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APAPaper-Writingtips.pptxThis module is designed to show the basic elements of APA style writing and provide examples of appropriate APA guidelines Sixth Edition of the APA Manual
APA Style and Formatting
American Public University System
| American Military University | American Public University |
Updated 12/09
APA Style and Formatting
This module is designed to show the basic elements of APA style writing and provide examples of appropriate APA guidelines; however, it is not intended as an exhaustive reference guide.
(Sixth Edition - 2010)
Why Use APA?
APA writing style is used to assist in the formatting and organization of written work for the presentation of ideas
APA rules permit uniformity of many styles to one consistent style
APA (Sixth Edition – effective 2010) has broadened its audience since it is consulted not only by psychologists but also by students & researchers in many fields such as business, education, social work, nursing and many other behavioral and social sciences
Basic APA paper consist of:
The title page
Abstract (optional – ask instructor)
Text of the paper
Reference page
The Title Page
APA requires five basic elements to your title page:
Note: We require you also
add course, professor name
and date – See next slide.
Running head: TITLE OF PAPER 1
Title of Paper
Author's Name
American Public University
2. Title should typed in upper and lower letters, centered and positioned in the upper half of page
Running head is aligned on the left margin on the same line as page number (page number is flush right margin). Should read “Running head: <space> Notice the Running head is flush left and the page number is flush right on the same line. They are permanent. (NOTE: “Running head:” should appear before the short title in the header on the title page only. Thereafter, the short title should appear in the header on its own appearing on each page of the paper with only page numbers changing). The title should be no more than 12 words in length and should not contain abbreviations. All letters of the title are capitalized. Headers must be PERMANENT. The Title page is always page 1. “Running head:” should appear before the short title in the header on the title page only. Thereafter, the short title should appear in the header on its own.
The Cover Page (or Title Page) is always page 1.
3. Author’s Name
4. Institution affiliation
#5: Sixth Edition requires an author’s note which is not needed for essay papers.
Elements of the header
Elements of the running head:
Make sure the words Running head are written out.
The word Running is capitalized, but the word head is not.
Place a colon (:) following the word head.
The running head title (not to exceed 50 characters, including spaces and punctuation) is written in all capital letters.
The number of the page should be on the same line flush right.
See 8.03 APA Manual (Sixth Edition)
6
Title
The title is typed in uppercase and lowercase letters and must be centered in the upper half of your cover page.
Capitalize the significant words of the title. Do not capitalize words such as: the, in, of, or, and, unless the word is the first word in the title.
If the title contains two lines of text, double spacing between the lines is required.
See 2.01 APA Manual (Sixth Edition)
7
Byline, Affiliation, Course Instructor, and Date
Byline refers to the name of the person who is submitting the paper.
Type the byline in upper and lower case letters directly below the title and centered on the page. Following the student name, the student number should be listed in parenthesis. Example: Wesley G. Smith (001435)
Affiliation refers to the institution for which the paper was created. The affiliation is the name of the university. Type the affiliation in upper and lower case letters directly below the byline and centered on the page. Example: American Military University
Add the Name of the Course next. Example: BUSN310
Type the instructor’s name in upper and lower case letters below the affiliation information. Example: Professor Marie Bolyard
Type the date directly below the instructor name. Example: 03/10/2019
Abstract
Some papers require an Abstract
TITLE OF PAPER 2
Abstract
This is a summary, not an introduction of the paper. This is one of the few times an indent is not required. The length of the abstract is one paragraph (double spaced) and should consist of 150-250 words.
Running head is permanent, therefore, will appear at the top of the page.
The Abstract page is always number 2
The abstract (in block format) begins on the line following the Abstract heading. The abstract is a one-paragraph, self-contained summary of the most important elements of the paper.
The word “Abstract” is centered
on the page
The length of the abstract should
Be one paragraph and consist of
150-250 words
No indention is needed. This is one
of the few times an indent is not
required
Basic Writing Components
Title: Name your paper. The title can “hook” your readers.
Introduction Paragraph: Tell the readers what you are about to tell them. The thesis statement is often the last sentence of the first paragraph.
Thesis Statement: Essentially, a thesis statement
answers the question, "What do I want my readers
to know after they have read my essay?"
Body: Tell them what you want to tell them.
The number of paragraphs will depend on the
length and complexity of your paper.
Concluding Paragraph: Tell your readers what you
have just told them. This is a short summary. You
should not introduce any new information.
Writing Tips
Brainstorming: Before beginning to write, take the time to put your ideas on paper. Mind-mapping and list-making are two useful brainstorming techniques.
