APA 6th Ed Tutorial v10

APA 6th Edition Tutorial
© Michelle Post, Ph.D. (Reviewer)
Version 10 of the Tutorial
First Created April 29, 2010, Last Updated September 25, 2013
9/25/2013© Michelle Post, Ph.D. - v101

Disclaimer
This APA 6th Edition (3rd printing) tutorial, is only meant to
be an overview of many of the key areas of the APA Style
Manual. It is not to be viewed as an all inclusive tutorial.
The best way to learn APA 6th edition is to buy the book
and use it – a lot.
Dr. Michelle Post

More APA Tutorials by Dr. Michelle Post
 APA 6th Edition v10 - http://www.slideshare.net/mpostphd/apa-
6th-edition-tutorial
 MS Word Advanced Editing for APA 6th Edition forWord, 2003,
2007, and 2010 - http://www.slideshare.net/mpostphd/ms-
word-advanced-editing-for-apa-v1
 APA and MS Word 2007: Creating an APA Template -
http://www.slideshare.net/mpostphd/creating-a-word-2007-
apa-template
 QuickSheet:APA 6th Basic Formatting -
http://www.slideshare.net/mpostphd/apa-6th-edition-the-basic-
mechanics
 QuickSheet:APA Resources -
http://www.slideshare.net/mpostphd/aparesources

Summary
 What is APA?
 Major Changes in APA 6th – Partial List
 What is Plagiarism?
 What is Self-Plagiarism?
 Direct Quotation versus Paraphrasing
 Definition of Empirical Research
 Recognizing Empirical Research

Summary, Cntd.
 Basic Formatting –The Paper
 Page Size
 Margins
 Line Spacing
 FontType
 Font Size
 Alignment
 Paragraph and Indentation
 Basic Formatting – Headings
 Basic Formatting - Lists

Summary, Cntd.
Basic Formatting –
Mechanics
 Spacing after a punctuation
mark
 Spacing after a period
 Period
 Comma
 Semi-colon
 Colon
 Dash
 Quotation marks
 Double or Single Quotation
Marks
 Parentheses
 Hyphenation
 Words Beginning a Sentence
 Major Words inTitles and
Headings
 Proper Nouns and Trade
Names
 Use of Italics
 Use of Abbreviations
 Numbers

Summary, Cntd.
 Basic Formatting:Tables
 Basic Formatting: Figures
 Basic Formatting: Citations
 Basic Formatting: References
 Basic Formatting:Appendix

Summary, Cntd.
 Basic Formatting –Title Page
 Title
 Author’s Name
 Institutional Affiliation
 Author Note
 Running head
 Page Number
 Basic Formatting - Abstract
 Footnotes and Endnotes

Summary, Cntd.
 Order of Manuscript
 APAWeb Resources
 APA Software
 APAVideoTutorials
 PlagiarismTools
 Tips on UsingWord 2003 orWord 2007
 References
 Additional APA Resources by Dr. Post
 Who is Dr. Post?

What is APA?
 American Psychological Association
 Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
 1929
 Writing Style or “Standard of Procedure”
 “The rules of APA Style are drawn from an extensive body of
psychological literature, from editors and authors experienced
in scholarly writing, and from recognized authorities on
publication practices” (American Psychological Association,
2010, p. 3).

Major Changes in APA 6th – Partial List
 Addition of “self-plagiarism” (p. 16)
 Ethical compliance checklist (p. 20)
 Abstract contents described (p. 25)
 Description of introduction content (p. 27)
 Sample papers with key rules of APA style (p. 41)
 Change inTitle Page (p. 23, 229)
 Change in Headings (p. 62)

Major Changes in APA 6th, Cntd.
 Bulleted lists & Number lists (p. 64)
 Use brackets to avoid nested parentheses (p. 94)
 Appendixes now is Appendices (p. 96)
 Numbers—use a word rather than a numeral to express a
number below 10 when grouped with a number above 10 (p.
111)
 Encouraged to use page or paragraph number for paraphrased
material (p.171)
 Table of basic citation styles (p. 177)
 Reference list (p. 181)

Major Changes in APA 6th, Cntd.
 Electronic sources in reference list include digital
object identifiers (DOI), where available. If no DOI,
provide the url to the journal’s homepage (p. 187)
 Examples for blogs, message boards, email (p. 214)
 Publisher information in book references now
includes the state for all cities (p. 186)
 Several other changes were made in Chapter 3:
Writing Style, Chapter 4: Mechanics of Style, Chapter
5: Displaying Results, Chapter 6: Crediting Sources,
and Chapter 8: Publication Process.

What is Plagiarism?
 Plagiarism: APA states, (as cited in APA Ethics Codes
Standard, 8.11, Plagiarism) “Researchers do not claim the
words and ideas of another as their own; they give credit
where credit is due.”

