What does an in-text citation look like in APA 6?

APA 6 is an author–date style: in-text citations name the author and year, and the reference list is alphabetized by author. Citing our sample journal article in the text looks like: (Rivera & Chen, 2021)

What does a APA 6 reference list entry look like?

A journal article formatted in APA 6 looks like this: Rivera, M., & Chen, D. (2021). The mapping of meaning: A study of citation practice. Journal of Scholarly Communication, 12(3), 145–162. https://doi.org/10.1000/jsc.2021.145

How can I generate a APA 6 citation?

Use the free generator on this page: paste a DOI, URL (e.g. a news article), or BibTeX, or search for a book by title or author. Select APA 6 as the citation style and click Generate to get a formatted reference you can copy into your paper or bibliography.

APA 6 Citation Generator

Create accurate APA 6 citations for books, articles, and websites in one click.

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APA 6 citation examples

The same three sources formatted in APA 6 — an author–date style: in-text citations name the author and year, and the reference list is alphabetized by author:

Journal article: Rivera, M., & Chen, D. (2021). The mapping of meaning: A study of citation practice. Journal of Scholarly Communication, 12(3), 145–162. https://doi.org/10.1000/jsc.2021.145
Book: Okafor, A. (2019). The craft of research writing (2nd ed.). Cambridge: University Press.
Website: Larsen, S. (2023, May 14). How peer review works. Retrieved January 10, 2024, from Open Science Digest website: https://www.example.org/peer-review
In-text citation (for the journal article): (Rivera & Chen, 2021)

About APA 6

American Psychological Association 6th edition. Author-date in-text citations and reference list.

When to use APA 6: Older psychology and social science requirements; check if 6th or 7th is specified. Common in: United States.

Subject areas: psychology and generic base.

How to use this APA 6 generator

Paste a DOI, a URL to a news article or webpage, or raw BibTeX into the box above. You can also search for a book by title or author and cite it by ISBN. Choose "APA 6" in the style dropdown (it's pre-selected on this page), then click "Generate citation." Copy the result into your reference list or bibliography. You can edit the generated entry (e.g. fix a title or add a date) before copying.

Frequently asked questions about APA 6

What is APA 6th edition?: American Psychological Association 6th edition. Author-date in-text citations and reference list.
When should I use APA 6?: Older psychology and social science requirements; check if 6th or 7th is specified.
What does an in-text citation look like in APA 6?: APA 6 is an author–date style: in-text citations name the author and year, and the reference list is alphabetized by author. Citing our sample journal article in the text looks like: (Rivera & Chen, 2021)
What does a APA 6 reference list entry look like?: A journal article formatted in APA 6 looks like this: Rivera, M., & Chen, D. (2021). The mapping of meaning: A study of citation practice. Journal of Scholarly Communication, 12(3), 145–162. https://doi.org/10.1000/jsc.2021.145
How can I generate a APA 6 citation?: Use the free generator on this page: paste a DOI, URL (e.g. a news article), or BibTeX, or search for a book by title or author. Select APA 6 as the citation style and click Generate to get a formatted reference you can copy into your paper or bibliography.

CitationEasy supports many citation styles from around the world. Our generator uses Citation Style Language (CSL) styles from the official CSL repository.