APA 7 Citations: In-Text and Reference List Examples

APA style is used widely in psychology, education, nursing, social sciences, and business. The 7th edition is the version most courses ask for today. Getting citations right protects you from accidental plagiarism and shows your reader that your evidence can be checked.

This guide gives practical examples of APA 7th edition in-text citations and reference list entries. All names, titles, and dates in the examples are invented. Your instructor or department may have its own rules, so always check the latest official APA guidance and your course handbook if something is unclear.

How APA Citations Work

APA uses two linked parts:

1. In-text citations in the body of your paper, giving the author and year
2. A reference list at the end, giving full details of each source

Every source cited in the text must appear in the reference list, and every entry in the list must be cited in the text.

In-Text Citation Basics

One author: Smith (2020) found that... or ...improved outcomes (Smith, 2020).

Two authors: Join with "and" in the sentence, or "&" inside parentheses.

• Rivera and Chen (2021) argued...
• ...as shown in earlier work (Rivera & Chen, 2021).

Three or more authors: Use the first author's name followed by "et al." from the first citation.

• Patel et al. (2019) reported...
• ...in recent studies (Patel et al., 2019).

Group author: Use the organization's name, and give the abbreviation on first use if you plan to reuse it.

• (World Health Organization [WHO], 2022), then later (WHO, 2022).

No date: Use "n.d." (Lopez, n.d.).

Multiple sources in one citation: Order alphabetically and separate with semicolons: (Chen, 2020; Rivera, 2021).

Direct quotation: Add a page number, or a paragraph number for sources without pages: (Smith, 2020, p. 45).

Secondary source: If you cannot access the original, cite the source you read: Jones's study (as cited in Smith, 2020).

Narrative vs Parenthetical Citations

A narrative citation puts the author in the sentence: "Rivera and Chen (2021) found..."

A parenthetical citation puts the author and year in brackets: "...was associated with better grades (Rivera & Chen, 2021)."

Use a mix. Too many parentheses make writing hard to read.

Reference List Format

General rules:

• Start the reference list on a new page with the centered, bold heading References.
• Order entries alphabetically by the first author's surname.
• Use a hanging indent, with the second and later lines indented.
• Give the surname and initials for each author, up to 20 authors.
• Use sentence case for article and book titles, which means capitalizing only the first word, the first word after a colon, and proper nouns.
• Italicize book titles and journal names with volume numbers.
• Include a DOI as a link where one exists.

Reference Examples

Journal article

Rivera, M., & Chen, L. (2021). Sleep habits and academic performance in first-year students. Journal of Student Wellbeing, 12(3), 45-62. https://doi.org/10.0000/example

Book

Patel, R. (2019). Research methods for health students (3rd ed.). Example Press.

Edited book chapter

Lopez, A. (2020). Ethics in community research. In J. Smith & K. Brown (Eds.), Handbook of applied research (pp. 112-130). Example Press.

Web page on a website

World Health Organization. (2022, March 4). Example title of health fact sheet. https://www.example.org/fact-sheet

Report by a group author

National Education Agency. (2021). Example report on student retention (Report No. 21-04). https://www.example.org/report

Dissertation or thesis

Chen, L. (2018). Example title of a doctoral study [Doctoral dissertation, Example University]. University Repository. https://www.example.edu/thesis

Online newspaper article

Brown, K. (2023, June 2). Example headline about campus life. Example Times. https://www.example.com/article

Source with no author

Example title of a web document. (2020). Example Organization. https://www.example.org/document

Remember that these examples show the pattern. For unusual sources, such as podcasts, datasets, or social media posts, check the APA Style website or your university's APA guide.

Common Questions

When do I use "et al." in the reference list? In APA 7th edition, the reference list normally gives all authors up to 20. "Et al." is used in the in-text citation for three or more authors.

Do I include the publisher location? No. APA 7th edition does not require the place of publication.

Should DOIs be links? APA 7th edition presents DOIs and URLs as hyperlinks, without a label such as "doi:" before them.

What about access dates? They are usually not needed unless the content is designed to change over time, so check the guidance.

Where do page numbers go? Add them for direct quotations. They are optional for paraphrase.

Common Mistakes

• Missing entries. A source appears in the text but not in the list, or the reverse.
• Mismatched years or spellings. The text says 2020 but the list says 2021.
• Title case where sentence case is required.
• Missing italics on journal names and volume numbers.
• Wrong "and" or "&". Use "&" inside parentheses and "and" in the running text.
• Using "et al." too early for two-author sources, which should list both names.
• Wrong order. Alphabetical order ignores initials unless surnames match.
• Dead links or incomplete DOIs.
• Mixing styles. For example, adding Harvard-style place of publication in an APA list.

A Quick Workflow to Stay Accurate

1. Save full details for every source when you first read it.
2. Use a reference manager to store and format entries, but always check the output, since automatic tools make mistakes.
3. Cite as you write, not afterward.
4. Before submitting, cross-check every in-text citation against the list.
5. Proofread for punctuation, italics, and capitalization.

For more on lists in long documents, see Dissertation Reference List and How to Reference a Dissertation in APA, Harvard, and MLA. If you are unsure which style your course needs, read APA vs MLA vs Chicago.

Avoiding Plagiarism With Good Citation

Citing is not only about format. It also means making clear which ideas come from others. Paraphrase in your own words, add the citation, and use quotation marks and page numbers when you use exact words. Our guide to paraphrasing without plagiarizing shows how.

Conclusion

APA 7th edition citations follow clear patterns: author and year in the text, full details in an alphabetical reference list. Learn the patterns for the sources you use most, keep accurate notes from the start, and cross-check before you submit. When in doubt, consult the official APA resources and your instructor.

Where to Go Next

• Have your references checked through our citation checking support.
• Polish your paper with professional editing.
• Read How to Write an Annotated Bibliography.
• Read Harvard Referencing: How to Cite Sources.
• Review our pricing and ethics policy.

From choosing a topic to polishing a final draft, CampusScribe's subject-specialist editors and coaches help with dissertations, capstone projects, presentations, and more - whether you need topic guidance, structural feedback, or a final edit before your deadline.