FAQ: How do I cite a journal or magazine article in APA Style?

Print Journal or Magazine Article

The basic format for citing a print journal or magazine article in APA style is:

Author, A. A. (Date). Title of article. Title of Journal or Magazine, volume number(issue number), page numbers.

NOTE: For magazines, you want to include a full date (1993, September 30). Include the year for journal articles.

For example (don't forget to indent the second and subsequent lines):

Robertson, D., Voegtlin, C., & Maak, T. (2017). Business ethics: The promise of neuroscience. Journal of Business Ethics, 144(4), 679-697.

Stein, J. (2009, July 27). Jesus walks into a bar. Time, 174(3), 64.

Electronic Journal or Magazine Article

The basic format for citing an electronic journal or magazine article in APA style is:

Author, A. (Date). Title of article. Title of Journal or Magazine, volume number(issue number), page numbers. https://doi.org/10.xxxxxxxxxx

NOTE: When available, use the DOI number but if a DOI number is not available, use the nondatabase URL and link directly to the source if possible. Do not include database names or URLs (see Database Information in References for more information). Please view additional examples in our APA Style guide.

For example (don't forget to indent the second and subsequent lines):

Ray, B., Posntt, D. P., Devanbu, P., & Filkov, V. (2017). A large-scale study of programming languages and code quality in GitHub. Communications of the ACM, 60(10), 91-100. https://doi.org/10.1145/3126905

Raygorodetsky, G. (2017, October). Life on the edge. National Geographic, 232(4), 108-129. https://www.nationalgeographic.com

More information

• APA Guide (Shapiro Library)
• APA Journal Article Reference Example (American Psychological Association)
• APA Magazine Article Reference Example (American Psychological Association)
• APA Blog (American Psychological Association)

Further Help

This information is intended to be a guideline, not expert advice. Please be sure to speak to your professor about the appropriate way to cite sources in your class assignments and projects.

Campus Students

To access Academic Support, visit your Brightspace course and select “Tutoring and Mentoring” from the Academic Support pulldown menu.

Online Students

To access help with citations and more, visit the Academic Support via modules in Brightspace:

• Academic Support Overview: Getting Help with your Schoolwork This link opens in a new window

Content authored by: GS