Citing an article in APA style
Published January 27, 2021. Updated December 20, 2021.
To cite an article in APA, you need to know the author, publication year, article title, journal title or newspaper name or magazine name, volume, issue, and page range, and/or DOI (digital object identifier) or URL (uniform resource locator).
The templates and examples below are based on the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association and the main APA style website.
On this page, you can learn how to cite the following:
Journal article
Newspaper article
Magazine article
Multiple authors or no author
If you’re trying to cite an article, the Chegg Writing APA citation generator could help.
This page will cover the following points:
General note: Narrative vs. parenthetical in-text citations
There are two in-text citation formats: narrative and parenthetical.
Narrative citations read as a part of the text. Usually, this means that the author’s name is mentioned within the sentence while the publication year (and sometimes page number) will be enclosed in parentheses:
The study was performed by Linden (2016).
Parenthetical citations are not read as a part of the text. Instead, both the author surname and the publication year (and sometimes page number) are enclosed in parentheses.
The study was performed in a closed environment (Linden, 2016).
Note the use of a comma between the author surname and the publication year.
For more information on citing sources in APA, also read these guides on APA in-text citations and APA reference page examples.
Citing a journal article in APA style
The article title is in sentence case. Also, the first word after a colon is capitalized in the article title.
The journal title is in title case and is set in italics. The volume number is also set in italics.
In-text citation template and examples:
Narrative:
Author Surname (Publication Year)
Linden (2016)
Parenthetical:
(Author Surname, Publication Year)
(Linden, 2016)
Reference list entry template and example:
Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Article title: Subtitle. Journal Title, Volume(issue), page range. URL or DOI
Linden, A. D. (2016). Tempering the dichotomous flame: Social history, cultural history, and postmodernism(s). Journal of Sport History, 43(1), 66–82. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/619822
Citing a journal article in APA style
The article title is in sentence case. Also, the first word after a colon is capitalized in the article title.
The journal title is in title case and is set in italics. The volume number is also set in italics.
In-text citation template and examples:
Narrative:
Author Surname (Publication Year)
Linden (2016)
Parenthetical:
(Author Surname, Publication Year)
(Linden, 2016)
Reference list entry template and example:
Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Article title: Subtitle. Journal Title, Volume(issue), page range. URL or DOI
Linden, A. D. (2016). Tempering the dichotomous flame: Social history, cultural history, and postmodernism(s). Journal of Sport History, 43(1), 66–82. https://muse.jhu.edu/article/619822
Citing a newspaper article in APA style
Newspaper articles can span across consecutive pages or jump across non-consecutive pages. Consecutive page ranges are separated by a dash: 1-2. Non-consecutive pages are separated by commas: 1A, 2A.
The article title is in sentence case. The newspaper title is in title case (since it names a proper noun) and italicized.
In-text citation template and example:
Narrative:
Author Surname (Year)
Greenwood (2019)
Parenthetical:
(Author Surname, Year)
(Greenwood, 2019)
Reference list entry template and example:
Author Surname, F. (Year, Month Day Published). Article title. Newspaper Name, page range. URL
Greenwood, M. (2019, February 5). Restoration of voting rights by felons marks shift in Florida. The Hill, 1, 3.
Citing a magazine article in APA style
The article title is in sentence case. The magazine title is in title case (since it names a proper noun) and italicized.
Since the date a magazine is published can vary, not every magazine will have a day published. Also, electronic sources often don’t have page numbers. So, in the reference list entry, only include the information that is available.
In-text citation template and example:
Narrative:
Author Surname (Year)
(Shaffer 2020)
Parenthetical:
(Author Surname, Year)
(Shaffer, 2020)
Reference list entry template and example:
Author Surname, F. (Year, Month Day Published). Article title. Magazine Name, Volume(issue), page range. URL
Shaffer, C. (2020, November 17). It’s not stealing. It’s acquiring. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2020/11/why-friends-borrow-steal-never-give-back/617115/
Citing multiple authors in APA style
2 authors
The name of each author is listed. The word “and” is placed between the two names for narrative citations and an ampersand “&” is used between the two names for parenthetical citations and references.
Three or more authors
Use only the first author’s surname from the reference list followed by “et al.” (“et al.” means “and others.”) Use the same style in first and subsequent citations. For references with 21 or more authors use the same in-text citation format, but in the reference list entry, include the first 19 authors, followed by an ellipsis and then the last name (without an ampersand preceding it).
Organization as author/publisher
An organization may be cited as the author of a work. In addition, you may (but are not required to) abbreviate long group names as long as the first in-text citation shows the group’s full name and abbreviations. For example:
First mention examples:
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA, 2016)…
OR
(National Aeronautics and Space Administration [NASA], 2016)
Subsequent mentions:
NASA (2016)
(NASA, 2016)
No author
If the work does not have an author, cite the source by its title and use the first word or two in the in-text citations. If using a parenthetical citation, place the article title in quotation marks. For example, a parenthetical citation might look like this:
(“Changing concepts,” 2014).
Read this APA format guide for more style basics.
