- Library Guides
- APA 7th Referencing
- Reports & Grey Literature
APA 7th Referencing: Reports & Grey Literature
- Getting Started in APA 7th
- Journal Articles
- Conference Materials
- Datasets, Software & Tests
- Audiovisual Media
- Course Notes or Course Presentations
- Social Media
- Legislation & Cases
- Personal Communications
- Standards & Patents
- Sample Reference List
On this page
Basic format to reference a report.
- Referencing reports & grey literature: Examples
What is grey literature?
Grey literature is defined by GreyNet International (2019) as "multiple document types produced on all levels of government, academics, business, and organization in electronic and print formats not controlled by commercial publishing i.e. where publishing is not the primary activity of the producing body" ("GreyNet's business report" section, para. 2).
Grey literature includes a variety of different reports, including government, technical and research reports, as well as press releases, codes of ethics, grants, and policy and issues briefs (American Psychological Association, 2020, p. 329).
Related links within this guide
- What is a DOI? Information about digital object identifiers.
- In-text referencing The basics of an in-text reference in APA
- Quotes in APA 7th How to include quotes within the text of your work.
- The Reference List Compiling a Reference List using APA Style.
- Secondary sources Referring to the ideas or words of an author who has been cited in another authors work.
The basics of a reference list entry for a report
- Author or authors. The surname is followed by first initials. The Author may be a government or corporate entity.
- Title of report (In italics . Include the report number in brackets where relevant)
- Publisher information (if the author and the publisher are the same, omit the publisher)
- The first line of each citation is left adjusted. Every subsequent line is indented 5-7 spaces.
Example:
Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2017). Childhood education and care (No. 4402.0). https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/[email protected]/Lookup/ 4402.0Main+Features1June%202017?OpenDocument
Referencing reports & grey literature: Examples
Telstra. (2022). Telstra annual report 2022 . https://www.telstra.com.au/content/dam/tcom/about-us/investors/pdf-g/TEL-AR-2022-Spreads-FINAL.pdf
- << Previous: Newspapers
- Next: Conference Materials >>
Copyright © 2015 CRICOS Provider No.00124K (Melbourne) and CRICOS Provider No. 02475D (Sydney). RTO Code: 3113.
Full sitemap
- Last Updated: Mar 16, 2023 3:44 PM
- URL: https://libraryguides.vu.edu.au/apa-referencing
- Library Information
- Library Faculty and Staff
- Circulation Policies
- Library News
- Hours and Directions
- Floor Plan and Collections
- Upcoming and Past Events
- Room Use and Reservations
- Hackney Library Facts
- Mission Statement
- K.D. Kennedy, Jr. Rare Book Room
- Barton Patrons
- Print, Scan, Copy, Fax
- Print Quota
- Hardware and Software
- Interlibrary Loan
- Library Liaisons
- Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL)
- Community Patrons
- Friends of Hackney Library
- IB Students
- Greenfield School Students
- AP Seminar Students
- Wilson County Public Library Patrons
- Barton College Alumni
- Library Catalog
- Journal Finder
- Additional Sources
- Quick Questions
- Streaming Videos
- Archives and Special Collections
- A-Z List - All Resources
- Subjects A-H
- Art and Design
- Criminology and Criminal Justice
- English/Spanish
- Exercise Science
- General/Reference
- Gerontology
- Health and Physical Education
- Health Promotion
- Subjects I-T and Courses
- Mass Communications
- Mathematics
- North Carolina
- Political Science
- Quantitative Literacy (QL)
- Religion/Philosophy
- Social Studies
- Social Work
- Sport Management
- Specific Classes
- Topics and Additional Guidance
- Career Exploration
- Citation Help
- Crossing the Tracks: An Oral History of East and West Wilson, North Carolina
- Current Events
- Finding Articles
- Finding Books and Films
- Improving Thinking Skills
- PubMed Database Tutorials
- Searching Tips and Tricks
- Starting your Research
- Women's History Month
- Test Preparation
- Database Tutorials
- Reference Help
- General Reference
- Common Questions
- Books/E-Books/Electronic Literature
- Nursing Test Help
- Teacher Licensure Test Help
- Chicago Manual of Style
Service Alert
Willis N. Hackney Library
MBA 650: Leading Competitive Organizations and Teams
- Disney Books
- Academic Articles
- Specific Examples/Applications of APA Style, 7th edition
Sample APA-Style Papers (7th edition)
The following links provide samples of student-paper formatting in APA's 7th edition style. The first is from APA's web site; the second is from Purdue OWL's web site.
