Overview of APA Style 7th Edition Guidelines

Introduction

• Presenter: Lindsay Keevey, Faculty Librarian at LCC
• Purpose: Overview of APA 7th edition guidelines for student papers
• APA: American Psychological Association
  • Common in social/behavioral sciences, nursing, business
  • Standardizes manuscript publication format for scholarly communication

Student vs. Professional Papers

• Student Papers:
  • Title page includes course information and due date
  • No running head or abstract
• Professional Papers:
  • Include running head and abstract
  • Different title page information

Basic Formatting for APA Student Paper

• Title Page:
  • Page number, bold title, author's name
  • Institutional affiliation, course number and name, instructor name, due date
• Main Text:
  • Double-spaced with one-inch margins
  • Consistent font usage (11 pt Arial or 12 pt Times New Roman)
  • Page numbers throughout

Title Page Setup

• Steps to Create a Title Page:
  • Insert page number on top right
  • Center and bold title
  • Include author information, course, instructor, due date
  • Ensure only the title is bold
  • Insert a page break after title page

Writing the Body of the Paper

• Start on a new page with the title centered and bold
• Begin each paragraph with a half-inch indentation
• Headings:
  • Use headings to organize content
  • Heading Level 1: Centered, bold
  • Heading Level 2: Left-aligned, bold

In-text Citations

• Direct Quotes:
  • Use quotation marks for direct quotes
  • Include author, date, page number
  • Example formats provided
• Paraphrasing:
  • Use your own words, do not look at the source
  • Include author and date
  • No page number needed unless source-specific

References Page

• Start on a new page labeled "References" (bold, centered)
• Use hanging indents
• Alphabetize references
• Check with instructor on including hyperlinks/DOIs

Examples of Reference Formatting

• Journal Article: Author, year, title, journal name (italicized), volume, pages, DOI
• Edited Book: Editor, year, title (italicized), publisher
• Organization as Author: Organization, year, title (italicized), DOI

Additional Resources

• LCC Library Website
  • Tutorials, citation guides, formatting help
  • Links to Purdue OWL, APA Style Blog, APA Manual

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These notes provide an overview of the key elements in APA 7th edition formatting for student papers, focusing on title pages, in-text citations, and references. For further help, reference the suggested additional resources.