The IIRP Graduate School uses the latest version of American Psychological Association (APA) writing style, or APA Style, for presenting ideas and data, formatting papers, and citing sources in student assignments and scholarly publications. APA is the most widely-used style guide for academic writing in the social sciences.
Note: In late 2019, the APA issued the 7th edition of the Publication Manual (see below), which documents changes to several APA Style elements. The IIRP Graduate School is transitioning to usage of the new version through the Summer, 2020 term; 7th edition formatting will be required in student writing beginning in Fall, 2020. If you have questions about expectations in your course during the transition period, please contact your instructor.
- APA Style update: Publication Manual 7th edition changes (PDF) | APA Style 7th edition transition webinar (57 minutes) | APA Style 6th edition archives
Key resources
Download the IIRP Graduate School Writing & APA Style Guidelines (PDF). This guide is illustrated with examples of references from the literature of restorative practices. It covers the most frequently-asked APA-related style topics requested by IIRP students, faculty and staff, and includes file-naming guidelines for student assignments.
The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition is the definitive resource for APA writing, citaton and paper formatting style; a must-have for all students and scholars in the social sciences. We highly recommend that you obtain this essential item from the bookseller of your choice. | Introduction (PDF)
- Print editions available from American Psychological Association and most major online retailers (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Foyles, etc.) | E-book editions available from VitalSource and RedShelf
Additional tools
Resources from APA
Online tutorial: Basics of 7th edition APA Style. Self-paced learning modules cover key components of APA Style.
APA Style and Grammar Guidelines: Information and examples for the most commonly-used elements of APA Style, including:
- Paper format | Grammar | Bias-free language | Tables & figures
- In-text citations | References | Research & publication
- Mechanics of style, including Punctuation | Spelling & hyphenation | Capitalization | Numbers
- Italics & quotation marks | Abbreviations | Lists
- Sample papers - Student & Professional | Journal Article Reporting Standards (JARS)
Checklists, quick guides and templates for paper formatting, citations and references, and mechanics of style.
APA Style Blog: APA in-house editors provide practical advice and in-depth insights on a wide array of formatting, referencing and writing style subjects. Submit your own questions on various blog topics.
Purdue University OWL - APA Style Guide
- APA Overview & Workshop provides a general introduction for people unfamiliar with APA
- Formatting & Style Guide shows how to format papers and provides detailed reference/citation examples.
Social media
Stay up to date with APA Style on FaceBook, Instagram, and Twitter. Ask questions and send feedback to APA Style experts.
APA Style 6th edition resource archives
These links will remain until the end of the Summer, 2020 term, as we transition to the 7th edition of APA Style. These resources are no longer being updated.
- IIRP Writing & APA Style Guidelines (2018)
- APA Style 6th edition resource collection
- APA Style Blog 6th edition archive
- Purdue OWL APA guide - 6th edition
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