apa thesis writing guidelines

APA Style 6th Edition: Citing Your Sources

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Standard Format

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Dissertation or thesis available from a database service:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (year of publication).  Title of dissertation or thesis (Doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis).  Retrieved from Name of database.  (Accession or Order No.)

For an unpublished dissertation or thesis:

Author Surname, First Initial. Second Initial. (year of creation).  Title of dissertation or thesis (Unpublished doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis).  Name of Institution, Location.

See Ch 7 pp. 207-208 APA Manual for more examples and formatting rules

Formatting:

• Italicize the title
• Identify whether source is doctoral dissertation or master’s thesis in parentheses after the title
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APA Style, 7th edition - Citing Sources

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Dissertation & SPP Format Pieces

Creating a toc in apa, dnp spp toc examples, edd toc examples, important: signature page, the abstract & keywords.

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If you are on this tab, you have probably been asked to format a dissertation or Scholarly Practice Project paper using APA format. Use the below information to help you format the different pieces of your paper.  Please check with your academic department to see if they have an official dissertation/SPP format template for your program.

A note on Table of Contents: Most APA papers do not require a Table of Contents (TOC). If you are writing a Dissertation or Scholarly Practice Project, you may be asked to include one. Please note: the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association does not have an official stance on formatting a Table of Contents page .

Below, you will find some general information and examples of Table of Contents (TOC), Abstracts and Keywords, and the Signature page that you may find helpful.

• Scribbr Creating an APA-style Table of Contents This tutorial from Scribbr is extremely helpful in formatting your APA Table of Contents.

Use the below examples as a reference point for forming your Table of Contents. These should be used as a baseline for formatting-- yours will be more specific to your headings and subject-matter.

• DNP SPP TOC Example 1
• DNP SPP TOC Example 2
• EdD Dissertation TOC Example 1
• EdD Dissertation TOC Example 2

Your signature page is one of the most important pieces of your final product. It proves that you completed the dissertation!  Below is an example of what your signature page should look like (names blanked out for privacy).

If you have any questions about the signature page or how to get it signed, please contact your program director.

ABSTRACT : An abstract is required for your Dissertation or Scholarly Practice Project and must be included before submitting your final copy to Proquest.  An abstract is a brief, comprehensive overview of your paper. Generally, it should not exceed 250 words.

KEYWORDS : You should also include keywords. Keywords are descriptive terms that encompass the themes of your paper. Think about what terms you used when searching for your topic in the databases. This is what researchers will use to find your paper!

• APA Style Abstract and Keywords Handout For more information on creating an Abstract and Keywords, please use this handout from the APA Style site.
• Professional Paper sample with Abstract Example See page one of this document for an example of an Abstract and Keywords, with annotations on where to find more information in APA Manual. From the APA Style site.
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Dissertation & Doctoral Project Formatting & Clearance: APA Style 7th Ed.

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SPRING 2024 CHANGES TO THE DISSERTATION CLEARANCE PROCESS

In order to streamline the dissertation clearance process, the following changes have been made, effective 3-1-2024 .

1. The Dissertation Cataloging Form is no longer necessary.

2. The Dissertation Clearance Form is now initiated directly by the student, and only through Adobe Sign - Signed PDFs and scanned forms have been replaced by Adobe Sign.

3. Students completing dissertation clearance are no longer required to schedule a meeting with their DCR (Dissertation Clearance Representative). If they have questions about what to do, they are welcome to schedule a DCR appointment, but it is not required.

If you have questions about these changes or other aspects of the process, contact [email protected] and we will be happy to assist.

Finding It @ Your Library

General APA Style Guidelines

WRITING STYLE

Verb tense. APA style papers should be written in past or present perfect tense:

Avoid: Mojit and Novian's (2013) experiment shows that...

Allowed: Mojit and Novian's (2013) experiment showed  that...

Allowed: Mojit and Novian's (2013) experiment has shown that...

Be concise and clear

• Avoid vague statements
• Present information clearly
• Eliminate unnecessary words

Style matters

• Write objectively
• Avoid poetic or flowery language

AVOIDING BIAS

Be sensitive to labels

• Avoid identifying groups by a disorder Avoid: schizophrenics Allowed: people diagnosed with schizophrenia
• Avoid outdated or inappropriate labels
• When you must label a group, try to use a term that group prefers

Gender pronouns

• Gender refers to a social role
• Sex refers to biological characteristics

What is the APA 7th Edition Publication Manual?

The 7th edition of Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association was created by the American Psychological Assocation (APA), and contains the complete guidelines on how to format material for publication and cite your research .  It is a set of style rules that codifies the components of scientific writing in order to deliver concise and bias free information to the reader. 

