CAPSTONE (This is a REWRITE) (Behavior and Perceptions to High HIV rate among African Americans) 7 PAGES

Due 1/16/2021 3 p.m EST

Original and on time

Do NOT Use article older than 5 years. Use a variety (different years) of articles following guide

PLEASE read all attachments, original paper is CapstoneComments. Please look at notes from both editors, one is on the paper and the other editor notes is attached. Change study to QUALITATIVE,in the conceptual framework section. Use the helleaf model.

Behavior and Perceptions to High HIV Rate among African Americans

Prospectus: Behavior and Perceptions to High HIV Rate among African Americans

Problem Statement

African Americans account for a higher portion of people living with HIV as compared to other ethnicities. Since the beginning of the epidemic, African Americans have been affected by HIV. While they account for 12% of the country’s population, 42% of African Americans are living with HIV (Derose et al., 2016). Among the African American population, bisexual men, gay, youth and African American women are the most affected. Research indicates that various challenges contribute to this epidemic. It includes, lack of awareness, smaller sexual networks, poor accessibility to healthcare and living in poverty. Comment by Angela: Use APA style Comment by Angela: Suggest using the standardized expressions reported by the CDC to characterize risk categories and modes of transmission. https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/library/reports/hiv-surveillance/vol-31/content/diagnoses.html#sex

In addition, multiple studies indicate that most women who have been infected with HIV reside in regions where there are no healthcare facilities (Rao et al., 2016). Numerous campaigns aiming to create awareness among African Americans about HIV/AIDS have been conducted. However, the trend remains the same despite these concerted efforts to reduce the spread of the disease. The African American population seems to continue engaging in behaviors that expose them to contracting the disease. Research indicates that heterosexual sex plays a significant role in the transmission of HIV in the African American community. Recent data indicate a significant decline in the rate and number of new diagnosis among African Americans. Comment by Angela: Citation Comment by Angela: citation

African American women account for the largest portion of new infections which is five times more that of Latin@ women, and 14 times that of Caucasian@ women. By the end of 2017, African American women accounted for the population with the highest number of HIV infections. African American women represented 26% of new HIV cases among African Americans. This represented a higher share of infections as compared to 12% and 16% among Latin@ and Caucasian@ women respectively (Shrage, 2016). About half of bisexual and gay youth was diagnosed with HIV were African American in 2016. This underscores the seriousness of the matter among young African Americans. Comment by Angela: What is the significance of the @ symbol? Comment by Angela: Citation? Comment by Angela: Citation? Where are you obtaining this information from? When you refer to bisexual and gay you, is this male, female or transgender youth?

Bisexual and gay African Americans have also been disproportion affected by HIV, accounting for about 40%of HIV diagnoses linked to same sex sexual contact. In 2018 for instance, same sex contact among males accounted for 59% new HIV diagnoses among the African American community. In particular, young bisexual men are most affected. Individuals between ages 13 years to 24 years accounting for 52% of all new HIV cases among this particular population (Rao et al., 2016). Multiple studies indicate that those diagnosed with HIV/AIDS among African Americans was bisexual men whom are younger as compared to other communities. Comment by Angela: This section is under-developedWho are you referring to when you describe “bisexual and gay?” – Male, female or transgender?The Rao paper is about the development of a stigma scale.

Purpose

This research study aims to utilize the quantitative research approach to develop a deeper understanding on the causes to why there is a high rate of HIV infections among the African American community. These studies will also explore various approaches that can be used to reduce the cases of HIV/AIDs in this particular community. This research will help to come up with new approaches that can be used to reduce the rate of HIV infections among African Americans. The analysis will be evaluated by age, sex, race and sexual orientation. Comment by Angela: What is your study aim? hypothesis Comment by Angela: What studies?

