Citation

APA Format

APA (American Psychological Association) format is the standard citation style for social sciences, psychology, education, and business papers.

When to Use APA

  • Psychology and behavioral sciences
  • Education and nursing
  • Business and management
  • Social sciences

Paper Format

  • 1-inch margins on all sides
  • Double-spaced text
  • 12-point Times New Roman font
  • Running head with page numbers
  • Title page with author information

In-Text Citations

Format: (Author, Year, p. #)

  • One author: (Smith, 2020, p. 45)
  • Two authors: (Smith & Johnson, 2020)
  • Three+ authors: (Smith et al., 2020)

Reference List Examples

Journal Article: Smith, J. (2020). Title of article. Journal Name, 15(2), 123-145. https://doi.org/10.1000/example

Book: Johnson, M. (2019). Book title. Publisher Name.

Website: Brown, L. (2023, January 15). Article title. Website Name. https://www.example.com/article

APA emphasizes recency—always include the publication year.

Quick Tips

  • Use "&" in parenthetical citations, "and" in narrative
  • Include DOIs for journal articles when available
  • Alphabetize references by author's last name
  • Use hanging indent for reference entries