Skip to Main Content

Electronic Dissertations: APA 7th Edition

This guide will assist you with copyright issues, preparing your manuscript for publication, and submitting your document to ProQuest for publication.

Talk to a Librarian

Use the above chat widget, visit the Reference Desk at HSL, call us at 610-902-8537 if you have questions about citations.  Librarians are ready to help you.

Library Links

Reference Desk 610.902.8537

Changes in the 7th Edition

  • In-Text Citations: If a source has three or more authors, "et al." is used from the very first citation.  Ex: (Martin et al., 2016).
  • Authors in References List: In the 6th edition, the writer only needed to include the surnames and first initials, ex. Martin, J.R., of the first EIGHT (8) authors of a source. That has increased to the first TWENTY (20) authors of a source.
  • Digital Object Identifier: Express the DOI as a URL.  Ex: https://doi.org/10.1080/02763915.2015.1044301.
  • References for Webpages: You DO NOT need to use the phrase "Retrieved from" prior to the URL.  However, you now DO need to use the title of the webSITE.  The webPAGE title remains in italics, and the website title has no special font and is capitalized in the standard English manner.  Ex: Powell, C.S. (2019, February 17). What is a leap year? NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/what-leap-year-ncna972131.

There are other changes, but these are the major ones.   See the updated examples below.  For other questions, please consult the APA Publication Manual, 7th Edition, at the Holy Spirit Library reference desk, or consult with a librarian.

APA Print Resources

APA Citation 7th edition Video

A video on creating references using the APA Publication Manual 7th edition:

Creating References Using Seventh Edition APA Style [video], sponsored by the American Psychological Association, Choice Media Channel.