[Frequently Asked Questions About the Seventh Edition APA Citation]

The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is an academic writing format reference manual commonly used in the field of social sciences. The current, seventh edition of this manual was published in October 2019. The two main issues spotlighted in this edition are the increasingly common citation of online material and the use of inclusive and bias-free language in academic writing. APA (American Psychological Association) style guidelines are widely used in nursing academia, in papers written for N3 and N4 nursing clinical ladder qualification, and in papers submitted to nursing journals. The lengthy and detailed content of the APA publication manual frequently overwhelms and confuses clinical nurses and students, and Taiwan Nursing Association members regularly submit APA-style-related questions to the Association. Thus, this article was written to address the origin and evolution of APA formatting guidelines and their importance in academic writing, highlight the major changes in the seventh edition, answer common questions about the APA citation format, and share APA online resources. It is hoped that the information in this article assists readers to improve the quality of their academic writing.