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Citation APA Style

APA Style, currently in its seventh edition, was developed by the American Psychological Association (APA). The style is commonly used in the fields of behavioral and social sciences. In addition to being one of the most popular style guides in academia, APA Style's most enduring legacy is its continually updated guidelines for reducing bias in language.

APA Style

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APA Examples

Template: AuthorLastName, F. I. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume(issue), pages. DOI or URL.

Journal article (with DOI): McDonald, J. E., Faytol, A. L., Grau, P. P., Olson, J. R., Goddard, H. W., & Marshall, J. P. (2020). Compassion and values influence marital quality amongst couples in three U.S. states. Couple and Family Psychology: Research and Practice, 9(2), 59–72. https://doi.org/10.1037/cfp0000134

Journal article (no DOI): Ployd, A. (2020). What makes a martyr? The Movement for Black Lives and the power of rhetoric old and new. Journal of Ecumenical Studies, 55(1), 33-45.

Template: AuthorLastName, F. I. (Year). Title. Publisher.

One author: Davis, A. Y. (2003). Are prisons obsolete? Seven Stories Press.

Multiple authors: Lewis, J., Aydin, A., & Powell, N. (2013). March: Book one. Top Shelf Productions.

Chapter in an edited book: Wright, R. (2011). High tide in Harlem: Joe Louis as a symbol of freedom. In J. Schulian & G. Kimball (Ed.), At the fights: American writers on boxing (pp. 68-74). Library of America.

Template: AuthorLastName, F. I. (Date). Article title (if applicable). Title of Website. URL

Template for videos: Author, A. A. (year, month day). Title of video [Video file]. Source. Retrieved from URL

Article on a website: Adeline, S., Hanzhang Jin, C., Hurt, A., Wilburn, T., Wood, D., & Talbot, R. (August 5, 2020). Tracking the pandemic: Are coronavirus cases rising or falling in your state? NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/16/816707182/map-tracking-the-spread-of-the-coronavirus-in-the-u-s

Entire web site: News Literacy Project. (2020). News Literacy Project. https://newslit.org/

Video: University of Oxford. (2018, December 6). How do geckos walk on water? [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qm1xGfOZJc8

Notes:

  • If no author is listed, begin the entry with the web page title.
  • If the content is likely to change over time, include retrieval date.
  • If an organization is listed as the author/creator, list the organization name in place of an individual's name.

Need More Information?

See our Citation Styles guide to learn more about citing your sources.