APA Citation Style  

APA Style originated in 1929, when a group of psychologists, anthropologists, and business managers convened and sought to establish a simple set of procedures, or style rules, that would codify the many components of scientific writing to increase the ease of reading comprehension.

As with other editorial styles, APA Style consists of rules or guidelines that a publisher observes to ensure clear and consistent presentation of written material. It concerns uniform use of such elements as

• selection of headings, tone, and length;
• punctuation and abbreviations;
• presentation of numbers and statistics;
• construction of tables and figures;
• citation of references; and
• many other elements that are a part of a manuscript.

The most comprehensive information on APA style can be found in the APA Publication manual
Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.).
     (2010). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.

Reference guides to APA citation style are available in the Library and the Learning Enhancement Center

There are a number of helpful resources online: