Transcript The ABCs of APA - Buffalo State College

The ABCs of APA
Angela L. Patti
Colleen A. Wilkinson
Fall 2009
Introduction to APA Style
What is APA style?
 A particular style of writing guided by “style rules”
designed to “codify the many components of scientific
writing to increase the ease of reading comprehension”
(p. xiii)
 Used by students and researchers in a number of
disciplines including psychology, education, and other
behavioral and social sciences
 This presentation is based on:
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication
manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.)
Washington, DC: Author.
Reasons to Know and Use APA Style
 Coursework
 Academic Integrity
 Common Language
 Professionalism
Overview of APA Manual
Chapter 1
 Title: Writing for the Behavioral and Social Sciences
 Highlights:
-types of articles
-ethical and legal standards in publishing
-plagiarism
-protecting the rights and welfare of research
participants
Chapter 2
 Title: Manuscript Structure and Content
 Highlights:
-journal article reporting standards
-manuscript elements
-sample papers
Chapter 3
 Title: Writing Clearly and Concisely
 Highlights:
-organization (headings and seriation)
-writing style
-guidelines for reducing bias
-grammar and usage
Chapter 4
 Title: The Mechanics of Style
 Highlights:
-punctuation
-spelling
-capitalization
-abbreviations
-numbers
-statistical and mathematical notations
Chapter 5
 Title: Displaying Results
 Highlights:
-tables
-figures
Chapter 6
 Title: Crediting Sources
 Highlights:
-when to cite
-direct quoting
-paraphrasing
-constructing reference lists
Chapter 7
 Title: Reference Examples
 Highlights:
-general reference guidelines
-reference examples by type
Chapter 8
 Title: The Publication Process
 Highlights:
-editorial process
-author responsibilities
Highlight of Changes from the
5th to the 6th Editions
A few noteworthy changes:
 Reorganization of the manual
 Expanded APA Style website: www.apastyle.org
 Guidelines for referencing electronic sources
 Modified rules for references
 Updated examples
 Revised guidelines on reducing bias in language
 Modified rules for levels of headings
 Change in format rule: use two spaces after a period at the end of a sentence
 For other changes, see the website
Manuscript Format
General Manuscript Guidelines (p. 228-229; 88)
 Preferred typeface: Times New Roman
 Use a 12-point font size
 Use two spaces after a period at the end of a sentence
 Double-space entire manuscript
 Set uniform margins of at least 1 inch on all pages
 Use a flush left style and leave right margin uneven; do not justify
 Use the tab key to create a uniform indent for the first line of
every paragraph
 In general - focus on uniformity and readability
Order of a Manuscript (p. 229-230)
 Title page
 Abstract
 Text
 References
 Tables
 Figures
 Appendices
Title Page (p. 23-25; 229)

Manuscript title:
-should summarize the main idea of the manuscript simply and with style
-should be typed in uppercase and lowercase letters, centered between left and right margins, positioned in upper
half of page

Author:
-appears on next line after title, centered
-preferred format: first name, middle initial(s), last name

Institutional affiliation:
-appears on next line after author, centered
-where the author was when research was conducted

Running head:
-abbreviated form of title printed at top of all pages , flush left, following the words “Running head:”
-50 characters or less, all capital letters

Author’s note:
-can include additional information about affiliation, acknowledgements, disclaimers, etc.
