APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Journal Article with 3–20 Authors

  • General Style Guidelines
  • One Author or Editor
  • Two Authors or Editors
  • Three to Five Authors or Editors
  • Article or Chapter in an Edited Book
  • Article in a Reference Book
  • Edition other than the First
  • Translation
  • Government Publication
  • Journal Article with 1 Author
  • Journal Article with 2 Authors
  • Journal Article with 3–20 Authors
  • Journal Article 21 or more Authors
  • Magazine Article
  • Newspaper Article
  • Basic Web Page
  • Web page from a University site
  • Web Page with No Author
  • Entry in a Reference Work
  • Government Document
  • Film and Television
  • Youtube Video
  • Audio Podcast
  • Electronic Image
  • Twitter/Instagram
  • Lecture/PPT
  • Conferences
  • Secondary Sources
  • Citation Support
  • Avoiding Plagiarism
  • Formatting Your Paper

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

What is a DOI? A DOI ( digital object identifier ) is a unique alphanumeric string assigned by a registration agency (the International DOI Foundation) to identify content and provide a persistent link to its location on the internet. 

NOTE: It is regarded as the most important part of the citation because it will accurately direct users to the specific article.

Think of it as a "digital fingerprint" or an article's DNA!

The rules for DOIs have been updated in the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. They should be included as URLs, rather than just the alphanumeric string.

Correct:  

  • http://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-12-114
  • http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-12-114

Incorrect:     

  • doi: 10.1186/1471-2288-12-114
  • Retrieved from http://doi:10.1186/1471-2288-12-114
  • FREE DOI Look-up (Cross-Ref)
  • DOI System: FAQ
  • Looking up a DOI
  • DOI Flowchart

Journal Article with Three to Twenty Authors

Helpful Tips:

DOI: If a journal article has a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) listed, you will always include this identifier in your reference as a URL.

Online Database: For works from databases that publish works of limited circulation (such as the ERIC database) or original, proprietary material available only in that database (such as UpToDate), include the name of the database or archive and the URL of the work. If the URL requires a login or is session specific, meaning it will not resolve for readers, provide the URL of the database or specific archive home page or login page instead of the URL for the work.

Print: If you viewed a journal article in its print format , be sure to check if it has a DOI listed. If it does not, your reference to the article would end after you provide the page range of the article.

Date: When possible, include the year, month, and date in references. If the month and date are not available, use the year of publication.

Surnames and initials for  up to twenty authors  should be provided in the reference list.  For more than 20 authors, list the first 19, followed by an ellipsis, then list the final author.

General Format

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Author Surname et al., Year)

NOTE: The in-text citation for works with three or more authors is shortened to the first author's name, followed by et al. and the year.

In-Text Citation (Quotation):

(Author Surname et al., Year, page number)

References:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial., Author Surname, First Initial.Second Initial., & Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year). Article title: Subtitle. Journal Title, Volume (issue), page range. http://doi.org/xx.xxxxxxxxxx

(Westhues et al., 2001)

(Westhues et al., 2001, p. 40)

Westhues, A., Lafrance, J., & Schmidt, G. (2001). A SWOT analysis of social work education in Canada. Social Work Education, 20 (1), 35-56. http://doi.org/10.1080/02615470020028364

(Dietz et al., 2007)

(Dietz et al., 2007, p. 1518)

Dietz, P. M., Williams, S. B., Callaghan, W. M., Bachman, D. J., Whitlock, E. P., & Hornbrook, M. C. (2007). Clinically identified maternal depression before, during, and after pregnancies ending in live births.  American Journal of Psychiatry, 164 (10), 1515-1520. http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.061118936

ePub Ahead of Print

ePub Ahead of Print  articles, also labeled  Advanced Online Publication  articles, may not have a volume number, issue number, or page numbers assigned to them. If you cannot find a fully published version of the article that includes this information, you can cite the article as an advanced online publication, noting its status where you would usually include the volume, issue, and page numbers. If possible, update your reference to the final version of the source when it becomes available.

Muldoon, K., Towse, J., Simms, V., Perra, O., & Menzies, V. (2012). A longitudinal analysis of estimation, counting skills, and mathematical ability across the first school year.  Developmental Psychology . Advance online publication.  https://doi.org/10.1037/a0028240

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / How to cite in APA when there are multiple authors

How to cite in APA when there are multiple authors

This article covers how to cite a reference in APA style (7th ed.) when there are multiple authors. Broadly speaking, in an APA style “the author” refers to the person(s) or group(s) who should be given credit for the work being referenced.

Here’s a run-through of everything this page includes:

In-text citations when there are multiple authors

Reference list entries when there are multiple authors, troubleshooting.

APA 7th ed. uses the author-date citation system for citing references in text. Unless you are citing a source with no author in APA , the structure in parenthetical citations includes placing the author’s last name/surname, followed by a comma, and the publication year in parentheses. In narrative citations, this information is incorporated into the sentence.

Parenthetical citation for one author:

(Author Last Name, Year Published)

(Curtis, 2020)

Narrative citation for one author:

Author Last Name (Year Published)

Curtis (2020)

Two authors

For a work with two authors, include both authors’ last names in every in-text citation, whether narrative or parenthetical. In parenthetical citations, use an ampersand (&) between the authors’ last names.

Parenthetical citation for two authors:

(1st Author & 2nd Author, Year Published)

(Curtis & Williams, 2020)

Narrative citation for two authors:

1st Author & 2nd Author (Year Published)

Curtis & Williams (2020)

Three or more authors

When citing a journal paper in APA with three or more authors, only enter the last name of the first author listed and add “et al.” after it. “Et al.” is Latin for the phrase “and others,” which is why it is used as a substitute for two or more authors’ last names.

Parenthetical citation for three or more authors:

(1st Author et al., Year Published)

(Harris et al., 2020)

Narrative citation for three or more authors:

1st Author et al. (Year Published)

Harris et al. (2020)

Here is a page with more information on when to use “et al.” in APA style .

Group authors

The same guidelines for in-text citations apply when the authors of a source are a distinct group or organization such as a government agency, association, nonprofit organization, business, hospital, task force, or study group. To confirm whether a reference was written by individual author(s) or a group, check the cover or title page.

Hint: for an online resource, the author could be the name of the organization hosting the webpage or website, rather than the name of just one content contributor.

Before using an abbreviated group name as the author of your citation, spell out the abbreviation and define the group one time first in the text. Afterward, use the abbreviation of the group name throughout the rest of the paper.

Group author in-text citation examples:

First parenthetical citation with group abbreviation included: (Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities [AJCU], 2020)

Subsequent parenthetical citations: (AJCU, 2020)

First narrative citation with group abbreviation included: The Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities [AJCU] (2020)

Subsequent narrative citations: The AJCU (2020)

Avoiding ambiguity in in-text citations

Sometimes, in-text citations that have three or more authors, some of whom have the same last name, and the same publication year can look like they are the same reference when using the et al. abbreviation. For example, Curtis et al. (2020) could refer to

Curtis, Acres, Thomas, Henderson, and Tyler (2020)

Curtis, Acres, Thomas, Henderson, Maxey, Key, Smith, and Esparza (2020)

To avoid this ambiguity and confusion for the reader, write out as many names as possible for the in-text citation until the references are distinguished, and then add “et. al” to abbreviate the other authors’ names.

