Log In
APA Journal Citation Without a DOI
In APA style, a journal article without a DOI still follows the journal reference format. For most articles found in academic databases, the reference ends after the page range or article number. Add a URL only when readers can reach the article on a public page from the journal or publisher.
Check the article record and PDF first. If a DOI appears, follow the standard format on APA Journal Citation.
When an APA journal article has no DOI
Keep the usual journal reference order with authors, year, article title, journal title, volume, issue, and page range or article number.
If the article came from a standard academic database and there is no stable public link, end the reference after the page range or article number.
If the article appears on a public journal or publisher page that readers can open directly, include that article URL.
Do not add a database name, a proxy link, or a journal home page URL just to fill the missing DOI slot.
The full APA journal format, including articles that do have a DOI, is covered here.
See APA Journal Citation.
To check whether a DOI is available, try the DOI Citation tool.
APA Rules for Journal References Without a DOI
Confirm that the article has no DOI
Before formatting a no-DOI reference, check the article page, the PDF, and the database record carefully.
At first glance, some journal articles seem to have no DOI. The DOI may appear near the abstract, in the PDF footer, or in the publication details.
APA treats the DOI as the preferred ending. If it appears anywhere in the record, use it.
Keep the standard journal reference structure
A missing DOI does not change the structure of the reference.
You still list the authors, year, article title in sentence case, journal title in italics, volume, issue, and page range or article number.
What changes is the final source element, not the rest of the reference.
End after the page range for most database articles
If you found the article in a standard academic database and it does not have a DOI, APA usually treats the reference as complete once the page range or article number is given.
In that common situation, you do not add a URL after the citation.
That is why many no-DOI journal references look almost the same as print references.
Use a URL only when readers can recover the article online
If the article appears on a journal or publisher page that readers can reach directly and it has no DOI, include the article URL.
The link should lead to the article itself, not to a search screen, library login page, or journal home page.
If the link does not lead to the article itself, leave it out rather than adding a weak or misleading URL.
Leave out database names for most journal articles
For a standard scholarly journal article without a DOI, APA does not ask you to name JSTOR, ProQuest, EBSCOhost, or another general database.
In most cases, the database name does not help readers find the article because the same content may be available through more than one route.
Proprietary database content and other limited-circulation material may need different treatment under APA. Check the official guidance before using the standard journal format.
Keep the in-text citation the same
A missing DOI affects the reference entry, not the in-text citation.
Parenthetical and narrative citations still use the author and year in the usual APA way.
The reference may end with a DOI, a URL, or neither, but the in-text citation still uses author and year.
How to Format an APA Journal Reference Without a DOI
Follow this sequence when no DOI is listed and you need to decide whether the reference should end after the page range or with a URL.
- Check the article record and PDF one more time to confirm that no DOI is listed.
- Record the authors in the order shown by the journal.
- Add the publication year in parentheses.
- Write the article title in sentence case and do not italicize it.
- Italicize the journal title and the volume number.
- Add the issue number in parentheses if the journal gives one.
- Use the page range or article number exactly as the journal presents it.
- If the article comes from a standard database, end the reference there.
- If readers can reach the article on a public page, add that URL at the end.
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), page range. Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), article number or eLocator. Author, A. A. (Year). Title of article. Journal Title, Volume(Issue), page range or article number. URL APA Journal Citation Examples Without a DOI
No-DOI journal references do not all end the same way. A database article often ends after the page range, while a publicly available article may end with a direct URL.
Standard academic database article
End after the page range when the article comes from a standard research database and no public article URL is available.
Reference list entry
Hughes, A. R. (2018). Classroom motivation strategies among college students. Educational Research Quarterly, 42(1), 22–36.
Open journal article with a direct URL
Add a URL when the article appears on a journal or publisher page that readers can open directly.
Reference list entry
Banwell, L., & Coulson, G. (2004). Users and user study methodology: The JUBILEE Project. Information Research: An International Electronic Journal, 9(2), paper 167. http://informationr.net/ir/9-2/paper167.html
Article number instead of page range
Keep the article number when the journal uses one in place of page numbers.