This guide provides some of the basics to keep in mind, but it doesn't replace owning or borrowing the actual Publication Manual itself. It should be on your desk by your side throughout your writing process.

APA style, 7th edition requires specific heading formatting.

For Levels 1-3, the paragraph text begins on a new line. For Levels 4-5, the paragraph text begins on the same line and continues as a paragraph.

In Section 4.2 of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.), APA (2020) states that you should use verb tenses consistently throughout your work. See a chart of when and how to use past tense (Rodriguez found) and present perfect tense (Researchers have shown) at the APA Style website .

In-Text Citation Basics

Author/Date Citation Method

APA publications use the author/date in text citation system to briefly identify sources to readers.  Each in-text citation is listed alphabetically in the reference list.  All in-text citations referenced in the body of work musr appear in the reference list and vice versa.

• The author-date method includes the author's surname and the the publication year.  Do not include suffixes such as Jr., Esq., etc. Example : (Jones, 2009)
• The author/date method is also used with direct quotes.  Another component is added in this format: (Jones, 2009, p.19)
• When multiple pages are referenced, use pp. (Jones, 2009, pp.19-21)

Variations of author/date within a sentence Here are some examples of how the author/date citation method are formatted within different parts of a sentence. Please note the author, publication date, and study are entirely fictional.

• Beginning of a sentence: Jones (2009) completed a study on the effects of dark chocolate on heart disease.
• Middle of a sentence: In 2009, Jones's study on the effects of dark chocolate and heart disease revealed...
• End of a sentence: The study revealed that participants who ate dark chocolate bars every day did not develop heart disease (Jones, 2009).

Citing works with more than one author

• One author: Jones (2009) // (Jones, 2009)
• Two authors: Ahmed and Jones (2010) // (Ahmed & Jones, 2010)
• Three or more authors: Tsai et al. (2011) // (Tsai et al., 2011)
• Group/organization author that can be abbreviated: 1st mention: National Institutes of Health (NIH, 2012) // subsequent mentions: NIH (2012)

Sample References

Journal articles

Sharifian, N., & Grühn, D. (2019). The differential impact of social participation and social support on psychological well-being: Evidence from  the Wisconsin longitudinal study. The International Journal of Aging and Human Development , 88 (2), 107-126. https://doi.org/10.1177/0091415018757213

Shiraev, E. (2017). Personality theories: A global view. SAGE.

Chapter from a book

Ochs, E., & Schieffelin , B. B. (1984). Language acquisition and socialization: Three developmental stories and their implications. In R. A. Shweder & R. A. LeVine (Eds.), Culture theory: Essays on mind, self, and emotion (pp. 276 320). Cambridge University Press.

Webpage from a website

World Health Organization. (2020, June 15) . Elder abuse . https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/elder-abuse

View many more examples in the APA Style Manual or on the APA Style website .

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APA Style Guide 7th Edition

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GENERAL GUIDELINES FOR Thesis and Dissertations 

Published Thesis - Available online / from a database 

Author Last name, First Initials. (Year). Title of Thesis or Dissertation     [Type of thesis, Name of institution awarding degree]. Database name. Web address

Unpublished Thesis - Available in print from a college or university 

Author Last name, First Initials. (Year).  Title of Thesis or Dissertation     [Unpublished type of thesis]. Name of institution awarding degree.

EXAMPLES 

Published Thesis - From a database 

Kral, T. R. (2020). Impact of mindfulness meditation on brain function, connectivity, and structure (Publication          No.  27833897)    [Doctoral dissertation, The University of Wisconsin-Madison].  ProQuest Dissertations           Publishing.

Published Thesis - Available online  

Hunsaker, C. (2020).  Beyond theory: Simulation and role-play in interpreter education  [Master's thesis,           Western Oregon University]. Western Oregon University Digital Commons. https://digitalcommons           wou.edu/theses/61 

​ Unpublished Thesis - Available in print form at a college or university 

Carlin, A. (2017).  Effective pairing methods for students in a second grade dual language            classroom.  [Unpublished Master's thesis]. Western Oregon University.

NOTES ABOUT AUTHOR, DATE, TITLE, AND SOURCE

Author 

• List the author alphabetically by the authors last name and first name initial(s)
• Enclose the date of publication in parentheses followed by a period. For example: (2020).

Thesis or Dissertation Title 

• Italicize the title 
• The first word of the title and subtitle is capitalized as are proper nouns but all other words are lowercase. 
• If a title ends with a question mark or exclamation point, use those punctuation marks instead of a period at the end. 

