APA Style Essentials

Jeden O. Tolentino
Business Management Department
De La Salle University-Manila
(Updated: February 2008)
Contents
1. General Document 1. References
Guidelines 2. Appendices
2. Title Page 3. Footnotes
3. Abstract 4. Tables
4. Body 5. Figure Captions and
5. Text Citations Figures
6. Quotations

Contents 2
General Document Guidelines
 Margins: One inch on all sides.

 Font Size and Type: 12-pt. font; Times

Roman, Arial, or Courier are acceptable
typefaces.

 Spacing: Double-space throughout the

paper, including the title page, abstract, body
of the document, references, appendices,
footnotes, tables, and figure captions.
General Document Guidelines 3
General Document Guidelines
 Alignment: Flush left (creating uneven right
margin) or justified.

 Paragraph Indentation: 5-7 spaces.

 Pagination: The page number appears one

inch from the right edge of the paper on the
first line of every page (except Figures),
beginning with the title page.
General Document Guidelines 4
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.

General Document Guidelines 5

General Document Guidelines
 Active voice: As a general rule, use the
active voice rather than the passive voice.
For example, use “We predicted that ...”
rather than “It was predicted that ...”

 Order of Pages: Title Page, Abstract, Body,

References, Appendixes, Footnotes, Tables,
Figure Captions, Figures.

General Document Guidelines 6

Title Page
 Pagination: The Title Page is page 1.

 Key elements: Paper title, author(s), author

affiliation(s), and running head.

 Paper Title: Uppercase and lowercase letters,

centered on the page.

 Author(s): Uppercase and lowercase letters,

centered on the line following the title.

Title Page 7
Title Page
 Institutional affiliation: Uppercase and lowercase
letters, centered on the line following the
author(s).

 Running head: The running head is typed flush left

(all uppercase) following the words “Running head:”
on the line below the manuscript page header. It
should not exceed 50 characters, including
punctuation and spacing. The running head is a
short title that appears at the top of pages of
published articles.
Title Page 8
Abstract
 Theabstract 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
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.

 Title: The title of the paper (in uppercase and

lowercase letters) is centered on the first line below
the manuscript page header.

 Introduction: The introduction (which is not labeled)

begins on the line following the paper title.
Body 11
Headings
 Headings are used to organize the document
and reflect the relative importance of
sections.

 Note:
APA style does not permit preceding
numbers or letters for the headings.

Body 12
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
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
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.

 Note: and is used when multiple authors are

identified as part of the formal structure of the
sentence.
Text Citations 17
Authors as part of formal
structure: Examples
Walker (2000) compared reaction times…

In 2000, Walker compared reaction times…

Wirth and Mitchell (1994) found that

although there was a reduction in
insulin dosage over a period of two
weeks in the treatment condition
compared to the control condition, the
difference was not statistically
significant.
Text Citations 18
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.

 Note: & is used when multiple authors are identified

in parenthetical material. Note also that when
several sources are cited parenthetically, they are
ordered alphabetically by first authors' surnames
and separated by semicolons.

Text Citations 19
Authors not part of formal
structure: Example
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
(Gartner, Larson, & Allen, 1991;
Koenig, 1990; Levin & Vanderpool,
1991; Maton & Pargament, 1987;
Paloma & Pendleton, 1991; Payne,
Bergin, Bielema, & Jenkins, 1991).
Text Citations 20
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
Citing works by three, four, or
five authors
 When a source that has three, four, or five
authors is cited, all authors are included the
first time the source is cited. When that
source is cited again, the first author's
surname and "et al." are used.

Text Citations 22
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).

Payne et al. (1991) showed that...

Text Citations 23
Citing works by six or more
authors
 When a source that has six or more authors
is cited, the first author's surname and "et al."
are used every time the source is cited
(including the first time).

Text Citations 24
Citing works by associations,
corporations, government agencies, etc.
 The names of groups that serve as authors
(corporate authors) are usually written out each
time they appear in a text reference.
 When appropriate, the names of some corporate
authors are spelled out in the first reference and
abbreviated in all subsequent citations.
 The general rule for abbreviating in this manner
is to supply enough information in the text
citation for a reader to locate its source in the
Reference List without difficulty.

Text Citations 25
Citing works by associations, corporations,
government agencies, etc.: Examples

(National Institute of Mental

Health [NIMH], 1999)

(NIMH, 1999)

Text Citations 26
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
Citing works with no author:
Examples
The book College Bound Seniors
(1979)...

…on free care ("Study Finds,"

1982).

…on free care (Anonymous, 1998)

Text Citations 28
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.

 Ifpage numbers are not included in electronic

sources, provide the paragraph number
preceded by the paragraph symbol or the
heading and following paragraph.
Text Citations 29
Citing specific parts of a
source: Examples
(Cheek & Buss, 1981, p. 332)
(Shimamura, 1989, chap. 3)
Miele (1993) found that "the
'placebo effect,' which had been
verified. . . .were studied in this
manner" (p. 276)
(Myers, 2000 ¶ 5)
(Beutler, 2000, Conclusion section,
para. 1)
Text Citations 30
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
Citing sources not actually
read: Example
Grayson (as cited in Murzynski &
Degelman, 1996) identified four
components of body language that
were related to judgments of
vulnerability.

