This tutorial has been adapted from the tutorial featured in Academic Writer; APA's tool for teaching and learning effective writing.
Look at the overview of APA Style changes and revisions in the 7th Edition.The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition is the official source for APA Style. With millions of copies sold worldwide in multiple languages, it is the style manual of choice for writers, researchers, editors, students, and educators in the social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, nursing, communications, education, business, engineering, and other fields. Known for its authoritative, easy-to-use reference and citation system, the Publication Manual also offers guidance on choosing the headings, tables, figures, language, and tone that will result in powerful, concise, and elegant scholarly communication. It guides users through the scholarly writing process--from the ethics of authorship to reporting research through publication. The seventh edition is an indispensable resource for students and professionals to achieve excellence in writing and make an impact with their work. The seventh edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to reflect best practices in scholarly writing and publishing. All formats are in full color, with a new tabbed spiral version Improved ease of navigation, with many additional numbered sections to help users quickly locate answers to their questions Resources for students on writing and formatting annotated bibliographies, response papers, and other paper types as well as guidelines on citing course materials Dedicated chapter for new users of APA Style covering paper elements and format, including sample papers for both professional authors and student writers New chapter on journal article reporting standards that includes updates to reporting standards for quantitative research and the first-ever qualitative and mixed methods reporting standards in APA Style New chapter on bias-free language guidelines for writing about people with respect and inclusivity in areas including age, disability, gender, participation in research, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality More than 100 new reference examples covering periodicals, books, audiovisual media, social media, webpages and websites, and legal resources More than 40 new sample tables and figures Expanded guidance on ethical writing and publishing practices, including how to ensure the appropriate level of citation, avoid plagiarism and self-plagiarism, and navigate the publication process Guidelines that support accessibility for all users, including simplified reference, in-text citation, and heading formats as well as additional font options
Basic Principles: Citation is used to avoid plagiarism and to enable people to quickly find where information was found. You will find the basic information to include and the rationale for citing information in your paper.
Appropriate Level of Citation: This explanation is meant to prevent students from under citing and over citing in their papers. (See page 253)
Author-Date Citation System: Many examples of in-text citation including new rules for citing 3 or more authors.
Paraphrasing: Even when putting another author's idea in your own words, it is necessary to give the author credit. While it is not required to include the page number, it can be included if you feel readers would want to more easily find the information. (8.23 Principles of Paraphrasing on page 269)
Quotations: Examples include short and block (40 words or more) quotations
Situations using Direct Quotations (See Sections 8.25, 8.26, 8.27, & 8.28 in the APA Publication Manual; See also Table 8.2 for Examples of Direct Quotations Cited in the Text on page 272)
Citing Personal Communications: These are cited in the text but are not included in the references because they can not be retrieved by the reader.
Secondary Sources: This is a situation where a different author is cited in the source you are reading. You should only cite this author if you cannot find their original work. It should be done very seldom.
Restricted Classroom or Internet Sources: These are sources that can only be retrieved by certain audiences. This might include sources from a restricted class website or learning management system.
Citing Oral Traditions and Traditional Knowledge that is not recorded: (See Section 8.9 in the APA Publication Manual
***For more information (and examples) go to the In-Text Citations page of the APA Style blog.
Basic Principles of Reference List Entries: Includes components, rules for punctuation, and Examples of Where to Find Reference Information for a Journal Article entry.
Reference Examples: Examples of the most common types of works are included so you can model these examples. (Also, see the 7th Edition Quick Reference Guide attached at the bottom of this section.)
See Templates and examples (in the APA Publication Manual for more information) for the following categories of sources:
Missing Reference Information: Table of solutions for creating references when information is missing. Some examples are also provided.
DOIs and URLs: You will learn when to include DOIs and URLs, how they should be formatted, and how to shorten a DOI or URL.
Works Included: See the rules for what must be included and what should be excluded from a reference list.
Legal References: (See Chapter 11 in the APA Publication Manual for more information; pp. 355-368.)
Creating an Annotated Bibliography: (See Section 9.51 in the APA Publication Manual for more information and Figure 9. 3, Sample Annotated Bibliography on page 308).
***For more information go to the References page on the APA Style blog.
Provides an example of a reference entry for a Journal Article, Book, and a Chapter in an Edited Book