What is Self-Plagiarism?
 Self-plagiarism: “Just as researchers do not present the
work of others as their own (plagiarism), they do not
present their own previously published work as new
scholarship (self-plagiarism)” (APA, 2010, p. 16).
 NOTE: A few exceptions do exist, see Chapter 1: Section 1.10
– Self-plagiarism, for the exceptions.

Direct Quotation versus Paraphrasing
 Direct Quotation:The exact words of another.The
exact words are enclosed with double quotes at the
beginning and end of the direct quotation, followed by the
citation in parenthesis and concluded with a period (APA,
2010).
 NOTE:This rule applies only for direct quotations of 39 words
or less.
 Paraphrasing: “Summarize a passage or rearrange the
order of a sentence and change some of the words of
another author, you need to credit the source in the text”
(APA, 2010, p. 15).

Definition of Empirical Research
 Empirical research uses data derived from actual
observation or experimentation.
 Three major types of journal articles are reports of
empirical studies, review articles, and theoretical articles.
 Reports of empirical studies are articles summarizing original
research.
 Review articles are further examinations of research that has
already been published.
 Theoretical articles are written to advance theory and they
may include both empirical research and review of research in
order to elaborate the theoretical position.
Geisel Library. (2010).Definition: Empirical research. Retrieved from http://www.anselm.edu/library/empirical.html

Recognizing Empirical Research
 Language
If an article is empirical, it will include terms such as:
 measurement
 psychological aspects
 reports
 research statistics
 usage
 Length of Article
Empirical research articles are usually substantial (more than 1 or 2
pages) and include a bibliography or cited references section (usually
at the end of the article).
 Type of Publication
Empirical research articles are published in scholarly or academic
journals.These publications are also sometimes referred to as "peer-
reviewed," or "refereed" publications.
Geisel Library. (2010).Recognizing empirical research. Retrieved from
http://www.anselm.edu/library/empirical.html

Basic Formatting: The Paper
Basic Formatting –The Paper APA 6th Edition Location
Page Size: 8.5” x 11”
Margins: 1” on all sides Chapter 8: Section 8.03 – Margins (p. 229)
Line Spacing: Double spaced for whole document Chapter 8: Section 8.03 – Line spacing (p. 229)
FontType: Times New Roman (serif typeface) Chapter 8: Section 8.03 –Typeface (p. 228)
Font Size: 12 pt Chapter 8: Section 8.03 – Typeface (p. 228)
Alignment: Flush-left style (right margin is uneven) Chapter 8: Section 8.03 – Line length and
alignment (p. 229)
Paragraph and indentation: Indent the first line of every paragraph and
footnote. Use the tab key, which should be set at five to seven spaces or a
½”
Chapter 8: Section 8.03 – Paragraph and
indentation (p. 229)
Length: The optimal length to effectively communicate the primary ideas.
RULE:“less is more”
Chapter 3: Section 3.01 – Length (p. 61)
Writing Style: Clear communication that uses continuity in presentation
of ideas, smoothness of expression, tone, economy of expression, precision
and clarity, and linguistic devices.
Chapter 3: Sections 3.05 – 3.10 (pp. 65 – 70)
Voice: Third person point of view and active voice Chapter 3: Section 3.09 – Precision and Clarity:
Attribution (pp. 69 -70)
Chapter 3: Section 3.18 –Verbs (p. 77)

Basic Formatting: Headings
Basic Formatting – Headings APA 6th Edition Location
Heading 1: Centered, boldface, uppercase and lowercase
heading
Example Heading One
Chapter 3: Section 3.03 – Levels of Heading (pp. 63 - 64)
Chapter 2: Figure 2.1 – Sample Papers (p. 44)
Heading 2: Flush left, boldface, uppercase and lowercase
heading
Example HeadingTwo
Heading 3: Indented, boldface, lowercase paragraph heading
ending with a period
Example heading three.
NOTE:The text begins one space after the header and
on the same line.This goes for Heading 4 and 5 too.
Heading 4: Indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase paragraph
heading ending with a period
Example heading four.
Heading 5: Indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading
ending with a period
Example heading five.
NOTE:The indentation is equal to the paragraph indentation
(5-7 spaces or a ½” – use the word-processing tab function)
NOTE:The text of the paper begins on Page 3 with the same
title that is located on the title page.There is no “Introduction.”
The first part of the manuscript is assumed to be the
introduction. (APA, 2010, p. 63)

