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APA Citation Style, 7th edition: APA

Helpful Tips!

 How do I cite an article I found using an iPhone app?

Smartphones

 

It is irrelevant whether you read it on your iPhone, IPad, Android, Blackberry, MAC, laptop or in the library. Creating references is not about documenting "how" you located the information but providing the reader a direct path to the "original" source of the material.

Remember - the "iPhone app" is not the source of the article - the "journal" is your source. Cite it as you would any journal article.  

 

APA's Official Resources

Getting Started!

American Psychological Association (APA) style is commonly used for citing references in student papers in science, medical, public health, health sciences and nursing as well as the social science.

 The purpose of documentation is to:

  • Identify (cite) other people’s ideas and information used within your essay or term paper.
  • Indicate the authors or sources of these in a References list at the end of your paper.

This guide is based on the APA Manual (7th ed.) that was published in 2020. ***NOTE: This guide was recently updated to conform to the newly published 7th edition. If you find any errors in it, please notify us at the email listed so we can fix them. Thank you for your patience during this transition!***

The following sections provide you with information and examples that will help you to cite the sources that you come across during your research. 

General Style Guidelines

For more examples and information, consult the following publications:

What is RefWorks?

RefWorks logo
What is RefWorks? RefWorks is an online research management, writing and collaboration tool. It is designed to help researchers easily gather, manage, store and share all types of information, as well as generate citations and bibliographies.

Why should you use RefWorks?

  • One "click" and you can generate bibliographies in any citation style format. (APA, AMA, MLA and more!)
  • Allows you to create & organize your own personal database of references.
  • Import your references directly from databases, journals or the library catalog and avoid emailing or the need to save to a USB flashdrive.
  • Makes collaboration easier during group projects allowing you to share your RefWorks folder of references.
    Laptop running RefWorks
    New Users: Getting Started!

Free APA Citation Generator

APA Samples

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

DOI logo

What is a DOI? A DOI (digital object identifier) is a unique alphanumeric string assigned by a registration agency (the International DOI Foundation) to identify content and provide a persistent link to its location on the internet. 

NOTE: It is regarded as the most important part of the citation because it will accurately direct users to the specific article.

Think of it as a "digital fingerprint" or an article's DNA!

The rules for DOIs have been updated in the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. They should be included as URLs, rather than just the alphanumeric string.

Correct:  

  • http://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-12-114
  • http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2288-12-114

Incorrect:     

  • doi: 10.1186/1471-2288-12-114
  • Retrieved from http://doi:10.1186/1471-2288-12-114

References