Organizing: Plan your paper or assignment. This may be as simple as a chronological list of your points or as elaborate as a formal outline.
Multiple Drafts: Professional writers create multiple drafts of their writing. You should too.
Extra Time: Quality writing takes time – lots of time.
Build in a cushion of extra time.
Allow Time Between Drafts: While a break of
twenty-four hours or more is ideal, a thirty minute
break will yield positive results.
Help From Others: Being mindful of plagiarism
and academic honesty, request proofreading help.
Writing Tips
Use Formal Voice: Academic writing is more formal than
casual conversations, emails, and instant messages.
Complete Sentences: Write in complete sentences.
Complete sentences contain both subjects and verbs.
Subject-Verb Agreement: Be sure your subject and
verb agree. For example, “we are” rather than “we is,”
“they did” rather than “they done.”
Verb Tense and Active Voice: Limit shifts in verb tense,
and use active voice rather than passive voice.
Awkward Phrasing: Use standard English phrasing.
For example, “try to do” rather than “try and do,”
“we went” rather than “us went.”
Long Paragraphs Preferred: Be sure your ideas are
fully developed in each of your paragraphs. This
usually results in paragraphs of five or more sentences.
Writing Tips
Full Wording Rather Than Contractions: Convert contractions
to their complete word-partner. For example:
it’s = it is
won’t = will not
haven’t = have not
Homonyms: Homonyms are words that sound alike but are
spelled differently and have different definitions. For example,
new and knew, your and you’re, and know and no.
Non-words: Ensure that all your words are standard
English words. For example, “alot” is not a word.
Frequently Misspelled Words: Be alert for commonly
confused words. For example, possess and posses,
a lot and allot, definitely and defiantly, and their
and there.
etc.: Avoid using etc. at the end of a list unless it
is part of the quotation.
Writing Tips
You, your, yourself: Except when an informal
conversational tone is desired, avoid using 2nd
person "you, your, and yourself, and the like.
Parenthesis: Parentheses are most often used
in citations. Before using them in other applications,
consult the APA handbook for guidance.
Commas and Introductory Phrases: Usually
commas are placed between an introductory phrase
and the main sentence; however, commas are rarely
used to separate a concluding phrase.
Colon: Colons should only be used when the
introductory phrase is a complete sentence.
Semicolon: Semicolons are used to either connect
two complete sentences, or to connect a list
that contains commas.
Slashes: Use dashes rather than slashes.
Writing Tips
Punctuation when ending a Quote: If quotation is at the end of a sentence, close quote with quotation marks, cite the source in parentheses, and end with a period or other punctuation outside the final parenthesis. If quote is in mid-sentence, close quote with quotation marks, cite the source immediately after the quotation marks, and continue the sentence. (6.03)
Question Marks and Quotation Marks:
Place question marks outside the quotation mark
unless the question mark is part of the quotation.
Single Quotation Marks: The only time you use
single quotation marks is inside of double quotation
marks.
Exclamation Points: Exclamation points should not be
used unless the exclamation point is part of a quotation.
Titles of Books and Magazines: Italicize
the title of books and magazines.
Bold: Use italicizing to emphasize
words rather than Bold Type Style.
Spell-Checker, Grammar-Checker, and You
Use your word processor’s spell-checker
and grammar-checker to catch common
mistakes. Remember, these are tools and
neither is perfect.
Spell-checkers identify the words in its dictionary
but can not identify correct contextual spelling.
Grammar-checkers may fail to identify incorrect
punctuation or usage. It may also highlight
correct usage and punctuation.
You must follow along behind them to
ensure that the spelling and grammar
are correct.
Body of the Paper
The body must conform to many guidelines:
Running head: TITLE OF PAPER 3
Title of paper centered
Body of the paper requires many set rules and guidelines. The examples shown are not to scale, therefore, you must visit the online library for exact placement within your paper.
Be sure to consult all APA guidelines in all aspects of your paper.
Center the title at the top of page. The title is written in uppercase and lowercase letters.
Helpful tips:
*Tables (if applicable) are numbered sequentially and
labeled
*Illustrations are also individually numbered and
treated like tables
Margins are set at 1 inch at top, bottom,
left and right
All text is double spaced
Clearly visible type, i.e. 12 point
Times Roman
Paragraphs are indented ½ inch
General Formatting Information
Begin writing your paper on page two unless there is an Abstract or Table of Contents (the cover page is page one). The page header on the top right hand side must reflect page two, along with the running head.
Center the title at the top of page two. The title is written in uppercase and lowercase letters.
Margins are set at one inch (top, bottom, left, and right).
Double space the entire paper.
