Professional Communication Final

What are the five levels of headings?

1. Centered, boldface, uppercase and lowercase. 2. Flesh left, boldface, uppercase and lowercase. 3. Indented, boldface, lowercase paragraph with a period. 4. Indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase paragraph with a period. 5. Indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph with a period.

What tense should conclusions be presented in?

Present tense

Do direct quotations with less than 400 words from an APA, journal, or book need to be accompanied by a citation? Do you need to have permission from the copyright owner?

Direct quotes always have to be cited and a page number included. No permission is needed, as long as it is for education or scholarly purposes.

How do you determine if you use "that" or "which"?

"That" is used for restrictive clauses, when it is essential to the meaning of the sentence. For example, "The cards that worked well in the first experiment were not useful in the second experiment" (only those cards that worked well in the first experiment were not useful in the second, so we use "that".) "Which" is used for nonrestrictive clauses to add further information. For example, "The cards, which worked well in the first experiment, were not useful in the second experiment" (The second experiment was not appropriate for the cards.)

How do you refer a reader to a figure in text? How is this done in a sentence?

...were significant (see Table 4).

What is the singular and plural form for: Data, Phenomena, and stimulus?

1. Datum - singular; data - plural. 2. Phenomenon - singular; phenomena - plural. 3. Stimulus - singular; stimuli - plural.

Which manuscript sections always begin on a new page?

Abstract, references, appendices, and figures.

What is included in a Results section of a research manuscript?

How participants were recruited, stats and data analysis, participant flow, intervention or manipulation, baseline data, and any adverse events.

How is a DOI indicated in a reference list?

It is placed after the page number. For example: 510-517. doi: number (no period after the doi number)

How should the following sentence be punctuated: The digits were presented in the following order 5 6 8 9.

The digits were presented in the following order: 5, 6, 8, and 9.

What determines if words should be hyphenated?

1. If a compound adjective can be misread, use a hyphen. 2. In a temporary compound word that is used as an adjective before a noun if the term can be misread or if the term expresses a single thought. For example: two-parent homes. 3. In compounds in which the base word is: a. capitalized. I.E. pro-Freudian. b. a number. I.E. post-1970. c. an abbreviation. I.E. pre-UCS trial. d. more than one word. I.E. non-achievement-oriented students. 4. All "self" compounds, whether they are nouns or adjectives. For example: Self-esteem, or "the test was self-paced."

How should "30 year old" be hyphenated?

30-year-old.

What is included at the end of a block quote?

A citation including the source of the quote and a page or paragraph number in parentheses after the final punctuation mark. For example: He did not want to go to class or take the test. (Anderson, 2017, p. 171).

What are modifiers, and what guidelines should you use to determine modifier placement in a sentence?

A modifier is an adjective or an adverb that is said to change the meaning of, or modify a word. It should be placed as close as possible to the word it modifies within a sentence to avoid ambiguity. For example: "Using this procedure, the investigator tested the participants" (correct) vs. "The investigator tested the participants using this procedure" (incorrect). "Using this proecudre, I tested the participants" (correct) vs. "The participants were tested using this procedure" (incorrect).

What is a block quotation and how is it formatted?

A quotation with 40 or more words. It is formatted by starting the quotation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, with no quotations. Double-spacing is maintained throughout and the in-text citation should come after the closing punctuation mark.

What references are included in a reference list? Should uncited but related references be included?

A reference list should only include cited material that is considered recoverable data. Personal communications are not included in a reference list.

What is the purpose and format of a specific note for a table?

A specific note refers to a particular column, row, or cell. Specific notes are indicated by superscript lowercase letters (e.g., a, b, c ). Within the headings and table body, the superscripts should be ordered from left to right and from top to bottom, starting at the top left.

How do you know if an abbreviation should be spelled out when it is first introduced?

A term should always be written out first before being abbreviated unless it is a standard unit of measure or unless it is commonly accepted as a word and is listed in the Merriam Webster Collegiate Dictionary. Abbreviations accepted as words include: IQ, REM, ESP, AIDS, & HIV.

What determines the order of two or more citations within the same parentheses?

Alphabetical order, just like it is in the references.

What is an ad hominem argument?

An argumentative strategy whereby an argument is rebutted by attacking the character, motive, or other attribute of the person making the argument, or persons associated with the argument, rather than attacking the substance of the argument itself.

How is a reference cited in a paragraph after the first citation?

As et al with no date, unless new material by a different author was introduced in-between citations of the same work. For example: The first citation might look like (Anderson, & Jane, 2017) and the second citation might look like (Anderson et al.).

How do you cite personal communications that are not archived or recoverable?

Because personal communications are not recoverable data, cite them in text only. Give the initials as well as the surname of the communicator, and provide as exact a date as possible. For example: T.K. Lutes (personal communication, April 18, 2001).

What is the difference between past tense (simple) and past perfect tense?

Both tenses are used to talk about things that happened in the past. However, the simple past is used to talk about an action that was finished in the past at a specific time (like when discussing another researchers work and when reporting your own results) and past perfect is used to refer to an action in the past at an unspecified time. You can tell the difference between them because past perfect is formed using "has" or "have" followed by the action. For example, "I have graduated" (perfect) vs. "I graduated."

How do you cite a direct quotation found on the internet? What if the author is unknown?

By giving the author, year, and page number in parentheses. If no page number exists, use a paragraph number instead. For example: "empirical studies have found mixed results" (Golan, 2007, para. 1). If neither page numbers or paragraph numbers are visible, cite the heading and the number of the paragraph following it. For example, Yalom (2003) found that "death anxiety is pervasive" (Discussion section, para. 1).

Within a paragraph or sentence, how are elements in a series identified?

By lowercase letters in parentheses. For example, the participants choices were (a) working with one other participant, (b) working with a team, and (c) working alone. See page 64.

How do you refer a reader to a table or figure in the text of your writing?

By using parentheses as follows:....the correlations were significant (see Table 2). Table is always capitalized and is always followed by a specific table number.

Which is correct? a. "the table above" b. "the table on page 32" c. "as shown in Table 8" d. "the table below"

C

What rules (including capitalization) apply when using a colon in text?

Capitalize the first word after a colon if it begins a complete sentence and if it is the first word after a colon in a title. For example: The author made one main point: They have agreed on the outcome: Informed participants performed better than do uninformed participants. Do not capitalize the first word following a colon when the colon connects an introductory clause to a clause that illustrates or extends the preceding thought. For example: "For example, Freud (1930) wrote of two urges: an urge toward union with others and an egoistic urge toward happiness."

Know how to cite first and subsequent references in text for works with more than 2 and less than 6 authors.

Citations with two authors are always spelled out. For more than 2 authors, the first time all names are spelled out and subsequent citations use et al. With 6 or more authors, only the surname of the first author followed by et al. is used for first and subsequent citations.

What are some caveats to consider when using vague terms, such as this and these?

Consider precision and clarity. Use pronouns that directly refer to something, like this test vs this, or these items vs these.

How do you cite articles in text?

Examples: Kessler (2003) found....Kessler and Rawson (2015) stated...Depression is characterized by symptoms of hopelessness, sadness, and changes in weight (Kessler, 2003). For 6 or more authors, state the name of the first author followed by et al. For example: Wasserstein et al. (2017) reported...

True or false: Other than et al., latin abbreviations should never be used?

False. They can be used within parentheses. Otherwise they need to be spelled out.

Know how to cite first and subsequent references in text for works with two authors.

First citation in text: Walker and Allen (2004) Parenthetical format: (Walker & Allen, 2004) Subsequent references in text: Same as first citation in text

What is the difference between gender, biological sex, and sexual orientation?

Gender is a cultural construct and refers to role and culture, not biological sex. Biological sex refers to the anatomy of a person's reproductive system. Sexual orientation refers to an enduring pattern of attraction, behavior, emotion, identity, and social contacts. Sexual orientation is preferred to sexual preference.

What guidelines determine the appropriateness of using the term "students" instead of "participants" to describe individuals in a study?

Guideline 3, which states that you should write about the people in your study in a way that acknowledges their participation but is also consistent with the traditions of the field in which you are working. Therefore, the more general term "participants" is more appropriate.

What is the difference between em dashes, en dashes, and hyphens in text?

Hyphens (-) are used to form compound words. Em dashes are longer than hyphens and are used to set off an element added t o amplify or to digress from the main clause (e.g., Studies--published and unpblished--). An en dash is longer and thinner than a hyphen but shorter than an em dash and is used between words of equal weight in a compount adjective (e.g., Chicago-London flight).

How do you cite an internet source in the text of your paper?

If possible, electronic sources should be cited the same way as any other document by using the author-date style.

When quoting, are page number citations or paragraph numbers supplied in text?

If there is a page number you cite a page number. If there are no page numbers, you would cite a paragraph number.

How do you determine when to use who vs. whom?

If you can substitute he or she, who is correct; if you can substitute him or her, whom is correct. For example, "Name the participant who you found achieved scores above the median" (She was found to have achieved....) vs. "The participant whom I identified as the youngest dropped out" (I identified him or her as the youngest...).

Where are page numbers located for APA format?

In the upper right hand corner.

What is the Oxford comma and is it used in APA style?

It is the final comma in a list of three items or more, and it is used immediately before and, or, and nor.

What are APA margin recommendations?

Margins of atleast 1 in. (2.54 cm) should be used at the top, bottom, left, and right of every page.

What is the standard spelling reference for APA journals? What about for psychological terms?

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary and the APA Dictionary of Psychology for psychological terms.

Is there a space after colons in ratios?

No

Should a title include abbreviations?

No, for clarity, it should be spelled out.

Does a reference list include personal communications?

No.

Are all the words in a title capitalized?

No. Only major words in titles and headings are capitalized, except when part of a reference section. Conjunctions, articles, and short prepositions are not capitalized unless longer than 4 letters or more.

What words in an article title are capitalized in a reference list? What if there is a colon in the title?

Only the first word of the title and any proper nouns are capitalized. If there is a colon in the title, the word immediately following the colon is capitalized.

When should an ampersand (&) be used for in text citations?

Only within parentheses. For example: (Anderson, & Jane, 2017) vs. Anderson, and Jane (2017).

How do you know if you should use dashes or parentheses for a phrase in written text?

Parentheses are used to: set off structurally independent elements, to set off reference citations in text, to introduce abbreviations, and to enclose statistical values. Dashes are used to indicate a sudden interruption in the continuity of a sentence.

What is passive voice and how can you identify it?

Passive voice is when the subject of the sentence is acted on by the verb. For example, "The survey was conducted in a controlled setting" (passive) vs. "We conducted the survey in a controlled setting" (active). Passive can be identified by words like am, is, was, were, are, or been.

What guidelines should you use to determine if a period, a comma, or a semicolon should separate phrases?

Periods are used to end a complete sentence. Commas are used to separate elements that do not have internal commas. Semicolons are used to separate 3 or more elements with internal commas.

What are the pros and cons of synonym use in scientific writing?

Pro: It can help a writer to achieve smooth expression. Con: It can suggest subtle differences and should be done with care. To avoid repeating a term over and over, it is better to discretely use pronouns.

How would you reference a specific table from a large US Department of Health and Human Services report in text?

Refer to tables by their number. For example: "as shown in table 8..." Do not say "the table above" or "the table on page 32."

What are first-person pronouns?

Refers to pronouns, such as I or we, that describe the first person point-of-view. The first-person point-of-view is avoided in academic writing, but acceptable in research when referring to your own work.

What information is typically included in a reference list entry? Bonus: know the format, including order of information, italics, and punctuation.

The author(s), year of publication, title, and publishing data. If the source of the reference is a journal, newspaper, or magazine article, italicize the name and volume. For example: Herbst-Damm, K. L., & Kulik, J. A. (2005). Volunteer support, marital status, and the survival times of terminally ill patients. Health Psychology, 24, 225-229. doi: xx.xxxx/xxxx-xxxx.xx.x.xxx If referencing a book, italicize the title of the book. For example: Shotton, M.A. (1989). Computer addiction? London, England: Taylor & Francis.

What are two ways the following sentence can be changed to be more correct? The children which were assigned to the second group were asked to sit down.

The children, who were assigned to the second group, were asked to sit down.

What is wrong with the following sentence: The group improved their performance after training.

The link between the effects of raining and the group's improvement has not been established. Possible revision: The training led to the group's improved performance. OR After training, the groups performance improved.

What are some guidelines for verb tense?

The lit review should be in past tense (The researchers found...) or present perfect (The researchers have shown...). The methodology should be in past tense if it has already happened. The results section of the paper should also be in past tense, and implications of the results and conclusions in present tense.

When highlighting key terms, should the terms be italicized, set-off with double quotation marks, set-off with single quotation marks, or capitalized?

The terms should be italicized.

What is typically italicized in a reference list?

The title of a periodical, like a newspaper, journal or magazine; the title of a book, and the title of the volume of a periodical.

When should e.g., i.e. and etc. be used?

These abbreviations should only be used in parentheses.

When are ellipses used?

Three spaced ellipsis points (...) are used within a sentence to indicate that you have omitted material from the original source. For example: Anderson (2017) stated, "...and the test will not be hard." Use 4 ellipsis points to indicate any omission between two sentences. For example: Anderson (2017) stated, "The test will not be hard....and you will be happy when you are done."

What major sections do empirical study manuscripts include, and in what order?

Title, author byline, author note, abstract, introduction, method, results, discussion, references, footnotes, appendices, & supplemental work.

When is it appropriate to use first person pronouns?

To avoid ambiguity when describing steps in your experiment. For example: we reviewed the literature vs. the authors reviewed the literature.

When can a dash be used in written text?

To indicate a sudden interruption in the continuity of a sentence. For example, "These two participants - one from the first group and one from the second - were tested separately." Overuse weakens the flow of a paper.

When is it appropriate to use the word "while"?

To link events occurring simultaneously; otherwise, use although, and, or but. May also think of it like this: While is used in place of "at the same time" and although is used in place of "in spite of the fact that." For example: Precise: Although these findings are unusual, they are not unique. Imprecise: While these findings are unusual, they are not unique.

What is the purpose and scope of a manuscript introduction?

To present the specific problem being studied and to describe the research strategy.

What is the purpose and format of an abstract?

To provide a brief but comprehensive summary of the contents of the article, to include the problem under investigation, participants, research design, and basic findings. It is typed on a separate page with a running head on page 2. It includes a heading, "Abstract" that is centered and not bolded. The abstract is a double-spaced paragraph with no indentation and usually ranges between 150-250 words.

When are semicolons used in a series instead of commas?

To separate three or more elements that have internal commas. For example: We tested three groups: (a) low scorers, who scored fewer than 20 points; (b) moderate scorers, who scored between 20 and 50 points; and (c) high scorers, who scored more than 50 points.

What is the purpose and scope of a results section? What about the participant recruitment?

To summarize the collected data and the analysis performed on those data relevant to the discourse that is to follow. Data should be reported in sufficient detail to justify the conclusions, participant recruitment, and periods of recruitment with dates.

What symbol is used to designate a total population vs. a smple of the total population?

Total population = N (italicized) Sample = n (italicized)

What are the current preferred descriptors for sexual orientation and gender?

Transgender: Person whose gender identity differs from sex at birth. Transsexual: Transgender persons who live or desire to live as full-time members of a sex other than their sex at birth. Sex reassignment is preferred to sex change and cross-dresser is preferred to transvestite. Lesbians, gay men, bisexual men, and bisexual women are preferred to homosexual. It is better to say "Police officer" than "policeman" when referring to all police officers because it is less biased.

True or false: Tables should be integral to the text, but also clear enough to stand alone?

True

True or false: Other than et al., latin abbreviations should only be used in parentheses?

True.

True or false: Tables should be referred to in text by their numbers.

True.

True or false: Tables should not be duplicated in the text?

True.

What is the format for the references section?

Typed, double-spaced with 1 in. margins on all sides and hanging indentation.

Do reference entry URLs need to be updated periodically?

URLs should be checked and updated as close as possible to the publication date of your own paper.

How do you determine when to use that versus who?

Use "that" to refer to nonhumans and things" and "who" to refer to human beings. For example,

What do you do if you need to use parentheses inside of an existing parenthetical clause?

Use brackets to set off a clause inside a clause which is already in parentheses. For example: (We also administered the Beck Depression Inventory [BDI], but those results are not reported here.)

How should slang or a coined expression be identified in text for the first use? What about subsequent uses?

Use quotation marks when introducing the term, and then no quotations thereafter.

What are relative pronouns?

Used to connect a clause or phrase to a noun or pronoun. The most common are: who, whom, which, whoever, whomever, whichever, and that. For example: "The materials that worked well in the first experiment were used in the second experiment."

What are the guidelines for capitalization of a hyphenated term?

When a capitalized word is a hyphenated compound, capitalize both words.

Besides alphabetical order, what can determine order of references in a reference list? For example, multiple works by the same or similar author groups? Bonus: What if an author has two works in the same year? (p. 182)

When ordering several works by the same first author, use the following rules: 1. With only one author, list according to date. For example: Anderson, A. (2003) would come before Anderson, A. (2005). 2. References with the same first author but different second and third authors are arranged alphabetically by the surname of the second author and so on and so forth. 3. References with the same authors in the same order are arranged by year of publication, with the earliest first. 4. References with the same authors in the same order and the same year are arranged alphabetically by title by placing a lowercase letter immediately after the year within the parentheses. 5. References with different authors with the same surname are arranged alphabetically by the first initial.

When should a 0 be placed before a decimal point?

When the number could be greater than 1.

When is et al. used for in text citations?

When you have 6 or more authors of the same work, and when you are citing a work by 3 or more authors for the second time.

Is there a space after the periods in the initials of personal names?

Yes

Is there a space after periods that separate parts of a reference? How about periods after initials in references?

Yes to both

Can controversial issues be discussed in the introduction of a paper?

Yes, but the author must present both sides of the issue and avoid animosity and ad hominem arguments.

Are indentations used for paragraphs?

Yes. They are a half inch.

What types of abbreviations do and do not need to be explained in table headings or table notes?

You may use standard abbreviations and symbols for nontechnical terms (e.g., no. for number, % for percent) and for statistics (e.g., M, SD) in table headings w/out explanations. Abbreviations of technical terms and group names must be explained in the table title or in a note. Abbreviations may also be explained parenthetically following entries in the stub column.

Which abbreviations are only used in parentheses?

cf, e.g., etc., i.e., viz., vs.

Do direct quotations with less than 400 words from an APA journal or book need to be footnoted if copyrighted?

no.