APA (American Psychological Association) style was developed by social and behavioral scientists to standardize scientific writing. It is used for term papers, research reports, empirical studies, literature reviews, theoretical articles, methodological articles, and case studies. (APA website)
Writers in the following disciplines usually use APA style:
*IMPORTANT NOTE: In October 2019 the American Psychological Association released the latest edition of the APA format - the 7th edition. For Spring term 2021 many instructors will have shifted to using APA 7th edition, while some may still request (or allow) students to choose APA 6th edition. It would be a good idea to verify which edition your professor will be requiring.
As of January 2021, the APA citation generators in the Gale and Ebsco databases are formatting APA citations in 7th edition instead of 6th edition.
This Library Guide will also be updated throughout Spring 2021, to add additional resources for the 7th edition and links that should remain accessible for the 6th edition.
ALL RESOURCES ON THIS PAGE ARE FOR APA 6TH EDITION.
FOR 7TH EDITION RESOURCES, SEE THE 7TH EDITION TAB AT THE TOP OF THIS GUIDE.
A thorough explanation of APA format may be found in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. If you expect to be writing many papers in APA format over this term, you may wish to purchase a copy for your own reference. *Be sure to purchase a "new" copy of the 6th ed. guide, in lieu of a "used" copy, as the first printing of the manual had numerous errors.
(In 2021 most instructors will be using the 7th edition instead.)
American Psychological Association's Inclusive Language Guidelines and related information can be found here: https://www.apa.org/about/apa/equity-diversity-inclusion/language-guidelines