An APA journal citation follows the format: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pages. DOI. This APA journal citation generator creates properly formatted APA 7th edition citations for journal articles automatically. Enter a DOI to auto-fill all fields, or input author, year, article title, journal name, volume, issue, pages, and DOI manually. The tool follows the current 2026 APA standard.
How to Cite a Journal Article in APA Format
Citing a journal article in APA format requires specific elements in a precise order: Author(s), Year, Article Title, Journal Name, Volume, Issue, Pages, and DOI. The APA 7th edition (published 2020) changed how DOIs are formatted — they now appear as full URLs. This APA journal citation generator applies all current formatting rules automatically.
The standard APA journal article citation format is:
APA Journal Citation Examples
| Scenario | APA 7th Edition Citation |
|---|---|
| Single author with DOI | Smith, J. (2023). Effects of sleep on memory consolidation. Journal of Psychology, 45(2), 12–30. https://doi.org/10.1037/psy0000123 |
| Two authors | Lee, P., & Kim, S. (2023). Neural pathways in learning. Nature Neuroscience, 14(2), 45–67. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2023 |
| Three+ authors | Brown, A., Davis, M., & Wilson, K. (2024). AI in healthcare. The Lancet Digital Health, 6(1), e15–e24. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2589-7500(23)00255-3 |
| No DOI (print only) | Garcia, R. (2022). Rural education challenges. Education Quarterly, 28(4), 101–118. |
| Online-only journal | Chen, W. (2024). Digital literacy frameworks. Open Education Studies, 3(1), Article e2024008. https://doi.org/10.xxxx |
APA Journal Citation: Key Formatting Rules
- Article title: Not italicized. Use sentence case — capitalize only the first word, proper nouns, and the first word after a colon.
- Journal name: Italicized. Use title case — capitalize all major words: Journal of Applied Psychology.
- Volume number: Italicized, placed immediately after the journal name with a comma: Journal Name, 14.
- Issue number: In parentheses, not italicized, no space before: 14(2).
- Page range: Use an en dash (–), not a hyphen (-): 45–67.
- DOI format: Always use https://doi.org/10.xxxx format. No period after the DOI.
When to Use This APA Journal Citation Generator
Use this APA journal citation generator whenever you reference a peer-reviewed journal article, research paper, or academic publication in a paper that requires APA format. The tool handles single-author and multi-author articles, DOI formatting, volume/issue/page numbers, and online-only journal articles.
For other source types, use our dedicated generators:
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I cite a journal article in APA format?
To cite a journal article in APA 7th edition format: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pages. https://doi.org/xxxxx. Example: Smith, J., & Lee, P. (2023). Neural pathways in learning. Nature Neuroscience, 14(2), 45–67. https://doi.org/10.1038/nn.2023. The journal name and volume number are italicized.
How do I format a DOI in APA 7th edition?
In APA 7th edition, format DOIs as full URLs: https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx. Do NOT use "doi:" or "DOI: 10.xxxx" — these were 6th edition formats. Always include the DOI when one is available. If you have a DOI number like 10.1037/0000184, convert it to: https://doi.org/10.1037/0000184. Place the DOI at the very end of the citation with no period after it.
Do I italicize journal article titles in APA?
No. In APA format, individual article titles are NOT italicized. The journal name and volume number ARE italicized. Example: Smith, J. (2023). Effects of sleep on memory. *Journal of Psychology*, *45*(2), 12–30. The article title "Effects of sleep on memory" is in plain text with sentence case. Only the container (journal) is italicized.
How do I cite a journal article with no DOI in APA?
If a journal article has no DOI and was found online, include the database homepage URL or the journal homepage URL — but only if the article is not easily findable. For widely available journals, no URL is needed. If the article was accessed from a specific database, APA 7th edition says do NOT include the database name unless it is the only source (e.g., UpToDate, ERIC).
How do I cite a journal article with many authors in APA?
APA 7th edition lists up to 20 authors in the reference. For 2 authors: Smith, J., & Jones, R. For 3–20 authors: list all with commas, ampersand before the last. For 21+ authors: list the first 19, then an ellipsis (...), then the final author. In-text citations always use et al. for 3+ authors: (Smith et al., 2023).
What is the difference between volume and issue number in APA?
In APA format, the volume number is italicized and the issue number follows in parentheses (not italicized): *Journal Name*, *14*(2), 45–67. Volume numbers usually correspond to the year of publication (one volume per year). Issue numbers indicate specific publications within that volume (e.g., quarterly = 4 issues per volume). Include both when available.
Is this APA journal citation generator free?
Yes, this APA journal citation generator is completely free with no signup, paywall, or hidden costs. You can generate unlimited APA 7th edition journal citations. Paste a DOI for instant auto-fill of title, authors, journal name, volume, issue, and pages — or enter the details manually. The tool formats everything per current APA standards.
How do I cite an article from an online-only journal in APA?
Online-only journal articles are cited the same way as print articles in APA 7th edition: Author, A. (Year). Title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Article number. DOI. Some online journals use article numbers instead of page ranges — include the article number if no pages exist. Example: Lee, M. (2024). Digital learning trends. Online Education Review, 8(1), Article e2024015. https://doi.org/10.xxxx.
This free APA journal citation generator is maintained for 2026 and follows the APA 7th Edition Publication Manual. Whether you need to cite a peer-reviewed article, a research study, or a scholarly publication in APA format, this tool delivers accurate, copy-ready citations instantly.