Sample_Apa_Paper

APA Writing Style and Mechanics: A User's Guide Student Name University of Phoenix PS01BBM00X; GEN300: Skills for Professional Development Faculty Name February 18, 2007 APA Writing Style and Mechanics: A User’s Guide The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (Publication Manual (American Psychological Association [APA], 2001) began as an article published in Psychological Bulletin in 1929. That article reported results of a 1928 meeting of scholars "to discuss the form of journal manuscripts and to write instructions for their preparation" (APA, 2001, p. xix). Today the manual is in its fifth edition, and the APA format described in it is a widely recognized standard for scientific writing (i.e., scholarly or professional writing) in the social sciences. Although the stylebook is designed to prepare manuscripts for publication, many colleges and journals have adopted its use as a guide to achieve uniformity and consistency (Cuddy, 2002). Writing in the style prescribed by the Publication Manual can be a daunting experience for students; however, as with all new skills, “practice makes perfect” (P. Proofreader, personal communication, June 28, 2004). This paper presents a review of APA information and writing tips most often used by University of Phoenix (UOP) undergraduate and graduate programs. However, this document is no substitute for the Publication Manual itself, which all students should purchase. While APA formatting software is available from a number of vendors, students are discouraged from purchasing it due to the inconsistency of formatting specific to UOP papers. Format Considerations This section presents and discusses some of the more commonly used rules and formats from the Publication Manual. Please note however, that some assignments may require unique formatting and students should consult with faculty for clarification. Correct Margins Margins are required to be one inch equally (top, bottom, left, and right) or set as the word processor default. Microsoft Word default is 1.25” on the left and right margins (these should be changed to 1" each) and 1” on the top and bottom. The header and footer are each set at ½”. Never place a lone heading on the last line of a page or a single line of text on the top of the next page. Page Header The header contains the first two or three words of the title and appears in the header/footer feature of Microsoft Word (See Appendix A for format directions for the header/footer feature). The page number is set at five spaces to the left of the text. The automatic function of a word-processing program should be used to print the headers and page numbers consecutively in the paper, with Arabic numerals beginning on the title page. Reference Page Use the hanging indentation (See Appendix B for format directions for hanging indents) for the reference page; that is, the first line of each reference, usually the author’s name, rests against the left margin, and the lines that follow are indented five or seven spaces or one half inch. The Publication Manual recommends setting the tab key to ½ inch (word processor default). The reference page is alphabetized by author and contains the date of publication in parentheses, directly after the author’s name, followed by the title, the place of publication, and the name of the publisher. The proliferation of electronic materials has prompted the APA to create formats designed specifically for Internet and web-based written material. Students should bookmark and frequently visit the APA website at www.apastyle.org for current formatting of electronic references. Only those references that have been cited in the paper are listed on the reference page. Personal communications are cited in the text, but not on the reference page. Additional reference examples are available in Appendix C. In Text Citations Direct quotations. Direct quotations need to mirror exactly the original source, even if errors are contained in the original. To alert the reader that any errors are part of the original material, the word [sic], enclosed in square brackets and italicized, should follow the erroneous material. The source of information must be cited. The format of direct quotations may vary with the placement of the quoted material in the sentence. See page 121 in the Publication Manual for more information. Quotations of less than 40 words are enclosed in double quotation marks. “Use single quotation marks within double quotation marks to set off material that in the original source was enclosed in double quotation marks” (APA, 2001, p. 119). Quotations of 40 words or more are set in a block format without quotation marks. Start block quotes on a new line, indented 5 spaces or one half inch, and double spaced. A sample block quote is contained in this paper. Paraphrased material. Paraphrasing allows the writer to use the ideas of another, to represent another’s argument, and to give proper credit to the original author or authors (Lawton, Cousineau, & Hillard, 2001). Each time an author is paraphrased, the source must be cited in the text. Page or paragraph numbers are not required for paraphrased material, but the Publication Manual encourages writers to do so (APA, 2001, p. 121). Plagiarism. Plagiarism constitutes a serious academic concern. According to Lawton, Cousineau, and Hillard (2001), “academic communities demand that writers credit others for their work and that the source of their material clearly be acknowledged” (¶ 6). Internet access has resulted in an