Table of Contents
What is the main purpose of the APA?
Mission Statement The history of American psychology is inextricably linked to the history of the American Psychological Association. The stated mission of APA is to advance the creation, communication and application of psychological knowledge to benefit society and improve people’s lives. The American Psychological Association, or APA, is the organization that created the language used and understood by academics around the world. APA style is the expected standard in higher education and research papers to ensure sources are cited properly. The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, Seventh Edition is the official source for APA Style. APA Style originated in 1929, when a group of psychologists, anthropologists, and business managers convened and sought to establish a simple set of procedures, or style guidelines, that would codify the many components of scientific writing to increase the ease of reading comprehension. The first edition of the APA Publication Manual was published in 1952 as a 61-page supplement to the Psychological Bulletin, marking the beginning of a recognized APA style. The initial edition went through two revisions: one in 1957, and one in 1967.
Why is APA important in psychology?
The primary purpose of APA style is to facilitate scientific communication by promoting clarity of expression and by standardizing the organization and content of research articles and book chapters. APA Style provides clarity to papers on often complex topics. It makes papers easier to read and understand. When sources are cited the same way each time and the paper is written in a uniform format, it gives it better flow and helps keep the focus on the content of the paper. APA is the style of documentation of sources used by the American Psychological Association. This form of writing research papers is used mainly in the social sciences, like psychology, anthropology, sociology, as well as education and other fields. APA Style provides fairly comprehensive guidelines for writing academic papers regardless of subject or discipline. However, traditionally, APA is most frequently used by writers and students in: Social Sciences, such as Psychology, Linguistics, Sociology, Economics, and Criminology. Business. A book citation in APA Style always includes the author’s name, the publication year, the book title, and the publisher. All SoE UWISTA students from 2022-2023 onward are to use APA Style 7th. ed.
Who introduced APA format?
APA was founded in July 1892 by a small group of men interested in what they called “the new psychology.” The group elected 31 individuals, including themselves, to membership, with G. Stanley Hall (1844-1924) as its first president. APA’s first meeting was held in December 1892 at the University of Pennsylvania. The APA has a federal structure, composed of three divisions—the Central, Eastern, and Pacific—and an administrative office that together make up a single organization. Stanley Hall (1846-1924) briefly studied with Wundt. Then towards the end of the 19th century, Hall reeled off a series of “firsts” for American psychology. He established America’s first research laboratory at Johns Hopkins University in 1883. In 1887, he launched America’s first psychology journal. The charter members included Edward Pace, a Catholic, and Joseph Jastrow, a Jew, who devised conventions for reporting that evolved into APA style. Two women, Mary Calkins and Christine Ladd-Franklin, were elected members in 1893.