APA Review
Unknown Author
If the work does not have an author, cite the source by its title in the signal phrase or use the first word or two in the parentheses. Titles of books and reports are italicized or underlined; titles of articles, chapters, and web pages are in quotation marks. A similar study was done of students learning to format research papers ("Using APA," 2001).
Four Major Sections
1.Title Page 2.Abstract 3.Main Body 4. References.
What is APA used for
Social sciences
APA stands for
American Psychological Association
In-Text Citations
In-text citations consist of the author, date, and location with in the source (if applicable) For example (Smith, 2013, p.34) For page # use "p." For paragraph # use "para." (electronic sources)
Journals
Journals paginated by issue begin with page one every issue; therefore, the issue number gets indicated in parentheses after the volume. The parentheses and issue number are not italicized or underlined. Scruton, R. (1996). The eclipse of listening. The New Criterion, 15(3), 5-13.
How do we take information from others?
Paraphrasing Direct Quoting Summarizing
Abstract
Beginning with the next line, write a concise summary of the key points of your research. Do not indent. Your abstract should contain at least your research topic, research questions, participants, methods, results, data analysis, and conclusions. You may also include possible implications of your research and future work you see connected with your findings. Your abstract should be a single paragraph double-spaced. Your abstract should be between 150 and 250 words. Keywords
Two Writers
A Work by Two Authors: Name both authors in the signal phrase or in the parentheses each time you cite the work. Use the word "and" between the authors' names within the text and use the ampersand in the parentheses. Research by Wegener and Petty (1994) supports... (Wegener & Petty, 1994)
APA- Avoid all Person Pronouns
APA does not recommend replacing "he" with "he or she," "she or he," "he/she,""(s)he," "s/he," or alternating between "he" and "she" because these substitutions are awkward and can distract the reader from the point you are trying to make. To avoid the bias of using gendered pronouns: Rephrase the sentence Use plural nouns or plural pronouns - this way you can use "they" or "their" Replace the pronoun with an article - instead of "his," use "the" Drop the pronoun - many sentences sound fine if you just omit the troublesome "his" from the sentence Replace the pronoun with a noun such as "person," "individual," "child," "researcher," etc.
Summary or Paraphrase
If you are paraphrasing an idea from another work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference, but APA guidelines encourage you to also provide the page number (although it is not required.) According to Jones (1998), APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners. APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners (Jones, 1998, p. 199).
Use the "&"
List by their last names and initials. Use the ampersand instead of "and." Wegener, D. T., & Petty, R. E. (1994). Mood management across affective states: The hedonic contingency hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 1034-1048.
When two studies are discussed . . .
When your parenthetical citation includes two or more works, order them the same way they appear in the reference list (viz., alphabetically), separated by a semi-colon. (Berndt, 2002; Harlow, 1983)
Personal Communication
For interviews, letters, e-mails, and other person-to-person communication, cite the communicator's name, the fact that it was personal communication, and the date of the communication. Do not include personal communication in the reference list. (E. Robbins, personal communication, January 4, 2001). A. P. Smith also claimed that many of her students had difficulties with APA style (personal communication, November 3, 2002).
Citing Indirect Sources
If you use a source that was cited in another source, name the original source in your signal phrase. List the secondary source in your reference list and include the secondary source in the parentheses. Johnson argued that...(as cited in Smith, 2003, p. 102). Note: When citing material in parentheses, set off the citation with a comma, as above. Also, try to locate the original material and cite the original source.
Six or More Authors
Use the first author's name followed by et al. in the signal phrase or in parentheses. Harris et al. (2001) argued... (Harris et al., 2001)
Paper Layout
Your essay should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1" margins on all sides. APA recommends using 12 pt. Times New Roman font.
Three to Five Authors
A Work by Three to Five Authors: List all the authors in the signal phrase or in parentheses the first time you cite the source. Use the word "and" between the authors' names within the text and use the ampersand in the parentheses. (Kernis, Cornell, Sun, Berry, & Harlow, 1993)
Cover Page
Center the information Include: Title, author, and school name
Reference Page
Contains an alphabetized list of the author's last names The first line of each entry is against the left margin Second lines of each entry are indented ½. It is still all double-spaced. No periods after URLs or DOIs If there is a long, multi-line URL divide the line where there is a forward slash "/". Contributors' names (Last edited date). Title of resource. Retrieved from http://Web address for OWL resource Angeli, E., Wagner, J., Lawrick, E., Moore, K., Anderson, M., Soderlund, L., & Brizee, A. (2010, May 5). General format. Retrieved from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
In-Text citations and Introducing Quotes
If you are directly quoting from a work, you will need to include the author, year of publication, and the page number for the reference. Introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses. According to Jones (1998), "Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199). Jones (1998) found "students often had difficulty using APA style" (p. 199); what implications does this have for teachers? She stated, "Students often had difficulty using APA style" (Jones, 1998, p. 199), but she did not offer an explanation as to why.
Running Head: SHORT TITLE
Include a running header at the top of every page (including the cover page). To create a page header/running head, insert page numbers flush right. Your cover page has the words "Running Head: YOUR TITLE" One all other pages it is only "TITLE OF YOUR PAPER" in the header flush left using all capital letters. The running head is a shortened version of your paper's title Short title cannot exceed 50 characters including spacing and punctuation.
Example of Long Quote
Jones's (1998) study found the following: Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time citing sources. This difficulty could be attributed to the fact that many students failed to purchase a style manual or to ask their teacher for help. (p. 199)
Organization as an Author
Organization as an Author: If the author is an organization or a government agency, mention the organization in the signal phrase or in the parenthetical citation the first time you cite the source. According to the American Psychological Association (2000),...
Long Quotations
Place direct quotations that are 40 words, or longer, in a free-standing block of typewritten lines, and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would begin a new paragraph. Type the entire quotation on the new margin, and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraph within the quotation 1/2 inch from the new margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout. The parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark.