American PsychologicalAssociation (APA) Writing andDocumentation StyleOrientation

Purchase the APA Manual

This orientation is only an overview ofAPA (2001) format.Students still need to purchase and usethe APA (2001) Manual.

apastyle.org website

Info about the APA (2001) manual isfound athttp://www.apastyle.org/pubmanual.html

See links to About APA Style Style Tips What's New

• 12 point black font (Times Roman, Courier)• 1” margin on all sides• Major Sections

Title PageAbstract (optional, consult faculty and/or assignmentrequirements)Body of Paper or TextReferencesAppendices NOTE: Sections such as appendices,Tables tables, and figures may notFigures be appropriate for all papers

Expressing Ideas and ReducingBiases (See chapter 2 in APA Manual)

Maintain continuity between words, themes,and sections. Use punctuation marks to show relationships. Use transitional words, phrases, and paragraphs.

Say only what needs to be said. Avoid jargon, redundancy, and wordiness. Use direct, declarative sentences of various

lengths that are logically composed.

Expressing Ideas andReducing Biases cont.

Precision and Clarity Do not use third person when speaking

about self. Avoid colloquial expressions such as write

up for report.

Expressing Ideas and ReducingBiases cont.

Grammar Use active rather than passive verbs whenever

possible. Use past tense to express action that occurred at

a specific time in the past. Use the present tense to express past action that

did not occur at a specific time or action thatbegan in the past and continues to the present.

Subject and verb must agree in number (singularvs. plural).

Noun and pronoun must agree in number.

See Section 2.06-2.08 for more details.

Expressing Ideas and ReducingBiases cont.

Level of Specificity Gender is a cultural term used to refer to men and

women as social groups. Sex is used when a biological distinction is

preferred.Use of Labels Use adjectives to describe people (elderly people)

or put the person first (people who are elderly)rather than saying “the elderly.”

Expressing Ideas and ReducingBiases cont.

Gender Do not use masculine nouns (man) and pronouns (he) to refer to

both sexes. Do not assume a discipline is one gender (use she for all nurses).

Sexual Orientation “Lesbians and gay men” are preferable to “homosexuals.”

Racial and Ethnic Identity Use capitalized proper nouns (White, Black). Negro, Afro-American, Caucasian are dated and discouraged.

Refer to tables 2.1 (chapter 2) for more examples

Expressing Ideas andReducing Biases cont.

Disabilities Do not equate people with a condition (“schizophrenics” or

“the disabled”). The words “challenged” and “special” should be used only

with permission.Age Be specific in providing age ranges. Avoid open ended descriptors such as “over 65.” Use “boy” and “girl” when referring to high school age and

younger. Use “men” and “women” for those aged 18 and older.

Expressing Ideas andReducing Biases cont.

The first time a term to be abbreviated isused, write it out completely and follow it byits abbreviation in parentheses.The American Counseling Association (ACA)Code of Ethics ……(2005).When referring to the same term later in thepaper, the abbreviation can be used.The ACA (2005)……..

Page Header and Page Number Running Head for Publication Title of the Manuscript Byline or the Author’s Name Institutional AffiliationSee p. 306 in APA Manual

Contains 5 Elements:

An abbreviated title

Never exceeds 50 characters includingpunctuation and spaces

Typed flush left at the top of the pagebelow the page header

Typed in all upper case letters

Contains 10-12 words – (capitalize all verbs, nouns,adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns, both words of ahyphenated word, and first word after a colon or dash)Stands alone and is easily compressible toform the words making up the running headCentered between the left and right marginsPositioned in the upper half of the paperDouble spaced if it has more than one line

The Title Page

Your faculty person may ask you toinclude a date of paper submission on

the title page.

THIS IS NOT AN APA GUIDELINE.

• Abstract summarizes the entire paper to nomore than one paragraph in length.

• Abstract is dense with information but alsobrief, self contained, and non-evaluative.

• It is typed, double spaced, as a block of nomore than 120 words (without indentation).

• It follows the title page.• It begins with ‘Abstract’ typed at top center

of the page.• It is written last.

Introduction: Contents &Characteristics

Type title of manuscript at top center.Capitalize first letter of all verbs, nouns,adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, and first letterof the first word after a colon or dash as wellas both words of a hyphenated wordException: In titles of books and articles in reference

lists, capitalize the first word, all proper nouns, thefirst word after a colon or hyphen, and only the firstword of a hyphenated compound.

Opens the body of the paper as a summarizationof relevant arguments, data, and informationIs 1-2 paragraphs in lengthPresents the specific problem under studyDescribes the research statementIs never labeled because it is clearly identified byits position in the paper

Introduction: Contents &Characteristics cont.

