APA – Publication Manual of the APA: 7th Edition

What is the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th Edition?

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association: 7th Edition is the citation style prescribed and published by the American Psychological Association. This is the current iteration of APA’s influential stylesheet for quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing sources..

This style guide is commonly used in peer-reviewed literature in the sciences, social sciences, health sciences, and education. It is the preferred citation style of workplace, scientific, and social-science research.

The Publication Manual was written by APA staff. Individuals are not listed as authors, coauthors, or editors. Rather, authorship resides at the organizational level: in the archive, the American Psychological Association is identified as the author.

Synonyms

The Publication Manual is more commonly called

  • The APA Style Guide
  • The APA Style

or, just simply

  • APA

Key Concepts: Attribution; Citation; Discourse Community; Textual Research


Why Does the APA Style Matter?

Writing a paper in APA style involves adhering to specific conventions laid out by APA. Readers are inclined to approach a paper with certain expectations about its format and appearance. Careful adherence to these conventions is likely to make a good initial impression on the reader, while carelessness may have the opposite effect. When the major sections of a paper are carefully arranged in the appropriate order, the reader may be more inclined to show an interest in the paper’s ideas.

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