By Dr Lonny Ness
The APA “bible” for many doctoral-granting institutions and learners is the APA Style Manual. I recall when I first started my doctoral journey that I could not spell “APA”, but it quickly grew on me. Unfortunately, just when I got accustomed to Version 5, version 6 was released and I needed to catch-up on all the nuances and style differences, such as double-spacing, use of numbers as units of measure, use of “et al.” for references and citations, based on the number of authors, DOI versus “Retrieved from”, and others. Understanding and applying these changes was quite an undertaking - especially for universities who needed to update their writing guidelines, but worth the effort as with each iteration, APA makes writing simpler and more concise (as needed for academic writing).
History does repeat itself as Version 7 has been released and university staff, faculty, and students will once again need to decipher and apply the changes. Fortunately, the good folks at Faculty Focus have done much of the heavy lifting for us. Here are a few of the highlighted changes in the report:
- Running heads are no longer required
- Use a single-space after a period
- Citations with more than two authors may use et al. for the first citation
- References may include up to 20 authors before using et al. for the remaining (formerly 7)
- Omit publisher location for book references
Another good source for understanding the APA Version 7 changes is scribbr.com, who provides these additional points:
- Inclusive and Bias-Free Language (esp. gender-neutral pronouns and descriptive phrases)
Finally, as the final authority on all things APA, the apastyle.apa.org website provides a plethora of blog posts and other materials to help understand and apply the Version 7 changes. One interesting discussion is regarding the use of short URLs in the reference. Check it out! The blog can be located at https://bit.ly/2qlX9s2.
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Dr. Lonny Ness, originally from Los Angeles and now residing in Nashville, TN, is a seasoned professional with a rich background in business administration and IT management. Following a successful 27-year corporate career, he transitioned to academia in 2007. His academic journey includes earning an MBA and a PhD in Business Administration, with the latter obtained from Northcentral University (NCU) in 2005. Dr. Lonny has served in various roles in the academic world, including as an online adjunct professor, lead school dissertation reviewer, and doctoral program curriculum developer.
In addition to his extensive corporate and academic experience, Dr. Lonny has providing guidance and support for doctoral students. He has chaired and served on dissertation committees for over 85 graduates, and his dedication to teaching has earned him the title of Instructor of the Year. Dr. Lonny continues to explore entrepreneurial opportunities and research activities, eagerly embracing the transformative power of change and new possibilities.