Transcript Tables & Figure, Scientific Abbreviations, and Other APA

Tables and Figures, Scientific
Abbreviations, and Other APA
Nuances
With
Hillary Wentworth
Writing Consultant
Webinar Overview
• Over the next few slides, we will
– discuss formatting for tables and figures.
– determine when and how to use
abbreviations.
– review other APA 6th ed. nuances such as
formatting, punctuation and capitalization,
seriation, numbers, and academic voice.
Tables and Figures
APA 6th, Chapter 5
• In the body of your paper, information that does not
appear in textual form must be formatted and labeled as
either a table or a figure. APA does not allow for the
words graph, illustration, or chart.
• Number tables and figures consecutively,
that is, Table 1, Table 2, Figure 1, Figure 2.
• For more information, see
http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/170.htm
Tables
•
Place the word Table and the table number above the
table, flush left. Place the title of the table (in title case),
double-spaced, under the table number, flush left in
italics. Double-, triple-, or quadruple-space before and
after the table—just be consistent.
•
Information regarding abbreviations or symbols used in
a table, copyright information, and probability must be
located in a note below the table. See APA 5.16 for
formatting information.
Tables
Table 4
Comparison of Boys and Girls by Height and Weight
____________________________________________
Variable
Height
Weight
Boys (n=61)
5 ft 1 in
104 lb
Girls (n=60)
5 ft 2 in
98 lb
Note. From “Analysis of Seventh Graders’ Hormones,” by W.
Steeves, 2008, Journal of Despair, 98, p. 11. Copyright 2008 from
the American Psychological Association.
Figures
• A figure should be
– supplemental to the text of your paper
– the best way to communicate the information
– clear and engaging, rather than simply distracting
• To format: Place the word Figure and the figure number
under the figure, flush left in italics. The title of the figure
goes next to the number in sentence case. In
dissertations, do not type captions on a separate page.
Figures
Pressure from
Home
Pressure from
Work
Dangerous Levels of
Medications
Figure 13. Causes of stress and its effects among graduate
students. Adapted from…
Abbreviations
APA 6th, 4.22-4.30
According to APA (2010), “to maximize clarity, use abbreviations
sparingly. Although abbreviations are sometimes useful for
long, technical terms in scientific writing, communication is
usually garbled rather than clarified if, for example, an
abbreviation is unfamiliar to the reader” (p. 106).
But what does that mean?
• Know your audience.
• Use abbreviations only for long, familiar terms.
• Consider an abbreviation only if the term comes up three or more times.
• Format: No Child Left Behind (NCLB) determined…
• IQ, REM, ESP, AIDS, and HIV qualify as words
Scientific Abbreviations
Units of Measurement and Time: Pages 108-109
• According to APA, use abbreviations and symbols
for metric as well as nonmetric measurement units
that are accompanied by a number (18 cm, 147 g,
60 W).
• Notice these abbreviations are not followed by a
period. The exceptions to this are in. (inch), a.m.
(ante meridiem), and p.m. (post meridiem).
Scientific Abbreviations
Units of Measurement
• Write out the units of measurement when they are
not accompanied by a number (millimeter, hertz,
ampere, etc.).
• Do not repeat these abbreviations when you
express multiple amounts (20-24 kg; 7-10 ml; or 3,
9, and 17 ppm).
Scientific Abbreviations
Units of Time
• To prevent misunderstandings, write out rather than
abbreviate the following terms, even when
accompanied by a number: day, week, month, year
(days, 9 weeks, months, etc.).
• Do abbreviate hour (hr), minute (min), millisecond
(ms), nanosecond (ns), and second (s).
Scientific Abbreviations
Chemical Compounds and Concentrations: Page 110
“Chemical compounds may be expressed by common
name or by chemical name. If you prefer to use the
common name, provide the chemical name in
parentheses on first mention in the Method section.
Avoid expressing compounds with chemical formulas.
