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The APA Publication Manual (officially the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association) is the style and manuscript standard published by the American Psychological Association for authors, researchers, students and editors in the behavioral, social and health sciences. The current APA 7th edition manual was published in October 2019. For readers new to the field itself, see psychology research; this guide covers the manual as a research-writing standard.
What it is
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is the official guide to APA Style. It covers how scholarly work is organized and written, how research is reported, and how sources are cited. It also sets standards for ethical and legal practice in publishing and for bias-free language.
It is an end-to-end framework for scholarly writing, from paper format and reporting standards through citation to the publication process, rather than only a citation guide. Authors and editors consult it when preparing manuscripts for journals that require APA Style, and students use it for course papers.
Who runs it and what it covers
The manual is published by the American Psychological Association (APA), which also runs the APA Style website. The 7th edition contains 12 chapters:
- Chapter 1: Scholarly Writing and Publishing Principles: ethical and legal standards in publishing, including areas such as authorship (see APA authorship guidelines).
- Chapter 2: Paper Elements and Format: the components and layout of student and professional papers.
- Chapter 3: Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS): reporting standards for quantitative (JARS-Quant), qualitative (JARS-Qual) and mixed methods (JARS-Mixed) research, plus JARS-REC for race, ethnicity and culture.
- Chapter 4: Writing Style and Grammar.
- Chapter 5: Bias-Free Language Guidelines.
- Chapter 6: Mechanics of Style: including numbers and statistical displays (see APA statistics reporting).
- Chapter 7: Tables and Figures.
- Chapter 8: Works Credited in the Text: author-date in-text citation.
- Chapter 9: Reference List and Chapter 10: Reference Examples.
- Chapter 11: Legal References.
- Chapter 12: The Publication Process.
Student papers vs. professional papers
The 7th edition sets out separate formatting paths for student papers and professional manuscripts:
| Element | Professional paper | Student paper |
|---|---|---|
| Title page | Includes an author note (affiliations, funding, conflicts of interest, corresponding author address) | Title, author names, affiliation, course, instructor and due date |
| Running head | Included, 50 characters or fewer; the label “Running head:” is no longer used | Omitted unless the instructor asks for one |
| Abstract | Standard, on page 2 | Generally omitted unless requested |
How to search or use it
The full manual is a published book, and APA provides free resources on the APA Style website. A practical way to apply it:
- Identify the paper track: decide whether the document is a professional manuscript or a student paper, then follow the matching setup guidance.
- Select the JARS checklist: use Chapter 3 or the APA Style JARS pages to choose JARS-Quant, JARS-Qual or JARS-Mixed before drafting.
- Apply bias-free language: follow Chapter 5 when describing participants and populations.
- Format statistics and displays: use Chapter 6 for statistical reporting and Chapter 7 for tables and figures.
- Cite in the text: use the author-date system. For three or more authors, give the first author followed by “et al.” from the first citation, for example (Miller et al., 2021).
- Build the reference list: follow Chapters 9 and 10. Publisher location is omitted from book references, and DOIs are formatted as links beginning
https://doi.org/. For preprints, such as those on PsyArXiv, check the reference examples for the repository model. - Check source records: confirm authors, years and volume details against the source database, for example with a structured PsycINFO search strategy.
Strengths and limits
Strengths
- Reporting transparency: JARS sets out what methodological information a manuscript should report, which supports reproducibility.
- Breadth: written for the behavioral, social and health sciences, so it is used well beyond psychology.
- Inclusive language: a dedicated chapter on bias-free language.
- Clear tracks: separate guidance for student and professional papers.
Limits
- Scope: it is designed for behavioral, social and health sciences; other fields use other styles.
- Proprietary text: the complete manual is a purchased book, although APA offers free guides and JARS materials online.
- Local rules: journals and instructors may add or override requirements, so check their instructions first.
Alternatives
Other disciplines use other style frameworks:
| Style manual | Publisher | Typical fields | Citation system |
|---|---|---|---|
| APA Publication Manual (7th ed.) | American Psychological Association | Psychology, behavioral and social sciences, health sciences | Author-date |
| Chicago Manual of Style | University of Chicago Press | History, humanities, book publishing | Notes and bibliography, or author-date |
| MLA Handbook | Modern Language Association | Literature, humanities | Author-page |
| AMA Manual of Style | American Medical Association | Medicine and biomedical journals | Numbered |
| IEEE style | Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers | Engineering, computer science | Bracketed numbers |
FAQ
What is the difference between the APA 6th and 7th edition manual?
The 7th edition lists “et al.” from the first in-text citation for works with three or more authors, omits publisher location from references, lists up to 20 authors in a reference before using an ellipsis, formats DOIs as https://doi.org/ links, drops the “Running head:” label and adds separate student paper guidance.
What manual is the official source for APA Style?
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition, published by APA in October 2019.
Does every paper need a running head?
No. Professional manuscripts include a running head of 50 characters or fewer. Student papers omit it unless an instructor asks for one.
What are the Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS)?
JARS are APA’s reporting standards for journal manuscripts, with versions for quantitative (JARS-Quant), qualitative (JARS-Qual) and mixed methods (JARS-Mixed) research, and JARS-REC for race, ethnicity and culture.
What does Chapter 8 of the APA Publication Manual cover?
Chapter 8, Works Credited in the Text, covers author-date in-text citation. Chapters 9 and 10 cover the reference list and reference examples.
Sources
- American Psychological Association. Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://apastyle.apa.org/products/publication-manual-7th-edition (checked 2026-11-07)
- American Psychological Association. Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS). APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/jars (checked 2026-11-07)
- American Psychological Association. Student vs. professional paper formatting. APA Style. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/paper-format/student-vs-professional (checked 2026-11-07)
- American Psychological Association. Guide to What’s New in the 7th Edition. https://apastyle.apa.org/instructional-aids/whats-new-7e-guide.pdf (checked 2026-11-07)