Identify Type of Dissertation or Thesis 

• For an unpublished dissertation or thesis (available only in print from a college or university) label as [Unpublished doctoral dissertation] or [Unpublished master's thesis]. 
• For a published dissertation or thesis label as [Doctoral dissertation, Name of University] or [Master's thesis, Name of University].   

Name of Institution 

• The name of the instruction will appear with the type of dissertation or thesis (if published) or as the place where the dissertation or thesis is housed (if unpublished). 

Database Publication 

• If published, include the name of the database publishing the dissertation or thesis 

Online Publication Not in a Database 

• If published online but not in a database, include the web address /URL 
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Citing Dissertations & Theses in APA Format

Dissertations & Theses

Dissertations and theses are formatted the same way in APA 7th edition. Theses are generally the culminating work for a master's or undergraduate degree and dissertations are often original research completed by doctoral students. Here are examples of a dissertation & a thesis, and how they would be formatted: 

Examples: 

Dissertation found in Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global: 

Reference:  

Banks, B. (2020). Addressing institutional racism in healthcare: A case study (Publication No. 28154307) [Doctoral dissertation, University of Minnesota]. Proquest Dissertations and Theses Global. 

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):  

(Banks, 2020).

In-Text Citation (Direct Quote):

(Banks, 2020, p. 157).

Master's thesis from a University scholarship database: 

Sears, L. B. (2017). The public voice and sustainable food systems: Community engagement in food action plans [Unpublished master's thesis]. University of Kansas.  https://kuscholarworks.ku.edu/handle/1808/26899  

In-Text Citation (Paraphrase):

(Sears, 2017). 

(Sears, 2017, p. 24). 

Carrie Forbes, MLS

Pages Referenced

Citation information has been adapted from the APA Manual (7th Edition). Please refer to page 333 of the APA Manual (7th Edition) for more information.

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Home / Guides / Citation Guides / APA Format / How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in APA

How to Cite a Thesis or Dissertation in APA

In this citation guide, you will learn how to reference and cite an undergraduate thesis, master’s thesis, or doctoral dissertation. This guide will also review the differences between a thesis or dissertation that is published and one that has remained unpublished. The guidelines below come from the 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (2020a), pages 333 and 334. Please note that the association is not affiliated with this guide.

Alternatively, you can visit EasyBib.com for helpful citation tools to cite your thesis or dissertation .

Guide Overview

Citing an unpublished thesis or dissertation, citing a published dissertation or thesis from a database, citing a thesis or dissertation published online but not from a database, citing a thesis or dissertation: reference overview, what you need.

Since unpublished theses can usually only be sourced in print form from a university library, the correct citation structure includes the university name where the publisher element usually goes.

Author’s last name, F. M. (Year published). Title in sentence case [Unpublished degree type thesis or dissertation]. Name of institution.

Ames, J. H., & Doughty, L. H. (1911). The proposed plans for the Iowa State College athletic field including the design of a reinforced concrete grandstand and wall [Unpublished bachelor’s thesis]. Iowa State University.

In-text citation example:

• Parenthetical :  (Ames & Doughty, 1911)
• Narrative :  Ames & Doughty (1911)

If a thesis or dissertation has been published and is found on a database, then follow the structure below. It’s similar to the format for an unpublished dissertation/thesis, but with a few differences:

• The institution is presented in brackets after the title
• The archive or database name is included

Author’s last name, F. M. (Year published). Title in sentence case (Publication or Document No.) [Degree type thesis or dissertation, Name of institution]. Database name.

Examples 1:

Knight, K. A. (2011). Media epidemics: Viral structures in literature and new media (Accession No. 2013420395) [Doctoral dissertation, University of California, Santa Barbara]. ProQuest Dissertations Publishing.

Trotman, J.B. (2018). New insights into the biochemistry and cell biology of RNA recapping (Document No. osu1523896565730483) [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses & Dissertations Center.

In the example given above, the dissertation is presented with a Document Number (Document No.). Sometimes called a database number or publication number, this is the identifier that is used by the database’s indexing system. If the database you are using provides you with such a number, then include it directly after the work’s title in parentheses.

If you are interested in learning more about how to handle works that were accessed via academic research databases, see Section 9.3 of the Publication Manual.