. .(e.g. aspirin or salicylic acid, not C9H8O4)” (APA,
2010, p. 110).
If compounds include Greek letters, keep them as
symbols (β carotene not beta carotene).
Scientific Abbreviations
“Long names of organic compounds are often
abbreviated; if the abbreviation is listed as a word
entry in Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary
(2005; e.g., NADP for nicotinamide adenine
dinucleotide phosphate), you may use it freely,
without writing it out on first use” (APA, 2010, p.
110).
When specifying the ratio or concentration of
something, use the appropriate abbreviation.
– (vol/vol), (wt/vol), (wt/wt)
Abbreviation Rules
Plurals of Abbreviations
• Add an s
• Do not italicize
• Do not include an apostrophe
Examples: IQs, Eds., vols.
• Exception: to make page (p.) plural, write pp.
• Exception: do not add an s to make units of
measurement plural (12 cm)
Abbreviation Rules
Beginnings of Sentences
• Do not use a lowercase abbreviation (ml) or a
symbol that stands alone (Ώ).
• Avoid a capitalized abbreviation or acronym (such
as CDC).
• With chemical compounds, capitalize the first letter
of the word connected to a symbol.
Example: L-methionine (in text) but L-Methionine
(beginning of a sentence).
APA Nuances
In addition to citations, tables/figures, and
abbreviations, APA provides guidelines for
• Formatting
• Punctuation and capitalization
• Seriation (lists)
• Numbers
• Academic voice and bias-free language
Formatting
Font and Spacing
• Use a 12-point serif font for all text, including front
matter and reference list.
• Walden prefers Times New Roman.
• Minimum 8 pt. type can be used in tables and
figures.
• Double space all text, including the reference list
and block quotes.
• Walden will accept either one space or two spaces
after a period.
Formatting
Margins, Pagination, and Running Head
All margins should be set to 1 in. on each side of the
paper. Page numbers go in the upper right corner.
The running head goes in the upper left corner and is
in all capital letters. The words “Running head:”
appear only on the cover page.
Running head: CARDIOVASCULAR PROCEDURES
See paper templates here: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/57.htm
Formatting
Underlines, Boldface, and Italics
• APA papers should not contain any underlining.
• APA does not allow boldface except in tables and
figures (to highlight specific data) and in Level 1, 2,
3, and 4 headings.
• Italics should be used rarely. Several instances of
appropriate use:
– titles of books and journals
– a word used as a linguistic example (“The word student
appeared on the test”).
Punctuation
The Serial Comma
• In a series of three or more items, you must insert a
comma before the word and or or.
Examples:
– bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich
– Groucho, Harpo, Chico, and Zeppo
– eating lunch, going to the gym, and going home
Punctuation
Apostrophes
• Add an apostrophe + s for possessives of names,
even names that already end in s:
– Smith’s theory
– Jones’s hypothesis
• Do not use an apostrophe to make a year or an
abbreviation plural: 1980s, ELLs
Punctuation
Hyphens
• Most prefixes are not hyphenated: semistructured,
nondenominational, multimedia, antisocial, posttest,
pretest, and so forth.
• See http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/341.htm for a
complete list.
• Words with the self- prefix are always hyphenated:
self-esteem, self-motivated.
• Do not include a space before or after the hyphen.
Capitalization
Capitalize
• major words in titles and headings
• job titles that immediately precede a person’s name:
the superintendent, but Superintendent Williams
• proper nouns and trade names
• nouns followed by numerals or letters: Week 2, Table 3
Do not capitalize
• the names of theories, models, conditions, or
diseases: theory of relativity, diabetes
Seriation
For lists within your sentences, use lowercase letters
to set off the elements:
I accomplished several tasks on my day off: (a) cleaning the
house, (b) paying the bills, and (c) mowing the lawn.
For vertical lists, use bullet points when there is no
specific order or hierarchy:
Timmerman (2009) indicated that the preferred food choices
of State Fair goers are
• chocolate chip cookies,
• bacon on a stick, and
• deep-fried cheese curds.
