Dear Authors,

Starting January 1, 2026, articles published in the BMIJ Journal will use the APA 7 citation format. Please prepare your work according to the APA 7 citation format and submit it to our journal.

The differences between APA 6 and APA 7 are fundamentally centered on accessibility, simplification, and adaptation to digital resources. In short, APA 7 is more flexible, more inclusive, and more up-to-date than APA 6.
You can see the differences clearly and comparatively below.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN APA 6 AND APA 7

The differences between APA 6 and APA 7 mainly revolve around accessibility, simplification, and adaptation to digital sources. In short: APA 7 is more flexible, more inclusive, and more up-to-date than APA 6.

Below are the key differences in a clear, comparative way.

General Overview

• APA 6: More rigid, focused on print-based sources
• APA 7: More digital-era compatible, simpler, and more inclusive
  Both styles are published by the American Psychological Association (APA).

Key Differences (Summary Table)

Area	APA 6	APA 7
Number of authors (in-text)	3–5 authors → list all in first citation	3+ authors → use et al. from the first citation
Number of authors (reference list)	Up to 7 authors, then use “…”	Up to 20 authors
Font	Mainly Times New Roman (12)	TNR, Arial, Calibri, Georgia, etc. accepted
DOI format	doi:10.xxx	https://doi.org/10.xxx
URL usage	“Retrieved from” commonly used	Only used when necessary
Publisher location	Required (City, State)	Removed
Title formatting in references	More strict	Simplified and standardized
Inclusive language	Traditional	Encourages inclusive language (they/them, etc.)
Tables/Figures	More strict rules	More flexible
Student vs. professional papers	Not clearly separated	Clear separation exists

 

1) In-Text Citations (Number of Authors)

APA 6

• First citation: (Smith, Jones, & Brown, 2018)
• Later citations: (Smith et al., 2018)

APA 7

• From the first citation onward:
  (Smith et al., 2018)

This makes the text cleaner and easier to read.

2) Reference List (Number of Authors)

APA 6

• Maximum 7 authors, then “…”

APA 7

• List up to 20 authors fully

This improves transparency in multi-author academic works.

3) Font Rules

APA 6

• Required: Times New Roman, 12 pt

APA 7

• Accepted options include:
• Times New Roman (12)
• Arial (11)
• Calibri (11)
• Georgia (11)

This supports better readability in digital environments.

4) DOI and URL Formatting

APA 6

doi:10.1000/xyz123

APA 7

https://doi.org/10.1000/xyz123

• If there is a URL: “Retrieved from” is usually not used
• Access dates are only needed for content that changes over time (e.g., some web pages)

5) Publisher Location Removed

APA 6

New York, NY: Springer

APA 7

Springer

Unnecessary details were removed.

6) Inclusive Language

APA 7:

• Encourages non-sexist, inclusive language
• Supports gender-neutral pronouns like “they/them”
• Provides guidance for respectful language related to identity, disability, and culture