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APA Style: APA 7 Transition FAQ

Logistics/Dates/Policies

Which edition should I be using in my writing?

  • Begin using APA 7 during summer course start. For semester-based students, that’s May 4; for quarter-based and Tempo students, that’s June 1. Doctoral capstone students also have a grace period during which they can decide to use APA 6 or APA 7 to complete their final study. Consult the APA 7 Transition page for details on these dates.

 

I’m a doctoral capstone student; can I complete my study in APA 6?

  • The grace period allows students who will have final URR approval of their final study by December 31, 2020, to choose between APA 6 and 7 to complete their study. Be sure to consult the full grace period language on our APA 7 Transition page to determine if it applies to you and consult with your chair about which edition of APA you should be using.

 

Do I need to buy the manual? Where do I buy the manual?

  • We recommend buying the full edition of the manual (rather than an abbreviated version), as it will be the most comprehensive primary source for you in using APA 7. You can purchase APA 7 through the Walden bookstore, although other bookstores also sell APA 7. If you’d like a visual of what the full edition of APA 7’s cover looks like, you can visit APA’s website.

  • Here is more information about where to find the APA manual in the bookstore:

    • If your current courses require the APA Manual, it will be listed in your course materials link for purchase.

    • If the manual is not listed as required in your current courses, you can use this link to order the manual.

 

What template should I be using for my doctoral capstone and when will the doctoral capstone templates be updated?

 

Will citation generators or other programs be updated to APA 7? Will the “cite” feature in the Library databases be updated for APA 7?

  • Each citation generator, program, or database has its own approach to updating format, so we can’t guarantee that the generator, program, or database you’re using is updated for APA 7. The Walden Library does not establish the “cite” feature in the databases, so they/we can’t make that change. Our recommendation is to look closely at what you’re using to see if it lists the edition of APA used. For citation generators or other programs, you can also check if they offer APA 7 support on their website.

 

What is the timeline for adopting APA 7?

  • Starting in the summer terms (May 4 for semester-based programs and June 1 for quarter-based and Tempo programs), Walden University will use the new, seventh edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) as the accepted standard for citations, references, and writing style guidelines.

 

What does this mean for doctoral capstone students?

  • If you will have final URR approval of your final study or project by the end of 2020 (after Final Overall Quality Committee Rubric Analysis and before CAO Approval), you have the option of completing that study in APA 6 or APA 7, and you should consult with your chair while making this decision. Beginning January 1, 2021, all capstone writers will follow APA 7 guidelines. The Walden form and style editors will provide support for both APA editions beginning with summer term starts through the end of 2020, with templates in both editions beginning June 1. They will also provide instructions for adjusting text in an APA 6 doctoral capstone template to comply with APA 7 guidelines so students in progress can avoid needing to start with a new template. The Writing Center also provided webinars to help capstone students and their committees make the adjustment from APA 6 to APA 7. See the student or faculty webinar archive for recordings.

 

Some of the materials in my classroom appear to use APA 6 format. What’s the deal?

  • Most of Walden’s courses were designed and written in the last several years, when APA’s sixth edition style guidelines were in place. Walden's course designers are updating material in those courses as they are able, but you should plan to use the Writing Center’s APA resources for instruction and modeling of current, APA 7 format.

Using/Learning APA 7

Where can I find a list of all the changes between APA 6 and APA 7?

 

Is there a shortcut or best practice for putting a DOI into the URL format?

  • Take the number portion of the DOI and place it behind the following prefix: https://doi.org/

 

Can I use the DOI/URL hybrid that the Library’s databases provide me (e.g., https://doi-org.ezp.waldenulibrary.org/10.1186/s12889-019-7389-6?

  • No, you will want to remove the Walden-specific information from the DOI/URL hybrid in order to comply with APA 7. For example, the following DOI should be revised in this way:

 

I missed the APA 7 at a Glance webinars and would like to review the recordings. Where can I find those?

  • These sessions are archived in our student and faculty webinar archives: