- APA 7th Referencing Guide
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Referencing - key changes from APA 6th to 7th
The University referencing style is APA 7th, published by the American Psychological Association. Key changes from APA 6th to 7th are summarised below:
| APA 6th (old version) | APA 7th (new version) |
|---|---|
| "et al" was only used after five or more authors in the first in-text citation | In-text citations of a work by three or more authors lists only the first author, followed by "et al". |
| Maximum 7 authors for a single work were listed in the reference list. | Up to 20 authors for a single work can be listed in the reference list. |
| Book references had to include publisher location as well as publisher name (e.g. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis). | Book references only require publisher name, not location (e.g. Taylor & Francis). |
| If organisation and publisher were the same, both were included. | If organisation and publisher are the same, omit the publisher. |
| URLs were always preceded with "Retrieved from". | URLs are no longer preceded by "Retrieved from". |
| URLs did not require a retrieval date. | If using an unstable URL, include a retrieval date in the following format: Retrieved July 31, 2020, from https://www... |
| URLs were not live hyperlinks (e.g. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news). | URLs should be live hyperlinks (e.g. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news) if final document is read online.
URLs should not be live hyperlinks if final document is in a printed format. |
Some departments use slightly varying rules, so always check your module handbook.
For those students who are completing their degree within the next few months (e.g. in 2020), we have retained the APA 6th guide (PDF download) for consultation. Please confirm the style with your tutor before submitting.
See also: