This page was last updated on 2 Sep 1999.
The one aspect of my previous edition that exercised instructors the most was my decision to make variations from APA style, in particular to retain hanging paragraphs for references instead of formatting them as ordinary paragraphs. In this edition, I have persisted with APA published style instead of APA manuscript style. The APA permits authors to use desk-top publishing techniques for formatting works that are in their final form (American Psychological Association, 1999), as is the case with student assignments. This includes using italics and formatting references as hanging paragraphs. But if you want your students to use APA manuscript style, I help you do so by listing the differences in the Preface, and by providing all the example references from Chapter 4 in Appendix C formatted according to APA manuscript style.
I had at least six reasons for opting for APA publication style for your students' assignments.
First, it is easier for a reader, or a marker, to deal with an assignment formatted with some of the characteristics of a published paper that one formatted strictly as an APA manuscript. That is, it is easier when figures appear with their captions in the text than on separate pages at the end of the assignment. It is easier to look for a particular reference in a list of hanging paragraphs than in a list of ordinary paragraphs. It is easier to segregate a figure caption from the text if it is in a smaller font with a different style than if all the text is in exactly the same font.
Second, very few students will go on to write manuscripts for submission to APA journals. But the vast majority will go on to do some form of desktop publishing (e.g., of reports, submissions, proposals). Because producing an attractive, easy-to-read format is important for the majority of students, I have aimed at APA's final format, rather than its manuscript format.
Third, I wanted to encourage students to look at published papers. Most of the formatting requirements in this book can be inferred from published papers.
Fourth, I think that in a few years, most published works will appear first, or only, on the web. We may even require our students to submit their assignments electronically. The formatting I have recommended (e.g., with boldface for headings, and italics rather than underlining) is consistent with that produced by basic HTML code. Moreover, underlining in a web page signifies a link, rather than text to be placed in italics as is the case with APA manuscript style.
Fifth, some word processors allow the users to keep track of changes to their manuscripts by overstriking material to be deleted, and underlining material that has been inserted. Using italics, rather than underlining, allows this feature to be used.
Sixth, it makes the formatting of the third edition of Writing for Psychology agree with the formatting of the second edition. Basically, I'm glad the editors of the APA Manual are coming around to my way of thinking!
American Psychological Association (1999). Frequently asked questions about the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (4th ed.) [On-line]. Available: http://www.apa.org/journals/faq.html