Ask OASIS Overview
APA style consists of guidelines created by the American Psychological Association to help writers maintain consistency.
These guidelines cover:
- Crediting sources
- Formatting documents
- Following writing style conventions
- Organizing content
OASIS materials are based on the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, often referred to on our website as "APA 7" or "the APA manual."
Why APA Style Matters
When you are writing as a student, you are entering into a new writing community; just as you would need to learn the customs and rules of any new country you visit, you need to learn the customs and rules of academic writing. These guidelines will be different than guidelines for other types of writing (such as emails to coworkers, case notes for work, or posts on social media). Here at Walden, APA style is part of the academic writing expectations and implementing these style guidelines helps to enhance your communication.
Structure Creates Clarity
APA's consistent structure of clear headings, organized sections, and standardized formatting help your readers find key information quickly so they can focus on your ideas.
Citations Support Academic Integrity
APA's rules for citing sources help you maintain academic integrity and tell your readers how your writing builds on existing research.
Mechanics Ensure Consistency
APA's rules for mechanics (like numbers, abbreviations, and punctuation) create consistent meaning across assignments. These mechanics help readers focus on your content and reduce confusion and ambiguity.
APA Style at Walden
The chief academic officer at Walden University, along with faculty across programs, has designated the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association for style and citation matters. This style guide is comprehensive and focused on preparing a document for coursework and publication.
Walden University is an inclusive institution that serves a diverse population of students. Committed to broadening the university’s understanding of inclusivity and diversity, Walden accepts gender-neutral pronouns in student writing. This practice acknowledges APA’s endorsement of the singular "they" and embraces alternative pronouns currently in circulation (e.g., xe, ve, ze/zir, ey, and zhe and their associated forms).
Walden recognizes the discussion around gender identity is ongoing. As such, the university will accept any pronoun in student writing if evidence can be provided it is accepted as a respectful term by the community it represents.
Walden University follows APA standards for avoiding bias in language when referring to groups or individuals. As a writer, you should ensure you are following the conventions and preferences of all the groups or populations you are describing. This may mean person-first language or identity-first language. Whichever is chosen should be done with intention and respect.
Doctoral Capstone Form and Style Editors will accept people-first or identity-first language in student capstone writing if evidence can be provided that it is accepted as a respectful term by the community it represents. Refer to your APA manual for guidance as well as the preferences of the groups you are describing.
APA 7 does not require a running head in student papers. However, the page number is still required in the top right-hand corner of the page. Our OASIS Writing Templates are designed to align with these expectations.
Getting Started with APA
Review Common APA Style Terms
Become familiar with the terminology used in APA style.
DOI
An acronym that stands for digital object identifier, which is a string of letters and numbers that act as a persistent link to the source.
Hanging Indent
A hanging indent is a formatting style where the first line is aligned with the left margin, and the following lines are indented. This is used in APA style for reference lists, where the first line of each entry is flush left, and subsequent lines are indented by 0.5 inches.
In-Text Citation
An in-text citation is a signal used within your writing when quoting, summarizing, or paraphrasing that tells your reader about the original source of that information. It typically includes the author’s last name and the publication year.
Reference List
A reference list is a list of the publication information for the sources cited in your paper and is intended to give readers all the information they need to find those sources. In other publication styles, this list may be called a “bibliography” or a “works cited” page.
Sentence Case
A capitalization style in which the only capitalized words are the first word, any proper nouns, or words that immediately follow a colon (much like the capitalization pattern of a sentence, hence the name).
Serial Comma
A serial comma (also called the Oxford comma) is the comma placed immediately before the coordinating conjunction (usually "and" or "or") in a series of three or more items. The serial comma is required in APA style for clarity and consistency.
Seriation
The use of lists within text. Seriation can help break up complex ideas, making ideas more organized for readers. APA style has different types of seriation.
Title Case
A hanging indent is a formatting style where the first line is aligned with the left margin, and the following lines are indented. This is used in APA style for reference lists, where the first line of each entry is flush left, and subsequent lines are indented by 0.5 inches.
Complete Diagnostic Quizzes
Discover your current APA knowledge and identify self-paced modules to build your skills.
Complete our APA diagnostic quizzes to evaluate your knowledge and be pointed to the most appropriate self-paced modules to continue your skill development.
APA Style Diagnostic Quiz
This diagnostic quiz covers multiple areas, including document formatting, level headings, numbers, avoiding bias, and more.
APA References and In-Text Citations Diagnostic Quiz
This diagnostic quiz covers in-text citations and reference list entries.
Like other skills, learning APA style takes time and practice. Use your results to complete suggested self-paced modules and reach out to OASIS when you have questions. You can reach writing experts using Ask OASIS.