The APA (American Psychological Association) blue book is a style guide used by students, researchers, and professionals in the social and behavioral sciences to properly cite and format their academic papers and other written works. It provides guidelines for in-text citations, reference list entries, and overall document formatting, such as margins, font size and type, and headings.
The APA blue book, also known as the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, is currently in its 7th edition, which was released in October 2019. It is an essential resource for anyone writing papers or other works in fields such as psychology, education, sociology, economics, and business, among others.
One of the key features of the APA blue book is its emphasis on proper citation and referencing. It provides detailed instructions on how to cite sources within the text of a paper, including books, journal articles, websites, and other forms of media. It also includes guidelines for creating a reference list at the end of a paper, which lists all the sources that were used in the paper and provides complete bibliographic information for each source.
In addition to citing and referencing sources, the APA blue book also provides guidelines for overall document formatting. It recommends using a 12-point font size and a legible font type, such as Times New Roman or Arial, and recommends using 1-inch margins on all sides of the page. It also provides guidelines for headings and subheadings, which help to organize the content of the paper and make it easier to read.
The APA blue book is an important resource for anyone writing papers or other works in the social and behavioral sciences. It provides a consistent set of guidelines that help to ensure that papers are properly formatted and cited, which is essential for scholarly writing. By following the guidelines outlined in the APA blue book, students, researchers, and professionals can be confident that their work will be well-received and taken seriously by their peers.