Headings
Use headings to organize your ideas and show
development of the argument. APA demonstrates five
levels of headings:
Oranges as Indicators for Progress [Title of Paper]
History of the Florida Citrus Industry [Level 1]
Herr Sunkist’s Arrival [Level 2]
Why apples didn’t work. [Level 3]
Dependable cheap labor. [Level 4]
Union busting in sunny Florida. [Level 5]
Numbers
General rule: Numbers 10 and higher appear as
numerals; nine and lower are written out.
Exception: Units of time, age, money, scores, and
points on a scale always appear as numerals unless
at the start of a sentence (5 years, score of 9 out of
10).
• Express approximate numbers of days, months, and
years as words if they are smaller than nine (about
three weeks ago).
Use of First Person
Both APA and Walden allow the use of the first-person “I” to
discuss your actions.
“To avoid ambiguity, use a personal pronoun rather than the
third person when describing steps taken in your experiment”
(APA, 2009, p. 69).
•
•
•
•
Correct for one author: I reviewed the literature.
Correct for more than one author: We reviewed the literature.
Incorrect for one author: This author reviewed the literature.
Incorrect for more than one author: The researchers reviewed
the literature.
Respectful, Bias-Free Language
It is important to avoid biased language in
your writing for several reasons:
• You do not want to offend your reader(s).
• You want your reader to see you as an
authority on the subject.
• You want to appear to be (and be!) openminded on the subject.
Respectful, Bias-Free Language
APA (2010) is “committed both to science
and to the fair treatment of individuals and
groups, and this policy requires that
authors . . . avoid perpetuating demeaning
attitudes and biased assumptions about
people in their writing” (pp. 70-71).
Respectful, Bias-Free Language
Gender (APA 6th, 3.12)
• Gender is cultural and refers to role, whereas sex is
biological.
• Do not use a masculine pronoun (he) to refer to both sexes.
• Do not use masculine or feminine pronouns to define roles by
sex (for example, always referring to nurses as she).
• Transgender is an adjective used to refer to a person whose
gender identity or expression is different from his or her sex at
birth.
• Do not use transgender as a noun.
Respectful, Bias-Free Language
Disabilities (APA 6th, 3.15)
• Use language that maintains the integrity of all human beings.
Avoid objectification and slurs.
• In writing, use people-first language rather than focusing on
disability. For example, say person with autism rather than an
autistic or an autistic person.
• Avoid offensive, condescending euphemisms when describing
people with disabilities, such as special or physically
challenged.
Respectful, Bias-Free Language
Racial and Ethnic Identity (APA 6th, 3.14)
• When using the word minority, use a modifier such as ethnic
or racial to avoid the connation of being less than or
oppressed.
• Avoid describing groups differently. For example, Black
Americans refers to color, while Asian Americans refers to
cultural heritage. Have parallel designations.
• Racial and ethnic terms change often. Consult Guidelines for
Unbiased Language at http://www.apastyle.org or section
3.14 in the APA manual for appropriate language and
terminology.
Respectful, Bias-Free Language
Age (APA 6th, 3.16)
• The terms girl and boy should be used for individuals under
12 years of age.
• The terms young man and young woman are appropriate for
individuals aged 13 to 17 years of age.
• The terms man and woman are used for anyone aged 18
years or more.
• Do not use senior and elderly as nouns.
• For more information on appropriate language concerning
age, please see page 76 in APA 6th edition.
Other Resources
• Writing Center: http://writingcenter.waldenu.edu/
• Library: http://library.waldenu.edu/
• Residencies: http://residencies.waldenu.edu/
• APA Style Blog: http://blog.apastyle.org/
• Writing Center Blog:
http://waldenwritingcenter.blogspot.com/
Questions?
You can email us anytime!
For questions about course papers:
[email protected]
For questions about dissertations
and doctoral studies:
[email protected]