HOW TO FORMAT A PAPER IN APA15

How to Format a Paper in APA:

Helpful Hints for EHSL Research Paper

Johanna K. McCormick

Portland State University

CI-510 Engaging the High School Learner

August 11, 2011

Abstract

You will not need to include an abstract for this assignment; however, if you did, please do so by inserting it after the title page. Your abstract page should already include the page header (previously described). On the first line of the abstract page, center the word Abstract (no bold, formatting, italics, underlining, or quotation marks). Beginning with the next line, write a concise summary of the key points of your research. (Do not indent.) Your abstract should contain at least your research topic, research questions, participants, methods, results, data analysis, and conclusions. You may also include possible implications of your research and future work you see connected with your findings. Your abstract should be a single paragraph double-spaced. Your abstract should be between 150 and 250 words. You may also want to list keywords from your paper in your abstract. Place it immediately following your abstract paragraph. To do this, center the text and type Keywords: (italicized) and then list your keywords. Listing your keywords will help researchers find your work in databases.

Keywords: APA, format, heading, citation, serialization

How to Format a Paper in APA:

Helpful Hints for EHSL Research Paper

Your essay should be typed, double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5" x 11") with 1-inch margins on all sides. Paragraph tabs should be set at one-half inch. APA recommends using 12point Times New Roman font.

Include a page header at the top of every page. To create a page header, insert page numbers flush right. Then type "TITLE OF YOUR PAPER" in the header flush left. APA style requires authors to use the past tense or present perfect tense when using signal phrases to describe earlier research, for example, Jones (1998) found or Jones (1998) has found.

APA Style uses a unique headings system to separate and classify paper sections. There are 5 heading levels in APA. Regardless of the number of levels, always use the headings in order, beginning with Level 1. The format of each level is illustrated in Table 1.

Thus, if the article has four sections, some of which have subsection and some of which dont, use headings depending on the level of subordination. Section headings receive Level 1 format. Subsections receive Level 2 format. Subsections of subsections receive Level 3 format. See Table 2 an additional example of headings.

When using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text, for example, (Jones, 1998), and a complete reference should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.

If you are referring to an idea from another work but not directly quoting the material, or making reference to an entire book, article or other work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication and not the page number in your in-text reference. All sources that are cited in the text must appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.

If you are directly quoting from a work, you will need to include the author, year of publication, and the page number for the reference (preceded by "p."). Introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses.

According to Jones (1998), "Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199).

Jones (1998) found "students often had difficulty using APA style" (p. 199); what implications does this have for teachers?

If the author is not named in a signal phrase, place the author's last name, the year of publication, and the page number in parentheses after the quotation.

She stated, "Students often had difficulty using APA style" (Jones, 1998, p. 199), but she did not offer an explanation as to why.

Place direct quotations longer than 40 words (or over three lines) in a free-standing block of typewritten lines, and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would begin a new paragraph. Type the entire quotation on the new margin, and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraph within the quotation 1/2 inch from the new margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout. The parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark:

Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time citing sources. This difficulty could be attributed to the fact that many students failed to purchase a style manual or to ask their teacher for help. (p. 199)

If you are paraphrasing an idea from another work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference, but APA guidelines encourage you to also provide the page number (although it is not required.)

ACCEPTABLE: According to Jones (1998), APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners.

ACCEPTABLE: APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners (Jones, 1998).

FAVORED: APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners (Jones, 1998, p. 199).

When referencing a work by two authors, use both authors in the signal phrase or in the parentheses each time you cite the work. Use the word "and" between the authors' names within the text and use the ampersand in the parentheses.

Research by Wegener and Petty (1994) supports...

(Wegener & Petty, 1994)

When referencing a work by three to five authors, list all the authors in the signal phrase or in parentheses the first time you cite the source.

In-text/signal phrase: Kernis, Cornell, Sun, Berry, and Harlow, (1993)

Parenthetical citation: (Kernis, Cornell, Sun, Berry, & Harlow, 1993)

In subsequent citations, only use the first author's last name followed by "et al." in the signal phrase or in parentheses.

(Kernis et al., 1993)

Periods and commas when used with a quote go inside the quotation marks in APA style. Additional punctuation, such as a colon, semicolon, or question mark, may go outside the quotation marks unless they are part of the original quote:

Jones asked if everyone was having a good time?

Did Jones care if everyone was having a good time?

While you should always be clear about the sex identity of your participants (if you conducted an experiment), so that gender differences are obvious, you should not use gender terms when they aren't necessary. In other words, you should not use "he," "his" or "men" as generic terms applying to both sexes.

APA does not recommend replacing "he" with "he or she," "she or he," "he/she," "(s)he," "s/he," or alternating between "he" and "she" because these substitutions are awkward and can distract the reader from the point you are trying to make. The pronouns "he" or "she" inevitably cause the reader to think of only that gender, which may not be what you intend.

To avoid the bias of using gendered pronouns:

Rephrase the sentence.

Use plural nouns or plural pronouns - this way you can use "they" or "their."

