Mastering APA Online Citations: Your Comprehensive Guide for 7th Edition

Citing electronic sources in APA format is a crucial skill for students, researchers, and professionals alike. With the vast amount of information available online, knowing how to properly reference these sources is essential for academic integrity and clear communication. This guide, based on the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual, provides a detailed overview of how to create accurate and effective Apa Online Citations, ensuring your reference lists are both comprehensive and correctly formatted.

Understanding the Basics of APA 7th Edition Online Citations

The American Psychological Association (APA) 7th edition, released in October 2019, brought key updates to citing electronic sources. Notably, the phrase “Retrieved from” is generally no longer required before URLs or DOIs. This simplification streamlines citations, focusing on essential information. However, there are exceptions, particularly for unarchived sources where including a retrieval date is important to indicate potential content changes over time.

When constructing an APA online citation, several core elements are consistently needed. These elements help readers locate the source and understand its origin. The basic format generally includes:

• Author: This could be an individual, group, or organization. If no author is listed, the title moves to the author position.
• Date: Include the year, and if available, the month and date of publication. If no date is available, use “n.d.” (no date).
• Title: The title of the webpage, article, or content being cited. For webpages and online content, this is italicized.
• Source Information: This includes the site name for webpages or the periodical title for journal articles.
• URL or DOI: Provide a direct URL to the content or a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) when available, as DOIs offer more stable links for scholarly articles.

Let’s explore specific examples for various types of online sources to illustrate these principles.

Citing Webpages and Online Content in APA Format

Webpages and general online content are frequently cited sources. The citation format varies slightly depending on authorship and the likelihood of content changes.

Webpage with an Individual Author

When a webpage lists an individual author, begin your citation with their name.

Format:

Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). *Title of page*. Site Name. URL

Example:

Price, D. (2018, March 23). *Laziness does not exist*. Medium. https://humanparts.medium.com/laziness-does-not-exist-3af27e312d01

In this example, “Price, D.” is the author, “2018, March 23” is the publication date, “Laziness does not exist” is the page title, “Medium” is the site name, and the URL directs to the specific page.

Webpage by a Group or Organization

If a group or organization is the author, use the organization’s name. If the author and site name are identical, omit the site name to avoid redundancy.

Format:

Group name. (Year, Month Date). *Title of page*. Site Name. URL

Example:

American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. (2019, November 21). *Justice served: Case closed for over 40 dogfighting victims*. https://www.aspca.org/news/justice-served-case-closed-over-40-dogfighting-victims

Here, “American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals” is the group author, and the rest of the elements follow the standard webpage format.

Webpage with No Author Listed

In cases where no author is identified, start the citation with the title of the webpage. Include a retrieval date if the content is likely to change, such as with wikis.

Format:

*Title of page*. (Year, Month Date). Site Name. Retrieved Month Date, Year, from URL

Example:

*Tuscan white bean pasta.* (2018, February 25). Budgetbytes. Retrieved March 18, 2020, from https://www.budgetbytes.com/tuscan-white-bean-pasta/

Notice that the title “Tuscan white bean pasta.” begins the citation, and a retrieval date is included because blog content can be updated.

Webpage with No Date of Publication

If the publication date is not available, use “(n.d.)” for “no date.”

Format:

Author or Group name. (n.d.). *Title of page*. Site Name (if applicable). URL

Example:

National Alliance on Mental Illness. (n.d.). *Mental health conditions*. https://www.nami.org/Learn-More/Mental-Health-Conditions

“National Alliance on Mental Illness” is the author, “(n.d.)” indicates no date, and “Mental health conditions” is the title.

Citing Wikipedia Articles in APA 7th Edition

Wikipedia articles are treated as reference work entries in APA 7th edition. It’s crucial to cite the archived version due to Wikipedia’s frequently updated nature.

Format:

Title of article. (Year, Month Date). In *Wikipedia.* URL of archived version of page

Example:

Quantum mechanics. (2019, November 19). In *Wikipedia*. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quantum_mechanics&oldid=948476810

This citation includes the article title, date of the specific version, and a link to the archived version. To find the archived version, click “View History” on a Wikipedia page and select the timestamp of the version you used.

Citing Online Scholarly Journal Articles with DOIs

For scholarly journal articles found online, APA prioritizes the use of DOIs over URLs because DOIs are persistent and more reliable.

Article from an Online Periodical with DOI

When citing an article with a DOI, include the DOI at the end of the citation.

Format:

Lastname, F. M., & Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of article. *Title of Periodical, Vol.(*Issue), page numbers. DOI

Example:

Drollinger, T., Comer, L. B., & Warrington, P. T. (2006). Development and validation of the active empathetic listening scale. *Psychology & Marketing, 23*(2), 161-180. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.20105

This example includes authors, year, article title, journal title, volume, issue, page numbers, and the DOI.

Article from an Online Periodical without DOI

If a scholarly article lacks a DOI but is from a website (not a database), include the URL. For articles from databases, generally omit database information and URLs unless the database is for limited circulation materials (like ERIC) or exclusive content (like UpToDate).

Format (with URL, no DOI):

Lastname, F. M. (Year). Title of article. *Title of Periodical, Vol.(*Issue), page numbers. URL

Example (from UpToDate, requiring retrieval date):

Perreault, L. (2019). Obesity in adults: Role of physical activity and exercise. *UpToDate*. Retrieved January 12, 2020, from https://www.uptodate.com/contents/obesity-in-adults-role-of-physical-activity-and-exercise

For databases like UpToDate, which are subscription-based and subject to change, a retrieval date is necessary.

