What details do I need to cite a journal article in APA (7th edition)?

You’ll need: Author(s), Year, Article title, Journal name, Volume & issue, Page range, DOI. With those, Folio formats the citation automatically.

What does APA (7th edition) look like in-text for a journal article?

Like this: (Smith & Lee, 2021). The full entry then appears in your reference list.

Can Folio do this for me automatically?

Yes — paste a DOI, link, or reference into Folio’s free citation generator and it produces a verified citation in this style and others, with a retraction check.

All citation examples

How to cite a journal article in APA (7th edition)

A peer-reviewed article published in an academic journal — the most common scholarly source.

Reference list (APA (7th edition))

Smith, J., & Lee, R. (2021). Working memory capacity and the control of attention. Journal of Cognitive Science, 12(3), 210–225. https://doi.org/10.1000/jcs.2021.0123

In-text: (Smith & Lee, 2021)

Example generated by Folio’s citation engine — the same one that cites as you write.

What you need

Author(s)
Year
Article title
Journal name
Volume & issue
Page range
DOI

Common mistakes to avoid

Always include the DOI when one exists — it is the stable link to the article.
Use the journal’s full name, not an abbreviation (except in IEEE/Vancouver, which abbreviate).

Skip the manual formatting

Paste a DOI, link, or reference — get a verified, retraction-checked citation in APA (7th edition) and every major style.

Open the generator

Cite a journal article in another style

MLA (9th edition)Chicago (17th, author–date)IEEE Harvard Vancouver