The American Psychological Association (APA) style is a format to use for writing your paper. It is a means to show your audience (and instructor) where you found your information (whether direct quotes or paraphrased) and organize it in a consistent structure throughout your paper (in-text or parenthetical citations) and on your Reference page. By doing so, you demonstrate your own credibility and avoid plagiarism.

As its name suggests, APA was originally created for the field of Psychology. APA is now used in many disciplines, including the Social Sciences, Health Sciences, Education, Business, Communications, and Engineering. 

This guide will give you a general introduction on how to format your paper and provide more detailed examples to refer back to for your assignments.

Your instructors may have slight variations in their requirements. Please refer to your course syllabus, contact your instructor, or ask your librarians if you have any questions.