Curtis, Acres, Thomas, Henderson, et al. (2020)

Curtis, Acres, Thomas, Henderson, Maxey, et al. (2020)

When only the final author is different, list all of the names in every citation to avoid any confusion.

Curtis, Acres, Thomas, Henderson, and Esparza (2020)

APA has slightly different reference structures for different source types (e.g., book, website, journal article, etc.), but each structure generally includes the following:

Author last name, Author initials. (Date Published). Title. URL or DOI if available .

Need more help with citing a particular source? Find further guidance in this APA citations guide.

One or two authors

For references with one or two authors, cite using the four-part structure.

Two individual authors example:

Smith, J., & Jones, S. (1994). Making a movie star. Behind the Scenes Stories: A Journal of Celebrity Life, 44 (2), 192–200. https://doi.org/l4nds0r

One group author example:

The American Marine Society. (2003). Whale mating patterns in the new millennium. The American Marine Society Magazine , 17-20 . https://fams.gov/article/2003/whale-mating-patterns-in-the-new-millennium

2 – 20 authors

In APA 7th ed., up to 20 authors should be included in a reference list entry. Write out the last name and first initial(s) for each contributor.

2–20 authors example:

Wright, A., Komal, G., Siddharth, D., Boyd, G., Cayson, N., Beverley, K., Travers, K., Begum, A., Redmond, M., Mills, M., Cherry, D., Finley, B., Fox, M., Ferry, F., Almond, B., Howell, E., Gould, T., Berger, B., Bostock, T., Fountain, A. (2020). Styling royalty. London Bridge Press.

21+ authors

For references with more than 20 authors, after listing the 19th author replace any additional author names with an ellipsis ( … ) followed by the final listed author’s last name and first initial(s).

21+ authors example:

Wright, A., Komal, G., Siddharth, D., Boyd, G., Cayson, N., Beverley, K., Travers, K., Begum, A., Redmond, M., Mills, M., Cherry, D., Finley, B., Fox, M., Ferry, F., Almond, B., Howell, E., Gould, T., Berger, B., Bostock, T., . . . Booker, T. (2020). Eating well: Tips from 23 lifestyle authors. Food Magazine. https://foodmag.com/article/2020/tips-from-22-lifestyle-authors

Solution #1: How to order the names of multiple authors in an APA reference

Authors should be cited in the exact order that they are listed by the source, even if they have not been listed alphabetically.

Solution #2: How to cite an article with more than 20 authors in APA style

If an article has more than 20 authors, all authors do not need to be listed in the reference. Instead, name the first 19, then use an ellipsis (…), then add the name of the final author listed. The ellipsis acts as a substitute for all the names between the first 19 and the final authors. No ampersand (&) is needed before the final name.

For example:

Richards, B.A., Lillicrap, T. P., Beaudoin, P., Bengio, Y., Bogacz, R., Christensen, A., Clopath, C.

Costa, R. P., de Berker, A., Ganguli, S., Gillon, C. J., Hafner, D., Kepecs, A., Kriegeskorte,

N., Latham, P., Lindsay, G. W., Miller, K. D., Naud, R., Pack, C. C., … Kording, K. P. (2019). A deep learning framework for neuroscience. Nature Neuroscience ,  22 (11), 1761–1770. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-019-0520-2

When making an in-text citation, only write the first author’s last name followed by “et. al.” This applies to both parenthetical and narrative citations.

(Richard et al., 2019)

Richard et al. (2019)

Solution #3: How to cite an article written by an organization in APA style

  • Organization as author

When an article is written by an organization, use the typical four-part APA structure (author, date, title, publisher) and cite the organization as the author.

American Nurses Association. (2019). 2018 Annual Report, American Nurse Today, 14 (6), 29-36.

https://www.nursingworld.org/~49d621/globalassets/docs/ana/ana-annual-report-for-

  • Organization as author and publisher

If the organization that authored an article is also its publisher , omit the publisher’s name in the citation.

  • In-text citation when an organization is an author

Use the organization’s name as the author. For example:

American Nurses Association [ANA] (2019)

If an organization’s name is long, abbreviate it by doing the following:

  • First, write the organization’s name in full the first time, followed by the abbreviation in parenthesis.
  • After this, you may use the abbreviation without including the complete name.

1 st in-text narrative citation: American Nurses Association [ANA] (2019)

1 st in-text parenthetical citation: (American Nurses Association [ANA] (2019)

After this distinction is made, abbreviations in-text can be used as demonstrated below:

Narrative citations: The ANA (2019)

Parenthetical citations: (ANA, 2019)

Published October 28, 2020.

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To cite a source with multiple authors and an edition number in APA style, you need to know the names of the authors, title of the book, edition number, and publisher. The in-text citation of a book with multiple authors and an edition number is similar to citing a journal or a book reference with multiple authors. An example of a book reference with three authors and an edition number, along with a template, is given below:

In-text citation template and example:

Author Surname et al. (Publication Year)

LeBuffe et al. (2012)

Parenthetical

(Author Surname et al., Publication Year)

(LeBuffe et al., 2012)

Reference list entry template and example:

Author Surname, F. M., Author Surname, F. M., & Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Book title (edition number). Publisher

LeBuffe, P. A., Naglieri, J. A., & Manderth, A. (2012). Devereux early childhood assessment for preschoolers (2nd ed.). Kaplan Early Learning Company.

Use numerals to indicate an edition number. The word “edition” is abbreviated as “ed.” Italicize the book title and follow sentence case for capitalization.

Citing a source that has multiple authors with the same last name and same initials is the same as citing a source with different authors. There is no need to add the initials of the authors in in-text citations as all surnames (although the same) appear in a single source. Examples of a book reference with three authors with the same last name and initials and their templates are given below:

Dunn et al. (2007)

(Dunn et al., 2007)

Author Surname, F. & Author Surname, F. (Publication Year). Book title. Publisher.

Dunn, L. M., Dunn, L. M., & Dunn, L. M. (2007). Peabody picture vocabulary test-IV. American Guidance Service.

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APA (7th ed.) referencing guide (Online): Journal articles with three or more authors

  • Paraphrasing
  • Direct quotes
  • Secondary Referencing
  • More than one work cited
  • Author with two or more works cited in the same year
  • Personal Communication
  • In-text citations

Reference list

  • Books with one author
  • Books with two authors
  • Books with three or more authors
  • Edited book
  • Chapter in an edited book
  • Anthologies and Collected Works
  • Critical Editions
  • Multivolume work
  • Religious and classical Works
  • Thesis / Dissertation
  • Translation
  • Work within an Anthology
  • Conference Paper
  • Journal article with one author
  • Journal article with two authors
  • Journal articles with three or more authors
  • Journal article with no identified author/anonymous author
  • Newspaper articles
  • Magazine articles
  • Book review in a journal or newspaper
  • Act of Parliament
  • Law report (case law)
  • Business Reports
  • Statistics & Datasets
  • Government reports
  • YouTube/online videos
  • Episode of a TV Show
  • Radio Broadcast

Journals articles with three or more authors

Below you will find guidance and examples of how to set out a reference to a journal article with three or more authors in the body of your work and in the reference list at the end.

