APA Format Guide 7th Edition | Citations, References, and Academic Formatting
AcademicIdeas covers APA Format 7th Edition requirements: in-text citations, reference formatting, heading levels, line spacing, and common mistakes with detailed examples.
What this page helps you do first
- Latest APA 7th Edition requirements and key changes from 6th Edition
- Complete examples for in-text citations, references, and heading levels
- Jump to citation generator for properly formatted references
What is APA Format and when is it required
APA (American Psychological Association) format is an academic writing style published by the American Psychological Association, now in its 7th Edition (2020). Originally developed for psychology and social sciences, APA is now widely accepted across business, nursing, public health, and sociology for journal submissions and course papers.
Chinese universities with joint programs, international journal submissions, or English-language theses often require APA format. Compared to GB/T 7714 (Chinese National Standard), APA uses more detailed in-text citations but simpler reference list formatting.
Key APA 7th Edition changes from 6th Edition
- Author count: Changed from "up to 20" to "up to 21" authors before using ellipsis
- Chinese fonts: Explicitly supports SimSun, Microsoft YaHei, Songti SC with 10-12pt recommendation
- Line spacing: Unified double-spacing throughout (no longer varies by section)
- DOI format: Unified to https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxxx, retiring the doi: 10.xxxx format
- Journal names: No longer italicized, title case only instead of all caps
- Abstract: Now a separate page, no longer appears below the title page
In-text citation format examples
- One author: (Zhang, 2023) or Zhang (2023) stated...
- Two authors: (Zhang & Li, 2023) or Zhang and Li (2023) indicated...
- Three to twenty-one authors: List all in first citation, then (Zhang et al., 2023)
- Twenty-two or more: First 19 names, ellipsis, then final author name
- Direct quotes: Include page number, e.g., (Zhang, 2023, p.25)
Reference list formatting rules
- Journal article: Author Last, First Initial. (Year). Article title. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), Pages. DOI
- Book: Author Last, First Initial. (Year). Book title (Edition). Publisher.
- Webpage: Author Last, First Initial. (Year, Month Day). Title. Website Name. URL
- Dissertation: Add university and degree level to journal article format
- All reference entries use hanging indent: first line flush left, subsequent lines indented 0.5 inch
APA heading levels and numbering
APA uses up to three heading levels without numbering. Level 1: centered, bold, title case; Level 2: left-aligned, bold, title case; Level 3: left-aligned, bold, italicized, title case.
When applying APA to Chinese papers, title case capitalization can be simplified to capitalize the first letter of each major word, with prepositions and articles (in, the, a) typically left lowercase.
Common APA formatting mistakes and fixes
- Mistake 1: DOI not updated to new format → Replace all with https://doi.org/xxx
- Mistake 2: Journal names still italicized → 7th Edition removed italics
- Mistake 3: Incorrect author count threshold → Use ellipsis only when 22+ authors
- Mistake 4: Non-standard Chinese font sizes → Use 12pt or 10.5pt for Chinese text
- Mistake 5: In-text citations not matching references → Verify each author, year, page
Frequently asked questions
- Does double spacing in APA affect similarity check results?
- Similarity detection systems analyze text content only, not formatting like line spacing. However, some schools have specific formatting requirements that must be met alongside APA guidelines.
- Can APA format be used for Chinese-language theses?
- Yes, but note that Chinese literature should include English translations of journal names in the reference list while keeping author names in Chinese. In-text citations use the same Chinese author names.
- What are the APA abstract requirements?
- The 7th Edition requires a separate abstract page with "Abstract" centered. Content should not exceed 250 words (English) or typically 300 characters (Chinese). Three to five keywords may be listed below the abstract.
- How can I quickly convert existing references to APA format?
- Use reference management tools like Zotero, EndNote, or Mendeley with APA export functions, or use the AcademicIdeas citation format generator to produce APA 7th Edition compliant citations automatically.
- How do I cite a webpage with no author?
- APA 7th Edition allows using the content title instead of the author. If the title is too long, truncate it with an ellipsis. Use (n.d.) for no date and indicate the retrieval date in the text.