In-text citation examples :

• Parenthetical citation : (Trotman, 2018)
• Narrative citation : Trotman (2018)

Author’s last name, F. M. (Year Published). Title in sentence case [Degree type thesis or dissertation, Name of institution]. Name of archive or collection. URL

Kim, O. (2019). Soviet tableau: cinema and history under late socialism [Doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh]. Institutional Repository at the University of Pittsburgh. https://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/37669/7/Olga%20Kim%20Final%20ETD.pdf

Stiles, T. W. (2001). Doing science: Teachers’ authentic experiences at the Lone Star Dinosaur Field Institute [Master’s thesis, Texas A&M University]. OAKTrust. https://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2001-THESIS-S745

It is important to note that not every thesis or dissertation published online will be associated with a specific archive or collection. If the work is published on a private website, provide only the URL as the source element.

In-text citation examples:

• Parenthetical citation : (Kim, 2019)
• Narrative citation : Kim (2019)
• Parenthetical citation : (Stiles, 2001)
• Narrative citation : Stiles (2001)

We hope that the information provided here will serve as an effective guide for your research. If you’re looking for even more citation info, visit EasyBib.com for a comprehensive collection of educational materials covering multiple source types.

If you’re citing a variety of different sources, consider taking the EasyBib citation generator for a spin. It can help you cite easily and offers citation forms for several different kinds of sources.

To start things off, let’s take a look at the different types of literature that are classified under Chapter 10.6 of the Publication Manual :

• Undergraduate thesis
• Master’s thesis
• Doctoral dissertation

You will need to know which type you are citing. You’ll also need to know if it is published or unpublished .

When you decide to cite a dissertation or thesis, you’ll need to look for the following information to use in your citation:

• Author’s last name, and first and middle initials
• Year published
• Title of thesis or dissertation
• If it is unpublished
• Publication or document number (if applicable; for published work)
• Degree type (bachelor’s, master’s, doctoral)
• Thesis or dissertation
• Name of institution awarding degree
• DOI (https://doi.org/xxxxx) or URL (if applicable)

Since theses and dissertations are directly linked to educational degrees, it is necessary to list the name of the associated institution; i.e., the college, university, or school that is awarding the associated degree.

To get an idea of the proper form, take a look at the examples below. There are three outlined scenarios:

• Unpublished thesis or dissertation
• Published thesis or dissertation from a database
• Thesis or dissertation published online but not from a database

American Psychological Association. (2020a). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

American Psychological Association. (2020b). Style-Grammar-Guidelines. https://apastyle.apa.org/style-grammar-guidelines/citations/basic-principles/parenthetical-versus-narrative

Published August 10, 2012. Updated March 24, 2020.

Written and edited by Michele Kirschenbaum and Elise Barbeau. Michele Kirschenbaum is a school library media specialist and the in-house librarian at EasyBib.com. Elise Barbeau is the Citation Specialist at Chegg. She has worked in digital marketing, libraries, and publishing.

APA Formatting Guide

APA Formatting

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To cite a published thesis in APA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the author, publication year, title of the thesis, institute name, archive name, and URL (uniform resource locator). The templates for an in-text citation and reference list entry of a thesis, along with examples, are given below:

In-text citation template and example:

Use the author surname and the publication year in the in-text citation.

Author Surname (Publication Year)

Cartmel (2007)

Parenthetical:

(Author Surname, Publication Year)

(Cartmel, 2007)

Reference list entry template and example:

The title of the thesis is set in sentence case and italicized. Enclose the thesis and the institute awarding the degree inside brackets following the publication year. Then add the name of the database followed by the URL.

Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Title of the thesis [Master’s thesis, Institute Name]. Name of the Database. URL

Cartmel, J. (2007). Outside school hours care and schools [Master’s thesis, Queensland University of Technology]. EPrints. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/17810/1/Jennifer_Cartmel_Thesis.pdf

To cite an unpublished dissertation in APA style, it is important that you know some basic information such as the author, year, title of the dissertation, and institute name. The templates for in-text citation and reference list entry of an online thesis, along with examples, are given below:

Author Surname (Year)

Averill (2009)

(Author Surname, Year)

(Averill, 2009)

The title of the dissertation is set in sentence case and italicized. Enclose “Unpublished doctoral dissertation” inside brackets following the year. Then add the name of the institution awarding the degree.

Author Surname, F. M. (Publication Year). Title of the dissertation [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Name of the Institute.

Averill, R. (2009). Teacher–student relationships in diverse New Zealand year 10 mathematics classrooms: Teacher care [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Victoria University of Wellington.

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APA Writing Style | Language & Punctuation Guidelines

Published on January 3, 2022 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on October 3, 2023.

The American Psychological Association (APA) published the 7th edition of its style manual in 2019. As well as rules for citation and paper formatting, the manual provides various language guidelines to help you present your ideas in a clear, concise, and inclusive manner.

