Information modified from APA *Publication Manual*
6th ed.
APA MANUSCRIPT AND
DOCUMENTATION
FORMAT
Presented by The Write Place © 2013
(created and revised by C. Mohrbacher)
Workshop Goals
This APA workshop is not comprehensive.
However, you will
 better understand the citation and
documentation conventions of APA
 know what APA resources are
available
 better understand recent changes
from the 5th edition to the 6th edition
of the Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
APA Overview

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Published in 1929 as a set of
procedures in Psychological Bulletin.
Widely used in psychology and other
social sciences.
Two important features emphasize
timely research.
-Year of publication is most
important info (called the
“author/year” system).
-Page numbers only used for
direct quotations (not for
paraphrases or summaries)
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
Main Sections of APA
Document
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Title page

Abstract

Main Body
 May
be divided into sections according
to type and discipline or field (e.g.
Literature review, Methodology,
Experiments)

References
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
Writing Style and Voice
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Rarely use first or second person.
Try to adhere to active construction. Avoid passive
construction, except in scientific study reports.
Be clear and concise. Avoid poetic or prosaic description
in most cases.
Use simple descriptions and plain language in most cases.
Word choice: Use language of field.
 When describing research: participants, subjects or
respondents—whatever the field dictates
 When using certain verbs (e.g., research proves or
suggests or indicates)
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
Headings
Level 1
Headings Are Centered, Boldface, and Require Uppercase and
Lowercase
Level 2
Headings are Flush Left, Boldface, Uppercase and
Lowercase Heading
Level 3
Headings are indented, boldface, lowercase
paragraph heading ending with a period.
Level 4
Headings are indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase
paragraph heading ending with a period.
Level 5
Headings are indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph
heading ending with a period.
Note: Change in heading format and style from the 5th edition.
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
Cover Page Format
Running head: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF WEB USABILITY
The Psychology of Web Usability:
Does it Really Matter?
Jose Perez
Psychology 3000, Section 09
Professor H. Forbes
May 2, 2007
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
1
Citing Quotations
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When authors are named in a signal phrase
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When authors are NOT named in a signal phrase
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Many argue that even after all of these years of supporting process
over product, we still aren’t as sensitive to non-native English
speakers as we could be, although “interest in multiculturalism has
refocused some of our efforts” (Horner & Lu, 1999, p. 168).
When quotation falls in the middle of a sentence w/authors named in signal
phrase

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Horner and Lu (1999) argue that even after all of these years of
supporting process over product, we still aren’t as sensitive to nonnative English speakers as we could be, although “interest in
multiculturalism has refocused some of our efforts” (p. 168).
Horner and Lu (1999) argue that “even after all of these years of
supporting process over product, we still aren’t as sensitive to nonnative English speakers as we could be” (p. 168), although interest in
multiculturalism has refocused some of our efforts.
When quotation falls in the middle of a sentence and authors are NOT named
in signal phrase

Many argue that “even after all of these years of supporting
process over product, we still aren’t as sensitive to non-native English
speakers as we could be” (Horner & Lu, 1999, p. 168), although
interest in multiculturalism has refocused some of our efforts.
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
Citing Quotations of Online
Material
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
Use same format used with traditional hard copy material
(previous slide).
If online source doesn’t use page numbers, but paragraph
numbers are visible, use them in place of page numbers, using
the abbreviation para.
 Horner and Lu (1999) urge researchers to “consider the
rising value of writing protocol and interview techniques
in ethnographic research” (para. 4).
If online source has headings, but doesn’t have page or
paragraph numbers visible, cite the heading and the number
of the paragraph
 Horner and Lu (1999) urge researchers to “consider the
rising value of writing protocol and interview techniques
in ethnographic research” (Discussion section, para. 11).
Note: Change in parenthetical citation of online material from the 5th edition.
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
Parenthetical Citations
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Two authors: Use both names in all citations:
Jones and LaPlante (2000) maintain that Wang’s experiment
failed to take into account the researcher effect.
Wang’s experiment failed to take the researcher effect in to
account (Jones & LaPlante, 2000).
3 to 5 authors: List all authors’ names for first reference. In
subsequent references list first author and et al.
First Reference 3-5 authors
Jones, Wang, Smith, Harris, and Niemi (2001) argue that the
number of married women over thirty has decreased since
1980.
Subequent references 3-5 authors
Despite earlier claims, Jones et al. (2001) suggest that
married women’s salaries have increased over the last twenty
years.

6 or more authors: Use only first author’s name and et al. in
every citation.
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
Parentheticals (cont.)

3 to 5 authors: List all authors’ names for first
reference. In subsequent references list first
author and et al.
First Reference
Jones, Wang, Smith, Harris, and Niemi (2001)
argue that the number of married women over
thirty has decreased since 1980.
Subsequent reference
Despite earlier claims, Jones et al. (2001)
suggest that married women’s salaries have
increased over the last twenty years.

6 or more authors: Use only first author’s
name and et al. in every citation.
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
Parentheticals (cont.)

