This page reflects guidance from the sixth edition of the Publication Manual.
This page reflects guidance from the sixth edition of the Publication Manual.
to clarify a relationship in which a hyphenated compound is used.
to separate numerator from denominator
to indicate per to separate units of measurement accompanied by a numerical value
to set off English phonemes.
to cite an unpublished work.
when a phrase would be clearer
Each child handed the ball to her mother or guardian.
not
Each child handed the ball to her mother/guardian.
for simple comparisons. Use a hyphen or short dash (en dash) instead.
test–retest reliability
not
test/retest reliability
more than once to express compound units. Use centered dots and parentheses as needed to prevent ambiguity.
nmol • hr-1 • mg -1
not
nmol/hr/mg
(adapted from the sixth edition of the APA Publication Manual, © 2010)
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