, L. K. (2023). Future directions in neuroscience research. *Brain and
Behavior*, 48, Article 13215. https://doi.org/10.1002/brb3.13215

Common Formatting Errors to Avoid

• Not italicizing the journal title and volume number - Always italicize these elements
• Capitalizing article titles incorrectly - Use sentence case, not title case
• Omitting the DOI when available - DOIs are preferred over URLs
• Using quotation marks around the article title - Don’t use them in APA citations
• Incorrect author abbreviations - Only use initials, not full first names
• Misformatting multiple authors - Use commas and ampersand (&) correctly
• Missing issue numbers - Include (Issue) even if the journal is numbered by volume only

Citing Different Types of Journal Articles

Peer-Reviewed Research Article

Lee, S. P., & Kim, H. J. (2023). Quantitative analysis of climate change impacts.
*Environmental Science and Technology*, 57(14), 8234-8251.
https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c01234

Literature Review

Patterson, D. M. (2022). A systematic review of burnout in healthcare professionals.
*Journal of Health Psychology*, 27(8), 2109-2128.
https://doi.org/10.1177/1359105321991686

Short Communication or Brief Report

Rivera, M. C., & Torres, L. A. (2023). Preliminary findings in cancer immunotherapy.
*Oncology Letters*, 26(2), 345. https://doi.org/10.3892/ol.2023.14012

Using GenText to Generate Journal Citations

Creating perfectly formatted journal citations manually is tedious and error-prone. GenText’s APA citation generator handles all the formatting automatically. Enter your journal article details—author names, article title, journal name, volume, issue, year, and DOI—and GenText generates a complete, properly formatted citation instantly.

Visit /tools/citation-generator/apa/ to generate journal article citations for your papers in seconds.

Verification Checklist

Before including a journal citation in your paper, verify:

• ✓ All author names are listed in the correct format
• ✓ Publication year is in parentheses
• ✓ Article title uses sentence case without quotation marks
• ✓ Journal name is italicized and uses title case
• ✓ Volume number is italicized and followed by (Issue) in parentheses
• ✓ Page range or article number is included
• ✓ DOI or URL is present (DOI preferred)
• ✓ The entry is alphabetized correctly in your reference list
• ✓ A hanging indent is applied

Additional Resources

For more citation guidance, see:

• Complete APA 7th Edition Citation Guide
• APA In-Text Citation Guide
• APA Reference List Format
• How to Cite Multiple Authors in APA

Journal articles are fundamental to academic research, and properly citing them strengthens your work’s credibility. By following these APA 7th edition guidelines, you’ll ensure your citations are accurate, complete, and professionally formatted.