APA Style Guide - 7th Edition

American Psychological Association (APA) style is commonly used for citing references in science and social science courses, such as Nursing, Psychology, Education, and Social Work.

The information contained in this guide is based on the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association 7th Edition -- BF76.7 .P83 2020. You will find multiple copies of this book are available at the reference desk on the main floor of Wolfgram Library.

Why use citations for your research paper?

• To demonstrate that you consulted accurate and scholarly materials to support your research.
• To provide an easy way for readers of your work to obtain the sources that you used.

When to cite a source:

• When you use the exact words of an author in your paper.
• When you paraphrase another author, includes summarizing a passage or rearranging the order of a sentence, even if you change some words.
• When you use a specific idea or concept introduced by an author. (When an author models a study after one done by someone else, the original author should be given credit.)
• When you use facts or figures that are not common knowledge.

(American Psychological Association (APA), 2020).

Download this Rubric to help you create accurate APA references!

The 7th Edition offers two different sample papers:

1. The Student Paper -  Student papers do not include a running head, an author note,or an abstract, unless requested by the professor. Required elements of Title Page:

• Title of the paper
• Name of each author
• Affiliation for each author (Name of department and institution)
• Course number and name
• Instructor name
• Assignment due date
• Page number (also included on all pages)

Sample Student Paper with Annotations

2. The Professional Paper - Professional papers require a running head, author note and an abstract.  Required elements of the Title Page:

• Title of paper
• Name of each author
• Affiliation for each author
• Author note
• Running head (also included on all pages)
• Page number (also included on all pages)

Sample Professional Paper with Annotations

(APA, 2020, p. 30)