Basic Formatting: Lists
Basic Formatting – Lists (Bullet & Number) APA 6th Edition Location
Numbered List: Itemized conclusion, steps in a procedure, or
importance of rank use a numbered list that is identified by an
Arabic numeral followed by a period --- not enclosed in
parenthesis
NOTE: “Separate sentences in a series are also identified
by an Arabic numeral followed by a period; the first word
is capitalized, and the sentence ends with a period or
correct punctuation” (APA, 2010, p. 63).
Chapter 3: Section 3.04 – Seriation (pp. 63 – 64)
Bullet List: Bullet lists can be used if the list does not contain
ranking importance.
NOTE: “Symbols such as small squares, circles, and so
forth, may be used in creating a bulleted list” (APA, 2010, p.
64).
Chapter 3: Section 3.04 – Seriation (p. 64)
Within a paragraph or sentence: Identify the elements in a
series with lowercase letters in parentheses (e.g., (a), (b), and so
forth)
Within a sentence: use commas to separate three or more
elements that do not have internal commas, (e.g., . . . three
choices were (a) apple, (b) orange, and (c) pear.
Within a sentence: use semicolons to separate three or
more elements that have internal commas (e.g.,“We tested three
groups: (a) low scorers, who scored lower than 20%; (b)
moderate scorers, who scored . . .” (APA, 2010, p. 64.
NOTE: Numbered lists and bullet lists match the paragraph
indentation of 5-7 spaces or ½”. Both list types match the same
font type and size as the manuscript [paper].
Chapter 2: Figure 2.3 – Sample Paper (p. 57)

Basic Formatting: The Mechanics
Basic Formatting –The Mechanics APA 6th Edition Location
Spacing After Punctuation Marks: “Insert one
space after: commas, colons, semicolons, periods that
separate parts of a reference citation; and periods of
the initials in personal names” (APA, 2010, p. 88).
Chapter 4: Section 4.01 – Spacing After Punctuation
Marks (pp. 87 – 88)
Spacing After a Period: “Spacing twice after
punctuation marks at the end of a sentence aids
readers of draft manuscripts” (APA, 2010, p. 88).
Chapter 4: Section 4.01 – Spacing After Punctuation
Marks (p. 88)
NOTE: “The only mention of spacing after end
punctuation in the Publication Manual is the one you
described on p. 88. The wording was modified
between the first and subsequent printings to
emphasize that this is a recommendation and
not a strict rule. Printed final versions typically have
one space following end punctuation.As you noted,
“draft” manuscripts are the exception, should one
choose to follow the recommendation.This is implied
but not stated outright.” (APA Style Expert, personal
communication, February 17, 2010).
Period: Are used for: end a complete sentence,
initials of names, abbreviation for United States when
used as an adjective, identity concealing labels, Latin
abbreviations, and reference abbreviations.
Chapter 4: Section 4.02 – Period (p. 88)

Basic Formatting: The Mechanics, Cntd.
Basic Formatting –The Mechanics APA 6th Edition Location
Comma: Are used between elements in a series of
three or more (e.g., a, b, and c), to set off a
nonessential or restrictive clause, separate two
independent clauses, set off the year in exact dates,
set off year in parenthetical reference citations,
separate groups of three digits in most numbers,
between two parts of compound predicate and parts
of measurement.
Chapter 4: Section 4.03 – Comma (p. 88 - 89)
Semicolon:Are used to separate two independent
clauses that are NOT joined by a conjunction, and
elements in a series that contain commas.
Chapter 4: Section 4.04 – Semicolon (p. 88 - 89)
Colon: Are used between complete clauses where
each part could stand as an independent sentence, in
ratios and proportions, and in references between
place or publication and publisher.
Chapter 4: Section 4.05 – Colon (p. 89)

Basic Formatting –The Mechanics, Ctnd. APA 6th Edition Location
Dash: Use it to indicate only a sudden interruption in the
continuity of a sentence, but do not over use it.
Chapter 4: Section 4.06 – Dash (p. 90)
Quotation Marks: Use these double quotation marks to
introduce a word or phrase; to set off the title of an
article or chapter in a periodical or book when the title is
mentioned in text; and to reproduce material from a test
item (APA, 2010, p. 91)
Chapter 4: Section 4.07 – Quotation Marks (pp. 91 – 92)
Double or Single Quotation Marks: Use double
quotation marks to enclose quotations in text and use
single quotation marks within double quotation makes to
set off material that in the original source. (APA, 2010, p.
91)
Chapter 4: Section 4.08 – Double or Single Quotation
Marks (p. 92)
Block Quotations (40 words or more): do not use
double quotes for directly copied text.
Marks (p. 92)
Double or Single Quotation Marks with other
punctuation: “Place periods and commas within closing
single or double quotation marks. Place other punctuation
marks inside quotation marks only when they are part of
the quoted material” (APA, 2010, p. 92).
Marks (p. 92)

