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The American Psychological Association (APA) citation style is widely used in academic writing to provide a standardized way of citing sources. The reference formats in APA vary depending on the source types. To find the correct format, first choose a category (such as periodicals or journals), then select the specific type of work (like a original research, review, case report, or commentaries). In this blog post, we will explore the key elements of APA style citation and referencing through examples to help you navigate the complexities of citing various sources. You may also refer to the official APA Style website for more APA citation examples.
How to cite a Journal Article in APA style
| An APA citation for a journal article consists of following elements: Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of the article. Title of Journal, volume number (issue number), page range, and DOI if available. Below are examples of various types of journal articles and their citations styles. | ||
| Journal article | O’Reilly, M., Dogra, N., Whiteman, N., Hughes, J., Eruyar, S., & Reilly, P. (2018). Is social media bad for mental health and wellbeing? Exploring the perspectives of adolescents. Clinical child psychology and psychiatry, 23(4), 601–613. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104518775154 | (O’Reilly et al., 2018) |
| Journal article with article number | Hoch, R., & Chenette, E. J. (2023). The value of enhanced ethics checks: Initial experiences with PLOS ONE’s updated Human Subjects Research policy. PloS one, 18(8), Article e0288900. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0288900 | (Hoch & Chenette, 2023) |
| Unpublished journal articles (i.e., available directly from the author) | John, J. A., & Jackson, T. (2021). Exploring the Impact of Climate Change on Biodiversity. [Unpublished manuscript]. Department of Environmental Science, University of XYZ. | (John & Jackson, 2021) |
| Article in press | Jackson, T. (in press). The Role of Technology in Education. Journal of Educational Technology. | (Jackson, in press) |
| Articles in a special issue of a journal | Jacob. T. (2021). Advances in Astrophysics [Special issue]. Journal of Astrophysics, 15(7). | (Jacob, 2021) |
| Retraction notice for a journal article | The Editors of PLOS ONE. (2019). Retraction: Social success of perfumes. PloS one, 14(9), e0222524. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0222524 | (Vasiliauskaite & Evans, 2019; The Editors of PLOS ONE, 2019) |
| Online-only supplemental material to a journal article | Freeberg, T. M. (2019). From simple rules of individual proximity, complex and coordinated collective movement [Supplemental material]. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 133(2), 141–142. https://doi.org/10.1037/com0000181 | Freeberg, 2019 |
| Abstract of a journal article from an abstract indexing database | Davis, H. (2019). The Role of Technology in Education. (Accession No. 12345) [Abstract from Abstracts Online Database.] Journal of Educational Technology, 25(3), 123-135. | (Davis, 2019) |
How to cite a Book in APA style
| A book citation includes author(s)’s name(s), publication year, title (in sentence case), and publisher details for both print and electronic books. Make sure to include other contributor details such as the name(s) of editor/translator and the edition if provided. For e-books, details such as the format, platform, or specific device (e.g., Kindle) are not incorporated in the citation. | ||
| Authored book | Robert, J. A. (2005). The art of writing: A comprehensive guide (3rd ed). Random House. | (Robert, 2005, p. 30) |
| Edited book | Johnson, M. L. & Brown, T. (Eds.). (2018). Contemporary perspectives on literature: A multifaceted exploration. Academic Press. | (Johnson, 2018, p. 45) |
| Book chapter | Aron, J. A., Stuart, L., & Landsford, K. (2010). The role of characters in fictional narratives. In M. L. Johnson (Ed.), Perspectives on fictional literature (pp. 45-67). Academic Press. | (Aron, 2010, p. 60) |
How to cite a Website in APA Style
| Typically, APA citations for websites include author name, publication date, page or article title, website name, and URL. In cases where the author’s name is not mentioned, begin the citation with the article title. If the website does not have the date mentioned, include “n.d.” (“no date”) in place of the date. | ||
| Whole Website References | Include the URL in parentheses; the website need not be mentioned in the reference list. | Facebook (www.facebook.com) is a social media platform created by Mark Zuckerberg |
