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APA Style Essentials: Jeden O. Tolentino Business Management Department de La Salle University-Manila
APA Style Essentials: Jeden O. Tolentino Business Management Department de La Salle University-Manila
Jeden O. Tolentino
Business Management Department
De La Salle University-Manila
(Updated: June 2008)
Contents
1. General Document 7. References
Guidelines 8. Appendices
2. Title Page 9. Footnotes
3. Abstract 10. Tables
4. Body 11. Figure Captions and
5. Text Citations Figures
6. Quotations
Contents 2
1
General Document Guidelines
Margins: One inch on all sides.
2
General Document Guidelines
Manuscript Page Header: The first two or
three words of the paper title appear five
spaces to the left of the page number on
every page (except Figures), beginning with
the title page. Manuscript page headers are
used to identify manuscript pages during the
editorial process.
3
Title Page
Pagination: The Title Page is page 1.
Title Page 7
Title Page
Institutional affiliation: Uppercase and lowercase
letters, centered on the line following the
author(s).
4
Abstract
The abstract is a one-paragraph, self-
contained summary of the most important
elements of the paper.
Abstract 9
Abstract
The abstract begins on a new page (page 2).
The heading Abstract is centered on the first line
below the manuscript page header.
The abstract (in block format) begins on the line
following the Abstract heading.
The abstract should not exceed 120 words.
All numbers in the abstract (except those beginning
a sentence) should be typed as digits rather than
words.
Abstract 10
5
Body
Pagination: The body of the paper begins on a new
page (page 3). Subsections of the body of the paper
do not begin on new pages.
Headings
Headings are used to organize the document
and reflect the relative importance of
sections.
Body 12
6
Levels of headings
Level 5: CENTERED UPPERCASE HEADING
Level 1: Centered Uppercase and Lowercase
Heading
Level 2: Centered, Italicized, Uppercase and
Lowercase Heading
Level 3: Flush Left, Italicized, Uppercase and
Lowercase Side Heading
Level 4: Indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph
heading ending with a period.
Body 13
If an article has:
One level: use Level 1 headings
Two levels: use Level 1 (superordinate) and Level 3
(subordinate) headings
Three levels: use Level 1, Level 3 and Level 4
(from superordinate to subordinate)
Four levels: use Level 1, Level 2, Level 3 and Level
4 (from superordinate to subordinate)
Five levels: use Level 5, Level 1, Level 2, Level 3,
and Level 4 (from superordinate to subordinate)
Body 14
7
Text Citations
In APA style, citations to sources are placed
in the text of the paper in order to briefly
identify sources for readers and enable them
to locate the source of the cited information in
the Reference List.
Citations are placed within sentences and
paragraphs so that it is clear what information
is being quoted or paraphrased and whose
information is being cited.
Text Citations 15
Text Citations
Source material must be documented in the
body of the paper by citing the author(s) and
date(s) of the sources.
The underlying principle is that ideas and
words of others must be formally
acknowledged.
The reader can obtain the full source citation
from the list of references that follows the
body of the paper.
Text Citations 16
8
Authors as part of formal
structure
When the names of the authors of a source
are part of the formal structure of the
sentence, the year of publication appears in
parentheses following the identification of the
authors.
9
Authors not part of formal
structure
When the authors of a source are not part of the
formal structure of the sentence, both the authors
and year of publication appear in parentheses.
Text Citations 19
10
Citing works by two authors
When a source that has two authors is cited,
both authors are included every time the
source is cited.
Text Citations 21
Text Citations 22
11
Citing works by three, four, or
five authors: Examples
Reviews of research on religion and
health have concluded that at least
some types of religious behaviors
are related to higher levels of
physical and mental health (Payne,
Bergin, Bielema, & Jenkins, 1991).
Text Citations 23
Text Citations 24
12
Citing works by associations,
corporations, government agencies, etc.
Text Citations 25
(NIMH, 1999)
Text Citations 26
13
Citing works with no author
When a work has no author, use the first two
or three words of the work's title (omitting any
initial articles) as your text reference,
capitalizing each word.
