apa 7 referencing essay format

APA (7th Edition) Referencing Guide

• Information for EndNote Users
• Authors - Numbers, Rules and Formatting
• In-Text Citations
• Reference List
• Books & eBooks
• Book chapters
• Journal Articles
• Conference Papers
• Newspaper Articles
• Web Pages & Documents
• Specialised Health Databases
• Using Visual Works in Assignments & Class Presentations
• Using Visual Works in Theses and Publications
• Using Tables in Assignments & Class Presentations
• Custom Textbooks & Books of Readings
• ABS AND AIHW
• Videos (YouTube), Podcasts & Webinars
• Blog Posts and Social Media
• First Nations Works
• Dictionary and Encyclopedia Entries
• Personal Communication
• Theses and Dissertations
• Film / TV / DVD
• Miscellaneous (Generic Reference)
• AI software

APA 7th examples and templates

Apa formatting tips, thesis formatting, tables and figures, acknowledgements and disclaimers.

• What If...?
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• One Minute Video Series (APA)

You can view the samples here:

• APA Style Sample Papers From the official APA Style and Grammar Guidelines

Quick formatting notes taken from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 7th edition

Use the same font throughout the text of your paper, including the title and any headings. APA lists the following options (p. 44):

• Sans serif fonts such as 11-point Calibri, 11 point-Arial, 10-point Lucida,
• Serif fonts such as 12-point Times new Roman, 11-point Georgia or 10-point Computer Modern.

(A serif font is one that has caps and tails - or "wiggly bits" - on it, like Times New Roman . The font used throughout this guide is a sans serif [without serif] font). You may want to check with your lecturer to see if they have a preference.

In addition APA suggests these fonts for the following circumstances:

• Within figures, use a sans serif font between 8 and 14 points.
• When presenting computer code, use a monospace font such as 10-point Lucida Console or 10-point Courier New.
• Footnotes: a 10-point font with single line spacing.

Line Spacing:

"Double-space the entire paper, including the title page, abstract, text, headings, block quotations, reference list, table and figure notes, and appendices, with the following exceptions:" (p. 45)

• Table and figures: Words within tables and figures may be single-, one-and-a-half- or double-spaced depending on what you decide creates the best presentation.
• Footnotes: Footnotes appearing at the bottom of the page to which they refer may be single-spaced and formatted with the default settings on your word processing program i.e. Word.
• Equations: You may triple- or quadruple-space before and after equations.

"Use 1 in. (2.54 cm) margins on all sides (top, bottom, left, and right) of the page." If your subject outline or lecturer has requested specific margins (for example, 3cm on the left side), use those.

"Align the text to the left and leave the right margin uneven ('ragged'). Do not use full justification, which adjusts the spacing between words to make all lines the same length (flush with the margins).  Do not manually divide words at the end of a line" (p. 45).

Do not break hyphenated words. Do not manually break long DOIs or URLs.

Indentations:

"Indent the first line of every paragraph... for consistency, use the tab key... the default settings in most word-processing programs are acceptable. The remaining lines of the paragraph should be left-aligned." (p. 45)

Exceptions to the paragraph indentation requirements are as follows:

• Title pages to be centred.
• The first line of abstracts are left aligned (not indented).
• Block quotes are indented 1.27 cm (0.5 in). The first paragraph of a block quote is not indented further. Only the first line of the second and subsequent paragraphs (if there are any) are indented a further 1.27 cm (0.5 in). (see What if...Long quote  in this LibGuide)
• Level 1 headings, including appendix titles, are centred. Level 2 and Level 3 headings are left aligned..
• Table and figure captions, notes etc. are flush left.

Page numbers:

Page numbers should be flush right in the header of each page. Use the automatic page numbering function in Word to insert page numbers in the top right-hand corner. The title page is page number 1.

Reference List:

• Start the reference list on a new page after the text but before any appendices.
• Label the reference list References  (bold, centred, capitalised).
• Double-space all references.
• Use a hanging indent on all references (first line is flush left, the second and any subsequent lines are indented 1.27 cm (0.5 in). To apply a hanging indent in Word, highlight all of your references and press Ctrl + T  on a PC, or  Command (⌘) + T  on a Mac.

Level 1 Heading - Centered, Bold, Title Case

Text begins as a new paragraph i.e. first line indented...

Level 2 Heading - Flush Left, Bold, Title Case

Level 3 Heading - Flush Left, Bold, Italic, Title Case

Level 4 Heading Indented, Bold, Title Case Heading, Ending With a Full Stop. Text begins on the same line...

Level 5 Heading, Bold, Italic, Title Case Heading, Ending with a Full Stop.  Text begins on the same line...

Please note : Any formatting requirements specified in the subject outline or any other document or web page supplied to the students by the lecturers should be followed instead of these guidelines.

What is an appendix?

Appendices contain matter that belongs with your paper, rather than in it.

For example, an appendix might contain

• the survey questions or scales you used for your research,
• detailed description of data that was referred to in your paper,
• long lists that are too unweildy to be given in the paper,
• correspondence recieved from the company you are analysing,
• copies of documents being discussed (if required),

You may be asked to include certain details or documents in appendices, or you may chose to use an appendix to illustrate details that would be inappropriate or distracting in the body of your text, but are still worth presenting to the readers of your paper.

Each topic should have its own appendix. For example, if you have a survey that you gave to participants and an assessment tool which was used to analyse the results of that survey, they should be in different appendices. However, if you are including a number of responses to that survey, do not put each response in a separate appendix, but group them together in one appendix as they belong together.

How do you format an appendix?

Appendices go at the very end of your paper , after your reference list. (If you are using footnotes, tables or figures, then the end of your paper will follow this pattern: reference list, footnotes, tables, figures, appendices).

Each appendix starts on a separate page. If you have only one appendix, it is simply labelled "Appendix". If you have more than one, they are given letters: "Appendix A", "Appendix B", "Appendix C", etc.

The label for your appendix (which is just "Appendix" or "Appendix A" - do not put anything else with it), like your refrerence list, is placed at the top of the page, centered and in bold , beginning with a capital letter.

You then give a title for your appendix, centered and in bold , on the next line.

Use title case for the appendix label and title.

The first paragraph of your appendix is not indented (it is flush with the left margin), but all other paragraphs follow the normal pattern of indenting the first line. Use double line spacing, just like you would for the body of your paper.

How do I refer to my appendices in my paper?

In your paper, when you mention information that will be included or expanded upon in your appendices, you refer to the appendix by its label and capitalise the letters that are capitalised in the label:

Questions in the survey were designed to illicit reflective responses (see Appendix A).

