APA Style

Overview

Clear and consistent use of APA Style ensures that your academic work is professional, credible, and aligned with the standards of CCO. This page provides an overview of the essential elements you’ll need, along with links to resources for more detailed guidance. It also includes information on how to properly acknowledge the use of generative AI tools when permitted by your course instructor, in accordance with APA guidelines.

Core Elements of APA Style

Format

APA Style requires a consistent and professional setup. Key expectations for a paper include:

  • Standard, double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman (or equivalent) font.
  • 1-inch margins on all sides.
  • A title page should include:
    • Paper title
    • Author’s name
    • Institution name
    • Course number and name
    • Instructor name
    • Due date

For complete details and a sample paper layout, including the reference list, see the APA Style 7th Edition Student Paper Setup Guide.

In-Text Citations

APA Style requires that you cite sources directly within the body of your submission whenever you use ideas, concepts, or wording that are not your own. Key expectations include:

  • Providing a citation every time you draw on an outside source, including assigned course readings such as your textbook or articles.
  • Citing any idea, concept, or wording that is not your own.
  • Summarizing or explaining in your own words, then citing the source.
  • A one-to-one match must exist between in-text citations and the corresponding entries in the reference list. In other words, if a source appears in your reference list, it must also be cited in your work (and vice versa).

For complete guidance and examples, see the APA In-Text Citation Guide and Champlain Library’s Citations & References Guide.

Reference List

A reference list gives credit to the original sources you cite and allows readers to locate them. Key expectations:

  • Include every source cited in the body of your submission.
  • Format entries using APA Style conventions (author, year, title, source).
  • List course materials (e.g., textbooks, assigned articles) if they are cited.

Refer to Purdue University’s Reference List: Basic Rules for guidelines on formatting sources in the reference list.

Using AI in Your Work

Generative AI tools (such as ChatGPT and Claude) can be helpful research partners, but they may not always be permitted in your assignments. Always check your assignment directions or ask your instructor if you are unsure whether AI use is allowed.

If AI use is permitted, key expectations include:

  • Acknowledging AI assistance in both your in-text citations and your reference list.
  • Following APA guidelines for citing AI-generated content.
  • Being transparent about how you used the tool (e.g., brainstorming, outlining, drafting).

For detailed guidance on using and citing AI tools, see CCO’s Using AI as a Research Partner and Purdue University’s How to Cite AI-Generated Content.

Need help with your research and citations?
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