Basic Formatting: The Mechanics, Ctnd.
Parentheses: Are used to set off independent elements,
set off reference citations in text; introduce an
abbreviation; enclose the citation or page number of a
direct quotation; and more.
Chapter 4: Section 4.09 – Parentheses (pp. 93 – 94)
Hyphenation: Please refer to the APA 6th edition manual
for all the general principles on hyphenation.
Chapter 4: Section 4.13 – Hyphenation (pp. 97 – 100)
Words Beginning a Sentence: Capitalize first word in
a sentence and first word after a colon that begins a
complete sentence.
Chapter 4: Section 4.14 – Words Beginning a Sentence (p.
101)
Major Words inTitles and Headings: Capitalize major
words in title of book and articles within the body of the
paper; capitalize major words in article headings and
subheadings; capitalize major words in table title and figure
legends; and capitalize references to titles of sections
within the same article.
NOTE: Capitalize only the first word of the title of
a book or article in the reference list.
Chapter 4: Section 4.15 - Major Words in Titles and
Headings (pp. 101 – 102)
Proper Nouns andTrade Names: Capitalize proper
nouns, adjectives and words used as proper nouns; names
of university specific departments; and trade and brand
names of drugs, equipment and food (APA, 2010, p. 102).
Chapter 4: Section 4.16 - Proper Nouns and Trade Names
(pp. 102 – 103)

Use of Italics: First rule – use italics
infrequently. Use italics for titles of books,
periodicals, films, videos,TV shows and
microfilm publications; introduction of a new,
technical or key term or label; a letter, word, or
phrase cited as a linguistic example; and
periodical volume numbers in reference lists.
Chapter 4: Section 4.21 – Use of Italics (pp. 104
– 106)
Use of Abbreviations: Please refer to the
APA 6th edition manual for all the principles of
abbreviations.
Chapter 4: Section 4.22 – Use of Abbreviations
(pp. 106 – 111)
Numbers: Use words to express a number at
the beginning of a sentence, title or text
heading; and use words to express numbers
from 1 – 10.
Chapter 4: Sections 4.31 & 4.32 (pp. 111 – 113)

Basic Formatting: Tables
Basic Formatting –Tables APA 6th Edition Location
Table and Figure Numbers: Number all tables and
figures with Arabic numerals in order of how they
appear (e.g.,Table 1).
NOTE: For Appendices that have tables denote
those table names with capital letters and
Arabic numerals (e.g.,Table A1).
Chapter 5: Section 5.05 –Table and Figure Numbers
(p. 127)
Table Layout: For all the full layout of a table along
with all the specific components please refer toTable
5.1 Basic Components of aTable on p. 129 of APA 6th
edition, 3rd printing.
Chapter 5: Section 5.08 –Table Layout (p. 128 – 130)
TableTitles: Brief, clear, explanatory title and easily
inferred by the reader and flushed left above the table.
Chapter 5: Section 5.12 –Table Titles (p. 133)
Table Headings: “Headings establish our
organization of the date and identify the columns of
data beneath them” (APA, 2010, p. 133).
Chapter 5: Section 5.13 –Table Headings (p. 133)
NOTE: Refer to Chapter 5: Section 5.19 –Table
Checklist (p. 150), to determine if the data is
presented effectively.
NOTE: When creating tables in APA do not use full
borders.There are no vertical lines in an APA
formatted table and only horizontal lines above and
below the table heading and ending of the table.

Basic Formatting: Figures
Basic Formatting – Figures APA 6th Edition Location
Types of Figures: Graphs, charts, maps,
drawings and photographs.
Chapter 5: Section 5.21 – Types of Figures
(p. 151)
Standards for Figures: Simplicity, clarity,
continuity and informative.
Chapter 5: Section 5.21 – Standards for
Figures (p. 152)
Table and Figure Numbers: Number
all tables and figures with Arabic numerals
in order of how they appear (e.g., Figure
1).The label and the title appear on the
same line below the figure, flush-left.
Cite the source below the label and the
title.
Chapter 5: Section 5.05 – Table and Figure
Numbers (p. 127)
Chapter 5: Section 5.30 – Figure Checklist
(p. 167)
NOTE: Only use a figure if it provides
informative value to the paper.
NOTE: Refer to Chapter 5: Section 5.30
– Figure Checklist (p. 167) to ensure that
the figure is appropriate and adheres to
APA formatting conventions.

Basic Formatting: Citations
Basic Formatting – Citations APA 6th Edition Location
When to Cite:“Cite the work of those
individuals whose ideas, theories, or research
have directly influenced your work” (APA, 2010,
p. 169).
Chapter 6:When to Cite (p. 169)
Number of Citations in a Paper: Rule of
thumb – cite one to two resources per key
point
Chapter 6:When to Cite (p. 169)
Direct Quotation of Sources: When
quoting, always provide the author’s last name,
year and specific page number (written as p. for
single and pp. for double) or paragraph (written
as para. )if no page number exist in the text
with a matching reference in the reference list.
NOTE: You cannot list a citation without
a matching reference and vice versa. (See
Chapter 6 – Citing References in Text, p.
174)
Chapter 6: Section 6.03 – Direct Quotation of
Sources (pp. 170 – 171)
NOTE: “Reference lists are not required for major classical
works, such as ancient Greek and Roman works or classical
religious works” (APA, 2010, p. 179).
“Page 179 of the 6th edition of the Publications Manual states
that because parts of classical works are numbered
systematically across all editions, you would use these numbers
instead of page numbers when referring to specific parts of a
classical source. It gives the following example: 1 Cor. 13:1
(Revised StandardVersion). (APA Style Expert, personal
communication, March 29, 2010)

