APA 7 referencing is widely required in UK psychology, education and social-science courses, and the seventh edition made several changes worth knowing. APA 7th edition is increasingly used by UK psychology, education, and social science departments. This guide covers the key rules so you can format citations correctly. If APA formatting eats into your writing time, our dissertation writing services include full referencing support.
APA 7 Referencing: In-Text Citations
Use author-date format such as (Smith, 2024), and include a page number for direct quotes, for example (Smith, 2024, p. 15). APA 7 uses author–date in-text citations, for example (Smith, 2024), with a page number for direct quotes. For works with three or more authors you now use the first author plus “et al.” from the very first citation — a key simplification from APA 6. Place citations precisely so every claim is traceable.
Formatting the Reference List
List sources alphabetically by author surname, using a hanging indent, with the reference list titled simply References on its own page. The reference list is alphabetical by surname, double-spaced, with a hanging indent. Each entry gives author, year, title, source and, where relevant, a DOI. APA 7 presents DOIs as full URLs and no longer requires “Retrieved from” before them, which streamlines online sources considerably.
What Changed From APA 6 to APA 7
APA 7 allows up to twenty authors to be listed before using et al., removes the requirement for publisher location, and no longer requires the label Retrieved from before URLs. Beyond the et al. rule, APA 7 allows up to 20 authors in a reference before truncating, drops the publisher location for books, and formalises singular “they.” Knowing these updates prevents you from applying outdated APA 6 habits that markers will spot instantly.
Common APA 7 Mistakes to Avoid
Watch out for inconsistent capitalisation in titles, missing DOIs for journal articles, and mixing APA with another referencing style within the same document. Frequent errors include mismatched in-text and reference entries, missing DOIs, inconsistent capitalisation in titles, and applying old APA 6 rules. Checking your work against your institution’s guidance — aligned with recognised standards from the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education — keeps your referencing clean.
APA 7 Quick Checklist
- Author–date citations, with “et al.” from the first citation for 3+ authors.
- Page numbers on all direct quotes.
- DOIs as URLs, without “Retrieved from”.
- Hanging indent and alphabetical reference list.
- No leftover APA 6 habits in your formatting.
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APA 7 Reference Examples for Common Source Types
Seeing the exact structure for each source type is the fastest way to get APA 7 right. Use these templates and swap in your own details.
- Book: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the book (Edition). Publisher.
- Journal article: Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of the article. Journal Name, Volume(Issue), pages.
- Chapter in an edited book: Author, A. A. (Year). Title of the chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), Title of the book (pp. xx–xx). Publisher.
- Website: Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of the page. Site Name.
- Organisation report: Organisation Name. (Year). Title of the report (Report No. xxx). Publisher.
Remember that APA 7 no longer requires the publisher location, and for online journal articles the DOI is shown as a full https link rather than the older “doi:” prefix.
Handling Multiple Authors and Tricky Citations
APA 7 changed how you cite works with many authors, so this is where students most often slip up. For a work with three or more authors, use the first author’s surname followed by “et al.” from the very first citation — for example, (Jones et al., 2023). In the reference list you may name up to 20 authors before using an ellipsis. When a source has no named author, move the title into the author position; when it has no date, use (n.d.). If you found a source quoted in another work, name the original and add “as cited in” before the source you actually read.
APA 7 Paper Formatting: Title Page, Headings and Font
APA 7 is not only about citations — markers also expect the document itself to follow the style. Use a title page with the paper title, your name and institution; double-space the whole document in a legible font such as 12-point Times New Roman or 11-point Calibri; and apply APA’s five heading levels consistently. The student version of APA 7 no longer needs a running head on every page, a common point of confusion for UK students working from older templates. If your department has its own house style, follow that first and apply APA 7 for anything it does not specify. For a fully formatted, correctly referenced model to work from, ProjectsDeal’s referencing specialists can help.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do UK universities commonly use APA 7?
Yes, APA 7 is widely used in psychology, education, and some social science departments, though you should always confirm your department’s exact requirements.
Is a DOI required for every journal article?
Include a DOI whenever one is available, and use the direct URL only if no DOI has been assigned to the article.
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