-see manual for specifics
Abstract (p. 25-27)
 A brief, but comprehensive summary of the contents
of the manuscript
 Starts on a separate page after the title page,
numbered page 2
 See manual for specifics on what to include in an
abstract
Text (p. 27-37)
 Starts on a separate page after the abstract page,
numbered page 3
 Type manuscript title in upper and lowercase letters,
centered on the top line
 Begin typing introduction on the next line – do not label
this section as “introduction”
 See manual for sections to include
 Use headings to organize contents of text
Levels of Headings (p. 62-63)
Centered, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading (Level 1)
Flush Left, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading (Level 2)
Indented, boldface, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period. (Level 3)
Indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period. (Level 4)
Indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period. (Level 5)
Notes about Headings (p. 62-63)
 In a lowercase paragraph heading, the first letter of the first
word is uppercase and the remaining words are lowercase
 For headings ending with a period, continue on with your
paragraph after the period (on the same line of text)
 The number of levels of headings with vary according to the
length and complexity of your manuscript
 For a manuscript with one level of heading, use Level 1; if two
levels of heading are needed, use Levels 1 and 2; if three levels
are needed, use Levels 1, 2, and 3…and so on
Reference Page (p. 37)
 Start on a new page after the end of the text
 Type the word “References” in uppercase and lowercase letters
on the top line, centered
 Double-space the entire reference page and all entries
 Go on to additional pages as necessary
 More information presented on references and order of
references later in this presentation
Additional Materials
 Include additional materials after the reference page(s) in
the following order:
-tables
-figures
-appendices
 Begin each one on a new page
 Label each piece clearly
 See manual for specifics
References
General Guidelines (p. 180; 193)
 Include all references on a reference page, double-spaced
 Use a hanging indent for all references (first line is flush left,
additional lines are indented)
 Follow examples provided in manual
 If you cannot find an example in the manual which
matches your particular reference, use your best
judgment; be sure to include all of the important pieces
of information (see next slide)
Reference Components (p. 183-187)
 Author and Editor Information
 Publication Date
 Title
 Publication Information
 Locator Information for Electronic Sources
Author and Editor Information (p. 184)
 Invert all authors’ names (last name goes first)
 Give surnames and initials for up to and including seven authors
 When authors number eight or more, include the first six authors’ names,
then insert three ellipses, and add the last author’s name
 Use commas to separate authors; with two to seven authors, use an
ampersand (&) before the last author
 Be sure to keep the authors in the same order as they appear on the work
 Include editor information for edited books and chapters – see manual for
details
Publication Date (p. 185)
 Give in parentheses the year the work was published
 For magazines, newsletters, and newspapers, give the year
followed by a comma, and then the month, month and
day, or season, if available
 If no date is available, write “n.d.” in parentheses.
 Finish this element of the reference with a period after the
closing parenthesis
Title (p. 185-186)
 Article or chapter title
-capitalize only the first words of the title and of the subtitle, if any,
and any proper nouns
-do not italicize the title or place quotation marks around it
-finish the element with a period
Mental and nervous diseases in the Russo-Japanese war: A historical analysis.
 Periodical title: Journals, newsletters, magazines
-give the periodical title in full, in uppercase and lowercase letters
-italicize the name of the periodical
Social Science Quarterly
Title (Continued, p. 185-186)
 Nonperiodical title: Books and reports
-capitalize only the first word of the title and subtitle, if any, and
any proper nouns
-italicize the title
-do not use a period between the title and any parenthetical
information
Development of entry-level tests to select FBI special agents (Publication No. FR-PRD-94-06).
Publication Information (p. 186-187)
 Periodicals: Journals, newsletters, magazines
-give the volume number after the periodical title; italicize it
-include the journal issue number in parentheses (not italicized) directly after
the volume number if the journal is paginated by issue
-follow with a comma
-give the page numbers
-finish the element with a period
Social Sciences Quarterly, 84, 508-525.
 Nonperiodicals: Books and reports
-give the location where the publisher is located (city and state)
-follow with a colon
-give the name of the publisher
-finish the element with a period
Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
Electronic Sources and Locator Information (p. 187-192)
 If the material was accessed electronically, you need to include locator
information
 Include a DOI when available
-a DOI is a unique alphanumeric string assigned by a registration agency
to identify content and provide a persistent link to its location on the
Internet
-all DOI numbers begin with “10” and contain a prefix and a suffix
separated by a slash
-the DOI is typically located on the first page of an article
 If no DOI is available, provide the home page URL of the journal or of
the book or report publisher (as opposed to providing database
information)
 See manual for more information and examples
Reference Example
Journal article with DOI (p. 198)
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: 10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225
Reference Example
Journal article with DOI, more than
seven authors (p. 198-199)
Gilbert, D. G., McClernon, J. F., Rabinovich, N. E., Sugai,
C., Plath, L. C., Asgaard, G., … Botros, N. (2004). Effects
of quitting smoking on EEG activation and attention
last for more than 31 days and are more severe with
stress, dependence, DRD2 A1 allele, and depressive
traits. Nicotine and Tobacco Research, 6, 249-267. doi:
10.1080/14622200410001676305
Reference Example
Journal article without DOI (when DOI is not
available) (p. 199)
Sillick, T. J., & Schutte, N. S. (2006). Emotional intelligence and selfesteem mediate between perceived early parental love and adult
happiness. E-Journal of Applied Psychology, 2(2), 38-48.