As the consent form in Appendix B illustrates...

How do I use references in my appendices?

Appendices are considered to be part of your paper for the purpose of referencing. Any in-text citations used in your appendix should be formatted exactly the same way you would format it in the body of your paper, and the references cited in your appendices will go in your reference list (they do not go in a special section of your reference list, but are treated like normal references).

If you have included reproduced matter in your appendices, treat them like an image or a table that has been copied or adapted. Place the information for the source in the notes under the reproduced matter (a full copyright acknowledgement for theses or works being published, or the shorter version used at JCU for assignments), and put the reference in the reference list.

• Thesis Formatting Guide Our Library Guide offers some advice on formatting a thesis for JCU higher degrees.
• Setting up a table in APA 7th
• Setting up a figure in APA 7th

If you are required to include an acknowledgement or disclaimer (for example, a statement of whether any part of your assignment was generated by AI, or if any part of your assignment was re-used, with permission, from a previous assignment), this should go in an author note .

The author note is placed on the bottom half of the title page, so if you are using an author note, you will need to use a title page. Place the section title Author Note in centre and in bold. Align the paragraph text as per a normal paragraph, beginning with an indent. See the second image on this page for an example of where to place the author note: Title Page Setup .

The APA Publication Manual lists several paragraphs that could be included in an author note, and specifies the order in which they should appear. For a student assignment, you will probably only require a paragraph or sentence on disclosures and acknowledgements.

An example author note for a student paper could be:

Author Note

This paper was prepared using Bing Copilot to assist with research and ChatGPT to assist with formatting the reference list. No generative AI software was used to create any part of the submitted text.

No generative AI software was used to create any part of this assignment.

• If the use of generative AI was permitted for drafting or developing parts of your assignment, you will need to include a description in the methodology section of your paper specifying what software was used, what it was used for and to what extent.
• If your subject outline has a specific disclaimer to use, use that wording in your author's note.
• If the use of generative AI software is permitted, you will still need to review the material produced by the software for suitability and accuracy, as the author of the paper is ultimately responsible for all of the content.
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• Last Updated: Sep 4, 2024 4:17 PM
• URL: https://libguides.jcu.edu.au/apa

APA Style (7th ed.)

• Cite: Why? When?
• Book, eBook, Dissertation
• Article or Report
• Business Sources
• Artificial Intelligence (AI) Tools
• In-Text Citation
• Format Your Paper

Format Your Paper

Download and use the editable templates for student papers below: .

• APA 7th ed. Template Document This is an APA format template document in Google Docs. Click on the link -- it will ask for you to make a new copy of the document, which you can save in your own Google Drive with your preferred privacy settings.
• APA 7th ed. Template Document A Microsoft Word document formatted correctly according to APA 7th edition.
• APA 7th ed. Annotated Bibliography template A Microsoft Word document formatted correctly for an annotated bibliography.

Or, view the directions for specific sections below:

Order of Sections (section 2.17)

• Title page including Title, Author, University and Department, Class, Instructor, and Date
• Body (including introduction, literature review or background, discussion, and conclusion)
• Appendices (including tables & figures)

Margins & Page Numbers (sections 2.22-2.24)

• 1 inch at top, bottom, and both sides
• Left aligned paragraphs and leave the right edge ragged (not "right justified")
• Indent first line of each paragraph 1/2 inch from left margin
• Use page numbers, including on the title page, 1/2 inch from top and flush with right margin

Text Format (section 2.19)

• Times New Roman, 12 point
• Calibri, 11 point
• Arial, 11 point
• Lucinda Sans Unicode, 10 point
• Georgia, 11 point
• Double-space and align text to the left
• Use active voice
• Don't overuse technical jargon
• No periods after a web address or DOI in the References list.

Tables and Figures In-Text (chapter 7)

• Label tables and figures numerically (ex. Table 1)
• Give each table column a heading and use separating lines only when necessary
• Design the table and figure so that it can be understood on its own, i.e. it does not require reference to the surrounding text to understand it
• Notes go below tables and figures

Title Page (section 2.3)

• Include the title, your name,  the class name , and  the college's name
• Title should be 12 words or less and summarize the paper's main idea
• No periods or abbreviations
• Do not italicize or underline
• No quotation marks, all capital letters, or bold
• Center horizontally in upper half of the page

Body (section 2.11)

• Align the text to the left with a 1/2-inch left indent on the first line
• Double-space
• As long as there is no Abstract, at the top of the first page, type the title of the paper, centered, in bold , and in Sentence Case Capitalization
• Usually, include sections like these:  introduction, literature review or background,  discussion, and conclusion -- but the specific organization will depend on the paper type
• Spell out long organization names and add the abbreviation in parenthesis, then just use the abbreviation
• Spell out numbers one through nine and use a number for 10 or more
• Use a number for units of measurement, in tables, to represent statistical or math functions, and dates or times

Headings (section 2.26-2.27)

• Level 1: Center, bold , Title Case 
• Level 2: Align left, bold , Title Case
• Level 3: Alight left, bold italics , Title Case
• Level 4: Indented 1/2", bold , Title Case, end with a period. Follow with text. 
• Level 5: Indented 1/2", bold italics , Title Case, end with a period. Follow with text. 

Quotations (sections 8.26-8.33)

• Include short quotations (40 words or less) in-text with quotation marks
• For quotes more than 40 words, indent the entire quote a half inch from the left margin and double-space it with no quotation marks
• When quoting two or more paragraphs from an original source, indent the first line of each paragraph a half inch from the left margin
• Use ellipsis (...) when omitting sections from a quote and use four periods (....) if omitting the end section of a quote

References (section 2.12)

Begins on a new page following the text of your paper and includes complete citations for the resources you've used in your writing.

• References should be centered and bolded at the top of a new page
• Double-space and use hanging indents (where the first line is on the left margin and the following lines are indented a half inch from the left)
• List authors' last name first followed by the first and middle initials (ex. Skinner, B. F.)
• Alphabetize the list by the first author's last name of of each citation (see sections 9.44-9.49)
• Capitalize only the first word, the first after a colon or em dash, and proper nouns
• Don't capitalize the second word of a hyphenated compound
• No quotation marks around titles of articles

Appendices with Tables, Figures, & Illustrations (section 2.14, and chapter 7)

• Include appendices only to help the reader understand, evaluate, or replicate the study or argument
• Put each appendix on a separate page and align left
• For text, do not indent the first paragraph, but do indent the rest
• If you have only one appendix, label it "Appendix"
• If you have two or more appendices, label them "Appendix A", "Appendix B" and so forth as they appear in the body of your paper
• Label tables and figures numerically (ex. Table 1, or Table B1 and Table B2 if Appendix B has two tables) and describe them within the text of the appendix
• Notes go below tables and figures (see samples on p. 210-226)

Annotated Bibliography

Double-space the entire bibliography. give each entry a hanging indent. in the following annotation, indent the entire paragraph a half inch from the left margin and give the first line of each paragraph a half inch indent. see the template document at the top of this page..

