writing papers

Title

Author

(School/Affiliation)

Class

Professor

Date

Abstract The abstract is one of the most important parts of formal argumentative research. It should be one paragraph and should not exceed 200 words. It is a summary of your document and should be able to stand alone as representative of what the paper that follows has to say. It is the very last item that you write. We will cover useful strategies for writing a strong abstract.

Title of Paper

Introduction: Introduce your subject to your reader in an informative and inviting way. The Introduction should create CONTEXT for the discussion that follows.

Provide insight here into your argument. What does the rest of this paper argue? Reveal your thesis some place within this section.

Discussion: This is where you defend and support your thesis. Show your reader why you think your thesis is valid. This is the longest portion of a research paper. It is often broken up into segments with headings and subheadings, though this is not required.

This template is formatted according to APA Style guidelines, with one inch top, bottom, left, and right margins; Times New Roman font in 12 point; double-spaced; aligned flush left; and paragraphs indented 5-7 spaces. This is a standard setting in word-processing software—you shouldn’t adjust the set format. The page number appears one inch from the right edge on the first line of each page.

Most APA documents include some sort of graphics: tables, charts, graphs, maps, illustrations and/or photos can help you to communicate your ideas visually. Remember that if you do include graphics, you will need to

· label them as “Figures,” (illustrations, photos, pie or bar charts) or “Tables”

· number them sequentially,

· title them ,

· include some sort of source line,

· Refer to them in your paper.

For example,

Table 1: Basic APA Citation Styles

Source: Daytona State College-University of Central Florida Writing Center

Headings

Use headings and subheadings to organize the sections of your paper. Headings should be bold and centered.

Subheading

Subheadings may be used and should be aligned flush left. They should also be bolded.

References

Davidson, M. (2011). Writing in APA Style. Student Writer: A Journal ,79, 162-178.

Milchan A. (Producer) , Reuther, S. (Producer) & Marshall, P. (Director). (1990) Pretty

Woman. [DVD]. USA: Touchstone Home Video.

Simpson, Bart & Lisa (2009). Cartoons aren’t just for kids. Springfield: Springfield

Publishing.

APA NOTES:

Entries are organized alphabetically by surnames of first authors and are formatted with a

hanging indent. Most reference entries have three components (personal interview, March 27, 2017):

1. Authors: Authors are listed in the same order as specified in the source, using surnames

and initials. Commas separate all authors. When there are seven or more authors, list

the first six and then use “et al.” for remaining authors. If no author is identified, the

title of the document begins the reference.

2. Year of Publication: In parenthesis following authors, with a period following the

closing parenthesis. If no publication date is identified, use “n.d.” in parenthesis

following the authors.

3. Source Reference: Includes title, journal, volume, pages (for journal article) or title, city

of publication, publisher (for book).

APA Requirements for Sources:

Two types of documentation: In-Text and End-Text

IN-TEXT:

All source material discussed and referenced must be documented in the body of the paper by citing the authors and dates of publication through the use of PARENTHETICAL REFERENCES.

Some basic rules:

· When the names of the authors of a source are part of the formal structure of the sentence, the year of the publication appears in parenthesis following the identification of the authors, for example, Simpson (2009).

· When the authors of a source are not part of the formal structure of the sentence, both the authors and years of publication appear in parentheses, separated by semicolons, for example (Simpson and Wiggums, 2001)

· When a source that has two authors is cited, both authors are cited every time. If there are six or more authors to be cited, use the first author’s surname and “et al.” the first and each subsequent time it is cited.

· When a direct quotation is used, always include the author, year, and page number as part of the citation. A quotation of fewer than 40 words should be enclosed in double quotation marks and should be incorporated into the formal structure of the sentence. A longer quote of 40 or more words should appear (without quotes) in block format with each line indented five spaces from the left margin.

END-TEXT

The full source citation should be listed on the REFERENCES page at the end of the paper.

Appendices (optional)First 2-3 words of Title 1

An appendix is a place to include information that might be useful to the reader, but doesn’t merit inclusion in the full paper.

If you include a survey or interviews in your study, you should include your questions here in the form in which they were delivered.

I am using this section for frequently asked questions about formatting in APA.

______________________

Page Numbers and RUNNING HEAD

Microsoft Word 2007 and Microsoft Word 2010:

1. On the View tab, select the Print Layout document view.

2. Double click the header area of the document.

3. On the Header & Footer Tools Design tab, in the Options group, select the check box for Different First Page.

4. In the First Page Header box at the top of page 1, type Running head: and then your abbreviated title.

5. Go to page 2 of your document and delete the phrase Running head.

6. On page 1, Running head will remain in your first page header, and only your abbreviated title will appear on subsequent pages.

The Hanging Indent

Here is the easiest method to set the hanging indent on the References page

1) Select the VIEW tab from the menu.

2) Check the RULER box. This will open up the ruler and gauge.

See the circled image in the figure below. The device that looks like an hourglass is actually the controls for three components of text. The rectangular base is the INDENT control. The top triangle adjusts your first lines.

3) Swipe over all your citations to highlight, then use your cursor to move the rectangular box 5-7 spaces. This will indent ALL your text.

4) To return the first lines of citations to flush left, use your cursor to move the TOP triangle flush left. This will move them all.

Figure 2: How to Set the Hanging Indent