Difficulty: Beginner | Prerequisites: None. Useful to have the PsycINFO and Database Search Strategies notes alongside this.
Every research paper in psychology ends with a reference list, and that list follows APA (American Psychological Association) style. Getting the format wrong costs marks on virtually every written assignment in the course. APA style is not arbitrary decoration: it gives readers a standardised way to locate the exact source you used. This topic covers the two most common reference types you will encounter, journal articles and books, with particular attention to DOIs, which are now required for any article that has one.
APA references follow a strict Author, Date, Title, Source pattern. Journal articles need the journal name in italics, volume number, issue number, page range, and DOI. Books need the title in italics and the publisher name. Memorise the templates, and you can format any reference correctly.
APA style (7th edition)
The citation and formatting standard published by the American Psychological Association, used across psychology and many social sciences. The 7th edition (2019) is the current version.
In simple terms, this is the rulebook for how to write references, in-text citations, and paper formatting in psychology courses.
DOI (Digital Object Identifier)
A permanent, unique alphanumeric string assigned to a published work. Formatted as a URL: https://doi.org/10.xxxx/yyyy.
Think of it as a permanent web address for a specific article. Unlike a regular URL, a DOI never changes even if the journal moves to a new website.
Reference list
The alphabetical list of every source cited in your paper, placed at the end. Each entry follows a specific APA template depending on the source type.
In simple terms, this is the "bibliography" at the back of your paper, though APA calls it "References."
Volume and issue number
Journals are published in volumes (usually one per year) and issues (several per volume). In APA format, the volume number is italicised and the issue number follows in parentheses, not italicised: 42(3).
Think of it as the journal's address system: volume is the year-shelf, issue is the specific slot on that shelf.
Hanging indent
A formatting style where the first line of a reference is flush left and all subsequent lines are indented (typically 0.5 inches). Required in APA reference lists.
In simple terms, the opposite of a normal paragraph indent. The first line sticks out and the rest tuck in.
In-text citation
A brief reference within the body of your paper that points the reader to the full entry in the reference list. APA uses the author-date system: (Author, Year).
Think of it as a signpost in the text saying "the details are at the back."
The general pattern for a journal article with two or more authors:
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume number(issue number), pages. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyy
Key points to remember:
List all authors, last name first, initials only.
Use an ampersand (&) before the final author, not the word "and."
Only the first word of the article title is capitalised (plus proper nouns and the first word after a colon).
The journal name is in italics and uses title case (capitalise all major words).
The volume number is in italics. The issue number follows in parentheses, not italicised.
The DOI is given as a full URL (https://doi.org/...) with no full stop after it.
Spoelma, T. M., & Hetrick, A. L. (2020). More than idle talk: Examining the effects of positive and negative team gossip. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 42, 604-618. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2522
Notice: "More" is capitalised because it starts the title. "Examining" is capitalised because it follows a colon. Everything else in the title is lowercase. The journal name uses title case. The volume (42) is italicised. The DOI appears as a live URL.
Ying, X., Li, H., Jiang, S., Peng, F., & Lin, Z. (2014). Group laziness: The effect of social loafing on group performance. Social Behavior and Personality: An International Journal, 42(3), 465-472. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2014.42.3.465
Notice: five authors listed, ampersand before the last. Issue number (3) in parentheses, not italicised. Two-part journal name fully italicised.
The general pattern:
Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Publisher Name.
The book title is in italics.
Only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon are capitalised in the title.
Include the edition in parentheses after the title if it is not the first edition, e.g. (7th ed.).
End with the publisher name, followed by a full stop.
No city of publication is needed in 7th edition APA.
Stoneman, R. (2008). Alexander the Great: A life in legend. Yale University Press.
Bordens, K. S., & Abbott, B. B. (2008). Research design and methods: A process approach (7th ed.). McGraw Hill.
Karau, S. J. (Ed.). (2020). Individual motivation within groups: Social loafing and motivation gains in work, academic, and sports teams. Academic Press.
Notice the "(Ed.)." after the author name, indicating this person is the editor rather than the author of the content.
Students often capitalise every word in the article title. Only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon get capitals. The journal name, by contrast, does use title case.
Students frequently omit the DOI or place it in the wrong format. APA 7th edition requires the full URL form (https://doi.org/...), not "doi:" followed by just the number.
Students sometimes include the city of publication for books. APA 7th edition dropped this requirement. Just give the publisher name.
Students often confuse the volume and issue numbers. The volume is italicised, and the issue sits in parentheses immediately after it, not italicised. If a journal does not use issue numbers, leave the parentheses out entirely.
⚠️ Library assignments ask you to identify the correct APA reference from a set of options. The differences are often small: a missing DOI, wrong capitalisation, or an italicised issue number.
⚠️ The DOI is required for Paper 1 and every subsequent assignment that cites journal articles.
⚠️ Know the difference between an article reference and a book reference. Book references include a publisher; article references include a journal name, volume, issue, and page range.
⚠️ Edited books use "(Ed.)." or "(Eds.)." after the editor's name. This is a common exam question format.
True or false: In APA style, every major word in an article's title is capitalised. (False. Only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon are capitalised.)
Fill in the blank: The DOI should be formatted as a full ________ starting with https://doi.org/. (URL)
True or false: APA 7th edition requires the city of publication for book references. (False. Only the publisher name is needed.)
Fill in the blank: In a journal reference, the ________ number is italicised and the issue number is not. (volume)
True or false: Use "and" before the last author in a reference list entry. (False. Use an ampersand: &.)
Q: Which of the following is the correct APA reference for a journal article by Smith and Jones, published in 2021 in the Journal of Social Psychology, volume 161, issue 4, pages 400-415, DOI 10.1080/00224545.2021.1234567?
a) Smith, A. B., & Jones, C. D. (2021). Title of article. Journal of Social Psychology, 161(4), 400-415. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224545.2021.1234567
b) Smith, A. B. and Jones, C. D. (2021). Title Of Article. Journal of Social Psychology, 161(4), 400-415. doi:10.1080/00224545.2021.1234567
A: Option (a) is correct. Option (b) uses "and" instead of "&", capitalises the title incorrectly, does not italicise the volume number, and uses the old "doi:" prefix format.
Q: Format the following book as an APA reference: author Maria Lopez, published 2019, title "Understanding Group Dynamics in the Workplace", publisher Routledge.
A: Lopez, M. (2019). Understanding group dynamics in the workplace. Routledge.
Note: only "Understanding" is capitalised in the title (first word). No city of publication.
Q: What is wrong with this reference? Czyz, S. H., Szmajke, A., Kruger, A., & Kubler, M. (2016). Participation In Team Sports Can Eliminate The Effect Of Social Loafing. Social Behavior and Personality, 42(3), 465-472.
A: The article title uses title case instead of sentence case (only "Participation" and proper nouns should be capitalised). Also, no DOI is provided, which is required if one exists.
APA formatting connects directly to PsycINFO database skills, because the information you need for a reference (authors, year, title, journal, volume, issue, pages, DOI) is pulled straight from the database record. It also connects to academic writing and literature reviews: every claim you support with a source needs both an in-text citation and a matching reference-list entry. Later in the course, you will encounter additional source types (chapters in edited books, conference papers, websites) that follow the same underlying Author-Date-Title-Source logic.
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