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How to Cite in APA Style (7th Edition)

Basic Rules

Start of References Page (Section 2.12)

  • Start the reference list on a new page after the text and before any tables, figures, and/or appendices.
  • The word References should appear in uppercase and lowercase letters, in bold, and centered; do not underline, or put the word "References" in quotation marks.
  • See the Sample Reference List on this library guide.

Spacing (Section 2.12)

  • Double-space all reference entries (including between and within references), and put them in a hanging indent format, i.e. all lines after the first line of each reference entry should be indented 0.5 inch from the left margin.

References go A-Z by author's surname (Section 9.44)

  • Arrange reference entries in alphabetical order by the surname of the first author followed by initials of the author's given name.

Author. Date. Title. Source.

          Who | When | What | Where

Examples:

Nettle, D. (2005). Happiness: The science behind your smile. Oxford University Press.

Diliello, T. C., Houghton, J. D., & Dawley, D. (2011). Narrowing the creativity gap: The moderating effects of perceived support for creativity. Journal of Psychology, 145(3), 151-172. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2010.548412

See this APA Style page for more details: Elements of Reference List Entries.

Authors

  • 1 author: Invert the authors' name if needed, give surnames first, followed by a comma, and then add the initials. 

William SHAKESPEARE → Shakespeare, W.

CHAN Tai Man → Chan, T. M.

  • 2 to 20 authors: Use a comma to separate the author's initials from the next author's name. Add an ampersand (&) before the final author.

Chan, T. M., Cheung, B. B., & Fung, C. C.

  • 21 or more authors: Include the first 19 authors' names, then insert an ellipses (but no ampersand), and add the last author's name.

Chan, T. M., Cheung, B. B., Chung, C. C., Ding, D. D., Fung, E. E., Fung, F. F., Fung, G.G., Fung, H. H., Fung, I. I., Hung, J.J., Hung, K. K., Hung, L. L., Hung, M. M., Ip, N. N., Ip, O. O., Ip, P. P., Ip, Q. Q., Ip. R. R., Jiang, S. S., . . . Zhang, Y. Y.


More details: How many names to include in an APA Style reference, Section 9.8

  • For several works by the same author or authors in the same order, arrange the reference entries by year of publication, the earliest first.

Chan, T. M. (2015).

Chan, T. M. (2017a).

Chan, T. M. (2017b).


More details: Section 9.46

  • For several works by different first authors with the same surname, arrange the reference entries by different authors with the same surname and different initials alphabetically by first initial(s). 

Chan, K. L. (2015).

Chan, T. K. (2013).


More details: Section 9.48

Date

Publication Date

  • Enclose the date of publication in parentheses, followed by a period.

Chan, T. M. (2022).

  • For a work that includes the month, day, and/or season along with the year, put the year first, followed by a comma, and then the month and date or season.

Chan, T. M. (2022, January 1).

Chan, T. M. (2022, Spring).

  • If no date is available, write n.d. in parentheses (Section 9.17).

Chan, T. M. (n.d.).


More details: Section 9.14


Retrieval Date

Provide a retrieval date in the reference when citing an unstable work that is likely or meant to change over time (dictionary entry, Facebook page, etc.). Use this format to include a retrieval date: Retrieved October 10, 2022, from https://xxxxx


More details: Section 9.16, Elements of Reference List Entries - Retrieval dates

DOIs and URLs

DOI (digital object identifier) is a unique identifier to help you locate a scholarly work (such as journal article, book chapter) online. 

A sample DOI link: https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2010.548412

  • Include a DOI in the reference entry when it is available, regardless of whether you used the online version or the print version.
  • For works without DOIs, include the URLs instead, if available. More details: DOIs and URLs
  • For works from academic research databases, do not include database information in the reference. Instead, the reference should be the same as the reference for a print version of the work. More details: Database Information in Reference
  • When a DOI or URL is too long, you may use shortened DOI or URL if desired.


More details: Sections 9.34 - 9.36

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