Note: This page reflects APA 6, which is now out of date. It will remain online until 2021, but will not be updated. The equivalent APA 7 page can be found here.
APA style was created by social and behavioral scientists to standardize scientific writing. APA style is most often used in:
If you're taking courses in any of these areas, be prepared to use APA style.
For in-depth guidance on using this citation style, refer to Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th ed. We have several copies available at the MJC Library at the call number BF76.7 .P83 2010.
When you write a research paper, you use information and facts from a variety of resources to support your own ideas or to help you develop new ones. Books, articles, videos, interviews, and Web sites are some examples of sources you might use. Citing these sources of information in your work is essential because:
Whenever you use a citation style (ANY citation style!) you will be governed by that style in three ways:
APA style (any citation style, in fact) presents researchers with a set of strict rules....not vague guidelines. Accuracy and precision are vital to the citation process. Always check your work carefully to ensure you've followed all conventions, including font styles, capitalization, punctuation, alphabetization, and format concerns.