How to cite a journal article in APA

To cite a journal article in a reference entry in APA style 6th edition include the following elements:

1. Author(s) of the article: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to seven authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For eight or more authors include the first six names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.
2. Year of publication: Give the year in brackets followed by a full stop.
3. Title of the research article: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
4. Title of periodical: Give the full, non-abbreviated title of the periodical in title case. It should also be italicized.
5. Volume number: The volume number is also italicized.
6. Issue number: For journals that are paginated by issue give the issue number in brackets.
7. Page numbers: Give the full page range.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a journal article in APA style 6th edition:

Author(s) of the article. (Year of publication). Title of the research article. Title of periodical, Volume number(Issue number), Page numbers.

To cite a journal article in a reference entry in APA style 7th edition include the following elements:

1. Author(s) of the article: Give the last name and initials (e. g. Watson, J. D.) of up to 20 authors with the last name preceded by an ampersand (&). For 21 or more authors include the first 19 names followed by an ellipsis (…) and add the last author's name.
2. Year of publication: Give the year in brackets followed by a full stop.
3. Title of the research article: Only the first letter of the first word and proper nouns are capitalized.
4. Title of periodical: Give the full, non-abbreviated title of the periodical in title case. It should also be italicized.
5. Volume number: The volume number is also italicized.
6. Issue number: For journals that are paginated by issue give the issue number in brackets.
7. Page numbers: Give the full page range.

Here is the basic format for a reference list entry of a journal article in APA style 7th edition:

Author(s) of the article. (Year of publication). Title of the research article. Title of periodical, Volume number(Issue number), Page numbers.