• Check with your professor for the length of the annotation and which elements you should evaluate.

These elements are optional, if your professor or field requires them, but they are  not required for student papers: 

Abstract (section 2.9).

• Abstract gets its own page
• Center "Abstract" heading and do not indent the first line of the text
• Summarize the main points and purpose of the paper in 150-250 words maximum
• Define abbreviations and acronyms used in the paper

Running Head (section 2.8 )

• Shorten title to 50 characters or less (counting spaces and punctuation) for the running head
• In the top margin, the running head is aligned left, with the page number aligned on the right
• On every page, put (without the brackets): [SHORTENED TITLE OF YOUR PAPER IN ALL CAPS] [page number] 

More questions? Check out the authoritative source: APA style blog

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• Last Updated: Aug 19, 2024 4:18 PM
• URL: https://libguides.uww.edu/apa

About this guide

This guide is based on the seventh edition of the Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (2020) and will assist you in understanding how to reference in APA 7 style for your assignments.

APA is an author date style - this refers to the in-text citation.  The in-text citation contains the Author surname (date) or (Author surname, date). See In-text Referencing on the left menu to find out how to do this, whether you are quoting or paraphrasing the ideas of other people.

The reference list at the end of your assignment is an alphabetical list of all the author date citations you have used in your assignment. Use the information types (books, journal article etc) on the left menu to find examples of how to format entries in the reference list.

Use the Style Notes at the bottom left for further information on how to format the reference list. Have a look at the example reference list – does yours look like that?

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• APA Referencing (7th Ed.) Quick Guide | In-text Citations & References

APA Referencing (7th Ed.) Quick Guide | In-text Citations & References

Published on 18 January 2021 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on 22 May 2024.

This citation guide outlines the most important citation guidelines from the 7th edition APA Publication Manual (2020). Scribbr also offers free guides for the older APA 6th edition , MLA Style , and Chicago Style .

Generate accurate APA citations with Scribbr

Instantly correct all language mistakes in your text.

Be assured that you'll submit flawless writing. Upload your document to correct all your mistakes.

Table of contents

Apa in-text citations, apa references, formatting the apa reference page, free lecture slides.

In-text citations are brief references in the running text that direct readers to the reference entry at the end of the paper. You include them every time you quote or paraphrase someone else’s ideas or words.

An APA in-text citation consists of the author’s last name and the year of publication (also known as the author-date system). If you’re citing a specific part of a source, you should also include a locator such as a page number or timestamp. For example: (Smith, 2020, p. 170) .

Parenthetical vs. narrative citation

The in-text citation can take two forms: parenthetical and narrative. Both types are generated automatically when citing a source with Scribbr’s APA Citation Generator.

• Parenthetical citation: According to new research … (Smith, 2020) .
• Narrative citation: Smith (2020) notes that …

Multiple authors and corporate authors

The in-text citation changes slightly when a source has multiple authors or an organization as an author. Pay attention to punctuation and the use of the ampersand (&) symbol.

Missing information

When the author, publication date or locator is unknown, take the steps outlined below.

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APA references generally include information about the author , publication date , title , and source . Depending on the type of source, you may have to include extra information that helps your reader locate the source.

Reference examples

Citing a source starts with choosing the correct reference format. Use Scribbr’s Citation Example Generator to learn more about the format for the most common source types. Pay close attention to punctuation, capitalization, and italicization.

Generate APA citations for free

It is not uncommon for certain information to be unknown or missing, especially with sources found online. In these cases, the reference is slightly adjusted.

On the first line of the page, write the section label “References” (in bold and centred). On the second line, start listing your references in alphabetical order .

Apply these formatting guidelines to the APA reference page:

• Double spacing (within and between references)
• Hanging indent of ½ inch
• Legible font (e.g. Times New Roman 12 or Arial 11)
• Page number in the top-right header

Which sources to include

On the reference page, you only include sources that you have cited in the text (with an in-text citation ). You should not include references to personal communications that your reader can’t access (e.g. emails, phone conversations or private online material).

Are you a teacher or professor looking to introduce your students to APA Style? Download our free introductory lecture slides, available for Google Slides and Microsoft PowerPoint.

Open Google Slides Download PowerPoint

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the ‘Cite this Scribbr article’ button to automatically add the citation to our free Reference Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2024, May 22). APA Referencing (7th Ed.) Quick Guide | In-text Citations & References. Scribbr. Retrieved 3 September 2024, from https://www.scribbr.co.uk/referencing/apa-style/

Is this article helpful?

Raimo Streefkerk

Other students also liked, a quick guide to harvard referencing | citation examples, mhra referencing | a quick guide & citation examples, how to avoid plagiarism | tips on citing sources, scribbr apa citation checker.

An innovative new tool that checks your APA citations with AI software. Say goodbye to inaccurate citations!

• MJC Library & Learning Center
• Research Guides

Format Your Paper & Cite Your Sources

• APA Style, 7th Edition
• Citing Sources
• Avoid Plagiarism
• MLA Style (8th/9th ed.)

APA Tutorial

Formatting your paper, headings organize your paper (2.27), video tutorials, reference list format (9.43).

• Elements of a Reference

Reference Examples (Chapter 10)

Dois and urls (9.34-9.36), in-text citations.

• In-Text Citations Format
• In-Text Citations for Specific Source Types

NoodleTools

• Chicago Style
• Harvard Style
• Other Styles
• Annotated Bibliographies
• How to Create an Attribution

What is APA Style?

APA style was created by social and behavioral scientists to standardize scientific writing. APA style is most often used in:

• psychology,
• social sciences (sociology, business), and

If you're taking courses in any of these areas, be prepared to use APA style.

For in-depth guidance on using this citation style, refer to Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , 7th ed. We have several copies available at the MJC Library at the call number  BF 76.7 .P83 2020 .

APA Style, 7th ed.

In October 2019, the American Psychological Association made radical changes its style, especially with regard to the format and citation rules for students writing academic papers. Use this guide to learn how to format and cite your papers using APA Style, 7th edition.

