APA Conference Paper Citations

    Learn to cite conference papers, presentations, and proceedings in APA format with detailed examples and best practices.

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    Published: September 15, 2025
    By heypaperhero Team

    Basic Conference Paper Format

    APA format for conference papers varies depending on whether the paper is published in proceedings or presented but unpublished.

    APA Conference Paper Format:

    Author, A. A. (Year, Month Date). Title of paper [Conference presentation]. Conference Name, Location. URL

    Published Conference Proceedings

    When conference papers are published in proceedings, treat them as book chapters or journal articles.

    Print Proceedings Example:

    Smith, J. A. (2023). Machine learning in healthcare applications. In M. Johnson & D. Lee (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence (pp. 145-152). IEEE Computer Society.

    In-text citation: (Smith, 2023)

    Elements:

    • Author: J. A. Smith
    • Date: 2023
    • Paper title: Machine learning in healthcare applications (not italicized)
    • Editors: M. Johnson & D. Lee
    • Proceedings title: Proceedings of the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence (italicized)
    • Pages: pp. 145-152
    • Publisher: IEEE Computer Society

    Online Conference Proceedings

    For proceedings available online, include the URL and publication information.

    Example:

    Garcia, M. (2022). Sustainable urban development strategies. In Proceedings of the World Urban Forum (Vol. 12, pp. 78-85). UN-Habitat. https://www.wuf.unhabitat.org/proceedings/2022/garcia-sustainable-development

    In-text citation: (Garcia, 2022)

    Unpublished Conference Presentations

    For papers presented at conferences but not published in proceedings.

    Example:

    Thompson, L. (2022, December 12-16). Climate change and agricultural productivity [Conference presentation]. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, Chicago, IL, United States.

    In-text citation: (Thompson, 2022)

    Elements:

    • Author: L. Thompson
    • Date: 2022, December 12-16
    • Paper title: Climate change and agricultural productivity
    • Type: [Conference presentation]
    • Conference: American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting
    • Location: Chicago, IL, United States

    Poster Presentations

    Poster presentations should specify the presentation type in brackets.

    Example:

    Chen, W., & Johnson, S. (2023, April 8-13). Biomarkers for early cancer detection [Poster presentation]. American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, United States.

    In-text citation: (Chen & Johnson, 2023)

    Keynote Speeches and Invited Talks

    For keynote addresses and invited presentations, specify the type of presentation.

    Example:

    Nobel, P. W. (2023, September 15). The future of renewable energy [Keynote address]. International Energy Conference, Berlin, Germany.

    In-text citation: (Nobel, 2023)

    Virtual Conferences

    For virtual or hybrid conferences, include relevant platform or access information.

    Example:

    Rodriguez, A. (2023, July 10-14). Digital humanities methodologies [Virtual conference presentation]. Digital Humanities 2023 Conference. https://adho.org/conference/dh2023

    In-text citation: (Rodriguez, 2023)

    Symposium and Workshop Papers

    Papers from symposiums, workshops, or smaller academic gatherings.

    Example:

    Williams, R. (2023, May 5). Quantum computing applications in cryptography [Workshop presentation]. Workshop on Emerging Technologies, MIT Computer Science Department, Cambridge, MA, United States.

    Key Citation Elements

    Required Elements:

    • • Author name(s)
    • • Date (with specific dates for presentations)
    • • Paper/presentation title
    • • Presentation type in brackets
    • • Conference name
    • • Location
    • • URL (if available online)

    Optional Elements:

    • • Session title
    • • Abstract number
    • • DOI
    • • Page numbers (for proceedings)
    • • Editor names (for proceedings)

    Best Practices

    APA Conference Citation Tips:

    • Publication Status: Distinguish between published proceedings and unpublished presentations
    • Specific Dates: Include full conference dates for unpublished presentations
    • Location Format: Use City, State/Province, Country format
    • Presentation Types: Always specify the type in brackets (e.g., [Poster presentation])
    • URLs: Include URLs for online proceedings or presentation materials when available