When do you abbreviate state names in APA format?
Can you abbreviate States in APA format?
Can you abbreviate a state for example Ohio to OH in APA paper? In the title? In the header ?
Answer
The rules for abbreviating states are this according to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, 6th edition.
In regard to citations on your works cited page & the methods section of a paper (p. 187) -
- The names of U.S. states are abbreviated in the reference list and in the Method section ...use the official two-letter U.S. Postal Service abbreviations.
In regard to the text of the paper, the title, the header, etc. (p. 106) -
4.22 Use of Abbreviations
To maximize clarity, use abbreviations sparingly.
There is no direct mention made to abbreviating states in this context. I would interpret this then as you should not abbreviate state names, especially in the title and the running header. For the text of your paper, I would also say no then unless you have a compelling reason to abbreviate.