APA 7th Edition Referencing: The Complete Guide
Everything you need to cite correctly in APA 7, in-text citations, reference list rules, DOIs, and the formatting details markers actually check.
APA (American Psychological Association) style, now in its 7th edition, is the default citation system for psychology, education, nursing, and most social sciences. It is an author–date system: brief citations in the text point the reader to a full alphabetical reference list. This guide covers both halves, plus the paper-formatting rules that accompany them.
In-Text Citations
Every claim drawn from a source needs an in-text citation containing the author's surname and the year. There are two forms:
- Parenthetical: Motivation predicts persistence in online learning (Hartnett, 2021).
- Narrative: Hartnett (2021) found that motivation predicts persistence in online learning.
For direct quotations, add a page number: (Hartnett, 2021, p. 43). For sources without pages (websites, videos), use a paragraph number or section heading: (WHO, 2023, para. 4).
Multiple Authors
- Two authors: cite both every time, (Deci & Ryan, 2020). In narrative form use "and": Deci and Ryan (2020).
- Three or more authors: cite only the first author plus "et al." from the very first citation, (Kahneman et al., 2021). This is a key change from APA 6, which required listing up to five authors initially.
- Group authors: spell out on first use with the abbreviation in brackets, (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023), then abbreviate: (WHO, 2023).
The Reference List
The reference list starts on a new page titled References (bold, centred). Entries are alphabetical by first author surname, double-spaced, with a hanging indent of 1.27 cm (0.5 in). The four building blocks of every entry are: author, date, title, source.
Core Formats
Journal article:
Hartnett, M. (2021). Motivation in online education. Distance Education, 42(2), 184–200. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2021.1911628
Book:
Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Chapter in an edited book:
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2019). Brick by brick. In A. J. Elliot (Ed.), Advances in motivation science (Vol. 6, pp. 111–156). Elsevier.
Webpage:
World Health Organization. (2023, March 2). Adolescent mental health. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health
Notice the APA 7 changes: publisher location is no longer required for books, and DOIs are formatted as full URLs without the label "DOI:".
Paper Formatting Rules
- 1-inch (2.54 cm) margins on all sides. Accessible font (Times New Roman 12, Calibri 11, or Arial 11). Double spacing throughout.
- Student papers need a title page with title, author, institution, course, instructor, and date, but no running head (that is now professional-paper only).
- Five heading levels: Level 1 centred bold, Level 2 flush-left bold, Level 3 flush-left bold italic, Levels 4–5 indented and ending with a period.
Mistakes That Cost Marks
- Mixing "&" and "and", use "&" only inside parentheses and the reference list.
- Citing secondary sources as if you read the original. Use: (Piaget, 1954, as cited in Smith, 2020) and reference only Smith.
- Including references that are never cited, or citing sources missing from the list, markers cross-check.
- Capitalising every word of article titles. APA uses sentence case for titles of articles and books, title case only for journal names.
In-Text Citation at a Glance
| Situation | Parenthetical | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| One author | (Hartnett, 2021) | Hartnett (2021) |
| Two authors | (Deci & Ryan, 2020) | Deci and Ryan (2020) |
| Three or more | (Kahneman et al., 2021) | Kahneman et al. (2021) |
| Group author, first use | (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023) | The World Health Organization (WHO, 2023) |
| Group author, later | (WHO, 2023) | WHO (2023) |
| Direct quotation | (Hartnett, 2021, p. 43) | Hartnett (2021, p. 43) |
| Quotation with no page numbers | (WHO, 2023, para. 4) | WHO (2023, para. 4) |
| No date | (Smith, n.d.) | Smith (n.d.) |
| Two works in one bracket | (Deci & Ryan, 2020; Hartnett, 2021) | not applicable |
The ampersand rule catches almost everyone. Use "&" inside parentheses and in the reference list. Use the word "and" when the author names form part of your sentence.
Reference Formats by Source Type
| Source | Format |
|---|---|
| Journal article | Hartnett, M. (2021). Motivation in online education. Distance Education, 42(2), 184-200. https://doi.org/10.1080/01587919.2021.1911628 |
| Book | Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. |
| Edited chapter | Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2019). Brick by brick. In A. J. Elliot (Ed.), Advances in motivation science (Vol. 6, pp. 111-156). Elsevier. |
| Webpage | World Health Organization. (2023, March 2). Adolescent mental health. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/adolescent-mental-health |
| Report | Office for National Statistics. (2024). Labour market overview (Statistical Bulletin No. 4). ONS. |
| Thesis | Alvarez, M. (2023). Nurse staffing and patient outcomes [Doctoral dissertation, University of Manchester]. ProQuest Dissertations. |
| Dataset | Kumar, R. (2024). Urban air quality readings [Data set]. Zenodo. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.0000000 |
| Generative AI tool | OpenAI. (2026). ChatGPT (Aug 11 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com |
APA treats a generative AI tool as software, with the company as author. Check your institution's rules before relying on this, because many departments require a separate declaration as well as, or instead of, a citation.