Citing Other Online Sources: News Articles, Books, and More

APA 7th edition provides guidelines for a wide array of online sources beyond webpages and journal articles.

Online News Articles

The citation format for online news articles depends on whether the source is associated with a print newspaper.

News Source with Associated Newspaper:

Italicize the newspaper title but not the article title.

Format:

Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of article. *Title of Publication*. URL

Example:

Richards, C. (2019, December 9). Best music of 2019: Lana Del Rey sings lullabies about the end of America. *Washington Post*. https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/music/best-music-of-2019-lana-del-rey-sings-lullabies-about-the-end-of-america/2019/12/06/6e82c5ec-15d8-11ea-a659-7d69641c6ff7_story.html

News Source without Associated Newspaper:

Italicize the article title but not the website name.

Format:

Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). *Title of article*. Name of publishing website. URL

Example:

Jones, J. (2020, May 10). *Why flats dominate Spain's housing market*. BBC. https://www.bbc.com/worklife/article/20200506-why-do-flats-dominate-spains-housing-market

Electronic Books and Kindle Books

For ebooks, generally, if the content mirrors the print version, no special designation is needed. However, specify if citing an ebook edition with different content or an audiobook, including narrator information.

Ebook Format (same content as print):

Lastname, F. M. (Year). *Title of book*. Publisher. URL

Ebook Format (different content):

Lastname, F. M. (Year). *Title of book* [eBook edition]. Publisher. URL

Audiobook Format:

Lastname, F. M. (Year). *Title of book* (N. Narrator, Narr.) [Audiobook]. Publisher. URL (if applicable)

Dissertations and Theses from Databases

Cite dissertations and theses from databases using the following structure, including publication numbers and database names.

Format:

Lastname, F. M. (Year). *Title of dissertation or thesis* (Publication No.) [Doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis, Name of Institution Awarding Degree]. Database Name.

Example:

Duis, J. M. (2008). *Acid/base chemistry and related organic chemistry conceptions of undergraduate organic chemistry students* (Publication No. 3348786) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Northern Colorado]. ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global.

Entries in Online Dictionaries, Thesauri, and Encyclopedias

For online reference entries, the format depends on whether an individual or group author is listed. For continuously updated sources without publication dates, include a retrieval date.

Group Author, No Date Example (requiring retrieval date):

Merriam-Webster. (n.d.). Braggadocio. In *Merriam-Webster.com dictionary*. Retrieved January 13, 2020, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/braggadocio

Individual Author Example:

Martin, M. (2018). Animals. In L. A. Schintler & C. L. McNeely (Eds.), *Encyclopedia of big data*. SpringerLink. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-32001-4_7-1

Data Sets and Graphic Data

For data sets, specify the version and publisher. For graphic data like infographics or maps, describe the content in brackets if no title is available.

Data Set Example:

Grantmakers in the Arts. (2019). *Arts funding trends, United States, 1994-present* (ICPSR 37337) [Data set]. National Archive of Data on Arts & Culture. https://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/NADAC/studies/37337

Infographic Example:

HatchMed. (2017). *8 ways to improve patient satisfaction* [Infographic]. HatchMed.com. https://www.hatchmed.com/blog/2017/1/30/8-ways-to-improve-patient-satisfaction

Google Map Example (no date, retrieval date needed):

Google. (n.d.). [Google Map of Purdue University]. Retrieved January 12, 2020, from https://www.google.com/maps/@40.4237095,-86.9233886,17z

Online Interviews, Lecture Notes, Software, and Social Media

APA 7th edition also covers citations for less traditional online sources:

• Online Interviews: If recorded, cite like audio files. Unrecorded interviews are cited in-text only (not in the reference list).
• Online Lecture Notes/Slides: Include file format in brackets.
• Computer Software: Cite specialized software, excluding common office software or programming languages.
• Email: Cite in-text only.
• Online Forums/Discussion Posts: Specify “[Online forum post]”.
• Tweets: Include the first 20 words of the tweet, indicate media, and specify “[Tweet]”.
• Twitter Profiles: Specify “[Twitter profile]” and retrieval date.
• Facebook Posts/Pages: Similar to tweets, describe content and specify “[Status update]” or “[Facebook page]”.
• Instagram Photos/Videos: Specify “[Photograph]” or “[Video]”.
• Blog Posts: Cite similar to webpages.
• YouTube/Streaming Videos: Include uploader’s username and specify “[Video]”.
• TED Talks: Cite from TED website or YouTube, specifying “[Video]”.
• Podcast Episodes: Include host, episode title, podcast name, and publisher.

These formats ensure proper attribution for a wide range of online materials.

Conclusion: Accurate and Consistent APA Online Citations

Mastering APA online citations in the 7th edition involves understanding the core elements and applying the correct format for each source type. By paying attention to authorship, dates, titles, source information, and URLs or DOIs, you can create robust and credible reference lists. This guide provides a solid foundation for accurately citing online sources, upholding academic integrity and enhancing the clarity of your scholarly work. Remember to consult the full APA Publication Manual 7th edition for even more detailed guidance and specific scenarios.