APA – The Format

How to write your paper in proper APA format

Acknowledgement

Most of the slides in this presentation were taken from the Powerpoint presentation on the homepage of UW-Green Bay’s Professional Program in Nursing (2003) about APA format (American Psychological Association Writing, 2003).

Some slides were modified to be more relevant to COU 601 students at UMASS -Boston.

• 12 point black font (Times Roman, Courier)

• 1” margin on all sides• Major Sections

Title Page

Body of Paper or Text (This part 3-5 pages)References

APA General Requirements

1.Page Header and Page Number 2. Running head for

publication- NOT FOR THIS CLASS!

3. Title of the Report4. Byline or the Author’s Name 5. Institutional Affiliation

Contains 5 Elements:

Contains 10-12 words – (capitalize all verbs, nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns, both words of a hyphenated word, and first word after a colon or dash)

Page header will contain the first 2-3 words of title and page number. Title page is “page 1”.For your 1st three papers, use your 3 digit

ID number. 00##562#

Centered between the left and right margins

Positioned in the upper half of the paper

Double spaced if it has more than one line

Ethics of Writing 1

Ethics of Writing Research Papers: An

Analysis For Student Review

Ima Gradstudent

University of Massachusetts - Boston

5 Spaces between Page Header and

page number.

Title, Name, Affiliation, are

all double spaced on title

page.

562 1

Ethics of Writing Research Papers: An

Analysis For Student Review

Ima Gradstudent

University of Massachusetts - Boston

The Title Page

Your first paper should have the words “for Student Review” in the title.

The second submission (to me) should have the words” for Final Review” to

designate the two submissions.

THIS IS NOT AN APA GUIDELINE.

Introduction: Contents & Characteristics

Normally you would type title of manuscript at top center.

For papers in this class use the headings provided on the schemas.

How to Use Abbreviations

The first time a term to be abbreviated is used, write it out completely and follow it by its abbreviation in parentheses.

The National Institute of Mental Health’s (NIMH) standards ……(2001).

When referring to the same term later in the paper, the abbreviation can be used.

The NIMH (2001)……..

Organizes elements of the statement, concept or idea

Clarifies the sequence or relationship between elements

Indicated when elements are lengthy or complex

Used to facilitate reader comprehension

Within a sentence or paragraph

Identify each element with a small letter enclosed in parentheses.

Separate paragraphs in a series

Identify each element with a number.

EXAMPLE WITH COMMAS:

“The scientific method contains seven steps including (a) identify the problem, (b) define the problem operationally, (c) Develop hypothesis or research questions…”

Within a Sentence or Paragraph

EXAMPLE WITH COLONS:

Cook and Campbell (1979) identified four types of validity commonly used in social research: (a) conclusion validity; (b) internal validity; (c) construct validity; and (d) external validity.

ONE HEADING: Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

(Level 1)TWO HEADINGS:

Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading (Level 1)Flush Left, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase Side Heading (Level 3)

THREE HEADINGS:Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

(Level 1)

Flush Left, Italicized, Uppercase, and LowercaseSide Heading (Level 3)

Indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period. (Level 4)

Paraphrasing versus Quoting

It is preferable to paraphrase, rather than quote the ideas of others unless the wording is so wonderful that a quote is warranted.

How could you paraphrase the above sentence?

Paraphrasing

Original wording

It is preferable to paraphrase, rather than quote, the ideas of others unless the wording is so wonderful that a quote is warranted.

Paraphrased wordingIt is generally better to use your own words to describe someone else’s ideas instead of restating someone else’s words verbatim.

Key Points to Remember

Quotations (words and phrases not developed by the author) and paraphrasing (ideas not developed by the author but in the author’s own words) must be properly cited.

There may be more than one citation in a paragraph.

Key Points to Remember cont.

Citations should follow every sentence where the words and ideas are not original unless it is clear from the context that multiple sentences came from the same source.

Short Quotations are less than 40 words. Incorporate into the text and enclose with double quotation marks (“ ”).

Long Quotations are more than 40 words Display in a double spaced block, indented five spaces from the left, with no quotation marks.

Two Types of Quotations

Anything that is directly quoted from someone else’s work must be encased in quotation marks and properly cited or with ellipsis points.

Use 3 ellipsis points (…) to indicate that material has been omitted within a sentence.