You can start by viewing the  video tutorial .

For help on all aspects of formatting your paper in APA Style, see   The Essentials  page on the APA Style website.

• sans serif fonts such as 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial, or 10-point Lucida Sans Unicode, or
• serif fonts such as 12-point Times New Roman, 11-point Georgia, or normal (10-point) Computer Modern (the default font for LaTeX)
• There are exceptions for the  title page ,  tables ,  figures ,  footnotes , and  displayed equations .
• Margins :  Use 1-in. margins on every side of the page.
• Align the text of an APA Style  paper to the left margin . Leave the right margin uneven, or “ragged.”
• Do not use full justification for student papers.
• Do not insert hyphens (manual breaks) in words at the end of line. However, it is acceptable if your word-processing program automatically inserts breaks in long hyperlinks (such as in a DOI or URL in a reference list entry).
• Indent the first line of each paragraph of text 0.5 in . from the left margin. Use the tab key or the automatic paragraph-formatting function of your word-processing program to achieve the indentation (the default setting is likely already 0.5 in.). Do not use the space bar to create indentation. 
• There are exceptions for the  title page ,  section labels ,  abstract ,  block quotations ,  headings ,  tables and figures ,  reference list , and  appendices .

Paper Elements

Student papers generally include, at a minimum: 

• Title Page (2.3)
• Text (2.11)
• References  (2.12)

Student papers may include additional elements such as tables and figures depending on the assignment. So, please check with your teacher!

Student papers generally  DO NOT  include the following unless your teacher specifically requests it:

• Running head
• Author note

For complete information on the  order of pages , see the APA Style website.

Number your pages consecutively starting with page 1. Each section begins on a new page. Put the pages in the following order:

• Page 1: Title page
• Page 2: Abstract (if your teacher requires an abstract)
• Page 3: Text 
• References begin on a new page after the last page of text
• Footnotes begin on a new page after the references (if your teacher requires footnotes)
• Tables begin each on a new page after the footnotes (if your teacher requires tables) 
• Figures begin on a new page after the tables (if your teacher requires figures)
• Appendices begin on a new page after the tables and/or figures (if your teacher requires appendices)

Sample Papers With Built-In Instructions

To see what your paper should look like, check out these sample papers with built-in instructions.

APA Style uses five (5) levels of headings to help you organize your paper and allow your audience to identify its key points easily. Levels of headings establish the hierarchy of your sections just like you did in your paper outline.

APA tells us to use "only the number of headings necessary to differentiate distinct section in your paper." Therefore, the number of heading levels you create depends on the length and complexity of your paper.

See the chart below for instructions on formatting your headings:

Use Word to Format Your Paper:

Use Google Docs to Format Your Paper:

Placement:  The reference list  appears at the end of the paper, on its own page(s). If your research paper ends on page 8, your References begin on page 9.

Heading:  Place the section label References  in bold at the top of the page, centered.

Arrangement:  Alphabetize entries by author's last name. If source has no named author, alphabetize by the title, ignoring A, An, or The. (9.44-9.48)

Spacing:  Like the rest of the APA paper, the reference list is double-spaced throughout. Be sure NOT to add extra spaces between citations.

Indentation:  To make citations easier to scan, add a  hanging indent  of 0.5 in. to any citation that runs more than one line. Use the paragraph-formatting function of your word processing program to create your hanging indent.  

See Sample References Page (from APA Sample Student Paper):

Elements of Reference List Entries: (Chapter 9)

References generally have four elements, each of which has a corresponding question for you to answer:

• Author:   Who is responsible for this work? (9.7-9.12)
• Date:   When was this work published? (9.13-9.17)
• Title:   What is this work called? (9.18-9.22)
• Source:   Where can I retrieve this work? (9.23-9.37)

By using these four elements and answering these four questions, you should be able to create a citation for any type of source.

For complete information on all of these elements, checkout the APA Style website.

This infographic shows the first page of a journal article. The locations of the reference elements are highlighted with different colors and callouts, and the same colors are used in the reference list entry to show how the entry corresponds to the source.

To create your references, you'll simple look for these elements in your source and put them together in your reference list entry.

American Psychological Association.  Example of where to find reference information for a journal article  [Infographic]. APA Style Center. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/references/basic-principles

Below you'll find two printable handouts showing APA citation examples. The first is an abbreviated list created by MJC Librarians. The second, which is more comprehensive, is from the APA Style website. Feel free to print these for your convenience or use the links to reference examples below:

• APA Citation Examples Created by MJC Librarians for you.
• Common References Examples (APA Handout) Printable handout from the American Psychological Association.
• Journal Article
• Magazine Article
• Newspaper Article
• Edited Book Chapter
• Webpage on a Website

Classroom or Intranet Sources

• Classroom Course Pack Materials
• How to Cite ChatGPT
• Dictionary Entry
• Government Report
• Legal References (Laws & Cases)
• TED Talk References
• Religious Works
• Open Educational Resources (OER)
• Archival Documents and Collections

You can view the entire Reference Examples website below and view a helpful guide to finding useful APA style topics easily:

• APA Style: Reference Examples
• Navigating the not-so-hidden treasures of the APA Style website
• Missing Reference Information

Sometimes you won't be able to find all the elements required for your reference. In that case, see the  instructions in Table 9.1 of the APA style manual in section 9.4 or the APA Style website below:

• Direct Quotation of Material Without Page Numbers

The DOI or URL is the final component of a reference list entry. Because so much scholarship is available and/or retrieved online, most reference list entries end with either a DOI or a URL.

• A  DOI  is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies content and provides a persistent link to its location on the internet. DOIs can be found in database records and the reference lists of published works.
• A  URL  specifies the location of digital information on the internet and can be found in the address bar of your internet browser. URLs in references should link directly to the cited work when possible.

When to Include DOIs and URLs:

• Include a DOI for all works that have a DOI, regardless of whether you used the online version or the print version.
• If an online work has both a DOI and a URL, include only the DOI.
• For works without DOIs from websites (not including academic research databases), provide a URL in the reference (as long as the URL will work for readers).
• For works without DOIs from most academic research databases, do not include a URL or database information in the reference because these works are widely available. The reference should be the same as the reference for a print version of the work.
• For works from databases that publish original, proprietary material available only in that database (such as the UpToDate database) or for works of limited circulation in databases (such as monographs in the ERIC database), include the name of the database or archive and the URL of the work. If the URL requires a login or is session-specific (meaning it will not resolve for readers), provide the URL of the database or archive home page or login page instead of the URL for the work. (See APA Section 9.30 for more information). 
• If the URL is no longer working or no longer provides readers access to the content you intend to cite, try to find an archived version using the Internet Archive , then use the archived URL. If there is no archived URL, do not use that resource.

