APA Changes in the New Seventh Edition
During the fall of 2019, the American Psychological Association (APA) published the seventh edition of its Publication Manual, which is the official guide to APA style. While the changes are not monumental, they do make the process of writing a research paper a bit easier for students. Here are some of the highlights.
The Running Head. The “running head” is no longer required for student papers. The running head used to be a minor hassle for students to set up because the first page of the research paper had to be a bit different from the following pages. Under the new edition, only the page number is required in the top right corner of each page.
Spacing. Use only one space after a period or other punctuation mark at the end of the sentence. Though many students and teachers were not aware of the previous rule, the sixth edition actually required two spaces with the explanation that “spacing twice after punctuation marks at the end of a sentence aids readers of draft manuscripts” (APA, 2010, p. 88). The seventh edition eliminates the need for that second space.
Use of “They.” Use the singular pronoun “they” to refer to a person who prefers that pronoun or when the gender of the person is “unknown or irrelevant to the context of the usage” (APA, 2020, p. 120). Previously, the sixth edition stated that “Each pronoun should…