Organizes elements of the statement,concept or ideaClarifies the sequence or relationshipbetween elementsIndicated when elements are lengthy orcomplexUsed to facilitate reader comprehension

Within a sentence or paragraphIdentify each element with a small letter

enclosed in parentheses.

Separate paragraphs in a seriesIdentify each element with a number.

EXAMPLE WITH COMMAS:The nursing process contains five stepsincluding (a) assessment, (b) diagnosis,(c) planning, (d) implementation, and(e) evaluation.

EXAMPLE WITH COLONS:

Bonnie Wesorick’s (1986) research identifiedthree dimensions of professional practice: (a)independent, which is least reported by hospitalnurses; (b) interdependent, which is reportedmore frequently than independent and involvesmany different disciplines; and (c) dependent,which is reported most frequently by hospitalnurses.

Number paragraphs to itemizeconclusions or steps in a procedure.Each paragraph of the series isnumbered.The number is followed by a period.The number IS NOT enclosed inparentheses.

EXAMPLE OF APARAGRAPH IN A SERIES

The literature on Oppressed Behavior indicatesnurses exhibit a variety of behaviors in the workplace:

1. Silence and a lack of voice (paragraph cont.)2. Inability to organize and form coalitions (paragraph

cont.)3. Horizontal violence among and between colleagues

(paragraph cont.)

ONE HEADING: Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

(Level 1)TWO HEADINGS:

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

THREE HEADINGS:Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

(Level 1)

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

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

FOUR HEADINGS: Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading (Level 1)

Centered, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading(Level 2)

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

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

FIVE HEADINGS: CENTERED UPPERCASE HEADING (Level 5)

Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading (Level 1)

Centered, Italicized, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading (Level 2)

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

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

Constructing Tables

Type the word ‘Table’ and its arabic numeral flush leftat the top of the table.

Double space and begin the table title flush left,capitalizing the initial letters of the principal words;italicize the title.

Double space the title if more than one line.

Center column heads and subheads over theappropriate columns within the table; capitalize onlythe initial letter of the first word of the heading.

Constructing Tables cont.

Allow at least three spaces betweencolumns.

Double space all lines.

Separate the table title from the headingsand the headings from the body with aline.

Table 1

The Counselor’s Activity Scale

Measure and variable Score Mean SD

Variable 1 8 3 1.0

Variable 2 5 8 .5

Variable 3 7 5 2.5

Variable 4 6 6 0

Variable 5 9 4 1.5

Begin each appendix on a new page.

Type the word ‘Appendix’ and the identifyingcapital letter (A, B, C, etc) at the top of thepage centered; The letters are used in theorder the appendix is mentioned in the text).

If there is only one appendix, type ‘Appendix’at the top of the page, centered.

Double space all lines.

Paraphrasing versusQuoting

It is preferable to paraphrase, ratherthan quote, the ideas of others unlessthe wording is so wonderful that a quoteis warranted.

How could you paraphrase the abovesentence?

Paraphrasing

Original wording It is preferable to paraphrase, rather than

quote, the ideas of others unless the wordingis so wonderful that a quote is warranted.Paraphrased wordingIt is generally better to use your own words todescribe someone else’s ideas instead ofrestating someone else’s words verbatim.

Key Points to Remember

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

There may be more than one citation in aparagraph.

Key Points to Remember cont.

Citations should follow every sentencewhere the words and ideas are not originalunless it is clear from the context thatmultiple sentences came from the samesource.

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

Long Quotations are more than 40 wordsDisplay in a double spaced block, indentedfive spaces from the left, with no quotationmarks.

Two Types ofQuotations

Anything that is directly quoted from someone else’swork must be encased in quotation marks andproperly cited or with ellipsis points.

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

Use 4 ellipsis points (….) to indicate material hasbeen omitted between sentences (the first pointindicates the period at the end of the first sentencequoted).

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 allquotations in the reference list.

Secondary Sources

Cite the secondary source in the referencelist.In text, name the original work and give acitation for the secondary source.

Text Citation:Balkin & Leddick’s article (as cited in Gillen & Balkin,

2006) …..Reference List Entry:Gillen, M.C., & Balkin, R.S. (2006). Adventure counseling as an

adjunct to group counseling in hospital and clinical settings. TheJournal for Specialists in group Work, 31, 153-164.

ONE WORK BY ONE AUTHORAuthor surname and year of publication• Dixon (2000) identified a recovery model. . .• In a study of recovery models, it was found that. . .

(Dixon, 2000).

ONE WORK BY TWO AUTHORS 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 THREE, FOUR, or FIVEAUTHORS

• 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 inparentheses.

