How do I cite volumes and issues in APA?
Answer
You're dealing with the issue of continuous pagination within a volume year of publication.
If you have a magazine that is published twelve times a year (that is, twelve issues in one volume), and each issue starts with page 1, then within one volume year you have twelve "page 1s." Therefore, in order to differentiate which page 1 you are citing, you need both the volume number and the issue number.
However, some journals start the first issue in a volume with p.1. If there are 243 pages in that issue, then issue 2 will begin on page 244. Ergo, the issue number is not important since page numbers are unique within the volume year. The question is, as you have discovered, is how do you know which is which ...
One way would be to just include both the volume number & issue regardless and not worry about it. I doubt if you would get "busted" for it by your professor (who will more than likely never notice).
But, if you want to go the extra yard this is not too hard to do, especially if you have a little familiarity with our databases.
a). In the advanced search of the database you found the article in you can choose to search just by journal title. Enter the name of your journal in the search box, change the field box to the right to "SO journal name" and hit search.
b). You then want to limit your search results to one single year, say 2010.
c). Now look at the last issue for that year. It might be "December," or "Fall" or just "Issue 4."
d). Now look at the pagination. Is there a page 1? Or do the articles have page ranges like 848-856.
If they have these high numbers, then the journal used continual pagination and you don't need the issue number.
Back in the day when I use to teach citations to freshmen (oh, did they hate it!) I would have been happy with both volume & issue, regardless of pagination. I can't speak for your professor, so you may want to go the extra step.
ps. If the article you are currently using has pages number over 300, then it is a pretty safe bet you have continual pagination.