Five Common APA Errors...

And How to Fix Them!

Even the most careful writers make APA mistakes. The good news? Most of them are easy to catch once you know what to look for. Here are five of the most common errors I see in doctoral student writing, and how you can fix them before they cost you points or credibility. 

1. Incorrect In-Text Citations

Mistake: Mixing up author order, leaving out the year, or formatting multiple authors incorrectly.

Fix: For one or two authors, include both names every time: (Smith & Lee, 2023). For three or more authors, list the first author plus “et al.” from the very first citation: (Smith et al., 2023). Always include the year the first time you cite a source in a paragraph. Multiple authors should appear in alphabetical order. separated by a semi-colon: (Anderson et al., 2017; Connor & Black, 2009; Gomez et al., 2014).

Extra tip: When citing multiple works by the same author in the same parentheses, list them in chronological order and separate them with commas: (Smith, 2009, 2015).

2. Misplaced or Missing Page Numbers for Quotes

Mistake: Quoting directly without giving a page or paragraph number, or placing the number in the wrong spot.

Fix: For direct quotes, add the page number right after the year (e.g., Smith, 2023, p. 45). If there are no page numbers (as in most web pages), use a paragraph number (para. 4) or a section heading. Remember: paraphrases don’t need page numbers, but they do need a citation.

3. Inconsistent Reference List Formatting

Mistake: Mixing fonts, indentation, and spacing, or putting sources in the wrong order.

Fix: APA reference lists are double-spaced, use a hanging indent (first line flush left, following lines indented), and are arranged alphabetically by the first author’s last name. Double-check capitalization rules for titles: sentence case for article titles, title case for journal names.

4. Outdated APA Rules

Mistake: Using APA 6th edition rules out of habit (or from old templates).

Fix: In APA 7th edition, use “et al.” for three or more authors from the first citation, list up to 20 authors in the reference list, and format DOIs as live links (https://doi.org/...). If you’re unsure, keep the official APA Style website bookmarked and refer to it often.

5. Forgetting to Match Citations and References

Mistake: Having orphan citations in the text that don’t appear in the reference list, or orphan references with no corresponding in-text citation.

Fix: Before submitting, run a “match check.” Search each reference author’s last name in your text to confirm it appears at least once, and scan each in-text citation to ensure it’s listed in the references. If that's way too tedious for you, ask your editor for a reference audit. You'll likely be surprised to see how many errors pop up!

Final Tip: APA style rewards consistency. A short checklist at the end of every writing session—or a second set of eyes—can help you catch errors before they multiply.