Basic Formatting: Citations, Cntd.
Basic Formatting – Citations, Cntd. APA 6th Edition Location
Block Quote: Is a direct quotation that is 40 words or more.
It is written as a paragraph that is indented to match the
paragraph indentation. It does not contain double quotes
before or after the quoted material.The citation goes outside
of the block quote.
Chapter 6: Section 6.03 – Direct Quotation of Sources (p. 171)
Paraphrasing of Sources: When paraphrasing a source
always provide the author’s last name and year. However, you
are encouraged to provide a page or paragraph number.
Chapter 6: Section 6.04 – Paraphrasing Material (p. 171)
Basic Formatting Guidelines:
 One author paraphrase: (Last name, date)
One author direct quote: (Last name, date, p. or para. #)
Two or more authors paraphrase: (Last name & Last name,
date)
Two or more authors paraphrase: (Last name & Last name,
date, p. or para. #)
Chapter 6: Citing References in Text (p. 174 – 179)
NOTE: For full details of the various types of citations refer to
Chapter 6: Sections 6.03 – 6.09 (pp. 170 – 173).
NOTE: “No, you would not give the URL in the text citation,
just as you would not have to give the publishing information
for a printed book that you were citing.You would only give the
author and publication date in the text.” (APA Style Expert,
personal communication, March 30, 2010)
NOTE: For full details of the various types of citations refer to
Chapter 6: Sections 6.11 – 6.21 (pp. 174 – 179).

Basic Formatting: References
Basic Formatting – References APA 6th Edition Location
Order of Reference List: Arrange the entries of the
reference list by alphabetical order by last name, followed by
initials. If the author has two or more listings, list by publication
date from earliest to latest.
Chapter 6: Section 6.25 – Order of References in the
Reference List (p. 181)
General Formatting: A reference should contain the author
name, date of publication, title of the work, and publication
data; see Chapter 6 – Sections 6.27 – 6.31 (p. 184 – 189)
Chapter 6: Reference Components (p. 183)
Author and Editor Information:
Invert author’s names, give last names and initials for
first seven authors. Eight or more authors, include the
first six author’s names followed by three ellipsis points
and add the last author’s name.
If authors have the same last name and first initial, type
the full first name in brackets.
If an author’s first name is hyphenated, keep the
hyphen and include periods after each initial of the
hyphenated name.
Use commas to separate authors, to separate
surnames, initials, and suffix.
Spell out the full name of a group.
If authors are listed with the word “with” include them
in the reference in parentheses.
If no author’s name exist for a reference, move the
title of the author position.
Chapter 6: Section 6.27 – Author and Editor Information (p.
184)
NOTE: If the references with the same authors published in
the same year are identified as articles in a series, order the
references in the series order, not alphabetically by title. Place
lowercase letters --- a, b, c, and so forth – immediately after the
year, within the parentheses (e.g., 2001a, 2001b). (APA, 2010, p.
182)
NOTE: For examples of all reference types see Chapter 7:
Reference Examples (pp. 193 – 224) in the APA 6th edition,
third printing.

Basic Formatting: References, Ctnd.
Basic Formatting – References, Cntd. APA 6th Edition Location
Editors:
For an edited book, place the editor’s names in the
author position and enclose the abbreviation “Ed.” or
“Eds.” in parentheses after the last editor’s name.A period
follows the abbreviation and after the last parenthesis.
In a reference to a chapter in an edited book, invert the
chapter authors’ names as stated for an author’s name,
but you do not invert the book editors names.
The name of the book editor should be preceded by the
word “In”. Provide initials and surnames of all editors.
No editor, simply include the word “In” before the book
title.
Chapter 6: Section 6.27 – Author and Editor Information
(p. 184)
Publication Date:
PublicationYear – (year).
Magazines, Newsletters and Newspapers – (Year, Month
Day).
Papers and Posters Presented: (Year, Month).
Not yet published articles – (in press).
No date available – (n.d.).
Several volumes in a work – (Year –Year).
Archival Sources – (ca.).
A period follows all dates.
Chapter 6: Section 6.28 – Publication Date(p. 185)
NOTE: Thanks for your question. This is an issue we handle on a case-by-
case basis. If there is no date on the article itself, the default is to use “n.d.”
for no date; this is true in both 5th and 6th edition Publication Manuals. This
issue has been addressed in this blog post as well:
http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2010/01/the-generic-reference-when.html
I would use “n.d.” for the most part, unless you think it is evident from the
particular site that the copyright date is an accurate representation of when
the content was actually published. Hope this helps!
APA Style Expert
American Psychological Association (APA Style Expert, personal
communication, April 14, 2010)

