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APA 6th Edition Guide

Since some colleges in the United States still implement APA 6th edition format, we have decided to make a separate page that you can use for reference purposes. The latest APA 7th edition with relevant changes and examples can be found here. 

What is APA 6th Edition Format?

In simple terms, it is an updated version of the writing style format that has been invented by the American Psychological Association. While it is currently in its 7th edition that has implemented some changes and simplification, 6th version has been in use for a while, which makes it important to know the basics to identify. It also becomes handy in those cases when you need to avoid plagiarism issues or search APA 6th formatting.

APA Style 6th Edition Changes Since The Fifth APA Edition

The 6th edition has been updated in the summer of 2009 and contained the following changes, which were mostly aimed at covering the broader audience: 

  • APA 6th edition headings became centered, bold, uppercase. 
  • The lowercase headings were added. 
  • The headings are flushed left now. 
  • Indents have been added. 
  • Direct quotations have been implemented within one’s text. 
  • The referencespage now includes electronic or digital resources as well. 

APA 6th edition Citation Format

Some other changes have been introduced in terms of italics for the book titles or journal names. Moreover, one must add a colon after the specified location when talking of a publisher’s whereabouts. 

The Document Format Rules for APA 6th Edition

Here are the basic format rules for APA style sixth edition: 

  • Essay should be double-spaced on a standard-sized paper, which is 8.5 inches to 11 inches with margins on all sides. 
  • Recommended font is Times New Roman with 12 pt.
  • “Running Head” at the top of every page should be included in page’s header. Creating it, flush the page number right. Type paper’s title in document’s header in capital letters and flush it left.
  • Running Head part should not be more than 50 characters and acts as a shortened version of paper’s original title.
  • Title page should have the following centered: paper’s title, student’s name, an institutional affiliation. Check our title page creator for this.
  • Paper’s title should be no more than 12 words.
  • All page’s text, including your title page, should be double-spaced.
  • If necessary, a student should indicate where research in question has been conducted, right below University’s name.
  • Keywords should be after an indent.
  • The proper nouns, including author names and initials are always capitalized.
  • Always follow “author-date method” for every APA 6th edition in-text citation. 
  • Speaking of a title of your source, capitalize all the words that are four letters long in source’s title.
  • In References list, only the first word of provided title will have to be capitalized like in: Seeking alternatives.

Make sure you check with these rules as you start citing.

Major Paper Sections in APA 6th Edition

APA 6th format papers include four major sections: Title Page, Abstract, Main Body, and References.

If required, an Abstract page should be added. It should start from a new page and also include page’s header. The word Abstract should be centered at the top. Generally, abstract should be between 150-200 words.

Next, include a summary of all key points related to conducted research. 

Direct Quotations in APA 6th Edition

Here is how to cite in APA 6th editionstyle format when you need to implement a direct quote in various writing scenarios: 

  • Quoting something that is shorter than 40 words, use citation right in your text and add quotation marks. 
  • Next, cite your source right after your quotation and continue with your phrase. 

For example: 

Jones (2005) claimed that “Some caves in South America possess certain qualities that are distorting initial soundwaves” (p. 12), which makes some of the latest recordings biased in terms of sound perception. 

If it is the end of your sentence, it becomes: 

“It shows that two electricity conduct rules have been violated by ESM semiconductors” (Ashley & King, 2009, p.13). 

The Reference List in APA 6th Edition

Let us start with a good APA 6th edition citation template that will help you learn the basic requirements: 

Author, A. B. (Publication Year). Title: Capital letter also for subtitle. Location: Publisher.

In the “Location” reference part, list both the city and the state of publication with the two-letter postal abbreviation. It is the most important rule of the 6th edition in APA. 

An example:

Warner, S.V. (2012). Psychological Cognitive Methods: The Motor Functions. Seattle, DC: Turner Publishing.

Now, our APA 6th edition citation format for your in-text reference becomes:

(Warner, 2012)