In-text citation:
The in-text citation generally includes the author's last name and year of publication. If there are multiple authors, use an ampersand (&) to separate the last two authors' names, or use "et al." if there are three or more authors after the first author is cited. Include the page number(s) if you're quoting directly from the article.
* One author: (Author, Year) or (Author, Year, p. page number)
* Two authors: (Author1 & Author2, Year) or (Author1 & Author2, Year, p. page number)
* Three or more authors: (Author1 et al., Year) or (Author1 et al., Year, p. page number)
Reference list entry:
The reference list entry provides full bibliographic information. Here's a general template, with placeholders you need to fill in:
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. *Title of Periodical*, *Volume*(Issue), pages–pages. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/xxxx
Let's break down the placeholders:
* Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C.: List all authors' last names and initials. Use an ampersand (&) before the last author's name.
* (Year): Year of publication.
* Title of article: Article title (sentence case – only capitalize the first word and proper nouns).
* Title of Periodical: Journal title (in italics).
* Volume*(Issue): Volume number (in italics) and issue number (without italics).
* pages–pages: Page range of the article. Use an en dash (–), not a hyphen (-).
* https://doi.org/xx.xxx/xxxx: The Digital Object Identifier (DOI). This is the preferred way to link to the article. If no DOI is available, include the URL of the article.
Example:
Smith, J., Jones, A., & Brown, M. (2023). The impact of social media on adolescent mental health. *Journal of Adolescent Psychology*, *25*(2), 123-145. https://doi.org/10.1234/jap.2023.0001
Important Considerations:
* Italics: Use italics for journal titles and volume numbers.
* Capitalization: Capitalize only the first word and proper nouns in the article title. Capitalize all major words in the journal title.
* Hanging indent: In your reference list, use a hanging indent (the first line is flush left, and subsequent lines are indented). Most word processors have this option under paragraph formatting.
* DOI: Always include the DOI if available. It's the most stable and reliable way to link to the article.
* Consistency: Maintain consistency throughout your paper in terms of formatting and punctuation.
This information is based on the APA 7th edition style guide. Always consult the official APA Publication Manual for the most accurate and up-to-date information.