Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association

by American Psychological Association

With millions of copies sold, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is the style manual of choice for writers, editors, students, educators, and professionals in psychology, sociology, business, economics, nursing, social work, and justice administration, and other disciplines in which effective communication with words and data is fundamental.

In addition to providing clear guidance on grammar, the mechanics of writing, and APA style, the Publication Manual offers an authoritative and easy-to-use reference and citation system and comprehensive coverage of the treatment of numbers, metrication, statistical and mathematical data, tables, and figures for use in writing, reports, or presentations.

The new edition has been revised and updated to include:

The latest guidelines and examples for referencing electronic and online sources
New and revised guidelines for submitting papers electronically
Improved guidelines for avoiding plagiarism
Simplified formatting guidelines for writers using up-to-date word-processing software
All new guidelines for presenting case studies
Improved guidelines for the construction of tables
Updates on copyright and permissions issues for writers
New reference examples for audiovisual media and patents
An expanded and improved index for quick and easy access

Writers, scholars, and professionals will also find:

New guidelines on how to choose text, tables, or figures to present data
Guidelines for writing cover letters for submitting articles for publication, plus a sample letter
Expanded guidelines on the retention of raw data
New advice on establishing written agreements for the use of shared data
New information on the responsibilities of co-authors

New and experienced readers alike will find the 5th Edition a complete resource for writing, presenting, or publishing with clarity and persuasiveness.

Approximately 400 pages

Genres: Reference, Psychology, Nonfiction, Writing, Textbooks, School, Education

272 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1952

Reviews

[Bibliomantic · Rating 3 out of 5]

... featuring perhaps the most absurd rules of all time for citing references.

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate the new anti-bias language guide.

However, the character development was non-existent.

[Jenn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Firstly, I have to say that this reference was required reading for my Masters degree. I don't know WHAT possessed the university to select this horrible publication manual. Secondly, unless you're forced to use it, I would never recommend this publication to another scholar. I felt like I was walking into the inner circles of the Inferno with Dante Alighieri.

The work is poorly laid out and confusing. Just when I thought I understood an APA format for a cited web site journal, I still managed to make mistakes. Do you add both initials for an author or just one? I find the styling to be inconsistent. They really need to find an information architect for this book to increase the user's ability to find the right reference style when they need it and not turn writing a research paper into an exercise in frustration.

[Tori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I keep noticing inconsistencies/errors in my MLIS professors' reference lists, which I think gives me the authority to declare myself Finished With This Book.

I really really prefer MLA and Chicago and AP. Like, why you gotta be so different in-text and in your reference list, APA formatting? Why you gotta require title pages and abstracts instead of just letting people present their information immediately? What's the deal with not capitalizing article titles like they're titles?

I mean, all style guides are arbitrary, but the perverse decisions that this particular style guide makes to distinguish itself from others kind of get on my nerves. I can kind of attempt to justify these decisions in the context of the social science publications that use this style, but when I'm being forced to apply the style to my one-page summary of the week's reading, I can't help but resent the sillier nuances of the rules.

[Hope · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a page turner!

[Bailey Marissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate APA. With a burning passion. Why did I choose a degree with all writings in APA? *Sigh*

It's full of information but it can be confusing for the first half of the book because it goes so fast and doesn't explain things very well.

[Fiona · Rating 1 out of 5]

Zero stars is preferable. APA is the worst and I hate that I've read this book cover to cover multiple times this year.

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mostly skimmed it just so I can refer back to it, but I am inordinately excited about the amount of citation examples.

[Will · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the standard issue for describing APA style publishing. All the information found in this book is found on the web site apastyle.org which of course is the most comprehensive. This book is best for those about to pursue a graduate degree or a research-intensive undergraduate degree. It's best to read through this before beginning to write, because there are sections about phrasing and punctuation that you would want to know before beginning. The main shortcoming of this book is that it states that for spelling reference, you should use the Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2005). It's pretty difficult to find that specific date because the latest publishing date of the 11th Edition is 2008. When I asked the publishers about this, they stated that the changes weren't made because of the date they went to print, and that any copy of the 11th Edition should do. The web site, however, still refers to the 2005 edition. Also this 6th edition was originally published in 2009. This is picky, but if your paper has to be perfect, and the style has to be perfect, then your references have to be perfect. Nevertheless, if the faculty requires APA standards, this is a must read before beginning coursework.

