How to Document Sources in APA Style

A word of advice: This text is intended to be a how-to on citing and formatting research and scholarly essays according to the APA style manual. This how-to is not intended to be a sample research paper, although a link to an exemplary essay is provided. This text should prove useful in guiding writers, editors, researchers, and students to a better understanding of what the APA style of documentation is, when, and how to use it. Examples of proper APA citation and formatting are given below along with other useful tips about word processing and third-party software.

Bibliographic Information
The APA style is used for in-text and bibliographic citations for source and reference material used in the social sciences and in business. It’s a style quick to recognize what researchers in these disciplines need to further studies and to understand complex problems in these fields.

Essay Formatting and Organization
The APA style also provides specific guidelines for organizing research papers and manuscripts. Everything you need to know about formatting and laying out a publishable paper is covered in the APA style manual.

Tip: If you are looking for something that does not appear in the APA style manual, it probably isn’t important to the field. This tip might sound apathetic when in fact, it can help writers and editors focus on what matters most. Use professional and scholarly judgment whenever an unanswered question arises.

Useful Resources
Writers, editors, students, and researchers in psychology, sociology, anthropology, and business should have access to a current edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. For more information, visit http://www.apastyle.org. The Web site contains updates to the ever-expanding proliferation of electronic sources. Computer users can also download a copy of the APA-Style Helper software and other useful references.