How to write the source in an APA 7 reference

What source means in a reference

The source tells readers where they can locate the cited work. It does not simply mean “webpage,” and it is not limited to an internet address.

Depending on the type of work, the source may include a publisher, journal, edited book, website, database, archive, DOI, or URL.

The names, publication details, and links used in this guide are illustrative.

How to identify the source

First decide whether the work stands alone or belongs to a larger publication:

• For a whole book, the source is usually the publisher.
• For an article, the source is the journal and its publication details.
• For a chapter, the source is the book containing it and the publisher.
• For a webpage, the source may be the website name and URL.
• For a dissertation or work with limited circulation, an archive or repository may be required.

The exact pattern depends on the reference type that matches the work. Do not use the same structure for every work found online.

Publisher of a book or report

Write the publisher name as it appears in the work. Do not include the publisher's city or country.

Horizon Press.

Do not include business designations such as Inc., Ltd., or LLC. If two or more publishers are listed, keep them in the order shown and separate them with semicolons.

When the author and publisher are the same organization, omit the publisher to avoid repeating the name.

Journal, volume, issue, and pages

The source for a journal article may include the journal title, volume, issue, and page range or article number:

Journal of Applied Education, 12(3), 45-62.

Italicize the journal title and volume. Place the issue immediately after the volume in parentheses without italics. Do not italicize the page range.

If an online publication has no volume, issue, or pages, omit the details that do not exist. Do not invent numbers or use pages from a PDF as though they were the article's official page range.

Websites

For a webpage, place the website name after the title and before the URL:

Open Library. https://example.com/reading

When the author and website name are the same organization, omit the site name to avoid repetition. In that case, the source may consist only of the URL.

A work found on a website is not always a webpage. If it is a report, news story, journal article, or social media post, use the pattern for that type of work.

When to include a DOI

A DOI is a permanent identifier assigned to a work. If a work has a DOI, include it even if you used a print version.

Write it as a link in this form:

https://doi.org/10.0000/example

If you find an older form such as DOI: 10... or http://dx.doi.org/..., convert it to the current https://doi.org/... form.

When an online work has both a DOI and URL, include only the DOI.

When to include a URL

If an online work has no DOI and is available on a website, include a URL that leads directly to the content whenever possible.

Do not include personal session links or addresses that work only after signing in through a library. Check that the link opens the work you cited.

Do not write Retrieved from before a URL unless a retrieval date is also required. Do not add a period after a DOI or URL because it may be mistaken for part of the link.

Databases and repositories

You normally do not include the name of an academic database when the work is also available through other services. Do not include a library session URL.

Include a database, archive, or repository when readers need it to retrieve an original work available only there, a dissertation, an archived manuscript, or another work with limited circulation.

Before adding a database, check the pattern for the reference type. Downloading a work from a database does not automatically mean that the database name belongs in the reference.

What to do when the work is no longer available

A reference needs a source that readers can retrieve. If a webpage no longer exists, look for an archived version and use its stable address when one is available.

If no recoverable version exists, the work should not appear as a regular reference-list entry. Some nonrecoverable sources, such as personal communications, are cited only in the text.

How to check the source element

• You identified the type of work before choosing the source.
• You included the correct publisher, journal, website, archive, or repository.
• You omitted the publisher or website when it exactly repeats the author.
• You included an available DOI in the https://doi.org/... form.
• You used a URL only when appropriate and checked that it works.
• You did not include both a DOI and URL for the same online work.
• You did not add a period after a DOI or URL.
• You avoided database names and links that do not help readers retrieve the work.

With all four elements complete, learn how to organize the reference list.