stylesAPA

stylesAPA is a style configuration used in writing software and citation management tools to format texts and references in accordance with the American Psychological Association's APA style guidelines. It provides a standardized set of rules for in-text citations, reference list entries, and overall manuscript typography, enabling authors to produce compliant documents with minimal manual adjustment.

In practice, stylesAPA is implemented within word processors, reference managers, and typesetting systems. It is commonly bundled in tools such as Zotero, EndNote, Mendeley, and BibLaTeX configurations, or exposed as an export or plug-in option. The configuration is typically aligned with a specific APA edition, most often the APA 7th edition, which defines how to format authors, dates, titles, and source details.

Key features include automatic generation of parenthetical and narrative in-text citations, an ordered reference list, and formatting rules for diverse source types such as journal articles, books, chapters, websites, and reports. It handles punctuation, capitalization, italicization of journal and book titles, and the use of DOIs or URLs. It may also enforce rules for abbreviations, numbers, page ranges, and capitalization of proper nouns.

Users should note that, while stylesAPA provides substantial automation, some edge cases and publisher-specific requirements may require manual adjustment. Updates to APA guidelines or edition changes can necessitate software updates, so users should verify ongoing compatibility when upgrading tools or switching editions.

See also: APA style, citation style, reference management, BibLaTeX, EndNote, Zotero.