Multiple authors and no authors
2 authors:
APA in-text examples:
Proctor and Chong (2020) provided…
… as presented earlier (Proctor & Chong, 2020).
APA reference page example:
3–20 authors
APA in-text examples:
Cramblet Alvarez et al. (2020) explained…
… is derived (Cramblet Alvarez et al., 2020).
APA reference page example:
Cramblet Alvarez, L. D., Leach, J. L., Rodriguez, J. L., & Jones, K. (2020). Unsung psychology pioneers: A content analysis of who makes history (and who doesn’t). The American Journal of Psychology, 133(2), 241–262.
21 or more authors
APA in-text examples:
Cramblet Alvarez et al. (2020) explained…
… is derived (Cramblet Alvarez et al., 2020).
APA reference page example:
Cramblet Alvarez, L. D., Leach, J. L., Rodriguez, J. L., Thomas, A., Peter, B., Arock, C., Sam, K., Antony, J., Ajay, M., Rodriguez, K. M., Kathy, K., Vincent, J., Patel, N., Samu, P., Paneer, L., Bird, M., Fox, L., Anderson, A., Kamal, W., . . . Jones, K. (2020). Unsung psychology pioneers: A content analysis of who makes history (and who doesn’t). The American Journal of Psychology, 133(2), 241–262.
Organization as author/publisher:
APA in-text examples:
According to the World Health Organization (2021)…
OR
…is what’s needed to overcome the pandemic (World Health Organization, 2021).
APA reference page example:
World Health Organization. (2021, August 1). Opening up with COVID-19 passes. Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 99(8), 546–547. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8319867/
No author:
APA in-text examples:
“Barcelona to ban” (2010) provides five meanings …
OR
… as given (“Barcelona to ban,” 2010).
APA reference page example:
Barcelona to ban burqa in municipal buildings. (2010, June 14). Gulf News. https://gulfnews.com/world/europe/barcelona-to-ban-burqa-in-municipal-buildings-1.641134
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APA Style: Learn More
Frequently asked questions
To cite an online journal article in APA style, the core elements required are the names of authors, title of the article, name of the journal, year of publication, volume/issue/page numbers, and URL. The templates and examples below show how the in-text citation and the reference list entry are formatted for an online journal article.
In-text citation template & example:
(Author’s Surname, Year of Publication)
(Repetti, 2007)
Reference list entry template & example:
Notes
The journal article title is written in sentence case.
The journal title and the volume number are italicized.
Do not use a period after the URL.
A journal article is an article that provides information and research about a specific academic field or discipline. Here are features of a journal articles:
Journal articles usually seek to address a particular research question, hypothesis, or argument.
Journal articles undergo a peer-review process during which the content is reviewed and validated before it goes out for publication.
The audiences for journal articles are peer academics within the same or similar field, or individuals seeking information about that specific research topic.
Journal articles are highly structured and begin with an abstract before presenting details about research methodology, findings, conclusions, and sources referenced.
Journal articles almost always have a reference list.
Example journals include: The New England Journal of Medicine, the Journal of the American Chemical Society, and the American Economic Review.
On the other hand, newspaper or magazine articles generally provide information about news, current events, lifestyle or entertainment topics, or opinions.
Newspaper/Magazine articles are generally NOT peer-reviewed.
Newspaper/Magazine articles are generally more unstructured.
While magazine and newspaper articles do often provide quotations, data, etc., the requirements for referencing sources and for presenting evidence are not as stringent as those for journal articles.
Newspaper/Magazine articles don’t usually have a reference list or abstract.
Example newspapers and magazines include: The New York Times, The Washington Post,
Time Magazine, or The New Yorker.
If you are really stuck, place the title of the publication in an internet search and look for a description of the publication. It’ll usually indicate if it is a journal or a newspaper.
The title of the magazine article is not underlined or italicized in APA style. It should be written in sentence case in plain text. However, the title of the publication in which the article is published should be italicized. The template and example below will help you identify the formatting to be followed for different elements in an online magazine article.
Reference list entry template & example:
Surname, F. M. (Year). Title of the article. Magazine Title, Volume(Issue), page range. URL
Thompson, D. (2021, October 15). The great resignation is accelerating. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/10/great-resignation-accelerating/620382/
To cite a magazine article in APA style, the core elements required are the names of authors, title of the article, name of the magazine, year of publication, volume/issue/page numbers if applicable, and URL. The templates and examples below show how the in-text citation and the reference list entry are formatted for a magazine article.
In-text citation template & example:
(Author’s Surname, Year of Publication)
(Kowitt, 2021)
Reference list entry template & example:
Surname, F. M. (Date of publication). Title of the article. Title of the Magazine, volume(issue), page number. URL
Kowitt, B. (2021, October 4). Are women on a collision course with the COVID shielding? Fortune. https://fortune.com/longform/covid-women-in-leadership-corporate-america-pandemic-effects/
Notes
The article title is not italicized or underlined, and is written in sentence case.
The magazine name is italicized and written in title case.
Do not use a period after the URL.
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