- Sample APA Student Paper This document from the APA web site illustrates the 7th edition formatting of a student paper. This format is a simplified version of the professional paper format (excluding things like running heads, etc.).
- Purdue OWL Sample Student Paper This sample student paper in APA 7th edition comes from PurdueOWL. It can be used to supplement the example from the APA web site, or stand on its own.
The following links provide samples of professional-paper formatting in APA's 7th edition style. The first is from APA's web site; the second is from Purdue OWL's web site. The formatting of these professional papers is a bit more involved than that of the student sample papers.
- Sample APA Professional Paper This sample professional paper from the APA web site illustrates the 7th edition formatting for a paper submitted for publication to a professional journal.
- Purdue OWL Sample Professional Paper This sample paper from Purdue OWL illustrates in 7th edition formatting a professional paper. It can be used to supplement the APA sample paper or it can stand alone.
Quotations and Paraphrases in APA Style (7th edition)
- Quotations (APA 7th Edition) This link takes you to a page on the official APAstyle.org web site with information that includes how to cite both direct and indirect quotations (short and long), how to cite material for direct quotations that do not contain page numbers, and more.
- Quotations--PurdueOWL (APA 7th edition) On this "Basics: In-Text Citations" page from PurdueOWL, scroll down to see explanations and example for quotations both short (under 40 words) and long (40+ words). In addition, it gives guidance about paraphrases/summaries and how to use in-text citations to document their original source(s).
Formatting an Annotated Bibliography in APA Style (7th edition)
- Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): Annotated Bibliographies This helpful page from PurdueOWL explains the purpose of annotated bibliographies, what they often contain, and why they're helpful.
- Guidelines for Formatting Annotated Bibliographies (APA, 7th ed.) This document provides guidance for formatting annotated bibliographies, including a sample annotated bib.
Formatting a Literature Review in APA Style (7th edition)
While APA doesn't itself provide an example of how to format a literature review, it does provide some guidance in its Publication Manual * about the content of a lit review:
Literature Reviews:
- provide summaries and evaluations of findings/theories in the research literature of a particular discipline or field;
- may include qualitative, quantitative, or a variety of other types of research;
- should define and clarify the problem being reviewed;
- summarize previous research to inform readers of where research stands currently in regard to the problem;
- identify relationships, contradictions, gaps, and inconsistencies in the current literature;
- suggest next steps or further research needed to move toward solving the problem. (APA, 2020, Section 1.6, p. 8)
* American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association: The official guide to APA style (7th ed.). American Psychological Association.
- << Previous: APA Style Resources, 7th Edition
- Last Updated: Aug 26, 2021 1:21 PM
- URL: https://barton.libguides.com/mba650
Purdue Online Writing Lab College of Liberal Arts
Types of APA Papers
Welcome to the Purdue OWL
This page is brought to you by the OWL at Purdue University. When printing this page, you must include the entire legal notice.
Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.
APA (American Psychological Association) style is most commonly used to cite sources within the social sciences. This resource, revised according to the 6 th edition, second printing of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page. For more information, please consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association , (6 th ed., 2 nd printing).
Note: This page reflects APA 6, which is now out of date. It will remain online until 2021, but will not be updated. There is currently no equivalent 7th edition page, but we're working on one. Thank you for your patience. Here is a link to our APA 7 "General Format" page .
There are two common types of papers written in fields using APA Style: the literature review and the experimental report (also known as a "research report"). Each has unique requirements concerning the sections that must be included in the paper.
Literature review
A literature review is a critical summary of what the scientific literature says about your specific topic or question. Often student research in APA fields falls into this category. Your professor might ask you to write this kind of paper to demonstrate your familiarity with work in the field pertinent to the research you hope to conduct.
While the APA Publication Manual does not require a specific order for a literature review, a good literature review typically contains the following components:
- Introduction
- Thesis statement
- Summary and synthesis of sources
- List of references
Some instructors may also want you to write an abstract for a literature review, so be sure to check with them when given an assignment. Also, the length of a literature review and the required number of sources will vary based on course and instructor preferences.
NOTE: A literature review and an annotated bibliography are not synonymous. While both types of writing involve examining sources, the literature review seeks to synthesize the information and draw connections between sources. If you are asked to write an annotated bibliography, you should consult the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for the APA Format for Annotated Bibliographies.