Title:
Article or chapter title: Capitalize on the
first word of the title and of the subtitle, and
any proper names or nouns. Do not italicize
the title or place quotation marks around the
title.The title ends with a period.
Periodical title: Journals, newsletters,
and magazines – Give the periodical title in
full, in uppercase and lowercase letters. Italicize
the name of the periodical.
Nonperiodical title: Books and reports –
Capitalize only the first word of the title and of
the subtitle and any proper names and nouns.
Enclose additional information given on the
publication for its identification and retrieval
(e.g., edition, report number, volume number)
in parentheses immediately after the title.A
period is not used between the title and the
additional information and it is not italicized.
Chapter 6: Section 6.29 Title (pp. 185 – 186)

Publication Information:
Periodicals:Journals,newsletters,magazines –
Give the volume number after the periodical title and
italicize it, but do not use “Vol.” before the number.
Include the journal issue number (if available) along
with the volume number in parentheses directly after
the volume number, but DO NOT italicize it. Finish
with a period.
Nonperiodicals:Books and reports – Give the
location (city and state or if outside the U.S., city and
country) where the publisher is located as noted on
the title page of the publication. If the publisher is a
university and its name contains the city do not repeat
in the publisher location.The states are abbreviated in
the publisher information and are followed by a colon.
Provide the publisher name in as brief a form as is
intelligible.The words Publisher, Co., or Inc. can be
omitted from the publisher location. For more than
one publisher to a book, list the first one.When the
author is the publisher use “Author” to indicate the
publisher and end the publisher information with a
period.
Chapter 6: Section 6.30 – Publication Information (p.
186)

Electronic Sources and Locator Information
Basic Rules:
Use the same formatting as other references,
(authors’ names, publication date, and title)
Use the full URL of the EXACT location of the
electronic source (e.g.,
http://www.apa.org/monitor/oct00/workplace.html).
The URL is NOT followed by a period to end the
reference.
It is not required to include a retrieval date due to
the fact that the URL of an electronic source may
change.
If the electronic source has a digital object identifier
(DOI) include that in the reference with the format:
doi:xxxxxxx
If a DOI has been assigned, there is no need for any
further retrieval information.
It is not necessary to include database information
from database aggregators such as EBSCO, OVID, or
ProQuest.
Try to always cite the final version of electronic
sources.
Chapter 6: Section 6.31 – Electronic Sources and
Location Information (pp. 187 – 192)
NOTE:“The preference is to use the DOI rather than a URL
as the locator for articles retrieved online. However,“if no DOI
has been assigned to the content, provide the home page URL
of the journal or of the book or report publisher. If you are
accessing the article from a private database, you may need to
do a quick web search to locate this URL” (APA Publication
Manual, pp. 191-192). An article and flow chart illustrating the
decision process for citing online articles is available on our
APA Style blog: http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2009/09/a-doi-
and-url-flowchart.html .” (APA Style Expert, personal
communication, March 16, 2011)

Basic Formatting: Appendix
Basic Formatting – Appendix APA 6th Edition Location
In General: “An appendix is appropriate for materials that are
relatively brief and that are easily presented in print format”
(APA , 2010, p. 39).
Chapter 2: Section 2.13 – Appendices and Supplemental
Materials (p. 38 – 40)
Paper only has one Appendix: If the paper only has one
appendix it is labeled just with the title Appendix.
Materials (p. 39)
Paper has more than one Appendix: If the paper has more
than one appendix, label each one with a capital letter (e.g.,
Appendix A,Appendix B, etc.) and in order of how it is
mentioned in the main text.
NOTE: “Each appendix must have a title. In the text,
refer to appendices by their labels” (APA, 2010, p. 39).
Materials (p. 39)
Basic Formatting:
An appendix may include headings and subheadings, tables,
figures and displayed equations.
Tables, figures and displayed equations should match the
appendix name (e.g.,Table A1, Figure A1, etc.).
In a single appendix, tables, figures and displayed equations
should be labeled with an “A” to identify them from the same
elements in the content of the paper.
Begin each appendix on a separate page.
Center the word Appendix and the identifying capital letters
(e.g.,A, B., etc.) at the top of the page.
Center the title of the appendix, and use uppercase and
lowercase letters.
Begin the text of the appendix flush left, followed by indented
paragraphs.
Materials (p. 39)

