★★★★★ 4
Vast improvement in substance and organization; a few downsides
Format: Spiral-bound, Format: Spiral-bound
Among my other writing-related pursuits, I edit PhDs. This APA 7 manual is a big improvement over earlier APA editions.
The primary purpose of any edition is to update the APA standards. This manual is packed with content and examples that were IMO long overdue. For instance, there are templates to show the order of data for Reference entries, and there are side-by-side examples of Reference and in-text citations.
I ordered the wire-bound version because it works well in any workspace (i.e., you can easily fold the book in half or leave it wide open.
The chapters are divided by tabs, with the ToC (table of contents) for that chapter printed on the tab.
Compared to earlier versions, the font is smaller, but it remains highly readable. The margins are wide enough for notes.
There are several downsides to the manual that I hope will be resolved in the next edition:
(a) For such a large manual, the cover on the wirebound copy is both too short and relatively flimsy. It is too short because it is only the width of the pages. It does not extend over the tabs. It is too flimsy because it is the same weight as earlier and less substantial manuals.
(b) There is no tab for the index.
(c) Although the font in the chapters is a sufficient size, the font in the index is much smaller and the index pages are crowded; there is less room in the margins for taking notes.
I dealt with the cover-related problems by cutting up a transparent binder/page sleeve for the front, back, and spine of the cover, and by creating my own tab for the index. There's nothing to be done for the index font except to live with it.
You can get the gist of what I've reported here by looking at the pictures I've attached.
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Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2023
