Understanding the nuances of APA citation is essential for students, researchers, and professionals engaging with scholarly literature. This guide provides a comprehensive overview of how to correctly cite newspaper and article sources in APA format. By adhering to the American Psychological Association’s guidelines, you can ensure academic integrity and avoid plagiarism in your writing.
The Basics of APA Newspaper Article Citation
When citing a newspaper article in APA format, the following format is generally used:
Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Day). Title of the article. Name of Newspaper, page range. URL (if retrieved from the web)
For example:
Harlow, H. F. (1983, July 21). Fundamentals of the APA citation style. The Citation Journal, pp. A1, A3.
If the newspaper article is retrieved online and does not have a page range, include the URL:
Harlow, H. F. (1983, July 21). Fundamentals of the APA citation style. The Citation Journal. https://www.citationjournal.com/article
Always include a URL if the article is from an online newspaper, even if it’s also available in print. Ensure the URL leads directly to the cited material.
APA Style Reference for Online Newspaper Articles
Online newspaper articles are cited similarly to printed ones but without page numbers and including a URL or a DOI (Digital Object Identifier).
Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Day). Title of the article. Name of Newspaper. URL or DOI
Example of an online article with a URL:
Smith, J. (2020, May 4). Exploring APA citations for digital sources. Online News Daily. https://www.onlinenewsdaily.com/apa-citation-guide
And for an article with a DOI:
Doe, J. (2019, January 14). Citing in the digital age: Opportunities and pitfalls. Modern Researcher. https://doi.org/10.1080/0000000000000
Ensure that hyperlinks are not underlined or colored blue in the reference list and the URL or DOI is live if your paper is intended for electronic submission.
Step-by-Step Guide to In-Text Citations for Articles in APA
For in-text citations, APA requires the author’s last name and the year of publication. If you’re directly quoting, a page number or paragraph number is also mandatory.
Paraphrased content:
(Lastname, Year)
Example:
(Harlow, 1983)
Direct quote:
(Lastname, Year, p. Page number) or (Lastname, Year, para. Paragraph number)
Examples:
(Smith, 2020, p. 5) or (Smith, 2020, para. 4)
These in-text citations should correspond with a full citation in your reference list, enabling readers to locate the source material easily.
Formatting Your APA Reference List with Article Citations
The reference list at the end of your document should be titled “References” and presented in alphabetical order. Each entry should be double-spaced with a hanging indent for subsequent lines. Remember to italicize the titles of newspapers and journals.
When it comes to online sources, URLs should follow after the article title, and DOIs should be presented as hyperlinks (without the http:// or https://).
Maintaining consistency across your references is crucial for a professional and credible appearance. Check for the correct use of capitalization, italicization, and punctuation in each entry.
Tips for Citing Articles from Periodicals and Journals in APA
When citing journal articles, follow this format:
Lastname, F. M., & Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of the article. Title of Journal, volume number(issue number), page range. URL or DOI
Example:
Johnson, S., & Green, W. (2017). The impact of APA: A journal citation analysis. The Journal of Citation Studies, 10(2), 124-131. https://doi.org/10.1080/jcs.2017.10.2.124
For online-only journals or articles without a page range, use an article number instead. In addition, for articles without a DOI, provide the URL to the journal’s homepage or the database where the article was found.
Handling Multiple Authors in APA Article Citations
When an article has multiple authors, the APA reference list format is as follows:
Two Authors:
Lastname, F. M., & Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of the article. Name of Journal, volume number(issue number), page range. URL or DOI
Example:
James, P., & Peters, M. (2018). Collaborative learning in the digital space. Educational Insights, 22(4), 210-230. https://doi.org/10.1080/ei.2018.22.4.210
Three to Twenty Authors: List all the authors in the sequence they appear in the article, using an ampersand before the last name.
More Than Twenty Authors: List the first 19 authors, insert an ellipsis (…) but refrain from placing an ampersand before the last author’s name.
Example for 21 authors:
Miller, T., Thompson, S., D'Angelo, M., ... Clark, Z. (2020). Large-scale collaborative research: Trends and future directions. Journal of Big Data, 30(1), 89-107. https://doi.org/10.1080/jbd.2020.30.1.89
Adherence to APA guidelines is paramount in academic writing. By using this detailed citation guide, anyone can navigate the intricacies of APA style, fostering academic honesty and precision in their scholarly communications.
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