Citation Guide

APA Journal Citation Example – Format Guide

See APA 7th edition journal article citation examples. Covers standard articles, articles with DOIs, no DOIs, multiple authors, and special cases like advance online publications.

Journal articles are the most commonly cited source type in academic research. APA 7th edition has specific formatting requirements for journal citations depending on the number of authors, whether a DOI is available, and the publication status of the article. Here are complete examples for every common situation.

Standard Journal Article APA Citation

For a journal article with 1–20 authors and a DOI: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article in sentence case. Journal Name in Title Case, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx Example: Hernandez, R. J., Kim, S. L., & Patel, N. (2023). The role of AI in academic citation management. Computers & Education, 187(3), 104–119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2023.04.012 Note: No "Retrieved from" before the DOI in APA 7th edition.

Journal Article Without a DOI

If a journal article has no DOI but is available online: Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Journal Name, volume(issue), pages. URL Example: Thompson, E. R. (2023). Critical thinking in undergraduate education. Journal of College Student Development, 64(2), 89–104. https://www.jhup.edu/jcsd/thompson2023 If the article is print-only with no URL: Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Journal Name, volume(issue), pages. Example: Wilson, L. P. (2022). Qualitative methods in health research. Health Research Quarterly, 31(4), 211–225.

Journal Article with 21+ Authors

For articles with 21 or more authors, list the first 19 authors, then an ellipsis, then the last author: Smith, A., Jones, B., Williams, C., Brown, D., Davis, E., Miller, F., Wilson, G., Moore, H., Taylor, I., Anderson, J., Thomas, K., Jackson, L., White, M., Harris, N., Martin, O., Thompson, P., Garcia, Q., Martinez, R., Robinson, S., ... Clark, T. (2023). Title. Journal Name, volume(issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Advance Online Publication

For articles published online ahead of print (no volume/issue/page numbers yet): Author, A. A. (Year). Title. Journal Name. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/xxxxx Example: Chen, W., & Li, M. (2023). Machine learning in systematic reviews. Research Synthesis Methods. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/jrsm.1234 Once the article is formally published with volume/issue numbers, update your citation with those details.

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