The transition from APA 6th to APA 7th edition introduced significant changes. Struggling to keep up with the new rules? If you learned APA formatting on the 6th edition, you are likely making frustrating formatting errors and wasting precious time without realizing it.

Major Changes at a Glance

Running Head

APA 6th required a running head on every page (max 50 characters). APA 7th now requires a running head only for professional papers; student papers omit it entirely.

Author Format

In APA 6th, references listed up to 7 authors before using ellipsis. APA 7th expanded this requirement to up to 20 authors.

Publisher Location

APA 6th required the publisher location in book references. APA 7th eliminated this tedious requirement entirely.

DOI Format

APA 6th used the format "doi:10.xxxx/xxxx". APA 7th uses the hyperlink format "https://doi.org/10.xxxx/xxxx".

Heading Format

APA 6th used bold for Level 1, bold and centered for Level 2, and italicized for Level 3. APA 7th simplified all levels to use bold formatting.

Singular "They"

APA 7th officially endorses the singular "they" as a pronoun, reflecting inclusive language best practices.

Why This Matters

Mixing APA 6th and 7th edition rules is one of the most common academic formatting errors. Many professors specify which edition to use, but even when they do not, APA 7th is the current standard.

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