Key issues include active vs. passive voice, use of pronouns, anthropomorphism, inclusive language, punctuation, abbreviations and acronyms, and numbers.

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Table of contents

Active vs. passive voice, personal pronouns, anthropomorphism, inclusive language, punctuation, abbreviations and acronyms, numbers: words vs. numerals, hyphenation of prefixes and suffixes, other style issues, frequently asked questions about apa language guidelines.

The passive voice , which places the focus on the object of an action rather than on who or what is carrying it out (the agent ), is often overused in academic writing. It can be long-winded, and it sometimes obscures your meaning if you don’t specify the agent.

• The test was completed. [passive voice, agent unclear]
• The test was completed by the participants. [passive voice, long-winded]
• The participants completed the test. [active voice]

APA therefore recommends using the active voice by default. However, that doesn’t mean you can never use the passive voice. When it’s unimportant who carried out a particular action, the passive voice is a better choice.

• James and I mounted the projector on the wall.
• The projector was mounted on the wall.

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Appropriate use of personal pronouns is key to maintaining an academic tone in your writing.

First-person pronouns (I, we) should be used when referring to your own actions and thoughts. Don’t refer to yourself in the third person.

• The researcher(s) administered the test.
• I/we administered the test.

However, avoid the editorial “we,” which involves using “we” to make a generalization about the world or about a group of people.

• We are social creatures.
• Humans are social creatures.

Second-person pronouns (you) should be avoided entirely unless you’re quoting someone else. If you need to make a generalization, use the impersonal pronoun “one” instead, or (usually the better option) rephrase.

• As a teacher, you should be patient with your students.
• As a teacher, one should be patient with one’s students.
• Teachers should be patient with their students.

Use the third-person pronoun “they” to refer to an individual who uses “they” as their chosen pronoun. Also use “they,” not “he or she,” to refer to a generic individual whose gender is unknown or irrelevant in the context.

• When a student agrees to participate, he or she is provided with the necessary materials.
• When a student agrees to participate, they are provided with the necessary materials.
• When students agree to participate, they are provided with the necessary materials.

Anthropomorphism means attributing actions to objects that cannot literally take those actions. Avoid doing this where it confuses your meaning, but feel free to do so when your point remains clear.

• The study wondered whether an algorithm could predict student engagement.
• The researcher wondered whether an algorithm could predict student engagement.
• The table presents the algorithm’s predictions and their accuracy.
• The results suggest that software can help schools improve student well-being.

APA also provides guidance on ensuring your language is inclusive and respectful. Some key points are summarized below.

• Replace terms that are unnecessarily gendered or that have sexist connotations with more inclusive alternatives (e.g., change “fireman” to “firefighter”).
• As mentioned above, use “they” to refer to a person who uses “they” as their chosen pronoun and to refer to a generic individual of unknown gender.
• Capitalize “Black” and “White” when used in the racial sense. Don’t use colors to refer to other racial groups. Also capitalize terms like “Native American,” “Hispanic,” “Indigenous,” and “Aboriginal.”
• Don’t hyphenate terms such as “Asian American” or “African American” in any position.
• Generally, avoid using adjectives as nouns to label groups of people. For example, prefer “people living in poverty” over “the poor.” This emphasizes that poverty is a circumstance in people’s lives, not an essential quality of their existence.

Besides following general punctuation rules , pay attention to these points when writing in APA Style.

• Always use a comma after the Latin abbreviations “e.g.” and “i.e.”
• Similarly, use a comma after an introductory phrase , even if it’s only a single word. For example, “Conversely, the results of …”
• For proper hyphenation of words, follow Merriam-Webster or, for psychological terms, the APA Dictionary of Psychology .
• Hyphenate fractions only when they are used as adjectives (e.g., “two thirds of the participants,” but “a two-thirds majority”).
• Always use the serial comma (aka Oxford comma ), which means placing a comma before the “and” preceding the final item in a list of three or more items. For example, “grammar, usage, and style.”
• Use double quotation marks, and place a comma or period following a quote inside the quotation marks .

Proper use of abbreviations and acronyms is important, since they help keep your writing concise but can be confusing if used inconsistently or without proper explanation.

• Define an acronym when you first mention it, and use it consistently after that point. You don’t need to define very well-known acronyms like “TV” and “DNA” or abbreviations for standard units of measurement (e.g., “min” for “minute”).
• Redefine an abbreviation in each figure and table in which it appears. The purpose of defining abbreviations in the table or figure is that if other authors reuse the work in a future paper, then the definitions of the terms will be attached.
• Avoid using an acronym in your paper title, except in cases where the acronym is used more commonly than the full term (e.g., “DNA” or “HIV”). You can use acronyms in headings only if they are similarly common or have been defined in the text before that heading.
• It’s fine to begin a sentence with an acronym or abbreviation. However, never begin a sentence with a lowercase abbreviation or a standalone symbol.
• Use periods in the terms “U.S.” and “U.K.” only when they are used as adjectives, not when they are used as nouns. Do not use periods in abbreviations of state, province, or territory names (e.g., “NY”).
• Use the Latin abbreviations “e.g.,” “i.e.,” and “etc.” only in parentheses or within bullet-point lists. APA considers them too informal for the main text.

As a general rule, spell out numbers for zero through nine and use numerals for 10 and above . However, note the following exceptions.

Always use numerals:

• When a number directly precedes a unit of measurement (e.g., 5 cm)
• When referring to statistics, equations, fractions, decimals, percentages, or ratios
• When a number represents time, dates, ages, scores, points on a scale, exact sums of money, or numerals as numerals (but use words for approximations of numbers of days, weeks, months, or years)
• When referring to a specific place in a numbered series
• In the abstract of a paper (this allows you to save space in the character limit)

Always use words:

• For any number that begins a sentence, title or heading (but where possible, rephrase to avoid the issue)
• For common fractions (e.g., “one fifth”)
• For universally accepted usage (e.g., “Twelve Apostles,” “Five Pillars of Islam”)

Use a combination of numerals and words to express back-to-back modifiers (e.g. “2 two-way interactions” or “ten 7-point scales”). In such situations, a combination of numerals and words increases the clarity and readability of the phrase.

Note that when referring to a numbered element of your text, you should use a numeral and capitalize the word preceding it (e.g., “Chapter 2,” “Table 4”).

Prefixes and suffixes are added to words to alter their meaning—prefixes to the start of the word, suffixes to the end. For example, by adding the prefix “post-” to the adjective “natal,” you get another adjective, “postnatal.”

It’s often not clear whether such terms should be hyphenated or written as one solid word. APA helpfully provides a list of prefixes and suffixes that don’t require hyphenation according to their guidelines.

But do hyphenate:

• The prefix “self-” (e.g., “self-deprecating”)
• The word “quasi-experimental”
• Prefixes that end with “a,” “i,” or “o” when the following word starts with the same letter (e.g., “meta-analysis,” “anti-intellectual”)
• When attaching to a number, abbreviation, or capitalized word (e.g., “pre-1914,” “post-Napoleonic”)
• To avoid ambiguity (e.g., “re-form” to mean “form again” as opposed to the usual meaning of “reform”)

APA’s guidelines are extensive. Read more about other style issues not covered in this article by following the links below:

• APA Style citation
• Paper formatting and layout
• Headings and subheadings
• Tables and figures
• Reporting statistics
• Block quoting

Yes, APA language guidelines encourage you to use the first-person pronouns “I” or “we” when referring to yourself or a group including yourself in your writing.

In APA Style, you should not refer to yourself in the third person. For example, do not refer to yourself as “the researcher” or “the author” but simply as “I” or “me.” Referring to yourself in the third person is still common practice in some academic fields, but APA Style rejects this convention.

Yes, it’s perfectly valid to write sentences in the passive voice . The APA language guidelines do caution against overusing the passive voice, because it can obscure your meaning or be needlessly long-winded. For this reason, default to the active voice in most cases.

The passive voice is most useful when the point of the sentence is just to state what was done, not to emphasize who did it. For example, “The projector was mounted on the wall” is better than “James and I mounted the projector on the wall” if it’s not particularly important who mounted the projector.

Yes, APA language guidelines state that you should always use the serial comma (aka Oxford comma ) in your writing.

This means including a comma before the word “and” at the end of a list of three or more items: “spelling, grammar, and punctuation.” Doing this consistently tends to make your lists less ambiguous.

