How to Format DOI in APA Style (APA 7th Edition Update)

The American Psychological Association (APA) introduced the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual in October 2019. This edition replaced the previous one, the 6th edition of the manual. Since then, several things have changed. The latest edition also updated the formatting of digital object identifiers (DOI) in APA Style. This article addresses when to include DOIs and uniform resource locators (URLs) in APA Style references.

29.11.2020

How to Format DOI in APA Style (APA 7th Edition Update)

APA Style

APA is the official style of documentation of academic sources used by the American Psychological Association (APA). It is considered one of the most commonly used styles in the academic field. It is especially used for citing sources within the field of social and behavioral sciences.

7th Edition of the APA Manual

The American Psychological Association (APA) introduced the 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual in October 2019.  This edition replaced the previous one, the 6th edition of the manual. Since then, several things have changed. The latest edition also updated the formatting of digital object identifiers (DOI) in APA Style. This article addresses when to include DOIs and uniform resource locators (URLs) in APA Style references.

What is A Digital Object Identifier (DOI)?

A DOI is a string of numbers, letters, and symbols that are used to identify a work or document and link to it on the web. The aim of a DOI is to help readers locate a document from the author’s citation. It is a unique number, and it will always refer to that article. Even if a web address (URL) changes, the DOI will never change.

What is A Uniform Resource Locator (URL)?

A URL is a short form for a uniform resource locator. A URL for a website is the location of a specific website, page, or file on the Internet. Theoretically, each valid URL points to a unique resource such as an HTML page, a CSS document, or an image.  According to Mozilla, ‘‘with hypertext and HTTP, URL is considered one of the key concepts of the Web. It is the mechanism used by browsers to retrieve any published resource on the web.’’ 

Where to Find the DOI?

In most recently published articles, the DOI information is printed with the article itself. When the DOI cannot be found in the article, check Crossref.org to find the information. Crossref aims to make research outputs easy to find, cite, link, assess, and reuse. One of Crossref services is to register DOIs, and researchers should follow their guidelines for the display of DOIs.

The company summarizes its aims to rally the community; tag and share metadata; run an open infrastructure; play with technology; and make tools and services—all help put scholarly content in context.

Format DOI in APA Style (APA 7th Edition Update)

DOIs are Formatted the Same as URLs in the 7th Edition of the APA Manual

Most journal articles and books have a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) assigned to them. This unique identifier is stable (it does not change over time) and makes retrieving a source easier for readers.

In the 6th edition of the APA Manual, DOIs are formatted according to the initial recommendations from Crossref. The 6th edition of the APA Manual requires the following format: doi:10.0000/3mp7y-537. Effective 2017, Crossref has updated its DOI display guidelines in part to ensure security (with HTTPS).

  • With the APA Manual 7th edition, DOIs are formatted the same as URLs.

  • DOIs are formatted as hyperlinks.

  • To make your DOI hyperlinked, you should add the https://doi.org/ before the actual DOI, the number starting with 10. 

  • You need to use the https://doi.org/ beginning rather than older versions, such as http://dx.doi.org/

APA 6th edition

doi:10.0000/3mp7y-537

APA7th edition

https://doi.org/10.0000/3mp7y-537

If you need help, then contact us!

Best Edit & Proof expert editors aim to provide your manuscripts with proper scholarly and academic tone and style. They will significantly improve the chances of having your research manuscript accepted for publishing. They provide subject-area proofreading and editing services in several fields categorized under various disciplines. With our extensive knowledge and expertise, we will help you find the right tone and style for your manuscript.

If you need our subject-area editors to format your manuscripts, giving you the fundamental rules for formatting your manuscripts as described in your guidelines, such as APA, MLA, or Chicago/Turabian styles, then contact us. At Best Edit & Proof, our proofreaders and editors edit every type of academic paper. We have a user-friendly website and a simplified ordering process. 

If you would like our subject-area editors and language experts to work on your project for the improvement of its academic tone and style, then please visit the order page. It is easy! It takes only a few minutes to submit your paper and complete the process. Click here to see how it works.

