Skip to Main Content

APA 6th Edition Style Guide: Editions

American Psychological Association rules for formatting papers, in-text citations, and end references. Examples based on the sixth edition of the Publication Manual from the APA. By Alexis Carlson

General Rules for Editions

Books

Place edition information after the title. End the title with a comma, space and enclose the edition statement in parentheses.

Express numbers representing editions in Arabic ordinals, as first becomes 1st, IV becomes 4th. 

Abbreviate the word edition and other descriptive words:

  • Revised edition becomes Rev. ed.
  • Eighth Edition becomes 8th ed.
  • Third edition becomes 3rd ed.

End with a period.

Example:

Schott, J. & Priest, J. (2002). Leading antenatal classes: A practical guide (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Books for Midwives.