APA Referencing: A Complete UK Student Guide (2026)

APA referencing is the author–date citation style of the American Psychological Association, now in its 7th edition. You cite sources in the text with the author surname and year, such as (Smith, 2020), and list full details alphabetically on a References page at the end. UK courses in psychology, education, nursing and the social sciences use APA referencing as standard.

Key takeaways

• APA stands for the American Psychological Association; the current version is APA 7.
• In-text citations are author–date: (Smith, 2020) or Smith (2020).
• Add a page number for direct quotes: (Smith, 2020, p. 15).
• Full sources go on a References page, alphabetical with a hanging indent.
• Use an ampersand (&) before the last author inside brackets.

What is APA referencing?

APA referencing is the author–date system created by the American Psychological Association for the social and behavioural sciences. It links a short in-text citation to a full entry on the References page so readers can find each source. Its emphasis on the year of publication suits subjects where recency of evidence matters.

How do APA in-text citations work?

Give the author surname and year. Use brackets when the citation is not part of the sentence: (Brown, 2021). When you name the author, put only the year in brackets: Brown (2021). For a direct quote, add the page: (Brown, 2021, p. 42). For two authors use & in brackets; for three or more use the first author plus “et al.”

How do you format an APA References entry?

• Journal article: Smith, J. (2020). Memory and learning. Journal of Psychology, 45(2), 110–125. https://doi.org/10.xxxx
• Book: Brown, A. (2019). Educational theory (3rd ed.). Routledge.
• Website: NHS. (2023, March 4). Mental health. https://www.nhs.uk

Quick APA referencing examples

APA References vs bibliography: what is the difference?

APA uses a References page that lists only the sources you cited in the text. A bibliography may also include background reading. Unless your tutor asks for an annotated bibliography, use a References page in APA.

Common APA referencing mistakes to avoid

• Writing “and” instead of “&” inside brackets.
• Omitting the year, which is essential in author–date styles.
• Listing all authors when three or more should be “et al.” in text.
• Calling the list a “Bibliography” instead of “References”.

For broader help, see our guides on how to write an essay and how to write coursework, and the official rules at APA Style. For hands-on support, Projectsdeal offers an essay writing service, psychology assignment help and a dissertation editing service.

Frequently asked questions about APA referencing

Is APA referencing author-date or numbered?

APA referencing is author–date. You cite the author surname and year in the text, and list sources alphabetically on the References page.

What subjects use APA referencing?

APA referencing is used mainly in psychology, education, nursing, sociology and other social and behavioural sciences.

Which APA edition should I use?

Use APA 7th edition unless your university specifies otherwise, as it is the current version of APA referencing.

What’s the difference between an APA References list and a bibliography?

An APA References list includes only the sources you actually cited in the text of your work. A bibliography can also include background reading you consulted but didn’t directly cite. Unless your tutor specifically asks for an annotated bibliography, UK courses using APA style expect a References page, not a bibliography.

How do I cite a source with three or more authors in APA?

For three or more authors, give the first author’s surname followed by “et al.” for every in-text citation, including the first: (Smith et al., 2020). On the References page, however, list all authors up to 20 names in full; only when there are 21 or more authors do you truncate the list with an ellipsis before the final author.