Significance Comment by Angela: No citation

In particular, HIV has been identified as a significant public health problem among the African American community in the United States. Previous studies have provided evidence that there is a higher rate of HIV infection among African Americans as compared to other racial groups in the country (Shrage, 2016). However, these studies have not delved deeper in evaluating factors that contribute to the increased infection rate among African Americans. The present study will focus in finding the link between the factors that have been identified in the previous studies and the increased rate of HIV infections in the community. This will provide extensive understanding of the problem which is critical for the development of mitigation strategies. Comment by Angela: spelling

For a long time now, researchers and healthcare professionals have been looking for ways in which they can reduce the rate of infections among the African American community. Some of the strategies that have been developed including educational programs have been partly effective (Nunn et al., 2019). Evaluating the factors that expose the African American community to HIV infections. It will develop new knowledge that can be used by healthcare professionals to innovate and come up with effective measure for addressing this significant health issue. In addition, this study will provide extensive knowledge on how members in society can behave to reduce the rate of HIV infections. Most African Americans engage in behaviors that expose them to HIV infections due to the lack of knowledge. However, this study will develop knowledge that will inform the general community on the importance of staying healthy and avoiding behaviors that could expose one to HIV infections. The findings of this study will change the perception of African Americans, especially young bisexuals that HIV is a disease that has no boundaries and can affect any one. Comment by Angela: This comment does not consider the role of social determinants of health. Comment by Angela: What is this source of information?

Background

1) Derose et al., (2016) reported that Stigma and Mistrust concerning HIV contributed to the high rates of the disease among African Americans. Community based, multifaceted efforts and interventions are required to address health disparities that exist in the United States.

2) Kerr & Jackson, (2016) indicated that resource depreciation, inequitable policing and stigma promote greater HIV risk for the African American community. The study found that drug war has marginalized African Americans and increases stigma for those who have been incarcerated and are living with HIV.

3) Ransome et al., (2020) noted that concurrent sexual partnerships which are common among the African Americans contribute to increased risk of HIV. High HIV infection rates among members of this community are driven by assortative mixing and higher HIV prevalence across sexual networks. Higher social capital were among men increases the risk of having several sex partners.

4) Moore & Belgrave, (2019) found that understanding gender differences can provide substantial information to healthcare workers on how to reduce rates of infections among African American communities. Despite increased campaigns to create awareness about HIV, more people still engage in behaviors that put them at the risk of contracting the disease.

5) Robinson et al., (2016) reported that mental illness and substance use plays a significant role in the high rate of HIV infections among African Americans. Substance abuse has been identified to be prevalent among African Americans. This makes it difficult for them to make informed decisions.

Conceptual Framework

The theoretical base provides the basis through which the research questions for this study will be answered and provide a positive or negative change. Despite the utilization of the awareness campaigns as well as educational programs, the rate of HIV infections among African Americans. It continues to increase, becoming a significant burden within the community. This increase can be attributed to risky behaviour, poverty, lack of healthcare facilities and substance abuse (Rao et al., 2016). The combination of these factors makes it even more difficult for researchers, scholars and healthcare professionals to come effective strategies to reduce the rate of HIV infection among African Americans (Nunn et al., 2019). It is therefore critical to develop new knowledge on how these factors interrelate and how they contribute to the increased rate of HIV infections among the black community in the United States. Thus, the research study focuses on developing an understanding of why there are high HIV/AIDS cases among African Americans despite the continued awareness and education on approaches to reduce risky behaviours that influence the spread of HIV. The following model shows the conceptual framework for high rate of HIV infections among African Americans. Comment by Angela: What is the conceptual framework or theoretical model that is guiding this work? Comment by Angela: Citation RAO is not sufficient

Links to higher HIV infections

Research Question(s) and Hypotheses (if applicable)

The following research questions will be answered to develop a precise understanding of the reason the rate of HIV among African Americans is high.

RQ 1- Quantitative: Is there an association of risky behaviour among African Americans that contribute to the significant rates of HIV infection within the members of this community?

