Contents
Basic Format
APA 7th edition uses an author–date system. Every in-text citation must contain the author's surname and the year of publication. For direct quotations, the page number is also required.
| Type | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Paraphrase (parenthetical) | (Author, Year) | (Kahneman, 2011) |
| Paraphrase (narrative) | Author (Year) | Kahneman (2011) suggests… |
| Direct quote (parenthetical) | (Author, Year, p. X) | (Kahneman, 2011, p. 24) |
| Direct quote (narrative) | Author (Year, p. X) | Kahneman (2011, p. 24) states… |
APA 7th does not require page numbers for paraphrases. However, providing them helps readers locate the specific passage and is considered scholarly good practice, particularly for long sources.
Multiple Authors and et al.
APA 7th simplified the et al. rules compared to 6th edition. The key rule is: three or more authors → et al. from the very first citation.
| Number of authors | Every citation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 author | Surname | (Smith, 2020) |
| 2 authors | Surname & Surname | (Smith & Jones, 2020) |
| 3 or more authors | First Surname et al. | (Smith et al., 2020) |
Inside parentheses, use & between two authors: (Smith & Jones, 2020). In running narrative text, spell out "and": Smith and Jones (2020) found…
Disambiguating Citations
Two common disambiguation problems arise in APA papers — and each has a specific solution.
Same author(s), same year: use letter suffixes
When you cite two works by the same author published in the same year, add a lowercase letter (a, b, c) after the year in both the in-text citation and the reference list entry.
Different authors, same surname: use initials
If two different authors share a surname and publish in the same year, include their first initials in all in-text citations to avoid confusion.
et al. creates an identical citation
If two multi-author works both shorten to the same "First Author et al., Year" form, include enough additional surnames to distinguish them:
Not: (Smith et al., 2021) for both
Group and Organisation Authors
For organisations, government bodies, and institutions, write the full name on first citation and introduce the abbreviation in square brackets. Subsequent citations use only the abbreviation.
All subsequent: (WHO, 2022)
If an organisation does not have a well-known abbreviation, or if you only cite it once in the paper, spell out the name every time rather than introducing an abbreviation that appears only once.
No Author
When a source has no identifiable author, use a shortened version of the title in place of the author's name. Use italics for titles of complete works; use quotation marks for titles of articles or chapters.
No Date
Use "n.d." (for no date) when no publication year can be determined.
Block Quotations
A direct quotation of 40 or more words is formatted as a block quote:
- Start on a new line.
- Indent the entire block 1.27 cm (0.5 in) from the left margin.
- Do not add quotation marks.
- Place the citation in parentheses after the closing punctuation of the quotation.
The physical and mental impairments caused by one night of bad sleep dwarf those caused by an equivalent absence of food or exercise. It is difficult to imagine any other state — biological or social — that so touches every aspect of our health. (p. 5)
Citing Multiple Sources at Once
When a single point is supported by multiple sources, list them inside one set of parentheses, separated by semicolons, in alphabetical order by first author surname.
Personal Communications
Personal communications (emails, interviews, phone calls, private messages) are cited in-text only — they do not appear in the reference list because they cannot be retrieved by the reader.
Secondary Sources ("as cited in")
Cite a work you have not read directly only as a last resort. Give the secondary source (the one you actually read) in the reference list. In text, name the original work, then give the secondary source:
[Only Eysenck & Keane, 2015 appears in your reference list]