APA Style - Organizing and Presenting Informationn in a Research Report

APA StyleOrganizing and Presenting Information in Research Reports

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 20071My name is CJ and I would like to welcome you to this lesson on APA Style organizing and presenting information in research reports.Lesson TopicsWhat is APA Style?Components of a Research ReportAPA Style Format GuidelinesAdditional Information

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 20072In this lesson we will cover. *What APA style is, *the components of a research report, *format guidelines and *provide some additional information.What is APA Style?APA is an acronym for the American Psychological Association.The APA style is a set of research writing documentation standards that are often used in business and the social sciences. These standards identify the way in which information is organized, presented, and cited in research reports. The goal of standardizing research reports is tofacilitate the clear communication of ideas and informationsimplify the tasks of publishers, editors, authors, and readers

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 20073Unlike a novel, people who read research reports almost never read them cover-to-cover. The same is true with a newspaper. Knowing where to find information and how to interpret it saves time, which is critical in business.

A research report is divided into several sections, where specific information is presented in a standard format. A newspaper provides a similar analogy. A newspaper reader knows that stock market information is found in a specific location of the paper, and that this information is presented in a table format. The reader knows exactly where to go to find the information, and how to interpret it.

APA style guidelines consider not only the reader, but those who publish research reports. Publishing information costs money, and following standards allows those who publish research to do so in an economic manner.Parts of a Research ReportThe APA style divides the contents of a research report into 10 different sections:Title PageAbstractIntroductionMethodResultsDiscussionReferencesAppendixAuthor Note

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 20074Research is the systematic study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions.A report is an account of a matter after investigation or consideration.A Research Report is divided into 10 different sections.Title PageA title page identifies the title of the report, the byline (author), and the organization through which the author conducted the investigation (affiliation).The title should be no more than 12 words. An abbreviated version will appear in the page header.Information on the title page is located in two areas:Running head [right justified] abbreviated title; page numberPage center [center justified] title (uppercase and lowercase letters); authors name (first name, middle initial, last name); affiliation

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 20075For classroom reports, additional information (such as the teachers name, class title, and date) may be required by the instructor.

Example Title PageAbbreviated TitlePage NumberTitleByline and Affiliation12 point Times New Roman or Courier font, double spacingRunning Head:

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 20076A running head (referred to as a header in MS Word) starts on the title page, and follows through to the end of the report. *The running header includes an abbreviated version of the title, which is spaced inch to the left of the page number. Both items are left-justified and are located one inch from the top and right page borders.*The title is located in the center of the title page.*The byline, or name of the author(s), is also centered, and located directly below the title.The organization through which the author conducted the research, called the affiliation, is identified below the authors name, and is also centered on the page.*All text appearing on the title page should be a uniform serif font (such as Times New Roman or Courier), 12-point type, and double-spaced.AbstractAn abstract is a short summary that provides an accurate overview of the purpose and content of the report.The abstract should include the main idea and major points of the research report and may also indicate implications of the research.An abstract should adhere to the following guidelines:Located on a separate page, directly after the title pageNo more than one page, between 75 and 120 words

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 20077Abstracts are designed for information databases (such as those found in libraries). They are the messages that are compiled and appear when a person conducts a keyword search on a topic through a computer. It is for this reason that an abstract is very short and to the point.Example Abstract

Heading12 point Times New Roman or Courier font, double spacing, no indent

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 20078*The heading, titled Abstract, is located at the top of the page.The abstract should be a single paragraph that is left-justified.The first line of the paragraph should not be indented.*Font style, size, and line spacing are identical to the title page.The page margins should be one inch all around.IntroductionThe Introduction identifies the problem, the hypothesis, and the research strategy that was used.Questions that should be answered by the introduction include:Why is the problem important?How do the hypothesis and the experimental design relate to the problem?What are the theoretical implications of the study, and how does the study relate to previous work in the area?What theoretical propositions are tested, and how were they derived?

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 20079The Introduction begins on a new page, and follows the Abstract.And is designed to introduce your report to the reader.Example Introduction

12 point Times New Roman or Courier font, double spacing, indent each paragraphHeading

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200710*The title of the report is used as the heading of the Introduction section, and is centered at the top of the page.The word Introduction is not used as the heading.* The same 12-point font that was used on the Title and Abstract pages is used in the Introduction. Sentences are double-spaced, and the first line of each paragraph is indented .