increase in plagiarism. As noted by McCabe (as cited in Sterngold, 2004), 41% of students said they engaged in “cut-and-paste” plagiarism from online sources. The words we use must be original, cited, and referenced accordingly. While it may be easier to use someone else’s words, doing so only discredits the writer. When in doubt, cite. Other Format Issues Although the Publication Manual suggests that an abstract of an article precede the text, an abstract is not used in UOP student class papers. Faculty members may require an abstract if students are submitting very lengthy papers or project proposals. In those cases, the direction to submit an abstract will be in the assignment guidelines. Required typefaces in APA style are 12-pt Times New Roman or 12-pt Courier New or 12-pt Arial. Only one space is permitted between sentences. Students should avoid using any software settings that reduce spacing between words or letters. Writing Mechanics Besides formatting, correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure are essential components of scholarly writing. Strunk (1999) emphasized the importance of being succinct: Vigorous writing is concise. A sentence should contain no unnecessary words, a paragraph no unnecessary sentences, for the same reason that a drawing should have no unnecessary lines and a machine no unnecessary parts. This requires not that the writer make all his sentences short, or that he avoid all detail and treat his subjects only in outline, but that every word tell. (¶1) Grammar Besides the provision of a standardized format for scientific writing, the Publication Manual emphasizes the importance of proper grammar. For a thorough review, Chapter 2 in the Publication Manual is particularly helpful for learning good writing mechanics. The following sections address a few of the rules of grammar. Subject and verb agreement. A singular noun requires a singular verb, and a plural noun requires a plural verb (APA, 2001). Words that intervene between the noun and verb do not change that basic rule. The Gregg Reference Manual (Sabin, 2005) provides numerous examples starting on page 256. Noun and pronoun agreement. When writers use a subject which is singular, they need to use pronouns which are singular. To avoid having to use he/she and him/her, writers may reword the sentence and use a plural subject, thereby eliminating the problem. For example, the sentence “A student applying for a job must carefully proofread his or her application” can be reworded to read, “Students applying for jobs must carefully proofread their applications.” Use of plurals also can help writers reduce sexist bias and avoid stereotypes, as well as keep them from using both singular and plural in the same sentence or paragraph. Punctuation. Correct punctuation establishes the rhythm and readability of sentences. In APA style, only one space is used after periods, commas, colons, and semicolons. When a hyphen is used, no space appears before or after the hyphen (APA, 2001). Correct use of commas and semicolons can be challenging for students. Writers are encouraged to proofread their papers to ensure proper use of commas (Proofreading for commas, n.d.). Capitalization. Capitalization is used to designate a proper noun or trade name, as well as major words in titles and headings. Instances where capitalization is not used include: laws, theories, models, or hypotheses, such as ethical decision-making model; names of conditions or groups in an experiment, such as experimental or control group; or nouns that designate parts of a book, such as chapter 8 (APA, 2001). A common error in capitalization is its use with the name of a specific educational degree versus the general focus of a degree program. An example is Master of Business Administration degree versus master’s degree in business administration. Seriation. Items contained in a list can help to clarify the point being made, or components of a subject. APA does not permit the use of bullets. To show a series of separate paragraphs, number each paragraph with an Arabic numeral, followed by a period but not enclosed in or followed by parentheses. To show seriation within a paragraph or sentence, use lowercase letters (not italicized) in parentheses. An example of these formats is shown in Appendix D. Numbers. Spell numbers one through nine in the body text. Use Arabic numerals to express numbers 10 and above. However, there are many exceptions to this rule and these can be found on pages 122-129 in the Publication Manual. Third Person versus First Person. Writing, “The writer instructed the patients.” when “the writer” refers to yourself is ambiguous and may give the impression that you did not participate. Instead, use a personal pronoun: “I instructed the patients.” However, for the most part, reference to self (first person) is limited to reflection or opinion papers. Another (and perhaps easier) alternative is to describe the experiences of a character based on you. For example, if you want to write about your diversity experiences as a supervisor, you might make your paper about a supervisor at a fictitious company, using "she" and "her" to describe experiences. Thus you might write: This paper concerns a supervisor working for (company name). She arrived at work one morning to find that the department manager had assigned a male supervisor to the corner office originally promised to her. She immediately complained to the department manager, who informed her that the male supervisor was related to a senior manager and therefore "deserved the better office." Describing the situation in this way removes you as the subject of your paper. Conclusion Understanding the mechanics, usage requirements and referencing materials of APA formatting will help you improve and communicate clearly the content of your work. The intent of this paper is to help you begin to understand the different components necessary for development of scholarly papers. However, not all of the content of the Publication Manual is reviewed and you are strongly encouraged to refer to this excellent resource as well. References American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. Cuddy, C. M. (2002). Demystifying APA style. Orthopaedic Nursing, 21(5), 35-42. Retrieved June 28, 2004, from EBSCOhost database.  Lawton. K. A., Cousineau, L., & Hillard, V. E. (2001). Plagiarism: Its nature and consequences. Retrieved June 28, 2004, from Duke University Guide to Library Research Web site: http://www.lib.duke.edu/libguide/plagarism.htm Proofreading for commas. (n.d.). Retrieved June 28, 2004, from Purdue University Online Writing Lab Web site: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/grammar/g_commaproof.html Sabin, W. A. (2005). The Gregg reference manual (University of Phoenix custom ed.). Boston: McGraw-Hill Irwin. Sterngold, A. (2004). Confronting plagiarism: How conventional teaching invites cyber-cheating. Change, 36(3), 16+. Retrieved June 28, 2004, from ProQuest database Strunk, W., Jr. (1999). Omit needless words. In The elements of style (chap. 3). Retrieved June 28, 2004 from http://www.bartleby.com/141/strunk5.html#13 Appendix A: Header/Footer Feature in MS Word Page Headers Page Headers (p. 288, 5.06): Identify each page with the first two or three words from the title in the upper right hand corner above or five spaces to the left of the page number. Do not use your name to identify each page. Again, use the automatic function of the word-processor as illustrated in this picture. Be sure the font type and size is the same as that used in the document. [pic] Appendix B: Directions for a Hanging Indent Select the text that requires a hanging indent. As shown in Picture One, use the Indents and Spacing tab (Format menu, Paragraph command). In the Special list under Indentation, select Hanging. In the By box, set the amount of space for the hanging indent (Picture Two) |Picture One |[pic] | |Picture Two |[pic] | Appendix C: Additional Reference Examples NON-ELECTRONIC Book Leonard, D. A., & Swap, W. C. (1999). When sparks fly: Igniting creativity in groups. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. Article-One Author Brunner, G. F. (2001). The Tao of innovation. Research-Technology Management, 44(1), 45-51. Article-Two Authors Beer, M., & Eisenstat, R. A. (2000). The silent killers of strategy implementation and learning. Sloan Management Review, 41(4), 29-40. Article-Three to Five Authors Markman, G. D., Gianiodis, P. T., Phan, P. H., & Balkin, D. B. (2004). Entrepreneurship from the Ivory Tower: Do incentive systems matter' Journal of Technology Transfer, 29(3-4), 353-364. Article- Six or More Authors Koen, P., Ajamian, G., Burkart, R., Clamen, A., Davidson, J., D'Amore, R., et al. (2001). Providing clarity and a common language to the "fuzzy front end." Research-Technology Management, 44(2), 46-55. ELECTRONIC Electronic Reference- Magazine/Journal Basic Form Author(s). (Date-indicate “n.d.” if date is unknown. Title. Magazine or Journal Title, volume (issue, if given), paging. [Add the date of retrieval and the URL only if you believe that the print version differs from the electronic version.] Example Honeycutt, E. D., Glassman, M., Zugelder, M. T., & Karande, K. (2001). Determinants of ethical behavior: A study of auto sales people. Journal of Business Ethics, 32(1), 69-79. Electronic Reference-Internet Only Magazine/Journal Basic Form Author(s). (Date). Title. Magazine or Journal Title, volume(issue), paging (if given). Retrieved [access date] from [URL]. Example Carlile, P. R., & Christensen, C. M. (2006, July 5). The Cycles of Theory Building in Management Research. Harvard Business School Working Knowledge. Retrieved August 8, 2008 from http://hbswk.hbs.edu/item/5422.html Electronic Reference-Class E-Text   Paul, R., & Elder, L. (2002). Critical thinking: Tools for taking charge of your professional and personal life (5th ed.). [University of Phoenix Custom Edition e-text]. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Retrieved November 24, 2004, from University of Phoenix, rEsource, GEN480—Interdisciplinary Capstone Course web site.  [Note: You do not need to include chapter numbers in your reference list.] Electronic Reference-Class E-Scenario   When citing a scenario in a paper, refer to the author if known (e.g., Alessandra & Associates, n.d.) or to the first few words of the title (e.g. "DISC Platinum," 2005). If you cite a title that begins with "The," omit "The" in the reference list. Basic Reference List Form Author (if known). (Date or n.d.). Title of the scenario. Date retrieved, url address. Example: Alessandra & Associates. (n.d.). The DISC platinum rule assessment (Personalized Report). Retrieved December 7, 2006, from The University of Phoenix Web site: https://mycampus.phoenix.edu/secure/resource/resource.asp Electronic Reference-Online Database Basic Form Author(s). (Date). Title. Magazine or Journal Title, volume(issue), paging. Retrieved [date], from [database], Article No. (if given). Example Sterngold, A. (2004). Confronting plagiarism: How conventional