APA Journal Article Citations

    Complete guide to citing journal articles in APA format with examples for print, online, and database sources

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    Published: September 15, 2025
    By heypaperhero Team

    Basic Journal Article Format

    Journal articles are one of the most common sources in academic writing. The format varies slightly depending on whether the article is from a print journal, online journal, or database.

    Basic Format

    Author, A. A. (Year). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pages. DOI or URL

    Print Journal Articles

    For articles from print journals, include volume and issue numbers, and page range:

    Example:

    Smith, J. A. (2023). The effects of social media on academic performance.
    Educational Psychology Review, 45(3), 123-145.

    Format Notes

    • • Article title in sentence case
    • • Journal name in title case and italics
    • • Volume number in italics
    • • Issue number in parentheses, not italicized
    • • Page range with en dash (123-145)

    Online Journal Articles with DOI

    For online articles, always include the DOI when available. Format as a clickable link:

    With DOI:

    Brown, M. K., & Davis, L. R. (2023). Digital literacy in higher education.
    Computers & Education, 187, 104-118.
    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2023.104542

    Multiple Authors with DOI:

    Johnson, R., Wilson, S., & Taylor, K. (2022). Online learning effectiveness:
    A meta-analysis. Journal of Educational Technology Research, 38(4),
    234-251. https://doi.org/10.1080/1047621X.2022.2154321

    Database Articles

    For articles accessed through academic databases, include the DOI if available. If no DOI, include the database name and URL:

    Database Article with DOI:

    Anderson, P. (2023). Cognitive development in early childhood.
    Developmental Psychology, 59(2), 78-92.
    https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0001234

    Database Article without DOI:

    Garcia, M. (2022). Language acquisition in bilingual children.
    Applied Linguistics, 43(1), 56-73. Academic Search Complete.

    Special Article Types

    Article with No DOI (Online):

    Thompson, L. (2023). Remote work productivity measures.
    Business Research Quarterly, 26(3), 145-160.
    https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2340944420987654

    Advance Online Publication:

    Miller, S. (2023). Social anxiety in adolescents. Journal of Youth
    and Adolescence. Advance online publication.
    https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01234-5

    Article with Article Number (No Page Range):

    Kim, J. (2023). Machine learning in education. Nature Education,
    15, Article 1234. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01234-x

    Special Issue Article:

    Roberts, K. (2023). Innovative teaching methods [Special issue].
    Educational Innovation Review, 12(2), 89-104.
    https://doi.org/10.1080/13562517.2023.2154321

    In-Text Citation Examples

    Single Author:

    Recent research shows improved outcomes (Smith, 2023).

    Two Authors:

    The study revealed significant differences (Brown & Davis, 2023).

    Three or More Authors:

    Multiple factors were identified (Johnson et al., 2022).

    Direct Quote with Page Number:

    The authors concluded that "digital literacy is essential for academic success" (Brown & Davis, 2023, p. 110).

    Common Mistakes to Avoid

    ❌ Incorrect

    Smith, J. (2023). "The Effects of Social Media." Educational Psychology Review, Vol. 45, Issue 3, pp. 123-145.

    ✅ Correct

    Smith, J. (2023). The effects of social media. Educational Psychology Review, 45(3), 123-145.
    • Don't put article titles in quotation marks
    • Don't include "Vol." or "Issue" abbreviations
    • Don't include "pp." before page numbers
    • Always include DOI when available
    • Use sentence case for article titles