MethodThe method section describes the experiment and how it was conducted with enough detail for the reader to replicate the study. This section allows the reader to evaluate the appropriateness and validity of the results.Subsections often include:Descriptions of participants or subjects, pertinent demographic information, and the selection processIdentifying apparatus (or materials) used and their function in the experimentA summary of each step of the procedureIdentification of control features

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200711The Method section describes the experiment with enough information for the study to be replicated and evaluates the validity of the resultsResultsThe results section summarizes the data that was collected, the statistical or analytical treatment of that data, and an interpretation of the results as they relate to the hypothesis.The results section often includes:TablesFigures charts, photographs, and drawings

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200712The result section summarizes the collected data. This could take many forms including: Tables, Charts, Graphs, etc.Discussionacknowledgement of any limitationsalternative explanations of resultscomments on the importance of your findingsThe discussion section provides the reader with the authors interpretation of the implications of the study results as they relate to the original hypothesis.This section begins with a clear statement of support or nonsupport of the original hypothesis, and includes the following:

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200713The discussion section will give a chance for the author to give his or her view of the results. It usually begins with a clear statement of support or nonsupport of the original hypothesis. Horenstein, M. N., (2002). Design concepts for engineers (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. ReferencesThe references section is a list of sources used in the research and preparation of a report, specifically those cited in the text.A reference list is different from a bibliography, which cites works for background or further reading.References must provide enough information for each source to be identified and retrieved. Example: Reference for book with one author

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200714The reference section will provide a list of all sources used in the research of the report. An example of a book reference is listed at the bottom of the slide.Example References

Heading12 point Times New Roman or Courier font, double spacing, reverse indent, arranged in alphabetical order

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200715The references section begins on a new page. *The heading, References, is centered at the top of the page.*The same 12-point font that was used in the Title, Abstract, and Introduction sections is used in the References. Sentences are left-justified and double-spaced, with each entry following a reverse indent format of .All references are listed in alphabetical order.AppendixLarge tables of dataFlowchartsMathematical analysisLarge illustrationsDetailed explanations and descriptions of test techniques and apparatusTechnical drawingsAn appendix is a section that contains additional information.Any information that is too extensive for the main part of the report and would serve to distract or interrupt the flow of the report belongs in the appendix. Examples include:

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200716Only information that helps the reader to understand, evaluate, or replicate the study should be included in an Appendix.If the report has only one appendix, label it Appendix.If the report has more than one appendix, label each one with a capital letter (Appendix A, Appendix B, etc.) in the order in which it is mentioned in the text. Example Appendix

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200717Here is an example diagram in an appendixAuthor Noteidentify the organization and affiliation of the authoracknowledge the contributions of others to the reportprovide the reader with contact informationThe author note section gives the author the opportunity to

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200718This section gives the opportunity for the author to acknowledge anyone who have contributed to the report. APA Style Format GuidelinesThe following list represents common elements of a research report that must be properly formatted according to APA guidelines Page FormatHeadingsReference Citations in TextQuotations TablesFiguresReferencing Guidelines

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200719Not all reports are research reports, although following APA style may be a requirement.

Page FormatAPA style identifies formatting guidelines for the pages within a report. This includes page and margin sizes, page numbering, running header contents, the font type and size to use, and line spacing.Paper size 8.5 x 11 (A4) size paper with 1 margins on all sidesPage numbering Arabic numeral(s) located within a running page header in the top right-hand cornerAbbreviated title located five spaces or to the left of the page number Font size, type, and line spacing 12 point Times New Roman or Courier font, double-line spacing

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200720Format refers to the shape, size, and presentation of a document, which includes the way its elements are arranged.HeadingsA heading is a title of a section (i.e., Abstract, Introduction, Method, etc.) or subsection within a report.If divided, a section must have at least two subsections. Each subsection has its own heading. Each section of a research report begins with a centered heading on a separate lineFirst-level subsection headings are left-justified, italicized, and exist on their own lineSecond-level subsection headings are left-justified, italicized, indented , and end with a period (.)

