Transcript RULES FOR APA WRITING

RULES FOR APA
WRITING
John R. Slate
Educational Leadership
GUIDELINES FOR
WRITING IN
AMERICAN
PSYCHOLOGICAL
ASSOCIATION
4TH EDITION STYLE
TYPING INSTRUCTIONS
All margins are 1 inch, no more-no less.
Your page header is printed at the 1 inch
margin line, not above it [p. 240].
 If using WORD, you will need to set FIVE
margins: left margin, right margin, top
margin, bottom margin, and header
margin
 If using WordPerfect, only need to set
FOUR margins: left, right, top, bottom
All writing is DOUBLESPACED, NOT single, or triple,
simply DOUBLE-SPACED [p.
239]. You will have NO
exceptions to this rule.
Number all pages
BEGINNING with title page.
[p. 240]
Information about what is
included on the title page
can be found on pages
248-250.
Manuscript is LEFT-justified
(results in right side being
uneven). [p. 240]
No hyphenation unless word
is written as such (e.g., at-risk,
t-test).[pp. 70-74]
Space ONCE, and only
once, after ALL
punctuation. After internal
periods in abbreviations,
no space occurs (e.g.,
a.m., U.S.). [p. 244]
Avoid leaving a single line at the bottom of a
page (i.e., first line of a paragraph begins at
the bottom of a page and then carries over to
the next page--called a widow).
Avoid leaving a single line at the top of a
page (i.e., last line of a paragraph is carried
over to the next page--called an orphan).
 In WORD or in WordPerfect, go into format;
page; keep text together; and set the
widow/orphan protection.
11. Headings are Level One (centered,
first letters capitalized); Level Three
(flush left margin, underlined, first letters
capitalized); Level Four (indented five
spaces, underlined, and followed by a
period). Information regarding headings
and their levels can be found on pages
242-243.
12. Words/phrases are not artificially
emphasized using bold, single or double
quote marks, underlining, or by any
other means. The only words that have
quote marks around them are
quotations and you must cite the
specific pages from which the quote
was taken.
13. Use an Arial or New Times Roman 10
or 12 point font size. Use the same font
size and font type throughout your
paper.
 Be careful when typing your page
header that it is the same font and same
font size as your text. You must set it
with most word processing programs.
CITATIONS
Do NOT have studies cited in your
reference section UNLESS they are
cited in the text of your paper. Just
because you read an article does NOT
mean it belongs in your reference
section. Every study cited in the text of
your paper MUST be referenced on
your reference page.
ALWAYS provide a citation for anyone
else's work you use in paraphrased or
quoted form to write paper. [p. 168]
ALWAYS provide a page
number(s) for any quotations
you use, as well as the
authors.
& is used within parentheses.
And is used in text of paper.
When citing a study with more
than two authors, after the first
citation in which all names listed,
cite the first author's last name
and then et al., year (e.g., Slate et
al., 1995) [pp. 169-170]
REFERENCES
See pages 174-188 in APA 4th
edition manual.
The references are begun on a
new page.
Referencing Electronic Materials
 See
handout
 website at:
 http://www.beadsland.com/weapas/#AV
GENERAL INFORMATION
Writing of the literature review is in
PAST TENSE. PAST TENSE writing
does not have to be passive or
boring, but should be ACTIVE. [pp.
32-33]
Writing of the research proposal,
with the exception of the literature
review, is in FUTURE TENSE.
Writing is FORMAL and TECHNICAL.
FEELING words are not used. Do
NOT write the way in which you carry
on a conversation.
Paragraphs must be more than two

sentences. Therefore, NO one or two
sentence paragraphs. Avoid overly long
paragraphs, greater than seven
sentences. Thus, your paragraphs
should range in size from three to seven
sentences.
Count: 3 to 7 sentences per paragraph.
Only exceptions are: Definitions of Term
section and Hypotheses section.
Contractions are NOT used. Don’t
have any in your paper.
The word data is a plural term: data
ARE, the word datum is singular.
Make sure that your noun and verb are
in agreement; if one is singular, so
should be the other; if one is plural, so
should be the other. [pp. 34-35] Make
sure your nouns and pronouns are in
agreement as well. That is, if you use
student in the beginning of your paper,
then the pronoun used later should NOT
be their ...
Avoid using, There is or There are, as
this writing is very passive. When you
find a sentence that begins this way,
delete the there is/are and add a verb
after the first noun present in the
sentence.
Do NOT write, This is, as This always
refers to something. Along the same
lines, do not write, those are, because
those always refers to those what.
It's means it is and is NOT a
possessive pronoun. As contractions
are NOT used in APA style, you may
NOT use it's.
11.Its is a possessive pronoun and may
be used, when and where appropriate.
12.Avoid using IT as it, many times, is
unclear to what the IT refers. Always be
clear to the reader about what you are
discussing.
13.Do NOT use the word DONE unless
you are or have cooked something.
Done does NOT mean completed or
finished in technical writing.
14.Connect your sentences together with
integrating phrases or words. Avoid
jumpy writing [pp. 24-28]. One way to
integrate sentences together is to use a
few of the key words from the previous
sentence in writing a new sentence.
15.Alternate sentence beginnings so
that your sentences do NOT begin
the same way all the time. Avoid
using THE to begin your sentences.
16. Connect your paragraphs together
with integrating phrases or words.
Avoid jumps between paragraphs [pp.
24-28]. One way to integrate
paragraphs together is to use some of
the words from the previous paragraph
in beginning the next paragraph or
through use of such phrases as: In
contrast to the findings above...Similar
to Smith’s findings...
17.Alternate paragraph beginnings so that
your paragraphs do NOT begin the
same way all the time. Avoid using The
to begin paragraphs.
18.While and since can be used ONLY in
terms of time. Since does NOT mean
because in technical writing. Words
such as though, although, and whereas
are acceptable alternatives to while. [pp.
42-43]
19.Do NOT begin a sentence with an
abbreviation. [p. 89] If you have to spell
the term out again, then do so.
20.Avoid using colloquial expressions
(e.g., write up for report or set up for
develop) [p. 28].
21.Avoid using pronouns as pronouns
confuse readers unless the referent is
obvious. [pp. 36-38]
22.Avoid bias in your writing. See
pages 46-60.
23.When referring to gender of
participants, use boy and girl when
referring to people of high school
age and younger; men and women
for persons 18 years of age and
older. [p. 53]
24.Avoid using superlatives such as very
or great.
25.Please use the spell check function of
your word processing program prior to
submitting your paper. NO excuse for
having misspelled words. [p. 255]
Please proof or have a colleague proof
your paper for errors that a spell check
cannot catch (e.g., you when you mean
your).
26. Avoid having inanimate objects engaging
in animate activities. That is, do not write
"Research shows" or "Techniques indicated"
or "Results proved." When you have an
inanimate object engaging in an animate
activity (e.g., techniques which improved),
you need to rearrange the wording as
follows: techniques in which students' vocal
responses were improved. Only people can
do things in your paper.
27. Do not use words such as "proven" or
"proved." Instead use “demonstrated.”