{"id":864,"date":"2026-06-28T13:11:40","date_gmt":"2026-06-28T07:41:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/?p=864"},"modified":"2026-06-28T14:06:32","modified_gmt":"2026-06-28T08:36:32","slug":"apa-citation-style-guide-7th-edition-citing-in-apa-format","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/apa-citation-style-guide-7th-edition-citing-in-apa-format\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Format Citations as per APA 7th Edition: Examples &amp; Tips"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>TL;DR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The APA 7th edition citation style, requires you to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Use the author, date citation format.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Include both in-text citations and a Reference List.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prioritize the DOI over URLs whenever available.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cite all sources that influenced your research.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Maintain consistency throughout your paper.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Follow specific formatting rules for books, journal articles, websites, datasets, reports, and audiovisual materials.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Contents<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"#_Toc233544568\">What Is APA 7th Edition Citation Style?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#_Toc233544569\">Why Proper Citation Matters<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#_Toc233544570\">APA 7th Edition at a Glance<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#_Toc233544571\">When Should You Use APA Style?<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#_Toc233544572\">Understanding In-text Citations<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#_Toc233544573\">Creating the Reference List<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#_Toc233544574\">Basic Structure of an APA Reference<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#_Toc233544575\">Reference List Rules in APA 7: Quick Glance<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#_Toc233544576\">Summary of Common Citation Examples<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#_Toc233544577\">Common Mistakes in APA 7 Formatting<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#_Toc233544578\">APA 7th Edition vs APA 6th Edition<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#_Toc233544579\">APA Citation Workflow for New Researchers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#_Toc233544580\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"_Toc233544568\">What Is APA 7th Edition Citation Style?<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>APA (American Psychological Association) style is a standardized system for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Citing sources<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Formatting research papers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Presenting tables and figures<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Using headings<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Writing numbers and abbreviations<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reporting statistical results<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Creating reference lists<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>7th edition<\/strong>, released in 2019, modernized many citation rules to accommodate online publishing, digital resources, and inclusive language.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It is commonly required in:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Psychology<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Education<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sociology<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Anthropology<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Nursing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Medicine<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Public Health<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Communication<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Business<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Marketing<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Economics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Political Science<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"_Toc233544569\">Why Proper Citation Matters<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Correct citation helps you:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Give credit to original authors<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Avoid <a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/what-is-plagiarism\/\">plagiarism<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Strengthen academic credibility<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Allow readers to locate your sources<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Demonstrate research depth<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Support your arguments with evidence<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Meet university and journal requirements<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"_Toc233544570\">APA 7th Edition at a Glance<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><td><strong>Feature<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>APA 7th Edition<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Citation system<\/td><td>Author, Date<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Reference list<\/td><td>Alphabetical<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Footnotes<\/td><td>Rarely used for citations<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>In-text citation<\/td><td>Required<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>DOI<\/td><td>Preferred over URL<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Page numbers<\/td><td>Needed for direct quotes<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Running head<\/td><td>Student papers usually do not require one<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Font<\/td><td>Multiple readable fonts allowed<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"_Toc233544571\">When Should You Use APA Style?<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>APA style is appropriate when writing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/how-to-write-a-literature-review-steps-for-researchers\/\">Literature reviews<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/how-to-write-a-good-research-paper\/\">Research papers<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Laboratory reports<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/conducting-and-reporting-systematic-reviews\/\">Systematic reviews<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/meta-analysis\/\">Meta analyses<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/thesis-structure-outline-writing-tips\/\">Theses<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.com\/blog\/what-is-a-dissertation-best-practices\/\">Dissertations<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conference papers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Case studies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reflection papers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/researcher.life\/blog\/article\/how-to-write-a-research-proposal-template-outline-steps-examples\/\">Research proposals<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"_Toc233544572\">Understanding In-text Citations<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>APA uses an <strong>author, date<\/strong> system.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Basic format:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Author, Year)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Smith, 2024)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Parenthetical vs Narrative Citations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><td><strong>Parenthetical<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Narrative<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>(Smith, 2024)<\/td><td>Smith (2024) found that&#8230;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Author inside parentheses<\/td><td>Author included in sentence<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Most common<\/td><td>Used for smoother writing<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example (Parenthetical):<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Students experience higher stress during examinations (Jones, 2023).