APA editorial style

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The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed., 2001) prescribes a specific editorial style for APA-formatted papers; some common aspects are described below. For all the specifics on how to format a document in APA style, consult the Publication Manual. Departments sometimes have different regulations for dissertations than the APA manual; check with your department to find out its requirements. To learn more about APA documentation consult the Center for Writing's APA Documentation Quicktip.

general stylistic guidelines

• Double-space the entire document
   
• Use 1-inch margins on all four sides (top, bottom, left, and right)
    
• Include a page header at the top right of each page with a shortened version of the title and the page number (some professors prefer student's last name instead of a shortened version of the title)

  Paper Title: Reducing Homophobia in Public School Settings: Meta-analysis of Thirty School Districts

  Possible Page Header: Reducing Homophobia # (right justified in the header)

• Begin the paper with a Title Page. After the Title Page, the order of sections within a paper is Abstract, Introduction, Method, Results, Discussion, Conclusion, References, Appendix, and Author Note. (Most papers have some of these sections, but not all of them.) The Title Page, Abstract, Introduction, References, Appendix, and Author Note (if included in the paper) each begin on a separate page. At the top of the title page is the definition of the running header (left justified). Centered on the page are the title, the author's name, and the institution. Some professors also like the professor name, course name, and date to be included. For a description of what each of the other sections includes, consult the Publication Manual.
    
• Follow standard punctuation rules. One exception is that the comma before the conjunction in a series is required, whereas in other styles this comma is optional.

  Wrong: The subject completed a questionnaire, was interviewed and submitted to a battery of psychological tests.

  Correct: The subject completed a questionnaire, was interviewed, and submitted to a battery of psychological tests.

writing style

APA writing style is intended to improve the clarity and conciseness of wording and maintain a standard throughout all APA-related writing.

• Present information in a logical order

• Avoid creative writing

• Write concisely: be aware of wordiness, excessive jargon, and redundancy

• Choose words carefully: be aware of colloquial expressions, words with multiple meanings, and unclear comparisons

• Write in the third person (e.g., the subject, one, the experimenters)

use of unbiased language

In order to maintain clarity and writing free from bias, APA requires authors to be specific, clear, and fair in their treatment of others in their writing.

• Use gender-neutral terms unless the gender is relevant to the content. Avoid using the terms he/she, s/he, or alternating between he and she.

  Wrong: A depressed person often has trouble sleeping; he also has a change in eating habits.
  Correct: Depressed people often have trouble sleeping; they also have a change in eating habits.

• Use appropriate labels for racial and ethnic groups, be aware of what the people's preferences are, and be specific when applicable. For instance, if all the subjects are either Ojibwe or Cree, stating this is more accurate than calling them all Native Americans.
   
• Use person-first language.

  Wrong: a schizophrenic
  Correct: a person with schizophrenia

• Use appropriate labels when referring to sexual orientation: the terms lesbians, gay men, and bisexuals or bisexual women and men are preferred to the term homosexuals.

Headings

To help the reader, it is recommended to include headings throughout the paper. Depending on how many levels of headings are included, the format of the headings changes.

• One level only: Use Level 1 (centered upper and lowercase letters)

Literature Review

• Two levels: Use Level 1 and Level 3 (left justified, italicized upper and lowercase letters)

Literature Review

Proponents of Emotional Intelligence

Opponents of Emotional Intelligence

• Three levels: Use Level 1, Level 3, and Level 4 (indented, italicized, upper and lowercase letters, ending in a period, with the text starting on the same line immediately after the period)

Literature Review

Proponents of Emotional Intelligence

      Theories Prior to 1950. Text text text text

      Theories After 1950. Text text text text

• If you need more than three levels, consult the Publication Manual, section 3.32, for more information.
  

For more information

American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American psychological association (5 th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Mooney, K. S. (1995-2004). American Psychological Association (APA) Style Workshop. Retrieved June 16, 2005, from Purdue University, Online Writing Lab Web site: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/workshops/hypertext/apa/index.html