APA Version 7 Citation & Reference Formats
APA Version 7 Citation & Reference Formats
CSUDH (California State University, Dominguez Hills) university library (Retrieved March 2nd, 2021)
https://libguides.csudh.edu/citation/apa-7
Basic Format:
(Author's Last Name(s) or Organization, Year).
Direct Quotes
If you're quoting the exact words of someone else, introduce the quote with an in-text citation in
parentheses. Any sentence punctuation goes after the closing parenthesis.
If you're directly quoting more than 40 words, use a blockquote. Block quotes don't need quotation marks.
Instead, indent the text 1/2" as a visual cue that you are citing. The in-text citation in parentheses goes after
the punctuation of the quote.
While research studies have established that socioeconomic status influences disease incidence, severity and access
to healthcare, there has been relatively less study of the specific manner in which low SES influences receipt of
quality care and consequent morbidity and mortality among patients with similar disease characteristics, particularly
among those who have gained access to the healthcare system. (p. 1021)
Use direct quotes sparingly! Focus on summarizing the findings from multiple research studies. In the
sciences and social sciences, only use the exact phrasing or argument of an individual when necessary.
Summarizing or Paraphrasing
Paraphrasing or summarizing the main findings or takeaways from a research article is the preferred method
of citing sources in an APA paper. Always include the last name of the author(s) and the year of the article,
so your reader can find the full citation in the reference list.
According to Shavers (2007), limitations of studying socioeconomic status in research on health disparities include
difficulties in collecting data on socioeconomic status and the complications of classifying women, children, and
employment status.
In-text citations differ depending on the number of authors listed for a work, and if there is a group author.
One author
You only need the author's last name and the year.
(Abrams, 2018)
Two Authors
Connect both authors' last names with & (ampersand) and include the year.
If there are 3 or more authors use et al., which means "and others."
Group Authors
To make a hanging indent do the following: block the entire reference, right click on mouse, click on
Paragraph, click on arrow in Special box, select Hanging, click on arrow in Line spacing box, select single,
then click on OK.
Important Note: Some electronic citations necessitate the use of brackets. APA style dictates that brackets
should directly surround their content without spaces (e.g., [bracketed content] should look like this). When
possible, include the year, month, and date in references. If the month and date are not available, use the
year of publication. Additionally,
Please note: the following contains a list of the most commonly cited electronic sources. For a complete list
of how to cite electronic sources, please refer to the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual.
Webpage or Piece of Online Content
If the resource was written by a group or organization, use the name of the group/organization as the author.
Additionally, if the author and site name are the same, omit the site name from the citation.
Group name. (Year, Month Date). Title of page. Site name. URL
American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals [ASPCA]. (2019, November 21). Justice served: Case
closed for over 40 dogfighting victims.
https://www.aspca.org/news/justice-served-case-closed-over-40-dogfighting-victims
(American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, 2019)
If the page's author is not listed, start with the title instead. Additionally, include a retrieval date when the
page's content is likely to change over time (like, for instance, if you're citing a wiki that is publicly edited).
Title of page. (Year, Month Date). Site name. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL
Quantum mechanics. (2019, November 19). Wikipedia. Retrieved November 25, 2019, from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quantum_mechanics
Please note: Because online materials can potentially change URLs, APA recommends providing a Digital
Object Identifier (DOI), when it is available, as opposed to the URL. DOIs are an attempt to provide stable,
long-lasting links for online articles. They are unique to their documents and consist of a long alphanumeric
code. Many—but not all—publishers will provide an article's DOI on the first page of the document.
Note also that some online bibliographies provide an article's DOI but may "hide" the code under a button
which may read "Article" or may be an abbreviation of a vendor's name like "CrossRef" or "PubMed." This
button will usually lead the user to the full article which will include the DOI. Find DOIs from print
publications or ones that go to dead links with doi.org's "Resolve a DOI" function, available on the site's
home page.
APA 7 also advises writers to include a DOI (if available), even when using the print source.
Drollinger, T., Comer, L. B., & Warrington, P. T. (2006). Development and validation of the active
empathetic listening scale. Psychology & Marketing, 23(2), 161-180.
https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20105
If an online scholarly journal article has no DOI and is published on a website, include the URL. If an online
scholarly article has no DOI and is published on a database, do not include a URL or any database
information. The only exception is for databases that publish articles that are in limited circulation (like
ERIC) or that are only available on that particular database (like UpToDate). You should also include the
date that you accessed the article.
