The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA) is specifically designed for writing in the behavioral sciences and social sciences—including psychology, linguistics, sociology, economics, and criminology—as well as business and nursing, but can be used by anyone.
In general, APA style uses brief in-text citations that correspond to a reference list of full citations. The library has many style guides to help you with APA formatting.
APA Style
Visit the APA Style website for quick answers on references and formatting questions and advice on writing for the sciences. The site is maintained by the American Psychological Association and it is fully searchable. It includes:
Free Citation Tools
There are a lot of tools to help you create citations automatically, whether you have a database citation or the OneSearch citation tool. However, you may want to cite things you find elsewhere. If you need to create an APA citation, try Citation Builder — it's an excellent tool to automatically generate citations for print or online sources: lib.ncsu.edu/citationbuilder
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association by
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition is the official source for APA Style. With millions of copies sold worldwide in multiple languages, it is the style manual of choice for writers, researchers, editors, students, and educators in the social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, nursing, communications, education, business, engineering, and other fields. Known for its authoritative, easy-to-use reference and citation system, the Publication Manual also offers guidance on choosing the headings, tables, figures, language, and tone that will result in powerful, concise, and elegant scholarly communication. It guides users through the scholarly writing process-from the ethics of authorship to reporting research through publication. The seventh edition is an indispensable resource for students and professionals to achieve excellence in writing and make an impact with their work. The seventh edition has been thoroughly revised and updated to reflect best practices in scholarly writing and publishing. All formats are in full color, with a new tabbed spiral version Improved ease of navigation, with many additional numbered sections to help users quickly locate answers to their questions Resources for students on writing and formatting annotated bibliographies, response papers, and other paper types as well as guidelines on citing course materials Dedicated chapter for new users of APA Style covering paper elements and format, including sample papers for both professional authors and student writers New chapter on journal article reporting standards that includes updates to reporting standards for quantitative research and the first-ever qualitative and mixed methods reporting standards in APA Style New chapter on bias-free language guidelines for writing about people with respect and inclusivity in areas including age, disability, gender, participation in research, race and ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality More than 100 new reference examples covering periodicals, books, audiovisual media, social media, webpages and websites, and legal resources More than 40 new sample tables and figures Expanded guidance on ethical writing and publishing practices, including how to ensure the appropriate level of citation, avoid plagiarism and self-plagiarism, and navigate the publication process Guidelines that support accessibility for all users, including simplified reference, in-text citation, and heading formats as well as additional font options
Citation Generating Tools
These resources can help you format your bibliographies and references:
Most of the citations tools are updated regularly, but you can always explore the rest of citations research guide for more information on commonly-used styles.