RQ 2- Quantitative: Is there an association of African American’s perception of HIV and AIDS contributed to the increased cases of HIV among the blacks?

Nature of the Study

Quantitative methodology will be used to help the researcher answer the research questions effectively. Case study research design will be used in this study to determine that factors that contribute to increased rates of HIV among African Americans. This is the most appropriate research design as it provides extensive information about a particular group and in this case on African Americans. Case study design is very effective in examining a phenomenon and providing significant information for improving practice (Ridder, 2017). As a result, the design is well aligned with this particular study. Comment by Angela: Will you be collecting data?

Possible Types and Sources of Data

Various types and sources of data will be used for this study. Both primary and secondary data sources will be utilized in this study. These sources will provide significant information that can be used to answer the research questions. Information published in scholarly articles will be retrieved from various online platforms including Google scholar, pubmed and the school library. Government websites will also be used to provide important information on the rate of HIV infections among Black Americans. Comment by Ariane: This is very unclear Comment by Angela: This is very unclear

Limitations, Challenges and or Barriers

One of the main limitations to this study is small sample size. This will make it difficult for the research findings to be generalized. In addition, the study may be affected by researcher bias. This bias is introduced by the subjectivity of the researchers. This study will also utilize case study research design which is expensive and time consuming (Ridder, 2017). The researcher may also experience the challenges of collecting accurate data. This is because some respondents may be biased and provided untruthful information. Due to the negative perception, the African American community has regarding the issue of HIV/AIDS. They may be forced to provide accurate data during the interview and in turn affecting the results of the research. Comment by Angela: What is the conceptual framework or theoretical model that is guiding this work?

References

Derose, K. P., Griffin, B. A., Kanouse, D. E., Bogart, L. M., Williams, M. V., Haas, A. C., … & Oden, C. W. (2016). Effects of a pilot church-based intervention to reduce HIV stigma and promote HIV testing among African Americans and Latinos. AIDS and Behavior, 20(8), 1692-1705. Retrieved from

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10461-015-1280-y

Kerr, J., & Jackson, T. (2016). Stigma, sexual risks, and the war on drugs: Examining drug policy and HIV/AIDS inequities among African Americans using the Drug War HIV/AIDS Inequities Model. International Journal of Drug Policy, 37, 31-41. Retrieved from

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955395916302584

Moore, M. P., & Belgrave, F. (2019). Gender Differences in Predictors of HIV Testing Among African American Young Adults. Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities, 6(1), 189-196. Retrieved from

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs40615-018-0513-y

Nunn, A., Jeffries, W. L., Foster, P., McCoy, K., Sutten-Coats, C., Willie, T. C., … & Keefer, M. (2019). Reducing the African American HIV disease burden in the Deep South: addressing the role of faith and spirituality. AIDS and Behavior, 23(3), 319-330. Retrieved from

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10461-019-02631-4

Ransome, Y., Cunningham, K., Paredes, M., Mena, L., Sutten-Coats, C., Chan, P., … & Nunn, A. (2020). Social Capital and Risk of Concurrent Sexual Partners Among African Americans in Jackson, Mississippi. AIDS and Behavior, 24(7), 2062-2072. Retrieved from

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10461-019-02770-8

Rao, D., Molina, Y., Lambert, N., & Cohn, S. E. (2016). Assessing stigma among African Americans living with HIV. Stigma and health, 1(3), 146. Retrieved from

https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2016-09720-001

Ridder, H. G. (2017). The theory contribution of case study research designs. Business Research, 10(2), 281-305. Retrieved from

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40685-017-0045-z

Robinson, A. C., Knowlton, A. R., Gielen, A. C., & Gallo, J. J. (2016). Substance use, mental illness, and familial conflict non-negotiation among HIV-positive African-Americans: latent class regression and a new syndemic framework. Journal of behavioral medicine, 39(1), 1-12. Retrieved from

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10865-015-9670-1

Shrage, L. (2016). African Americans, HIV, and mass incarceration. The Lancet, 388(10049), e2-e3. Retrieved from

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)30830-3/fulltext

High HIV rate among African Americans

Lack of knowledge

Poverty

Lack of healthcare facilities

Risky Behavior

Notes from 2nd Editor

1) Change Study to Qualitative.. Give actual percent and statistics. Give comparison of ethnic group.

