APA Examples Handout
Available for print or download.
About Citing References Using APA Style
Welcome to the guide for Citing References Using APA Style!
We hope that you will find this guide a useful starting place for information on APA Style, 7th edition. We have assembled a core collection of resources available through the Wayne State University Library System, as well as high quality, freely available web resources. This guide is a collaborative work-in-progress, developed with the suggestions and feedback from students and faculty.
Note: APA 7th Edition requires Double-Spacing throughout your paper.
AI Disclaimer
Do not use AI to suggest references to read/cite
Please be aware that ChatGPT and other AI services can produce incorrect, made-up references that cannot be sourced. While some individual parts of an AI-generated reference may be accurate (such as the journal name, article or book title or an author) the whole reference does not usually exist so cannot be found by our library team.
If you have a reference that you cannot find, our team may ask where it came from so that we can ensure it is legitimate before attempting to find it. If you need assistance, please use our 24/7 library chat service.
More APA Style Guides
- Academic Writer Tutorial: Basics of Seventh Edition APA StyleThis tutorial takes you through the basics of writing an APA style paper, from paper format and organization to in-text citations and references.
- APA Style Guide, 7th Ed.This is the website for the 7th edition of the APA Style manual.
- APA Style, 7th ed., Handouts & GuidesInstructional aids in PDF format; guides to introduce writers to APA Style or provide a brief overview of specific topics; checklists to use during the writing process; interactive activities to improve APA formatting or writing.
- Excelsior Online Writing LabThis resource offers examples of the general format for papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and reference pages.
- Sample Papers in APA StyleIncludes samples of an Annotated Bibliography, a variety of essays, literature review and more.
Citation Management Software
- Citation Management OptionsLinks to citation management software, tutorials, downloads, etc. available to assist you with citing your sources.
- How to Use RefworksRefworks is a cloud-based citation management tool that formats your bibliographies in APA, MLA, and many other citation styles, and use the saved references with Microsoft Word and other word processing software.. It is free to Wayne State University students, faculty, staff and other affiliated users.
- How to Use ZoteroZotero is a free open-source online citation management software that helps you gather, organize, and analyze sources and use the saved references with Microsoft Word and other word processing software.
- How to Use EndNoteEndNote citation management software available at a discount to all WSU students, faculty and staff. It allows you to manually enter citation information, or export directly from the library's online databases. EndNote can format bibliographic entries in almost every citation style and works with most word processors to insert citations and build reference lists as you write.
Format and Citation Tools
- Paper FormattingGuide to formatting papers in APA 7th Edition. Developed by University of Texas Arlington Libraries.
- ZoteroBibZoteroBib creates a bibliography in the style you need, including APA, MLA and Chicago/Turbaian. Just enter the from URL, title, DOI and other information, select your style and Zotero will compile a formatted citation list.
Helpful Videos
Digital Object Identifiers
A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a unique and permanent set of numbers and letters that will always lead you to the location of a document on the Internet.
- Finding & Using DOIsThis article explains how to find DOIs and incorporate them in APA citations.
- DOIs & URLsThis article explains the difference between DOIs and URLs and when to use them in APA citation.