How Does APA Style Apply to Me?
The APA style manual will govern a number of aspects of your writing, including:
- How you credit sources
- How you format your paper
- How you organize your paper
To help you learn APA style, this guide contains information on each of these three elements.
REMEMBER: This help guide is intended to familiarize students with the basics of APA style and formatting; it is by no means a comprehensive resource. For more information on APA style, please refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, or browse through some of the following resources:
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The Owl at Purdue: APA Formatting and Style GuideThis resource, revised according the 7th edition, second printing of the APA manual, offers examples for the general format of APA research papers, in-text citations, endnotes/footnotes, and the reference page.
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The Owl at Purdue APA FAQsThe following FAQs address issues in APA citation and/or formatting. The entries in this section are based on frequently asked questions received by our OWL Mail Tutors.
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APA Supplemental MaterialsThe materials are intended as supplementary material to the publication of the American Psychological Association. Due to space and printing limitations, they are referenced from but not printed in the actual Manual.
Terms & Definitions
Abstract: a brief summary of an information source, such as a journal article or paper. An abstract appears at the beginning of the work, and it outlines the work’s key points and arguments.
Citation: a quotation from or a reference to a book, paper, author, etc.
Journal: a type of perioda quote or a reference to a book, article, passage, or other text or author; in academic writing, citations are typically used in defense of an argument.ical which is usually considered more scholarly than a popular magazine. Journals contain scholarly articles, they are often published by academic associations, and their subject matter is specific to certain fields of study.
Magazine: a type of periodical which is generally not scholarly in nature and which may or may not have an author.
Encyclopedia: a general information resource that contains articles on many subjects. An encyclopedia can be generalized, and provide information on many subjects, or it may be subject specific, and provide detailed information on one subject.
Periodical: a magazine, journal, newsletter, or other annual publication that is published at least 3 times a year.