How to Cite a Journal Article in APSA Style Manual

This guide explains how to format a journal article citation in APSA Style Manual. Follow the format template below, refer to the real example, and use the step-by-step instructions to build your citation correctly.

Format Template

The general pattern for citing a journal article in APSA Style Manual:

Template

Author, First Name. Year. "Title of Article." *Journal Name* Volume(Issue): Pages.

In-Text Citation Example

How the citation appears within the body of your paper:

In-text citation

(Smith 2023, 45)

Reference List Entry Example

The full citation as it appears in your reference list:

Reference list entry

Alvarez, R. Michael. 2023. "Voter Identification Laws and Electoral Participation." *American Political Science Review* 117(3): 482--499.

Step-by-Step Guide

1
List the authors
Write the first author's last name, comma, full first name (and middle name/initial if given). For subsequent authors, use first name last name order. Separate with commas and use "and" before the last author.
2
Add the publication year
Write the year followed by a period. The year comes immediately after the author name(s).
3
Write the article title
Place the title in double quotation marks. Use headline-style capitalization. End with a period inside the closing quotation mark.
4
Add the journal name and volume
Italicize the journal name. Follow immediately (no comma) with the volume number and issue number in parentheses.
5
Include page numbers
After the issue number, add a colon and the page range with no spaces. End with a period.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Using only initials instead of full first names for authors.
Forgetting to place the article title in quotation marks.
Not italicizing the journal name.
Omitting the colon between the issue number and page range.
Using a comma instead of no punctuation between the author name and year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does APSA use full first names or initials?

APSA uses full first names, not initials. This distinguishes it from APA and many other styles. Write out the author's first name as it appears on the publication.

How do I format the in-text citation in APSA?

Use parenthetical author-date format: (Author Year) or (Author Year, Page). For example: (Smith 2023) or (Smith 2023, 45). Note there is no comma between author and year.

Is APSA the same as Chicago Author-Date?

APSA is based on Chicago Author-Date but has distinct conventions, including full first names, specific title capitalization, and political science conventions for government documents.

Information You Will Need

Before creating your citation, gather the following information from your journal article:

Author(s)
Year of publication
Article title
Journal name
Volume number
Issue number
Page range
DOI or URL

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Step-by-Step Guide

List the authors

Write the first author's last name, comma, full first name (and middle name/initial if given). For subsequent authors, use first name last name order. Separate with commas and use "and" before the last author.

Add the publication year

Write the year followed by a period. The year comes immediately after the author name(s).

Write the article title

Place the title in double quotation marks. Use headline-style capitalization. End with a period inside the closing quotation mark.

Add the journal name and volume

Italicize the journal name. Follow immediately (no comma) with the volume number and issue number in parentheses.

Include page numbers

After the issue number, add a colon and the page range with no spaces. End with a period.