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example (Narrative):<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Jones (2023) reported increased stress among students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Citing One Author<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Format:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Author, Year)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>(Brown, 2022)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Two Authors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Always include both names.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>(Brown &amp; Patel, 2022)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Narrative:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Brown and Patel (2022)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Three or More Authors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First Author et al., Year<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>(Wilson et al., 2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Group Authors<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Group authors could include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Government agencies<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Universities<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>International organizations<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>First citation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(World Health Organization, 2024)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Later citations:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(World Health Organization, 2024)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Unlike APA 6th edition, abbreviations are generally optional unless they improve readability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Unknown Author<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Organization name<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shortened title<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>(&#8220;Climate Report,&#8221; 2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">No Publication Date<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Smith, n.d.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>n.d. means &#8220;no date.&#8221;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Direct Quotations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Always include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Author<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Year<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Page number<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>(Smith, 2023, p. 45)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For multiple pages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>(Smith, 2023, pp. 45\u201347)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Short vs Block Quotes<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><td><strong>Quote Length<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Format<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Under 40 words<\/td><td>Within quotation marks<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>40 words or more<\/td><td>Block quotation without quotation marks<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Secondary Citations<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Whenever possible, consult the original source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If impossible:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Johnson&#8217;s study (as cited in Smith, 2024)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Only Smith appears in the Reference List.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"_Toc233544573\">Creating the Reference List<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>General principles for an APA 7 reference list are as follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Start on a new page.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Title it <strong>References<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Arrange alphabetically.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Double space entries.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Use hanging indentation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Include DOI whenever available.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"_Toc233544574\">Basic Structure of an APA Reference<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>General format:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Author. (Year). <em>Title<\/em>. Publisher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Book Citation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><td><strong>Element<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Example<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Author<\/td><td>Smith, J. A.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Year<\/td><td>(2024).<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Title<\/td><td><em>Research Methods<\/em>.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Publisher<\/td><td>Sage.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Reference:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Smith, J. A. (2024). <em>Research methods<\/em>. Sage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Journal Article<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>General format:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Author. (Year). Title. <em>Journal Name, Volume<\/em>(Issue), pages. DOI<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Garcia, M. (2023). Academic motivation among first year students. <em>Journal of Educational Research, 45<\/em>(2), 115\u2013132. https:\/\/doi.org\/xxxxx<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Website Citation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>General format:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Author. (Year). Title. Website Name. URL<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). Influenza prevention. https:\/\/&#8230;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Newspaper Article<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Author<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Date<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Title<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Newspaper<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>URL if online<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Magazine Article<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Similar to newspaper references but include volume and issue if available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Bethany, J. (2020, January 27). Enjoy medical treatment, researchers find less is more. <em>Happy Scientist Magazie<\/em>, <em>195<\/em>(2), 42-45.