APA Format Quiz
Numbers as Words
Numbers zero-nine A number that begins a sentence, title, or heading Common fractions (one fifth) Universally accepted usage (the Twelve Apostles)
(In-text Citations) Two or more works
When the parenthetical citation includes two or more works, order them alphabetically by the author's name, add the year of publication, then separate by a semi-colon. OCD is typically treated with anti-anxiety medication (Kachru, 2005; Smith, 2008). Despite the controversy, many physicians continue to prescribe the Drug A (Capuozzo & Anderson, 2011; Sady, 2010).
Heading
"Abstract" Centered but not bolded At the top of the page
Avoid approximations that are ambiguous
"quite a large part" "most people"
Active voice
APA Style encourages using the active voice ("We interpreted the results ..."). Especially when the subject performing the action should be clearly identified (e.g. "We interviewed ..." vs. "The participants responded ...").
Writing Style
APA emphasizes clear communication, organization, and smooth and precise style Continuity in presentation of ideas Smoothness of expression Precision and Clarity
References (references page)
All sources referenced in your paper must appear in your references section The first line of each entry is flush with the left margin, and all subsequent lines are indented (this is called "hanging indent") Entries are in alphabetical order, by the first author's surname (followed by 1st initial) Double spaced
Level 1
Centered, boldface, upper and lowercase headings.
Heading & Subheadings
Function as an outline & reveal organization Bullets are not acceptable in APA Do not have just one subsection within a section (i.e., if you have an A, you must have a corresponding B) Incorrect: Procedure Survey. Correct: Procedure Survey. Stress hormones.
Main Body
Heading: Same as on abstract page Title: Same title from title page Centered on first line
Level 3
Indented, boldface, lowercase heading with a period.
Level 4
Indented, boldface,italicized, lowercase heading with a period.
Level 5
Indented, italicized, lowercase heading with a period.
In-text (citation example)
Lonsbary (2002) found that conversation increases empathy.
Running Head (title page)
Now without "Running head:" This is how it should look the rest of the paper
Introduction
The introduction does not have a heading Text of your paper starts on the first line after the title.
Title (title page)
Upper half of the page and centered Double-spaced Full title of the paper No more than 12 words No abbreviations Upper & lower case letters Name (no title or degree) Affiliation (university, etc.) No date & Instructor name
Major Sections
Your essay should include four major sections: Title page, Abstract, Main body, References Each of these sections begins on a new page Tables and figures follow the reference section The main body includes: Introduction Method Results Discussion
Avoid colloquial expressions
"I will come up with a research..." "Many times..." "Whether or not..."
Avoid clichés
"Old as time" "All that glitters is not gold"
Heading (references page)
"References" should be at the top and centered, but not in bold Remember that this section starts on a new page
Reducing Bias in Language
Avoid sexist bias e.g., do not use he to refer to both sexes Avoid gendered pronouns Avoid "he" or "she" Racial and ethnic identities, disabilities, & age are other areas to avoid language bias. You can describe participants using the parameters of your research E.g. "Results showed differences between those with high self-esteem compared to those with low self-esteem...." E.g. "Patients diagnosed with cancer..."
Parenthetically (citation example)
Engaging in conversation increases empathy (Lonsbary, 2002). Notice that there is not a period before the citation. The period only goes at the end of the sentence, following the citation.
Main Body
Includes: Introduction, Method, Results, and Discussion. This section begins on a new page (page 3) after the Abstract, but all four of the subsections within the main body flow without a page-break Exception- if the title of the subsection splits a page
Electronic journal (reference example)
Last name, A.A., Last name, B.B., & Last name, C.C. (year). Title of the article. Title of the Journal, volume, pp-pp. Thomas, A., Donnell, A. J., & Buboltz, W. C. (2001). The Hong Psychological Reactance Scale: A confirmatory factor analysis. Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, 34, 2-13.
Level 2
Left-aligned, boldface, upper and lowercase headings.
Numbers as Numerals
Numbers above 10 Numbers in your abstract (that aren't at the beginning of the sentence) Numbers immediately preceding a unit of measurement (5-mg dosage) Numbers that represent mathematical functions (multiplied by 5) Numbers that represent time, ages, score, or points on a scale. Numbers that reference a table or a figure (In Table 1)
Section and sub-section headings
Section headings always receive level one formatting Each sub-section of the Main Body begins at level 1
The Abstract
Should be a brief summary of your paper that is concise and accurate. Should contain: research topic, research question(s), participants, method, result(s), data analysis, and conclusions May also include possible implications Between 150-200 words No indentation (block formatting) Best to write after finishing the paper.
General Format
Standard-sized paper (8.5 x 11) Typed- 12 pt Times New Roman font Double-spaced 1 inch margins on all sides Running Head on every page Page number on every page
Running Head (references page)
Still there with the page number
What does APA regulate?
Stylistics In-text citations References (a list of all the sources used in the paper)
Page Header (title page)
Title flush left "Running head: ABBREVIATED TITLE" No more than 50 characters Page number flush right-just the number Use the "Insert Header" option with "different first page" Repeated on every page, with one change
References: The Basics
Titles: Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of a title and subtitle, the first word after a colon or a dash in the title, and proper nouns. Only book titles should be in italics Journals: Capitalize all major words in the title of a journal (not the title of the article) In italics Volume: In italics
Grammar
Use complete sentences No fragments Complex sentences are welcomed (that doesn't mean run-on sentences) No contractions: Incorrect: "The results didn't show an increase....." Correct: "The results did not show an increase....." Verbs Use past tense (showed) or present perfect tense (has shown) for the Introduction, the description of the methods, and the description of the results Use present tense (show) for the discussion and conclusion
(In-text Citations) 6 and more authors
When citing a work with six or more authors, identify the first author's name followed by "et al." Smith et al. (2006) maintained that.... ..... (Smith et al., 2006) When referring to a work with six or more authors in-text: Smith and colleagues (2006) investigated....
(In-text Citations) A work with 3 to 5 authors
When citing a work with three to five authors, identify all authors in the first phrase or in parenthesis (Harklau, Siegal, & Losey, 1999) In subsequent citations, only use the first author's last name followed by "et al." in the signal phrase or in parentheses (Harklau et al., 1999) notice that there is not a comma between the author's name and "et al." "et al" = and others in latin
(In-text Citations) A work with two authors
When citing a work with two authors, use "and" in between authors' name in the signal phrase, but use "&" between their names in parenthesis. According to feminist researchers Raitt and Tate (1997), it is evident that that women's responses to the war have been ignored. Some feminists researchers insist that women's responses to the war have been ignored (Raitt & Tate, 1997).
In-text citation format
When quoting, introduce the quotation with a signal phrase. Make sure to include the author's name, the year of publication, the page number, but keep the citation brief. You are only allowed 2 quotations in your paper. I would prefer no quotations If there are more than 2, you will loose points.
In-text Citation
Whenever you refer to ideas or findings that are originally from another researcher, you MUST cite your source. Include the author's LAST name and the date of publication Do not include the title of the article or journal you used within text Barton (2015) found cat purring reduces stress. For quotations provide a page number as well but refrain from using quotes! In your papers it is better to over-cite, than to under-cite
APA Headings
APA uses a system of five heading levels: 1. Centered, boldface, upper and lowercase headings. 2. Left-aligned, boldface, upper and lowercase headings. 3. Indented, boldface, lowercase heading with a period. 4. Indented, boldface,italicized, lowercase heading with a period. 5. Indented, italicized, lowercase heading with a period.
(In-text Citations) Signal words
Acquiring a rich repertoire of signal words and phrases is the key to success in representing others' ideas in academic writing. Signal phrases are key to introducing quotations: According to Smith (2010), "......" (p.2). Smith (2010) argues that "......" (p.2). Use such signal verbs as: acknowledge, contend, maintain, respond, report, argue, conclude, etc..
Book (reference example)
Last name, A.A. & Last name, B.B. (year). Title of the work. Location: Publisher. Triandis, H. C. & Smith, G.F. (1995). Individualism and collectivism. Boulder, CO: Westview Press.