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200721The heading is the title of the section or subsection of a report.Example Heading Structure

Section HeadingSecond-Level Subsection HeadingsFirst-Level Subsection Heading

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200722This is an example of headings and subheadings. *Section heading at the top, *first level sub-section heading, *second level sub-section.Reference Citations in TextReference citations or direct quote indicate author, year of publication, and page number(Parker, 2003, p. 5)Paraphrasing indicate author and year of publication(Parker, 2003)A citation is a reference to the author and the date of his or her work that supports the research. Citations that occur within the text are placed in parentheses. They allow the reader to locate the source of information in the alphabetical reference list.

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200723A citation is a reference to the author and the date of his or her work that supports the research.The term Paraphrasing is the expression of the meaning of something written or spoken using different words. Quotationsincorporated into the textenclosed by double quotation marks ()Quotes that are less than 40 words:separate double-spaced block of text (block quotation)indented from the left marginare not contained by quotation marksdo not begin with an opening paragraph indentQuotes of 40 words or more:A quotation (or quote) is a passage or remark repeated by someone other than the person who originally said or wrote it.

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200724A quotation (or quote) is a passage or remark repeated by someone other than the person who originally said or wrote it.

TablesA table is an arrangement of detailed facts or statistics, presented in a row-and-column format. Identify a table in the text of the report by the table number. Cite* the source of the data under the table.Numbered successively with Arabic numerals at the top (i.e. Table 1), and aligned leftTable title appears below the table number, is italicized and is aligned left* Not necessary if the data is original

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200725A table is an arrangement of detailed facts or statistics, presented in a row-and-column format. It is important to cite your data unless you collected the data and it is original.Example TableTable 1Spur Gear SizeGeometryValuePitch Diameter2.25 inPressure Angle20Diametral Pitch17(Madsen et al, 2002, p. 526)

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200726Here is an example of a tableFiguresA figure is a graphic that is used to illustrate an idea in a way that cannot be described by text alone.Figures include: charts, graphs, photographs, or drawings. They are identified within the text and in their captions as Figure 1, Figure 2, etc., and are presented in the order in which they are mentioned.Use only sans serif fonts (such as Arial) Text size should be between 8- and 14-point typeUse only high resolution and high contrast imagesInclude a caption below the figure

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200727A figure is a graphic that is used to illustrate an idea in a way that cannot be described by text alone. And are referenced within the text.A caption added to the figure serves as both explanation and figure title.Example Figure

Figure 1. Unknown Aluminum Alloy Stress-Strain Diagram. The line graph depicted identifies the proportional limit, .2% offset yield stress, ultimate stress, and point of fracture for an unknown aluminum alloy tensile test specimen.

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200728Here is an example of a figure with a caption below it. A caption begins the word Figure, followed by the figure number and a period, all in italics. The text of the caption is not italicized. Only the first word and any proper pronouns in the caption sentence(s) is capitalized. If the caption takes up more than one line, then double-line spacing should be used.

Double-line spacing is not shown in this example for reasons of limited space.The APA style format for references may also be used for bibliographies in other types of reports.References are presented in 12-point serif font (Times New Roman or Courier), double-line spaced, reverse indented, and presented in alphabetical order.Commonly referenced sources include:Web pagesBooksDictionariesEncyclopediasMagazinesNewspapersAudiovisual mediaReferencing Guidelines

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200729Adding references allows the reader to continue researching an area they may be interested in.To learn how other sources of information are referenced, please refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association. (APA)Web PagesAn Internet reference should provide an author or host organization, document description (title), date of publication, date of retrieval, and a working URL address. If a publication date is not available, use n.d. (no date).Heitzman, F. (n.d.) A professional portfolio of your design work. Retrieved June 1, 2006 from http://academics.triton.edu/faculty/fheitzman/portfolio.html Referencing GuidelinesCool Fire Technology. (2004). A history of measurement and metrics. Retrieved June 7, 2006 from http://www.cftech.com/BrainBank/OTHERREFERENCE/WEIGHTSandMEASURES/MetricHistory

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200730To learn how to cite and reference other internet-related sources, refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.)The reference begins with author or host organization, if you know the author they should be written last name, first name, date of publication, Note: If a publication date is not available, use n.d. (no date).Then document description (title), date of retrieval and finally a working URL address. Note that the title is italicized. The first word in the title is capitalized, with the other words in the title appearing in lowercase.BooksReferencing GuidelinesFor books with more than six authors, list the first six and then et. al. to indicate there are more authors than those listed.Books with one author:Horenstein, M. N., (2002). Design concepts for engineers (2nd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc. Books with multiple authors:Madsen D. A., Folkestad, J., Schertz, K. A., Shumaker, T. M., Stark, C., & Turpin, J. L. (2004). Engineering drawing and design (3rd ed.). Albany, NY: Delmar-Thompson Learning.

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200731Referencing Books, the reference begins with the Author Last Name, First Name, the year of publication in parenthesis, the title of the book, where it was published and then the publishing company.DictionariesNo author or editor:Editor(s) known:Merriam-Websters collegiate dictionary (10th ed.). (1993). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster. Soanes, C. & Hawker, S. (Eds.). (2005). Compact Oxford english dictionary (5th ed.). NY: Oxford University Press. Costello, R. B. et al (Ed.). (1991). Websters college dictionary (10th ed.). NY: Random House. For multiple editors, identify the lead editor, followed by et al.:Referencing Guidelines

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200732With dictionaries if the author is not known use the name of the publication, italicized, the year of publication in parenthesis, where published and the publishing company.EncyclopediasEntry in an encyclopedia:Bergmann, P. G. (1993). Relativity. In The new encyclopaedia Britannica (Vol. 26, pp. 501508). Chicago: Encyclopaedia Britannica. Referencing GuidelinesMagazine ArticlesAuthor known:Hughes, E. (2006, October). Project Lead The Way: Its time has come. Techniques, 81, 35-39.

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200733Encyclopedias begin with the author last name, first name, year of publication in parenthesis, Term, encyclopedia title, volume and page numbers in parenthesis, state published, and publishing company.For the magazine article reference, The volume number is identified before the page number(s), and follows the magazine title.Referencing GuidelinesNewspaper ArticlesDaily newspaper article, author known:Schwartz, J. (1993, September 30). Obesity affects economic, social status. The Washington Post, pp. A1, A4.Daily newspaper article, no author:New drug appears to sharply cut risk of death from heart failure. (1993, July 15). The Washington Post, p. A12.

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200734Newspaper articles are Author, last name, first name, year and date of publication in parenthesis, title of the article, newspaper title, then section and page.Audiovisual MediaMotion picture of limited circulation:Shedd, J. P. (Producer) & Shedd, B. (Writer/Director). (1987). The flight of the gossamer condor. [Motion Picture]. (Available from Shedd Productions, Inc., 233 S. Villa Place, Boise, ID 83712) Single episode from a television series:Burke, J. (Writer), & Black, J. (Director). (2003). Drop The Apple [Television series episode]. In J. Burke (Producer), Connections 3. Silver Spring, MD: Discovery Communications, Inc.Referencing Guidelines

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200735To reference a movie or motion picture, begin with the producer, then the writer and producer, year of publication in parenthesis, title in italics, type of media such as motion picture or TV series, then location produced and the production company.Additional Information

Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th Edition)http://apastyle.apa.org/The Teacher Guidelines folder in all compressed help menu (CHM) style Project Lead The Way curriculaThis lesson constitutes a brief summary of the APA style. Form more information, refer to

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200736This lesson was just a brief summary of the APA style for more information please see the APA publication manual, visit their website or check you curriculum CD in the Teacher Guidelines folder.References:American Psychological Association (2001). Publication manual of the american psychological association (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.Beer, D., & McMurrey, D. (2005). A guide to writing as an engineer (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.Howell, J. F. & Memering, D. (1993). Brief handbook for writers (3rd ed.). Edgewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, Inc.Lunsford, A. A. (2006). Easy writer: A pocket reference. (3rd Ed.). Boston, MA.: Bedford: St. Martins.

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200737The APA style makes organizing and presenting information in a research report uniform and detailed. Using the APA style not only makes your report easily read and reviewed but gives a template on items that should be covered in your report for the fullest impact.Credits:Writer: Michael P. GallagherLesson Editor: PLTW Editor: Ed HughesProduction: CJ AmarosaVideo Production: Audio: CJ AmarosaProject Manager: Sam Cox

APA StyleVirtual AcademyProject Lead The WayCopyright 200738We would like to thank you for joining us for this lesson and we hope your Virtual Academy learning experience is enjoyable.