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APA Formatting and Style (7th ed.) for Student Papers

• What's New in the 7th ed.?
• Principles of Plagiarism: An Overview
• Basic Paper Formatting
• Basic Paper Elements
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• Tables and Figures
• Powerpoint Presentations
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• Periodicals (Journals, Magazines, Newspapers)
• Books and Reference Works
• Webpage on a Website
• Discussion Post
• Company Information & SWOT Analyses
• Dissertations or Theses
• ChatGPT and other AI Large Language Models
• Online Images
• Online Video
• Computer Software and Mobile Apps
• Missing Information
• Two Authors
• Three or More Authors
• Group Authors
• Missing Author
• Chat GPT and other AI Large Language Models
• Secondary Sources
• Block Quotations
• Fillable Template and Sample Paper
• Government Documents and Legal Materials
• APA Style 7th ed. Tutorials
• Additional APA 7th Resources
• Grammarly - your writing assistant
• Writing Center - Writing Skills This link opens in a new window
• Brainfuse Online Tutoring

APA 7th ed. Fillable Word Template and Sample Paper

• APA 7th ed. Template Download this Word document, fill out the title page and get writing!
• Sample Paper APA 7th ed. Our APA sample paper shows you how to format the main parts of a basic research paper.
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University Thesis and Dissertation Templates

Welcome to the Purdue OWL

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Copyright ©1995-2018 by The Writing Lab & The OWL at Purdue and Purdue University. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, reproduced, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without permission. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our terms and conditions of fair use.

Theses and dissertations are already intensive, long-term projects that require a lot of effort and time from their authors. Formatting for submission to the university is often the last thing that graduate students do, and may delay earning the relevant degree if done incorrectly.

Below are some strategies graduate students can use to deal with institutional formatting requirements to earn their degrees on time.

Disciplinary conventions are still paramount.

Scholars in your own discipline are the most common readers of your dissertation; your committee, too, will expect your work to match with their expectations as members of your field. The style guide your field uses most commonly is always the one you should follow, and if your field uses conventions such as including all figures and illustrations at the end of the document, you should do so. After these considerations are met, move on to university formatting. Almost always, university formatting only deals with things like margins, font, numbering of chapters and sections, and illustrations; disciplinary style conventions in content such as APA's directive to use only last names of authors in-text are not interfered with by university formatting at all.

Use your university's formatting guidelines and templates to your advantage.

If your institution has a template for formatting your thesis or dissertation that you can use, do so. Don't look at another student's document and try to replicate it yourself. These templates typically have the necessary section breaks and styles already in the document, and you can copy in your work from your existing draft using the style pane in MS Word to ensure you're using the correct formatting (similarly with software such as Overleaf when writing in LaTeX, templates do a lot of the work for you). It's also often easier for workers in the offices that deal with theses and dissertations to help you with your work if you're using their template — they are familiar with these templates and can often navigate them more proficiently.

These templates also include placeholders for all front matter you will need to include in your thesis or dissertation, and may include guidelines for how to write these. Front matter includes your table of contents, acknowledgements, abstract, abbreviation list, figure list, committee page, and (sometimes) academic history or CV; everything before your introduction is front matter. Since front matter pages such as the author's academic history and dissertation committee are usually for the graduate school and not for your department, your advisor might not remember to have you include them. Knowing about them well before your deposit date means you won't be scrambling to fill in placeholders at the last minute or getting your work returned for revision from the graduate school.

Consider institutional formatting early and often.

Many graduate students leave this aspect of submitting their projects until it's almost too late to work on it, causing delays in obtaining their degree. Simply being aware that this is a task you'll have to complete and making sure you know where templates are, who you can ask for help in your graduate office or your department, and what your institution's guidelines are can help alleviate this issue. Once you know what you'll be expected to do to convert to university formatting, you can set regular check-in times for yourself to do this work in pieces rather than all at once (for instance, when you've completed a chapter and had it approved by your chair). 

Consider fair use for images and other third-party content.

Most theses and dissertations are published through ProQuest or another publisher (Harvard, for instance, uses their own open publishing service). For this reason, it may be the case that your institution requires all images or other content obtained from other sources to fall under fair use rules or, if an image is not considered under fair use, you'll have to obtain permission to print it in your dissertation. Your institution should have more guidance on their specific expectations for fair use content; knowing what these guidelines are well in advance of your deposit date means you won't have to make last-minute changes or removals to deposit your work.

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News: fy 2025 icd-10-cm code updates, guidelines released.

In the last week, CMS released the fiscal Year (FY) 2025 ICD-10-CM code update and Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting , which are effective October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025.

The update includes new codes such as Z51.A, Encounter for sepsis aftercare, which will give coders the opportunity to report when providers warn patients and family members about sepsis risks, such as new or recurrent infections, and could provide the chance to rehabilitate new impairments, JustCoding reported.