Experimental/Research report
In many of the social sciences, you will be asked to design and conduct your own experimental research. If so, you will need to write up your paper using a structure that is more complex than that used for just a literature review. We have a complete resource devoted to writing an experimental report in the field of psychology here .
This structure follows the scientific method, but it also makes your paper easier to follow by providing those familiar cues that help your reader efficiently scan your information for:
- Why the topic is important (covered in your introduction)
- What the problem is (also covered in your introduction)
- What you did to try to solve the problem (covered in your methods section)
- What you found (covered in your results section)
- What you think your findings mean (covered in your discussion section)
Thus an experimental report typically includes the following sections.
- Multiple experiments (if you conduct more than one)
- Appendices (if necessary)
- Tables and/or figures (if necessary)
Make sure to check the guidelines for your assignment or any guidelines that have been given to you by an editor of a journal before you submit a manuscript containing the sections listed above.
As with the literature review, the length of this report may vary by course or by journal, but most often it will be determined by the scope of the research conducted.
Other papers
If you are writing a paper that fits neither of these categories, follow the guidelines about General Format , consult your instructor, or look up advice in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association .
When submitting a manuscript to a journal, make sure you follow the guidelines described in the submission policies of that publication, and include as many sections as you think are applicable to presenting your material. Remember to keep your audience in mind as you are making this decision. If certain information is particularly pertinent for conveying your research, then ensure that there is a section of your paper that adequately addresses that information.
- LibGuides
- A-Z List
- Access From Home
- Help
IND5937: Special Topics: Literature Review
- Off-Campus Access: Logging In
- Find Background Info: Architecture
- Find Architecture Articles
- Searching Tips
- Interlibrary Loan
- Literature Review
APA 7th Edition
- In-Text Citations
- Books/Book Chapters
- Social Media/Apps/Websites
- Video/TV/Podcasts
- Presentations/Dissertations
- Data/Unpublished Works
- Visual Works
This guide will provide information on how to cite your sources in-text and in your reference list using APA style & formatting. Click the tabs for an example of each.
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
Examples of Reference Lists & In-text Citations
Additional resources:.
The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) APA Guide
- Sample of a Student Paper using APA Use this sample paper as a guide for headings, in-text citations, references, & more.
- No Date : if there isn't a date, the reference starts with the author.
Lucas, T. (n.d.). Mother nature revolts. U.S. News & World
Report. https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2020-04-17/why-you-still-havent-gotten-your-coronavirus-stimulus-check
The in-text citation will look like this:
According to Lucas, ... (n.d.).
It is hypothesized that Coronavirus was the planet's way of making a point (Lucas, n.d.).
- No Author : if there isn't an author, the reference starts with the title.
Mother nature revolts. (2020, March 29). U.S. News & World
"Mother nature revolts" ... (2020).
It is hypothesized that Coronavirus was the planet's way of making a point ("Mother nature revolts", 2020).
- Exact quotes: page numbers (or paragraph numbers) must be included for exact quotes:
It was hypothesized that, "Coronavirus was the planet's way of making a point" (Lucas, 2017, p. 5.).
It was hypothesized that, "Coronavirus w as the planet's way of making a point" (Lucas, 2017, para . 5.).
- DOI = Digital Object Identifier. If an item has a DOI, it must be included in the reference. Not all articles and e-books will have a DOI.
- The research ... (Gonzalez & Perez., 2020).
- According to Perez, .... (2020).
If there are 2 authors, include both of them every time in the in-text citations.
- The research ... (Gonzalez et al., 2020).
- According to Gonzalez et al. .... (2020).
- Up to 20 Authors : names and initials for all 20 authors must be provided in the reference list. It will look like this:
The in-text citation will look like this:
According to Smith et al. ... (2020).
The research .... (Smith, et al., 2020).
- 21+ Authors : for sources with more than 20 authors, the first 19 are included in the reference list followed by an ellipses and the final author. It looks like this:
- Citing Multiple Works : when referring to multiple works in-text, place the citations in alphabetical order, separating them with semicolons.
(Edwards, 2012; Flygare et al., 2019; Steba, 2015).
- Citing Multiple Works by the same author(s) in the same year: when multiple references have identical author (or authors) and publication year, include a lowercase letter after the year. The year–letter combination is used in both the in-text citation and the reference list entry. Use only the year with a letter in the in-text citation, even if the reference list entry contains a more specific date.
Smith, J. & Ortiz, P. (2019a, February). Judge Judy and her impact on society. Journal of Social Science, 15 (2), 16-25.
http://journsocscience.com
Smith, J. & Ortiz, P. (2019b, March). Judge Judy impacts social justice. Journal of Social Science, 15 (2), 16-25.
Smith and Ortiz found ... (2019a).
... (Smith & Ortiz, 2019b).
- Citing a Source within a Source :
Arpan, L. M., & Raney, A. A. (2003). An experimental investigation of news source and the hostile media effect. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly 80 (2), 265-281.
(Gunther, 1992, as cited in Arpan & Raney, 2003);
The in-text citation gives credit to the source used. This is the same one included in the reference list.
- Citing Personal Communication (for example via email or messenger):
Because readers cannot retrieve the communication, it is not included in the reference list. The communication is cited in the text of the paper only.
S. Fernandez (personal communication, April 15, 2020) ...
... (S. Fernandez, personal communication, April 15, 2020).
- Organizational Authors with Common Acronyms
If an organization or government entity is commonly known by it's acronym, it can be used in-text but the full name should be spelled out in the reference list.
The first in-text citation will look like this:
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS, 2020), described ...
... (The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services [CMS], 2020).
In-text citations that follow can use the acronym:
According to CMS ... (2020).
... (CMS, 2020).
The reference list will always include the spelled out organization (and not the acronym):
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Servic e s. (2020). ...
In-Text Citation Basics:
- APA uses author-date citation system
- Informs the reader where the information came from
- Refers the reader to the source information
- Use sparingly
- Page numbers (or paragraph numbers) must be included for exact quotes
- Only include relevant material
- Block quotes = 40+ words, no quotation marks, indented
Neu (2015) stated that “healthcare is a right” (p. 6).
In 2017, Smith argued that “healthcare is a privilege” (para. 3) and therefore should not be free.
The notion that healthcare is a right has been debated by many authors (Neu, 2105, p. 6; Smith, 2017, para. 3).
Blockquote:
Avoid Plagiarism
Indicate info. from various sources
Easily identify sources
Adds credibility to your writing
Expands breadth/depth of your writing
Acknowledge the sources that you have borrowed from
- The reference list starts on a new page with the word References , centered and bold
Double-spaced
Your reference list must match your in-text citations and vice versa
Alphabetical list by author’s last name
Use a hanging indent for every line after the first
For titles of books, articles, & websites in reference lists, capitalize only:
- the first word
- the first word after a colon
- proper nouns
In-Text Citation Examples:
General reference form :.
Author Last Name(s), First Initial, Middle Initial. (Date). Title of article. Title of Source, volume number (issue number), page
numbers. DOI or URL.
Reference Examples:
Articles with a doi (digital object identifier):.
McConkey, S.M., & Christiansen, S.J. (2020). Language learning in Miami: A cross-linguistic model of diverse Spanish
dialects. Psychological Review , 128 (8), 25-61. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/rev0000126
Articles without a DOI:
Andersen, J. (2020, March 30). Miami and Coronavirus. New York Times . C1
Pearsong, S., Padron, M., & Ortiz, J. (2020, January 1). What the New Year has in store for the U.S. The New
Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/the-homemade-insight-of-fetch-the-bolt-cutters
Article with an article number or eLocator
Smith, T. C., Castillo, M. J., Jackson, G. L., Simpson, B. B., Lantry, R. S., O'Reilly, S. T., Rosenberg, F., Lee, L. H., Cox,
G., Harris, H. L., Kass, P., Gonzalez, W. L., Hughes, W., Carter, D., Campbell, C., Baker, A. B., Flores, T., Gray, W. E.,
Green, G., ... Nelson, T. P. (2020). Miami and Coronavirus. PLOS ONE, 14 (1), Article
e0209899. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0209899
Reference Examples:
TIP: In the 7th edition, publisher location is no longer required when citing books.
Authored book with a DOI (Digital Object Identifier) Example:
Nadler, J.T. & Voyles, E. C. (2020). Stereotypes: The incidence and impacts of bias. ABC-CLIO.
http://dx.doi.org/10.3389 /fpsyg.2015.0004
Authored book without a DOI (print or ebook) Example:
Johnson, D.W. (2020). The customer revolution in healthcare: Delivering kinder, smarter, affordable care for all. McGraw-Hill.
Edited book without a DOI Example:
Hacker Hughes, J. (Ed). (2017). Military veteran psychological health and social care: Contemporary approaches. Routledge.
