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APA 6th Referencing: Home

Notice: Release of APA 7th edition 

A new edition of the APA manual was released in October 2019. Please note that APA 7th edition will be the referencing style supported by ECU from Semester 1, 2020. The ECU Library Services Centre will be updating all relevant materials for semester 1, 2020.

Not all Schools will switch immediately. Please check with your unit coordinator to ensure you know which version you will need to use. Some APA 6th materials will remain available for student use during the transition period.

APA 6th referencing style

APA style is an author-date citation style, which has been adopted by the majority of courses at ECU. Most Law units require adherence to the Australian Guide to Legal Citation referencing style. At postgraduate level, other styles might be preferred in specific disciplines, as advised by the course coordinator or supervisor. See other referencing styles in this guide.

Please note that some specific assignment requirements for your unit may differ from details provided in this guide. Therefore, please check your unit guidelines and assignment instructions, as you may be penalised for not conforming.

In this guide you will find:

  • Sample references and information, under the tabs, for a variety of reference types and links to tutorials in Academic Writer;
  • Quick Guide to APA Referencing (pdf), produced by ECU Library - a short printable introductory guide for the most common reference types. This guide has been developed to assist undergraduate students with referencing using APA style;
  • Academic Writer database

Quick Guide to APA 6th Referencing (PDF)

Quick Guide to APA Referencing at ECU

Academic Writer

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th edition)

Copies of the 6th edition of the Publication Manual of the APA are available at the Library on each campus. This book is only available in print.

Please ensure you are using the correct edition for your purposes. For coursework students, ask your unit coordinator whether they would like you to reference using APA 6th edition or the newer APA 7th edition. If you are preparing a work for publication, check the author submission guidelines.

APA 6th referencing style - authoritative sources

Information in this guide is based on:

  • American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author. Sections of the manual are integrated into the Academic Writer database.
  • Academic Writer database
  • APA style guide to electronic references (integrated in Academic Writer). Supplements the APA publication manual and provides additional reference examples for a variety of online sources.
  • APA style blog
    The APA Style Blog is the official companion to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Sixth Edition. It's run by a group of experts who work with APA Style every day.