Institutional Access Methods

Academic Writer Institutional Access Methods

You can set up access to your Academic Writer and APA Style Manual subscriptions in multiple ways – ensuring students have access to the resource from environments they’re already using and regardless of their location.


With IP authentication, OpenAthens, and proxy access, users have access to the platform homepages and all lessons in both Academic Writer and APA Style Manual.


To access personalized content like certificates of completion, references, and papers in Academic Writer and highlights and notes in APA Style Manual, users need to log in to their individual accounts. (If your institution subscribes to both platforms, students can use the same APA account for Academic Writer and APA Style Manual.)

IP Authentication

IP-authenticated users have URL access to the platform from the IP range you provided when you initiated your subscription.


For Academic Writer, use https://academicwriter.apa.org


For APA Style Manual, use https://stylemanual.apa.org

OpenAthens

If your school uses OpenAthens authentication you can add it to the drop-down list that appears on the login screen users when they access via URL from outside the IP range we have on file.


Users' OpenAthens credentials will authenticate them to the homepage, but an APA account is required to create references, papers, highlights, and notes.


If you'd like us to add your institution name to the drop-down on the login page, provide the following to our Customer Enagement team:


  • Institution name as you'd like it to appear in the list,
  • OpenAthens Identity (Entity ID),
  • Federation scope, and
  • OpenAthens IP.

In addition to authenticating from the platform login page, as an OpenAthens admin, you can also create a supported OpenAthens Redirector URL using their tool. Using the OpenAthens Redirector URL allows you to post that custom URL so that students can skip the institution selection step when accessing Academic Writer and APA Style Manual.

Proxy

When setting up proxy access for your off-campus users, make sure that we know which of your IP addresses on file is for your proxy server and that your proxy server security certificate is current and active.


Please note that we do not support proxy by port.


With proxy access, institutional credentials authenticate users to the homepage, but an account is required to create and save references, papers, highlights, and notes.


All APA products (Academic Writer, APA Style Manual and databases) use the same proxy.

APA Proxy Stanza

LTI Integration

LTI integration uses a key and secret to connect your subscription to your learning management system (LMS). Using LTI integration not only allows students to access to the Academic Writer and APA Style Manual platforms similar to other access methods but also enables librarians and instructors to add deep links to specific content to their individual courses.


LMS admin privileges are required to complete the integration, but librarians and instructors can add links and content to any course where their LMS role is instructor or equivalent. Using a content selection page, instructors can preview content and copy the LTI link to add it to their own course.


Unlike other access methods, a user account is required for LTI access. Users will be prompted to create an account (or log in to their existing account) the first time they select an Academic Writer or APA Style Manual link from the LMS), but will experience single sign-on for subsequent use. (If your users will use both products via LTI integration, they will need to sign in to each product separately, although they can use the same APA account.)


If you’re ready to complete LTI integration, contact us for your key, secret. Additional details, recommend use, and instructions are online on our LTI integration page.


Troubleshooting Access


If you're having trouble accessing Academic Writer, check that:


  • You’re using a supported browser (Chrome, Firefox, or Safari).
  • We have the correct IP addresses on file. If you’re having trouble with proxy access, make sure we have your proxy IP on file (and know which IP is your proxy server if it is part of a sequential range).
  • You're using an institutional link if you're not within IP range.


If you’re having trouble logging in to your existing Academic Writer account, you may try clearing your browser cookies and cache before logging in again.