2) Make PROBLEM STATEMENT ( Include 1 sentence of statistics from the CDC narrowing down the population.)

For the PURPOSE section. Start the sentence with “The purpose of the study”

For the SIGNIFICANCE section. 1st sentence is what you’re trying to say. (NOTE) This section is to long, cut it down using guide.

For the CONCEPTUAL section. You’re using the theoretical base. Use the INDIVIDUAL BEHAVIOR THEORY.

(CALL THE IMAGE FIGURE 1) Include that in the Conceptual Framework section. Describe figure 1 in this section.

Research Question: ONLY 1 FOR QUALITATIVE

For POSSIBLE TYPES and sources

You’re using secondary data sources. (Search CDC for Questionnaires. (List Websites and be specific)

Title Page The recommended title length is 12 words or fewer to include the topic, the variables and relationship between them, and the critical keywords. Double-space the title if over one line of type and center it under the word “Prospectus.” Please note that your dissertation title will likely change as the project evolves. Include your name, your program of study (and specialization, if applicable), and Student ID number—double-spaced and centered under the title.

Title

Start with “Prospectus” and a colon, and then include the title as it appears on the title page. Double-space if over one line of type and center it at the top of the page.

Problem Statement

Provide a one- to two-paragraph statement that is the result of a review of research findings and current practice and that contains the following information:

1. A logical argument for the need to address an identified gap in the research literature that has current relevance to the discipline and area of practice. Keep in mind that a gap in the research is not, in and of itself, a reason to conduct research. Make sure to clarify the problem that led you to the gap. The situation being experienced in a societal population or discipline is described within the problem statement.

2. Preliminary evidence that provides justification that this problem is meaningful to the discipline or professional field. Provide three to five key citations that support the relevance and currency of the problem. These references need not all be from peer reviewed journals but should be from reputable sources, such as national agency

3. Assure that the problem is framed within and primarily focused on the discipline (program of study).

Note: A social problem involves an issue that affects a specific population/discipline. It is the issue that students see “on the ground” so to speak. The social problem is often what prompts students to think about a topic of interest drives their dissertation topic. Usually such a topic is one that students identify with, sometimes having personally experienced some aspect of the problem as it exists in the world. All too often, students want to solve a specific social, organizational, clinical, or practical problem rather than explore a research problem. A research problem is a focused topic of concern, a condition to be improved upon, or troubling question that is supported in scholarly literature or theory that you study to understand in more detail, and that can lead to recommendations for resolutions. It is the research problem that drives the rest of the dissertation: the purpose, the research questions, and the methodology. It is the research problem that is identified in the Problem Statement of the prospectus. Dissertation Prospectus Guide Page 5 databases or scholarly books, and should ideally be from the past 5 years.

Purpose

Present a concise, one-paragraph statement on the overall purpose or intention of the study, which serves as the connection between the problem being addressed and the focus of the study. • In quantitative studies, state what needs be studied by describing two or more factors (variables) and a conjectured relationship among them related to the identified gap or problem. • In qualitative studies, describe the need for increased understanding about the issue to be studied, based on the identified gap or problem. • In mixed-methods studies, with both quantitative and qualitative aspects, clarify how the two approaches will be used together to inform the study. Significance

Provide one or two paragraphs, informed by the topic in the problem statement, that describe the following:

1. How this study will contribute to filling the gap identified in the problem statement: What original contribution will this study make?

2. How this research will support professional practice or allow practical application: Answer the So what? question.

3. How the claim aligns with the problem statement to reflect the potential relevance ofthis study to society: How might the potential findings lead to positive social change?

