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PSY 381: Positive Psychology

This Course Guide is intended to serve as a complementary resource to the in-person library instruction class.

6th Edition vs. 7th Edition

The most common APA versions used are the 6th and 7th editions. They have distinct differences, so make sure you confirm which version your professor requires.

APA 6 & 7 Comparison Tables by Walden University.

How to Cite Using APA Style

Developed by the American Psychological Association (APA), the APA style is widely used in the social science, management, humanities, and natural sciences.

APA Style and Grammar Guidelines gives an overview of writing in the APA style including paper format, in-text citations & References, mechanics of style & grammar, bias-free language, and tables & figures.

APA Style and Grammar Guidelines - Reference Examples offers a handy introduction to citing in APA format. Scroll down to find examples of correct citations for different types of sources.

The APA Style Blog can help you with tough citation questions that might not be covered elsewhere.


In-text Citation

The in-text component of APA citation includes two main elements: the author's last name and the year of the publication (Ross, 1997), and a third: the page number, whenever quoting directly or paraphrasing a specific section of the text (Ross, 1997, p. 2). For more than one author, list the names in the order they appear in the source (it may not be in alphabetical order). 

Reference List 

The list of references on your paper's last page is titled "References" and should be arranged in alphabetical order by first authors' last names. 

Citation Samples Using APA 7th Edition
Type of Entry Sample
Book (physical) AuthorLastName, Initials. (YYYY). Title of book. Publisher.
Rogers, C. R. (1961). On becoming a person. Houghton Mifflin.
Book (electronic) AuthorLastName, initials. (YYYY). Title of book. Publisher. URL
Jackson, L. M. (2019). The psychology of prejudice: From attitudes to social action (2nd ed.). American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000168-000
Journal (physical) AuthorLastName, A. B., AuthorLastName, C. D., & AuthorLastName, E. F. (YYYY). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume number, page numbers.
Grady, J. S., Her, M., Moreno, G., Perez, C., & Yelinek, J. (2019). Emotions in storybooks: A comparison of storybooks that represent ethnic and racial groups in the United States. Psychology of Popular Media Culture8(3), 207–217.
Journal (electronic) AuthorLastName, A. B., AuthorLastName, C. D., & AuthorLastName, E. F. (YYYY). Title of article. Title of Periodical, Volume number, page numbers. DOI or URL
David, M. E., & Roberts, J. A. (2023). Me, myself, and I: Self-centeredness, FOMO, and social media use. Canadian Journal of Behavioural Science / Revue Canadienne Des Sciences Du Comportement. https://doi.org/10.1037/cbs0000382
Website AuthorLastName, Initials. (Year, Month Date). Title of page. Site name. URL
Price, D. (2018, March 23). Laziness does not exist. Medium. https://humanparts.medium.com/laziness-does-not-exist-3af27e312d01

If date is unknown use: (n.d.)