Retrieved from http://ojs.lib.swin.edu.au/index.php/ejap
Light, M. A., & Light, I. H. (2008). The geographic expansion of
Mexican immigration in the United States and its implications for
local law enforcement. Law Enforcement Executive Forum
Journal, 8(1), 73-82.
-If there is no DOI assigned and the reference was retrieved online,
give the URL of the journal home page. (No retrieval date is
necessary.)
Reference Example
Magazine article (p. 200)
Chamberlain, J., Novotney, A., Packard, E., & Price, M.
(2008, May). Enhancing worker well-being:
Occupational health psychologists convene to share
their research on work, stress, and health. Monitor on
Psychology, 39(5), 26-29.
Reference Example
Newspaper article (p. 200)
Schwartz, J. (1993, September 30). Obesity affects
economic, social status. The Washington Post, pp. A1,
A4.
-Precede page numbers for newspaper articles with p.
or pp.
-If an article appears on discontinuous pages, give all
page numbers, and separate numbers with a comma
(e.g., pp. B1, B3, B5-B7)
Reference Example
Entire book, print version (p. 203)
Shotton, M. A. (1989). Computer addiction? A study of
computer dependency. London, England: Taylor &
Francis.
Reference Example
Entry in an online reference work,
no author or editor (p. 205)
Heuristic. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary (11th
ed.). Retrieved from http://www.m-w.com/dictionary
/heuristic
-If the online version refers to a print edition, include the
edition number after the title.
Reference Example
Corporate author, government report (p. 205)
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services,
National Institutes of Health, National Heart, Lung,
and Blood Institute. (2003). Managing asthma: A
guide for schools (NIH Publication No. 02-2650).
Retrieved from http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof
/lung/asthma/asth_sch.pdf
Other Types of References
 There are many other types of references found in the APA
manual; a few examples are:
-online magazine article
-online newspaper article
-special issue or section in a journal
-electronic version of a print book
-book chapter, print version
-proceedings published regularly online
-Master’s thesis
-Doctoral dissertation
-review of a book
-audiovisual media (video, podcast, TV show, music recording, photograph, etc.)
-message posted to a newsgroup, online forum, or discussion group
-blog post
-legal document
Order of References (p. 181-183)
 Arrange entries in alphabetical order by the surname of the first
author, and then go to initials if necessary
Follow rules for special cases…
 Nothing precedes something:
Brown, J. R., precedes Browning A. R., even though i precedes j in the alphabet
 If the author(s) is/are the same, order the references
chronologically, with the earliest first:
Upenieks, V. (2003).
Upenieks, V. (2005).
Order of References (Continued, p. 181-183)
 One-author entries precede multiple-author entries beginning with the same
surname (even if the multiple-author work was published first)
Alleyne, R. L. (2001).
Alleyne, R. L., & Evans, A. J. (1999).
 If there are multiple authors, but the first author is the same, alphabetize by
the second author; if the second author is the same, go to the third, and so on:
Boockvar, K. S., & Burack, O. R. (2007)
Boockvar, K. S., Carlson LaCorte, H., Giambanco, V. Friedman, B., & Siu, A. (2006)
 If the author is an agency, association, etc., alphabetize the reference by the
name of that group
e.g. American Psychological Association
 If there is no author, move the title to the author position, and alphabetize the
entry by the first significant word of the title
Citations
Citations - Overview
 Citations appear in the text of your paper and are used to identify
information and ideas that are not your own
 Citations briefly identify the source of your information so that readers
can find the appropriate reference(s) in your reference list
 How you cite depends on the number of authors that contributed to the
information you are using and the type of reference
 You should cite whenever the ideas, theories, or research of others has
directly influenced your work (p. 169)
 You should cite when you are directly quoting and when you are
paraphrasing
 All citations in your text must appear in your reference list and all
references in your reference list must appear as citations in your text
Plagiarism (p. 170)
 Do NOT claim the words and/or ideas of another as
your own
 Give credit where credit is due
 Use quotation marks to indicate the exact words of
another (directly quoting)
 Credit a source each time you take an idea from it
even if it is not word-for-word (paraphrasing)
Direction Quotation Example (p. 171)
Interpreting these results, Robbins et al. (2003)
suggested that the “therapists in dropout cases may
have inadvertently validated parental negativity about
the adolescent without adequately responding to the
adolescent’s needs or concerns” (p. 541), contributing
to the overall climate of negativity.
-enclose quoted material in quotation marks
-be sure to indentify author, date, and page number
Direct Quotation Alternate Example (p. 171)
Confusing this issue is the overlapping nature of roles in
palliative care, whereby “medical needs are met by
those in the medical disciplines; nonmedical needs may
be addressed by anyone on the team” (Csikai & Chaitin,
2006, p. 112).
-same information is identified, but author is
included in parentheses
Direct Quotation – Block Quote (p. 171)
 If the quotation comprises 40 or more words, display
it in a freestanding block of text and omit the
quotation marks
 See manual for details
Paraphrasing
 How To:
-Read through all the material you are using to prepare your paper
-Synthesize the information
-Write your paper, providing citations for your paraphrased material
 Include a citation every time you paraphrase – this includes when
you summarize something you’ve read, rearrange the sentences in a
paragraph, rearrange the words in a sentence, or change some
words in a sentence
 Basically, if the idea wasn’t yours originally and/or it is not
absolutely accepted common knowledge in your field, you need a
citation
 You do not need a page number with your citation when
paraphrasing, but it is recommended if it will help your reader
Paraphrasing Examples
Example 1-
A researcher uses an alternating treatment design to
compare the effects of two or more instructional packages
on one target behavior (Alberto & Troutman, 1991).
Example 2-
According to Alberto and Troutman (1991), a researcher
uses an alternating treatment design to compare the
effects of two or more instructional packages on one target
behavior.
One Work by One Author (p. 174)
 Use author-date method
 If the author’s name appears as part of the narrative, cite
only the year of publication in parentheses
Kessler (2003) found that among epidemiological samples…
Early onset results in a more persistent and severe course (Kessler, 2003)…
 For subsequent citations of the same reference within
the same paragraph, omit the year
One Work by Multiple Authors (p. 175)
 When a work has two authors, cite both names every time; use “and” in text; use
“&” within parentheses
 When a work has three, four, or five authors, cite all names the first time the
references occurs in text; in subsequent citations, include only the surname of
the first author followed by “et al.”
Kisangau, Lyaruu, Hosea, and Joseph (2007)
shortens to…
Kisangau et al. (2007)
 When a work has six or more authors, cite only the first author followed by “et
al.” for the first and all citations
 Use the same rule from previous slide for citing the year (only the first time a
reference appears in a paragraph)
Other Citation Cases (p. 176-177)
 See the manual for information on how to cite groups as
authors, authors with the same surname, and works with
no identified author
 See Table 6.1 (p. 177) for a very helpful chart on citation
styles
Two or More Works Within the Same
Parentheses (p. 177)
 Order the citations of two or more works within the same
parentheses alphabetically in the same order in which
they appear in the reference list
 Separate each reference with a semicolon
Several studies (Miller, 1999; Shafranske & Mahoney, 1998)…
Secondary Sources (p. 178)
 Secondary sources are books, journal articles, and other
works which rely on and reference an original work
 Best practice: Only use a secondary source when the
primary source of the information is unavailable to you
 Give the secondary source in the reference list
 In text, name the original work and give a citation for the
secondary source
Allport’s diary (as cited in Nicholson, 2003)…
Closing
Closing Comments
 This presentation was only meant to serve as an
overview of APA writing style; you should spend
some additional time looking through your
manual and using the information provided to
improve your writing
 We do NOT recommend that you use this
PowerPoint, or any other APA “cheat sheets” as
direct references - always refer to the manual