Journals: Referencing journal articles

How do I reference a journal article in APA 7th style?

Our APA 7th online referencing guide explains how to reference a journal article. It includes multiple examples of journal references and in-text citations.

A journal article reference usually requires:

• Author(s) (family name, comma followed by initials, with full stop and space after each initial)
• (Year of publication). (in round brackets, followed by a full stop)
• Title of article (first letter capitalised, followed by full stop)
• Title of Journal, (in italics, all words in title capitalised other than words such as of, in etc., followed by comma)
• Volume number (in italics, this may be a month, season or number)
• (Issue) (in round brackets)
• Page numbers. (without page abbreviations, followed by full stop)
• https://doi.org/ (if there is a DOI or URL if there is no DOI)

What is a DOI?

A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a set of numbers and letters assigned to an electronic publication. The DOI gives an unchanging and unique link to the location on the Internet. If an electronic journal article has a DOI, always include it at the end of the reference, as this makes the article easier to find.

A DOI usually begins with 10 and is often found in the form of a hyperlink beginning http://doi.org or preceded with the letters doi: 

Where can I find the details required for referencing an electronic journal article?

The full details for referencing a journal article can be found on the webpage hosting the journal article. See the video below for an example. Library Search also lists the key referencing information, including the DOI, if one is available. Find this by clicking on the article title and scrolling down to the 'Details' section.