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APA Style Guide 7th Edition--Frequently Asked Question and Updates: Introduction and Link to APA 7th

Provides a basic review of the APA style guide 7th edition

APA Style Guide--7th Edition --Introduction

The APA (American Psychological Association) Style is used by many researchers,  scholars,  students and publishers around the world.  Fields from psychology, social work, communications, education and other disciplines used the style for dissertations, theses, research papers and articles.   Using a style guide helps writers present their ideas in a clear, concise and organized manner.  When you learn how to format your papers based on a style guide you are better able to credit sources, present tables and figures consistently, and use correct grammar and sentence structure. The 7th edition of The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is the  recent revision of the style guide.  This guide attempts to answer some of the Frequently Asked Questions regarding this new edition.  

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APA 7th edition Powerpoint presentation

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 7th Edition--Frequently Asked Questions

When will students need to use the 7th edition of APA?

The American Psychological Association anticipates that most people will start using the 7th edition in the spring of 2020 or thereafter. It’s best to check with your professor or check the website of the journal you want to get published in to see which APA guidelines you should follow.

What if I already started a paper in 6th edition?

The publishers realize it make take a while to get everyone accustomed to using the new edition.  If you have started a paper using the 6th edition, generally speaking, you should finish it with the same style.  However, always ask your professor or publisher if you need to make an adjustment.  

What are some of the changes in the 7th edition?

  • New guidance on research methods, ethical compliance and data sharing.
  • The title page, running head and heading formats are changed, as well as font specifications for accessibility.
  • Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS) are updated.
  • Inclusive and bias-free language is the new standard, and APA’s new publication manual contains a separate chapter on this topic.
  • Changes to the mechanics of style, including the placement of periods, quotation marks, abbreviations, more flexibility for lettered, numbered and bulleted lists.
  • More than 40 new samples of tables and figures are included.
  • The accessible use of color in figures is discussed.
  • There is more guidance on plagiarism, self-plagiarism, levels of citation and unethical writing practices.
  • There are over 100 examples of APA style references, with detailed explanations.
  • Chapter 11 presents expanded legal reference guidelines from The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation.
  • Chapter 12 provides guidance on the publication process for new researchers and authors.

Introducing the APA 7th Ed.

What's New with APA 7th Edition

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