Perreault, L. (2019). Obesity in adults: Role of physical activity and exercise. UpToDate. Retrieved January
12, 2020, from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/obesity-in-adults-role-of-physical-activity-and-
exercise
Abstract
APA 7th edition does not provide guidance on how to cite abstracts. However, if you only use information
from the abstract but the full text of the article is also available, we advise you to add "[Abstract]" after the
article or source name. If the full text is not available, you may use an abstract that is available through an
abstracts database as a secondary source.
Newspaper Article
Richards, C. (2019, December 9). Best music of 2019: Lana Del Rey sings lullabies about the end of
America. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/best-music-of-
2019-lana-del-rey-sings-lullabies-about-the-end-of-america/2019/12/06/6e82c5ec-15d8-11ea-a659-
7d69641c6ff7_story.html
Electronic or Kindle Books
It is not necessary to note that you have used an eBook or audiobook when the content is the same as a
physical book. However, you should distinguish between the eBook or audiobook and the print version if the
content is different or abridged, or if you would like to cite the narrator of an audiobook.
Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of book (N. Narrator, Narr.) [Audiobook]. Publisher. URL (if applicable)
Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of dissertation or thesis (Publication No.) [Doctoral dissertation or master’s
thesis, Name of Institution Awarding Degree]. Database Name.
Duis, J. M. (2008). Acid/base chemistry and related organic chemistry conceptions of undergraduate organic
chemistry students. (Publication No. 3348786) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Northern Colorado]. ProQuest
Dissertations and Theses Global.
Note: An online dictionary, thesaurus, or encyclopedia may be continuously updated and therefore not
include a publication date (like in the example below). If that’s the case, use “n.d.” for the date and include
the retrieval date in the citation.
Institution or organization name. (Year). Title of entry. In Title of reference work. URL
Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Braggadocio. In Merriam-Webster.com dictionary. Retrieved January 13, 2020, from
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/braggadocio
Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of entry. In F. M. Lastname (ed.), Title of reference work (edition). Publisher.
URL or DOI
Martin, M. (2018). Animals. In L. A. Schintler & C. L. McNeely (Eds), Encyclopedia of big data.
SpringerLink. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32001-4_7-1<
Note: If the dictionary, thesaurus, or encyclopedia does not include an edition, simply skip that step.
Data Sets
Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group (Year). Title of dataset (Version No.) [Data set]. Publisher. DOI or URL
Grantmakers in the Arts. (2019). Arts funding trends, United States, 1994-present (ICPSR 37337) [Data set]. National
Archive of Data on Arts & Culture. https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/NADAC/studies/37337
Graphic Data (e.g. Interactive Maps, Infographics, and Other Graphic Representations of Data)
Give the name of the organization or individual followed by the date and the title. If there is no title, in
brackets, you should provide a brief explanation of what type of data is there and in what form it appears.
Include the URL and the retrieval date if there is no publication date.
Google. (n.d.). [Google Map of Purdue University]. Retrieved January 12, 2020, from
https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4237095,-86.9233886,17z
If an interview is not retrievable in audio or print form, cite the interview only in the text (not in the
reference list) and provide the month, day, and year in the text. If the interview transcript is published in an
online periodical, like a magazine, cite the interview the same way you would cite the medium where it is
published, as shown below:
Schulman, M. (2019, December 8). Peter Dinklage is still punk rock. The New Yorker.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/the-new-yorker-interview/peter-dinklage-is-still-punk-rock
If it is an audio file or transcript published in a database, credit the interviewee as the author and use the
following model:
Paynter, W. (1970, September 17). Interview with Will Paynter [Interview]. Studs Terkel Radio Archive; The Chicago
History Museum. https://studsterkel.wfmt.com/programs/interview-will-paynter
When citing online lecture notes, be sure to provide the file format in brackets after the lecture title (e.g.
PowerPoint slides, Word document).
Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of presentation [Lecture notes, PowerPoint slides, etc]. Publisher.
URL
Smith, C. (2017, October 13). AI and machine learning demystified [PowerPoint slides]. SlideShare.
https://www.slideshare.net/carologic/ai-and-machine-learning-demystified-by-carol-smith-at-midwest-ux-2017
Do not cite standard office software (e.g. Word, Excel) or programming languages. Provide references only
for specialized software.
Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group. (Year). Title of software (Version No.). Publisher. URL
E-mails are not included in the list of references, though you should parenthetically cite them in your main
text:
Stine, R. L. [RL__Stine]. (2013, October 23). I’m R.L. Stine and it’s my job to terrify kids. Ask me anything! [Online
forum post]. Reddit. https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/1p32dl/
Tweet
Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group [@username]. (Year, Month Date). Content of the post up to the first 20
words[Tweet]. Site Name. URL
Note: If the tweet includes images, videos, or links to other sources, indicate that information in brackets
after the content description. Also attempt to replicate emojis if possible.
National Geographic [@NatGeo]. (2020, January 12). Scientists knew African grays are clever, but now they’ve been
documented assisting other members of their species—even strangers [Tweet; thumbnail link to article]. Twitter.
https://twitter.com/NatGeo/status/1216346352063537154
Twitter Profile
Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group [@username]. (n.d.). Tweets [Twitter profile]. Retrieved Month Date,
Year, from URL.
MLA Style [@mlastyle]. (n.d.). Tweets [Twitter profile]. Retrieved January 12, 2020, from
https://twitter.com/mlastyle
Facebook Post
Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group. (Year, Month Date). Content of the post up to the first 20 words [Type
of post]. Site Name. URL
Note: If the Facebook post includes images, videos, or links to other sources, indicate that information in
brackets after the content description. Also attempt to replicate emojis if possible.
U.S. Department of the Interior. (2020, January 10). Like frosting on a cake, snow coats and clings to the hoodoos at
Bryce Canyon National Park in Utah [Image attached] [Status update]. Facebook.
https://www.facebook.com/USInterior/photos/a.155163054537384/2586475451406120/?type=3&theater
Facebook Page
Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group. (n.d.). Home [Facebook page]. Site name. Retrieved Month Date, Year,
from URL
Little River Canyon National Preserve (n.d.). Home [Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved January 12, 2020 from
https://www.facebook.com/lirinps/
Lastname, F. M. or Name of Group [@username]. (Year, Month Date). Content of the post up to the first 20
words [Type of post]. Site Name. URL
BBC [@bbc]. (2020, January 12). Skywatchers have been treated to the first full moon of 2020-known as a “wolf
moon”-at the same time as a [Photograph]. Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/p/B7OkWqbBwcf/
Blog Post
Axelrod, A. (2019, August 11). A century later: The Treaty of Versailles and its rejection of racial equality. Code
Switch, NPR. https://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2019/08/11/742293305/a-century-later-the-treaty-of-
versailles-and-its-rejection-of-racial-equality
Last Name, F. M. [Username]. (Year, Month Date). Title of video [Video]. Streaming Service. URL
Lushi, K. [Korab Lushi]. (2016, July 3). Albatross culture 1 [Video]. YouTube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AMrJRQDPjk&t=148s
Note: The person or group who uploaded the video is considered the author. If the author’s name is the same
as the username, you can omit the [Username].
Ted Talk
Or (if on YouTube)
Tedx Talks. (2011, Nov. 15). TEDxHampshireCollege - Jay Smooth - How I learned to stop worrying and love discussing
race [Video]. YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbdxeFcQtaU
Podcast Episode
Host, A. A. (Host). (Year, Month Date). Title of episode (No. if provided) [Audio podcast episode]. In
Name of podcast. Publisher. URL
Prime, K. (Host). (2019, March 29). For whom the cowbell tolls [Audio podcast episode]. In Radiolab. WNYC Studios.
https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/whom-cowbell-tolls
If the image is for use only in an assignment or a PowerPoint presentation, follow the advice in this section.
In text citations
The in text citation for an image should be put underneath the image with the format Note. [add explanatory
notes here, if applicable - if no notes are applicable, just use the word "source" to explain what the note is
noting] (author, date). Include the page number if applicable, for example an image from a book or journal
article.
Reference list
Reference the source where the image was obtained from. If an image was viewed in a gallery or online then
cite the image directly as a stand alone work. For images included in other sources reference the book,
website or journal article that the image came from.
If the author is the same as the name of the website, omit the name of the website.
Remember to follow the referencing format of the resource you are using (e.g. book, journal article etc.) or
include as much information about the image as possible:
Online images
Please note, this is for images that exist as separate entities on the Internet, such as an image in Wikimedia
Commons, Flickr, Pixabay, etc. If the image appears in a webpage, cite the webpage.
Suggested Resources
APA Guide
OWL Exercises