In text citations

If there are three or more authors of a work use et al. after the first author's surname.

Ashley et al. (2014) state that... OR ...(Ashley et al., 2014).

Burin et al. (2019) conclude that.... OR ...(Burin et al., 2019).

According to Kalnay et al. (1996).... OR ...(Kalnay et al., 1996).

Last name, Initial(s)., Last name, Initial(s)., & Last name, Initial(s). (Year). Article title. Journal title in italics, Volume number in italics (issue or part number), page numbers. DOI

Example: Ashley, C., Kibbe, S., & Thornton, S. (2014). Experiential learning in second life: A simulation in  retail management. Atlantic  Marketing Journal, 3 (2), 94-113. 

Burin, D., Kilteni, K., Rabuffetti, M., Slater, M., & Pia, L. (2019). Body ownership  increases the interference between observed and executed movements.  PLOS ONE, 14 (1), Article e0209899.  https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209899

NB:  In the reference list include all authors, however if a reference has 21 or more authors, the first 19 authors are listed followed by ... followed by the final author.   

Kalnay, E., Kanamitsu, M., Kistler, R., Collins, W., Deaven, D., Gandin, L., Iredell, M., Saha, S., White, G., Woollen, J., Zhu, Y., Chelliah, M., Ebisuzaki, W., Higgins, W., Janowiak, J., Mo, K. C., Ropelewski, C., Wang, J., Leetmaa, A.,…Joseph, D. (1996). The NCEP/NCAR 40-year reanalysis project.  Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 77 (3), 437-471. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(1996)077<0437:TNYRP>2.0.CO;2 

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APA Citation Style, Seventh Edition: Journal Articles with Three to 20 Authors

  • In-Text Citation Guidelines
  • Reference List Guidelines
  • Formatting Guidelines
  • Books with One or Two Authors or Editors
  • Books with Three to 20 Authors or Editors
  • Books with 21 or More Authors
  • Chapters in Edited Books
  • Entries in Reference Works
  • Editions Other Than the First
  • Translations
  • Journal Articles with One or Two Authors
  • Journal Articles with Three to 20 Authors
  • Journal Articles with 21 or More Authors
  • Magazine Articles
  • Newspaper Articles
  • Webpages and Websites
  • Webpages with No Date
  • Social Media Posts
  • Blog or Forum Posts
  • Online Reference Works
  • Films and Television
  • Online and Streaming Videos
  • Audio Sources
  • Electronic Images
  • Personal Interviews
  • Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers
  • Lecture Materials
  • Religious and Classical Works
  • Secondary Sources
  • Theses and Dissertations
  • Conference Sessions and Presentations
  • Government Reports and Grey Literature
  • Business Sources
  • Legal Sources
  • AI Generated Content

Section 10.1

In General:

  • When citing a journal article (whether accessed online or in print) that has a Digital Object Identifier (DOI), include the DOI in the reference entry formatted as a hyperlink (i.e., beginning with "https://" or  "http://").
  • If an online work has both a DOI and a URL, only include the DOI in the reference entry. 
  • If an online work does not have a DOI, include the URL according to the rules listed in Section 9.34 of the  Manual . For works from most academic research databases, the URL is not required.
  • You can present DOIs and URLs as either standardized hyperlinks (typically blue and underlined) or in plain text.
  • For a work with three or more authors, include only the name of the first author followed by "et al." in every in-text citation,  including  the first.

General Format

Ask Us - Articles

Citing Articles

Journal Articles with One or Two Authors Journal Articles with Three to 20 Authors Journal Articles with 21 or More Authors Magazine Articles Newspaper Articles Reviews 

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APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Journal Article with 3 - 7 Authors

  • General Style Guidelines
  • APA 6th /7th Comparison
  • One Author or Editor
  • Two Authors or Two Editors
  • Three to Five Authors or Editors
  • Article of Chapter in an Edited Book
  • Article in a Reference Book
  • Edition other than the First
  • Translation
  • Government Publication
  • Journal Article with One Author
  • Journal Article with 2 Authors
  • Journal Article with 3 - 7 Authors
  • Journal Article 7 or more Authors
  • Magazine Article
  • Newspaper Article
  • Basic Web Page
  • Web Page from a University Site
  • Web Page with No Author
  • Entry in a Reference Work
  • Government Document
  • Film and Television
  • Youtube Video
  • Audio Podcast
  • Electronic Image
  • Twitter/Instagram
  • Lectures/PPT
  • Conferences
  • Secondary Sources
  • Citation Support
  • Avoiding Plagiarism
  • Formatting Your Paper
  • In-Text Citations, Paraphrasing and Quoting

Digital Object Identifier

What is a DOI?  A DOI ( digital object identifier ) is a unique alphanumeric string assigned by a registration agency (the International DOI Foundation) to identify content and provide a persistent link to its location on the internet. 

NOTE:  It is regarded as the most important part of the citation because it will accurately direct users to the specific article.

Think of it as a "digital fingerprint" or an article's DNA!

The rules for DOIs have been updated in the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. They should be included as URLs, rather than just the alphanumeric string.

Correct:   

  • http://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-12-114
  • http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-12-114

Incorrect:      

  • doi: 10.1186/1471-2288-12-114
  • Retrieved from http://doi:10.1186/1471-2288-12-114
  • FREE DOI Look-up (Cross-Ref)
  • DOI System: FAQ
  • Looking up a DOI
  • How to Find a DOI
  • DOI Flowchart

Journal Article with Three to Seven Authors

Helpful Tips:

DOI:  If a journal article has a  Digital Object Identifier (DOI)  listed, you will always include this identifier in your reference as a URL. You will not have to include the URL of the journal's home page or of the database from which you retrieved the article if a DOI is available.

Online Database:  If you viewed a journal article in an  online database  and it does not have a DOI, you will need to do a quick search outside of the database to locate the URL for the journal's home page. This information must be included in the reference. If the journal is no longer being published and it does not have a home page, then include the URL for the home page of the database from which you retrieved the article.

Print:  If you viewed a journal article in its  print format , be sure to check if it has a DOI listed. If it does not, your reference to the article would end after you provide the page range of the article.

Date:  When possible, include the year, month, and date in references. If the month and date are not available, use the year of publication.