Format of DOIs and URLs:

Your DOI should look like this: 

https://doi.org/10.1037/a0040251

Follow these guidelines from the APA Style website.

APA Style uses the  author–date citation system , in which a brief in-text citation points your reader to the full reference list entry at the end of your paper. The in-text citation appears within the body of the paper and briefly identifies the cited work by its author and date of publication. This method enables your reader to locate the corresponding entry in the alphabetical reference list at the end of your paper.

Each work you cite  must  appear in the reference list, and each work in the reference list must be cited in the text (or in a table, figure, footnote, or appendix) except for the following (See APA, 8.4):

• Personal communications (8.9)
• General mentions of entire websites, whole periodicals (8.22), and common software and apps (10.10) in the text do not require a citation or reference list entry.
• The source of an epigraph does not usually appear in the reference list (8.35)
• Quotations from your research participants do not need citations or reference list entries (8.36)
• References included in a statistical meta-analysis, which are marked with an asterisk in the reference list, may be cited in the text (or not) at the author’s discretion. This exception is relevant only to authors who are conducting a meta-analysis (9.52).

Formatting Your In-Text Citations

Parenthetical and Narrative Citations: ( See APA Section  8.11)

In APA style you use the author-date citation system for citing references within your paper. You incorporate these references using either a  parenthetical   or a  narrative  style.

Parenthetical Citations

• In parenthetical citations, the author name and publication date appear in parentheses, separated by a comma. (Jones, 2018)
• A parenthetical citation can appear within or at the end of a sentence.
• When the parenthetical citation is at the end of the sentence, put the period or other end punctuation after the closing parenthesis.
• If there is no author, use the first few words of the reference list entry, usually the "Title" of the source: ("Autism," 2008) See APA 8.14
• When quoting, always provide the author, year, and specific page citation or paragraph number for nonpaginated materials in the text (Santa Barbara, 2010, p. 243).  See APA 8.13
• For most citations, the parenthetical reference is placed BEFORE the punctuation: Magnesium can be effective in treating PMS (Haggerty, 2012).

Narrative Citations 

In narrative citations, the author name or title of your source appears within your text and the publication date appears in parentheses immediately after the author name. 

• Santa Barbara (2010) noted a decline in the approval of disciplinary spanking of 26 percentage points from 1968 to 1994.

In-Text Citation Checklist

• In-Text Citation Checklist Use this useful checklist from the American Psychological Association to ensure that you've created your in-text citations correctly.

In-Text Citations for Specific Types of Sources

Quotations from Research Participants

Personal Communications

Secondary Sources  

Use NoodleTools to Cite Your Sources  

NoodleTools can help you create your references and your in-text citations.

• NoodleTools Express No sign in required . When you need one or two quick citations in MLA, APA, or Chicago style, simply generate them in NoodleTools Express then copy and paste what you need into your document. Note: Citations are not saved and cannot be exported to a word processor using NoodleTools Express.
• NoodleTools (Login Full Database) This link opens in a new window Create and organize your research notes, share and collaborate on research projects, compose and error check citations, and complete your list of works cited in MLA, APA, or Chicago style using the full version of NoodleTools. You'll need to Create a Personal ID and password the first time you use NoodleTools.

See How to Use NoodleTools Express to Create a Citation in APA Format

Additional NoodleTools Help

• NoodleTools Help Desk Look up questions and answers on the NoodleTools Web site
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Except where otherwise noted, this work is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 and CC BY-NC 4.0 Licenses .

• How to use this guide
• Paraphrases and quotations
• Types of in-text citations
• Multiple sources
• Unknown or anonymous authors
• A company, organisation, or government body as the author
• Legal cases or court decisions
• Audio-visual media
• Formatting guidelines
• DOIs and URLs
• Order of entries
• Secondary sources
• Single author
• Two authors
• Three to twenty authors
• Twenty-one or more authors
• Article published in a future online publication (in press)
• Article from Cochrane Database of Systemic Reviews
• No pagination
• Three or more authors
• Different edition
• Chapter in an edited book
• Multiple works published in different years by the same author
• Multiple works published in the same year by the same author
• Authored book with editor credited on the front cover
• Encyclopaedia or dictionary
• Book with anonymous or no author
• Translated work
• Webpage or document from a website
• Social media
• Newspaper and periodical articles
• Government report
• Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) report
• Parliamentary debates (Hansard)
• Parliamentary Act or Bill
• Parliamentary Act or bill
• Unpublished or raw dataset
• Industry or Non-Government Organisation (NGO) report
• Press Release
• Film or movie
• Television episode
• Online video
• Conference papers and presentations
• Podcast or vodcast
• Music scores
• Archival sources
• Course material or lecture notes
• Personal communication
• Software and Apps
• UOW APA7 Guide (PDF) This link opens in a new window
• Referencing & Citing Guide Main Page

This guide to the APA 7th edition is based on the APA 7th edition Publication Manual. Further details, explanations and examples are available in the manual. For other referencing styles and some general information on referencing go to the main  Referencing & Citing  guide.

Please check your Subject Outline, assessment guides or with your subject lecturers regarding the appropriateness of the various types of sources that can be used in your assignments.

The APA referencing style is an author-date citation style with two main features:

• In-text citations, where you refer to another author's work. You must cite your source by providing the last name(s) of the author(s) and the year of publication.
• The reference list which appears at the end of your assignment. This list includes full details of each source you have cited in-text, listing them in alphabetical order by the first author's last name.

Further Information about APA 7:

This guide will provide you with detailed style notes and examples of how to cite different sources using version seven of the APA Style.

For more information visit the APA Style website or see the APA 7th edition Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for comprehensive information.

• APA Style website: https://apastyle.apa.org
• Publication manual of the American Psychological Association:

Via APA Style website: https://apastyle.apa.org/products/publication-manual-7th-edition

Via University of Wollongong Library:

  https://uow.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/61UOW_INST/ihdge1/alma991000121129706666

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Referencing in APA Style: Introduction to Referencing

Introduction to Referencing

• A-Z Referencing Examples

Referencing is an important skill to learn at university. You are required to reference all your sources including quotes, paraphrases, data, images, and diagrams. Marks are often given for accurate referencing as this allows you to:

• Avoid plagiarism and demonstrate good academic practice.
• Support your arguments with evidence and examples.
• Give others credit and recognition for their work.
• Separate your ideas from the ideas of others.
• Inform the reader of the sources you have used.

