APA Style | Definition

The APA Style, now in its 7th edition, is a set of guidelines for writing and formatting scholarly papers created by the American Psychological Association.

Introduction to APA Style (7th Edition)

Writing is an essential part of the social sciences, and having a common writing style makes reading and understanding each other’s work easier. The Style Guide of the American Psychological Association specifies one such writing style. Though it originated in psychology, it’s now used across many fields, including criminal justice, social work, and political science. In late 2019, APA introduced the 7th edition of its style guide, which introduced some changes to keep up with the digital age.

The Core Elements of APA Style (7th Edition)

There are many elements to APA Style, but we’ll focus on three key areas: paper format, citation style, and reference list.

1. Paper Format: APA papers have a specific structure. They begin with a title page, followed by an abstract, the main body, and references. Other parts like tables, figures, and appendices can be added if needed. The text is typically double-spaced with 1-inch margins, and a standard font like 12-point Times New Roman is used.
2. Citation Style: When we use someone else’s ideas, we need to give them credit. In APA Style, we do this with in-text citations. They usually include the author’s last name and the year of publication. For example, (Smith, 2020).
3. Reference List: At the end of the paper, a list of all sources cited in the text is included. Each source has its own reference entry, and they’re ordered alphabetically by the author’s last name. Each entry includes information like the author, date, title, and where it was published.

Applying APA Style in Social Sciences: A Political Science Example

Consider a political science student writing a paper on voting behavior. They might cite a book in their paper as follows: (Green, 2020). Then, in the reference list, the full citation would look something like this:

Green, D. P. (2020). Partisan Hearts and Minds. Yale University Press.

The student will format their paper according to APA guidelines, ensuring the title page, abstract, main body, and references are all in the correct order and format. This uniformity makes the paper easier to read and understand.

Why it Matters

APA Style, especially the 7th edition, is widely accepted in many academic fields. It provides a standard that ensures clarity and consistency in presenting written work. Using APA Style accurately shows academic integrity and respect for other scholars’ work by giving appropriate credit. Moreover, mastering APA Style can make writing, reviewing, and reading scholarly works a smoother process. Therefore, students in social research need to be familiar with the rules of APA Style (7th edition).