General Format

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):  (Author Surname et al., Year) NOTE: The in-text citation for works with three or more authors is shortened to the first author's name, followed by et al. and the year.   In-Text Citation (Quotation): (Author Surname et al., Year, page number)

References: Westhues, A., Lafrance, J., & Schmidt, G. (2001). A SWOT analysis of social work education in      Canada. Social Work Education , 20(1), 35-56. http://doi.org/10.1080/02615470020028364

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): (Westhues et al., 2001)

In-Text Citation (Quotation): (Westhues et al., 2001, p. 40)

References: Westhues, A., Lafrance, J., & Schmidt, G. (2001). A SWOT analysis of social work education      in Canada. Social Work Education , 20(1), 35-56.      http://doi.org/10.1080/02615470020028364

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase) (Dietz et al., 2007)   In-Text Citation (Quotation): (Dietz et al., 2007, p. 1518)

References: Dietz, P. M., Williams, S. B., Callaghan, W. M., Bachman, D. J., Whitlock, E. P., &      Hornbrook, M. C. (2007). Clinically identified maternal depression before, during,      and after pregnancies ending in live births. American Journal of Psychiatry,      164(10), 1515-1520. http://dx.doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.061118936

ePub Ahead of Print

e Pub Ahead of Print  articles, also labeled  Advanced Online Publication  articles, may not have a volume number, issue number, or page numbers assigned to them. If you cannot find a fully published version of the article that includes this information, you can cite the article as an advanced online publication, noting its status where you would usually include the volume, issue, and page numbers. If possible, update your reference to the final version of the source when it becomes available.

References:

Muldoon, K., Towse, J., Simms, V., Perra, O., & Menzies, V. (2012). A longitudinal analysis of      estimation, counting skills, and mathematical ability across the first school year.      Developmental Psychology. Advance online publication. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a002824

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APA Style: Journal article with three or more authors

  • Getting Started

Reference List

  • Book with a single author
  • Book with two authors
  • Book with three or more authors
  • Edited book
  • Chapter in an edited book
  • Edition of a book other than the first
  • Journal article with one author
  • Journal article with two authors
  • Journal article with three or more authors
  • Journal article (print)
  • Basic webpage
  • Official publication online
  • Video sharing websites (YouTube)
  • Cochrane Review
  • Conference papers and poster sessions
  • Newspaper article
  • Tests and measurement instruments
  • Theses/Dissertations
  • Multiple works by the same author
  • Secondary sources
  • Online Library Tutorials

DOIs and Article References

DOIs are presented as hyperlinks

DOIs should begin with the prefix https://doi.org/

The APA Style website also contains guidance on DOIs

Journal Articles With Three Or More Authors

Note: In-text citations: For works with three or more authors, include the name of only the first author and the abbreviation “et al.” in every in-text citation, even the first time a citation appears.

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase)

(Roberts et al., 2009)

In-Text Citation (Quotation)

(Roberts et al., 2009, p. 1320)

Roberts, B. W., Lejuez, C., Krueger, R. F., Richards, J. M., & Hill, P. L. (2009). What is conscientiousness and how can it be assessed? Developmental Psychology , 50(5), 1315-1330.  https://doi.org/10.1037/a0031109

Author Surname, Initial(s)., Author Surname, Initial(s)., & Author Surname, Initial(s). (Year). Article title: Subtitle. Journal Title , Volume (Issue), page numbers (without page abbreviations). https://doi.org/xxxx

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APA Style (7th Edition) Citation Guide: Journal Articles

  • Introduction
  • Journal Articles
  • Magazine/Newspaper Articles
  • Books & Ebooks
  • Government & Legal Documents
  • Biblical Sources
  • Secondary Sources
  • Films/Videos/TV Shows
  • How to Cite: Other
  • Additional Help

Table of Contents

Journal article from library database with doi - one author, journal article from library database with doi - multiple authors, journal article from a website - one author.

Journal Article- No DOI

Note: All citations should be double spaced and have a hanging indent in a Reference List.

A "hanging indent" means that each subsequent line after the first line of your citation should be indented by 0.5 inches.

This Microsoft support page contains instructions about how to format a hanging indent in a paper.

  • APA 7th. ed. Journal Article Reference Checklist

If an item has no author, start the citation with the article title.

When an article has one to twenty authors, all authors' names are cited in the References List entry. When an article has twenty-one or more authors list the first nineteen authors followed by three spaced ellipse points (. . .) , and then the last author's name. Rules are different for in-text citations; please see the examples provided.

Cite author names in the order in which they appear on the source, not in alphabetical order (the first author is usually the person who contributed the most work to the publication).

Italicize titles of journals, magazines and newspapers. Do not italicize or use quotation marks for the titles of articles.

Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of the article title. If there is a colon in the article title, also capitalize the first letter of the first word after the colon.

If an item has no date, use the short form n.d. where you would normally put the date.

Volume and Issue Numbers

Italicize volume numbers but not issue numbers.

Retrieval Dates

Most articles will not need these in the citation. Only use them for online articles from places where content may change often, like a free website or a wiki.

Page Numbers

If an article doesn't appear on continuous pages, list all the page numbers the article is on, separated by commas. For example (4, 6, 12-14)

Library Database

Do not include the name of a database for works obtained from most academic research databases (e.g. APA PsycInfo, CINAHL) because works in these resources are widely available. Exceptions are Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, ERIC, ProQuest Dissertations, and UpToDate.

Include the DOI (formatted as a URL: https://doi.org/...) if it is available. If you do not have a DOI, include a URL if the full text of the article is available online (not as part of a library database). If the full text is from a library database, do not include a DOI, URL, or database name.

In the Body of a Paper

Books, Journals, Reports, Webpages, etc.: When you refer to titles of a “stand-alone work,” as the APA calls them on their APA Style website, such as books, journals, reports, and webpages, you should italicize them. Capitalize words as you would for an article title in a reference, e.g., In the book Crying in H Mart: A memoir , author Michelle Zauner (2021) describes her biracial origin and its impact on her identity.

Article or Chapter: When you refer to the title of a part of a work, such as an article or a chapter, put quotation marks around the title and capitalize it as you would for a journal title in a reference, e.g., In the chapter “Where’s the Wine,” Zauner (2021) describes how she decided to become a musician.

The APA Sample Paper below has more information about formatting your paper.

  • APA 7th ed. Sample Paper

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number. https://doi.org/doi number

Smith, K. F. (2022). The public and private dialogue about the American family on television: A second look. Journal of Media Communication, 50 (4), 79-110. https://doi.org/10.1152/j.1460-2466.2000.tb02864.x

Note: The DOI number is formatted as a URL: https://doi.org/10.1152/j.1460-2466.2000.tb02864.xIf. 

In-Text Paraphrase:

(Author's Last Name, Year)

Example: (Smith, 2000)

In-Text Quote:

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number)

Example: (Smith, 2000, p. 80)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given., & Last Name of Second Author, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any. Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number. https://doi.org/doi number

Note: Separate the authors' names by putting a comma between them. For the final author listed add an ampersand (&) after the comma and before the final author's last name.

Note: In the reference list invert all authors' names; give last names and initials for only up to and including 20 authors. When a source has 21 or more authors, include the first 19 authors’ names, then three ellipses (…), and add the last author’s name. Don't include an ampersand (&) between the ellipsis and final author.

Note : For works with three or more authors, the first in-text citation is shortened to include the first author's surname followed by "et al."

