First-Year English FAQs
WHAT IS APA FORMAT?
by Kathy McLain, M.A.
APA is a manuscript form and documentation system created by members of the American Psychological Association (APA) to reduce manuscript preparation costs and facilitate clear communication for those who are submitting articles for publication by the American Psychological Association. Unlike MLA, APA has separate guidelines for professionals submitting manuscripts for publication and students preparing a "final" copy of a report. APA student guidelines are less precise than MLA guidelines and give the student only general guidance rather than specific rules. APA student guidelines give teachers far more license to adapt general guidelines to fit the needs of their course or department.
There are two general types of universal documentation systems--parenthetical systems and endnote/footnote systems. APA is a parenthetical documentation system.
A Parenthetical Documentation System (APA Uses
One of Several Forms of this System)
A parenthetical documentation system has two parts:
1. In-text citation in parentheses.Endnote/footnote Documentation System
2. List of complete bibliographic references at the end of the paper.
1. Superscript number in the text that refers to the note at the bottom of the page or the end of the text. (Parenthetical systems eliminate this step.)Usually parenthetical documentation systems are easier to use than endnote/footnote systems because they require fewer in-text documentation steps.
2. Documentation note at the bottom of the page or the end of the text.
3. Works Cited (bibliography) at the end of the paper.