Round brackets (parentheses).
Abbreviating a term within the text:
The abbreviation must be written out in full the first time.
Example:
First time: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a term used to encompass several conditions...
Second time: One of the symptoms of COPD is breathlessness.
NOTE: Abbreviations should generally only be used for recognised terms and must be able to be understood by the reader.
(APA manual, 2020, p. 189)
Abbreviating the author in a citation within the text:
When abbreviating a group author within the text, the abbreviation is placed with the year in round brackets.
Example:
"Ministry of Health, 2019 states that ..." becomes "Ministry of Health (MoH, 2019) states that..."
(APA manual, 2020, p. 268)
Square brackets
Abbreviating a term within the in-text citation:
Square brackets are used to abbreviate groups or corporate authors or to add information within citations.
First use includes both the full name and the abbreviation.
Example: Health in New Zealand is delivered by a complex set of groups (Ministry of Health [MOH], 2019).
Second and subsequent citations use the abbreviation only.
Example: These groups include 20 local boards (MOH, 2016).
Note: In the reference list, the group or corporate author are written out in full.
(APA manual, 2020, p. 160).
Include a label in square brackets after the title describing the presentation e.g. paper, keynote address, poster session.
Include the location of the conference.
The date matches the date of the entire conference not just the day of the presentation.
Conference papers published in a journal or book use the same format as a journal article, edited book, or edited book chapter.
Example:
(Maddox et al., 2016).
Maddox, S., Hurling, J., Stewart, E., & Edwards, A. (2016, March 30-April 2). If mama ain't happy,
nobody's happy: The effect of parental depression on mood dysregulation in children [Paper presentation].
Southeastern Psychological Association 62nd Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, United States.
(APA manual, 2020, p. 332).
Example:
(Pearson, 2018).
​Pearson.J. (2018, September 27-30). Fat talk and its effects on state-based body image in women [Poster presentation].
Australian Psychological Society Congress, Sydney, NSW, Australia. http://bit.ly/2XGSThP
(APA manual, 2020, p. 333).
After the title, place the type of thesis and the name of the University in square brackets.
Example:
(Hutcheson, 2012).
Hutcheson, V. H. (2012). Dealing with dual differences: Social coping strategies of gifted and lesbian, gay, bisexual,
transgender, and queer adolescents [Master's thesis, The College of William & Mary]. William & Mary Digital
Archive. https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/bitstream/handle/10288/16594/HutchesonVirginia2012.pdf
(APA manual, 2020, p. 334)
Place the name of the University after the title information.
Example:
(Harris, 2014).
Harris, L. (2014). Instructional leadership perceptions and practices of elementary school leaders [Unpublished
doctoral dissertation]. University of Virginia.
(APA manual, 2020, p. 334).