Reference List Examples

Two to 20 Authors

Case, T. A., Daristotle, Y. A., Hayek, S. L., Smith, R. R., & Raash, L. I. (2011). College students' social networking experiences on Facebook. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 3 (2), 227-238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2008.12.010

21 or more authors

Kalnay, E., Kanamitsu, M., Kistler, R., Collins, W., Deaven, D., Gandin, L., Iredell, M., Saha, J., Mo, K. C., Ropelewski, C., Wang, J., Leetma, A., . . . Joseph, D. (1996). The NCEP/NCAR 40-year reanalysis project. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society , 77 (3), 437-471. https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0477(1996)077<0437:TNYRP>2.0.CO;2

In-Text Citations

Two Authors/Editors

(Case & Daristotle, 2011)

Direct Quote: (Case & Daristotle, 2011, p. 57)

Three or more Authors/Editors

(Case et al., 2011)

Direct Quote: (Case et al., 2011, p. 57)

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any.  Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number if given). URL

Flachs, A. (2010). Food for thought: The social impact of community gardens in the Greater Cleveland Area.  Electronic Green Journal, 1 (30). http://escholarship.org/uc/item/6bh7j4z4

Example: (Flachs, 2010)

Example: (Flachs, 2010, Conclusion section, para. 3)

Note: In this example there were no visible page numbers or paragraph numbers, in this case you can cite the section heading and the number of the paragraph in that section to identify where your quote came from. If there are no page or paragraph numbers and no marked section, leave this information out.

Journal Article - No DOI

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given. (Year of Publication). Title of article: Subtitle if any.  Name of Journal, Volume Number (Issue Number), first page number-last page number. URL [if article is available online, not as part of a library database]

Full-Text Available Online (Not as Part of a Library Database):

Steinberg, M. P., & Lacoe, J. (2017). What do we know about school discipline reform? Assessing the alternatives to suspensions and expulsions.  Education Next, 17 (1), 44–52.  https://www.educationnext.org/what-do-we-know-about-school-discipline-reform-suspensions-expulsions/

Example: (Steinberg & Lacoe, 2017)

(Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page number)

Example: (Steinberg & Lacoe, 2017, p. 47)

Full-Text Available in Library Database:

Jungers, W. L. (2010). Biomechanics: Barefoot running strikes back.  Nature, 463 (2), 433-434.

Example: (Jungers, 2010)

Example: (Jungers, 2010, p. 433)

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APA Citation Style, 6th Edition: Journal Article with Three to Six Authors

  • One Author/Editor
  • Two Authors/Editors
  • Three to Five Authors/Editors
  • Chapter in a Book
  • Edition Other Than the First
  • Electronic Books
  • Journal Article with One Author
  • Journal Article with Two Authors
  • Journal Article with Three to Six Authors
  • Journal Article with Seven or More Authors
  • Government Publication
  • Magazine Articles
  • Newspaper Article
  • Reference List

Journal Article- Three to Six Authors & DOI (Electronic or Print)

(this libguide is for apa 6th edition, click   here   to visit our new   apa 7th edition libguide ).

General Format:

NOTE:  If your reference has three to six authors, cite them all  the first time mentioned in your paper. After that, use the first author's last name, followed by et al. and the year).

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Author's Last Name, Author's Last Name, & Author's Last name, year)

(Author's Last Name et al., year)

In-Text Citation (Direct Quote):

(Author's Last Name, Author's Last Name, & Author's Last Name, year, page number)

(Author's Last Name et al., year, page number)

References:

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial . (repeat for all author's unless more than six).  (Year).  Article title: Subtitle . Journal Title ,  Volume (issue), page range. doi:xx.xxxxxxxxxx

In-text Citation (Paraphrase):

First time mentioned: (Bass, Enochs, & DiBrezzo, 2002)

Written all subsequent times as (Bass et al., 2002)

In-text Citation (Direct Quote):

If first time mentioned: (Bass, Enochs, & DiBrezzo, 2002, p. 52)

If referenced prior: (Bass et al., 2002, p.52)

Bass, M. A., Enochs, W. K., & DiBrezzo, R. (2002). Comparison of two exercise programs on general well-being of college students.   Psychological Reports ,   91 (3), 1195-1201. doi:10.2466/PR0.91.8.1195-1201

Journal Article- Three to Six Authors & No DOI ( Print Format)

NOTE: If your reference has three to six authors, cite them all the first time mentioned in your paper. After that, use the first author's last name, followed by et al. and the year).

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial . (repeat for all author's unless more than six).  (Year).  Article title: Subtitle . Journal Title ,   Volume (issue), page range.

First time mentioned:  ( Bergström ,  Jayatissa ,  Thykjær,  &  Wibo rg , 2007)

Written all subsequent times as  ( Bergström  et al. , 2007)

If first time mentioned: ( Bergström , Jayatissa , Thykjær,  & Wibo rg , 2007, p. 202)

If referenced prior: ( Bergström et al., 2007, p.202)

Bergström, A., Jayatissa, M. N., Thykjær, T., & Wiborg, O. (2007). Molecular pathways associated with stress resilience and drug resistance in the chronic mild stress rat model of depression--a gene expression study.  Journal of Molecular Neuroscience ,   33 (2), 201-15. 

Journal Article- Three to Six Authors & No DOI (Retrieved Electronically)

NOTE: If your reference has three to six authors, cite them all the first time mentioned in your paper. After that, use the first author's last name, followed by et al. and the yea r).

Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial . (repeat for all author's unless more than six).  (Year).  Article title: Subtitle . Journal Title ,   Volume (issue), page range. Retrieved from URL of homepage of journal

If first time mentioned: ( Bergström ,  Jayatissa ,  Thykjær,  &  Wibo rg , 2007, p. 202)

If referenced prior: ( Bergström  et al., 2007, p.202)

Bergström, A., Jayatissa, M. N., Thykjær, T., & Wiborg, O. (2007). Molecular pathways associated with stress resilience and drug resistance in the chronic mild stress rat model of depression--a gene expression study.  Journal of Molecular Neuroscience ,   33 (2), 201-15. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/journal/12031

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Page References

Citation information has been adapted from the APA Manual (6th Edition). Please refer to pages 198-199 of the APA Manual (6th Edition) for more information.

Helpful Tips

-Include the DOI in the reference if one is assigned.

-If no DOI is assigned and you retrieved the content online, use the home page URL for the journal in the reference.

-If a reference has up to seven authors, include all the author's names in the reference list. 

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  • How to Cite a Journal Article | APA, MLA, & Chicago Examples

How to Cite a Journal Article | APA, MLA, & Chicago Examples

Published on March 9, 2021 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on January 17, 2024.

To cite an article from an academic journal, you need an in-text citation and a corresponding reference listing the name(s) of the author(s), the publication date, the article title and journal name, the volume and issue numbers, the page range, and the URL or DOI .

Different citation styles present this information differently. The main citation styles are APA , MLA , and Chicago style .

You can use the interactive example generator to explore the format for APA and MLA journal article citations.

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Table of contents

Citing an article in apa style, citing an article in mla style, citing an article in chicago style, frequently asked questions about citations.

In an APA Style journal article reference , the article title is in plain text and sentence case, while the journal name appears in italics, in title case.

The in-text citation lists up to two authors; for three or more, use “ et al. ”

When citing a journal article in print or from a database, don’t include a URL. You can still include the DOI if available.