| Webpage on a news website such as BBC News, Bloomberg, CNN, HuffPost, and Vox. (These sites do not have daily or weekly newspapers associated with them.) | Bologna, C. (2024, February 09). Americans’ dip preferences for the super bowl, broken down by state. HuffPost. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/super-bowl-dips-by-tate_l_65bceeade4b0a3aad5a4c31f | (Bologna, 2024) |
| For articles from newspaper websites such as The New York Times or The Washington Post. | Goldstein, A. (2024, February 12). Medicaid’s prescription for health includes food and housing in some states. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2024/02/12/medicaid-food-housing/ | (Goldstein, 2024) |
How to cite a podcast in APA Style
| In a podcast citation, the host or the executive producers (if known) are listed as the author(s). Mention the podcast duration and specify the type of podcast (audio/video) in square brackets. If it is an episode, provide the episode number in parentheses after the title. | ||
| Podcast | Higgins, H., & Natarajan, M. (Hosts). (2022, January 15). Exploring the Universe [Audio podcast episode]. Galactic Media Network. https://www.examplepodcast.com/episode27 | (Higgins & Natarajan, 2022) |
| Podcast episode | Higgins, H., & Natarajan, M. (Hosts). (2022, January 15). Exploring the Universe (No. 27) [Audio podcast episode]. In Stellar Conversations. Galactic Media Network. https://www.examplepodcast.com/episode27 | (Higgins & Natarajan, 2022) |
How to cite images in APA style
| An APA citation for an image in APA format comprises the creator’s name, the year, the title of the image along with its format (such as painting, photograph, map), and details regarding the location where you accessed the image. | ||
| Image with creator details | van Gogh, V. (1885). The Potato Eaters [Painting]. Museum of Modern Art, New York City, NY, United States. https://www.moma.org/collection/works/64997 | (van Gogh, 1885) |
| Image accessed online e.g., | Denali National Park and Preserve. (2013). Polly [Photograph]. Flickr. https://www.flickr.com/photos/denalinps/8638201935/in/photostream/ | If the figure is reproduced in the text: Note. From Polly [Photograph], by Denali National Park and Preserve, 2013, Flickr (https://www.flickr.com/photos/denalinps/8638201935/in/photostream/). CC BY 2.0. If the figure is NOT reproduced in the text: (Denali National Park and Preserve, 2013) |
| Images with missing information | Google. (n.d.). [Google Maps map of Dordrecht]. Retrieved February 12, 2024, from https://www.google.com/maps/place/Dordrecht | (Google, n.d.) |
Citing an Interview in APA format
| Interviews that are conducted personally are not included in the reference list; rather they can be cited as personal communications in the text. If transcripts are included in the Appendix, you may mention the same in the text. The other types of interview citations are provided below: | ||
| Citing published interviews | Self, J. (2024, February 10). Sebastian Barry: ‘When you get past 60, you do feel a licence to write fearlessly.’ The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2024/feb/10/sebastian-barry-old-gods-time-interview-when-you-get-past-60-you-do-feel-a-licence-to-write-fearlessly | (Self, 2014) |
| Citing an interview from YouTube | The New Yorker. (2018, Sep 27). Lisa Brennan-Jobs on Growing Up in the Shadow of Steve Jobs [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sYWa5TDN2Ao&list=PLo1TdazaYsop6Q8yl45YFuFEZ62BoVi2k&index=2 | (The New Yorker, 2018) |
Citing PowerPoint in APA style
| If the slides are accessible to the public on the internet, include the name of the hosting site in the source information of the reference, followed by the URL of the slides. | ||
| PowerPoints available online | Gaston, K. (2013, Jul 19). Literacy & education [PowerPoint slides]. SlideShare. https://www.slideshare.net/katierosegaston/literacy-education | (Gaston, 2013) |
| PowerPoints from university websites | Fisk, G.D. (2019). Slides for students: The effective use of PowerPoint in education [PowerPoint slides]. University of North Georgia. https://web.ung.edu/media/university-press/Slides%20for%20Students-v3.pdf?t=1589500800126 | (Fisk, 2019) |
| PowerPoints on websites that required logging in | Mack, R., & Spake, G. (2018). Citing open source images and formatting references for presentations [PowerPoint slides]. Canvas@FNU. https://fnu.onelogin.com/login | (Mack & Spake, 2018) |
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