This guide explains how to reference your sources in the APA referencing style (7th edition). Click on the videos below to learn more about APA referencing or explore the sections below.

What is APA referencing?

In-text citations

Reference list, apa essentials.

This is a short reference in the body of your assignment which includes the author’s family name or organisation’s name, the date, and where applicable, the page number. In-text citations are generally formatted in the same way, regardless of what type of source you have used.

You must give an in-text citation for a direct quote, and when paraphrasing, summarising, reproducing data, using an image etc.

Every in-text citation must match an entry in the reference list.

There are two ways to write an in-text citation:

• Parenthetical citations (these are also called information-prominent citations)
• Narrative citations (these are also called integrated or author-prominent citations)

Both types of citation are acceptable to use, and you will probably find that you switch between both in your assignments.

Parenthetical citations

The information is placed in brackets, and normally at the end of a sentence before the full stop. However, the citation can be elsewhere in the sentence if this makes the reference clearer.

(Author, year) or (Author, year, p. x)

Example 1 (A summary of a whole book)

Data analysis uses an innovative technique for data mining (Tuccitto, 2017).

Example 2 (A direct quote)

The new technique makes "a dataset much more manageable than the giant original raw data" (Tuccitto, 2017, p. 5).

Narrative citations

The author's name is in the structure of your sentence followed by the date in brackets. The page number is also in brackets at the end of the quote or paraphrase. If this is at the end of the sentence, it is before the full stop.

Author (year) or Author (year) “Quote” (p. x).

Example 1 (A summary of a whole article)

Launer (2022) argues that reflection is an important skill in healthcare.

Example 2 (A paraphrased section across multiple pages)

Launer (2022) discusses how working cultures can be transformed by good conversation amongst colleagues (pp. 5-6).

Multiple citations

You may need to cite more than one source in the same sentence, for example, when showing that multiple authors agree.

• Parenthetical citations should be included in the same set of brackets, in alphabetical order, separated by a semi colon.
• Narrative citations can be written in any order.
• When citing multiple works by the same author, list the author's name once, followed by the dates in order of the earliest first.

Example 1 (Multiple parenthetical citations)

Studies have shown work-life balance is important for productivity (Beverley, 2021; Hill, 2016; Veltri, 2017).

Example 2 (Multiple narrative citations)

Robinson (2023) and Ibrahim et al. (2022) found that . . .

Example 3 (Multiple narrative citations by the same author)

According to Gonzalez (2017, 2020, 2024) . . .

Repeating citations

Sometimes, you may use more than one sentence to paraphrase, summarise, or discuss a source. If referring to the same source, you only need to include the citation in the first sentence. In subsequent sentences, to show that you are continuing to draw from the same source, you can mention the author’s name or use a phrase like “the study” to refer to the source. An example of a long paraphrase can be found on the APA blog .

If you continue that discussion into a new paragraph, or return to a source later in your assignment, give the full citation again.

Page numbers

Page numbers should always be included in your citation when quoting (if a page number exists). APA also encourages the use of page numbers when paraphrasing, although this is not essential. We suggest using page numbers when quoting and paraphrasing, unless otherwise directed by your module leader.

• Use p. for one page, or pp. for multiple pages. Put a dash between your numbers for multiple pages.
• If the pages have Roman numerals (e.g. vii, ix), use the Roman numeral in your in-text citation, e.g. (p. iv).

What is a reference list?

The reference list gives the full details of every source to match your in-text citations. It provides the reader with the information to check the source themselves. If you have referred to the same source multiple times, you only need to include the source once in your reference list.

What information should I include?

The information required for a reference will change depending on the type of source. Refer to the A-Z page to find specific reference examples for the different source types.

How should I format the reference list?

The reference list is in alphabetical order by the author's last name. There is an option in Word to sort the list automatically . Your references should be in one long list - you do not need a separate list for books, articles etc. unless specified by your module leader.

Each entry in your reference list should have a hanging indent. This means that the first line of each reference is in line with the margin of the page, and any lines afterwards are indented away from the edge. The paragraph formatting tool in Word can do this automatically for you.

Example reference list

A reference will generally have four components: author, date, title, and source, with the first two components included in the in-text citation. The information in the reference will vary depending on the information available and the source type. The general format is discussed below, though refer to the A-Z page for examples of how to reference specific sources.

General Format

Author. (Date).  Title  [Format]. Publisher. www.website.co.uk

• Author’s family name
• [Full stop]
• Year (in round brackets)
• Title (in sentence case and in italics )
• DOI (if there is one) or website link

Almost all references start with an author. This is the creator of the work, (writer, artist, director, presenter, etc.), and might be a person/people or an organisation. The latter is sometimes known as a "corporate author".

The in-text citation will include the author's family name (last name) or the organisation’s name. In your reference list, the initial(s) of the author's first or given name(s) are also included when it is a named author.

Example 1 (One author)

Reference: O’Connor, P. (2020). Skateboarding and religion. Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-24857-4

Example 2 (Organisation)

Reference: Tesco. (2023). Annual report & financial statements 2023. https://www.tescoplc.com/media/u1wlq2qf/tesco-plc-annual-report-2023.pdf

Multiple authors

See separate section below.

The second element is the date the source was published, updated, or completed. The date is in brackets, followed by a full stop.

• For a source which is published once or only updated infrequently, just give the year (see Example 1).
• If a source does not have an obvious date, use n.d. for no date (see Example 2).
• If a source has a specific date or is published regularly, e.g., newspaper articles or blog posts, give the full date in the following order: year, month day.
• If a source changes regularly, e.g., social media posts, or the information updates over time, e.g., a share price, include a retrieval date. This is placed before the URL (see Example 3). 
• Use only the year in the in-text citation, even if the reference list entry has a more specific date.

Example 1 (Date format)

Reference: Li, Y. (2024). Oil spill detection, identification, and tracing. Elsevier.

Example 2 (No date format)

Reference: DHL Group. (n.d.). Our sustainability roadmap. https://group.dhl.com/en/sustainability/sustainability-roadmap.html

Example 3 (Retrieval date as content updates regularly)

Reference: London Stock Exchange. (2024). FTSE 100. Retrieved 28 March, 2024, from https://www.londonstockexchange.com/indices/ftse-100

Titles are formatted as follows in the reference list:

• Where a publication has two titles, (e.g. journal articles), the formatting of the titles may vary. Refer to the A-Z page for guidance.
• For sources that do not have an obvious title, describe it in [square brackets] and do not use italics (see Example 3).

