Citation Guide

APA Citation Guide (7th Edition)

The complete guide to APA 7th edition citations for psychology, education, and social science papers.

Last updated: December 2024 | Reading time: 10 minutes

TL;DR - APA 7th Edition Basics

Author-date system: In-text citations use (Author, Year) format
et al. rule: Use et al. for 3+ authors from the first citation
DOI format: Use https://doi.org/10.xxxx format (not doi:10.xxxx)
No location: Publisher location is no longer required

What is APA Citation Style?

APA (American Psychological Association) style is an author-date citation system used primarily in psychology, education, nursing, and social sciences. It emphasizes the author and publication year, making it easy to identify how recent sources are.

In-text citation example:

"Research has shown that cognitive behavioral therapy is effective for treating anxiety disorders (Smith & Johnson, 2023). According to Williams et al. (2022), early intervention leads to better outcomes."

In-Text Citation Rules

APA has two citation styles: parenthetical (author and year in parentheses) and narrative (author in text, year in parentheses).

Scenario	Parenthetical	Narrative
One author	(Smith, 2023)	Smith (2023) found that...
Two authors	(Smith & Johnson, 2023)	Smith and Johnson (2023) argued...
Three or more authors	(Williams et al., 2023)	Williams et al. (2023) demonstrated...
Organization as author	(World Health Organization, 2023)	World Health Organization (2023) reported...
Multiple works, same author	(Smith, 2021, 2023)	Smith (2021, 2023) has shown...
Multiple works, different authors	(Johnson, 2022; Smith, 2023)	Several studies (Johnson, 2022; Smith, 2023)...
Direct quote	(Smith, 2023, p. 45)	Smith (2023) stated that "direct quote" (p. 45).

APA Citation Examples with BibTeX

Journal Article (1-2 authors)

In-text: (Smith & Johnson, 2023)

Reference List Entry:

Smith, J. A., & Johnson, M. B. (2023). The impact of social media on adolescent mental health. Journal of Psychology, 45(3), 234-256. https://doi.org/10.1000/example

BibTeX Entry:

@article{smith2023impact,
  author = {Smith, John A. and Johnson, Mary B.},
  title = {The impact of social media on adolescent mental health},
  journal = {Journal of Psychology},
  volume = {45},
  number = {3},
  pages = {234--256},
  year = {2023},
  doi = {10.1000/example}
}

Journal Article (3+ authors)

In-text: (Williams et al., 2023)

Reference List Entry:

Williams, R., Chen, L., Martinez, S., & Thompson, K. (2023). Cognitive behavioral therapy outcomes. Clinical Psychology Review, 12(2), 45-67. https://doi.org/10.1000/example

BibTeX Entry:

@article{williams2023cognitive,
  author = {Williams, Robert and Chen, Lisa and Martinez, Sofia and Thompson, Kevin},
  title = {Cognitive behavioral therapy outcomes},
  journal = {Clinical Psychology Review},
  volume = {12},
  number = {2},
  pages = {45--67},
  year = {2023},
  doi = {10.1000/example}
}

Book

In-text: (Brown, 2022)

Reference List Entry:

Brown, A. C. (2022). Research methods in psychology (4th ed.). Academic Press.

BibTeX Entry:

@book{brown2022research,
  author = {Brown, Amanda C.},
  title = {Research methods in psychology},
  edition = {4th},
  publisher = {Academic Press},
  year = {2022}
}

Book Chapter

In-text: (Davis, 2023)

Reference List Entry:

Davis, E. (2023). Memory and learning. In P. Roberts (Ed.), Handbook of cognitive psychology (pp. 123-145). Sage Publications.