Use a typeface of 12-point Times New Roman
Indent the first line of every paragraph five spaces or ½ inch.
Type the entire paper left aligned.
There are specific guidelines when writing an APA style paper.
Center the title at the top of page two (page 3 if there is an Abstract). The title is written in uppercase and lowercase letters. (3.03)
Double space entire paper (8.03)
Use 1 inch margins (8.03)
Text is left aligned (8.03)
Two spaces after sentence terminator - rather than one (New Sixth Edition Change) (4.01)
12 point font (new Sixth Edition of APA requires New Times Roman only) and black ink (8.03)
Same font throughout with the exception of italicizing (8.03) (1) introducing a key term you wish to emphasize(4.21) (2) titles of books, periodicals, films, videos, TV shows and microfilm publications (4.21) (there are more in-depth examples if you would like to reference 4.21 in New Sixth Edition of APA Manual)
First sentence of a paragraph must be indented (8.03) (with the exception of the Abstract) (2.04)
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Writing the Paper
APA writing should be straightforward with an active voice – i.e., “Jones developed the project..” instead of passive voice – i.e. “The project was developed by Jones…”
Use past tense when describing earlier research
Spell out on first use of an acronym (example: American Military University (AMU) – first use. Next time referenced in paper use AMU).
Quotes of 40 words or more
Block quotations of 40 words or more: Indent (as if a new paragraph) and continue to make each line of the quote begin in the same place, creating a straight line on the left side of the quotation, while the right side is jagged. If more than one paragraph for the blocked quote, indent the first line of each paragraph an additional half inch. Double space entire quote.
Do NOT use quotation marks for the entire block quotation. For quotations within that quotation, use normal quotation marks, not single ones.
Remember, you must still give credit for the source. Place periods or commas within quotation marks when they are part of the quoted material. At end of quote, place period then page number. Example: …… placebo effect. (p. 276)
Citations – Giving credit where credit is due
It is very important to give proper credit when words or thoughts are not ours originally.
Citing the source means mentioning the author/s within the text so the reader can look up the source at the back of the paper.
APA has very specific ways this must be done. The model must be followed exactly. With a little practice, citing sources gets easier!
Approximately 14 million women in the United States are battling with the disease Anorexia Nervosa, AN, which is described as “one of the least understood and most intractable of all mental illnesses” (Schindehette, Sandler, Nelson & Seaman, 2003, p. 136). – this is an example of a direct quote.
Many of the victims of this disease will battle it for the rest of their lives. However, if AN is diagnosed early, during the teen years, it is possible to cure it with appropriate treatment (Cooper, 2001). – this is an example of a paraphrase
21
Parenthetical Citations
APA relies on in-text citations within the narrative.
Quotations call for the addition of pagination at the end of the quote (p. #) and can take two forms:
Author mentioned: According to Shakespeare (1598),"The quality of mercy is not strained" (pp. 63-64).
- Author not mentioned: As indicated, "If they prick me, do I not bleed" (Shakespeare, 1598, p. 82).
Paraphrasing does not require the addition of pagination indicators, but these are encouraged.
Guidelines for Citing References
Keep the format simple
No retrieval dates needed unless the source material may change over time.
For electronic references, give the DOI, if assigned. Database names are not needed.
If no DOI assigned, provide the URL of the journal or book publisher.
Discontinued journals, monographs, dissertations, or papers not formally published (archival documents), give the URL for the online archive.
The Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
The digital object identifier (DOI) is an alphanumeric string identifying content providing a link to location on the Internet. Give DOI for journal articles, books, or book chapters accessed online. No period at the end of the string. Do not use the phrase retrieved from. Do not give a retrieval date. The DOI is typically located on the first page of the electronic journal article, near the copyright notice.
Lee, C. (2009, September 21). Re: A DOI Primer [Web log message].
Verifying a DOI
If you wish to verify a DOI you can: Consult a DOI resolver, such as the one supplied by CrossRef.org.
Copy and paste the alphanumeric DOI string (e.g., 10.1037/a0015859) into the DOI resolver and click submit.
Or, you can append the DOI string to http://dx.doi.org/ (as in http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/a0015859) and copy that straight into your browser’s address bar.
Lee, C. (2009, September 21). Re: A DOI Primer [Web log message].
To Search for a DOI
To search for DOIs, use CrossRef. The free DOI lookup (http://www.crossref.org/guestquery/ ) searches for DOIs using information such as article title, authors, and publisher information.
Or cut and paste your entire reference list into the Simple Text Query form (http://www.crossref.org/SimpleTextQuery/) and CrossRef will return all available DOIs at once.
