I cannot locate a DOI for my electronic source. What should I do?
Answer
Although most major journal publishers now provide DOIs for articles published in their journals, not all articles will have assigned DOIs. This is the case for older print articles and articles from journals that do not yet use DOIs. If you are unable to locate a DOI using the NU Library Databases or CrossRef.org, then your article likely does not have an assigned DOI. However, you will want to make sure that you have checked the article itself and the database record, in addition to CrossRef.
For more information about including DOIs and URLs under APA 7th edition, please refer to the following link.
Please note that this information only serves as guidance. If your professor has requested additional information to be included in your APA references (such as persistent URLs), please abide by their requirements. Contact your professor for clarification.
It is extremely important to check the article citation for proper APA Style, as database citation tools are subject to error. The Academic Success Center provides access to Academic Writer, which provides over 200 sample references, as well as nearly 20 sample papers. It also incorporates all of the references and other content from the Publication Manual; the APA Style Guide to Electronic References, Seventh Edition; and the APA Style Blog.
- For a step-by-step guide to creating an account go to the ASC's FAQ on signing up for Academic Writer.
Use the Academic Success Center website to learn about coaching and access writing, statistics, editing, and APA Style resources.
For questions about academic coaching services, please contact the Academic Success Center via their Ask a Coach page. On this page, you can search their FAQs, ask a question, or chat live with a coach via ASC Chat.
