Writing guides you can use tonight, the odd corners of the APA, MLA, and Turabian formats (we call that series APA Obscura), the sources nursing students cite most, and what's new in PERRLA. Written by people who read the manual so you don't have to.
Citing a TikTok or Instagram Reel in APA 7 means treating the caption as the title – the first 20 words, preserving the original spelling and capitalization, hashtags and all. This post covers the full format, how to…
Citing a YouTube video in APA 7 isn’t as simple as citing a webpage – especially when it comes to figuring out who the author is. Real name, channel name, or both? This post covers the full format, how to handle every…
Students who know how to cite a journal article often assume government reports work the same way – they don’t. APA 7 has its own format for formal government reports and data sets, complete with report numbers, agency…
Most students who’ve written a few APA papers think they have the basics covered. Most of those students are still making at least one of these five mistakes. From period placement to block quote thresholds to reference…
Citing an interview in APA 7 seems simple – until you realize that how you cite it depends entirely on whether your reader can access it. A personal interview you conducted yourself doesn’t go in the reference list at…
Podcasts are showing up in academic papers more than ever, but the APA 7 citation format trips a lot of students up. This post covers everything: reference list format, in-text citations, how to handle direct quotes…
Et al. looks simple – until you realize the rules changed in APA 7, and there’s a whole ambiguity problem most students never learn about. This post covers exactly when to use et al., what’s different from APA 6, how to…
You found the perfect idea ... but in someone else's paper, not the original source. APA has a specific way to handle this: the secondary source citation. This post covers when it's appropriate, how to format the "as…
TED Talks make for compelling research sources – but do you know how to cite them correctly in APA? Whether you’re linking to TED.com, YouTube, or a TEDx event, the format varies in a few key ways. Here’s exactly what…
Most APA references don't need a retrieval date, but some do. Getting it wrong not only clutters your reference list, but it can also cost you points. Learn exactly when to include one, when to skip it, and how to…
When a source lacks page numbers, APA style offers alternatives to help readers locate quotations.For webpages and ebooks, you can use section headings, abbreviated headings, or paragraph numbers. For audiovisual…
If you find the perfect quotation for your research paper, but there's a citation inside the quoted work, don't fret. You can still include the quotation in your paper by following a couple of simple guidelines.
Sources like personal interviews, text messages, or unrecorded classroom lectures can be viable, even if your reader is unable to view them. These types of sources are called "personal communications," and even though…
APA 7 doesn’t require an Introduction heading – the paper’s first paragraphs are assumed to be introductory. On page 2 of a student paper, repeat the title (bold, centered, Title Case), press Return once, and begin the…
Emojis are valid in APA 7 references – include the emoji itself when possible, or if you can’t, write the emoji’s name in square brackets (e.g., [grinning face emoji]) – and PERRLA will automatically format social-media…
APA 7’s rules for works with large author lists: include all authors in references up to 20, but for 21 or more list the first 19, an ellipsis, and the final author; in-text citations still use et al.
16 posts in APA Obscura. See every post
APA 101 is the same material in order: eighteen short lessons from page setup to the final checks before you submit.
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