Background

Provide (a) the keywords or phrases that you searched and the databases used; and (b) a representative list of scholarship and findings, or an annotated bibliography, that support and clarify the main assertions in the problem statement, highlighting their relationship to the topic, for example, “this variable was studied with a similar sample by Smith (2013) and Johnson (2014)” or “Jones’s (2012) examination of industry leaders showed similar trends in the same key segments.” Some of these resources may have already been mentioned in the first sections of the prospectus and can be included here, also. Provide 5 to 10 peer-reviewed articles most of which should have been published within the last 5 years and/or represent current information on topic.

Framework (Conceptual or Theoretical)

In one paragraph, describe the framework that demonstrates an understanding of the theories and concepts relevant to your topic. Align the framework with the problem, purpose, research questions, and background of your study. This theoretical or conceptual framework is Dissertation Prospectus Guide Page 6 the basis for understanding, designing, and analyzing ways to investigate your research problem (data collection and analysis). Provide the original scholarly literature on the theory or concepts even if it is more than 5 years old. Please do not cite secondary sources.

Research Question(s) and Hypotheses (if applicable)

List the question or a series of related questions that are informed by the study purpose, which will lead to the development of what needs to be done in this study and how it will be accomplished. A research question informs the research design by providing a foundation for • generation of hypotheses in quantitative studies, • questions necessary to build the design structure for qualitative studies, and • a process by which different methods will work together in mixed-methods studies.

Nature of the Study

Provide a concise paragraph that (a) presents the approach that will be used to address the research question(s) and (b) discusses how this approach aligns with the problem statement. The examples of study design are as follows:

• Quantitative—for experimental, quasi experimental, or nonexperimental designs; treatment-control; repeated measures; causal-comparative; single-subject; predictive studies; or other quantitative approaches

• Qualitative—for ethnography, case study, grounded theory, narrative inquiry, phenomenological research, policy analysis, or other qualitative traditions • Mixed methods, primarily quantitative—for sequential, concurrent, or transformative studies, with the main focus on quantitative methods

• Mixed methods, primarily qualitative—for sequential, concurrent, or transformative studies, with the main focus on qualitative methods

• Other—for another design, to be specified with a justification provided for its use

Possible Types and Sources of Data

Secondary data include public or existing data that are collected by others. Primary data are collected by the researcher. Provide a list of possible types and sources of data that could be used to address the proposed research question(s), such as test scores from college students, employee surveys, observations of a phenomenon, interviews with practitioners, historical documents from state records, de-identified medical records, or information from a federal database. For secondary, or preexisting data, identify the data source, how the data will be accessed, and the data points that will be used to address the research questions. For primary data, explain the data points, how the data will be obtained, and potential participants who will be accessed to address the research questions. Possible secondary data sources, by program, are available on the Center for Research Quality website. Sources of information that support and clarify the problem belong in the Background section. If you are thinking about collecting data on a sensitive.

Limitations, Challenges, and/or Barriers

Provide information on limitations, challenges, and/or barriers that may need to be addressed when conducting this study. These may include access to participants, access to data, separation of roles (researcher versus employee), instrumentation fees, etc.

References

On a new page, list your references formatted in the correct style (sixth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, modeled at the end of this guide) for all citations within the Dissertation Prospectus.

Prospectus

Title

Student Name

Name of program – Name of specialization

A00000000

Prospectus: Title

Problem Statement

Insert the text of your problem statement here. Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the sample prospectus in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide for more on writing this section.

Purpose

Insert the text of your purpose statement here. Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the sample prospectus in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide for more on writing this section.

Significance

Insert the text of the purpose and significance of your study here. Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the sample prospectus in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide for more on writing this section.

Background

Insert the text of the background of your study here. Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the sample prospectus in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide for more on writing this section.

