What is APA Format?

APA Style format is the official style of the American Psychological Association (APA) and is commonly used to cite sources in psychology, education, and the social sciences. The APA Style originated in a 1929 article published in Psychological Bulletin that laid out the basic guidelines. These guidelines were eventually expanded into the APA Publication Manual.

So why is APA format so important in psychology and other social sciences? Using APA style, researchers and students writing about psychology and social sciences can communicate information about their ideas and experiments in a consistent format. Sticking to a consistent style allows readers to know what to look for as they read journal articles and other writing forms.

If you have never taken a psychology or social science class before, you are probably accustomed to using a different style guide such as MLA or Chicago style. Getting a solid grasp of the basics and bookmarking a few essential resources can make learning this new format a little easier.

APA Format Helpful Resources

APA Manual

Purchasing a copy of the official Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is a great way to learn more about APA format and have a handy resource to check your own work.

American Psychological Association (2019). Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th Ed.). Washington, D.C.: APA.

APA Tutorial

As of 2020, the APA Style team announced the arrival of the Basics of Seventh Edition APA Stye tutorial. This tutorial is free and available to all users.

It covers the basics of seventh edition APA Style, including:

paper elements, format, and organization;
academic writing style;
grammar and usage;
bias-free language;
mechanics of style (e.g., punctuation, capitalization, italics, and abbreviations);
tables and figures;
in-text citations, paraphrasing, and quotations; and
reference list format and order.

Source: https://apastyle.apa.org/blog/basics-7e-tutorial

You can view the tutorial by using the link above or view it and other APA Style tutorials, by visiting the Tutorials and Webinars page on the APA Style website.

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL)

Looking at examples of APA format can be very helpful. A great resource is the Purdue Online Writing Lab and click on the section "APA Formatting and Style Guide". You can view examples of the different components of an APA style paper. On the left-hand side is a menu that also includes examples of how to cite references.

For in-text citations, you can reference the Purdue OWL In-Text Citations: Author/Authors (Links to an external site.) page.

Excelsior Online Writing Lab (OWL)

Looking at examples of APA format can be very helpful. A great resource is the Excelsior Online Writing Lab and view the "APA Style" section. You can view examples of the different components of an APA style paper. On the left-hand side is a menu that also includes examples of how to cite references.

Basics of APA Style Format

APA Formatting Basics

Source: https://www.easybib.com/guides/citation-guides/apa-format/

Paper Format

Use the APA Style Paper Format page to reference how to format different sections of your paper and see sample papers.

Sections of Your Paper

The Major Sections of Your Paper

In most cases, your paper should include three main sections: the title page, main body, and references list.

1. Title Page

Your title page should contain a running head, title, author name, and school affiliation. The purpose of your title page is to let the reader quickly know what your paper is about and whom it was written by. Learn more about writing an APA format title page.

2. The Main Body

For something like an essay, the main body of your paper will include the actual essay itself. If you are writing a lab report, then your main body will be broken down into further sections. A lab report's four main components include an introduction, method, results, and discussion sections.

3. References

Your paper's reference section will include a list of all of the sources you used in your paper. If you cited any piece of information anywhere in your paper, it needs to be properly referenced in this section. One handy rule of thumb to remember is that any source cited in your paper needs to be included in your reference section, and any source listed in your reference section must also be mentioned somewhere in your paper. View APA Style reference examples.

Student Paper Checklist

You can use the publication manual, 7th edition, Student Paper Checklist to ensure your work is consistent with APA Style.

APA Style Reference Page

Important Tips for APA Style Reference Pages

Your references should begin on a new page. Title the new page "References" and center the title text at the top of the page.
All entries should be in alphabetical order.
The first line of a reference should be flush with the left margin. Each additional line should be indented (usually accomplished by using the TAB key.)
The new seventh edition of APA format requires only one space after each sentence.
The reference section should be double-spaced.
Any reference that appears in your report or article's text must be cited on the reference page. Any item appearing on your reference page must also be included somewhere in the body of your text.
Titles of books, journals, magazines, and newspapers should appear in italics.
Each individual reference's exact format may vary somewhat depending on whether you are referencing an author or authors, a book or journal article, or an electronic source. It pays to spend some time looking at each type of reference's specific requirements before formatting your source list.

Free APA Citation Generators

If you are struggling with APA format or are looking for a good way to collect and organize your references as you work on your research, consider using a free APA citation apps. These online tools can help generate an APA style reference, but always remember to double-check each one for accuracy.