APA Style is a force in style, with good reason. Seventh Edition APA Style, its beefiest update yet, contains notable changes. Don’t miss Editing with Style: Updated Resources for Seventh Edition APA Style with Timothy L. McAdoo and Hayley S. Kamin and moderated by Jason Wells for guidance on the new edition.
McAdoo, a content development manager with APA Style, explained that APA Style made changes directed toward many different audiences, from students and professors to researchers and librarians.
“I think [the most important change] depends on the writer, their level, and their intended audience,” said McAdoo.
The session starts with an overview of Seventh Edition APA, including chapter details in APA 7 that editors need to know. Presenters also differentiate changes from APA 6, and locate detailed explanations of both editions.
Seventh Edition APA reflects citing social media and other online works, as well as including more information about journal article reporting standards for research. The new edition also touches on citing traditional knowledge and oral traditions of Indigenous people.
“Some changes we are most excited about are those that promote inclusion,” McAdoo said. “It also reflects the expanding ways that writers access information and conduct research.”
Included for the first time is a chapter on bias-free language, pushed by 2021 Robinson Prize winner and APA Editorial Director Emily Ayubi. Accessibility was also at the forefront of the style manual’s latest edition, expanding text visibility with font and contrast.
“One thing I am especially excited to hear about is the update on the use of ‘they’ as a singular third-person pronoun,” said Caroline Latta, Twitter user @LattaCaroline.
The second half of the presentation is entirely new material: a discussion about APA Style’s suite for teaching and learning APA. Its online resources, digital resources, and print products can all help individuals learn and implement APA style. The session concludes with inviting attendees to share their ideas about how best to teach and learn to use APA style.
“Editing with Style: Updated Resources for Seventh Edition APA Style” is Friday, April 23 from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Need help deciding which sessions to attend live? Check out this guide.