Framework (Conceptual or Theoretical)

Insert the text of the framework of your study here. Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the sample prospectus in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide for more on writing this section.

Research Question(s) and Hypotheses (if applicable)

Insert your research questions and hypotheses (if applicable) here. Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the sample prospectus in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide for more on writing this section.

Nature of the Study

Insert the text of the nature of your study here. Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the sample prospectus in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide for more on writing this section.

Possible Types and Sources of Data

Insert the text of possible types and sources of data here. Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the sample prospectus in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide for more on writing this section.

Limitations, Challenges, and/or Barriers

Insert the text of information on limitations, challenges, and/or barriers that may need to be addressed when conducting this study. Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the sample prospectus in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide for more on writing this section.

References

Insert your reference list here. Refer to the sample in the Dissertation Prospectus guide for an example of this section.

Prospectus

Title

Student Name

Name of program – Name of specialization

A00000000

Prospectus: Title

Problem Statement

Insert the text of your problem statement here. Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the sample prospectus in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide for more on writing this section.

Purpose

Insert the text of your purpose statement here. Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the sample prospectus in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide for more on writing this section.

Significance

Background

Insert the text of the background of your study here. Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the sample prospectus in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide for more on writing this section.

Framework (Conceptual or Theoretical)

Insert the text of the framework of your study here. Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the sample prospectus in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide for more on writing this section.

Research Question(s) and Hypotheses (if applicable)

Nature of the Study

Insert the text of the nature of your study here. Follow the guidance in the Annotated Outline and the sample prospectus in the Dissertation Prospectus Guide for more on writing this section.

Possible Types and Sources of Data

Limitations, Challenges, and/or Barriers

References

Insert your reference list here. Refer to the sample in the Dissertation Prospectus guide for an example of this section.

Walden University Writing Center 1

APA 6 and 7 Comparison Tables of Changes

These comparison tables offer highlights of some changes between APA 6 and APA 7. Note that

these are not comprehensive tables of all changes between the two editions.

Citations

Topic APA 6 (location and old guideline) APA 7 (location and new

guideline)

In-text citation

format for

three or more

authors

Table 6.1: In in-text citations of

sources with three to five authors,

list all authors the first time, then

use et al. after that; for sources with

six or more authors, use et al. for all

citations.

8.17 (Table 8.1): In in-text citations,

use et al. for all citations for sources

with three or more authors.

Direct

quotations

from

audiovisual

works

No guidance in the manual itself

(only on the APA Style Blog).

8.28: To quote directly from an

audiovisual work, include a time

stamp marking the beginning of the

quoted material in place of a page

number.

Dates listed in

secondary

source

citations

6.17: Secondary source does not

include the date of the original

source.

8.6: Secondary source citation

includes the date of the original

source.

References

Topic APA 6 (location and old

guideline)

APA 7 (location and new

guideline)

Number of author names listed

in a reference

6.27: Provide surnames and

initials for up to seven

authors in a reference entry.

If there are eight or more

authors, use three spaced

ellipsis points after the sixth

author, followed by the final

9.8: Provide surnames and

initials for up to 20 authors in

a reference entry. If there are

21 or more authors, use the

ellipsis after the 19th,

followed by the final author

name (no ampersand).

Walden University Writing Center 2

author name (no

ampersand).

Reference format when

publisher and author are the

same

7.02: When a work’s

publisher and author are the

same, use the word “Author”

as the name of the publisher

its reference entry.

9.24: When a work’s

publisher and author are the

same, omit the publisher in

its reference entry.

Issue numbers for journal

articles in

references

6.30; see also 7.01: Include

issue number when journal

is paginated separately by

issue.

9.25: Include issue number

for all periodicals that have

issue numbers.

Publisher location 6.30: Provide publisher

location (city, state, etc.)

before publisher name.

9.29: Do not include

publisher location (city, state,

etc.) after publisher name in a

reference.

Reference for online work

with no DOI

6.32: If an online work has

no DOI, provide the home

page URL of the journal or

of the book/report publisher.

9.34: If an online work (e.g.,

a journal article) has no DOI

and was found through an

academic research database,

generally, no URL is needed.

The reference will look just

like the print version.

Hyperlinks in DOI and URL

formatting

6.32: DOI begins with either

“doi:” or with

“https://doi.org/” in

references. The

recommendation that URLs

should be in plain black text,

not underlined, follows

examples from APA 6 and

the APA Style Blog.

9.35: Both DOIs and URLs

should be presented as

hyperlinks (beginning with

“http://” or “https://”).

Standardize DOIs as starting

with “https://doi.org/”. In

documents to be read online,

use live links.

Blue/underlined or plain

black text, not underlined, are

both acceptable.

URL retrieval information in

references

7.01: URLs include a

retrieval phrase (e.g.,

“Retrieved from”).

9.35: The words “Retrieved

from” or “Accessed from” are

no longer necessary before a

URL. The only time the word

“Retrieved” (and not

Walden University Writing Center 3

“Retrieved from”) is needed

is in those rare cases where a

retrieval date is necessary

(see p. 290, 9.16).

Website name in references for

online media

Chapter 7: List the URL but

not the website name in the

publication information.

10.15-10.16: Include the

name of the website in plain

text, followed by a period,

before the URL.

Avoiding Bias

Topic APA 6 (location and old guideline)

APA 7 (location and new guideline)

Singular

usage of

“they”

3.12: No mention of singular human

pronouns other than traditional,

binary “he” and “she” and their

related forms.

4.18: Use singular “they” and related

forms (them, their, etc.) when (a)

referring to a person who uses “they”

as their preferred pronoun (b) when

gender is unknown or irrelevant.

Disability 3.15: Use person-first language. 5.4: Both person-first and identity-

first language “are fine choices

overall” (p. 137). Okay to use either

one until you know group preference.

Gender and

noun/pronoun

usage

n/a: No guidance. 5.5: Use individuals’ preferred names

and pronouns even if they differ from

official documents, keeping in mind

concerns about confidentiality.

Race and

ethnicity–

Latin@

n/a: No guidance. 5.7: “Latin@” for Latino and Latina

can be used to avoid “Latino,” which

is gendered.

Race and
ethnicity–

Latinx

n/a: No guidance. 5.7: “Latinx” can be used to include

all gender identities.

Walden University Writing Center 4

General Formatting/Mechanics

Topic APA 6 (location and old
guideline)
APA 7 (location and new guideline)

Italics vs.

quotation

marks

4.07: Use italics to highlight a

letter, word, phrase, or sentence as

a linguistic example (e.g., they

clarified the distinction between

farther and further).

6.07: Use quotation marks to refer to

a letter, word, phrase, or sentence as

a linguistic example of itself (e.g.,

they clarified the difference between

“farther” and “further”).

Numbers 4.31: Numbers in the abstract of a

paper should be expressed as

numerals.

6.32: Use numerals for numbers 10+

for all sections of the paper including

the abstract (numbers in abstracts

now follow general APA number

rules).

Numbers

expressing time

4.31: Although numerals should be

used for numbers that represent

time (among other things) even if

below 10, the number should be

spelled out if it refers to an

approximate amount of time (e.g.,

about three months ago).

6.32: Numbers representing time are

written as numerals, not spelled out,

regardless of whether the time is

exact or approximate (e.g. “about 7

weeks,” “3 decades,” or

“approximately 5 years ago”).

Punctuation for

bulleted lists

within a

sentence

3.04: For bulleted lists within a

sentence (i.e., when each list item is

a word or phrase, not a complete

sentence), use punctuation after

each list element in the same way

you would if the sentence had no

bullets (i.e., commas or semicolons

as appropriate and a period after the

last item).

