APA style is a format for academic documents such as journal articles and books. It is modified in the American Psychological Association (APA) style guide, titled the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. The APA states that the guidelines were developed "to assist reading comprehension in the social and behavioral sciences, for clarity of communication."
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th Edition
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The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition, is the official source for APA Style. It guides users through the scholarly writing process--from the ethics of authorship to reporting research through publication. The seventh edition has been revised to reflect best practices in scholarly writing and publishing. Included are:
• Resources for students on writing and formatting annotated bibliographies, response papers, and other paper types
• Sample papers for both professional authors and student writers
• New chapter on journal article reporting standards
• Updated chapter on bias-free language guidelines for writing about people with respect and inclusivity
• Updated style guidelines for scholarly writing, including punctuation, italics, capitalization, abbreviations, and numbers
• Expanded guidance on ethical writing and publishing practices, including how to ensure the appropriate level of citation, avoid plagiarism and self-plagiarism, and navigate the publication process.
• Guidelines that support accessibility for all users, including simplified reference, in-text citation, and heading formats as well as additional font options
