What is the difference between GB/T 7714 and APA format?

GB/T 7714 uses sequential numbering, reference numbers are determined by citation order; APA uses author-year format. Most Chinese universities require GB/T 7714.

How to write foreign author names?

For English literature, surname first then given name, like "John Smith" becomes "Smith J.". Refer to original naming conventions for Japanese literature.

How to cite multiple sources at the same point?

Separate with semicolons, numbers in ascending order, like [1;2;3]. Can also write in author-year format within one pair of brackets.

Reference Format Guide

Complete GB/T 7714 Reference Format Guide (2025) - Journals, Theses, Web Sources

This guide details the GB/T 7714-2015 reference formatting standard, including correct citation formats for journal articles, theses, and web resources.

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What this page helps you do first

GB/T 7714-2015 latest standard details
Journal, thesis, web resource format templates
Common reference format errors analysis

What is GB/T 7714-2015

GB/T 7714-2015 is the national recommended standard "Information and Documentation — Rules for Bibliographic References", the universally adopted reference formatting standard for Chinese universities and academic journals.

Compared to the old GB/T 7714-1987, the new version has significant updates in electronic document description and sequential numbering system.

Journal article citation format

Format: [Number] Author. Title[J]. Journal Name, Year, Volume(Issue): Start-End Pages.
For more than 3 authors, list first 3 followed by "et al."
English authors: surname first, given name abbreviated
Use full journal name, not abbreviations

Thesis citation format

Format: [Number] Author. Title[D]. Location: Institution, Year.
Example: [1] Zhang S. Thesis Title[D]. Beijing: Tsinghua University, 2024.
Professional degree theses need to indicate "Doctoral dissertation" or "Master thesis"

Web resource citation format

Format: [Number] Author. Title[EB/OL]. Location: Publisher, Year: Starting page of citation.
EB/OL indicates electronic bulletin and online
Must include access date and URL

Common format errors and corrections

Error: Full pinyin for author names instead of surname-first format
Error: Missing year or month information
Error: Using abbreviations for journal names
Error: Missing start-end pages or incorrect page format
Error: Electronic documents without access date

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between GB/T 7714 and APA format?: GB/T 7714 uses sequential numbering, reference numbers are determined by citation order; APA uses author-year format. Most Chinese universities require GB/T 7714.
How to write foreign author names?: For English literature, surname first then given name, like "John Smith" becomes "Smith J.". Refer to original naming conventions for Japanese literature.
How to cite multiple sources at the same point?: Separate with semicolons, numbers in ascending order, like [1;2;3]. Can also write in author-year format within one pair of brackets.

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