6.52*: For bulleted lists within a

sentence, there is the option to either

(a) use no punctuation after any of

the list items, including the last, or

(b) use punctuation after each

bulleted item in the same way you

would if the sentence had no bullets

(as was the case in APA 6). The

manual suggests that using no

punctuation may be more appropriate

for lists of shorter, simpler items.

*Note: The term “seriation” does not

appear in APA 7 and has been

replaced by “lists” (see 6.50 for

lettered lists, 6.51 for numbered lists,

and 6.52 for bulleted lists).

Walden University Writing Center 5

Spacing after

punctuation

marks

4.01: Recommendation to space

twice after punctuation marks at the

end of sentences to aid readers of

draft manuscripts.

6.1: Insert only one space after

periods or other punctuation marks

that end a sentence.

Preferred

spellings of

technology

terms

Based on how words were written

in 6th edition manual, not explicit

examples of spelling, preferred

spellings were as follows: “e-mail,”

“Internet,” and “web page.” 4.12

indicates spelling should conform

to standard American English as in

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate

Dictionary.

6.11: Commonly used technology

terms are listed and should be spelled

as follows: “email,” “internet,” and

“webpage.”

Use of

abbreviations in

headings

n/a: No guidance in manual; On the

archived sixth edition APA Style

Blog, APA experts recommended

not using abbreviations in headings.

(see post titled “Can I use

abbreviations in headings?”)

6.25: Abbreviations can be used in

headings if they were previously

defined in the text (but cannot be

defined in the heading itself), or if

the abbreviation is exempt from

needing definition because it appears

as a term in the dictionary.

Acceptable

fonts

8.03: The preferred typeface is

Times New Roman, 12-point.

2.19: A variety of fonts are

acceptable, with focus on

accessibility for readers. APA

accepts sans serif fonts such as

Calibri 11, Arial 11, and Lucida Sans

Unicode 10, as well as serif fonts

such as Times New Roman 12,

Georgia 11, and Computer Modern

10. Note: Per our institutional

requirement, Walden doctoral

capstones should use Times New

Roman 12. Walden coursework

templates also use Times New

Roman 12, but the other APA-

endorsed fonts are also acceptable in

Walden coursework.

https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/abbreviations/#Q8

Walden University Writing Center 6

Paper-Specific Formatting

Topic APA 6 (location and old guideline) APA 7 (location and new guideline)

Paper title

length

2.01: Recommended title length is no

more than 12 words.

2.4: No prescribed limit for title

length (though recommendation for

conciseness).

Title

formatting

2.1: Title in regular type (not bold). 2.4: Title in bold type.

There is an institutional variation for

titles in doctoral capstone documents

(i.e., dissertations, doctoral studies,

or projects): The title is in plain type.

Doctoral capstone students should

refer to the APA 7 template for their

program posted on the Doctoral

Capstone Form and Style Programs

page after June 1 to see this Walden

institutional variation in place.

Heading

levels 3,4,

and 5

formatting

3.03: Levels 3, 4, and 5 are all

indented and sentence case.

2.27-2.28: Levels 3, 4, and 5 are all

title case. Level 3 is now flush left,

while 4 and 5 remain indented.

Tables and Figures

Topic APA 6 (location and old guideline) APA 7 (location and new guideline)

Tables 5.1 and 5.16: Table number is plain

type, table title is title case and set in

italics; see Sample Tables 5.1 to

5.16.

7.2 and 7.24: Table number is bold; table title

is title case and set in italics. See Sample

Tables 7.2 to 7.24.

https://academicguides.waldenu.edu/formandstyle/programs

Walden University Writing Center 7

Figures 5.1 and 5.12: Figure number and

caption are on same line and are

placed below the figure; see Sample

Figures 5.1 to 5.12.

7.2-7.21: Figure number and caption are on

separate lines and are placed above the figure,

and the style matches that for tables: Figure

number is bold, figure caption is title case and

set in italics; see Sample Figures 7.2 to 7.21.

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