(first citation) Steward, Manion, and Davidson(2002) provided a problem solving model. . .(second citation) These authors found that ….(Stewart et al., 2002). ORStewart et al. (2002) found that…….

ONE WORK BY SIX OR MORE AUTHORS

• Cite only the surname of the first authorfollowed by et al. and the year for the first andall subsequent citations

• In the reference list, provide the initials andsurnames of the first six authors, and shortenany remaining authors to et al.

WORKS WITH NO KNOWN AUTHOR(S)

• Cite the first few words of the reference listentry (usually the title) and the year.

• Use double quotation marks around the titleof an article or chapter.

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

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

TWO OR MORE WORKS WITHIN THESAME PARENTHESES

• Cite the works in the same order theyappear in the reference list.

• Separate the citations with semicolons.

Indicate the page, chapter, figure, table, orequation at the appropriate point in the textAlways give page numbers for quotations (seesection 3.34)The words “page” and “chapter” are abbreviated

(Collins, 2000, p. 232) (Katz, 1989, chap. 3)

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

If the paragraph and page number are not visible, cite theheading and the number of the paragraph following it todirect the reader to the location of the material (seesection 3.39)

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

Start the reference list ona new pageType the word‘References’ center top ofpageDouble space ALL LINESbetween and withinentriesUse a hanging indentformatArrange alphabeticallyIf same first author –arrange by year ofpublication

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:

Faurie, W.C. (1990). Prediction of length ofhospitalization of adolescent psychiatricinpatients utilizing the PD scale of the MMPIand demographic data [Electronic version].Adolescence, 25, 305-310.

• Two Authors:

Collins, B.G., & Collins, T.M. (1994). Child andadolescent mental health: Building a system ofcare [Electronic version]. Journal ofCounseling and Development, 72, 239-243.

Three to Six Authors:

Ossana, S. M., Helms, J. E., & Leonard, M. R.(1992). Do “womanist” identify attitudesinfluence college women’s self –esteem andperceptions of environmental bias? Journalof Counseling and Development, 70, 402-408.

More than Six Authors:

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

Give the name of the publisher as brieflyas possible

Write out the names of associations, corporations, and university presses Omit superfluous terms such as Publishers, Co., or Inc. Retain words such as Books and Press

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 MOAlaska 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:hooks, b. (2000). Feminist theory: From margin to

center (2nd ed.). Cambridge: South End Press. NOTE: bell hooks, a Black feminist does not

capitalize her name in any publication, therefore,she is cited appropriately.

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

American Psychiatric Association. (2000).Diagnostic and statistical manual of mentaldisorders (4th ed., text revision). Washington,DC: Author.

Edited Book:Carter, B., & McGoldrick, M. (Eds.).

(1999). The expanded family lifecycle:Individual, family, and socialperspective (3rd ed.). Needham, MA.:Allyn & Bacon.

No Author or Editor:

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

Chapter in a Book with an UnknownEditor:

Jarvis, P. (1992). Learning practiceknowledge. In Professional’s ways ofknowing: New findings on how toimprove professional education (pp. 89-95). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Chapter in an Edited Book:

Hofstader, R., & Munger, P. D. (1990).Education in the workplace: An integral partof the development of professionals. In R.M. Cervero & J. F. Azzaretto (Eds.), Visionfor the future of continuing professionaleducation (pp. 79-109). Athens: TheUniversity of Georgia.

Published:

Martin, L. (1992). Structural Racism: Maintaining hegemonyin a white society. Dissertation Abstracts International,54(01), 296A. (UMI No.2643857)

Unpublished:

Alfred, M. (2001). The maintenance of an underclass withmanmade language and institutionalized patriarchy.Unpublished doctoral dissertation. University ofWisconsin-Milwaukee.

Direct readers as closely as possible to theinformation being cited; reference specificdocuments rather than home or menu pages.

Provide addresses (URLs) that work.

Authors name whenever possible (may bethe web cite name; go back to the homepage or navigate around the site to find it)If you cannot, find an author, cite the firstfew words of the reference list entry (usuallythe title) and the yearDocument title or descriptionDate of publication, update, or the date ofretrievalAn Internet address or Uniform ResourceLocator (URL)

• Copy the URL directly from the address window in the browserand 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.

• Test the URL regularly.

• If the document cited has moved, update the URL.

• If the document is no longer available, substitute anothersource or drop it from the paper.

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 journalreference is used

2. Make a note of “electronic version”

Goldberger, N. (1997). Ways of knowing: Doesgender matter? [Electronic Version]. Journal ofContinuing 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

Remember that this PowerPoint presentation does not replacethe APA manual. You must still purchase the 5th edition.