You can also cite a journal article using our free APA Citation Generator . Search by title or DOI to automatically generate a correct citation.

Generate accurate APA citations with Scribbr

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In an MLA Works Cited entry for a journal article , the article title appears in quotation marks, the name of the journal in italics—both in title case.

List up to two authors in both the in-text citation and the Works Cited entry. For three or more, use “et al.”

A DOI is always included when available; a URL appears if no DOI is available but the article was accessed online . If you accessed the article in print and no DOI is available, you can omit this part.

You can also use our free MLA Citation Generator to create your journal article citations.

Generate accurate MLA citations with Scribbr

In Chicago notes and bibliography style, you include a bibliography entry for each source, and cite them in the text using footnotes .

A bibliography entry for a journal article lists the title of the article in quotation marks and the journal name in italics—both in title case. List up to 10 authors in full; use “et al.” for 11 or more.

In the footnote, use “et al.” for four or more authors.

A DOI or URL (preferably a DOI) is included for articles consulted online; for articles consulted in print, omit this part.

Chicago also offers an alternative author-date style of citation. Examples of how to cite journal articles in this style can be found here .

The elements included in journal article citations across APA , MLA , and Chicago style are the name(s) of the author(s), the title of the article, the year of publication, the name of the journal, the volume and issue numbers, the page range of the article, and, when accessed online, the DOI or URL.

In MLA and Chicago style, you also include the specific month or season of publication alongside the year, when this information is available.

The DOI is usually clearly visible when you open a journal article on an academic database. It is often listed near the publication date, and includes “doi.org” or “DOI:”. If the database has a “cite this article” button, this should also produce a citation with the DOI included.

If you can’t find the DOI, you can search on Crossref using information like the author, the article title, and the journal name.

The abbreviation “ et al. ” (Latin for “and others”) is used to shorten citations of sources with multiple authors.

“Et al.” is used in APA in-text citations of sources with 3+ authors, e.g. (Smith et al., 2019). It is not used in APA reference entries .

Use “et al.” for 3+ authors in MLA in-text citations and Works Cited entries.

Use “et al.” for 4+ authors in a Chicago in-text citation , and for 10+ authors in a Chicago bibliography entry.

Check if your university or course guidelines specify which citation style to use. If the choice is left up to you, consider which style is most commonly used in your field.

  • APA Style is the most popular citation style, widely used in the social and behavioral sciences.
  • MLA style is the second most popular, used mainly in the humanities.
  • Chicago notes and bibliography style is also popular in the humanities, especially history.
  • Chicago author-date style tends to be used in the sciences.

Other more specialized styles exist for certain fields, such as Bluebook and OSCOLA for law.

The most important thing is to choose one style and use it consistently throughout your text.

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Caulfield, J. (2024, January 17). How to Cite a Journal Article | APA, MLA, & Chicago Examples. Scribbr. Retrieved February 15, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/citing-sources/cite-a-journal-article/

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APA Citation Guide, 7th edition: Three to Five Authors or Editors

  • General Style Guidelines
  • One Author or Editor
  • Two Authors or Editors
  • Three to Five Authors or Editors
  • Article or Chapter in an Edited Book
  • Article in a Reference Book
  • E-Books, not from a Database
  • Edition other than the First
  • Translation
  • Government Publication
  • Journal Article with One Author
  • Journal Article with 2 Authors
  • Journal Article with 3-20 Authors
  • Journal Article 21 or more Authors
  • Magazine Article
  • Newspaper Article
  • Basic Web Page
  • Web page from a University site
  • Web Page with No Author
  • Entry in a Reference Work
  • Government Document
  • Online Press Release
  • Motion Picture
  • Youtube Video
  • Audio Podcast Episode
  • Music Recording
  • TikTok Video
  • Electronic Image
  • Lecture/PPT
  • Classical Works
  • Secondary Sources
  • Avoiding Plagiarism

About Citing Books

For each type of source in this guide, both the general form and an example will be provided.

The following format will be used:

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase) - entry that appears in the body of your paper when you express the ideas of a researcher or author using your own words.  For more tips on paraphrasing check out The OWL at Purdue .

In-Text Citation (Quotation) - entry that appears in the body of your paper after a direct quote.

References - entry that appears at the end of your paper.

Information on citing and several of the examples were drawn from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association  (7th ed.).

Numbers in parentheses refer to specific pages in the manual.

Book with Three to Five Authors or Editors (pp. 286, 321-322)

apa citation 3 authors journal

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APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)

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In-Text Citations

Resources on using in-text citations in APA style

Reference List

Resources on writing an APA style reference list, including citation formats

Other APA Resources

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APA Format & Citation Style, 7th edition

  • Three or More Authors or Editors
  • General Style Guidelines
  • One Author or Editor
  • Two Authors or Editors
  • Article or Chapter in an Edited Book
  • Article in a Reference Book
  • Edition other than the First
  • Translation
  • Government Publication
  • Journal Article with One Author
  • Journal Article with 2 Authors
  • Journal Article with 3 or More Authors
  • Magazine Article
  • Newspaper Article
  • Basic Web Page
  • Web page from a University site
  • Web Page with No Author
  • Entry in a Reference Work
  • Government Document
  • Film and Television
  • Youtube Video
  • Audio Podcast
  • Electronic Image
  • Lecture/PPT
  • Conferences
  • Secondary Sources
  • Formatting Your Paper
  • APA Handouts & Guides This link opens in a new window

Book with Three or More Authors or Editors

The general format below refers to a book with three or more authors.

If you are dealing with a book that has three to five editors instead of authors, you would simply insert the names of the editors into the place where the authors' names are now, followed by "(Eds.)" without the quotation marks (as per the example). The rest of the format would remain the same.

General Format

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Author Surname et al., Year)

NOTE: The in-text citation for works with three or more authors is shortened to the first author's name followed by et al. and the year.

In-Text Citation (Direct Quote):

(Author Surname et al., Year, page number)

References:

Surnames and initials for  up to twenty authors  should be provided in the reference list.  For more than 20 authors, list the first 19, followed by an ellipses, then list the final author.

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial., Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial., & Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (Year). Book title: Subtitle . Publisher.

(Johnson et al., 1999)

(Johnson  et al., 1999, p. 72)

Johnson, N. G., Roberts, M. C., & Worell, J. (Eds.). (1999). Beyond appearance: A new look at adolescent girls . American Psychological Association.

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  • Plagiarism and grammar
  • Citation guides

Cite a Journal

Don't let plagiarism errors spoil your paper, citing journal articles in apa.

A journal is a scholarly periodical that presents research from experts in a certain field. Typically, but not always, these journals are peer-reviewed in order to ensure that published articles are of the highest quality. That is one reason why journals are a highly credible source of information. 

Journal articles in print:

Author Last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year Published). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume (Issue), page range.

Gleditsch, N. P., Pinker, S., Thayer, B. A., Levy, J. S., & Thompson, W. R. (2013). The forum: The decline of war. International Studies Review, 15 (3), 396-419.

