Did somebody say APA? Those three little letters might not seem much, but if you’re planning to submit journal articles, then get ready to meet a new friend – one who’ll be with you throughout your entire academic career. Oh yes. Today we’re covering APA referencing for journal articles.
APA referencing is one of the most popular formatting styles used by students and researchers when citing sources in their academic writing. It is a widely accepted format for referencing and used by many universities and academic journals. A key component of APA referencing is citing journal articles, which can be a bit tricky. An essay for your professor is one thing, but a journal submission? That kicks things up to another level. It’s important to get APA referencing right, which is why we’re here to help.
This article will provide a step-by-step guide to help you master APA referencing for journal articles.
What is APA Referencing?
APA referencing is an academic writing style developed by the American Psychological Association (APA). It is used to cite sources in research papers, essays, and other academic documents. APA referencing is easy to use once you have the skill down, and has many benefits, including providing clear and consistent citations, reducing plagiarism, and making it easier to find sources.
Don’t forget that there are multiple referencing styles in use – APA is one of many including MLA, Harvard and Vancouver. Keep an eye open for our guides to these in the future!
When writing an academic document, you should always cite the sources you use. Citing your sources helps you to give credit to the original authors, as well as add credibility to your work. APA referencing is a way of formatting your citations and references in a consistent style.
Benefits of APA Referencing
When using APA referencing, the main benefit is consistency. By using a consistent style, you ensure that all of your citations and references are in the same format. This makes it easier to read and understand, as well as helping to avoid any confusion.
Another benefit of using APA referencing is that it reduces the chances of plagiarism. By citing your sources, you make it clear which parts of your work are not your own. This helps to ensure that you are giving credit where it is due, and helps to avoid any accusations of plagiarism.
Finally, APA referencing makes it easier to find sources. By citing your sources in a consistent format, it is easier to locate them when needed. This saves you time and effort when researching for your project.
Something else that can save you time and effort is organising your sources with Audemic. Drop your papers into the app and build a board for your current research project, to have all your referencing details in one place, at your fingertips.
Components of an APA Reference
When referencing a journal article in APA, there are three components to the reference: the in-text citation, the reference list entry, and the APA format.
The in-text citation is a short reference that you place within the body of your paper.
The reference list entry is the full reference that you include in the reference list at the end of your paper.
Finally, the APA format is the format in which the reference is written.
In-text citations and reference list entries for journal articles in APA should include the following information: author’s name, year of publication, title of the article, title of the journal, volume number, issue number, and page numbers.
More on how to organise that information below.
How to Cite a Journal Article in APA
When citing a journal article in APA, you should follow these steps:
- Identify the information you need to include in the citation.
- Put this information in the correct order.
- Put the author’s name in the correct format.
- Put the publication date in parentheses.
- Put the title of the article in quotation marks.
- Put the title of the journal in italics.
- Put the volume and issue numbers in parentheses.
- Put the page numbers in parentheses.
It pays to note down all of this information in one place as soon as you cite an article in your paper, either on paper or digitally. It might be tempting to wait until later, but noting down the information with each citation you make will make the final reference list a lot easier to assemble!
How to Create an In-Text Citation for a Journal Article in APA
An in-text citation is a short reference that you place in the body of your paper. It should include the author’s name, the year of publication, and the page number (if available). Here’s an example of an in-text citation for a journal article in APA:
According to Smith (2020), “the results of the study indicate…” (p. 5).
How to Create an APA Reference List for a Journal Article
A reference list is a list of all the sources you have used in your paper. It allows your reader to quickly locate the sources you have cited. To create a reference list for a journal article in APA, you should follow these steps:
- Begin with the author’s name in the correct format.
- Add the year of publication in parentheses.
- Add the title of the article in quotation marks.
- Add the title of the journal in italics.
- Add the volume and issue numbers in parentheses.
- Add the page numbers in parentheses.
- Add the DOI (digital object identifier) ((if available)).
Each reference list entry will look like this:
Smith, J. (2020). ‘Studies into APA Referencing’, Journal of Research, 42(3), 1-15. DOI: 10.123/jr.42.3.1
Examples of APA Referencing in a Journal Article
Putting it all together, here’s our final example of APA referencing for journal articles:
In-text citation:
According to Smith (2020), “the results of the study indicate…” (p. 5).
Reference list entry:
Smith, J. (2020). ‘Studies into APA Referencing’, Journal of Research, 42(3), 1-15. DOI: 10.123/jr.42.3.1
Your finished article will be full of pairs of references like this – one in the text, and a corresponding partner in the final reference list.
Common Mistakes to Avoid in APA Referencing
When referencing journal articles in APA, it is important to avoid some common mistakes. Here are some of the most common:
- Not citing all of your sources.
- Not formatting the references correctly.
- Not including the correct information in the references.
- Not including the page numbers in the in-text citation.
- Not including the DOI in the reference list entry (if available).
Online Resources for APA Referencing
If you are having trouble with APA referencing for journal articles, there are many online resources available to help. The official APA website has a wealth of information on how to reference and format your paper. There are also many websites that allow you to generate citations and references in APA format.
Final Thoughts
APA referencing for journal articles can seem a bit tricky. However, by following the steps outlined in this article, you should have no trouble mastering it. Remember to always cite your sources, and to avoid the common mistakes listed above. For more help, there are many online resources available to help you with APA referencing.
And remember, you can use Audemic’s intuitive features to make organising all your referencing information a breeze.
With practice, you should be able to master APA referencing for journal articles in no time.
Keep striving, researchers! ✨
