FAQS

APA has rules on how to present lists to help the reader see the organization of key elements within sections, paragraphs and/or sentences in a paper. When using seriated lists, choose terms or phrases that are similar or in parallel throughout the list.

 

APA allows for three types of seriated lists:

• Lettered lists
• Numbered lists
• Bulleted lists

 Each is identified and given in the examples below:

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Lettered Lists

Use a lettered list when you want to present a series within a sentence.  Each item is preceded with a letter within parentheses.  Note that this form or seriation may not draw as much of the reader's attention as a bulleted or numbered list.  

Example:

The study tested three groups of students: (a) children who attended a publicly funded pre-K program, (b) children who attended a privately funded pre-K program, and (c) children who did not attend a pre-K program.

 

Numbered Lists

Use numbered lists to display complete sentences or paragraphs in a series. 

Example:

The survey included the following questions:

1. What pre-reading strategies were covered in the session before the assessment?

2. Did the pre-reading strategy training improve performance on the assessment?

3. What outcomes were achieved through the pre-reading strategy training?

NOTE: Some may interpret items in a numbered list to be presented in order of importance.

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Bulleted Lists

In some situations, a numbered list may give the impression that one item in the list is more important than another; a bulleted list may be preferable.  

 

Note: If you are reproducing, quoting, or paraphrasing a list taken from a source, the citation would appear at the end of the last item.  (APA 6th edition rules included a semicolon after each item in the list and a period following the last item listed.  APA 7th edition has removed all punctuation in the list.) Two variations on how that type of citation might look are below:

Example of a bulleted list presented as phrases:

Elisabeth Kulber-Ross is widely credited with identifying five stages of grief that many people go through when facing a terminal illness:

• denial
• anger
• bargaining
• depression
• acceptance (Hebert, Moore & Rooney, 2011, para. 9)

or

Hebert, Moore, and Rooney (2011) indicate that Elisabeth Kulber-Ross is widely credited with identifying five stages of grief that many people go through when facing a terminal illness:

• denial
• anger
• bargaining
• depression
• acceptance (para. 9)

Example of a bulleted list presented as sentences

Follow these steps to successfully search a library database:

• Develop a list of terms that describe the concepts you want expressed in an article.
• Combine the search terms with Boolean connectors by using the OR connector to link synonyms and the AND connector to connect concepts.
• Perform a search and modify the search statement to find desired results.

Example of a bulleted list that contains both phrases and sentences

SMART is a popular method for setting personal goals because well-written goals:

• Specific: have a clear and high-specific end point.
• Measurable: can be tracked.
• Attainable: are realistic.
• Relevant: are in agreement with the organizational goals.
• Time-Bound: have a specific timeframe.

 

 

Here is a chart from APA that will help you pick which type of seriation to use:

What do you want to do with your series of items?	Lettered	Numbered	Bulleted
Clarify the elements without drawing overmuch attention to the list itself	√
Visually separate the list from the surrounding text		√	√
Show procedural steps	√	√
Show a chronology (first, second, third)	√	√
Show how items have relative importance (e.g., increasing or decreasing in importance)	√	√
Show a general list, with no implied chronology, procedure, order, or differences in importance	√		√

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References

American Psychological Association. (2020). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (7th ed.). https://doi.org/10.1037/0000165-000

Hebert, K., Moore, H., & Rooney, J. (2011). The nurse advocate in end-of-life care. The Ochsner Journal, (11)4, 325-329.