The American Psychological Association (APA) 7th edition, published in 2019, is the most current version of one of the world's most widely used citation styles. It is the standard in psychology, education, social sciences, nursing, and many other disciplines. This guide covers everything from basic in-text citations to complex reference list entries, including the key changes from APA 6th edition.
Core Principles of APA Style
Like Harvard, APA uses an author-date in-text citation system. Every source cited in your text must appear in the reference list, and vice versa. APA places particular emphasis on:
- Giving credit to original authors to avoid plagiarism.
- Allowing readers to locate your sources easily.
- Providing clear, consistent formatting to enhance readability.
In-Text Citations in APA 7th
Direct Quote
Include the author's last name, publication year, and page number (or paragraph number for sources without page numbers):
- "Academic integrity is fundamental to the university experience" (Morrison, 2022, p. 34).
- Morrison (2022) argued that "academic integrity is fundamental to the university experience" (p. 34).
Paraphrase
The page number is optional but recommended:
- Academic integrity forms the cornerstone of university life (Morrison, 2022).
Two Authors
Use an ampersand (&) between names inside parentheses; write "and" when the names appear in your prose:
- (Smith & Jones, 2021)
- Smith and Jones (2021) demonstrated...
Three or More Authors
Use the first author's name followed by "et al." from the very first citation (a change from APA 6th, which required listing all names for the first citation):
- (Williams et al., 2020)
Corporate or Group Author
Spell out the full name on first citation; abbreviate on subsequent citations if the abbreviation is well known:
- First citation: (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023)
- Subsequent citations: (WHO, 2023)
No Author
Use the first few words of the title in italics (for books or reports) or quotation marks (for articles/web pages):
- (Higher Education Review, 2022)
- ("Study skills importance," 2021)
Key Changes in APA 7th Edition
If you have previously used APA 6th edition, these are the most important changes to be aware of:
- Running head: No longer required for student papers (only for manuscripts being submitted for publication).
- DOIs: Now formatted as hyperlinks (https://doi.org/xxxxx) rather than starting with "doi:".
- Author names: Up to 20 authors are now listed in the reference list (previously only 6 before et al. was used). For 21 or more authors, list the first 19, insert ellipsis, and add the last author.
- Publisher location: No longer included for books.
- In-text for three or more authors: Use et al. from the first citation (previously all names for first citation).
- Singular "they": APA 7th edition formally recognises "they" as a singular gender-neutral pronoun.
- Bias-free language: Expanded guidelines on respectful language for age, disability, gender identity, race, and ethnicity.
Reference List Formats
Journal Article
Format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), page–range. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Example: Patel, R., & Nguyen, L. (2023). Digital literacy and academic writing outcomes in first-year undergraduates. Journal of Educational Technology, 18(3), 112–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jedu.2023.02.005
Book
Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Publisher.
Example: McMillan, K., & Weyers, J. (2022). How to write essays and assignments (4th ed.). Pearson.
Chapter in an Edited Book
Format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of book (pp. page–range). Publisher.
Example: Brown, C. (2021). Critical thinking in academic writing. In D. Hayes (Ed.), University learning handbook (pp. 56–78). Routledge.
Website
Format: Author, A. A., or Organisation. (Year, Month Day). Title of page. Website Name. URL
Example: World Health Organization. (2024, March 15). Mental health statistics 2024. WHO. https://www.who.int/news/mental-health-2024
Newspaper Article (Online)
Format: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Newspaper Name. URL
Example: Singh, A. (2025, March 3). University applications reach record high. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/education/2025/...
Government Report
Format: Organisation. (Year). Title of report. Publisher. URL (if online)
Example: Department for Education. (2023). Higher education statistics: UK 2022–23. HMSO. https://www.gov.uk/...
Lecture Slides / Course Materials
Format: Instructor, A. A. (Year). Title of lecture slides [PowerPoint slides]. University Name, Course Name. URL (if available on VLE)
Formatting Your Paper in APA 7th
- Font: 12-point Times New Roman, or 11-point Calibri/Georgia/Arial — choose one and use it consistently.
- Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides.
- Line spacing: Double-spaced throughout, including the reference list.
- Paragraph indentation: First line of each paragraph indented 0.5 inches.
- Page numbers: Top right of every page.
- Headings: APA uses a five-level heading system — most student papers only need Levels 1–3.
- Reference list: Start on a new page; title is centred and bold; hanging indent of 0.5 inches for each entry.
Formatting References: The Hanging Indent
Every reference list entry uses a hanging indent: the first line starts at the left margin, and subsequent lines are indented 0.5 inches. In Microsoft Word, you can apply this automatically via Paragraph settings → Special → Hanging.
When to Use APA vs. Harvard
The distinction between APA and Harvard is primarily one of discipline convention and institutional preference. APA provides a detailed official publication manual with very specific rules; Harvard varies by institution. If your university specifies APA 7th edition, follow the official APA manual (or this guide) precisely. If it says "Harvard referencing," check your university's own style guide, as formatting conventions may differ slightly from other institutions.
Mastering APA 7th edition takes time, but once you understand the underlying logic — author, date, title, source — referencing becomes significantly less daunting. Use a reference management tool like Zotero to speed things up, but always double-check the output against the correct format.