<P> The APA got involved in journal publishing in 1923 . In 1929, an APA committee had a seven - page writer's guide published in the Psychological Bulletin . In 1944, a 32 - page guide appeared as an article in the same journal . The first edition of the APA Publication Manual was published in 1952 as a 61 - page supplement to the Psychological Bulletin, marking the beginning of a recognized "APA style ." In response to the growing complexities of scientific reporting, subsequent editions were released in 1974, 1983, 1994, 2001, and 2009 . </P> <P> Primarily known for the simplicity of its reference citation style, the Manual also established standards for language use that had far - reaching effects . Particularly influential were the "Guidelines for Nonsexist Language in APA Journals," first published as a modification to the 1974 edition, which provided practical alternatives to sexist language then in common usage . The guidelines for reducing bias in language have been updated over the years and presently provide practical guidance for writing about race, ethnicity, age, gender, sexual orientation, and disability status (APA, 2009, pp. 70--77; see also APA, 2009b). </P> <P> The sixth edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association is the most current . It was released in July 2009 after four years of development . The Publication Manual Revision Task Force of the American Psychological Association established parameters for the revision based on published critique; user comments; commissioned reviews; and input from psychologists, nurses, librarians, business leaders, publishing professionals, and APA governance groups (APA, 2007a, 2007b). To accomplish these revisions, the Task Force appointed working groups of four to nine members in seven areas: bias - free language, ethics, graphics, Journal Article Reporting Standards, references, statistics, and writing style (APA, 2009, pp. XVII--XVIII). </P> <P> The APA explained the issuing of a new edition only eight years after the fifth edition by pointing to the increased use of online source or online access to academic journals (6th edition, p . XV). The sixth edition is accompanied by a style website, apastyle.org as well as the APA Style Blog, which answers many common questions from users . </P>

What is the most current edition of apa