APA Documentation Style: Usage

Parenthetical References | References List | Headings | Formatting

Some Principles of Usage and Style

In addition to rules about citations and references, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association establishes guidelines in the following areas:

Simply click any topic above for a brief summary of APA style guidelines, with a reference to the relevant pages in the Publication Manual (4th ed, 1994).

 

Abbreviations

Acronyms and abbreviations must be spelled out completely on initial appearance in text. Use only if abbreviation is conventional, is apt to be familiar, will save considerable space, and will prevent cumbersome repetition. Avoid beginning a sentence with an acronym or an abbreviation. See pages 80-86 in the Publication Manual.

Capitalization

Capitalize all words of four letters or more in titles of books and articles in text. Do not capitalize names of laws, theories, and hypotheses except for proper nouns. See pages 75-79 in the Publication Manual.

Hyphenation

For compound words not in the dictionary, use hyphens for clarity rather than omit them. Hyphenate compound adjectives that precede the noun they modify (role-playing technique, two-way analysis, middle-class families). Do not hyphenate a compound adjective if its meaning is established or it cannot be misread (grade point average, sex role difference). See pages 70-74 in the Publication Manual.

Numbers

Use figures for numbers 10 and above (12 of the subjects); for numbers above and below 10 grouped for comparison (2 of 16 responses); for numbers representing time, dates, and age (3 years ago, 2 hr 15 min); for numbers denoting a specific place in a series, book, or table (Table 3, Group 3, page 32). Use words for numbers below 10 that do not represent precise measurements (eight items, nine pages); for numbers beginning a sentence, title, or heading (Forty-eight percent responded; Ten subjects improved, and 4 subjects did not.). See pages 99-105 in the Publication Manual.

Quotations

Incorporate quotations of less than 40 words in the text with double quotation marks. Place quotations of 40 or more words in a double-spaced block, indented five spaces from left margin. Do not use quotation marks with a blocked quotation. If quoting more than one paragraph, indent the first line of each paragraph five additional spaces from the left margin (for a total of ten spaces). A page number always immediately follows a quotation, even when the author and date precede it: Lu (1990) found that "several hypotheses were partially supported" (p. 48). See pages 95-99 and 245-246 in the Publication Manual.

 

Back to Top