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APA Style is a citation style used within the social sciences, including psychology, education, sociology, and social work, as well as in other fields such as business, health professions, criminal justice, nursing, and engineering.
APA (American Psychological Association) Style originated in 1929, and was published as a seven-page article in the Psychological Bulletin by a group of psychologists, anthropologists, and business managers as a proposed standard of procedure. These guidelines encouraged uniformity and consistency in the presentation of information, allowing readers to focus on the ideas being presented rather than the formatting and scan works quickly for key information.
Since then, the APA Publication Manual has expanded to meet the needs of researchers, students, and educators and the ever-changing landscape of academic research through the decades. Most recently, it was released in its 7th edition.
APA Style is a citation style and set of standards set forth by the American Psychological Association. These rules focus on uniform, clear, and concise research-based writing. They strive for clarity of language, particularly with regards to data, information, and analysis, as well as establishing an ordered system for referencing and crediting sources.
Characteristics of APA Style include:
Citations are quick indicators, within your paper, that information has come from a source other than yourself. Often called "in-text citations.
References contain further information about your sources, such as the names of publishers, titles of websites or articles, and URL addresses. This information tells readers where your information comes from and points them where to go to access those materials on their own.
References accompany your citations and appear at the end of your paper as part of the Reference page.
Formatting is the way your paper looks. This includes everything from the margins, headings, and page numbers, to the way the information is organized in both your references and citations.
