What is the best way to use APA with elsarticle?

Question

So I am preparing a submission for an Elsevier journal. It is neccessary to use the APA style for bibliography. Now, I am currently aware of three approaches (apalike, apacite and elsevier version). However, the related results for these approaches are very discouraging.

• apalike: Is is clearly mentioned that this is quite an old implementation and that is should not be used for submitting to an APA journal (What is the relationship between natbib, apacite package, and apa document class?)
• apacite: It has been recommend before not to combine apacite with elsarticle (apacite bibliography style doesn't in Elsevier latex format?). It also generates a large number of errors if attempted.
• Elsevier version of APA: It is suggested that the model5-names should be used, but it does not exist anymore and the corresponding links are broken (apacite bibliography style doesn't in Elsevier latex format?)

Currently, these .bst files are provided by Elsarticle, but it is not clear if any of those implement APA: elsarticle-harv.bst, elsarticle-num.bst and elsartice-num-names.bst.

There is also another question asking the same thing, which were never addressed: How to use APA 6 with elsarticle.cls

Answer 1

The OP wrote,

apacite: It has been recommend before not to combine apacite with elsarticle (apacite bibliography style doesn't in Elsevier latex format?). It also generates a large number of errors if attempted.

Not true! Just load the elsarticle document class with the option nonatbib; this is explained in more detail on p. 3 of the user guide of the elsarticle bundle. Then, load the apacite package and the apacite bibliography style to obtain APA6 formatting of the bibliographic entries and the citation call-outs. Not only will you not get a "a large number of errors" from following this approach, you'll get no errors.

\documentclass[nonatbib]{elsarticle}

\begin{filecontents}[overwrite]{mybib.bib}
@article{abc:3001,
  author  = "Anne Author and Brenda Buthor and Carla Cuthor",
  title   = "Thoughts",
  journal = "Circularity Today",
  year    = 3001,
  volume  = 1,
  number  = 2,
  pages   = "3--4",
}
\end{filecontents}

\usepackage{apacite}
\bibliographystyle{apacite}

\begin{document}
\cite{abc:3001}
\bibliography{mybib}
\end{document}