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