Chapter in an edited book with a DOI Example:
Stone, C. (2020). Stereotypes of veterans. In J. T. Nadler & Voyles, E. C. (Eds.), Stereotypes: The incidence and impacts of
bias . (pp. 213-225). ABC-CLIO. http://dx.doi.org/10.3389 /fpsyg.2015.0004.
Chapter in an edited book without a DOI Example:
Weinstock, R., Leong, G. B., & Silva, J. A. (2003). Defining forensic psychiatry: Roles and responsibilities. In R. Rosner (Ed.),
Principles and practice of forensic psychiatr y (2nd ed., pp. 7-13). CRC Press.
Website Examples:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, January 23). People at high risk of developing flu-related complications.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/high_risk.htm
Martin Lillie, C. M. (2016, December 29). Be kind to yourself: How self-compassion can improve your resiliency. Mayo Clinic.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/health-lifestyle/adult-health/in-depth/self-compassion-can-improve-your-resiliency/art-20267193
Boddy, J., Neumann, T., Jennings, S., Morron, V., Alderson, P., Rees, R., & Gibson, W. (n.d.). Ethics principles. The
Research Ethics Guidebook: A Resource for Social Scientists. http://www.ethicsguidebook.ac.uk/EthicsPrinciples
.... (Boddy, et al., n.d.).
... ( Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018).
Body et al. ... (n.d.) ...
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, ... (2018).
Tweet Example:
Obama, M. [@MichelleObama] (2020, April 18). Thank you to all the essential workers who are getting up every day and
risking their lives on our behalf. @LauraWBush and I were honored to show our support for their heroic efforts during
tonight's @GlblCtzn’s One World: #TogetherAtHome Special. [video attached] Tweet. Twitter
https://twitter.com/MichelleObama/status/1251695525017137159
.... (Obama, 2020).
Obama (2020) ...
Twitter Profile Example:
Bush, Laura. [@laurawbush]. (n.d.). Tweets . [Twitter profile] Twitter. Retrieved from April 18, 2020 from
https://twitter.com/laurawbush.
.... (Bush, n.d.).
Bush (n.d.) ...
Facebook Page Example:
Coronavirus (Covid-19) Information Center. (n.d.). Home [Facebook page]. Facebook. Retrieved April 18, 2020, from
https://www.facebook.com/coronavirus_info/
.... ( Coronavirus ( Covid-19 ) Information Center, n.d. ).
Coronavirus ( Covid-19 ) Information Center (n.d.) ...
Facebook Post Example:
National institute of mental health. (2018, november 28). suicide affects all ages, genders, races, and ethnicities. check out, these 5 action steps for helping someone in emotional pain [infographic]. facebook. http://bit.ly/321qstq.
.... ( National Institute of Mental Health, 2018 ).
The National Institute of Mental Health ... (2018) ...
Instagram Video or Photo Example: APA Style [@officialapastyle]. (2018, December 5). Welcome to the official Instagram for #APAStyle! We’re here to help you
With your apa style questions [instagram photograph]. retrieved from https://www.instagram.com/p/bq-a-dvblih/.
.... (APA Style, 2018).
APA Style ... (2018) ...
Instagram Profile: Star Wars [@starwars]. (n.d.). Posts [Instagram profile]. Retrieved December 10, 2018, from
Https://www.instagram.com/starwars/.
.... (Star Wars, n.d.).
Star Wars ... (n.d.) ...
Instagram Highlight: APA Style [@officialapastyle]. (n.d.). FAQs [Instagram highlight]. Retrieved December 10, 2018, from
Https://www.instagram.com/s/aglnagxpz2h0oje3otc2odkwntk5mtc5mty1/.
.... (APA Style, n.d.).
APA Style ... (n.d.) ...
Blog Post Example:
APA Style. (2020, March 19). What’s new in the seventh edition Publication Manual. APA Style.
https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/ whats-new-7e
.... (APA Style, 2020).
The APA Style (2020) ...
Mobile App Examples:
Actual app:.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/epocrates/id281935788?mt=8
Entry in the App:
Epocrates. (2019). Interaction check: Aspirin + sertraline. In Epocrates medical references (version 18.12) [Mobile app]. App
Store. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/epocrates/id281935788?mt=8
.... (Epocrates, 2019).
Epocrates ... (2019).
YouTube Example:
Cutts, S. (2017, November 24). Happiness [Video]. YouTube. https:youtube.com/24455202929
.... (Cutts, 2017).
Cutts (2017) ...
Ted Talk Example:
Kowalski, C. (2017, November). The critical role librarians play in the
opioid crisis https ://www.ted.com/talks/chera_kowalski_the_critical_role_librarians_play_in_the_opioid_crisis
.... (Kowalski, 2017).
