APAohjeet

APAohjeet are the guidelines for writing and formatting texts in APA style, issued by the American Psychological Association. In Finnish-language contexts they are commonly referred to as APAohjeet and help researchers, students, and publishers in the social and behavioral sciences present ideas clearly and consistently.

The guidelines cover manuscript structure, formatting, citations, references, and the presentation of tables and figures, as well as language use.

Formatting basics include double spacing, 1-inch margins, and a readable font such as 12-point Times New Roman or 11-point Calibri or Arial. A title page, abstract where required, and a running head are typical features; professional papers usually include a running head, while student papers may omit it.

In-text citations use an author–date system: (Surname, Year). For two authors, (Surname & Surname, Year) or narrative as Surname and Surname (Year). For three or more authors, first citation and subsequent citations use the first author's surname plus et al.

The reference list is organized alphabetically by author surname and includes journal articles, books, and online sources. Include DOIs when available (formatted as https://doi.org/...), and provide URLs for online materials when no DOI is assigned. Retrieval dates are generally not used unless content is unstable.

APA style also guides language use to be bias-free, and provides rules for capitalization in titles and headings, punctuation, numbers, and abbreviations. Direct quotations require page or paragraph numbers; quotations of 40 words or more are formatted as block quotes.

Status and history: The APA Publication Manual establishes the rules; the current widely used edition is the 7th edition, published in 2019–2020, with updates for digital sources and inclusive language.