Your DNP project rests on a guideline, and the PDF has no named authors, an edition number and a society logo. Who is the author, and does the edition go in the reference? This guide gives the APA 7 pattern and a worked example first, then explains how guidelines differ from consensus and position statements, with notes for AMA and Vancouver.
The organization that issued the guideline is the author. The edition or version goes in parentheses right after the italic title. If the author also published it, do not repeat the name as publisher.
Before you cite, name the document type correctly. The three are often confused, and a committee will notice.
| Type | What it is | How APA treats it |
|---|---|---|
| Clinical practice guideline | Recommendations developed from a systematic review of evidence, usually with graded strength | A report or web document by the issuing organization, or an article when published in a journal |
| Consensus statement | Agreement reached by an expert panel, often through a structured process, when evidence is limited | Journal article if it appeared in a journal, otherwise a report |
| Position statement | An organization's official stance, typically with less formal evidence review | A report or web page by the organization |
The distinction matters in your argument, not just in the reference list. A graded guideline supports a practice recommendation more strongly than a position statement does, and your writing should reflect that.
About the examples. Every organization, panel, title and link below is fictional or a placeholder, so nothing here refers to a real document. Use the details from the guideline you read.
A document written by an organization takes that organization as its author. Where the same body also publishes it, skip the publisher element. An edition or version belongs in parentheses right after the title, outside the italics.
If a journal names individual authors for a guideline, list them (up to 20) as you would for any article. When a title does not reveal what the document is, APA lets you add a short bracketed description after the title, such as [Clinical practice guideline].
Ask for the guidelines behind your project to be located, appraised and cited. You see the price before you pay, and revisions are free for 14 days after delivery.
Numbered styles cite guidelines in the same way as other articles or online documents. A guideline in a journal follows the journal pattern with the panel as the author.
A guideline distributed as a stand-alone PDF report may follow your style's report pattern instead, so check the manual or your program guide. See AMA and Vancouver for the basics of each system.
Agencies such as the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality publish evidence reviews that can support a guideline appraisal. The literature synthesis guide shows how to fold guideline evidence into a wider argument.
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Calling a position statement a guideline | Use the document's own label and match your argument to its strength |
| Listing a database or repository as the author | Name the issuing organization or panel |
| Citing an outdated version | Check for the latest edition before you cite |
| Citing a summary tool as if it were the guideline | Cite the full document, or cite the tool and label it correctly |
| Omitting the recommendation number in text | Add the number or page for any specific claim |
Academic integrity. Name the issuing body behind every recommendation you rely on, and respect your institution's academic-integrity requirements. For the official examples, see the APA Style website.
Not automatically. Some are published in peer-reviewed journals and some are released directly by an organization. Describe the review process in your project when it matters to your argument.
Use "n.d." in APA, and give the retrieval details your style requires. Look for a "last updated" or version note first.
Cite the original guideline if you can get it. Cite the summary only when that is the document you actually used.