BibTeX Entry:

@incollection{davis2023memory,
  author = {Davis, Emily},
  title = {Memory and learning},
  booktitle = {Handbook of cognitive psychology},
  editor = {Roberts, Patricia},
  pages = {123--145},
  publisher = {Sage Publications},
  year = {2023}
}

Website

In-text: (American Psychological Association, 2024)

Reference List Entry:

American Psychological Association. (2024, January 15). APA style guidelines. https://apastyle.apa.org

BibTeX Entry:

@misc{apa2024style,
  author = {{American Psychological Association}},
  title = {APA style guidelines},
  year = {2024},
  month = {January 15},
  url = {https://apastyle.apa.org}
}

What Changed in APA 7th Edition?

APA 7th edition (2019) made several significant changes from the 6th edition:

et al. for 3+ authors

6th Edition (Old):

First citation: (Smith, Johnson, & Williams, 2023) Subsequent: (Smith et al., 2023)

7th Edition (New):

All citations: (Smith et al., 2023)

No location for publishers

6th Edition (Old):

New York, NY: Academic Press

7th Edition (New):

Academic Press

DOI format

6th Edition (Old):

doi:10.1000/example

7th Edition (New):

https://doi.org/10.1000/example

Up to 20 authors listed

6th Edition (Old):

List 6 authors, then et al.

7th Edition (New):

List up to 20 authors

Common APA Citation Mistakes

Using first names in citations

Wrong:

(John Smith, 2023)

Correct:

(Smith, 2023)

Tip: Use only last names in in-text citations

Wrong ampersand/and usage

Wrong:

Smith and Johnson (2023) - in parenthetical

Correct:

(Smith & Johnson, 2023) - use & in parentheses

Tip: Use & in parentheses, 'and' in narrative text

Incorrect et al. usage

Wrong:

(Smith, Johnson, et al., 2023)

Correct:

(Smith et al., 2023)

Tip: For 3+ authors, use et al. from the first citation

Missing DOI

Wrong:

Journal of Psychology, 45(3), 234-256.

Correct:

Journal of Psychology, 45(3), 234-256. https://doi.org/10.1000/example

Tip: Always include DOI when available

Incorrect hanging indent

Wrong:

References flush left, no indent

Correct:

First line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inch

Tip: Use hanging indent for reference list

Reference List Formatting

Title: Center "References" at top, bold

Order: Alphabetical by first author's last name

Spacing: Double-spaced throughout

Indent: Hanging indent (first line flush, rest indented 0.5")

Font: Same as body text (typically 12pt Times New Roman)

Frequently Asked Questions

What is APA citation style?

APA (American Psychological Association) is an author-date citation style primarily used in psychology, education, and social sciences. In-text citations show author and year, with full details in a References list at the end.

When should I use et al. in APA?

In APA 7th edition, use et al. for works with three or more authors from the very first citation. For example: (Williams et al., 2023). This is a change from APA 6th edition.

How do I cite a source with no author?

Use the title (or shortened title) in place of the author. For articles, use quotation marks: ("Article Title," 2023). For books, use italics: (Book Title, 2023).

What's the difference between APA 6th and 7th edition?

Key changes: et al. used from first citation for 3+ authors, publisher location removed, DOI format changed to URL style, up to 20 authors listed before et al., and simplified running head requirements.

Should I include retrieval dates for websites?

Only include retrieval dates for content that is likely to change over time (e.g., Wikipedia, social media). For stable sources, just include the URL without a retrieval date.

How do I format a hanging indent?

Each reference entry starts flush left, with subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches (1.27 cm). In Word, use Paragraph > Special > Hanging. In Google Docs, use Format > Align & indent > Indentation options.

APA Citations in TypeTeX

TypeTeX handles APA formatting automatically:

APA 7th edition: Always up-to-date with latest APA guidelines
Auto et al.: Automatically uses et al. for 3+ authors
DOI formatting: Converts to correct https format
Hanging indent: Reference list formatted correctly
Style switching: Change to IEEE or MLA with one click

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Stop worrying about APA formatting

TypeTeX handles APA 7th edition formatting automatically. Import your BibTeX, cite with a keystroke, and focus on your research.

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This guide is for educational purposes. Always verify citation requirements with your institution. APA style is maintained by the American Psychological Association - check apastyle.apa.org for official guidelines.