Answered By: Theresa Bell (she/her/hers)
Last Updated: Nov 04, 2021     Views: 4092

The serial comma, also known as an Oxford comma, appears before the last item in a list of three or more items (American Psychological Association, 2020, p. 155). The 7th edition of the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association requires authors to include serial commas; see page 155 in the 7th edition manual for information.

Example:

Correct: The stripes on the book are black, orange, and yellow.
Incorrect: The stripes on the book are black, orange and yellow.

Reference

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