Kowalski (2017) ...
Film or Video Example:
Forman, M. (Director). (1975). One flew over the cuckoo’s nest [Film]. United Artists.
.... (Forman, 1975).
Forman (1975) ...
TV Example:
Wolf, D. (1999-present). Law & Order: Special Victims Unit [TV Series]. Wolf Entertainment Productions; NBC.
.... (Wolf , 1999-present ).
Wolf (1999-present) ...
Podcast Example:
Poor, N., Woods, E. & Williams, A. (2016-present). Ear Hustle [Audio podcast]. PRX. https://www.earhustlesq.com/
.... (Poor et al., 2016-present).
Poor et al. (2016-present) ...
Report Examples:
National Cancer Institute. (2018). Facing forward: Life after cancer treatment (NIH Publication No. 18-2424). U.S. Department
of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health. https://www.cancer.gov/publications/patient-education/life-after-treatment.pdf
Blackwell, D. L., Lucas, J. W., & Clarke, T. C. (2014). Summary health statistics for U.S. adults: National Health Interview
Survey, 2012. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/series/sr_10/sr10_260.pdf
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. (2017). Agency financial report: Fiscal year 2017.
https://www.sec.gov/files/sec-2017-agency-financial-report.pdf
.... ( National Cancer Institute , 2018).
... (Blackwell, et al., 2014).
... ( U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, 2017).
National Cancer Institute (2018) ...
Blackwell, et al. (2014) ...
According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (2017), ...
Presentation Example:
O'Reilly, P., Edwards, C., & Hamil, S. K. (2020, April 1-3). How to cite properly in APA. [Paper presentation]. Florida Library Association 100th Annual Conference, Orlando, FL, United States.
*Replace [Paper presentation] with [Conference presentation] or [Poster presentation] as needed.
.... (O'Reilly, et al., 2020).
O'Reilly et al. (2020) ...
Dissertation Examples:
Unpublished:
Hodges, L. (2018). Instructional design perceptions and practices of faculty [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Florida
International University.
Sanderson, K. R. (2012). Time orientation in organizations: Polychronicity and multitasking (Publication No. 3554209)
[Doctoral dissertation Florida International University]. Proquest Dissertations & Theses.
.... (Hodges, 2018).
Sanderson (2012) ...
Unpublished Manuscript Example:
Yen, J., Chen, Y., Rigotti, A., & Deckard C. (2016). Linking good customer services to increased sales: An observational study
[Unpublished manuscript]. College of Business, Florida International University.
Include the department and institution where the work was published if possible.
.... (Yen et al., 2016).
Yen, et al. (2016) ...
Data Set Examples:
Published Data:
Pew Research Center (2018). Core Trend Survey [Data set].
https ://www.pewresearch.org/internet/dataset/core-trends - survey/
Unpublished Unnamed Raw Data Set :
Baer, R. A. (2015). [Unpublished raw data on the correlations between the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire and the
Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills]. University of Kentucky.
.... (Pew Research Center, 2018).
Baer (2015) ...
Infographic Example:
Florida Library Association. (2020, February). Federal funds in Florida [Infographic]. https://www.flalib.org/advocacy
.... (Florida Library Association [FLA], 2020).
Florida Library Association [FLA] (2020) ...
Map Example:
Florida International University GIS Center. (2015). BIKE – Bicycle Knowledge Explorer (Palm Beach) [Map].
https://maps.fiu.edu/gis/research/projects/255/bike-%E2%80%93-bicycle-knowledge-explorer-palm-beach
.... ( Florida International University GIS Center , 2015).
Florida International University GIS Center (2015) ...
Photograph Example:
McCurry, S. (1985). Afghan girl [Photograph]. National Geographic.
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/national-geographic-magazine-50-years-of-covers/#/ngm-1985-jun-714.jpg
.... (McCurry, 1985).
McCurry (1985) ...
PowerPoint or Lecture Notes Example:
Cana, E., & Vasilev, J. (2019, May 22). [Lecture notes on resource allocation]. Department of Management Control and
Information Systems, University of Chile. https://uchilefau.academia.edu/ElseZCanan
.... (Mack & Spake, 2018).
Cana and Vasiley (2019) ...
Museum Example:
Wood, G. (1930). American gothic [Painting]. Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States. https://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/6565
.... (Wood, 1930).
Wood (1930) ...
