APA 7 Style Guide - CiteForge

Overview

APA style is the most widely used citation format in social sciences, psychology, education, business, and nursing. The 7th edition, published in 2020, introduced several important updates including simplified formatting rules and better guidance for citing digital sources.

When to use APA: Check your assignment guidelines first. APA is typically required for courses in psychology, sociology, education, nursing, and business.

Basic Rules

Reference Page Format

Title: "References" (centered, bold, at top of page)
Order: Alphabetical by author's last name
Spacing: Double-spaced throughout
Indentation: Hanging indent (0.5 inches)
Authors: List up to 20 authors; use et al. for 21+

Capitalization

Article/book titles: Sentence case (only first word and proper nouns capitalized)
Journal titles: Title Case (All Major Words Capitalized)
Example: "The effects of meditation on stress levels" in Journal of Psychology

Author Names

Format: Last name, First initial. Middle initial.
Multiple authors: Use & before the last author
Example: Smith, J. A., & Johnson, B. C.
No author: Start with the title

Citation Examples

🌐 Website

Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of webpage. Site Name. https://www.example.com

Example:

Johnson, M. (2023, March 15). Understanding climate change impacts. National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/climate-change

In-text citation: (Johnson, 2023) or Johnson (2023) states that...

📚 Book

Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book (Edition). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Example:

Smith, J. A., & Brown, L. M. (2022). Research methods in psychology (5th ed.). McGraw-Hill Education.

In-text citation: (Smith & Brown, 2022) or Smith and Brown (2022) explain that...

📄 Journal Article

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx

Example:

Davis, R., & Lee, S. (2023). The impact of social media on adolescent mental health. Journal of Adolescent Psychology, 45(3), 234-256. https://doi.org/10.1037/jap0000123

In-text citation: (Davis & Lee, 2023) or Davis and Lee (2023) found that...

🎥 YouTube Video

Author/Username. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxxxx

Example:

TED. (2023, January 10). The power of vulnerability [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCvmsMzlF7o

In-text citation: (TED, 2023) or As shown in the TED (2023) video...

In-Text Citations

One Author

Parenthetical: (Smith, 2023)

Narrative: Smith (2023) argues that...

Two Authors

Parenthetical: (Smith & Jones, 2023)

Narrative: Smith and Jones (2023) demonstrate...

Three or More Authors

First citation: (Smith et al., 2023)

Note: In APA 7, use "et al." from the first citation for 3+ authors

Direct Quotes

With page number: (Smith, 2023, p. 45)

Page range: (Smith, 2023, pp. 45-47)

Note: Always include page numbers for direct quotes

No Author

Use title: ("Article Title," 2023)

Shorten long titles: ("Long Article Title That...," 2023)

Special Cases

No Date

Use (n.d.) for "no date": Smith, J. (n.d.). Title of work.

DOI Format

Always use DOI when available: https://doi.org/10.1037/xxx (no period after URL)

Multiple Works by Same Author

Order by year: Smith (2021), Smith (2022), Smith (2023a), Smith (2023b)

Retrieval Dates

Only needed for unarchived sources that may change (like wikis). Retrieved March 15, 2023, from https://...

Quick Tips

✅ Do

• Use hanging indents for references
• Include DOIs when available
• Use "&" in parenthetical citations
• List up to 20 authors before "et al."
• Double-space everything

❌ Don't

• Don't use "Retrieved from" unless required
• Don't italicize journal article titles
• Don't add periods after URLs or DOIs
• Don't use "and" in parenthetical citations
• Don't forget page numbers for quotes

Common Mistakes to Avoid

❌ Wrong capitalization

The Effects Of Social Media On Mental Health

✅ Correct

The effects of social media on mental health

❌ Wrong author format

John Smith & Mary Johnson

✅ Correct

Smith, J., & Johnson, M.

❌ Missing DOI

Retrieved from http://journal.com/article

✅ Correct

https://doi.org/10.1037/abc123

Disclaimer: This guide provides general information about APA 7 style. Always verify citations against the official Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.) or your institution's specific requirements.

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