APA 7th Edition — Quick Reference Guide
Purpose
Quick reference for APA 7.0 formatting used by the report_compiler_agent and editor_in_chief_agent.
Document Formatting
General
- Font: 12pt Times New Roman, 11pt Calibri, or 11pt Arial
- Margins: 1 inch (2.54 cm) on all sides
- Line spacing: Double-spaced throughout
- Paragraph indent: 0.5 inch (1.27 cm) first line
- Page numbers: Top right corner
Headings (5 Levels)
| Level | Format |
|---|---|
| 1 | Centered, Bold, Title Case |
| 2 | Left-Aligned, Bold, Title Case |
| 3 | Left-Aligned, Bold Italic, Title Case |
| 4 | Indented, Bold, Title Case, Ending With a Period. Text continues... |
| 5 | Indented, Bold Italic, Title Case, Ending With a Period. Text continues... |
In-Text Citations
Parenthetical Citations
- One author: (Smith, 2023)
- Two authors: (Smith & Jones, 2023)
- Three+ authors: (Smith et al., 2023)
- Multiple works: (Jones, 2022; Smith, 2023) — alphabetical order
- Same author, same year: (Smith, 2023a, 2023b)
- Organization: (World Health Organization [WHO], 2023) first time; (WHO, 2023) after
- No date: (Smith, n.d.)
- Secondary source: (Original Author, Year, as cited in Citing Author, Year)
Narrative Citations
- Smith (2023) found that...
- Smith and Jones (2023) argued...
- Smith et al. (2023) demonstrated...
Direct Quotations
- Short (< 40 words): "exact words" (Author, Year, p. X)
- Long (≥ 40 words): Block quote, indented 0.5 inch, no quotation marks (Author, Year, p. X) at end
Page Numbers
- Required for direct quotes: p. X or pp. X–Y
- Encouraged for paraphrases from long works
Reference List
General Rules
- Heading: "References" (Level 1 heading)
- Hanging indent: 0.5 inch
- Double-spaced
- Alphabetical by first author's surname
- Include DOI as hyperlink when available: https://doi.org/xxxxx
Journal Article
Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article in sentence case. *Title of Periodical in Title Case*, *Volume*(Issue), Page–Page. https://doi.org/xxxxxBook
Author, A. A. (Year). *Title of work in sentence case: Capital letter for subtitle* (Edition). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxxEdited Book Chapter
Author, A. A. (Year). Title of chapter. In E. E. Editor (Ed.), *Title of book* (pp. xx–xx). Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxxReport / Grey Literature
Organization Name. (Year). *Title of report* (Report No. xxx). https://www.url.comWebpage
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). *Title of page*. Site Name. https://www.url.comGovernment Document
Government Agency. (Year). *Title of document* (Publication No. xxx). Publisher. https://www.url.comConference Paper
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Days). *Title of contribution* [Type]. Conference Name, Location. https://doi.org/xxxxxThesis / Dissertation
Author, A. A. (Year). *Title of dissertation* [Doctoral dissertation, University Name]. Database Name. https://www.url.comDataset
Author, A. A. (Year). *Title of dataset* (Version) [Data set]. Publisher. https://doi.org/xxxxxSpecial Cases
No Author
- Use organization or title in author position
- Short title in citations: ("Short Title," Year)
No Date
- (n.d.) in place of year
Translated Works
Author, A. A. (Year). *Title in original language* [Title in English] (T. Translator, Trans.). Publisher. (Original work published Year)Multiple Works by Same Author Same Year
- Assign lowercase letters: 2023a, 2023b
- Based on title alphabetical order
Tables
Table X
Descriptive Title of Table in Italic
[Table content]
Note. General note about the table. Adapted from "Title," by Author, Year, Journal, Volume, p. X. Copyright Year by Copyright Holder.Figures
Figure X
Descriptive Title of Figure in Italic
[Figure]
Note. Description and source information.Numbers
- Spell out: numbers below 10, numbers beginning a sentence
- Use numerals: 10 and above, statistical/mathematical, dates, ages, scores
- Exception: Always use numerals with units (3 cm, 5 mg)
Common Errors to Avoid
- Using "&" in text (use "and" in text; "&" only in parenthetical citations and reference list)
- Missing DOIs for sources that have them
- Inconsistent heading levels
- Period after DOI/URL (don't add one)
- Using "et al." with only 2 authors (use both names)
- Orphan references (cited but not in reference list, or vice versa)
- Incorrect capitalization in reference titles (sentence case, not title case)
- Missing issue numbers for journals that paginate by issue