EFFECTS OF APA REFERENCE FORMAT ON SEARCH PERFORMANCE AND PREFERENCE

The purpose of this research was to determine whether reference-findin g performance and preference was related to reference format. In the 1 st experiment, undergraduates searched for references printed in the f ormat advised in the 3rd edition of the Publication Manual of the Amer ican Psychological Association (APA, 1983), the 4th edition of that sa me source (APA, 1994), or in blocked text. The number of references fo und was greatest using the 3rd-edition format. In 2 other experiments undergraduates, graduate students, and faculty indicated their format preferences. In both cases, there was an overwhelming preference for t he 3rd-edition format. Discussion centers on the perceptual and cognit ive contributors to reference finding, as well as on the dynamics of d ecision making when implementing publishing technologies.