APA Style Guide (7th Edition): A Quick Reference for Students and Researchers
The American Psychological Association (APA) 7th Edition (2020) is one of the most widely used citation styles, especially in the health, social sciences, education, and psychology disciplines.
This guide highlights the key rules you need for in-text citations and reference lists, plus examples for books, articles, websites, and more.
Citing Sources in Your Paper
Whenever you use ideas, words, or data from another source, you must cite it. Citations direct your readers to the reference list at the end of your paper.
There are two main citation styles:
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Narrative citation – Author’s name appears in the sentence.
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Parenthetical citation – Author’s name appears in parentheses.
Direct Quotations
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One author
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Narrative: Sendak (2015) contended that “imagination is crucial” (p. 2).
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Parenthetical: “Imagination is crucial” (Sendak, 2015, p. 2).
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Two authors
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Narrative: Sendak and Wise (2010) noted…
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Parenthetical: (Sendak & Wise, 2010, pp. 112–113).
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Three or more authors
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Narrative: Sendak et al. (2001) reflected…
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Parenthetical: (Sendak et al., 2001, para. 5).
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Group author (first reference)
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Narrative: The American Library Association (ALA, 2005) stated…
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Parenthetical: (American Library Association [ALA], 2005, para. 2).
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Group author (later references)
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Narrative: The ALA (2005) emphasized…
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Parenthetical: (ALA, 2005, para. 2).
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No author
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Narrative: The author of Feeding Young Minds (2010) noted…
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Parenthetical: (“Feeding,” 2010, p. 5).
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Paraphrasing
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One author
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Narrative: Sendak (2015) argued that children must develop imagination.
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Parenthetical: (Sendak, 2015).
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Two authors
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Narrative: Sendak and Wise (2015) believed…
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Parenthetical: (Sendak & Wise, 2015).
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Three or more authors
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Narrative: Sendak et al. (2015) observed…
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Parenthetical: (Sendak et al., 2015).
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Group author
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Narrative: The American Library Association (ALA, 2015) explained…
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Parenthetical: (ALA, 2015).
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No author
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Narrative: In Feeding Young Minds (2015), the author suggested…
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Parenthetical: (“Feeding,” 2015).
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Key Rules for APA In-text Citations
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Dates – Always include the year of publication.
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Page numbers – Required for direct quotes. Use para. if no page numbers.
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Names – Use last names only (no titles or initials).
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Multiple authors –
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2 authors: Cite both names every time.
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3+ authors: Cite first author + “et al.”
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Group authors – Spell out full name first time, then abbreviate.
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Secondary citations – Use as cited in if quoting a source you didn’t access directly.
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Personal communication – Cite in-text only (letters, interviews, emails).
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Block quotations – 40+ words → indent, double-space, no quotation marks.
The Reference List
Your reference list appears at the end of the paper and includes all sources cited in-text.
Formatting Rules
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Title: References (centered, bold).
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Double-space all entries.
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Use hanging indent (first line flush left, next lines indented).
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Alphabetize by author’s last name (or by title if no author).
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List up to 20 authors. For 21+, list first 19, add “…”, then last author.
Sample References (APA 7th Edition)
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Book with subtitle
Fraser, C. (2017). Prairie fires: The American dreams of Laura Ingalls Wilder. Metropolitan Books. -
Book with editors
Melendy, R., & Kincaid, C. (Eds.). (2018). Birth order and personality. Doubleday. -
Chapter in an edited book
Gale, D. (2008). Innocence abroad. In L. F. Baum (Ed.), The way home (pp. 27–43). Cyclone Press. -
Journal article with DOI
Slethaug, G. E. (1986). The paradoxical double in Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea. Extrapolation, 27(4), 326–333. https://doi.org/10.3828/extr.1986.27.4.326 -
Online magazine article
Beck, J. (2015, May 3). Science’s love affair with The Lord of the Rings. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/05/sciences-love-affair-with-the-lord-of-the-rings/392216/ -
Dictionary entry (online, no author)
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Literacy. In Merriam-Webster dictionary. Retrieved January 10, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/literacy -
Wikipedia entry
Stonehenge. (2020, January 16). In Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stonehenge -
Web article with author
Spritzler, F. (2017, January 29). 13 ways to prevent type 2 diabetes. Healthline. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/prevent-diabetes -
Web article without author or date
What are pulses? (n.d.). Half-Cup Habit. https://pulses.org/nap/what-are-pulses/
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