Example 1 (Book title in sentence case and in italics)

Lia, P. (2020). Simplify your study: Effective strategies for coursework and exams. Red Globe Press.

Example 2 (Article title in sentence case and not in italics. Journal title in title case and italics)

Cairns, J. (2024). Phases of the Buddhist approach to the environment. Journal of Buddhist Ethics, 31. 

Example 3 (Source with no obvious title. Description in square brackets and not italicised)

FAME. (n.d.). [Top 25 UK companies by turnover]. Retrieved April 10, 2024, from https://fame-r1.bvdinfo.com/version-20240321-1-1/fame/1/Companies/List

Source format

The source format is not included in every reference type. Sometimes, it can be helpful to explain the type of source in a reference and this is placed in square brackets, e.g. [Presentation] or [Video] after the title. If this is required, the full stop that would normally go after the title moves to after the source format.

Example 1 (Presentation)

Coventry University. (n.d.). CMI referencing [Presentation]. Aula. https://files.coventry.aula.education/3a4c8b7c5cbc31be645c1a955a068dadcmi_library_resources_feb2024.pptx

Example 2 (Video on a video sharing platform)

TED. (2024, February 5).  How babies think about danger | Shari Liu | TED [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6djPLVa9aQ4    

This component is primarily used for published books or where a source has been published, produced, or made available by an organisation and that organisation is not listed as the author.

Example 1 (Published book)

Smithers, G. W. (2024). Encyclopaedia of food safety (2nd ed.). Academic Press.

Example 2 (Document published by an organisation)

Dois (digital object identifier) or web addresses.

DOI stands for Digital Object Identifier and is a string of numbers and letters. It is a unique, persistent number that is given to many online journal articles, books and other material, found on the title page or with the bibliographic information. If an electronic source has a DOI, use that number rather than the web address.

DOI examples

Example 1 (e-book with a doi).

Sully, A. (2024). Interior design: Conceptual basis (2nd ed.). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-51410-4

Example 2 (e-journal article with a DOI)

Nguyen, T. L. (2024). The hybrid languages of love and comics. World Literature Today, 98 (1), 42–43. https://doi.org/10.1353/wlt.2024.a916069

Web addresses

When an electronic source does not have a DOI, give the web address. This will normally be the full web address to the exact page you have used. There are two exceptions to this:

• If a login is required to access the source and you cannot link to the exact page, give a link to the homepage or the login page (see Example 2).

Web address examples

Example 1 (website link).

Reliance Industries. (n.d.). Decarbonisation: Our carbon reduction strategy. https://www.ril.com/sustainability/decarbonisation

Example 2 (Link to subscription database requiring a login)

Euromonitor International. (2024). World in 2040: The future demographic. https://www.portal.euromonitor.com/portal/analysis/tab

When citing multiple authors, list the authors in the order they appear on the source.

• Use an ampersand (&) between the authors’ names inside the brackets (parenthetical citation).
• Use the word ‘and’ between the authors’ names when integrating the names into a sentence (narrative citation).
• Use the first author's name, followed by 'et al.' for sources with three or more authors. 'Et al.' is short for the Latin phrase 'and others'. Remember to use a plural reporting verb after 'et al.' (i.e. “Willey et al. (2022) argue” rather than “argues”).

Two authors: (Mankiw & Taylor, 2022) or Mankiw and Taylor (2022) discuss ...

Three or more authors: (Willey et al., 2023) or Willey et al. (2023) compare ...

• All authors are included on the reference list in the order listed on the source.
• Even when there are only two authors, include a comma after the first author's name, before the ampersand in the reference list.
• For up to 20 authors, include all names in the reference. When the work has 21 or more authors, include only the first 19 names, three dots, and then the last name.

Two authors: Mankiw, N. G., & Taylor, M. P. (2023). Economics . Cengage.

Three or more authors: Willey, J., Sandman, K., & Wood, D. (2022). Prescott's microbiology (12th ed.). McGraw-Hill.

Twenty-one authors or more: Ong, K. L., Stafford, L. K., Cruz, J. A., Aali, A., Abate, M. D., Abd ElHafeez, S., Adane, T. D., Adekanmbi, V., Agudelo-Botero, M., Ahmadi, A., Akinyemi, R. O., Al Hamad, H., Alvis-Guzman, N., Amusa, G. A., Anyasodor, A. E., Areda, D., Armocida, B., Arumugam, A., Aryan, Z., … Belete, M. A. (2023). Global, regional, and national burden of diabetes from 1990 to 2021, with projections of prevalence to 2050: A systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. The Lancet, 402 (10397), 203–234. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(23)01301-6

Where possible, always read the original source and reference that source. For example, if you read a point of view by Tang in a book written by Khan, go to the original source written by Tang. Sometimes this may not be possible. For example, the original source could be out of print, or it could be written in another language. In this case create a secondary citation for your in-text citation.

In-text citation format

Parenthetical citation: (Original author, original year, as cited in author, year) Narrative citation: Original author (original year, as cited in author, year)

Parenthetical citation: (Tang, 2005, as cited in Khan, 2024) Narrative citation: According to Tang (2005, as cited in Khan, 2024) . . .

In your reference list, reference only the source you have read (i.e. Khan).

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APA Quick Referencing Guide

Quick guide to help you get started. Refer to these web pages for more detailed reference information.

• Printable APA Quick Guide

Download this essay to see an example how to use the APA referencing style in assignments.

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Quick Links

• Free Tools for Students
• APA Citation Generator

Free APA Citation Generator

Generate citations in APA format quickly and automatically, with MyBib!

🤔 What is an APA Citation Generator?

An APA citation generator is a software tool that will automatically format academic citations in the American Psychological Association (APA) style.

It will usually request vital details about a source -- like the authors, title, and publish date -- and will output these details with the correct punctuation and layout required by the official APA style guide.

Formatted citations created by a generator can be copied into the bibliography of an academic paper as a way to give credit to the sources referenced in the main body of the paper.

👩‍🎓 Who uses an APA Citation Generator?

College-level and post-graduate students are most likely to use an APA citation generator, because APA style is the most favored style at these learning levels. Before college, in middle and high school, MLA style is more likely to be used. In other parts of the world styles such as Harvard (UK and Australia) and DIN 1505 (Europe) are used more often.

🙌 Why should I use a Citation Generator?

