APA 7 reference types: formats and examples

How to choose a reference type

A reference format depends on the work you used. A journal article, book, webpage, and video contain different publication details, although each follows the general order of author, date, title, and source.

Identify the original work first. Where you found it does not always determine its type. A journal article downloaded from a database is still a journal article, and a report opened in a browser is still a report.

The guides on this page cover 16 work categories and 104 individual examples. Each category shows the references it includes so you can open the right example directly. Inside each guide, you will find the complete reference with its parenthetical and narrative citations. Illustrative names and publication details are identified as such.

If you are unsure which reference type to use

Before choosing one of the categories above, answer these three questions:

1. Is the work part of a larger publication? An article belongs to a journal, and a chapter belongs to an edited book.
2. Does the work have its own category? Use the guide for a thesis, report, data set, or video even when you found it on a website.
3. Can readers retrieve the source? Personal communications and other unrecoverable sources appear only in the text.

When you are uncertain, choose the closest category and retain the available publication details. Do not automatically turn every internet address into a webpage reference.

Legal references

Court cases, statutes, constitutions, and other legal materials follow different rules from ordinary references. Do not adapt them with the templates on this page. See the APA 7 legal references guide, which explains each group with complete examples.

After creating each entry, learn how to organize the reference list.