Use 4 ellipsis points (….) to indicate material has been omitted between sentences (the first point indicates the period at the end of the first sentence quoted).

Rules for all Quotations

Rules for all Quotations cont.

Provide the author, year of publication, and specific page number of quote.

Include a complete reference for all quotations in the reference list.

Secondary Sources

Cite the secondary source in the reference list.

In text, name the original work and give a citation for the secondary source.

Secondary Sources

Text Citation:Block’s study (as cited in Houser, 1998) …..

Reference List Entry:Houser, R. (1998). Counseling and

educational research: Evaluation and application. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Author surname and year of publication• Kubsch (2003) compared nurse staffing

patterns…………• In a recent study of nurse staffing

patterns, it was found that …..(Kubsch, 2003).

ONE WORK BY ONE AUTHOR

Always cite both names every time the reference appears

Connect the last names of a multiple author work with an ampersand (Smith & Smith, 2004).

ONE WORK BY TWO AUTHORS

Cite all authors the first time the reference occurs.• All further references, include only the

surname of the first author followed by et al. and the year in parentheses.

ONE WORK BY THREE, FOUR, or FIVE AUTHORS

(first citation) Block, Kubsch, and Gallagher-Lepak, (2003) found…..

(second citation) These authors found that …. (Block et al., 2003). OR Block and colleagues (2003) found that…….

ONE WORK BY THREE, FOUR, or FIVE AUTHORS

Cite only the surname of the first author followed by et al. and the year for the first and all subsequent citations

In the reference list, provide the initials and surnames of the first six authors, and shorten any remaining authors to et al.

ONE WORK BY SIX OR MORE AUTHORS

Cite the first few words of the reference list entry (usually the title) and the year.

Use double quotation marks around the title of an article or chapter.

WORKS WITH NO KNOWN AUTHOR(S)

Italicize the title of a periodical, book, brochure, or report.

When the work is designated as “Anonymous”, cite the word followed by a comma and the date.

WORKS WITH NO KNOWN AUTHOR(S)

Cite the works in the same order they appear in the reference list.

References are listed in alphabetical order.

Separate the citations with semicolons.

TWO OR MORE WORKS WITHIN THE SAME PARENTHESES

PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS

Includes letters, memos, e-mail, electronic bulletin boards, personal interviews, telephone conversations, etc.

Are cited only in the text but not included in the reference list because information is not recoverable

Give initials and surname of the communicator and the exact date of the communication

M. J. DeVillers (personal communication, April 6, 2001) found…..

Scholars do not always view nursing as a profession (M. J. Devillers, personal communication, April 6, 2001).

So, you want to cite my lecture?

Basic form:Lectures are considered personal communications by the APA Manual. Personal communications are not included on the reference list because a lecture is unpublished and a person would not be able to go back and recover the information. Cite the communication in the text of your paper.Example: (I.S. Lehmann, personal communication, January 29, 2007)

Indicate the page, chapter, figure, table, or equation at the appropriate point in the text

Always give page numbers for quotations (see section 3.34)

The words “page” and “chapter” are abbreviated

(Collins, 2000, p. 232)

(Katz, 1989, chap. 3)

Citing Electronic References in the Text

If the electronic source does not provide page numbers, use the paragraph number preceded by the paragraph symbol ¶ or the abbreviation “para”

If the paragraph and page number are not visible, cite the heading and the number of the paragraph following it to direct the reader to the location of the material (see section 3.39)

(Wilson, 2000, ¶ 5) (Spender, 2000, Conclusion section, para. 1)

Citing Electronic References in the Text

Start the reference Start the reference list on a new pagelist on a new page

Type the word Type the word ‘References’ center ‘References’ center top of pagetop of page

Double space ALL Double space ALL LINES between and LINES between and within entrieswithin entries

Use a hanging indent Use a hanging indent formatformat

Arrange Arrange alphabeticallyalphabetically

If same first author – If same first author – arrange by year of arrange by year of publicationpublication

Table 1

Acceptable Abbreviations for Reference List Entries

Abbreviation Reference list entrychap. chaptered. editionRev. ed. revised edition2nd ed. Second editionEd. (Eds.) Editor (EditorsTrans. Translator(s)n.d. no datep. (pp.) page (pages)Vol. Volume (as in Vol. 4)vols. volumes (as in 4 vol.)No. NumberPt. PartTech Rep. Technical ReportSuppl. Supplement

Periodical (includes journals and scholarly newsletters):

Author, A. A., Author, B., B., & Author, C. C. (2003). Title of

article. Title of Periodical, vol.(issue), page numbers.

Nonperiodical (includes books, reports, manuals, and AV media):

Author, A. A. (2003). Title of book. Location: Publisher.

Chapter in an Edited Book:

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (2003). Title of chapter. In A.

Editor, B. Editor, & C. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. ).

Location: Publisher.

• One Author:One Author:

Brookfield, S. (1993). On impostorship, cultural Brookfield, S. (1993). On impostorship, cultural suicide, and other dangers: How nurses learn suicide, and other dangers: How nurses learn critical thinking. critical thinking. Journal of Continuing Education Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 24,in Nursing, 24, 197-205. 197-205.

• Two Authors:Two Authors:

Kane, D., & Thomas, B. (2000). Nursing and the “F” Kane, D., & Thomas, B. (2000). Nursing and the “F” word. Nword. Nursing Forum, 35ursing Forum, 35(2), 17-24.(2), 17-24.

Three to Six Authors:Three to Six Authors:

Ossana, S. M., Helms, J. E., & Leonard, M. R. Ossana, S. M., Helms, J. E., & Leonard, M. R. (1992). Do “womanist” identify attitudes (1992). Do “womanist” identify attitudes influence college women’s self –esteem and influence college women’s self –esteem and perceptions of environmental bias? perceptions of environmental bias? Journal Journal of Counseling and Development, 70of Counseling and Development, 70 , 402-, 402-408408..

More than Six Authors:More than Six Authors:

Sherr, M., Maddox, J. E., Mercandante, B., Sherr, M., Maddox, J. E., Mercandante, B., Prentice-Dunn, S. I., Jacobs, B., Rogers, R. Prentice-Dunn, S. I., Jacobs, B., Rogers, R. W., Katz, M., et al. (1982). The self-efficacy W., Katz, M., et al. (1982). The self-efficacy scale: Construction and validation. scale: Construction and validation. Psychological Reports, 81Psychological Reports, 81, 663-671., 663-671.

Give the name of the publisher as Give the name of the publisher as briefly briefly as possibleas possible

Write out the names of associations, Write out the names of associations, corporations, and university corporations, and university

pressespresses Omit superfluous terms such as Omit superfluous terms such as

Publishers, Co., or Inc.Publishers, Co., or Inc. Retain words such as Retain words such as BooksBooks and and PressPress

Table 2

Cities Not Needing State, Territory Code, or Country Name

in the Reference List

American cities Other cities

Baltimore New York Amsterdam Paris

Boston Philadelphia Jerusalem Rome

Chicago San Francisco London Stockholm

Los Angeles Milan Tokyo

Moscow Vienna

Table 3

Use Post Office Abbreviations for States and Territories

Location Abbreviation Location AbbreviationAlabama AL Missouri MO Alaska AK Montana MTAmerican Samoa AS Nebraska NEArizona AZ Nevada NVArkansas AR New Hampshire NHCalifornia CA New Jersey NJCanal Zone CZ New Mexico NMColorado CO New York NYConnecticut CT North Carolina NCDelaware DE North Dakota NDDistrict of Columbia DC Ohio OHFlorida FL Oklahoma OKGeorgia GA Oregon OR

Table 3 cont.

Abbreviations for States and Territories

Location Abbreviation Location AbbreviationGuam GU Pennsylvania PAHawaii HI Puerto Rico PRIdaho ID Rhode Island RIIllinois IL South Carolina SCIndiana IN South Dakota SDIowa IA Tennessee TNKansas KS Texas TXKentucky KY Utah UTLouisiana LA Vermont VTMaine ME Virginia VAMaryland MD Virgin Islands VIMassachusetts MA Washington WAMichigan MI West Virginia WVMinnesota MN Wisconsin WIMississippi MS Wyoming WY

Vaill, P.B. (1996). Learning as a way of

being. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Hayes, E., & Flannery, D. (2000). Women

as learners. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

With an Edition:With an Edition:

hooks, b. (2000). hooks, b. (2000). Feminist theory: From margin to centerFeminist theory: From margin to center (2 (2ndnd ed.). Cambridge: South End Press.ed.). Cambridge: South End Press.