What Changed From APA 6
If you are working from an older guide, or reusing an assignment from a previous year, these differences will cost you marks.
| Element | APA 6 | APA 7 |
|---|---|---|
| Three or more authors | List up to five on first citation | First author plus et al. from the first citation |
| Publisher location for books | Required, such as New York, NY | Omitted entirely |
| DOI format | doi:10.xxxx or dx.doi.org | Full https://doi.org/ URL with no label |
| Running head on student papers | Required | Not required, professional papers only |
| "Retrieved from" before URLs | Standard | Only for pages designed to change |
| Authors listed in one reference | Up to seven | Up to 20, then ellipsis and final author |
Common Errors and Fixes
| Error | Fix |
|---|---|
| Ampersand used outside parentheses | "Deci and Ryan (2020) found" in prose, "(Deci & Ryan, 2020)" in brackets |
| Title case on article titles | Sentence case for articles and books. Title case only for journal names |
| Secondary source cited as if read | (Piaget, 1954, as cited in Smith, 2020), and reference only Smith |
| Reference list contains uncited works | APA lists only what you cited, and markers cross-check both directions |
| Missing locator on a quotation | Every direct quotation needs p., pp., para. or a section heading |
| Inconsistent page ranges | 184-200, never 184 - 200 with spaces |
Country and Discipline Notes
- United States and Canada: the default across psychology, education, nursing and social work.
- UK and Ireland: common in psychology and education, though many departments use a local Harvard variant instead. Check the handbook, since "APA" sometimes means a modified house style.
- Australia and New Zealand: widely used in psychology, education and allied health, often alongside Harvard.
- India: common in psychology, management and education programmes, usually specified at faculty level.
- Spelling: APA is a US style but does not require US spelling in your prose. Follow your institution's language convention.
Where Ethical Support Fits
Checking reference formatting is legitimate, and APA publishes free instructional aids you can work from directly. A proofreader may correct formatting errors in a list you compiled. What stays yours is deciding which sources support your argument, because that judgement is what a citation is evidence of.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a title page for a student paper?
Usually yes, carrying title, author, institution, course, instructor and date. Unlike APA 6, no running head is required on student papers.
How do I cite a source with no author?
Move the title into the author position, and use a shortened form of the title in the in-text citation.
What if two sources share an author and year?
Add letters, so (Smith, 2020a) and (Smith, 2020b), ordered alphabetically by title in the reference list.
Is "et al." correct for two authors?
No. Two authors are always both named every time. "Et al." begins at three.
Do I include a DOI when the article also has a URL?
Yes, and prefer the DOI. Where a DOI exists, APA 7 uses it rather than the database URL.
Can I rely on a citation generator?
Use one as a starting point, then check every entry against the official guide. Generators routinely import title case, drop issue numbers and mislabel source types.
Quick Checklist Before Submission
- Every in-text citation has a matching reference entry, and vice versa.
- All quotations carry page, paragraph or section locators.
- Reference list is alphabetised, hanging-indented and double-spaced.
- DOIs are live https links with no "DOI:" label.
- Article and book titles are in sentence case.
- Ampersands appear only inside parentheses and in the reference list.
Your Next Step Today
Pick five entries at random from your reference list and check each against the official APA reference guide. If all five are correct, the rest probably are. If two are wrong, the same error is likely repeated throughout.
Trusted Sources
- American Psychological Association, Common Reference Examples Guide, the official reference templates. Accessed 11 August 2026.
- Purdue OWL, APA Formatting and Style Guide, 7th edition, worked student examples. Accessed 11 August 2026.
- University of Cambridge, APA 7th formatting guide, reference list rules. Accessed 11 August 2026.
- Griffith University Library, APA 7 referencing, the author-date system explained for students. Accessed 11 August 2026.
- Monash University Library, APA 7 guide, source-type workflow. Accessed 11 August 2026.
Departments sometimes modify APA. Where this guide and your module handbook differ, follow the handbook.
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