APA Style provides a foundation for effective scholarly communication because it helps writers present their ideas in a clear, concise, and inclusive manner. When style works best, ideas flow logically, sources are credited appropriately, and papers are organized predictably. People are described using language that affirms their worth and dignity. Authors plan for ethical compliance and report critical details of their research protocol to allow readers to evaluate findings and other researchers to potentially replicate the studies. Tables and figures present information in an engaging, readable manner.
The style and grammar guidelines pages present information about APA Style as described in the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition and the Concise Guide to APA Style, Seventh Edition. Any updates to APA Style are noted on the applicable topic pages. If you are still using the sixth edition, helpful resources are available in the sixth edition archive.
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Get the 7th edition Publication Manual or Concise Guide for access to much more about APA Style.
- Archival Documents and Collections
- Basic Principles of Reference List Entries
- Database Information in References
- DOIs and URLs
- Elements of Reference List Entries
- Missing Reference Information
- Reference Examples
- References in a Meta-Analysis
- Reference Lists Versus Bibliographies
- Works Included in a Reference List