Academic Writer Basics

Option 1: Using the Reference Center (45 min)

This webinar will focus on using the Reference Center in Academic Writer. We will focus on:

• Adding references to Academic Writer
• Managing and organizing your references
• Adding references to a paper
• Checking your references
• Learning more about references in the Learning Center

Option 2: Introduction to Academic Writer (50 min) 

This webinar will provide a general overview of using Academic Writer. We will focus on:

• Navigating the home page and support pages
• Using the Learning Center
• Adding references to the Reference Center
• Starting a paper in the Writing Center

Note about Academic Writer access and accounts

Academic Writer requires two logins. You must first login through the Login for Library Access screen (or Canvas) - this tells Academic Writer that you part of Molloy. Then you will need to create an account using your Molloy email address. Account creation steps are below

If you wish to bookmark Academic Writer in your web browser, it must be the full proxied link (listed below). If you just go to https://academicwriter.apa.org you will be able to login to your account but it will not function correctly.

First, you must Login for access by using the A-Z Database Link or the link above.

Second, click Welcome in the upper right corner. Select Login.

Third, click Create an Account.

Fourth, fill out your information. You must use your Molloy email address.

New features are here to help instructors teach, and students master, APA Style. The Academic Writer platform, including all saved references and papers, has also been updated to match the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.).

Seventh edition APA Style reflects best practices in writing and publishing. The guidelines support accessibility for all users, including users with disabilities, and include simplified reference formats, an integrated and functional approach to references and in-text citations, updated heading formats, and more options for fonts.

Review the details below for what’s new in Academic Writer!

New Features

In the Learning Center, the quick guides and tutorials are now more interactive lessons that allow students to freely navigate and engage with the content. The quick guides and tutorials also have knowledge checks integrated into the lessons, rather than having self-quizzes in a separate section.

You can check out these changes in the Learning Center.

In the Writing Center, we’ve added a long-requested tool—the annotated bibliography. Users can create an annotated bibliography in the format specified in the Publication Manual (7th ed.).

APA Style Changes

The following changes have been made in Academic Writer to reflect seventh edition APA Style:

References

All references adapted from sources in APA PsycInfo have been updated for seventh edition APA Style.

Reference forms are aligned with seventh edition APA Style references. On the Add References page, the forms are grouped in categories based on those in Chapter 10 of the Publication Manual (7th ed.). For example, blog posts are now included in the Periodicals category.

In addition, 47 new forms have been added to cover every reference type in the Publication Manual (7th ed.). These new forms include

• Instagram photos, videos, highlights, and profile pages
• infographics
• religious works and ancient Greek or Roman works
• anthologies
• codes of ethics
• standards and guidelines
• recorded webinars and TED Talks
• 21 new legal forms: Supreme Court cases, federal statutes, patents, etc.
• and many more!

In-Text Citations

The format of in-text citations now matches all seventh edition guidelines.

Title Page Format

We have updated the title page format to match the seventh edition guidelines:

• The running head is no longer included in a student paper’s header by default. It can be added to papers if required by an instructor. It is included in a professional paper and formatted consistently throughout those papers. It can be removed if it is not needed.
• The title page for a student paper includes all elements and formatting recommended in the seventh edition.
• The byline and affiliation in a professional paper are formatted according to the seventh edition guidelines and updates have been made to the author note (e.g., the addition of ORCID iDs).

APA Style Heading Levels

For all papers in Academic Writer, the format of all heading levels now matches the seventh edition guidelines. The consistent use of bold headings provides more contrast with text.

Fonts

Font specifications in the Publication Manual (7th ed.) are more flexible than in previous editions to address the need for accessibility and to account for the many ways in which documents in APA Style are produced and read. In Academic Writer, the default font remains Times New Roman, but the fonts can be changed by navigating to the Settings section and selecting “Font and Line Spacing.”

Figures and Tables

The formatting of tables and figures now matches the seventh edition guidelines.

Questions?

For more information about Academic Writer, please reach out to your Partnership Manager or Relationship Manager, or email academicwriter@apa.org.

Questions about the new guidelines of APA Style? Visit the APA Style website to see the style and grammar guidelines by topic. Or, for a chapter-by-chapter overview, see the “What’s New” guide. APA Style Experts can also be reached at StyleExpert@apa.org.

Academic Writer was updated to match the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.)

This 5-minute video provides an overview of the main differences between the 6th and 7th editions.