[Arda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Seriously, why do academics and researchers insist on taking the passion out of writing?

My struggle with quantitative research was an affirmation that there's a creative nature in me that may respect the rules but will always be frustrated by the exclusive confinement of analysis.

Thanks to this book, I now know that:
1) If I am to ever become a published scholar, my name will be cited as "Aghazarian, A." I declare that as denouncement of identity, dammit.
2) I respect the rules of writing, but the confinement of research with exclusive, superior notions restricted to academic networks will always get on my nerves.
3) I love reading, but my attention-span is short with journals (especially quantitative research). (I would rather read a 300-page book than a 20-page quantitative research published article in a journal.)
4) Regardless of all the above, I do like this book because it taught me how journal articles are meant to be written and formulated. I have definitely consulted the book on several occasions during my studies. It's a go-to book which I might still learn a lot from.

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have looked through this book more times than I can count. It is not exactly something I could sit reading cover to cover however it is an excellent resource book for APA6. I actually waited until all the bugs were edited out of the previous versions before buying my copy as I did not wish to get all the updates and I did not mind paying the extra amount for it as it has been well worth the amount of documentation. I have gotten more information on how to ensure papers are correctly cited using the APA6 settings.

Something I was corrected on quickly was in the area of using certain punctuation such as et al during citations and ensuring resources are done correctly when there are multiple authors.

This resource is highly recommended to anyone that needs it for writing papers. It is a must have!

[Robert · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was required to purchase this for my thesis during my first graduate work. What a bore! Needlessly complicated. It wasn't even useful as I had Internet sources at the time and it had no style guide for them. The Chicago Manual is so much better than APA.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must have if you do a lot of writing in APA format. This book answers every question one might have about writing in APA. It also give numerous examples. Great book!

[Shery · Rating 3 out of 5]

I laughed. I cried. I haven't enjoyed a publication style manual as much since MLA 3rd. APA 6th was a page turner compared to MLA 8th.

[BlaireReadsTheThings]

Required reading for masters program.

[Readergeek · Rating 4 out of 5]

I mean... it's the APA citation guide, so you get what you'd expect. But it's really laid out to give a lot of information in a really insightful and meaningful way that aids in retention. Also, it's really easy to navigate and find things when you need it for citation purposes for writing papers and such. Not bad for resource materials.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

SCHOOL!!
The type on the sample pages is difficult to read.

[Jazz Maree]

Uni book

[Lori Tatar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Up-to-dare reference tool for the modern writer

[Joseph Valoren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Is what it says on the tin. Well organized, thorough, dry.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A standard reference used far more widely than the title implies, this is a handy guide to all the nitpicking format questions that come up in a lot of academic and professional writing situations. A tool every writer should have on the shelf.

[Lyddie · Rating 1 out of 5]

It doesn't tell you how to site Web pages, and the index wouldn't let me find most things I needed. The in-text citation information wasn't helpful, either. Is it possible to give something negative stars? MLA is so much better.

[Melissa Lee-Tammeus · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hate, hate, hate this book and everything about it. The last edition was so much easier. This one - it is hard to find anything - I found it easier just to look things up on line than in here. Very choppy and not set up well.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent tool for anyone using APA format for writing or editing social science research papers. It's clear, concise, and so far has answered any questions I have had well writing in this format for many years. This is the 5th edition copyright 2002.

[Lisa Christensen]

Not a book you can really like or dislike. If you need to know APA it is a required read, if you don't ... it is the sure cure for insomnia :)

[Randina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Everything you need to know about proper APA format. You know you want to read it!!

[Ronda Tutt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every college student should have this book on their shelves

[Melanie Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absolute MUST HAVE for anyone who writes: students, practitioners, etc. I use mine just about every single day! Well organized, and information is easy to find.

[Patti McDermott]

very old, but the only copy I have available at the moment.

[Sarah Sammis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Text book.