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Government Report<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Government agency<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Year<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Report title<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Report number if available<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>URL if applicable<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>U.S. Census Bureau. (2020). <em>Income and poverty in the United States: 2019<\/em> (Report No. P60-270). U.S. Department of Commerce. census.gov<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thesis or Dissertation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Author<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Year<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Title<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Institution<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Database or repository<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Barretti, E. L. (2012). <em>The rise of social networking in emergency medical services<\/em> (Publication No. 3544643) [Doctoral dissertation, St Mary University]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Conference Paper<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Author<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Date<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Paper title<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Conference name<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Location<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>DOI or URL<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dataset Citation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Creator<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Year<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Dataset title<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Version<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Repository<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>DOI<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Software Citation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Company or author<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Version<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Software name<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>URL if needed<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">YouTube Video<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Creator<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Date<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Video title<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Website<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>URL<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Podcast Citation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Host<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Date<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Episode title<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Podcast name<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>URL<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Social Media Citation<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Reference:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Author or organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Content description.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Platform.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>URL<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">DOI vs URL<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><td><strong>DOI<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>URL<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Permanent<\/td><td>May change<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Preferred<\/td><td>Used when DOI unavailable<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Begins with https:\/\/doi.org<\/td><td>Standard web address<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Always use the DOI if one exists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Multiple Works by the Same Author<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Arrange chronologically.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Smith (2020, 2022, 2023)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Same Author, Same Year<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Use letters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Example:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<p>Smith (2023a)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Smith (2023b)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"_Toc233544575\">Reference List Rules in APA 7: Quick Glance<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Ordering rules<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Order by<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol type=\"1\" start=\"1\">\n<li>Author surname<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Initials<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Publication year<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Title<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">APA Capitalization Rules<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sentence case is used for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Book titles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Article titles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Webpage titles<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Title case is used for:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Journal names<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Italics in APA<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Italicize:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Books<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Reports<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Journal names<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Journal volume numbers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Standalone webpages<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Films<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Podcasts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Do not italicize:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul>\n<li>Article titles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chapter titles<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Issue numbers<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Page numbers<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"_Toc233544576\">Summary of Common Citation Examples<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><td><strong>Source<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>In-text Citation<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Reference Begins With<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Book<\/td><td>(Smith, 2024)<\/td><td>Smith, J.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Journal<\/td><td>(Lee, 2023)<\/td><td>Lee, K.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Website<\/td><td>(CDC, 2024)<\/td><td>Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Government Report<\/td><td>(WHO, 2024)<\/td><td>World Health Organization<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Video<\/td><td>(Brown, 2022)<\/td><td>Brown, A.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"_Toc233544577\">Common Mistakes in APA 7 Formatting<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><td><strong>Mistake<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Correct Practice<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Missing references<\/td><td>Cite every source used<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Missing in-text citations<\/td><td>Every borrowed idea needs one<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Incorrect capitalization<\/td><td>Use sentence case for titles<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Using URL instead of DOI<\/td><td>Use DOI whenever available<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Incorrect author order<\/td><td>Follow the publication exactly<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Missing page numbers for quotes<\/td><td>Include page or paragraph number<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Inconsistent formatting<\/td><td>Follow APA rules throughout<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"_Toc233544578\">APA 7th Edition vs APA 6th Edition<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><td><strong>Feature<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>APA 6<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>APA 7<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Running head<\/td><td>Required<\/td><td>Usually omitted for student papers<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Author limit in references<\/td><td>First 7 authors<\/td><td>Up to 20 authors<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Publisher location<\/td><td>Required<\/td><td>Removed<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>DOI format<\/td><td>doi:xxxxx<\/td><td>https:\/\/doi.org\/xxxxx<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Singular &#8220;they&#8221;<\/td><td>Limited guidance<\/td><td>Fully accepted<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Font<\/td><td>Mainly Times New Roman<\/td><td>Multiple fonts permitted<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"_Toc233544579\">APA Citation Workflow for New Researchers<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><td><strong>Step<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Action<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>1<\/td><td>Identify the source type<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2<\/td><td>Collect bibliographic information<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3<\/td><td>Create the in-text citation<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>4<\/td><td>Create the full reference entry<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>5<\/td><td>Add the reference alphabetically<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>6<\/td><td>Check formatting consistency<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>7<\/td><td>Proofread before submission<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a id=\"_Toc233544580\">Frequently Asked Questions<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do I always need an in-text citation?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes. Any idea, data, or wording that is not your own must be cited. You do not need a citation for data from the current study or your personal opinions (if not published previously).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Do all in-text citations need matching references?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes. Every in-text citation should correspond to a full entry in the Reference List, except for personal communications, which are cited only in the text.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What if there is no author?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Use the organization as the author. If none is available, use the title in place of the author.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">When should I use page numbers?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Include page numbers for direct quotations. For paraphrased material, page numbers are optional but encouraged when they help readers locate the information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Should I include retrieval dates for websites?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Only include a retrieval date when the content is designed to change over time, such as a wiki or a continuously updated webpage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Can I cite AI tools like ChatGPT in APA 7?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Yes. APA provides <a href=\"https:\/\/apastyle.apa.org\/blog\/cite-generative-ai-references\">guidance for citing AI generated content<\/a>. Generally, if you use AI as a tool in your research or writing, you should acknowledge its use appropriately according to your instructor&#8217;s or publisher&#8217;s policies and include a citation when required. The creator\/owner of the tool is treated as the author. If your AI tool allows you to generate a shareable link to your conversation, use the following format<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><br>Author\/Company. (Year, Month Day). <em>Title of chat<\/em> [Generative AI chat]. Tool Name. URL<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your specific chat doesn&#8217;t have a shareable link, cite the AI tool in general using this format:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>OpenAI. (2025). ChatGPT [Large language model]. <a href=\"https:\/\/chatgpt.com\">https:\/\/chatgpt.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You should paste the full transcript of your AI conversation into an appendix if your assignment or publication guidelines require it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you use AI features embedded inside common software (e.g., Copilot within Microsoft Word), APA does not require you to cite it, as standard software usage is not formally cited.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><em>This article was originally published on February 8, 2024, and updated on June 28, 2026.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>TL;DR The APA 7th edition citation style, requires you to: Contents What Is APA 7th Edition Citation Style? APA (American Psychological Association) style is a standardized system for: The 7th edition, released in 2019, modernized many citation rules to accommodate online publishing, digital resources, and inclusive language. It is commonly required in: Why Proper Citation [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":865,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":"","_ayudawp_aiss_exclude":false,"_ayudawp_aiss_summary":"The APA 7th edition citation style, requires you to:. APA 7th Edition vs APA 6th Edition. Unlike APA 6th edition, abbreviations are generally optional unless they improve readability.","_ayudawp_aiss_summary_provider":"extractive","_ayudawp_aiss_summary_hash":"2606fd2789ec0cb9b971956be80dcc4567a69316"},"categories":[2,3],"tags":[157,160,158,156,159],"ppma_author":[72],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.0 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>APA Style Citations Guide: APA 7th edition \u2013 Citing in APA Format - Editage USA Official Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Complete details of how to format in-text citations as per the American Psychological Association&#039;s Style Manual (7th edition): single author, multiple authors, no author, no date, etc.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/apa-citation-style-guide-7th-edition-citing-in-apa-format\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"APA Style Citations Guide: APA 7th edition \u2013 Citing in APA Format - Editage USA Official Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Complete details of how to format in-text citations as per the American Psychological Association&#039;s Style Manual (7th edition): single author, multiple authors, no author, no date, etc.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/apa-citation-style-guide-7th-edition-citing-in-apa-format\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Editage USA Official Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2026-06-28T07:41:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-06-28T08:36:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/02\/Citing-in-apa-format-scaled.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1707\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"2560\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"KB\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Digital Admin\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"7 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/apa-citation-style-guide-7th-edition-citing-in-apa-format\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/apa-citation-style-guide-7th-edition-citing-in-apa-format\/\",\"name\":\"APA Style Citations Guide: APA 7th edition \u2013 Citing in APA Format - Editage USA Official Blog\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2026-06-28T07:41:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-06-28T08:36:32+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/a0301ef51c7d804c3324246c7208dead\"},\"description\":\"Complete details of how to format in-text citations as per the American Psychological Association's Style Manual (7th edition): single author, multiple authors, no author, no date, etc.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/apa-citation-style-guide-7th-edition-citing-in-apa-format\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/apa-citation-style-guide-7th-edition-citing-in-apa-format\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/apa-citation-style-guide-7th-edition-citing-in-apa-format\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Articles\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.editage.us\/blog\/category\/articles\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"How to Format Citations as per APA 7th Edition: Examples &amp; 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