Journal articles online:

  • If your source is found online, but there is no DOI provided, you can include the URL instead.
  • A DOI (digital object identifier) is basically a number that links a source to its location on the Internet. This number isn’t always provided, but if it is, you should include it in your citation rather than including a URL.
  • Unlike previous editions, the current edition does not require including a retrieval date or date accessed for online sources. A retrieval date is only necessary if the source is likely to change (ex. Wikipedia, encyclopedia entry, Facebook homepage, etc.).

Author Last name, First initial. Middle initial. (Year Published). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume (Issue), page range. https://doi.org/xxxx or URL

Burnell, K. J., Coleman, P. G., & Hunt, N. (2010). Coping with traumatic memories: Second World War veterans’ experiences of social support in relation to the narrative coherence of war memories. Ageing and Society, 30 (1), 57-78. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0144686X0999016X

If you need additional help, the Citation Machine APA reference generator will cite your sources automatically for you.

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In-text citation

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  • Referencing home

The APA 7th style uses in-text citations when referring to or quoting people’s work. The essential elements of an in-text citation are the author surname/s and year.

Two types of in-text citations

1. author prominent format.

Use this format if you want to emphasise the author. Their name becomes part of your sentence.

Jones (2018) concluded that the treatment was effective in 74% of cases.

Author prominent citations are also referred to as parenthetical citations.

2. Information prominent format

Use this format if you want to emphasise the information. It cites the author’s name, typically at the end of a sentence.

...as evidenced by a recent Australian study of the treatment's effectiveness (Jones, 2018).

Information prominent citations are also referred to as narrative citations.

The following examples show how to form in-text citations according to number of authors and other considerations.

Surname, Year

Hawkins (2020) reported that the results of the study were inconclusive.

. . . the results of the study were inconclusive (Hawkins, 2020).

Two authors

Both surnames in the order listed on the publication and the year.

For author prominent citations, use “and” between the author names.

For information prominent citations, & between the author names.

Bovey and Hede (2013) argue that . . .

. . . is a significant factor (Bovey & Hede, 2013).

Three or more authors

Cite the first author followed by et al. and year

Robbins et al. (2017) note that leadership empathy and good communication are key to negotiating successful organisational change.

They may be required to work harder now there are … perform the same tasks (Robbins et al., 2017).

Different authors, same surname

When two or more authors have the same surname, add their initials to distinguish between them

P. R. Smith (1945) adopted a unique approach . . . . . . later in the text . . . This idea was first advanced by S. Smith (1935).

Research conducted by W.O. Brown and Jones (1985) was influenced by the work of S.A. Brown and Smith (1961).

The corresponding information prominent citations would be:

(P.R. Smith, 1945)

(S. Smith, 1935)

(W.O. Brown & Jones, 1985)

(S.A. Brown & Smith, 1961)

Multiple authors, ambiguous citations

Distinguish identical multiple-author citations with the same year by adding an additional surname, followed by a comma and et al.

Instead of just Brown et al. (1998), add additional author surnames to distinguish between separate works that Brown co-authored that year:

Brown, Shimamura, et al. (1998)

Brown, Taylor, et al. (1998).

The corresponding information prominent citations would be (Brown, Shimamura, et al., 1998), and (Brown, Taylor, et al., 1998).

  • For further guidance see the APA Style website - Citing multiple works…

Same author, two or more works

Author surname, then years separated by a commas, in chronological order.

Reimer (2017, 2018, 2019) considered this phenomenon across various studies . . .

. . . this phenomenon was considered across various studies (Reimer, 2017, 2018, 2019).

Same author, multiple works and same year

Assign a suffix of a, b, c, d, etc. after the year, according to alphabetical listing by title in the reference list.

Stairs (1992b) examined . . . . . . later in the text . . . According to Stairs (1992a) . . .

. . . was recently considered (Stairs, 1992b) . . . . . . later in the text . . . . . . the results were inconclusive (Stairs, 1992a).

  • For multiple references by the same author with no date, after n.d. add a hyphen and then the suffix e.g. (Dreshcke n.d.-b)

Multiple works from various authors

You may want to cite works from various authors to more strongly support a particular point you are making.

List each work alphabetically by surname in alphabetical order, separated by semicolons.

. . . as proposed by various researchers (Adams et al., 2020; Green, 2019; Hall & Clark, 2021).

Green (2019), Adams et al. (2020), and Hall and Clark (2021) analysed . . .

  • In the author prominent citation there is no requirement to order the citations alphabetically

If the author is identified as 'Anonymous'

Use 'Anonymous' as the surname.

Anonymous (2019)

(Anonymous, 2019)

Unknown author

Give the first few words of the title. If the title is from an article or a chapter, use double quotation marks. If the title is from a periodical, book brochure, or report, then use italics.

. . . the worst election loss in the party's history ("This is the end," 1968).

Corporate or group author

If the organisation has a recognisable abbreviation

First listing: Organisation name [Abbreviation], Year Subsequent: Abbreviation, Year

Where the organisation abbreviation is not widely known

Use the name in full every time

Census data gives valuable insights into... (Australian Bureau of Statistics [ABS], 2021).

Australia's next census will be held on 10th August 2021 (ABS, 2021).

Author quoted directly

Occasionally it may be necessary to include in your work a quotation from an author.

Always include a page number when you have to cite directly from a source.

If no page numbers are available (e.g. in a website), include a paragraph number.

Use accepted abbreviations like p. for page and para. for paragraph

Gittins (2006) suggests that "the key to understanding microeconomics is to realise that its overwhelming focus is on the role of price" (p. 18).

Weston (1988) stated "the darkest days were still ahead" (p. 45).

A patient is in pain when they tell you and "it is important to believe the patient so as to build a trusting relationship" (Phipps et al., 1983, p.45).

Personal communications

Private letters, e-mail and conversations require only an in-text citation, which includes the date of the communication (Month DD, YYYY).

Personal communications are not included in reference lists, as they are not accessible to others.

R. Smith (personal communication, January 28, 2020) . . .

. . . (R. Smith, personal communication, January 28, 2020)

Author referred to in a secondary source

The original author is cited together with the secondary author.

Only do this when the original is unavailable and only include what you have actually read.

Farrow (1968, as cited in Ward & Decan, 1988) . . .

Ward and Decan (1988) cited Farrow (1968) as finding . . .

. . . (Farrow, 1968, as cited in Ward & Decan, 1988).

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COMMENTS

  1. Journal Article with 3 or More Authors

    General Format In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): (Author Surname et al., Year) In-Text Citation (Quotation): (Author Surname et al., Year, page number) References: Surnames and initials for up to twenty authors should be provided in the reference list. For more than 20 authors, list the first 19, followed by an ellipses, then list the final author.

  2. APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Three to Five Authors or Editors

    Three to Five Authors or Editors APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Three to Five Authors or Editors About Citing Books For each type of source in this guide, both the general form and an example will be provided. The following format will be used:

  3. Reference List: Author/Authors

    The following rules for handling works by a single author or multiple authors apply to all APA-style references in your reference list, regardless of the type of work (book, article, electronic resource, etc.). Cite your source automatically in APA Cite Using citation machines responsibly Powered by

  4. APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Journal Article with 3-20 Authors

    Journal Article with Three to Twenty Authors Helpful Tips: DOI: If a journal article has a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) listed, you will always include this identifier in your reference as a URL.

