Skip to Main Content

APA Citation Guide

A brief guide to using the APA Citation Style, with links to further resources.

APA Academic Writer - Updated to 7th Edition

Writing a research paper in APA Style? Try APA Style Central! Click for link.Try Academic Writer (formerly APA Style Central) for all your APA Style needs.

"From the people who wrote the book"

 

About This Guide

This guide is based on the Publishing Manual of the American Psychological Association, now in it's seventh edition. Only the most frequently used examples are included here. For a more comprehensive discussion of APA style, please refer to the Publishing Manual of the American Psychological Association, found at the Research & Information Desk in Buley Library. Help with citing and creating reference lists is also available at the Campus Writing Center.

For those of you familiar with the 6th edition of the Publishing Manual of the American Psychological Association, there are a some major changes in the new edition.

  1. In-text citations has been simplified; all in-text citations for works with three or more authors are shortened to the name of the first author plus "et al.".
  2. The number of authors included in a reference entry has changed; up to 20 authors are now included before names are omitted with an ellipsis.
  3. The running head format has been simplified for professional authors and is no longer required for students.
  4. The singular "they" is endorsed, consistent with inclusive usage. 
  5. Existing guidance on age, disability, gender, racial and ethnic identities, and sexual orientation has been updated to reflect best practices.

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publishing Manual of the American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association.

 

For more information on the changes in the new edition, see APA Manual 7th Edition: The Most Notable Changes or watch the video below!

If you are new to APA Style, take some time and explore this guide. You will find a lot of useful information. However, if you need information fast, try these commonly used quick links.

Microsoft Word Citation Help Links

Note: Microsoft Word and other programs may not be updated for the 7th edition of APA. Please check before using it for your citations. 

 

Content from this guide, unless otherwise noted, was taken directly from the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 7th Edition. 

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publishing Manual of the American Psychological Association. American Psychological Association.

CC BY Unless otherwise noted, content on this page is licensed under an Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) license.