Corporate or group author: Spell out first
time it is used, followed by abbreviation in
brackets. In later citations, use only
abbreviation.
First citation. (Center for Disease Control
[CDC], 2001)
Subsequent citations. (CDC, 2001)


Author unknown: Use title or first few words
of title (in cases of long titles) in signal phrase
or parenthetical citation.
Two or more authors w/same surname:
Include authors first initial(s) in every citation.
H. Johnson (2002) said that every study in the
group was enlightening.
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
Parentheticals (cont.)
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2 or more works w/i the same parenthesis:
Arrange works in the same order in which they appear
in the reference list. List only dates in subsequent
instances.
1st occurrence
Past research (Doe & Harris, 1999, 2004) indicates the
presence of . .
Subsequent occurences
Nonetheless, the presence of oxygen, according to past
studies (1999, 2004), obliges us to . .
If listing 2 or more works by the same author, list dates
chronologically, beginning with oldest date.
Past research (Harris, 1997, 2004) indicates the
presence of . . .
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
Parentheticals (cont.)
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Personal communication: Includes emails,
letters, memos, electronic discussion groups,
bulletin boards or list-servs.
Cite personal communication in text only, NOT
in reference list. Give initials, as well as
surname of communicator and provide as
exact a date as possible.

Examples:
The writing center budget at Liberal Arts University
does not allow for ESL studies due to limited staff and
support services (G. K. Loftus, personal communication,
September 4, 2005).
Liberal Arts University’s writing center budget prohibits
ESL, according to its director G. K. Loftus (personal
communication, September 4, 2005), because of limited
staff support.
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
Reference List
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Start list on separate page after the text of
document, but before any appendices or notes.
Type heading, “References,” one inch from top
and center. Don’t italicize, bold, underline, or
enclose in quotation marks.
Double-space and begin the first source entry.
Double-space entire list.
List sources alphabetically by first word of
entry (generally, but not always, author’s last
name).
Use a hanging indent format (1st line of source
flush w/left margin; subsequent lines of that
source indented ½ inch or 5 spaces.
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
Reference List
Book, one author:
Hoffman, B. (1993). Dreaming big. New York: Warner.

Book, two authors:
Jackson, M. & Dogg, S. (1985). Dancing and dissing. New York:
Wiley.

Book, more than 6 authors:
Salmi, T., Mann, S., Gordo, L., Ford, G., Dimwit, T. H., Peppa, S., et
al. Leaving on a jet plane. (2007). New York: Penguin.

Corporate or Group Author:
American Federation of Pez Collectors. (1996). Finding the
elusive Spiderman Pez. Paris: Wiley.

Book by Unknown Author:
Entertainment atlas of the western hemisphere. (1988).
Washington, DC: National Entertainment Society.

Selection from book with editor:
West G. The postmodern crisis in cereal box design. In R. Torn, D.
Moore, & F. Sinatra (Eds.) Design crises in breakfast cereal (pp.
677-710). New York: Routledge.

Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
Reference List (cont.)
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Translation:
Luciano, L. (1959). Risky behavior in Chicago groups (J. Demme &
J. Simpson, Trans.) Glencoe, IL: Free Press of Glencoe.

Edition other than the first:
Cohan, G. T. (1977). Class and underclass: a study in hierarchical
structures (2nd ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

One volume of multivolume work:
Santos P. & Jones O. B. (Eds.). (1980). Life spans and language
development. (Vol. 4). New York: Basic Books.

Government Document:
U. S. Bureau of the Census. (1975). Historical statistics of the
United States, colonial times to 1870. Washington, DC: U.S.
Government Printing Office.
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
DOI Number in Online
Sources
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DOI (digital object identifier) will be used in place of the
URL (web address), if available.
The DOI can be found near the copyright information DOI
example
Examples (from Publication Manual, 6th edition, p. 198199)
DOI available

Herbst-Damm, K. L., & Kulik, J. A. (2005). Volunteer support,
marital
status, and the survival times of terminally ill patients. Health Psychology,
24, 225-229. doi: 10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225
DOI unavailable

Sillick, T. J., & Schutte, N. S. (2006). Emotional intelligence and selfesteem mediate between perceived early parental love and adult
happiness. E-Journal of Applied Psychology, 2(2), 38-48. Retrieved from
http://ojs.lib.swin.edu.au/index.php/ejap
Note: Change in reference page documentation of online material from the 5th edition.
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
Electronic Document
References

Order of information
1.
Author
2.
Date of publication or most recent
update
3.
Title of document on Web site
4.
Title of Website or section of site
5.
DOI number or, if DOI is not available,
URL of document
Note: retrieval date no longer used, unless material changes
frequently.
Special Education Department. (2007). Program options
and description. In Graduate programs. Retrieved from
http://www.stcloudstate.edu/
sped/graduate/default.asp.
Note: Change in reference page documentation of online material from the 5th edition.
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
Reference Page
References
Borman, W. C., Hanson, M. A., Coppler, S. H., Pulakos, E. D., & White, L. A. (1993).
Role of early supervisory experience in supervisor performances. Journal
of Applied Psychology, 78, 443-449. Retrieved from Psych- ARTICLES
database. [This is an electronic copy of a journal article that exists in
print but was retrieved from a database. Note the volume # as well as
the title is italicized. Use the hard copy page #'s.]
Chou, J. O. (1993). Stasis as a precursor to change. Retrieved from Columbia
University, Institute for Learning Technologies Web Site. doi: 10.2000444/
3333/32.2.2. [This is an authored article from a website with a DOI.]
Holt, R. R. (1959). Researchmanship on how to write a dissertation in clinical
psychology without really trying. American Psychologist, 14, 151-162.
[Note the title of the journal article is not enclosed in quotation
marks & only the first word is capitalized]
May, R. B., Masson, M. E., & Hunter, M. A. (1990). Application of statistics in
behavioral research. New York: Harper & Row. [This is a simple book
with three authors. It is the most basic of entries.]
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.
Recommended APA
Resources
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Purdue OWL
University of Maryland University
College
Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association 6th ed. (long
or concise version)
Any handbook that contains the 2009
version of APA
Information modified from APA *Publication
Manual* 6th ed.