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APA Citation Guide: Overview

APA Style recently got an update, retiring the 6th edition after more than a decade of use. If you are already well-acquainted with the rules of the 6th edition, it may be beneficial to read our blog post highlighting the major changes.


What is APA Style and When Should You Use it?

Cover of APA ManualAPA stands for the American Psychological Association, and it provides rules for how to format your paper and properly cite your sources. APA style is used in the social science disciplines (psychology, education, communication, etc.). When in doubt, just ask your professor which style to use.

You must cite all outside information sources used for a paper in order to avoid plagiarism, give credit to the original writer, and direct your reader to more information about your topic. Citations are not only for direct quotes--you also must cite sources when you summarize, paraphrase, or use any information (or images) from an outside source in any way.

This guide will introduce you to the most basic rules that you will need to know to write a properly formatted APA paper. For a full list of the rules, consult the Publication Manual of the APA (7th ed.). Copies are available at all three library locations, under the call number:

R 808.06615 P96pu 2020

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