The latest edition, published in 2001 and reprinted almost annually thereafter, is the 5th edition, but just because you’re holding a “new” book doesn’t mean you’re using the most current standards. APA provides errata (http://apastyle.apa.org/pubman-reprint.pdf) and updates (e.g., http://books.apa.org/books.cfm?id=4210509) online.
Errata
Sometimes, even the APA is challenged to implement its own standards. While most of the errata are minor, a few of them—especially those identified in the examples—are significant. Read the explanation for the rule and, if the example doesn’t seem to match the explanation, check to see whether the example is one of the errors listed on these pages.
Which edition is your review committee using?
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) has undergone numerous revisions in its more than 50-year history. With each edition, the Manual gets bigger (the version published in 1957 was a mere 70 pages, while the version published in 2001 contains more than 400 pages!); some old rules change, some new rules appear. If you and your review committee are using different editions of the Manual—or if your university or target journal applies its own standards in addition to (or instead of) APA—be prepared for problems. Ask your review chair, your journal’s editor, or your advisor before you begin writing and formatting, and again before you submit to make certain you’re all on the same page!
APA style is not universal university or journal style
Many institutions opt for publication standards that differ from the generic standards of APA. If your university or target journal has its own standards, not following those standards in favor of generic APA standards may keep you from completing your degree or being published. If it’s important enough for your institution or target journal to take the time to create and publish these specific standards, it’s important enough for you to follow them. Sometimes, journals and institutions post these standards online, and our editors may be able to locate and retrieve them. Other times, you may need to provide the style standards (sometimes called a "style sheet") to your editor.
Electronic references
Just as the Internet and availability of online journals has evolved, so have the formatting standards that dictate how electronic journal articles should be cited. The 5th edition of the Manual, published in 2001, lists the rules that applied in 2001. The NEW (as of 2007) rules are available only in the APA Style Guide to Electronic References (http://books.apa.org/books.cfm?id=4210509). While you no longer need to determine whether a journal is paginated by volume/year or by issue to assess whether you need to include the issue number (ALL journal references now include the issue number), you now need to find and provide the DOI or URL.
What is a DOI??
A DOI is a digital object identifier. Think of it as a journal article’s fingerprint. Most, but not all, online journals attach a DOI to each article. If a journal article included in your reference list has a DOI, that number must be included in the reference. If there is no DOI, you must cite the URL from which that article was accessed or downloaded.
When to use “retrieved on” dates
If you retrieved information from an electronic journal, that document probably has a publication date (the month and year of the issue); once published, it is unlikely to change or become unavailable. If you retrieved information from a Web site, however, odds are much greater that the Web site will update its pages or disappear in its entirety. For this reason, retrieved information without a readily identifiable publication date must include a “retrieved on” date. It’s a good idea, before you submit your final manuscript, to make certain the information is still available (preferably from the same URL cited) and still matches that which you retrieved. If the site from which you retrieved the information has changed, be sure to update the URL. If the information is no longer available online, consider removing this reference completely, since it cannot be verified.
Matching Citations
Every item, whether it is a book, journal, e-mail message, or phone conversation, cited in your manuscript must be listed as a reference. Likewise, every item listed in your reference section must be cited somewhere in your manuscript. Citations not represented in the references must be added, and extraneous references not cited must be removed.
(Tip: If you don’t want to lose sleep wondering whether and how these frequent changes impact your project, rely on a qualified APA editor, such as those listed on this network.)
About the Author
Nancy Rosenbaum is an APA style expert who specializes in proofreading, fact-checking, copyediting, substantive stylistic editing, and formatting. One important component of content editing is accuracy; Nancy double-checks online texts to ensure completeness and accuracy of direct quotations (wording, punctuation) and publication details (title, publisher, date, page), as well as mirroring of parenthetical references to complete entries in the references section. Nancy takes the worry out of formatting by creating and applying styles to headings and subheadings, allowing her to create automated tables of contents that are readily updated if the document’s contents change. She also automatically numbers table and figure captions to generate readily updated lists of figures and lists of tables. Finally, Nancy corrects section/page breaks to ensure page numbering follows APA or university-specific schemes.
Nancy’s foundation in writing and editing is based on a bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Mt. Holyoke College and more than 20 years of experience crafting technical and business communications. She has easily transitioned those skills from the commercial arena to work with students and professionals in a wide range of academic disciplines, demonstrating a unique talent for eliminating extraneous text, synthesizing concepts, and exceeding clients’ expectations. Her work includes extensive editing for non-native English writers preparing personal statements, undergraduate class papers, theses, and dissertations (proposal through final). Nancy not only edits but explains the corrections to help her clients improve their language and writing skills.
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