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APA 7th Edition Style Guide

This guide provides an overview of APA style and citations to assist in your writing.

What is APA Style?

APA style was created by the American Psychological Association as a set of rules for publication and research papers. ​

The 7th edition of the APA handbook was published in 2019. However, be sure to ask your instructors which edition of the publication manual they'd like you to use in your course assignments. 

A copy of the publication manual is available in the library for short term use.  

APA is most often used in the disciplines of:

  • Social Sciences (including Psychology, Education, Sociology, Economics, Criminal Justice, etc.)
  • Business
  • Nursing

However, many other subject areas also use APA Style. Be sure to check with your instructors if you are unsure of what writing and citation style to use in your papers. 

What does APA Style include?

  • The format & structure of your paper
    • This includes the font, spacing, margins, heading, title page, and more. 
  • In-Text Citations: How you cite your sources in the text of your paper 
    • The APA Manual uses the author-date citation system for in-text citations. 
  • Reference List: How you compile a reference list page at the end of your paper
    • The sources you use in your work are included as a separate list at the end of the paper.  The APA Manual suggests using the title, References, for the list.

APA Publication Manual

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