Skip to Main Content
ACAP Student Portal Schedule Appointments Room Bookings Contact Us
Search and Discover

ACAP LEARNING RESOURCES

Find

Find

Borrow

Borrow

Learn

Learn

My MultiSearch Login Advanced Search Google Scholar PubMed A-Z Journals A-Z Databases

Welcome to APA 7

Welcome to APA 7.

This trimester Counselling, Social Work, and Psychology require all students to use APA 7 style. In 2021, Criminology will adopt APA style bringing all ACAP disciplines into alignment with a single academic referencing style. Unit outlines set out referencing requirements, so be sure to read these carefully.

APA 7 simplifies and clarifies the process of writing and citing academic papers and presentations.

A short guide comparing the key differences between APA 6 and APA 7 is available for download here.

Download the ACAP APA 7 Quick Guide or refer to the full online guide for more detailed explanations and specific examples.

This guide will introduce you to the most significant changes and provide resources to help you use APA

Summary of Changes

The following list represents the most significant changes to references and in-text citations and provides examples of each. The APA have also made changes with regard to:

See the Academic Writer Tutorial or APA Style and Grammar Guidelines in the tabs on this guide or consult the Publication Manual directly for more information. 

Changes to references and in-text citations.

The APA Publication Manual includes more examples and guidelines for citing in-text and in reference lists. Citation examples for online resources are now easier and clearer. The manual provides 114 examples such as books and articles, video and social media. Templates are provided to assist you. The most significant changes in the 7th edition are as follows:

1. The publisher location is no longer included in reference list entries.

APA6
Higgins, E., & George, M. (2020). Brain stimulation therapies for clinicians (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association Publishing.
APA7
Higgins, E., & George, M. (2020). Brain stimulation therapies for clinicians (2nd ed.). American Psychiatric Association Publishing.

2. In-text citation for works with three or more authors has been shortened. From the very first citation, only include the first author’s name and “et al.”

APA 6
(Love, Frey, & Durtschi, 2020).
APA 7
(Love et al., 2020).

3. Surnames and initials for up to 20 authors (instead of 7) should be provided in the reference list.

APA 6
Lenes, E., Swank, J., Hart, K., Machado, M., Darilus, S., Ardelt, M., … Puig, A. (2020). Color‐conscious multicultural mindfulness training in the counseling field. Journal of Counseling & Development, 98(2), 147–158. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12309
APA 7
Lenes, E., Swank, J., Hart, K., Machado, M., Darilus, S., Ardelt, M., Smith‐Adcock, S., Rockwood, L., & Puig, A. (2020). Color‐conscious multicultural mindfulness training in the counseling field. Journal of Counseling & Development, 98(2), 147–158. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcad.12309

4. DOIs are formatted the same as URLs. They should begin with https and the label 'DOI:' is no longer necessary.

APA 6
Daltry, R. (2020). Embedded therapy dog: Bringing a therapy dog into your counseling center. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 34(2), 118–124. DOI:10.1080/87568225.2018.1544841
APA 7
Daltry, R. (2020). Embedded therapy dog: Bringing a therapy dog into your counseling center. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 34(2), 118–124. https://doi.org/10.1080/87568225.2018.1544841
Always use the doi if available whether the source is in print or accessible online

5. URLs are no longer preceded by 'Retrieved from' unless a retrieval date is needed. The website name is included (unless it’s the same as the author), and all web page titles are italicised.

APA 6
Keen, L. (2019, October 25). LGBTQI Indigenous young people urged to be true to who they are. Retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-25/black-proud-out-and-loud-a-community-comes-together/11632608
APA 7
Keen, L. (2019, October 25). LGBTQI Indigenous young people urged to be true to who they are. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-10-25/black-proud-out-and-loud-a-community-comes-together/11632608

6. For ebooks and articles, the format, platform, or device (e.g. Kindle) and 'Retrieved from' statements are no longer included in the reference. For ebooks, the publisher is now included.

APA 6
Bush, S. S., Connell, M. A., & Denney, R. L. (2019). Ethical practice in forensic psychology: A guide for mental health professionals [Kindle version]. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.proquest.com
APA 7
Bush, S. S., Connell, M. A., & Denney, R. L. (2019). Ethical practice in forensic psychology: A guide for mental health professionals. American Psychological Association.
If a DOI is available always add it to the end of the reference entry.

7. Guidelines for contributors have been updated.

Clear guidelines are provided for including contributors other than authors and editors. For example, when citing a podcast episode, the host of the episode should be included; for a TV series episode, the writer and director of that episode are cited.

8. Online resource types have been expanded.

Dozens of examples are included for online source types such as podcast episodes, social media posts, and YouTube videos. The use of emojis and hashtags is also explained.

Source: Scribbr. (2019). APA Manual 7th edition: The most notable changes. https://www.scribbr.com/apa-style/apa-seventh-edition-changes/

SLS Webinar: APA6 to APA7

Relevant Links