teaching invites cyber-cheating. Change, 36(3), 16+. Retrieved June 28, 2004, from ProQuest database. Electronic Reference: Complex Web Site Basic Form Author(s). (Date). Title. Retrieved [date] from [Host business, agency or program]: [URL] Example Gordon, C. H., Simmons, P., & Wynn, G. (2001). Plagiarism: What it is, and how to avoid it. Retrieved August 28, 2002 from Biology Program Guide 2001/2002 at the University of British Columbia Web site: http://www.zoology.ubc.ca/bpg/plagiarism.htm Electronic Reference: Multipage-no author/date Basic Form Name of sponsoring organization or title of site. (Date). Document name. Retrieved [date] from [URL]. Example Center for Creative Leadership. (n.d.). Leadership skills and emotional intelligence. Retrieved August 6, 2008 from http://www.ccl.org/leadership/pdf/ assessments/skills_intelligence.pdf Electronic Reference: Online Message/Discussion Board Basic Form Author(s). (Date of posting). Message subject line [Message ID]. Message posted to [group address]. Example Chalmers, D. (2000, November 17). Seeing with sound [Msg. 1]. Message posted to news://sci.psychology.consciousness Appendix D: Seriation Seriation (p. 292, 5.12): To show seriation (lists) within a paragraph or sentence, use lowercase letters (not italicized) in parentheses: Job satisfaction is increased when managers are provided with (a) financial incentives, (b) motivational tools, and (c) encouragement to use these tools. To show seriation of separate paragraphs, number each paragraph with an Arabic numeral, followed by a period but not enclosed in or followed by parentheses. Berk (2001) suggests that parents determine suitability of books for children by using the following criteria: 1. Books are made from durable material…(paragraph continues) 2. Books are action-oriented….(paragraph continues) ----------------------- Pagination and Page Header: See APA p. 288. Use the “header and footer feature” in Microsoft Word. See Appendix A for directions. The title is in upper and lowercase letters, centered between the left and right margins and positioned in the upper half of the page (See APA, p. 296) An example is available on p. 306 (please note the example has different requirements; this is only to be used for illustration of where to begin the title) Include your Group Number; Course Number and Name for the course in which you are enrolled. UOP REQUIRED TITLE PAGE Centered on the page (as shown above), include in this order: • Title of Paper (Mixed upper and lower case letters; centered, see APA p. 296) • Your Name (first and last, do not include academic or license information, i.e., BSN, RN) • University of Phoenix • Group Number; Course Number, Course Name • Facilitator’s Name and Title (first and last, with academic title, i.e., MSN, PhD) • Date Submitted **All lines are double-spaced (no single or triple-spacing) throughout the entire document. Level One Heading (See APA, p. 113) Quotations: All short quotes require a page number or paragraph symbol if no page number available. See APA p. 292. Personal communication is explained on p. 214 (APA). It must be cited, but is not included on the reference page. TIP: Conclude your introduction by including a sentence that provides a brief summary of the salient points to be addressed in the paper. APA does not permit use of the word “Introduction” as a level heading. Instead, begin the text of the paper by including the same title as the title on the title page (centered, upper, and lower case). See APA, p. 296. Level Three Heading. See APA, p. 113 for a complete discussion of the correct use of APA headings. Level Four Heading. (See APA, p. 113) Electronic source, direct quote citation: If the electronic source does not have page numbers; use the paragraph symbol. Secondary Sources: See P. 247 in the APA manual for citation of secondary sources. Use of primary sources is preferred. Block quote - see pages 117 and 118 in the APA manual for an example and discussion. Web Address in Text: Do not cite web addresses in text- please see the explanation on the references page of this document. TIP: Always include a conclusion that summarizes the main points of the paper. The use of a heading "Conclusion" is optional, unless required by an assignment's guidelines.. Book, revised edition – see APA page 249, #27. Online Database Reference: Do not include the URL from online databases that are password protected (such as the UOP Online Library. Including it would not enable the reader to directly locate the article. Only include the name of the database. See APA pp. 278-279 Reference Page Notes: Start references on a separate page and double space. Note that throughout the paper and reference list, titles of non-periodicals and the names of journals, book titles, and volume are set in italics rather than being underlined. See APA Manual, pages 232-281 for examples of various references. In addition, please read pages 215-232 for basic reference guidelines. Book – Corporate Author – see page 249, #26. Information gathered from a website is cited in the text of the paper with the web page title in the author’s space and the year. The site is then referenced on the references page as shown here. See APA p. 268-271 Document available on a university program or department web site – APA p. 274, #78. Click this box to insert automatic page numbering. If an instructor requires an abstract or full-sentence outline, start this on a separate page immediately following the title page. Use (n.d.), when no publication date is available.