If you have any need to write in APA, this book is a must. This is the standard by which your work will be judged. If you are not familiar with APA format, you may find this book very unwieldy and confusing at first. A great way to get started is to just open it to page 306-320, which is a sample paper written and formatted in APA style. Each salient feature is denoted with a comment balloon referring you to the applicable section of the guide. This simple technique should get you started.
Many people complain about the overabundance of seemingly useless and needless information. However, I feel that the completeness of the guide is its strength. The guide deals with every facet of the a concern in a very thoughtful, complete way. Sometimes I find myself laughing at the completeness that the guide gives a particular topic, but at times when I am seeking to answer a specific formatting, grammar, or organizational question, I am extremely thankful for that completeness.
This book is indispensable, one of my most-referred-to reference materials. If you are writing an APA style paper for a class in school and won't ever need to use it again, go to the public library at borrow it. If you will be writing often, you should definitely buy it. No matter what, don't write an APA-style paper without it.
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