Place the title in quotation marks if it refers to
an article or chapter of a book, or italicize it if
it refers to a book, periodical, brochure, or
report.
Anonymous authors should be listed as such
followed by a comma and the date.
Text Citations 27
Text Citations 28
14
Citing specific parts of a
source
To cite a specific part of a source (always
necessary for quotations), include the page,
chapter, etc. (with appropriate abbreviations)
in the in-text citation.
15
Citing sources not actually
read
Every effort should be made to cite only
sources that you have actually read. When it
is necessary to cite a source that you have
not read that is cited in a source that you
have read, use the prescribed format for the
text citation and list only the source you have
read in the References list.
Text Citations 31
Text Citations 32
16
Citing personal
communication
To cite a personal communication (including
letters, emails, and telephone interviews),
include initials, surname, and as exact a date
as possible. Because a personal
communication is not "recoverable"
information, it is not included in the
References section.
Text Citations 33
Citing personal
communication: Example
B. F. Skinner (personal
communication, February 12,
1978) claimed...
Text Citations 34
17
Citing a Web document
To cite a Web document, use the author-date
format. If no author is identified, use the first
few words of the title in place of the author. If
no date is provided, use "n.d." in place of the
date.
Text Citations 35
Text Citations 36
18
Citing an entire Web site
When citing an entire web site (and not a
specific document on that site), no Reference
List entry is required if the address for the site
is cited in the text of your paper.
Text Citations 37
Text Citations 38
19
Citing the Bible
To cite the Bible, provide the book, chapter,
and verse. The first time the Bible is cited in
the text, identify the version used.
Text Citations 39
Text Citations 40
20
Quotations
When a direct quotation is used, always
include the author, year, and page number as
part of the citation.
Quotations 41
Quotations 42
21
Example of quotation (<40
words)
Patients receiving prayer had "less
congestive heart failure, required
less diuretic and antibiotic
therapy, had fewer episodes of
pneumonia, had fewer cardiac
arrests, and were less frequently
intubated and ventilated" (Byrd,
1988, p. 829).
Quotations 43
Quotations (≥ 40 words)
A lengthier quotation of 40 or more words
should appear (without quotation marks)
apart from the surrounding text, in block
format, with each line indented five spaces
from the left margin.
Quotations 44
22
References
All sources included in the References section
must be cited in the body of the paper.
All sources cited in the paper must be included
in the References section.
The References section begins on a new page.
The heading References should be centered on
the first line below the manuscript page header.
References 45
Format
The references (with hanging indent) begin
on the line following the References heading.
Entries are organized alphabetically by
surnames of first authors.
Most reference entries have three
components: authors, year of publication, and
source reference.
References 46
23
Format
Authors
Authors are listed in the same order as
specified in the source, using surnames and
initials. Commas separate all authors.
When there are seven or more authors, list
the first six and then use "et al." for remaining
authors.
If no author is identified, the title of the
document begins the reference.
References 47
Format
Year of Publication
In parentheses following authors, with a
period following the closing parenthesis.
If no publication date is identified, use "n.d."
in parentheses following the authors.
References 48
24
Format
Source Reference
Includes title, journal, volume, pages (for
journal article) or title, city of publication,
publisher (for book).
Italicize titles of books, titles of periodicals,
and periodical volume numbers.
References 49
Articles in journals,
magazines, and newspapers
References to periodical articles must include
the following elements: author(s), date of
publication, article title, journal title, volume
number, issue number (if applicable), and
page numbers.
References 50
25
Journal article, one author
Mellers, B. A. (2000). Choice and
the relative pleasure of
consequences. Psychological
Bulletin, 126, 910-924.
References 51
References 52
26
Journal article, more than two
authors
Saywitz, K. J., Mannarion, A. P.,
Berliner, L., & Cohen, J. A.
(2000). Treatment for sexually
abused children and adolescents.
American Psychologist, 55, 1040-
1049.
References 53
Magazine article
Kandel, E. R., & Squire, L. R.
(2000, November 10).
Neuroscience: Breaking down
scientific barriers to the study
of brain and mind. Science, 290,
1113-1120.
