APA 7th Edition Reference Guide
Introduction to APA 7th Edition
The American Psychological Association (APA) style is widely used in academic writing, particularly in the fields of psychology, education, social sciences, and business. The 7th edition of the APA Style Manual, published in October 2019, contains several important updates and changes from the previous edition.
This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the APA 7th edition referencing format, including general rules, in-text citations, and reference list formatting.
General Formatting Guidelines
- Font: Use a consistent font such as Times New Roman (12pt), Arial (11pt), or Georgia (11pt).
- Margins: 1-inch margins on all sides of the page.
- Spacing: Double-space the entire document, including references.
- Page Numbers: Include page numbers in the top right corner of each page.
- Alignment: Align text to the left with a ragged right edge (not justified).
- Indentation: Indent the first line of each paragraph 0.5 inches. Use hanging indentation for reference list entries (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented).
Title Page
The title page in APA 7th edition should include:
- Title of the paper (bolded, centered, and in title case)
- Author's name (first name, middle initial(s), last name) without titles
- Institutional affiliation (not required for student papers)
- Course name and number, instructor name, and due date (for student papers)
Title Page Example:
The Impact of Sleep Quality on Cognitive Performance in University Students
Jane A. Smith
University of California, Los Angeles
Psychology 101
Dr. Robert Johnson
October 15, 2022
In-Text Citations
In-text citations in APA style include the author's last name and the year of publication. These citations allow readers to locate the full reference in the reference list.
Basic In-Text Citation Format
- Narrative citation: Smith (2020) found that...
- Parenthetical citation: ...several studies have shown (Smith, 2020).
Works by One Author
Parenthetical: ...as the research suggests (Phillips, 2019).
Works by Two Authors
Parenthetical: ...as shown by previous studies (Smith & Johnson, 2021).
Works by Three or More Authors
In APA 7th edition, cite the first author followed by "et al." for works by three or more authors:
Parenthetical: ...as indicated by recent research (Williams et al., 2022).
Works with the Same Author and Same Date
If you cite multiple works by the same author with the same publication date, include lowercase letters (a, b, c, etc.) after the year:
(Johnson, 2020a, 2020b)
Secondary Sources
When citing a source that was cited in another source, use "as cited in":
Reference List
The reference list should begin on a new page with the title "References" centered and bolded. All entries should be organized alphabetically by the first author's last name.
General Reference List Format
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of work. Publisher. URL
Books
Example:
Brown, T. (2019). The science of sleep. Penguin Books.
Edited Book
Example:
Miller, J. (Ed.). (2020). Educational psychology (3rd ed.). Academic Press.
Book Chapter
Example:
Garcia, L. (2021). Multicultural approaches to counseling. In D. Roberts (Ed.), Contemporary counseling techniques (pp. 145-167). Oxford University Press.
Journal Articles
Example:
Anderson, M., & Wilson, J. (2022). The effects of remote work on employee well-being. Journal of Organizational Psychology, 45(3), 215-230. https://doi.org/10.1037/org0000589
Newspaper Articles
Example:
Johnson, K. (2021, March 15). Universities adapt to online learning. The Education Chronicle. https://www.educationchronicle.com/universities-adapt-online-learning
Websites
Example:
National Institutes of Health. (2020, July 28). Mental health: An overview. https://www.nih.gov/mental-health-overview
Reports
Example:
World Health Organization. (2021). Global mental health report (WHO/2021.15). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240030988
Dissertations and Theses
Example:
Martinez, R. (2022) Factors influencing academic success among first-generation college students [Doctoral dissertation, University of California]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.
Digital Object Identifiers (DOIs) and URLs
APA 7th edition requires DOIs or URLs for all online sources. Present DOIs as hyperlinks (beginning with "https://doi.org/...") without "doi:" in front of the number. For URLs, provide the direct link without any truncation.
Major Changes from APA 6th to 7th Edition
- Student papers: APA 7th edition no longer requires a running head for student papers.
- Institutional affiliation: Student papers no longer require the institutional affiliation to be included on the title page.
- Number of authors in reference: In APA 7th, list up to 20 authors in the reference list instead of truncating after the seventh author.
- Location of publication: City and state of publication are no longer required for books and book chapters.
- DOI format: DOIs are now presented as hyperlinks (https://doi.org/xxxx) rather than as "doi:xxxx".
- Database names: Database names are generally only included for works from open-access repositories such as ERIC or when necessary for retrieval.
- Font accessibility: The 7th edition emphasizes the use of accessible fonts.
- Bias-free language: Updated guidelines for avoiding bias in language, including new sections on age, disability, gender, and more.
- Pronouns: When authors use "they" as a singular pronoun (e.g., when gender is unknown or nonbinary), this should be reflected in citations.
- Singular "they": APA 7th endorses the use of singular "they" as a gender-neutral pronoun.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Failing to include a retrieval date for content that changes over time (such as wikis or content without a publication date).
- Not hanging the indent for reference list entries (first line flush left, subsequent lines indented).
- Inconsistent formatting of DOIs and URLs.
- Forgetting to italicize journal and book titles (but not article or chapter titles).
- Incorrectly citing multiple authors in text and in the reference list.
- Not including issue numbers for journal articles when they are available.
- Capitalizing all words in titles of articles, books, and other works (only capitalize the first word, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns).
- Failing to double-space the entire document, including references.
- Not providing complete publication information for sources.
Additional Resources
- American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000
- Official APA Style website: https://apastyle.apa.org
- Purdue OWL APA Formatting and Style Guide: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide.html
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