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APA Citation Guide (APA 7th Edition): Welcome

This guide will help you cite your sources properly using APA 6th edition

Welcome To Your APA Citation Guide

APA (American Psychological Association) is a style of writing and formatting that is most commonly used in the Social Sciences field. This includes Psychology, Sociology, Linguistics, Economics, Criminology, Business, and Nursing. 

It is important that you refer to your sources consistently in APA style throughout your paper so that your reader can easily follow those citations back to your reference page to explore those sources for themselves. This involves: 

  • Properly formatting your paper according to APA style formatting requirements
  • Creating in-text citations throughout your paper
  • Construction of a Reference List at the end of your paper that will allow your reader to locate and investigate any of the sources you used 

General APA Guidelines

Margins - 1 inch all sides, including top, bottom, left and right.

Font preference and size - The preferred font is 12-pt Times New Roman.

Line Spacing - Double spacing should occur throughout the document, including quotations of 40 or more words.

Page Numbers - Page numbers should be located in upper right corner, unless specified differently from your instructor. Be sure to include a page number on the title page.

Paragraph Indentation - Paragraphs should be indented 5-7spaces or 1/2 inch.

Four Sections of an APA Paper

APA Papers typically contain four major sections: 

  • Title page
  • Abstract
  • Main Body
  • References

Check with your instructor for specific requirements.

APA Styles 7th Edition Updates

  • No longer use publication place in book citations
  • Books and journal articles without DOIs from databases cited same as print books or journals (no database OR URL listed)
  • Up to 20 authors listed in citations  (used to be 8)
  • 3 or more authors in-text citation is simplified (Now, its just either 1 author, 2 authors, or if 3=1st author followed by et al.)  (used to be 6 or more that used et. al)
  • No “retrieved from”  in websites, just list website address
  • References is now bolded, along with any other section headings
  • No longer use running head for student papers  (new student paper  title page)

Additional Help Is Available For You

Set up a Library Research Appointment with a librarian to get help citing sources and formatting your paper in APA style.