What is a DOI? A DOI, or digital object identifier, is a unique, permanent identification number that will take you straight to a document no matter where it is located on the Internet. You can find out more about DOIs in the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (pp. 298 –300). DOIs figure prominently in the APA 7th edition referencing style, and ...
Section 9.35 of the APA Publication Manual states that is acceptable to use either the default display setting (blue hyperlinks) or plain text (without underlining) when formatting DOIs and URLs in reference lists. However, it also recommends that these links should be live if the sources being cited are published online. ACAP recommends the use of live, blue hyperlinks in reference lists ...
Because a hyperlink leads readers directly to the content, it is not necessary to include the words "Retrieved from" or "Accessed from" before a DOI or URL. It is acceptable to use either the default display settings for hyperlinks in your word-processing program (e.g. usually blue font, underlined) or plain text that is not underlined.
How to set-up and cite your sources using APA 7th edition format.
DOI - Digital Object Identifier, a unique number associated with that specific article. For online sources, a DOI is stable, where a URL is not. Use the DOI when it is available. If the DOI is not available, use the URL for the article Hyperlink URLs & DOIs - Default format is accepted (blue font, underlined) or plain text not underlined.
What is a DOI or URL? DOI stands for digital object identifier, and it is a “unique alphanumeric string that identifies content and provides a persistent link to its location on the internet.
The 7th edition of the APA Publication Manual contains several updates and changes. See how to format DOIs in the 7th edition of the APA Manual.
First, the DOI or URL will be the last piece of information in a reference entry. When including a DOI or URL, do not put a period at the end of the entry. In terms of the style of the DOI or URL, here’s what APA says: Hyperlinks for DOIs and URLs should function when clicked if the paper is meant to be read online.
APA requires publication data for electronic sources. The DOI is the preferred electronic retrieval format because it provides a persistent link to a document’s location on the Internet.
This button will usually lead the user to the full article which will include the DOI. Find DOIs from print publications or ones that go to dead links with doi.org's "Resolve a DOI" function, available on the site's home page. APA 7 also advises writers to include a DOI (if available), even when using the print source.
DOI or URL hyperlinks can be formatted in blue text and underlined (the default setting for Microsoft), or in plain text that is not underlined, but links should be live if the work is to be read or published online. The words "Retrieved from" or "Accessed from" are no longer required before the hyperlink.
Basic rules and preferred link options for digital content: If the source has a DOI, use the DOI. If the source does not have a DOI, use the permalink. If the source has neither a DOI or a permalink, use the URL. Example of DOI and permalink from a database record. View the APA Style Center's guidance on DOIs and URLs
What are DOI's and URLs? A DOI (Digital Object Identifier) is a unique set of letters and numbers which gives a persistent link to a resource on the internet. This could be an article, a book or a chapter of a book. A URL (Uniform Resource Locator) is an address where the resource can be found on the internet.
Present both DOIs and URLs as hyperlinks (i.e., beginning with “http:” or “https:”). It is acceptable to use either the default display settings for hyperlinks in your word-processing program (e.g., usually blue font, underlined) or plain text that is not underlined.
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A Digital Object Identifier (DOI) is a string of numbers and characters that allows a reader to locate content online using a persistent link. It is unique to each piece of information it is assigned.
Learn how to cite and format papers using APA 7th edition. This complete guide covers in-text citations, reference lists, formatting rules, examples, and common mistakes.
Introduction and examples of commonly cited works in APA Style, 7th edition