Replace the pronoun with an article - instead of "his," use "the."

Drop the pronoun - many sentences sound fine if you just omit the troublesome "his" from the sentence.

Replace the pronoun with a noun such as "person," "individual," "child," "researcher," etc.

Your instructor for this particular class allows the use of he or she," "she or he," "he/she," "(s)he," "s/he," or alternating between "he" and "she" as long as subject-verb agreements and pronoun references are logically and correctly maintained. Be aware of these common errors:

Incorrect. We must make sure a student like Hortence doesnt cut themselves off from others.

Correct. We must make sure students like Hortence dont cut themselves off from others.

Incorrect. A struggling student needs opportunities to choose for themselves.

Correct. Struggling students need opportunities to choose for themselves.

Clarity and conciseness in writing are important when conveying research in APA Style. You don't want to misrepresent the details of a study or confuse your readers with wordiness or unnecessarily complex sentences. Be specific rather than vague in descriptions and explanations. Unpack details accurately to provide adequate information to your readers so they can follow the development of your research or study. Balancing the need for clarity, which can require unpacking information, and the need for conciseness, which requires condensing information, is a challenge. Study published articles and reports in your field for examples of how to achieve this balance.

You should even be careful in selecting certain words or terms. Within the social sciences, commonly used words take on different meanings and can have a significant effect on how your readers interpret your reported findings or claims. To increase clarity, avoid bias, and control how your readers will receive your information, you should make certain substitutions:

Use terms like "participants" or "respondents" (rather than "subjects") to indicate how individuals were involved in your research.

Use terms like "children" or "community members" to provide more detail about who was participating in the study.

Use phrases like "The evidence suggests ..." or "Our study indicates ..." rather than referring to "proof" or "proves" because no single study can prove a theory or hypothesis.

As with the other stylistic suggestions here, you should study the discourse of your field to see what terminology is most often used.

The English language is somewhat vague about the presentation of numbers. Therefore, most styles present rules for using even common numbers, such as when to write a number as a word and when to write it as a numeral. Precise measures are always presented as numerals in the metric system in APA style.

1. Spell out common numbers under 10. "Use figures to express numbers 10 and above and words to express numbers below 10" as long as the numbers below 10 do not express precise measurements and are not grouped with numbers above 10 (APA, 2009, p. 111).

2. Spell out common fractions, common expressions, and centuries (one-half, Fourth of July, twentieth century).

3. Spell out all numbers beginning sentences (Thirty days hath September . . .).

4. To make plurals out of numbers, add s only, with no apostrophe (the 1950s).

5. When numbers below 10 must be mixed with numbers above 10 in the same sentence they should be written as numerals. For example, write "the students trying out for the soccer team included 5 girls and 16 boys."

6. Use words and numerals with two numbers in series (five 4-point scales).

7. Use combinations of numerals and written numbers for large approximate sums (over 3 million people).

8. Use numerals for numbers 10 and above, for exact statistical references, scores, sample sizes, and sums (multiplied by 3, or 5% of the sample).

9. Use metric abbreviations with physical measure (4 km) but not when written out (many meters distant).

10. Use the percent symbol (%) only with figures/illustrations/tables (5%) not with in-text written numbers (five percent or 15 percent or 5 to 15 percent).

11. Put a leading zero before decimal fractions less than one (e.g., 0.25 km), unless the fraction can never be greater than one, as with statistical probabilities (e.g., p < .01).

12. Ordinal numbers follow the same rules as other numbers. Spell out ordinals below 10: first, second, . . . ninth. Use numerals for ordinals 10 and above: 10th, 43rd, 99th, and so on. Exceptionthe twentieth century.

13. Use numerals for all numbers "that denote a specific place in a numbered series, parts of books and tables, and each number in a list of four or numbers" (APA, 2009, p. 115). Write Grade 6 (but sixth grade); Trial 5; Table 6; page 71 (do not cap page); chapter 8 (do not capitalize chapter); 2, 4, 6, and 8 words in a series.

14. Use numerals for all "numbers that represent time; dates; ages; sample, subsample, or population size; specific numbers of subjects or participants in an experiment; scores and points on a scale; exact sums of money; and numerals as numerals" (APA, p. 124).

While bullets and were previously a no-no, they are now permitted when listing items (also referred to as seriation).

Two other options are available for lists as well. The first involves using letters to identify items in a series within a sentence or paragraph: The three choices for the question are (a) true, (b) false, or (c) dont know.

The second option involves numbering each item with an Arabic number followed by a period and making each item its own paragraph:

1. Job training and counseling to reduce unemployment.

2. Resident-backed strategies to spur economic growth, reduce crime, and combat housing discrimination and homelessness.

3. Mentoring programs for neighborhood youth.

4. Financial and technical assistance for new businesses.

If the seriated or bulleted phrases continue the preceding paragraphs sentence, neither a capital letter to start the phrase or a colon is used. A period is used at the end of the last item only. An example might be something

like this

or this

or even this.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when considering APA formatting and style considerations. It is always best to check the APA manual itself or go online. The instructors Wiki has several links to help you with the details. Table 3 offers a few additional common mistakes to avoid.

