How to Cite a Conference Paper or Presentation in APA 7
Complete guide with examples for citing conference proceedings, symposium contributions, and poster presentations in APA 7th edition.
Published Conference Paper (Proceedings)
If the paper is published in a conference proceedings volume (with editors), cite it like a chapter in an edited book. Include DOI or URL if available.
Reference List Entry
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year). Title of paper. In E. E. Editor & F. F. Editor (Eds.), Title of proceedings (pp. xx–xx). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxx
Example: Published Proceedings
Citation
Patel, S., & Wong, L. (2025). Ethical implications of generative AI in clinical psychology. In M. Thompson & A. Rivera (Eds.), Proceedings of the 2025 International Conference on AI & Mental Health (pp. 112–125). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-12345-6_10
In‑Text Citation (Parenthetical)
(Patel & Wong, 2025)
Conference Presentation (Not Published)
If the presentation is not published, describe the type of contribution in square brackets after the title and include the conference name and location.
Example
Tremblay, M. (2026, May 20–23). Climate resilience in coastal First Nations communities [Paper presentation]. Canadian Sociological Association Annual Conference, Toronto, ON, Canada.
Poster Presentation
Example
Singh, J., & Lee, K. (2025, April 10–12). Neural correlates of bilingual code-switching in children [Poster presentation]. Cognitive Neuroscience Society Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, United States.
Symposium Contribution
Example
Martinez, C. (2025, March 5). The future of remote work and urban planning. In J. A. Smith (Chair), Reshaping cities post-pandemic [Symposium]. Urban Affairs Association Conference, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I include the location for an online/virtual conference?
If the conference was held virtually, you can omit the location or replace it with "Virtual conference."
What if I only have the abstract?
If you are citing an abstract rather than the full paper, add "[Abstract]" after the title.