Update, October 2026: Part of this post was wrong. APA 7 uses an en dash only for ranges and for pairs of equal weight (test–retest, author–date). It does not use one in evidence-based practice, which keeps its hyphen. The corrected, fully sourced version is here: Decision Making or Decision-Making? When APA 7 Wants a Hyphen, an En Dash, or Neither.
As academic writers, we often grapple with the intricacies of APA formatting. One area that frequently causes confusion is the use of compound adjectives. Let's demystify this topic by focusing on a key change in APA 7: the use of the en dash.
Consider the term "evidence–based practice."
In APA 6, you might have written this as "evidence-based practice" with a hyphen. However, APA 7 introduces a subtle but important change.
APA 7 Rule: Use an en dash (–) instead of a hyphen (-) in a compound adjective when at least one of the elements is itself a compound term or a phrase.
Why? The en dash shows a more complex relationship between the terms. It indicates that "evidence" is modifying "based practice," not just "based."
Other examples:
Cognitive–behavioral therapy
Mixed–methods research
Theory–practice gap
Remember:
Use an en dash (–), not a hyphen (-) or em dash (—).
No spaces before or after the en dash.
This rule applies to compound adjectives before nouns.
Pro Tip: On most computers, you can type an en dash by holding Alt and typing 0150 on the numeric keypad, or by typing a hyphen between spaces and letting your word processor auto-correct it.
By mastering these nuances, you're enhancing the clarity and professionalism of your academic writing.
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