References

ACSD. (2006). The solution: The ASCD high school reform proposal. [Online Forum Comment]. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/newsandissues/High%20 School%20Reform %20One %20Page%20Summary.pdf

ASCD. (2010, November). Is it good for our kids? [Online Forum Comment]. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/news _media/Is_It_Good_for_the_Kids_Editorials/Is_It_Good_for_the_Kids_-_November_2010.aspx

Allen, J., & Allen, C. (2010). Escaping the High School 'Twilight Zone'. Education Week, 29(23), 22-3. Retrieved from Education Full Text database

Berliner, D. (2006). Our Impoverished View of Educational Research. Teachers College Record, 108(6), 949-95. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-9620.2006.00682.x

Bishop, J., Bishop, M., & Bishop, M. (2003). Make Middle-Schoolers Cool with School Success. The Education Digest, 69(4), 51-3. Retrieved from Education Full Text database

Bishop, J., Bishop, M., & Bishop, M. (2003). Making It Cool to Succeed in Middle School. Principal (Reston, Va.), 83(2), 60-1. Retrieved from Education Full Text database

Christodoulou, J. (2009). Applying Multiple Intelligences. School Administrator, 66(2), 22-6. Retrieved from Education Full Text database. Retrieved from http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com.proxy.lib.pdx.edu/hww/results/results_single_fulltext.jhtml; hwwilsonid=I1Q2OA50XG1VDQA3DIMSFF4ADUNGIIV0

Feden, P. (2006). Fiction High School: Where Things Have to Make Sense. Educational Horizons, 84(2), 79-85. Retrieved from Education Full Text database

Table 1. APA Headings

Level

Format

1

Centered, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Headings

2

Left-aligned, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

3

Indented, boldface, lowercase heading with a period.

4

Indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase heading with a period.

5

Indented, italicized, lowercase heading with a period.

Table 2. Additional Look at APA Heading Levels

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Methods (Level 1)

Site of Study (Level 2)

Participant Population (Level 2)

Teachers. (Level 3) This is an example of a Level 3 heading. Notice that it merges with the paragraph text.

Students. (Level 3)

Results (Level 1)

Spatial Ability (Level 2)

Test one. (Level 3)

Teachers with experience. (Level 4) This is an example of a Level 4 heading. Notice that it merges with the paragraph text and continues as long as the paragraph needs.

Teachers in training. (Level 4)

Teachers in training: Pre-service. (Level 5)

Test two. (Level 3)

Kinesthetic Ability (Level 2)

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In APA Style, the Introduction section never gets a heading and headings are not indicated by letters or numbers. Levels of headings will depend upon the length and organization of your paper. Regardless, always begin with level one headings and proceed to level two, etc.

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Table 3. Common APA Errors or Pitfalls

(Note: This is a poor APA table, since APA frown on vertical lines)

to/two/too

their/there/theyre

socioeconomic

Difference between em-dash and hyphen.

em-dash ***

hyphen -

Middle-class students are

Gerbils are oftenif not alwayscute critters.

first-grade class

middle-class family

two-way street

5- to 10-minute ride

5 to 10 minutes before

one-size-fits-all technique

Possessives

Be careful that you use apostrophes appropriately.

The students work should be submitted today.

Students work should be submitted today.

Whatever the students have worked on should be submitted today.

Periods and commas when used with a quote go inside the quotation marks in APA style. Additional punctuation, such as a colon, semicolon, or question mark, may go outside the quotation marks unless they are part of the original quote.

*********************

Hint: In Word, I make an em-dash by typing a word, then clicking the hyphen key twice in a row, and then immediately following with the next word.

Hellohow (are you)?

Semicolons (;)

Use a semicolon when you link two independent clauses with no connecting words. For example:

I am going home; I intend to stay there.

It rained heavily during the afternoon; we managed to have our picnic anyway.

They couldn't make it to the summit and back before dark; they decided to camp for the night.

You can also use a semicolon when you join two independent clauses together with a conjunctive adverb (however, moreover, therefore, consequently, otherwise, nevertheless, thus, etc.) For example:

I am going home; moreover, I intend to stay there.

It rained heavily during the afternoon; however, we managed to have our picnic anyway.

They couldn't make it to the summit and back before dark; therefore, they decided to camp for the night.

Use semi-colons between items in a list that already use commas.

I have lived in Chicago, Illinois; Kansas City, Missouri; and Omaha, Nebraska.

The sweaters I bought today were purple, blue, and green; yellow, white, and red; and pink, black, and grey.

Colons (:)

Use a colon after an independent clause when introducing a list.

The catering facility offers the following entrees: fried catfish, grilled chicken, pan-seared salmon, and sirloin steak.

Use a colon after an independent clause when introducing a quotation.

My teachers remark on my final essay was very complimentary: This essay coherently analyzes musical trends of the late 20th century.

Use a colon between two independent clauses when you want to emphasize the second clause.

I dont understand why everyone shops at that store: everything there is so expensive.