References 54
27
Newspaper article, no author
New drug appears to sharply cut
risk of death from heart failure.
(1993, July 15). The Washington
Post, p. A12.
References 55
References 56
28
Books
References to an entire book must include
the following elements: author(s) or editor(s),
date of publication, title, place of publication,
and the name of the publisher.
References 57
Book, no author
Merriam-Webster's collegiate
dictionary (10th ed.). (1993).
Springfield, MA: Merriam Webster.
References 58
29
Book, one author
Paloutzian, R. F. (1996).
Invitation to the psychology of
religion (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn
and Bacon.
References 59
References 60
30
Book, corporate author, author
as publisher
Australian Bureau of Statistics.
(1991). Estimated resident
population by age and sex in
statistical local areas, New
South Wales, June 1990 (no.
3209.1). Canberra, Australian
Capital Territory: Author.
References 61
Edited book
Gibbs, J. T., & Huang, L. N.
(Eds.). (1991). Children of
color: Psychological
interventions with minority
youth. San Francisco: Jossey-
Bass.
References 62
31
Essays or chapters in edited
books
References to an essay or chapter in an
edited book must include the following
elements: essay or chapter authors, date of
publication, essay or chapter title, book
editor(s), book title, essay or chapter page
numbers, place of publication, and the name
of the publisher.
References 63
References 64
32
Essays or chapters in edited
books, two editors
Bjork, R. A. (1989). Retrieval
inhibition as an adaptive
mechanism in human memory. In H.
L. Roediger III & F. I. M. Craik
(Eds.), Varieties of memory &
consciousness (pp. 309-330).
Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.
References 65
Encyclopedias and
dictionaries
References for encyclopedias must include
the following elements: author(s) or editor(s),
date of publication, title, place of publication,
and the name of the publisher.
References 66
33
Encyclopedia set or dictionary
Sadie, S. (Ed.). (1980). The new
Grove dictionary of music and
musicians (6th ed., Vols. 1-20).
London: Macmillan.
References 67
Encyclopedia article
Bergman, P. G. (1993). Relativity.
In The new encyclopedia
Britannica (Vol. 26, pp. 501-
508). Chicago: Encyclopedia
Britannica.
References 68
34
Technical and research
reports
References to a report must include the following
elements: author(s), date of publication, title, place
of publication, and name of publisher.
If the issuing organization assigned a number (e.g.,
report number, contract number, or monograph
number) to the report, give that number in
parentheses immediately after the title.
Additional information is included when a report is
published by the Government Printing Office (GPO)
or when it is available from a document deposit
service such as NTIS or ERIC.
References 69
Government report
U.S. Department of Health and Human
Services. (1992). Pressure ulcers
in adults: Prediction and
prevention (AHCPR Publication No.
92-0047). Rockville, MD: Author.
References 70
35
Government report, GPO
publisher
National Institute of Mental
Health. (1990). Clinical training
in serious mental illness (DHHS
Publication No. ADM 90-1679).
Washington, DC: U.S. Government
Printing Office.
References 71
References 72
36
Audio-visual media
References to audio-visual media must
include the following elements: name and
function of the primary contributors (e.g.,
producer, director), date, title, the medium in
brackets, location or place of production, and
name of the distributor.
References 73
Videocassette
Garmon, L. (Producer and Director),
& Apsell, P. (Executive
Producer). (1994). Secret of the
wild child [Videocassette].
Boston, MA: WGBH Educational
Foundation.
References 74
37
Audio recording
Costa, P. T., Jr. (Speaker).
(1988). Personality, continuity,
and changes of adult life
(Cassette Recording No. 207-433-
88A-B). Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association.
References 75
Motion picture
Scorsese, M. (Producer), &
Lonergan, K. (Writer/Director).
(2000). You can count on me
[Motion Picture]. United States:
Paramount Pictures.
References 76
38
Television broadcast
Crystal, L. (Executive Producer).
(1993, October 11). The
MacNeil/Lehrer news hour
[Television broadcast]. New York
and Washington, DC: Public
Broadcasting Service.