APA 7th Edition Videos & Tutorials
Apa 7th edition: set up an apa format paper in 6 minutes | scribbr.
- << Previous: RefWorks
- Next: Need Help >>
- Last Updated: Mar 15, 2023 7:04 PM
- URL: https://library.fiu.edu/IND5937
Information
Fiu libraries floorplans, green library, modesto a. maidique campus, hubert library, biscayne bay campus.
Directions: Green Library, MMC
Directions: Hubert Library, BBC
Sample Papers
This page contains sample papers formatted in seventh edition APA Style. The sample papers show the format that authors should use to submit a manuscript for publication in a professional journal and that students should use to submit a paper to an instructor for a course assignment. You can download the Word files to use as templates and edit them as needed for the purposes of your own papers.
Most guidelines in the Publication Manual apply to both professional manuscripts and student papers. However, there are specific guidelines for professional papers versus student papers, including professional and student title page formats. All authors should check with the person or entity to whom they are submitting their paper (e.g., publisher or instructor) for guidelines that are different from or in addition to those specified by APA Style.
Sample papers from the Publication Manual
The following two sample papers were published in annotated form in the Publication Manual and are reproduced here as PDFs for your ease of use. The annotations draw attention to content and formatting and provide the relevant sections of the Publication Manual (7th ed.) to consult for more information.
- Student sample paper with annotations (PDF, 4.95MB)
- Professional sample paper with annotations (PDF, 3MB)
We also offer these sample papers in Microsoft Word (.docx) format with the annotations as comments to the text.
- Student sample paper with annotations as comments (DOCX, 42KB)
- Professional sample paper with annotations as comments (DOCX, 103KB)
Finally, we offer these sample papers in Microsoft Word (.docx) format without the annotations.
- Student sample paper without annotations (DOCX, 36KB)
- Professional sample paper without annotations (DOCX, 96KB)
Sample professional paper templates by paper type
These sample papers demonstrate APA Style formatting standards for different professional paper types. Professional papers can contain many different elements depending on the nature of the work. Authors seeking publication should refer to the journal’s instructions for authors or manuscript submission guidelines for specific requirements and/or sections to include.
- Literature review professional paper template (DOCX, 47KB)
- Mixed methods professional paper template (DOCX, 68KB)
- Qualitative professional paper template (DOCX, 72KB)
- Quantitative professional paper template (DOCX, 77KB)
- Review professional paper template (DOCX, 112KB)
This guidance is new to the 7th edition.
Related handouts
- Heading Levels Template: Student Paper (PDF, 257KB)
- Heading Levels Template: Professional Paper (PDF, 213KB)
Other instructional aids
- Journal Article Reporting Standards
- APA Style Tutorials and Webinars
- Handouts and Guides
- Paper Format
Sample student paper templates by paper type
These sample papers demonstrate APA Style formatting standards for different student paper types. Students may write the same types of papers as professional authors (e.g., quantitative studies, literature reviews) or other types of papers for course assignments (e.g., reaction or response papers, discussion posts), dissertations, and theses.
APA does not set formal requirements for the nature or contents of an APA Style student paper. Students should follow the guidelines and requirements of their instructor, department, and/or institution when writing papers. For instance, an abstract and keywords are not required for APA Style student papers, although an instructor may request them in student papers that are longer or more complex. Specific questions about a paper being written for a course assignment should be directed to the instructor or institution assigning the paper.
- Discussion post student paper template (DOCX, 31KB)
- Literature review student paper template (DOCX, 37KB)
- Quantitative study student paper template (DOCX, 53KB)
Sample papers in real life
Although published articles differ in format from manuscripts submitted for publication or student papers (e.g., different line spacing, font, margins, and column format), articles published in APA journals provide excellent demonstrations of APA Style in action.
APA journals began publishing papers in seventh edition APA Style in 2020. Professional authors should check the author submission guidelines for the journal to which they want to submit their paper for any journal-specific style requirements.
Credits for sample professional paper templates
Quantitative professional paper template: Adapted from “Fake News, Fast and Slow: Deliberation Reduces Belief in False (but Not True) News Headlines,” by B. Bago, D. G. Rand, and G. Pennycook, 2020, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General , 149 (8), pp. 1608–1613 ( https://doi.org/10.1037/xge0000729 ). Copyright 2020 by the American Psychological Association.
Qualitative professional paper template: Adapted from “‘My Smartphone Is an Extension of Myself’: A Holistic Qualitative Exploration of the Impact of Using a Smartphone,” by L. J. Harkin and D. Kuss, 2020, Psychology of Popular Media , 10 (1), pp. 28–38 ( https://doi.org/10.1037/ppm0000278 ). Copyright 2020 by the American Psychological Association.