Reference list entry
Ortega, M. L., & Singh, P. (2025). Reflective writing feedback in asynchronous seminars. Journal of Open Teaching Practice, 14(3), e25104. https://www.jotp.org/articles/e25104
Journal article on a public publisher page
Use the article URL itself, not the journal homepage.
Reference list entry
Lee, C. M., & Ochoa, R. N. (2023). Family routines and attendance recovery after school closures. Journal of School Climate, 14(2), 44–61. https://www.journalofschoolclimate.org/articles/family-routines-attendance-recovery
Matching in-text citation
The missing DOI does not change the in-text citation.
Parenthetical
(Hughes, 2018)
Narrative
Hughes (2018)
Common Mistakes in APA Journal References Without a DOI
Adding the database name for a standard journal article
A database name does not belong in a standard no-DOI journal reference.
Wrong
✕ Hughes, A. R. (2018). Classroom motivation strategies among college students. Educational Research Quarterly, 42(1), 22–36. ProQuest.
Correct
✓ Hughes, A. R. (2018). Classroom motivation strategies among college students. Educational Research Quarterly, 42(1), 22–36.
Using a proxy or session URL
A library login link or a session-specific database address will not work reliably for most readers.
Wrong
✕ Lee, C. M., & Ochoa, R. N. (2023). Family routines and attendance recovery after school closures. Journal of School Climate, 14(2), 44–61. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=123456789
Correct
✓ Lee, C. M., & Ochoa, R. N. (2023). Family routines and attendance recovery after school closures. Journal of School Climate, 14(2), 44–61. https://www.journalofschoolclimate.org/articles/family-routines-attendance-recovery
Using the journal homepage instead of the article URL
When the article has its own public page, the journal homepage is too broad.
Wrong
✕ Ortega, M. L., & Singh, P. (2025). Reflective writing feedback in asynchronous seminars. Journal of Open Teaching Practice, 14(3), e25104. https://www.jotp.org
Correct
✓ Ortega, M. L., & Singh, P. (2025). Reflective writing feedback in asynchronous seminars. Journal of Open Teaching Practice, 14(3), e25104. https://www.jotp.org/articles/e25104
Dropping the article number when there are no page numbers
If the journal uses an article number or eLocator, that element still belongs in the reference.
Wrong
✕ Ortega, M. L., & Singh, P. (2025). Reflective writing feedback in asynchronous seminars. Journal of Open Teaching Practice, 14(3). https://www.jotp.org/articles/e25104
Correct
✓ Ortega, M. L., & Singh, P. (2025). Reflective writing feedback in asynchronous seminars. Journal of Open Teaching Practice, 14(3), e25104. https://www.jotp.org/articles/e25104
Adding Retrieved from before a normal article URL
In APA 7, a normal journal article URL stands on its own. "Retrieved from" is not part of the standard no-DOI journal format.
Wrong
✕ Banwell, L., & Coulson, G. (2004). Users and user study methodology: The JUBILEE Project. Information Research: An International Electronic Journal, 9(2), paper 167. Retrieved from http://informationr.net/ir/9-2/paper167.html
Correct
✓ Banwell, L., & Coulson, G. (2004). Users and user study methodology: The JUBILEE Project. Information Research: An International Electronic Journal, 9(2), paper 167. http://informationr.net/ir/9-2/paper167.html
The complete APA journal reference rules, including articles that do have a DOI, are covered here.
See APA Journal Citation.
How APA Handles the No-DOI Ending
In APA, a DOI closes the source element whenever one is available.
Without a DOI, most references end after the page range or article number. Add a URL only when readers can reach a direct public article page.
This is where APA differs most clearly from the MLA and Chicago versions of this topic. MLA usually documents the database or platform as a second container and adds a permalink or URL, while Chicago can end with either a stable URL or, if none is available, the database name.
MLA and Chicago handle article endings differently. Check those style-specific guides before following the APA pattern.
Official APA References
The guidance and examples above follow APA 7 rules for journal article references and for DOI and URL use when a periodical article has no DOI.
- APA Style: Journal article references
- APA Style: DOIs and URLs
- APA Style: References
- Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition
Proprietary database content and other nonstandard periodical sources may need different treatment under APA. Review the official references above before applying the standard journal format.
Related APA Guides
Support
About YesCite 
YesCite © 2026 YesCite.com. All rights reserved.