NOTE: bell hooks, a Black feminist does not capitalize her NOTE: bell hooks, a Black feminist does not capitalize her name in any publication, therefore, she is cited name in any publication, therefore, she is cited appropriately.appropriately.

With an Organization as Author, Edition, and With an Organization as Author, Edition, and Capitalization of Proper Nouns:Capitalization of Proper Nouns:

The American Nurses’ Association (2003). The American Nurses’ Association (2003). Nursing’s Social Nursing’s Social Policy Statement (Policy Statement (22ndnd ed.). ed.). Washington DC: Author.Washington DC: Author.

Edited Book:Edited Book:

Belenky, M. F., Clinchy, B. M., Goldberger, N. Belenky, M. F., Clinchy, B. M., Goldberger, N. R., & Tarule, J. M. (Eds.). (1997). R., & Tarule, J. M. (Eds.). (1997). Women’s Women’s ways of knowingways of knowing. New York: Basic Books.. New York: Basic Books.

No Author or Editor:No Author or Editor:

Roget’s II: The new thesaurusRoget’s II: The new thesaurus (3 (3rdrd ed.). (1995). ed.). (1995). New York: Houghton Mifflin.New York: Houghton Mifflin.

Chapter in a Book with an Unknown Chapter in a Book with an Unknown Editor:Editor:

Jarvis, P. (1992). Learning practice Jarvis, P. (1992). Learning practice knowledge. In knowledge. In Professional’s ways of Professional’s ways of knowing: New findings on how to knowing: New findings on how to improve professional educationimprove professional education (pp. 89- (pp. 89-95). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.95). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Chapter in an Edited Book:Chapter in an Edited Book:

Hofstader, R., & Munger, P. D. (1990). Hofstader, R., & Munger, P. D. (1990). Education in the workplace: An integral part Education in the workplace: An integral part of the development of professionals. In R. of the development of professionals. In R. M. Cervero & J. F. Azzaretto (Eds.), M. Cervero & J. F. Azzaretto (Eds.), Vision Vision for the future of continuing professional for the future of continuing professional educationeducation (pp. 79-109). Athens: The (pp. 79-109). Athens: The University of Georgia.University of Georgia.

• Direct readers as closely as possible to the information being cited; reference specific documents rather than home or menu pages.

• Provide addresses (URLs) that work.

• Authors name whenever possible (may be the web cite name; go back to the home page or navigate around the site to find it)

• If you cannot, find an author, cite the first few words of the reference list entry (usually the title) and the year

• Document title or description• Date of publication, update, or the date of

retrieval • An Internet address or Uniform Resource

Locator (URL)

• Copy the URL directly from the address window in the browser and paste it into the paper.

• Do not insert a hyphen if the URL needs to be broken..

• Always break a URL after a slash or before a period.

Online periodical:Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author,

  C. C. (2003). Title of article. Title of   Periodical, volume, page numbers.

Retrieved month, day, year, from URL.

Online document:

Author, A. A. (2003). Title of work. Retrieved month day, year, from source.

1. Articles are duplicates of print versions, therefore, the same basic primary journal reference is used

2. Make a note of “electronic version”

Goldberger, N. (1997). Ways of knowing: Does gender matter? [Electronic Version]. Journal of Continuing Education in Nursing, 5, 117-123.

Fredrickson, B. L. (2000, March 7). Cultivating positive emotions to optimize health and well-being. Prevention & Treatment, 3, Article 0001a. Retrieved November 20, 2000, from http://journals.apa.org/prevention volume3/pre0030001a.html

Fredrickson, B. L. (2000, March 7). Cultivating positive emotions to optimize health and well-being. Prevention & Treatment, 3, Article 0001a. Retrieved November 20, 2000, from htp://journals.apa.org/

preventionvolume3/pre0030001a.html.

NOTE: If the author is not identified, begin the reference with the title of the document

University of Wisconsin – Green Bay

(2000). The Green Bay idea. Retrieved July 10,

2001, from UWGB website:

http://www.uwgb.edu/idea/uwgb-idea3.htm

Roberts, S.J. (2000). Development of a positive

professional identity: Liberating oneself from

the oppressor within. Advances in Nursing

Science, 22(4), 71-82. Retrieved July 20, 2000,

from CINAHL.

Remember that this PowerPoint presentation does not replace the APA manual.