  5. How to cite in APA when there are multiple authors

    citing a journal paper in APA with three or more authors, only enter the last name of the first author listed and add "et al." after it. "Et al." is Latin for the phrase "and others," which is why it is used as a substitute for two or more authors' last names. Parenthetical citation for three or more authors: (1st Author et al., Year Published)

  6. Journal Article with Three or more Authors

    Since the article does not have an official print version page numbers, you have to use another method for direct citations, which generally call for page numbers. APA 7th edition (p. 273) recommends either using paragraph numbers or section names to designate where a direct citation comes from.

  7. Journal articles with three or more authors

    Below you will find guidance and examples of how to set out a reference to a journal article with three or more authors in the body of your work and in the reference list at the end. In text citations If there are three or more authors of a work use et al. after the first author's surname. Example: Ashley et al. (2014) state that... OR ...

  8. How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Style

    An APA Style citation for a journal article includes the author name (s), publication year, article title, journal name, volume and issue number, page range of the article, and a DOI (if available). Use the buttons below to explore the format, or try the free APA Citation Generator to quickly and easily create citations.

  9. Journal Articles with Three to 20 Authors

    For a work with three or more authors, include only the name of the first author followed by "et al." in every in-text citation, including the first. General Format In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): (Author Surname et al., Year) In-Text Citation (Quotation): (Author Surname et al., Year, Page Number) References: Author Surname, First Initial.

  10. APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Journal Article with 3

    APA Citation Style, 7th edition: Journal Article with 3 - 7 Authors. APA Toggle Dropdown. General Style Guidelines ; APA 6th /7th Comparison; ... NOTE: The in-text citation for works with three or more authors is shortened to the first author's name, followed by et al. and the year. In-Text Citation (Quotation):

  11. APA Citation Guide, 7th edition: Journal Article with 3-20 Authors

    APA Citation Guide, 7th edition: Journal Article with 3-20 Authors. APA Toggle Dropdown. General Style Guidelines ; Books Toggle Dropdown. One Author or Editor ; ... Example 1 (In-text citation rule for 3-5 authors) In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): (Westhues et al., 2001) In-Text Citation (Quotation): ...

  12. APA Style: Journal article with three or more authors

    The APA Style website also contains guidance on DOIs Journal Articles With Three Or More Authors Note: In-text citations: For works with three or more authors, include the name of only the first author and the abbreviation "et al." in every in-text citation, even the first time a citation appears.

  13. APA Style (7th Edition) Citation Guide: Journal Articles

    In-Text Paraphrase: (Author's Last Name, Year) Example: (Smith, 2000) In-Text Quote: (Author's Last Name, Year, p. Page Number) Example: (Smith, 2000, p. 80) Journal Article From Library Database with DOI - Multiple Authors Author's Last Name, First Initial. Second Initial if Given., & Last Name of Second Author, First Initial.

  14. Journal Article with Three to Six Authors

    General Format: NOTE: If your reference has three to six authors, cite them all the first time mentioned in your paper. After that, use the first author's last name, followed by et al. and the year). In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): (Author's Last Name, Author's Last Name, & Author's Last name, year) (Author's Last Name et al., year)

  15. In-Text Citations: Author/Authors

    The APA manual recommends the use of the author-date citation structure for in-text citation references. This structure requires that any in-text citation (i.e., within the body of the text) be accompanied by a corresponding reference list entry. In the in-text citation provide the surname of the author but do not include suffixes such as "Jr.".

  16. Author-date citation system

    Use the author-date citation system to cite references in the text in APA Style. In this system, each work used in a paper has two parts: an in-text citation and a corresponding reference list entry. In-text citations may be parenthetical or narrative.

  17. Journal article references

    3. Journal article with missing information Missing volume number Lipscomb, A. Y. (2021, Winter). Addressing trauma in the college essay writing process. The Journal of College Admission, (249), 30-33. https://www.catholiccollegesonline.org/pdf/national_ccaa_in_the_news_-_nacac_journal_of_college_admission_winter_2021.pdf

  18. APA In-Text Citations (7th Ed.)

    Revised on September 30, 2022. This article reflects the APA 7th edition guidelines. Click here for APA 6th edition guidelines. In-text citations briefly identify the source of information in the body text. They correspond to a full reference entry at the end of your paper.

  19. How to Cite a Journal Article

    In an MLA Works Cited entry for a journal article, the article title appears in quotation marks, the name of the journal in italics—both in title case. List up to two authors in both the in-text citation and the Works Cited entry. For three or more, use "et al.". MLA format. Author last name, First name.

  20. APA Citation Guide, 7th edition: Three to Five Authors or Editors

    For each type of source in this guide, both the general form and an example will be provided.. The following format will be used: In-Text Citation (Paraphrase) - entry that appears in the body of your paper when you express the ideas of a researcher or author using your own words.For more tips on paraphrasing check out The OWL at Purdue.. In-Text Citation (Quotation) - entry that appears in ...

  21. APA Formatting and Style Guide (7th Edition)

    Basic Rules Basic guidelines for formatting the reference list at the end of a standard APA research paper Author/Authors Rules for handling works by a single author or multiple authors that apply to all APA-style references in your reference list, regardless of the type of work (book, article, electronic resource, etc.) Articles in Periodicals

  22. Three or More Authors or Editors

    Book title: Subtitle. Publisher. Example In-Text Citation (Paraphrase): (Johnson et al., 1999) In-Text Citation (Direct Quote): (Johnson et al., 1999, p. 72) References: Johnson, N. G., Roberts, M. C., & Worell, J. (Eds.). (1999). Beyond appearance: A new look at adolescent girls. American Psychological Association. Last Updated:

  23. Citing a Journal in APA

    Citing journal articles in APA. A journal is a scholarly periodical that presents research from experts in a certain field. Typically, but not always, these journals are peer-reviewed in order to ensure that published articles are of the highest quality. That is one reason why journals are a highly credible source of information.

  24. In-text citation

    In-text citation. The APA 7th style uses in-text citations when referring to or quoting people's work. The essential elements of an in-text citation are the author surname/s and year. Two types of in-text citations 1. Author prominent format. Use this format if you want to emphasise the author. Their name becomes part of your sentence.

  25. Apalutamide (APA) plus intermittent versus continuous androgen

    TPS236 Background: ADT is associated with adverse events and decreased quality of life in pts with advanced PC. This study evaluates if APA + intermittent ADT in mCSPC pts who achieved prostate-specific antigen (PSA) <0.2 ng/mL after 6 mo of initial therapy with APA + ADT provides noninferior radiographic progression-free survival (rPFS) and reduces hot flash burden compared with APA ...

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    3 likes, 0 comments - ngsa.usask on January 2, 2024: "To help in your academic endeavours, here's a breakdown of key APA 7th edition formatting tailore..." NGSA uSask on Instagram: "To help in your academic endeavours, here's a breakdown of key APA 7th edition formatting tailored for nursing graduate students.