Mixed methods professional paper template: Adapted from “‘I Am a Change Agent’: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Students’ Social Justice Value Orientation in an Undergraduate Community Psychology Course,” by D. X. Henderson, A. T. Majors, and M. Wright, 2019, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology , 7 (1), 68–80. ( https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000171 ). Copyright 2019 by the American Psychological Association.
Literature review professional paper template: Adapted from “Rethinking Emotions in the Context of Infants’ Prosocial Behavior: The Role of Interest and Positive Emotions,” by S. I. Hammond and J. K. Drummond, 2019, Developmental Psychology , 55 (9), pp. 1882–1888 ( https://doi.org/10.1037/dev0000685 ). Copyright 2019 by the American Psychological Association.
Review professional paper template: Adapted from “Joining the Conversation: Teaching Students to Think and Communicate Like Scholars,” by E. L. Parks, 2022, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology , 8 (1), pp. 70–78 ( https://doi.org/10.1037/stl0000193 ). Copyright 2020 by the American Psychological Association.
Credits for sample student paper templates
These papers came from real students who gave their permission to have them edited and posted by APA.
- Collections
- Research Help
- Teaching & Learning
- Library Home
APA 7th Edition Citation Style Guide
- About APA Style
Resources for more help
- Journal Articles
- Web Sources
- Magazine & News Articles
- Audiovisual Media
- Data & Reports
- Legal Documents
- Dissertations & Theses
- References Page
- In-text Citations
- Author Variations (more than 1, or group)
- Citing Business Resources
Get Help from the Social Sciences Librarian
This guide is a general overview of how to cite common types of sources using APA style. For more complex APA style questions, please consult the official APA formatting rules found in The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7 th ed.
- Basic Guide to APA Style A printable two page guide that gives you example citations for common source types.
- APA Style Blog Look here for answers to tricky questions like how to cite obscure source types and for explanations of APA rules. This is a good place to go if you have consulted the APA manual and still have questions.
- Excelsior OWL APA Guide Another handy online guide- includes example formatted bibliographies and research papers.
HAVE A QUESTION?
Here are some of the best ways to get help.
- Next: Journal Articles >>
- Last Updated: Sep 8, 2022 6:31 PM
- URL: https://libguides.wvu.edu/apa
APA Style 7th Edition: Citing Your Sources
- Basics of APA Formatting
- In Text Quick View
- Block Quotes
- Books & eBooks
- Thesis/Dissertation
- Audiovisual
- Conference Presentations
- Social Media
- Legal References
- Reports and Gray Literature
Standard Format
Formatting rules, various examples.
- Academic Integrity and Plagiarism
- Additional Resources
- Reference Page
Adapted from American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000
- Italicize report titles
- First word of the title and first word of the subtitle capitalized
- Capitalize proper nouns
- Every other word is lower case
- Shorten long URLs or DOIs: When a DOI or URL is long or complex, you may use shortDOIs or shortened URLs if desired. Use the shortDOI service provided by the International DOI Foundation ( https://shortdoi.org/ ) to create shortDOI.
- << Previous: Data Sets
- Next: Paper Elements & Formatting >>
- Last Updated: Jan 4, 2023 2:35 PM
- URL: https://libguides.usc.edu/APA7th
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Basic format to reference a report · Author or authors. The surname is followed by first initials. · Year · Title of report (In italics. · Publisher information (if
Formatting a Literature Review in APA Style (7th edition) · provide summaries and evaluations of findings/theories in the research literature of
This video walks students through a short literature review that has been updated in APA 7th edition.
A literature review is a critical summary of what the scientific literature says about your specific topic or question. Often student research in APA fields
An APA style paper is organized in the author-date style. This means you cite the author's name and year of publication within the text with an in-text citation
The reference list starts on a new page with the word References, centered and bold · Double-spaced · Your reference list must match your in-text
Copyright 2019 by the American Psychological Association. Literature review professional paper template: Adapted from “Rethinking Emotions in the Context of
Whenever possible, give a citation for the measurements' supporting literature (e.g. manual, book, or journal article). If the supporting
Many different treatment methods are used and vary in success. It does seem clear, however, ……. Sub-headings bold and flush. Page 7
APA Style 7th Edition: Citing Your Sources · Standard Format · Formatting Rules · Various Examples.