You will need to know how to cite a journal article in APA 7 for almost every research paper, because journal articles are the sources instructors trust most. The pattern has more parts than a book entry, but each part has a fixed place. Learn the order once, and you can cite any article in a minute.
This guide shows how to cite a journal article in APA 7 for the reference list and the text. It covers one author, many authors, articles with and without a DOI, issue numbers, page ranges and articles found in a database. All authors, titles and journals are invented. For the full list rules, see our guide to the APA reference page. For in-text patterns, read APA in text citation.
Quick answer: To cite a journal article in APA 7, write: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the article in sentence case. Journal Name in Title Case, volume(issue), page–page. https://doi.org/xxxx. Italicize the journal name and the volume, not the article title. In the text, cite the authors and year, such as (Chen & Baker, 2023).
Key Takeaways
- A journal reference has authors, year, article title, journal, volume, issue, pages and DOI.
- The article title is plain, in sentence case, with no quotation marks.
- The journal name and volume number are in italics.
- Add the DOI as a full link, such as https://doi.org/10.1234/abcd.
- In the text, use the authors and year, and add a page for a quote.
How to Cite a Journal Article in APA 7: The Basic Format
| Element | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Authors | Last name, initials. | Chen, A., & Baker, D. M. |
| Year | (Year). | (2023). |
| Article title | Plain text, sentence case. | Start times and student sleep. |
| Journal | Title case, italics, | Journal of Adolescent Studies, |
| Volume | Italics | 14 |
| Issue | (Plain, in parentheses) | (2), |
| Pages | Page range with an en dash. | 30–45. |
| DOI | Full link. | https://doi.org/10.1234/abcd |
Chen, A., & Baker, D. M. (2023). Start times and student sleep. Journal of Adolescent Studies, 14(2), 30–45. https://doi.org/10.1234/abcd
Notice that the comma after the journal name is in italics too, along with the volume. The issue number is not in italics. The entry ends with the DOI and no final period.
How to Cite a Journal Article in APA 7: Authors and Special Cases
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| One author | Chen, A. (2023). Title. Journal, 14(2), 30–45. |
| Two authors | Join them with an ampersand: Chen, A., & Baker, D. M. |
| Three to twenty authors | List every name, with an ampersand before the last. |
| More than twenty authors | List the first nineteen, add an ellipsis, then the last author. |
| Group author | Institute for Adolescent Health. (2021). Title. Journal, 8(1), 5–20. |
| No issue number | Journal, 14, 30–45. |
| Article number, not pages | Journal, 14(2), Article e1234. |
| Article in press | Chen, A. (2024). Title. Journal. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/xx |
Use the article number in place of pages when the journal gives one. Many online journals do this.
How to Cite a Journal Article in APA 7: DOI, URL or Database
| Situation | What to do |
|---|---|
| Article has a DOI | End the entry with https://doi.org/ plus the number. |
| No DOI, article is on the open web | Add the article’s URL. |
| No DOI, found in a library database | Skip the database name and the URL. |
| Print article | Skip the DOI and the URL. |
| DOI shown as a short code | Write it in the https://doi.org/ form. |
A DOI is a permanent link. When an article has one, use it. If a database gives a long, session-based URL, leave it out. Do not write “Retrieved from” before a DOI or a URL.
How to Cite a Journal Article in APA 7: In-Text Examples
| Situation | Parenthetical | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| One author | (Chen, 2023) | Chen (2023) found… |
| Two authors | (Chen & Baker, 2023) | Chen and Baker (2023) reported… |
| Three or more | (Chen et al., 2023) | Chen et al. (2023) showed… |
| Group author | (Institute for Adolescent Health, 2021) | The Institute for Adolescent Health (2021) found… |
| Direct quote | (Chen & Baker, 2023, p. 38) | Chen and Baker (2023) wrote that “…” (p. 38). |
| Two sources | (Baker, 2022; Chen, 2023) | List them alphabetically. |
| No page numbers | (Chen, 2023, para. 4) | Use a paragraph number for a quote. |
For a source with three or more authors, name the first author followed by “et al.” from the very first citation. See APA in text citation for two authors and APA in text citation for a quote for more.
How to Cite a Journal Article in APA 7: A Sample Reference List
References
Baker, D. M. (2022). Sleep debt in first-year students. College Health Review, 9(1), 12–29. https://doi.org/10.5678/chr
Chen, A., & Baker, D. M. (2023). Start times and student sleep. Journal of Adolescent Studies, 14(2), 30–45. https://doi.org/10.1234/abcd
Institute for Adolescent Health. (2021). Bell times and attendance. School Policy Quarterly, 8(1), 5–20.
Alphabetize by the first author’s last name. Use a hanging indent and double spacing. See our APA format example for a full paper.
How to Cite a Journal Article in APA 7 Versus MLA and Chicago
| Feature | APA 7 | MLA 9 | Chicago |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Chen, A. | Chen, Alicia. | Chen, Alicia. |
| Article title | No quotation marks | Quotation marks | Quotation marks |
| Date position | After the author | Near the end | After the journal |
| Volume and issue | 14(2) | vol. 14, no. 2 | 14, no. 2 |
| Pages | 30–45 | pp. 30–45 | 30–45 |
If your class uses another style, see MLA format article citation or Chicago style citation.
How to Cite a Journal Article in APA 7 in 6 Steps
| Step | Action |
|---|---|
| 1 | Find the authors, year, title, journal, volume, issue, pages and DOI. |
| 2 | Invert each author’s name, and add initials. |
| 3 | Write the year in parentheses, then the article title in sentence case. |
| 4 | Write the journal and volume in italics, then the issue in parentheses. |
| 5 | Add the page range with an en dash. |
| 6 | End with the DOI as a link, if the article has one. |
You can build the entry with our free citation generator, and then check it against the steps above. Always compare the output with the article itself.
Common Mistakes When You Cite a Journal Article in APA 7
- Italicizing the article title. Only the journal and volume take italics.
- Using title case for the article title. Use sentence case.
- Putting the issue in italics. Leave the issue plain.
- Using a hyphen in the page range. Use an en dash.
- Writing “Retrieved from” before the DOI. It is not needed.
- Adding the database name. Leave it out.
- Listing authors with full first names. Use initials.
- Using the wrong year. Use the year of the issue.
Checklist: How to Cite a Journal Article in APA 7
| Check | Question |
|---|---|
| Authors | Are the names inverted, with initials and an ampersand? |
| Year | Is it in parentheses after the authors? |
| Title | Is the article title in sentence case, with no italics? |
| Journal | Are the journal name and volume in italics? |
| Pages | Is the range there, with an en dash? |
| DOI | Is it a full link, with no label? |
| Order | Is the list alphabetical, with a hanging indent? |
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Cite a Journal Article in APA
How do I cite a journal article in APA 7?
Write Author, A. A. (Year). Article title. *Journal, volume*(issue), pages. DOI.
What do I italicize in a journal reference?
Italicize the journal name and the volume number. Leave the article title and the issue plain.
What if the article has no DOI?
Add the URL if the article is on the open web. Skip the URL if you found it in a library database.
How many authors do I list?
List up to twenty. For more than twenty, list nineteen, add an ellipsis and the last author.
Do I add the database name?
No. APA 7 does not ask for it.
What if there is no issue number?
Skip it, and write the volume and the pages.
How do I cite a journal article in the text?
Use the authors and year, such as (Chen & Baker, 2023). Add a page for a quote.
Do I write “Retrieved from” before the DOI?
No. Write the DOI as a link, with no label.
Authors, Year, Title, Journal, DOI
To cite a journal article in APA 7, keep the order fixed: authors, year, article title, journal and volume in italics, issue, pages and DOI. Use the DOI whenever the article has one. Check each entry against the list above before you submit your paper.
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