Introduction to APA Format
The American Psychological Association (APA) citation style is widely used in the social sciences, education, and other fields. The 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual, released in October 2019, provides comprehensive guidelines for formatting papers, citing sources, and creating references. This cheatsheet serves as a quick reference guide to help you correctly format your academic papers and citations according to current APA standards.
Core APA Paper Formatting Guidelines
Basic Document Setup
- Paper size: 8.5″ x 11″
- Margins: 1 inch on all sides
- Font: Use a readable font (recommended options include Calibri 11pt, Arial 11pt, Lucida Sans Unicode 10pt, Times New Roman 12pt, Georgia 11pt)
- Line spacing: Double-space entire document, including title page, abstract, text, and references
- Alignment: Left-aligned (not justified)
- Paragraph indentation: First line of each paragraph indented 0.5 inches
- Page numbers: Top right corner of each page, including title page
Paper Structure
- Title page
- Abstract (if required)
- Main text
- References
- Tables (if applicable)
- Figures (if applicable)
- Appendices (if applicable)
Title Page Elements
- Running head: No longer required for student papers (only for professional papers submitted for publication)
- Page number: 1, in top right corner
- Title: Bold, centered, properly capitalized, positioned in upper half of page
- Author(s): Full name, centered under title
- Institutional affiliation: Name of school/institution, centered under author
- Course information: Course number and name, centered (student papers)
- Instructor name: Centered (student papers)
- Due date: Centered (student papers)
In-Text Citations
Basic Format for In-Text Citations
| Citation Type | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| One author | (Last name, Year) | (Smith, 2020) |
| Two authors | (Last name & Last name, Year) | (Smith & Jones, 2020) |
| Three or more authors | (First author’s last name et al., Year) | (Smith et al., 2020) |
| Group author with abbreviation (first citation) | (Full Name [Abbreviation], Year) | (World Health Organization [WHO], 2020) |
| Group author with abbreviation (subsequent citations) | (Abbreviation, Year) | (WHO, 2020) |
| Group author without abbreviation | (Full Name, Year) | (Stanford University, 2020) |
| No author | (Title, Year) | (“Climate Change Report,” 2020) |
| Multiple works | (Last name, Year; Last name, Year) | (Smith, 2020; Jones, 2019) |
Specific In-Text Citation Situations
Direct quote: (Author, Year, p. X)
- Example: “The results were significant” (Smith, 2020, p. 42).
Multiple pages: (Author, Year, pp. X-Y)
- Example: (Smith, 2020, pp. 42-45)
No page numbers, use paragraph number: (Author, Year, para. X)
- Example: (Smith, 2020, para. 4)
No date available: (Author, n.d.)
- Example: (Smith, n.d.)
Secondary source (citing a source within another source):
- Example: Johnson (as cited in Smith, 2020) argued that…
Personal communications (interviews, emails, etc.):
- Example: (J. Smith, personal communication, January 15, 2020)
- Note: Personal communications are cited in-text only, not in the reference list
Narrative Citations vs. Parenthetical Citations
Narrative citation (author in the sentence):
- Smith (2020) found that the results were significant.
Parenthetical citation (author in parentheses):
- The results were found to be significant (Smith, 2020).
Reference List Basics
General Guidelines
- Title: “References” centered and bold at the top of the page
- Hanging indent: First line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inches
- Double spacing: Apply throughout
- Alphabetical order: By author’s last name
- Multiple works by same author: Chronological order, earliest first
- Digital object identifier (DOI): Include when available, formatted as: https://doi.org/xxxxx
Reference List Entry Components
- Author(s): Last name, First initial. Middle initial.
- Date: (Year, Month Day) in parentheses
- Title: Title of work (additional information in brackets if needed)
- Source information: Publisher, URL, DOI, etc.
