Citing software in APA 7th edition style requires the following elements:
Author, A. A. or Organization Name. (Year). Title of the software (Version number) [Computer software]. Publisher. DOI or URL
Example 1 (Standard software): Doe, J., & Smith, A. (2023). AI Research Tool (Version 2.0) [Computer software]. Tech Publishers. https://doi.org/10.1234/5678
Example 2 (Software with organization as author): Microsoft Corporation. (2021). Microsoft Excel (Version 16.0) [Computer software]. https://www.microsoft.com/excel
Example 3 (Open-source software): Python Software Foundation. (2023). Python (Version 3.11) [Computer software]. https://www.python.org
Example 4 (Mobile app): Duolingo. (2023). Duolingo (Version 5.51.5) [Mobile app]. App Store. https://apps.apple.com/us/app/duolingo-language-lessons/id570060128
Example 5 (Software without version number): Johnson, M. (2022). Data Visualization Tool [Computer software]. DataViz Inc. https://www.dataviz.com/tool
Example 6 (Programming language or environment): R Core Team. (2023). R: A language and environment for statistical computing [Computer software]. R Foundation for Statistical Computing. https://www.R-project.org/
Use the most recent year of publication or update.
Italicize the title of the software.
Include the version number in parentheses after the title if available.
Use [Computer software] as a description after the title and version.
Include the publisher only if it's different from the author or organization.
Provide a DOI if available; otherwise, use a URL.
For mobile apps, specify [Mobile app] and include the app store name.
Q: How do I cite software with multiple authors?
A: List up to 20 authors in the order they appear. For more than 20 authors, include the first 19 names, an ellipsis (...), and the final author's name.
Q: What if the software doesn't have a specific version number?
A: Omit the version number and just include the year of the most recent update.
Q: How do I format in-text citations for software?
A: Use the author's last name and year: (Doe & Smith, 2023). For organizational authors, use the organization name: (Microsoft Corporation, 2021).
Q: Should I include retrieval dates for software citations?
A: Generally, no. Only include a retrieval date if the software is likely to change over time and is not versioned.
Q: How do I cite software that I used but didn't directly reference in my text?
A: Include it in your reference list if it's important for reproducibility. Otherwise, you can mention it in a footnote or in your method section without a formal citation.
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