Learning APA style is a bugbear for psychology students, unless you are someone who enjoys the minutiae of editing and proofreading. Even the editors at APA itself are challenged by the rigid requirements of their own style – the first print run of the new 6th edition of the Publication Manual contained over 80 errors. The first edition (which only came out at the end of last summer) is now being replaced by a second printing.
Does this mean we should stop expecting psychology undergraduates to master APA style? I don’t think so – learning APA style should improve all aspects of your writing. APA style provides concrete advice on clarity, structure, and organization of writing. It helps the writer to understand how to integrate other sources effectively and without plagiarism. Once learned, it removes the onus off the writer to make stylistic decisions like how to format citations and references, thereby freeing him or her to focus on content.
A final excellent resource on APA style this week is The OWL at Purdue University.