Basic Formatting: Title Page
Basic Formatting –Title Page APA 6th Edition Location
Title: No more then 12 words, mixed case, centered
NOTE: Title is located on the title page (upper
half of page) and on the first page of the paper
(first line)
Chapter 2: Section 2.01 –Title (p. 23)
NOTE: “Regarding your question, all words that are four or
more letters long (regardless of part of speech) should have
the first letter capitalized. All verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs,
and pronouns (regardless of length) should be capitalized.” (K.
Till, personal communication,April 2, 2010)
Author’s Name: First Name, Middle Initial(s) and
Last name, centered
NOTE: Omit all titles (e.g., Dr., Professor) and
degrees (e.g., PhD, PsyD, EdD)
Chapter 2: Section 2.02 – Author’s Name (p. 23)
Institutional affiliation:Location where research
was conducted (e.g., University name or college name)
NOTE: When no institutional affiliation, list city
and state of residence
Chapter 2: Section 2.02 – Institutional affiliation (p. 23)
Author Note:
1st Paragraph: Complete departmental affiliation
2nd Paragraph: Changes of affiliation (if any)
3rd Paragraph:Acknowledgments
4th Paragraph: Person to contact (mailing address, e-
mail)
NOTE: The Author Note is a required with
the exception of theses and dissertations
Chapter 2: Section 2.03 – Author Note (pp. 24 - 25)

Basic Formatting: Title Page, Ctnd.
Basic Formatting –Title Page, Cntd. APA 6th Edition Location
Running head: Abbreviated title that is printed at
the top of the pages; Maximum 50 characters,
counting letters, punctuation, and spaces between
words; flush left in all uppercase letters at the top of
the title page and all subsequent pages
NOTE: The words “Running head:” only
appears on the title page and is in mixed case
Chapter 8: Section 8.03 – Order of manuscript pages:
title page (p. 229)
APA Blog Post on the Running head:
http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2012/05/mysteries-of-
the-running-head-explained.html
Page number: Pages are numbered consecutively
beginning with title page; use the automatic functions
of your word-processing program to generate page
numbers
NOTE: page numbers appear on the same line
as the running head but is flushed right
TIP: It is easier to create the 2nd page
header before creating the 1st page
header usingWord’s automatic function
Chapter 8: Section 8.03 – Page numbers and running
heads (p. 230)

Basic Formatting: The Abstract
Basic Formatting –The Abstract APA 6th Edition Location
Description:Brief, comprehensive summary of the
contents of the article, accurate, nonevaluative,
coherent and readable, and concise
Chapter 2: Section 2.04 – Abstract (pp. 25 – 27)
Word limit:150 – 250 words Chapter 2: Section 2.04 – Abstract (p. 27)
Location:New page (page 2) Chapter 2: Section 2.04 – Abstract (p. 27)
Title: Abstract should appear in uppercase and
lowercase letters, centered at the top of the page
Chapter 2: Section 2.04 – Abstract (p. 27)
Running head: Identified with only the title from the
running head or abbreviated title flushed right in the
header
Page number: Opposite of the abbreviated title and
should be numbered as page 2 flushed right
Line spacing: Double spaced Chapter 2: Figure 2.1 – Sample Paper (p. 41)
Paragraph and indentation:NONE Chapter 2: Figure 2.1 – Sample Paper (p. 41)
Alignment:Left (ragged right margin) Chapter 2: Figure 2.1 – Sample Paper (p. 41)

Footnotes and Endnotes
 “APA does not recommend the use of footnotes and endnotes because they are
often expensive for publishers to reproduce. However, if explanatory notes still
prove necessary to your document,APA details the use of two types of footnotes:
content and copyright.
 When using either type of footnote, insert a number formatted in superscript
following almost any punctuation mark. Footnote numbers should not follow dashes
( — ), and if they appear in a sentence in parentheses, the footnote number should
be inserted within the parentheses.
Scientists examined—over several years1—the fossilized remains of the wooly-
wooly yak.2 (These have now been transferred to the Chauan Museum.3)
 All footnotes should appear on the final page of your document (usually this is after
the References page). Center the word “Footnotes” at the top of the page. Indent
five spaces on the first line of each footnote.Then, follow normal paragraph spacing
rules. Double-space throughout.”
1 While the method of examination for the wooly-wooly yak provides
important insights to this research, this document does not focus on this
particular species.
Purdue Online Writing Lab. (1995 – 2010).APA: Footnotes and endnotes. Retrieved from
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/04/

Order of Manuscript
 Title Page
 5 components (title, running head, author byline, institutional affiliation, author
note)
 Abstract
 Separate page (page 2)
 Text
 Separate page (page 3)
 References
 Separate page
 Tables
 Separate page
 Figures
 Separate page
 Appendices
 Separate page
APA Manual: (Chapter 8: Section 8.03 – Order of Manuscript pages (pp. 229 – 230)

APA Web Resources
 The Best APA Cheat Sheets on the Web: http://studenthacks.org/2007/05/08/apa-
cheat-sheet/
 APA Style Help: http://www.apastyle.org/apa-style-help.aspx
 APA Style Blog: http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/
 How to Cite Twitter and Facebook, Part I &II: Reference List Entries and In-Text
Citations:
 http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2009/10/how-to-cite-twitter-and-facebook-part-i.html
 http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2009/10/how-to-cite-twitter-and-facebook-part-ii.html
 How to Cite a Speech in APA Style: http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2009/10/how-
to-cite-a-speech-in-apa-style.html
 APA Style for Citing Interviews: http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2009/10/apa-style-
for-citing-interviews.html
 How Do I Cite a Kindle?: http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2009/09/how-do-i-cite-a-
kindle.html
 Use of First Person in APA Style: http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2009/09/use-of-
first-person-in-apa-style.html