Lee, C. (2009, September 21). Re: A DOI Primer [Web log message].
Reference Page
The word “References” should appear at the top center of the page. Entries are double spaced with the top line justified to the left margin. Additional lines of each reference are 0.5” indented (hanging indent). This should be set up in your WORD Paragraph settings, not manually manipulated on the keyboard. Sources are listed alphabetically.
Example:
References
Stielow, F. J. (2003). Building digital
archives. New York: Neal- Schuman.
References are alphabetized
References are in alphabetical order by author(s) last name on the reference page; list last name, then first initial only. If no author is provided, use the first character of the title.
Only list the last name of an author or authors followed by initials for the first and middle names. Do not write out first and middle names. For example: Marcia L. Conner would be listed as Conner, M. L. or Conner, M.
Do not list the author as anonymous or unknown unless that is the way the author is listed on the source. Start the cite with the title as stated above.
Insert the publication date in parentheses following the author.
Insert the publication date in parentheses following the author or the title if that is the first item of the citation.
The date (in parentheses is always the second part of a reference).
List the date as follows:
(year). For example: (2009).
(year, month). For example: (2007, January). Note: Do not use month abbreviations.
(year, month day). For example: (1998, June 16).
(n.d.). Use n.d. for works which do not contain a publication date.
What to italicize
Italicize the name of books, journals, and magazines, but do not italicize the name of an article.
For example:
Book: Learn more now: 10 simple ways to learning better, smarter & faster.
Journal: Journal of Social Psychology
Magazine: Newsweek
Example of a Book Reference
Last name, Initial. (yyyy published).
Book title. Place of Publication:
Publisher.
Example: Stielow, F. J. (2003). Building digital
archives. New York: Neal-
Schuman.
Example Book Reference from Website
Last name, Initial. (yyyy published).
Book title. Retrieved from http://www.xxx
Example:
Stielow, F. J. (2003). Building digital
archives. Retrieved from http://www.xxx
Note: Database names are no longer needed such as ProQuest or EBSCO.
Date of Retrieval is no longer included.
ALSO – Although retrieved from online, if book place of publication and publisher is available, still include in citation after the book title. Then dd the “Retrieved from….”
Example Book Reference w/DOI
Last name, Initials. (yyyy published).
Book title. doi:xxxxx
Example: Stielow, F. J. (2003). Building digital
archives. doi:xxxxx
Note: For electronic references, give the DOI, if assigned. Database names are no longer needed such as ProQuest or EBSCO.
Also, of book publish place and publisher available, include in cite after title as with standard book cite, followed by the doi
Example of a Reference for a Journal Article
Last name, Initial. (yyyy of journal
volume). Article title. Journal, volume
number, (issue number), first-last page
Example:
Roy, A.J. (1982). Suicide in chronic
schizophrenia. British Journal of
Psychiatry, 96(1), 171-177
It should be noted using the words Volume or Vol., Issue or Iss., or Pages, p. or pp. are not acceptable in the citation. Also, the journal title and volume number are italicized.
Example Reference Journal Article w/DOI
Last name, Initials. (yyyy of journal
volume). Article title. Journal, volume
number, (issue number), pages. doi: xx.xxxxx
Roy, A.J. (1982). Suicide in chronic
schizophrenia. British Journal of
Psychiatry, 96(1), 171-177. doi: xx.xxxx
Note: For electronic references, give the DOI, if assigned. Database names are no longer needed such as ProQuest or EBSCO.
It should be noted using the words Volume or Vol., Issue or Iss., or Pages, p. or pp. are not acceptable in the citation. Also, the journal title and volume number are italicized.
Example Reference Journal Article w/out DOI
Last name, Initials. (yyyy of journal
volume). Article title. Journal, volume
number, (issue number), pages. Retrieved
from http://xxxxxxx
Roy, A.J. (1982). Suicide in chronic
schizophrenia. British Journal of
Psychiatry, 96(1), 171-177. Retrieved from
http://xxxxxxx
Note: If no DOI assigned, provide the URL of the journal or book publisher. Database names are no longer needed such as ProQuest or EBSCO.
It should be noted using the words Volume or Vol., Issue or Iss., or Pages, p. or pp. are not acceptable in the citation.
Additional Examples
The Sixth Edition, 2nd printing of the APA Manual has many examples of the various types of references including: periodicals, books, technical & research reports, meetings & symposia, doctoral dissertations & master’s theses, reviews & peer commentary, audiovisual media, data sets, software, internet message boards, electronic mailing lists and other sources.
A good short cut source for the full Manual is Purdue’s THE OWL website/APA section at https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html