Like almost every other citation style, APA style can be cryptic and hard to understand when formatting citations. Citations can take an unreasonable amount of time to format manually, and it is easy to accidentally include errors. By using a citation generator to do this work you will:

• Save a considerable amount of time
• Ensure that your citations are consistent and formatted correctly
• Be rewarded with a higher grade

In academia, bibliographies are graded on their accuracy against the official APA rulebook, so it is important for students to ensure their citations are formatted correctly. Special attention should also be given to ensure the entire document (including main body) is structured according to the APA guidelines. Our complete APA format guide has everything you need know to make sure you get it right (including examples and diagrams).

⚙️ How do I use MyBib's APA Citation Generator?

Our APA generator was built with a focus on simplicity and speed. To generate a formatted reference list or bibliography just follow these steps:

• Start by searching for the source you want to cite in the search box at the top of the page.
• MyBib will automatically locate all the required information. If any is missing you can add it yourself.
• Your citation will be generated correctly with the information provided and added to your bibliography.
• Repeat for each citation, then download the formatted list and append it to the end of your paper.

MyBib supports the following for APA style:

Daniel is a qualified librarian, former teacher, and citation expert. He has been contributing to MyBib since 2018.

Generate accurate APA citations for free

• Knowledge Base
• APA Style 7th edition
• APA headings and subheadings

APA Headings and Subheadings | With Sample Paper

Published on November 7, 2020 by Raimo Streefkerk . Revised on October 24, 2022.

Headings and subheadings provide structure to a document. They signal what each section is about and allow for easy navigation of the document.

APA headings have five possible levels. Each heading level is formatted differently.

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Table of contents

Additional guidelines for apa headings, how many heading levels should you use, when to use which apa heading level, section labels vs headings, sample paper with apa headings, using heading styles in word or google docs.

As well as the heading styles, there are some other guidelines to keep in mind:

• Double-space all text, including the headings.
• Use the same font for headings and body text (e.g., Times New Roman 12pt.).
• Don’t label headings with numbers or letters.
• Don’t add extra “enters” above or below headings.

Scribbr Citation Checker New

The AI-powered Citation Checker helps you avoid common mistakes such as:

• Missing commas and periods
• Incorrect usage of “et al.”
• Ampersands (&) in narrative citations
• Missing reference entries

Depending on the length and complexity of your paper, you may not use all five heading levels. In fact, shorter student papers may have no headings at all.

It’s also perfectly fine for some sections in your paper to go as deep as five levels, where others use only heading level 1.

Heading level 1 is used for main sections like “ Methods ”, “ Results ”, and “ Discussion ”. There is no “ Introduction ” heading at the beginning of your paper because the first paragraphs are understood to be introductory.

Heading level 2 is used for subsections under level 1. For example, under “Methods” (level 1) you may have subsections for “Sampling Method” and “Data Analysis” (level 2). This continues all the way down to heading level 5.

Always use at least two subheadings or none at all. If there is just one subheading, the top-level heading is sufficient.

In addition to regular headings, APA works with “section labels” for specific parts of the paper. They’re similar to headings but are formatted differently. Section labels are placed on a separate line at the top of a new page in bold and centered.

Use section labels for the following sections in an APA formatted paper :

• Author note
• Paper title
• Reference page

Prevent plagiarism. Run a free check.

Instead of formatting every heading individually, you can use the “Styles” feature in Word or Google Docs. This allows you to save the styling and apply it with just a click.

The first time you use APA Style, you need to update the default heading styles to reflect the APA heading guidelines. Click here for the instructions for Microsoft Word and Google Docs .

An added benefit of using the “Styles” feature is that you can automatically generate a table of contents .

Cite this Scribbr article

If you want to cite this source, you can copy and paste the citation or click the “Cite this Scribbr article” button to automatically add the citation to our free Citation Generator.

Streefkerk, R. (2022, October 24). APA Headings and Subheadings | With Sample Paper. Scribbr. Retrieved September 4, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/apa-headings/

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Figure Setup

All types of visual displays other than tables are considered figures in APA Style. Common types of figures include line graphs, bar graphs, charts (e.g., flowcharts, pie charts), drawings, maps, plots (e.g., scatterplots), photographs, infographics, and other illustrations.

This page addresses the basics of figure setup, including figure components, principles of figure construction, and placement of figures in a paper. Note that tables and figures have the same overall setup.

View the sample figures to see these guidelines in action. Information is also available on how to use color to create accessible figures .

Figure components

APA Style figures have these basic components:

• number: The figure number (e.g., Figure 1) appears above the figure title and image in bold font. Number figures in the order in which they are mentioned in your paper.
• title: The figure title appears one double-spaced line below the figure number. Give each figure a brief but descriptive title, and capitalize the figure title in italic title case .
• image: The image portion of the figure is the graph, chart, photograph, drawing, or other illustration itself. If text appears in the image of the figure (e.g., axis labels), use a sans serif font between 8 and 14 points .
• legend: A figure legend, or key, if present, should be positioned within the borders of the figure and explains any symbols used in the figure image. Capitalize words in the figure legend in title case .
• note: Three types of notes (general, specific, and probability) can appear below the figure to describe contents of the figure that cannot be understood from the figure title, image, and/or legend alone (e.g., definitions of abbreviations, copyright attribution, explanations of asterisks use to indicate p values). Include figure notes only as needed.

This diagram illustrates the basic figure components.

Figures are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Sections 7.22 to 7.36 and the Concise Guide Sections 7.22 to 7.32

Related handout

• Student Paper Setup Guide (PDF, 3MB)

Principles of figure creation

The most important principle to follow when creating a figure is to present information in a way that is easy for readers to understand. Provide sufficient information in the figure itself so that readers do not need to read the text to understand it.

When creating a figure, ensure you meet the following standards:

• images are clear
• lines are smooth and sharp
• font is legible and simple
• units of measurement are provided
• axes are clearly labeled
• elements within the figure are clearly labeled or explained

Use graphics software to create figures in APA Style papers. For example, use the built-in graphics features of your word-processing program (e.g., Microsoft Word or Excel) or dedicated programs such as Photoshop or Inkscape.

Placement of figures in a paper

There are two options for the placement of figures (and tables) in a paper. The first is to embed figures in the text after each is first mentioned (or “called out”); the second is to place each figure on a separate page after the reference list.

An embedded figure may take up an entire page; if the figure is short, however, text may appear on the same page as the figure. In that case, place the figure at either the top or bottom of the page rather than in the middle. Also add one blank double-spaced line between the figure and any text to improve the visual presentation.

View the sample figures for more information on figures.