This table compares the sixth edition with the seventh edition of the Publication Manual. For a chapter-by-chapter overview of new and expanded content in the seventh edition Publication Manual, see the “What’s New” guide (PDF, 1MB).
Cite this
American Psychological Association. (2020, September 2). Comparison of the Sixth and Seventh Editions of the Publication Manual. http://apastyle.apa.org/products/6th-vs-7th-publication-manual
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition |
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 7th edition |
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| Publication date | published on June 29, 2009 | published on October 1, 2019 |
| Audience | graduate and undergraduate students, instructors, researchers, and editors | graduate and undergraduate students, instructors, researchers, and editors |
| Format | spiral-bound (without tabs), hardcover, or paperback;
all versions are in 2 color |
spiral-bound (with tabs), hardcover, paperback, or ebook; all versions are in full color |
| Size | 7 × 10 in. | 7 × 10 in. |
| Page count | 272 pages | 427 pages |
| Paper formatting guidelines | guidelines for professional papers | guidelines for professional papers, student papers, and annotated bibliographies |
| Sample papers and sample paper elements | 1 full sample professional paper; 1 abbreviated sample two-experiment paper, 1 abbreviated sample meta-analysis | 1 sample student paper and 1 sample professional paper; sample title pages, author note, and annotated bibliography |
| Sample tables and figures | 28 sample tables and figures | more than 40 sample tables and figures |
| Citation guidelines and sample references | 96 sample references, including traditional sources (e.g., journal articles, books, dissertations, and reports) plus archival sources, legal sources, and others | more than 140 sample references, including traditional sources (e.g., journal articles, books, dissertations, and reports) plus many others (e.g., social media, webpages and websites, legal) |
| Bias-free language guidelines | general guidelines for reducing bias and specific guidelines for writing about gender, sexual orientation, racial and ethnic identity, disabilities, and age | general guidelines for reducing bias and specific guidelines for writing about age, disability, gender, participation in research, racial and ethnic identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and intersectionality |
| Accessibility guidelines | not included | guidelines that support accessibility for all users, including simplified reference, in-text citation, and heading formats as well as additional font options |
| Journal article reporting standards | journal article reporting standards briefly described and integrated within chapter on paper elements; detailed tables in the Appendix of the manual | introduction to journal article reporting standards (JARS) in a chapter that includes the updates to JARS for quantitative research and the first-ever qualitative and mixed methods reporting standards in APA Style; guidelines presented in detailed tables within the chapter, with links to the JARS website for additional resources and tables |
| Mechanics of style | punctuation, spelling, capitalization, italics, abbreviations, numbers, metrication, statistical and mathematical copy, presentation of equations | punctuation, spelling, capitalization, italics, abbreviations, numbers, statistical and mathematical copy, presentation of equations, and lists |
| Writing style and grammar | continuity and flow, conciseness and clarity, grammar guidelines and usage, strategies to improve your writing | continuity and flow; conciseness and clarity; grammar guidelines and usage, including updated guidelines on pronoun usage; strategies to improve your writing |
| Scholarly writing and publishing principles | types of scholarly articles, ethical and legal standards in publishing | types of articles and papers, including discussion of student papers; updated ethical, legal, and professional standards in publishing |
| Publication process | editorial process (including peer review and manuscript acceptance or rejection), author responsibilities such as manuscript preparation (including guidelines on supplemental materials and on writing a cover letter), and complying with ethical, legal and policy requirements | preparing for publication (including adapting a dissertation or thesis into a journal article, selecting a journal for publication, and avoiding predatory journals), the editorial publication process, manuscript preparation (including using an online submission portal, writing a cover letter, and certifying ethical requirements), and copyright and permission guidelines, open access deposit policies, and guidelines for sharing and promoting articles |