APA Web Resources, Cntd.
 Purdue Owl – APA Style:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/10/
 Son of Citation Machine: http://citationmachine.net/
 TheWriting Center:
http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/DocAPA.html
 APA Style Resources:
http://www.psychwww.com/resource/apacrib.htm
 APA Citation Style:
http://www.liu.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citapa.htm
 APA Reference Style:
http://linguistics.byu.edu/faculty/henrichsenl/apa/apa01.html
 APA Style Essentials:
http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/index.aspx?doc_id=796
 APA Interactive Tutorial:
http://www.kevinschoepp.ca/APAtutorial/links.htm

APA Software
 Perrla: http://www.perrla.com/Default.aspx
 StyleEase: http://www.styleease.com/index.html
 Reference Point: http://www.referencepointsoftware.com/
 APAWizard:
http://www.apaformatwizard.com/?gclid=COKHzqrmypM
CFQS7sgoduToIiA
 ScholarWord: http://scholarword.com/
 Southern Ocean Software:
http://www.southernoceansoftware.com/apamacros/index
.html
 EasyPaper: http://www.eazypaper.com/
 NotaBene: http://www.notabene.com/

APA Video Tutorials
 Setting upWord 2007 for APA -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zwte1ntB2gA
 Setting upWord 2010 for APA -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUjhwGmhDrI
 APA Format Citations-Sixth (6th) Edition -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9pbUoNa5tyY

Plagiarism Tools
 PlagiarismToday: http://www.plagiarismtoday.com/
 Plagiarized: http://www.plagiarized.com/
 Master Lists of Tools:
http://www.shambles.net/pages/staff/ptools/
 The Plagiarism Resource Site:
http://plagiarism.phys.virginia.edu/
 Eve2: http://www.canexus.com/eve/index.shtml
 Turnitin: http://www.turnitin.com/static/index.html

Plagiarism Tools, Cntd.
 SafeAssign: http://www.mydropbox.com/
 Check for Plagiarism:
http://www.checkforplagiarism.net/signup-now.html
 The 20 Best Free Anti-PlagiarismTools:
http://www.blogherald.com/2007/06/25/the-20-best-free-
anti-plagiarism-tools/
 Viper: http://www.scanmyessay.com/
 Plagiarism Detect: http://www.plagiarismdetect.com/
 Plagium: http://www.plagium.com/

Plagiarism Tools, Cntd.
 Doc Cop:
http://www.doccop.com/index.html?nc=24755214
 Article Checker: http://www.articlechecker.com/
 CopyScape: http://www.copyscape.com/
 DupliChecker: http://www.duplichecker.com/
 Plagiarism: http://www.plagiarism.org/
 iThenticate: http://www.ithenticate.com/

Tips on Using Word 2003, 2007, & 2010
 Use Word’s Proof Reading Option to setup rules for grammar and
style check for APA specific requirements
 Comma always before the and
 Punctuation always inside the double quotes
 One space after a period
 And more
 Create a template with the basic formatting requirements
 Use Word 2007 & 2010’s APA Style function
 Create tables with full borders to make ease of designing, inputting
and presenting data, and then remove the full borders and add only
the horizontal lines required by APA before submitting.
 Use Word’s Page Layout Function > Header Different First Page to
create the header the “Running head:” header on the title page and
the second header on the page 2 without the words “Running
head:”

References
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of
the American Psychological Association (6th ed.).Washington, DC:
American Psychological Association.
Andrews, K., & Adragna, S. (n.d.). APA:Transition to 6th Edition.
Author.
Geisel Library. (2010). Definition: Empirical research. Retrieved
from http://www.anselm.edu/library/empirical.html
Geisel Library. (2010). Recognizing empirical research.
Retrieved from
http://www.anselm.edu/library/empirical.html
Purdue OnlineWriting Lab. (1995 – 2010). APA: Footnotes
and endnotes. Retrieved from
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/04/

Additional APA Resources by Dr. Post
Look for ALL of Dr. Post’s APA Resources at
Slideshare.net/mpostphd
Tutorials
 DrPost APA 6th Ed MS Word 2007TemplateTutorial v1
 DrPost APA 6th Ed - MS Word Advanced Editing v1
QuickSheets
 DrPost Quick Sheet - APA 6th Ed Resources v2
 DrPost Quick Sheet - APA 6th Ed Basic Formatting v1

Michelle Post, Ph.D., MBA, CSMS, A+

APA 6th Ed Tutorial v10

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