DOI in APA Style (APA 7th Edition Update)

We have flat-rate pricing based on our type of service (editing or proofreading), word count, and turnaround time. Enter your word count or copy and paste your document into our pricing calculator to get an instant quote.

24/7 customer support | Live support

If you need support for editing and proofreading services, contact us. You can also e-mail us or use the 24/7 live chat module to get direct support. We have a 24/7 active live chat mode to offer you direct support along with qualified editors to refine and furbish your manuscript. Alternatively, you can text us through our WhatsApp business line.

Stay tuned for updated information about editing and proofreading services!

Follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn,  Facebook, Instagram, and Medium.

For more information about the citation styles and APA style, read the following articles: 

For more posts, click here.

This article discusses how to format the DOI according to the 7th edition of the APA Manual Publication. To give you an opportunity to practice your proofreading, we have left a few spelling, punctuation, or grammatical errors in the text. See if you can spot them! If you spot the errors correctly, you will be entitled to a 10% discount.

They Also Read

Academic Writing Academic Publishing
How to Write an Effective Introduction for Academic Essays
29.11.2020

Writing an impactful introduction is more than just following the rules. If you search on the Internet, you may find stereotypical rules and regulations. However, it is important to understand that the author’s creative sense and ability to comprehend the topic helps in executing an effective introduction. This article discusses the major elements of writing an introduction and how you can write an impactful introduction.

Continue Reading
Academic Writing
6 Bad Habits to Avoid in Academic Writing
29.11.2020

Writing an academic paper is not similar to other forms of writing. It requires patience, knowledge, and the use of proper sentence construction. An academic paper should be informative, polished, and well structured. As a student or researcher, you should learn about bad habits and not repeat them in your academic writing. In this article, we discuss 6 bad habits to avoid in academic writing.

Continue Reading
Academic Writing
How to Write a Perfect Discussion Chapter for a PhD Thesis
29.11.2020

Discussion chapter of a PhD thesis focuses on explaining and analyzing what you have researched, presenting how it is associated with the existing literature. It is also a place for argument supporting your entire discussion. We often find that people seek thesis writing help from experienced editing and proofreading services to prepare a flawless PhD discussion chapter. However, following 9 essential tips can help you design a perfect PhD thesis with an excellent discussion chapter.

Continue Reading
Citation Styles
8 Most Common Citation Styles
29.11.2020

When you are writing for academic purposes, you need to keep a ton of rules and regulations in mind. However, that is not the whole story, as you also need to keep the style guide in mind. While writing for academic work is not easy, nothing can be impossible with practice. Therefore, we are here with a compact citation style guide that abides by academic standards. If you are new to editing and proofreading or new to the academic side, this article will help you learn about the 8 most common citation styles used in academic writing.

Continue Reading
Academic Writing
Formal Tone in Academic Writing: Tips to Achieve It
29.11.2020

When writing for academic or professional purposes, such as writing a research paper or a professional email to the CEO of a firm, people use diction that is far more objective, complex, and meticulous than their everyday language. In other words, they use “formal” language or, to be precise, language that carries a “formal tone.” This article will peruse the definition of “formal tone,” albeit in the context of academic writing. In addition, it will give some helpful tips to aid writers in writing more formally.

Continue Reading
APA Style Citation Styles
How to Use ‘‘et al.’’ in APA Style (7th Edition)
29.11.2020

The term ‘‘et al.’’ is the abbreviated form of the Latin term ‘‘et alia,’’ which means ‘‘and others.’’ It is used in academic in-text citations when referring to a source with multiple authors. In APA style, for a source with three or more authors, list the first author’s last name and “et al.” for all citations, including the first citation.

Continue Reading
Academic Writing Dissertation & Thesis
How to Write a Dissertation and Thesis Introduction
29.11.2020

The first chapter of your thesis or dissertation includes the introduction. You should provide the reader with a solid start. Next is staging your research with an apparent focus, objective, and direction.

Continue Reading