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How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Format (7th Edition)

Updated March 2026 · 6 min read

Quick Answer APA 7th edition journal article format: Author, A. A. (Year). Article title in sentence case. Journal Name in Title Case, volume(issue), pages. Https://doi.org/xxxxx. The journal name and volume number are italicized; the article title is not. Always include a DOI as a hyperlink when available. The APA Citation Generator extension extracts metadata from PubMed, JSTOR, and publisher pages to build journal citations automatically.
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📋 Table of Contents

Journal articles are the backbone of academic research, and getting the citation format exactly right matters. APA 7th edition made a few key changes from 6th edition — including the DOI format and how many authors to list — that catch many writers off guard.

This guide covers every journal article scenario, from single-author print articles to advance online publications with no page numbers.

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Basic Journal Article Format

APA 7th Edition Template Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Article title in sentence case. Journal Name in Title Case, volume(issue), first–last page. Https://doi.org/xxxxx

What gets italicized: The journal name and volume number. Nothing else.

What does NOT get italicized: The article title.

Journal Article — Single Author with DOI Seligman, M. E. (2002). Positive psychology, positive prevention, and positive therapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62(3), 3–12. Https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.10014
In-Text Citation (Seligman, 2002)

Two Authors

Two Authors Dweck, C. S., & Leggett, E. L. (1988). A social-cognitive approach to motivation and personality. Psychological Review, 95(2), 256–273. Https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.95.2.256
Two Authors — In-Text (Dweck & Leggett, 1988)

Three or More Authors

For three or more authors, list all of them in the reference list (up to 20). In in-text citations, use the first author's last name followed by "et al." from the very first mention.

Multiple Authors — Reference List Bandura, A., Ross, D., & Ross, S. A. (1961). Transmission of aggression through imitation of aggressive models. Journal of Abnormal and Social Psychology, 63(3), 575–582. Https://doi.org/10.1037/h0045925
Three Authors — In-Text (First and All Subsequent Citations) (Bandura et al., 1961)

Understanding Volume, Issue, and Page Numbers

Element Format Example
Volume Italicized, after journal name Psychological Review, 95
Issue In parentheses, not italicized, no space after volume 95(2)
Pages After comma following issue, en dash (–) between page numbers 256–273
No issue number Skip parentheses, just volume Journal Name, 12, 45–56
En dash vs. Hyphen: Use an en dash (–) between page numbers, not a hyphen (-). In Word, type the first number, then a space, a hyphen, a space, the second number, and Word will auto-convert. Or use Alt+0150 (Windows) or Option+hyphen (Mac).

DOI Formatting

DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a permanent link to a specific article. APA 7th edition changed the DOI format from 6th edition.

Edition DOI Format
6th edition (old) doi:10.1037/a0024816
7th edition (current) https://doi.org/10.1037/a0024816
Where to find the DOI: Look on the first page of the article, in the article metadata on the publisher's website, or search the DOI at crossref.org. Always use the DOI over a URL when both are available.

No DOI Available

Article in Subscription Database — No DOI Garcia, M. (2019). The role of feedback in learning outcomes. Educational Psychology Review, 31(4), 889–912.

If the article was accessed through a database like PsycINFO, JSTOR, or EBSCOhost and has no DOI, end the citation after the page numbers. Do not include the database URL or a "Retrieved from" statement.

Open-Access Article — URL Instead of DOI Lee, S., & Kim, J. (2023). Social media use and mental health in adolescents. International Journal of Psychology, 58(2), 112–121. Https://www.ijpsychology.org/article/12345

Advance Online Publications

When an article is published online before it has been assigned to a volume or issue, use "Advance online publication" in place of volume, issue, and pages.

Advance Online Publication Chen, L. (2024). Cognitive load and remote learning. Journal of Educational Technology. Advance online publication. Https://doi.org/10.1080/example

Article Number Instead of Pages

Some online-only journals use article numbers instead of page ranges.

Article with Article Number Park, J. (2023). Resilience factors in trauma survivors. Frontiers in Psychology, 14, Article 1082456. Https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1082456

Special Article Types

Retracted Article

Retracted Article (Cited Before Retraction) Brown, A. (2015). Vaccination and autism risk. Medical Journal, 10(2), 55–67. Https://doi.org/10.xxxx/example (Retracted)

If you cite an article that was later retracted, note the retraction. Do not cite retracted articles to support claims — only to discuss the retraction itself.

Systematic Review or Meta-Analysis

These are cited the same way as regular journal articles. No special notation is required in the reference, though some authors add "[Systematic review]" or "[Meta-analysis]" as a bracketed descriptor after the article title.

Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor Martinez, R. (2022). Commentary on recent findings in cognitive therapy [Letter to the editor]. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 78(4), 789–790. Https://doi.org/10.xxxx/example

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the APA format for citing a journal article?

Author, A. A. (Year). Article title in sentence case. Journal Name in Title Case, volume(issue), page–page. Https://doi.org/xxxxx. The journal name and volume number are italicized; the article title is not.

What gets italicized in a journal article APA citation?

The journal name and the volume number. The article title does not get italicized — only the journal name and volume.

Do I need to include the issue number in an APA journal citation?

APA 7th edition recommends always including the issue number in parentheses after the volume. It's not always strictly required, but include it for clarity.

How do I format a DOI in APA 7th edition?

Format DOIs as full hyperlinks: https://doi.org/10.1037/xxxxxxx. Do not use the old "doi:" prefix format. No period after the DOI at the end of the entry.

What if the journal article has no DOI?

If accessed through a subscription database with no DOI, end the citation after the page numbers — no URL or "Retrieved from" needed. If freely available online with no DOI, include the journal homepage URL.

How do I cite an article with no page numbers in APA?

For advance online publications, use "Advance online publication" in place of volume/issue/pages, followed by the DOI. For online-only articles with article numbers, write "Article" followed by the number (e.g., Article 1082456).

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