Website
Website example
American Psychological Association. (2019, March 15). APA style guidelines. Retrieved from https://apastyle.apa.org/
Social Sciences citation style
Free APA 6th edition Citation Generator
APA 6th edition style is the citation format used by the American Psychological Association before the 7th edition, commonly used in psychology, education, and social sciences.
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APA 6Journal article
Smith, J. A., & Doe, M. B. (2024). The effects of climate change on coastal ecosystems. Journal of Environmental Science, 45, 234–251. doi:10.1234/jes.2024.045
Book
Smith, J. A. (2023). Coastal ecosystems in a changing climate (2nd ed.). Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
Website
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2024). Climate change indicators: Sea surface temperature. Retrieved April 15, 2024, from https://www.climate.gov/news-features/sea-surface-temperature
In-text
(Smith & Doe, 2024)
Sample formatted to the official APA 6th edition rules. Your real citation fills in from any URL, DOI, or ISBN.
APA 6th edition Citation Examples
See how to format different source types in APA 6th edition.
Journal article
Journal article example
Smith, J. A., & Doe, M. B. (2019). The psychology of learning. Journal of Educational Psychology, 111(3), 245-260. doi:10.1037/edu0000123
Book
Book example
Brown, C. D. (2018). Introduction to social psychology (5th ed.). New York, NY: Academic Press.
Quick APA 6th edition Rules
Author Format
Last name, First initial. Middle initial. Use & before last author. List up to 7 authors.
Title Format
Sentence case for article titles. Italicize journal titles and volume numbers.
Date Format
Year in parentheses after author. Include month and day for web sources.
Journal/Source
Italicize journal name, volume number (italicized), and issue number in parentheses.
In-text Citations
Use author-date format: (Author, Year) or Author (Year). Include page numbers for quotes: (Author, Year, p. 123).
APA 6th edition Frequently Asked Questions
What is APA 6th edition citation style?
APA 6th edition style was the citation format used by the American Psychological Association from 2009-2019. It has since been replaced by the 7th edition.
How do I cite a website in APA 6th edition?
Include author, publication date, page title, and use 'Retrieved from' before the URL (no retrieval date for stable content).
Does APA 6th edition require a DOI?
Yes, APA 6th edition requires DOIs when available. Use the format: doi:10.xxxx/xxxxx (without https://)
How do I format multiple authors in APA 6th edition?
For 2 authors, use & between names. For 3-7 authors, list all with commas and & before the last. For 8+ authors, list first 6, then ... and last author.
APA 6th edition Citation Guides
How to Cite a Dissertation or Thesis in APA 7th Edition
APA 7 dissertation and thesis format with worked examples for ProQuest, institutional repositories, unpublished theses, master's theses, and embargoed work. Covers Section 10.6 rules and the most common edge cases.
How to Cite ChatGPT in APA 7th Edition
APA 7 ChatGPT format: Company. (Year). Tool Name [Large language model]. URL. Includes worked examples for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and citing specific chats.
How to Cite a Government Document in APA 7th Edition
Learn the exact format for citing government documents in APA 7th edition, with examples for federal reports, congressional publications, executive orders, state documents, and more.
How to Write an Annotated Bibliography
Learn how to write an annotated bibliography in APA 7, MLA 9, and Chicago styles - with real examples, formatting rules, and a breakdown of what makes a strong annotation.