Text Citations 32
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
Citing a Web document
 Tocite 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
Citing a Web document:
Examples
Degelman and Harris (2000) provide
guidelines for the use of APA
writing style.

Changes in Americans' views of

gender status differences have been
documented (Gender and Society,
n.d.).

Text Citations 36
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
Citing an entire Web site:
Example
Witchcraft In Europe and America is
a site that presents the full text
of many essential works in the
literature of witchcraft and
demonology
(http://www.witchcraft.psmedia.com/
).

Text Citations 38
Citing the Bible
 Tocite the Bible, provide the book, chapter,
and verse. The first time the Bible is cited in
the text, identify the version used.

 Note:
No entry in the References list is
needed for the Bible.

Text Citations 39
Citing the Bible: Example
“You are forgiving and good, O
Lord, abounding in love to all who
call to you” (Psalm 86:5, New
International Version).

Text Citations 40
Quotations
 When a direct quotation is used, always
include the author, year, and page number as
part of the citation.

Quotations 41
Quotations (<40 words)
A quotation of fewer than 40 words should be
enclosed in double quotation marks and
should be incorporated into the formal
structure of the sentence.

Quotations 42
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
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
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
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
Journal article, one author
Mellers, B. A. (2000). Choice and
the relative pleasure of
consequences. Psychological
Bulletin, 126, 910-924.

References 51
Journal article, two authors
Klimoski, R., & Palmer, S. (1993).
The ADA and the hiring process in
organizations. Consulting
Psychology Journal: Practice and
Research, 45(2), 10-36.

References 52
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
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
Newspaper article, one author,
discontinuous pages
Schwartz, J. (1993, September 30).
Obesity affects economic, social
status. The Washington Post, pp.
A1, A4.

References 56
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
Book, one author
Paloutzian, R. F. (1996).
Invitation to the psychology of
religion (2nd ed.). Boston: Allyn
and Bacon.

References 59
Book, two authors
Beck, C. A. J., & Sales, B. D.
(2001). Family mediation: Facts,
myths, and future prospects.
Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association.

References 60
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
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
Essays or chapters in edited
books, one author
Massaro, D. (1992). Broadening the
domain of the fuzzy logical model
of perception. In H. L. Pick Jr.,
P. van den Broek, D. C. Knill
(Eds.), Cognition: Conceptual and
methodological issues (pp. 51-
84). Washington, DC: American
Psychological Association.

References 64
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
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
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
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
Report available from
document deposit service
Osgood, D. W., & Wilson, J. K.
(1990). Covariation of adolescent
health problems. Lincoln:
University of Nebraska. (NTIS No.
PB 91-154 377/AS)

References 72
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
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
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
Music recording
Shocked, M. (1992). Over the
waterfall. On Arkansas traveler
[CD]. New York: PolyGram Music.

References 79
Electronic media and online
sources
 Direct readers as closely as possible to the
information being cited – whenever possible,
reference specific documents rather than home
or menu pages.
 Provide addresses that work. At a minimum, a
reference of an Internet source should provide a
document or title description, a "date" (either the
date of publication, update, or date of retrieval),
and an address (in Internet terms, a URL).
 Whenever possible, identify the authors of the
document as well.

References 80
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
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
Abstract from secondary
database
Garrity, K., & Degelman, D. (1990).
Effect of server introduction on
restaurant tipping. Journal of
Applied Social Psychology, 20,
168-172. Abstract retrieved July
23, 2001, from PsycINFO database.

References 84
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
Professional Web site
American Psychological Association.
(1999, June 1). Electronic
preference formats recommended by
the American Psychological
Association. Retrieved July 18,
1999, from the World Wide Web:
http://www.apa.org/journals/webre
f.html

References 86
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
Stand-alone Web document,
no date
Nielsen, M. E. (n.d.). Notable
people in psychology of
religion. Retrieved August 3,
2001, from
http://www.psywww.com/psyrelig/ps
yrelpr.htm

References 88
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
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
Example of appendix header
Appendix
Injustice (Ij) and Personal Power
(PP) Scale Items

Appendices 92
Footnotes
 Contentfootnotes 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
Example of footnotes
Footnotes

1
Copies 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
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
Example of table title
Table 1
Mean Scores and Standard Deviations
on the Personal Power and Injustice
Scales for College and Older Groups

Tables 98
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.

Figure Captions and Figures 99

Figure Captions and Figures
 The Figure Captions page is the final numbered
page of the paper. The Figures that follow the
Figure Captions page do NOT have page numbers
or manuscript page headers.
 The heading Figure Caption(s) is centered on the
first line below the manuscript page header.
 Double-space and type Figure 1. (or 2 or 3, etc.)
italicized and flush left, followed by the caption for
the figure (not italicized), capitalizing only the first
letter of the first word and any proper nouns.
Figure Captions and Figures 100
Example of figure caption
Figure 1. JPEG image of infant and
bipolar adjectives rating scale.

Figure Captions and Figures 101

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