APA Journal Citation: 7 Types, In-Text Rules, & Examples

Introduction: Citing journal articles in APA format is crucial for maintaining credibility and academic integrity in your research papers. Whether you're citing a print journal, an online journal, or a scholarly article, the APA citation style has specific guidelines. This article covers the seven types of journal citations in APA, in-text citation rules, and examples to help you cite sources correctly.

1. Types of Journal Citations in APA: APA style requires different formats depending on the type of journal article. These include:

Print Journal Articles: Articles published in print journals.
Online Journal Articles: Articles available online, whether accessed via a database or journal’s website.
Article with DOI: An article with a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) included in the citation.
Article without DOI: For articles that don’t have a DOI, include the URL if available.
Magazine and Newspaper Articles: Articles published in periodicals, such as magazines or newspapers, with specific citation formats.
Multiple Authors: For journal articles with multiple authors, list all authors up to 20 names.

2. APA Journal Citation Format (7th Edition):

Basic Format for Print Journal Articles: Author(s). (Year). Title of the article. Title of the Journal, volume(issue), page range.
- Example: Smith, J. A. (2020). The role of emotions in decision-making. Journal of Psychology, 15(2), 120-135.
Basic Format for Online Journal Articles (with DOI): Author(s). (Year). Title of the article. Title of the Journal, volume(issue), page range. https://doi.org/xxxx
- Example: Williams, A. B. (2021). Social media and mental health: A review. Journal of Social Research, 10(4), 200-215. https://doi.org/10.1234/jsr.2021.2345678

3. In-Text Citation for APA Journals:

For one author: (Smith, 2020)
For two authors: (Smith & Johnson, 2020)
For three or more authors: (Smith et al., 2020)
For direct quotes: (Smith, 2020, p. 134)

Conclusion: Correctly citing journal articles in APA format is essential for academic writing. Whether you’re citing print or online journals, following APA’s rules ensures your work is clear, professional, and adheres to scholarly standards.