How to Cite Journal Articles From a Database Using the APA Writing Style

Anyone who has ever written an academic paper or essay is probably familiar with the Modern Literary Association, or MLA, citation guidelines. Though MLA is the most common citation style, other disciplines use different style guidelines, such as APA. APA stands for American Psychological Association and is used to write research papers or essays in the arts and humanities. Knowing how to properly cite articles, books and other research materials in APA style can help you avoid plagiarism and ensure your sources receive proper credit.

Instructions

    • 1

      Use in-text citations. APA guidelines require you to cite the source every time you refer to information that is not common knowledge. For example, if you are referring to the results of a scientific study, you must give credit to the authors of the study. Put the author's name and the date the study or article was published in parenthesis after the paragraph. If you are quoting directly from the source, as opposed to paraphrasing, you must also add the page number the quote was taken from. Use quotation marks around the title of the source when referring to that source in the text.

    • 2

      Include a reference list at the end of your paper. This list should include every source you quoted or paraphrased in the text. This should be a separate page with the word "References" centered at the top. Do not use quotation marks, italics, or bold text. Put your references in alphabetical order by the author's last name. If an entry takes up more than one line of type, all subsequent lines should be indented a half-inch from the left margin.

    • 3

      Cite the journal article in your References list. List the author's last name, a comma, and the first name. Then list the publication date in parenthesis. List the title of the article, the title of the periodical, and the volume number in italics. When citing a source from an on-line database, type the words "Retrieved From" followed by the URL of the database. APA style also recommends using a Digital Online Identifier, or DOI. This is a long alphanumeric code that is unique to every document, and can help others to find that source even if the URL changes. Most publishers will display the DOI on the first page of the document. List this after the URL in your citation.

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