APA Style uses the author–date citation system, in which a brief in-text citation directs readers to a full reference list entry. The in-text citation appears within the body of the paper (or in a table, figure, footnote, or appendix) and briefly identifies the cited work by its author and date of publication. This enables readers to locate the corresponding entry in the alphabetical reference list at the end of the paper.
Each work cited 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).
Both paraphrases and quotations require citations.
The DOI (digital object identifier) 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.
When to Include DOIs and URLs
Finding a DOI With CrossRef
Having trouble finding a DOI or the DOI provided is a broken link? CrossRef links research objects, entities, and actions, creating a lasting and reusable scholarly record. Search the article title in CrossRef and copy the DOI Link at the bottom of the record.
Resource Type | Format | In-Text Citation | Reference List |
---|---|---|---|
Book | Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Publisher Name. DOI (if available) | (Koehler, 2015) | Koehler, W. C. (2015). Ethics and values in librarianship: A history. Rowman & Littlefield. |
Chapter in an edited book | Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of publication). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle (pp. pages of chapter). Publisher. DOI (if available) | (Echols, 2025) | Echols, S. M. (2025). Resurgence of a bibliotherapist: Exploring the life and times of Sadie "Sara" Marie Paterson Delaney. In N. A. Cooke (Ed.), The legacy of Black women in librarianship: When they dared to be powerful (pp. Pages of Chapter). ALA Neal-Schuman. |
Article from an electronic journal | Lastname, F. M., & Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Vol.(Issue), page numbers. DOI | (Knox, 2024) | Knox, E. (2024). Intellectual freedom and privacy: A core value of librarianship. Journal of Intellectual Freedom & Privacy, 8(3), 2. https://doi.org/10.5860/jifp.v8i3.8284 |
Website |
Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of page. Site Name. URL Group name. (Year, Month Date). Title of page. Site Name. URL |
(American Library Association, 2025) | American Library Association. (2025). Banned & challenged books. https://www.ala.org/bbooks |
A work by two authors | List by their last names and initials. Separate author names with a comma. Use the ampersand instead of "and." | (Winberry & Bishop, 2021) | Winberry, J. & Bishop, B. W. (2021). Documenting social justice in library and information science research: A literature review. Journal of Documentation, 77(3), 743-754. https://doi.org/10.1108/JD-08-2020-0136 |
A work by three to twenty authors |
List by last names and initials; commas separate author names, while the last author name is preceded again by ampersand. |
(Jones et al., 2022) | Jones, E. P., Mani, N. S., Carlson, R. B., Welker, C. G., Cawley, M., & Yu, F. (2022). Analysis of anti-racism, equity, inclusion and social justice initiatives in library and information science literature. Reference Services Review, 50(1), 81-101. https://doi.org/10.1108/rsr-07-2021-0032 |