How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Style

Citing journal articles in APA Style requires specific elements to help readers locate the exact source. The format varies slightly depending on whether the article was retrieved in print or online, and whether it has a Digital Object Identifier (DOI).

  • Author(s): The last name, followed by initials.
  • Year of Publication: In parentheses.
  • Title of the Article: Capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle, and proper nouns.
  • Title of the Journal: In italics. Capitalize all major words.
  • Volume Number: In italics.
  • Issue Number: In parentheses (not italicized).
  • Page Range: The inclusive page numbers of the article.
Format:
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume(issue), page range.
Example:
Walker, A., Ramirez, E., Rodriguez, J., & Johnson, P. (2014). Cognitive consequences of posttraumatic stress disorder. Annual Review of Psychology, 65(1), 201–232.

1. Citing a Print Journal Article

  • Author(s): The last name, followed by initials.
  • Year of Publication: In parentheses.
  • Title of the Article: Capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle, and proper nouns.
  • Title of the Journal: In italics. Capitalize all major words.
  • Volume Number: In italics.
  • Issue Number: In parentheses (not italicized).
  • Page Range: The inclusive page numbers of the article.
Format:
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume(issue), page range.
Example:
Walker, A., Ramirez, E., Rodriguez, J., & Johnson, P. (2014). Cognitive consequences of posttraumatic stress disorder. Annual Review of Psychology, 65(1), 201–232.

2. Citing an Online Journal Article with a DOI

  • Author(s): The last name, followed by initials.
  • Year of Publication: In parentheses.
  • Title of the Article: Capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle, and proper nouns.
  • Title of the Journal: In italics. Capitalize all major words.
  • Volume Number: In italics.
  • Issue Number: In parentheses (not italicized).
  • Page Range: The inclusive page numbers of the article.
  • DOI: Include the DOI at the end of the reference, as a complete and working URL.
Format:
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume(issue), page range. https://doi.org/xxxx
Example:
Grady, J. S., Jensen, J. D., Olmstead, B. M., & Yancey, A. (2019). Practical tips for incorporating ethics in quantitative research. The Quantitative Methods for Psychology, 15(1), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.20982/tqmp.15.1.p001

3. Citing an Online Journal Article without a DOI

  • Author(s): The last name, followed by initials.
  • Year of Publication: In parentheses.
  • Title of the Article: Capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle, and proper nouns.
  • Title of the Journal: In italics. Capitalize all major words.
  • Volume Number: In italics.
  • Issue Number: In parentheses (not italicized).
  • Page Range: The inclusive page numbers of the article.
  • URL: Include the stable URL at the end of the reference.
Format:
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume(issue), page range. URL
Example:
Harris, L. (2014). Is gratitude all we need? The Journal of Positive Psychology, 9(6), 433–439. https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rpos20/current

4. Citing an Article from an Online Database

When citing an article found in an online database (like JSTOR, PsycINFO, etc.), the format is similar to citing an online article with a DOI. In most cases, you should still look for and include the DOI if available. Do not include the database name.

  • If the article has a DOI: Use the format in section 2 above.
  • If the article does not have a DOI: Use the format in section 3 above, including a stable URL (if available). If a stable URL is not available, you may omit the URL.

Important Considerations

  • Capitalization: Capitalize all major words in the journal title. Capitalize only the first word, the first word after a colon or em dash, and proper nouns in the article title.
  • Italics: Italicize the journal title and the volume number. Do not italicize the issue number.
  • DOI vs. URL: If a DOI is available, always include it. DOIs are preferred over URLs because they are more stable and persistent. If there is no DOI, use a stable URL.
  • Retrieval Dates: Retrieval dates are generally not required for journal articles, whether they are from online databases or websites.
  • Missing Information: If some information is missing (e.g., issue number), include the available information.
  • Page Range: Provide the full page range of the article (e.g., 201-232, not 201-32).

Author Variations

  • One Author: Use the author's last name and initials (e.g., Smith, J. D.).
  • Two Authors: Use an ampersand (&) between the authors' names (e.g., Smith, J. D., & Jones, A. B.).
  • Three to Twenty Authors: List all authors, separated by commas, with an ampersand before the final author's name (e.g., Smith, J. D., Jones, A. B., & Williams, K. L.).
  • More Than Twenty Authors: List the first 19 authors, then insert an ellipsis (…), and then the final author's name.
  • Article Title Capitalization: The title of the article should be in sentence case, meaning only the first word, the first word after a colon or em dash, and proper nouns are capitalized.
  • Journal Title: The title of the journal should be in title case, meaning all major words are capitalized.
  • Volume and Issue: The volume number is italicized, and the issue number is enclosed in parentheses and not italicized.
  • Digital Object Identifier (DOI): A DOI is a unique identifier for electronic documents. It is the preferred way to cite online articles. It should be presented as a complete and working URL.
  • URL: If a DOI is not available, use a stable URL. A stable URL is one that is expected to persist over time.