First, some background for those who haven’t heard: The 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, the official source for APA Style®, is now available. As you are aware, Purdue Global currently uses the 6th edition across all programs at the university.
Does everything in the Library follow 7th edition rules now?
Not yet and you don't need to worry about changing to the 7th edition yet either! You’ll have plenty of time to prepare for the 7th edition and do not need to become an expert today. In fact, many resources about APA Style, including official ones from the APA, will not even update until next summer. Academic Writer, the APA's tool for effective writing, will continue to use the 6th edition guidelines until August 2020.
Also, don’t forget, the most important part of every assignment is the content and displaying your effective writing skills anyway!
What’s changing in the 7th edition?
APA gives a broad overview of features and changes on their website. You can also read the introduction to the manual, which reviews every section and also reviews changes. Specifics, however, will not be available until after publication and your friendly neighborhood PG Librarians receive a copy.
So, where is this preview link in Academic Writer?
Additionally, starting October 1st, a preview link will be included within the footer of Academic Writer:
This link will provide more information on some of the new features and planned updates that will roll out in August 2020.
In addition to 7th edition changes, Academic Writer will also redesign many of its interactive tutorials and add more student-assignment focused examples and features, like the ability to write an annotated bibliography in Academic Writer’s Write Center.
What should I do next?
For now, there’s no need to do anything when using Academic Writer—the tool, including all papers, will continue to use the 6th edition until August 2020. You can also keep writing your assignments following 6th edition rules. More announcements will be made over the next year about the transition to 7th edition, including in your courses and in the PG Academic Success Center.