Reference Formats by Source Type
Journal Articles
Journal Article with DOI
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), page range. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Example:
Johnson, M. K., & Smith, J. R. (2020). Effects of climate change on marine ecosystems. Journal of Environmental Science, 45(2), 112-129. https://doi.org/10.1000/xyz123
Journal Article without DOI, with URL
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), page range. URL
Example:
Martin, L. P. (2019). Cultural dynamics in team environments. Journal of Organizational Psychology, 8(3), 45-60. https://www.jorgpsych.com/article/3457
Journal Article without DOI, Print Version
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), page range.
Example:
Roberts, A. T., & Williams, C. D. (2021). Memory processes in education. Educational Psychology, 37(2), 89-102.
Journal Article with More Than 20 Authors
Include the first 19 authors, an ellipsis (…), and the final author.
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., Author, C. C., [list all authors up to 19], ... Author, Z. Z. (Year). Title of article. Title of Journal, Volume(Issue), page range. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Books and Ebooks
Print Book
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of book. Publisher.
Example:
Moriarty, L. J., & Edwards, R. (2019). Criminal behavior: Analysis and response. Oxford University Press.
Edited Book
Editor, E. E., & Editor, F. F. (Eds.). (Year). Title of book. Publisher.
Example:
Jenkins, P. R., & Thompson, M. S. (Eds.). (2020). Advances in cognitive development. Cambridge University Press.
Chapter in Edited Book
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. page range). Publisher.
Example:
Rodriguez, M. P. (2021). Sustainable urban planning. In T. K. Johnson & L. L. Williams (Eds.), Environmental planning for the 21st century (pp. 112-136). Routledge.
Ebook with DOI
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Example:
Phillips, N. T. (2020). Digital transformation in healthcare. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-01234-5
Ebook with URL
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of book. Publisher. URL
Example:
Thompson, K. L. (2021). Social media marketing essentials. Business Press. https://www.businesspress.com/ebooks/social-media-marketing
Online Sources
Webpage with Individual Author
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Site Name. URL
Example:
Schultz, K. P. (2022, January 15). How to improve workplace communication. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/01/how-to-improve-workplace-communication
Webpage with Group Author
Group Name. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. URL
Example:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2021, October 10). COVID-19 vaccination information. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/vaccines/index.html
Blog Post
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of post. Blog Name. URL
Example:
Martinez, J. R. (2021, June 5). Five strategies for effective online learning. Education Today Blog. https://educationtoday.com/blog/five-strategies-online-learning
Online News Article
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. News Source. URL
Example:
Johnson, T. L. (2022, March 8). New study reveals impact of exercise on mental health. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/08/health/exercise-mental-health-study.html
Report from Government Agency or Organization
Agency/Organization Name. (Year). Title of report. URL
Example:
World Health Organization. (2021). Global tuberculosis report 2021. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240037021
Other Media Sources
YouTube Video
Author, A. A. [Username]. (Year, Month Day). Title of video [Video]. YouTube. URL
Example:
TED. (2019, December 5). The power of vulnerability | Brené Brown [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4Qm9cGRub0
Podcast Episode
Host, H. H. (Host). (Year, Month Day). Title of episode (No. if available) [Audio podcast episode]. In Title of podcast. Publisher. URL
Example:
Glass, I. (Host). (2020, March 13). The campus tour has been cancelled (No. 698) [Audio podcast episode]. In This American Life. WBEZ Chicago. https://www.thisamericanlife.org/698/the-campus-tour-has-been-cancelled
Film
Director, D. D. (Director). (Year). Title of film [Film]. Production Company.
Example:
Nolan, C. (Director). (2020). Tenet [Film]. Warner Bros. Pictures.
Television Series Episode
Writer, W. W. (Writer), & Director, D. D. (Director). (Year, Month Day). Title of episode (Season number, Episode number) [TV series episode]. In P. Producer (Executive Producer), Title of series. Production Company.
Example:
Brooker, C. (Writer), & Wright, J. (Director). (2016, October 21). Nosedive (Season 3, Episode 1) [TV series episode]. In C. Brooker (Executive Producer), Black Mirror. Netflix.
Social Media
Twitter/X Post
Author, A. A. [@username]. (Year, Month Day). Content of post up to first 20 words [Tweet]. Twitter. URL
Example:
NASA [@NASA]. (2022, February 10). Our @NASAPersevere rover has spent a full year on Mars! In that time, it's driven [Tweet]. Twitter. https://twitter.com/NASA/status/1491845814396104707
Instagram Post
Author, A. A. [@username]. (Year, Month Day). Content of post up to first 20 words [Photograph/Video]. Instagram. URL
Example:
National Geographic [@natgeo]. (2022, January 15). A spectacular light show illuminates the night sky over Alaska [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/CYwXmGArxpQ/
Facebook Post
Author, A. A. or Page Name. (Year, Month Day). Content of post up to first 20 words [Status update]. Facebook. URL
Example:
American Psychological Association. (2022, March 1). Today marks the start of Psychology Month! Throughout March, we'll be highlighting [Status update]. Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/AmericanPsychologicalAssociation/posts/10159752646818858
Special Cases and Formatting
Works with No Author
Use the title in place of the author. In the reference list, alphabetize by the first significant word in the title.
Title of work. (Year). Publisher.
Example:
The global impact of climate change. (2021). Environmental Science Institute.
Works with No Date
Use “n.d.” (no date) in place of the year.
Author, A. A. (n.d.). Title of work. Publisher.
Example:
Smith, J. R. (n.d.). Guide to effective public speaking. Communication Skills Institute.
Multiple Works by the Same Author in the Same Year
Add lowercase letters (a, b, c) after the year and order alphabetically by title.
Author, A. A. (2020a). First title alphabetically...
Author, A. A. (2020b). Second title alphabetically...
Citing a Source Within a Source (Secondary Source)
Only include the secondary source (the one you actually read) in the reference list.
In-text: (as cited in Author, Year)
Reference list: Include only the secondary source
Legal Sources (Basic)
Court Cases
Name v. Name, Volume Source Page (Court Year).
Example:
Brown v. Board of Education, 347 U.S. 483 (1954).
Statutes/Laws
Name of Act, Title Source § Section Number (Year).
Example:
Americans With Disabilities Act, 42 U.S.C. § 12101 (1990).
Tables and Figures
Table Formatting
- Number: Table 1, Table 2, etc. (in bold)
- Title: Italicized, title case, placed below the table number
- Notes: Three types (general, specific, probability)
- Cite source: Below table if reproduced or adapted
Figure Formatting
- Number: Figure 1, Figure 2, etc. (in bold)
- Title: Italicized, title case, placed below the figure number
- Notes: Below title
- Cite source: Below figure if reproduced or adapted
Common Formatting Issues
Capitalization in Titles
- Title case for: Titles of articles, books, reports, webpages, etc. in the reference list
- Capitalize: First word, proper nouns, first word after colon, and all major words
- Do not capitalize: Articles (a, an, the), conjunctions (and, but, or), prepositions (with, to)
Italics Usage
- Use italics for: Titles of books, journals, newspapers, reports, webpages, films, albums
- Do not italicize: Titles of articles, chapters, episodes, songs
Abbreviations
- First mention: Write out full term followed by abbreviation in parentheses
- Subsequent mentions: Use only the abbreviation
- Common acceptable abbreviations without explanation: APA, IQ, AIDS, HIV, URL, DOI
Numbers
- Use words for: Numbers below 10; numbers at the beginning of sentences
- Use numerals for: Numbers 10 and above; measurements with units; statistical data; dates; times; ages; scores; points on a scale; sums of money
Resources for Further Reference
Official APA Resources
- APA Publication Manual (7th edition)
- APA Style website: https://apastyle.apa.org/
- APA Style Blog: https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/
Academic Writing Support
- University writing centers
- Purdue OWL APA resources: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/
- Citation management software: Zotero, Mendeley, EndNote
This cheatsheet provides a comprehensive overview of APA 7th edition citation and formatting guidelines. For special cases or more detailed information, consult the official APA Publication Manual or the APA Style website.