References 77
Television series
Miller, R. (Producer). (1989). The
mind [Television series]. New
York: WNET.
References 78
39
Music recording
Shocked, M. (1992). Over the
waterfall. On Arkansas traveler
[CD]. New York: PolyGram Music.
References 79
References 80
40
Internet article based on a
print source
VandenBos, G., Knapp, S., & Doe, J.
(2001). Role of reference
elements in the selection of
resources by psychology
undergraduates [Electronic
version]. Journal of
Bibliographic Research, 5, 117-
123.
References 81
Article in an Internet-only
journal
Fredrickson, B. L. (2000, March 7).
Cultivating positive emotions to
optimize health and well-being.
Prevention & Treatment, 3,
Article 0001a. Retrieved November
20, 2000, from
http://journals.apa.org/preventio
n/volume3/pre0030001a.html
References 82
41
Journal article from a database
Borman, W.C., Hanson, M.A., Oppler,
S.H., Pulakos, E.D., & White,
L.A. (1993). Role of early
supervisory experience in
supervisor performance. Journal
of Applied Psychology, 78, 443-
449. Retrieved October 23, 2000,
from PsycARTICLES database.
References 83
References 84
42
Article from an online
encyclopedia
Bergman, P. G. & Editors of
Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
(1994-1999). Relativity.
Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
Retrieved August 4, 1999, from
Encyclopedia Britannica Online on
the World Wide Web:
http://search.eb.com/bol/topic?eu
=117376&sctn=1
References 85
References 86
43
Document available on university
program or department site
Chou, L., McClintock, R., Moretti,
F., & Nix, D. H. (1993). Technology
and education: New wine in new
bottles: Choosing pasts and
imagining educational futures.
Retrieved August 24, 2000, from
Columbia University, Institute for
Learning Technologies Web site:
http://www.ilt.columbia.edu/publicat
ions/papers/newwine1.html
References 87
References 88
44
Stand-alone Web document,
no author, no date
Gender and society. (n.d.).
Retrieved December 3, 2001, from
http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/ge
nder.html
References 89
Appendices
A common use of appendixes is to present
unpublished tests or to describe complex
equipment or stimulus materials.
Appendices 90
45
Appendices
Each Appendix begins on a separate page.
If there is only one appendix, the header Appendix
is centered on the first line below the manuscript
page header.
If there is more than one appendix, use Appendix A
(or B or C, etc.).
Double-space and type the appendix title (centered
in uppercase and lowercase letters).
Indent the first line 5-7 spaces.
Appendices 91
Appendices 92
46
Footnotes
Content footnotes are occasionally used to
support substantive information in the text.
Footnotes 93
Footnotes
Footnotes begin on a separate page.
The header Footnotes is centered on the first
line below the manuscript page header.
Indent the first line of each footnote 5-7
spaces and number the footnotes (slightly
above the line) as they are identified in the
text.
Footnotes 94
47
Example of footnotes
Footnotes
1Copies
of the complete 56-item
attitude scale and checksheet may
be obtained from Douglas Degelman.
Footnotes 95
Tables
A common use of tables is to present
quantitative data or the results of statistical
analyses (such as ANOVA).
Tables must be referred to in the text.
Tables 96
48
Tables
Each Table begins on a separate page.
Table 1 (or 2 or 3, etc.) is typed flush left on
the first line below the manuscript page
header. Double-space and type the table title
flush left (italicized in uppercase and
lowercase letters).
Tables 97
Tables 98
49
Figure Captions and Figures
A common use of Figures is to present
graphs, photographs, or other illustrations
(other than tables).
Figure Captions provide, on a single page,
captions for the figures that follow.
50
Example of figure caption
Figure 1. JPEG image of infant and
bipolar adjectives rating scale.
References:
Degelman, D., & Harris, M. L. (2006). APA
style essentials. Retrieved May 31, 2007,
from
http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/
detail.aspx?doc_id=796
APA citation style. (2007). Retrieved February
17, 2008, from
http://www.library.cornell.edu/newhelp/res_st
rategy/citing/apa.html
Prepared by Jeden O. Tolentino 102
51