The update includes three new codes to capture different levels of hypoglycemia, which were previously discussed during the  September 2023 ICD-10-CM Coordination and Maintenance Committee meeting :

• E16.A1, Hypoglycemia level 1
• E16.A2, Hypoglycemia level 2
• E16.A3, Hypoglycemia level 3

The clinical classification levels, as explained in the September meeting, are:

• Level 1 is a glucose concentration less than 70 mg/dL and should be used as an “alert value” to help individuals avoid more severe hypoglycemia
• Level 2 is a glucose concentration less than 54 mg/dL and is the threshold at which neuroglycopenic symptoms begin to occur
• Level 3 is a severe event characterized by altered mental and/or physical functioning

The 2025 ICD-10-CM update also includes new codes to specify when lymphoma is in remission, such as C81.0A, Nodular lymphocyte predominant Hodgkin lymphoma, in remission.

Category M65.-, Synovitis and tenosynovitis, includes new codes to specify the location on the body. For example:

• M65.911, Unspecified synovitis and tenosynovitis, right shoulder
• M65.912, Unspecified synovitis and tenosynovitis, left shoulder
• M65.919, Unspecified synovitis and tenosynovitis, unspecified shoulder   

CMS also released the  2025 ICD-10-CM Official Guidelines for Coding and Reporting , with updated language and examples.

In Chapter 2, Neoplasms, under Breast Implant Associated Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma, CMS updated the following (updated language in bold text):

Breast implant associated anaplastic large cell lymphoma (BIA-ALCL) is a type of lymphoma that can develop around breast implants. Assign code C84.7A, Anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK-negative, breast, for BIA-ALCL or  C84.7B, Anaplastic large cell lymphoma, ALK-negative, in remission, for BIA-ALCL in remission.  Do not assign a complication code from chapter 19.

CMS added a new guideline under types of diabetes (Chapter 4: Endocrine, Nutritional, and Metabolic Diseases), for pre-symptomatic Type 1 diabetes:  

• Presymptomatic Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Codes E10.A-, Type 1 diabetes mellitus, presymptomatic, are assigned for early-stage Type 1 diabetes that predates the onset of symptoms.

The new 2025 ICD-10-CM codes for pre-symptomatic Type 1 diabetes are:

• E10.A0, Type 1 diabetes mellitus, presymptomatic, unspecified
• Stage 1 is described as multiple confirmed islet autoantibodies with normoglycemia in the 2025 ICD-10-CM Tabular Index.
• Stage 2 is described as multiple confirmed islet autoimmunity with dysglycemia in the 2025 ICD-10-CM Tabular Index.

Editor’s note : To read the 2025 ICD-10-CM files, click here . This article originally appeared in JustCoding .

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Published Dissertation or Thesis References

This page contains reference examples for published dissertations or theses.

Kabir, J. M. (2016). Factors influencing customer satisfaction at a fast food hamburger chain: The relationship between customer satisfaction and customer loyalty (Publication No. 10169573) [Doctoral dissertation, Wilmington University]. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses Global.

Miranda, C. (2019). Exploring the lived experiences of foster youth who obtained graduate level degrees: Self-efficacy, resilience, and the impact on identity development (Publication No. 27542827) [Doctoral dissertation, Pepperdine University]. PQDT Open. https://pqdtopen.proquest.com/doc/2309521814.html?FMT=AI

Zambrano-Vazquez, L. (2016). The interaction of state and trait worry on response monitoring in those with worry and obsessive-compulsive symptoms [Doctoral dissertation, University of Arizona]. UA Campus Repository. https://repository.arizona.edu/handle/10150/620615

• Parenthetical citations : (Kabir, 2016; Miranda, 2019; Zambrano-Vazquez, 2016)
• Narrative citations : Kabir (2016), Miranda (2019), and Zambrano-Vazquez (2016)
• A dissertation or thesis is considered published when it is available from a database such as ProQuest Dissertations and Theses Global or PDQT Open, an institutional repository, or an archive.
• If the database assigns publication numbers to dissertations and theses, include the publication number in parentheses after the title of the dissertation or thesis without italics.
• Include the description “Doctoral dissertation” or “Master’s thesis” followed by a comma and the name of the institution that awarded the degree. Place this information in square brackets after the dissertation or thesis title and any publication number.
• In the source element of the reference, provide the name of the database, repository, or archive.
• The same format can be adapted for other published theses, including undergraduate theses, by changing the wording of the bracketed description as appropriate (e.g., “Undergraduate honors thesis”).
• Include a URL for the dissertation or thesis if the URL will resolve for readers (as shown in the Miranda and Zambrano-Vazquez examples).
• If the database or archive requires users to log in before they can view the dissertation or thesis, meaning the URL will not work for readers, end the reference with the database name (as in the Kabir example).

Published dissertation or thesis references are covered in the seventh edition APA Style manuals in the Publication Manual Section 10.6 and the Concise Guide Section 10.5