1. APA Format for Papers Understanding
Understanding APA Format for Papers

2. Objectives This presentation will allow you to:
Learn what APA format is
Identify the basic guidelines of APA format
Describe the 4 main elements of APA style
This presentation will allow you to:
Learn what APA format is
Identify the basic guidelines of APA format
Describe the four main elements of an APA-style paper.
Explain how to format each element of an APA-style paper.
Explain how to format each element

3. APA style is the most commonly used format in social sciences
What is APA?
American Psychological Association
What do you think of my published paper?
I cited all my sources on the last page.
It’s great! Where did you get all your info?
Business
Economics
Nursing
APA style is the most commonly used format in social sciences
APA stands for the American Psychological Association. APA style is the most commonly used format for papers in the Social Sciences—business, economics, psychology, sociology, nursing, and so on. The most up to date information can be found on the APA
APA format is a method that allows readers to locate the publications you used in your research. To avoid plagiarism, give credit to the writers for their material and document where you located the information you used.
Psychology
Sociology

4. APA General Guidelines
APA style requires the use of third person
Correct:
The study indicated that chocolate promotes good health.
Incorrect:
I read that chocolate promotes good health.
APA style requires the use of an active voice
APA style requires the use of third person point-of-view in an APA paper. An example of third person would be: The study indicated that chocolate promotes good health. An incorrect example would be: I read that chocolate promotes good health.
You should also write using an active voice. This means that the subject is the one doing the verb. An example of an active voice would be: Mike must have eaten 5 hamburgers. Passive voice is the opposite of active voice so an incorrect example of active voice would be: Five hamburgers were eaten by Mike.
Correct:
Mike must have eaten five hamburgers.
Incorrect:
Five hamburgers were eaten by Mike.

5. APA General Guidelines
Providing enough details
Keeping verbiage brief
clarity
conciseness
Balance clarity and conciseness. Clarity is providing enough details. To achieve clarity, avoid vague wording and be specific in descriptions and explanations. Conciseness is keeping your verbiage brief. To achieve conciseness, a writer should condense information. Use plain and simple language, avoid metaphors, and minimize the use of figurative language.
Avoid vague wording
Be specific
Condense information
Use plain, simple language
Avoid metaphors
Minimize use of figurative language

6. Paper Format 1” Paragraph: Typed, double-spaced Paper size: 8.5” x 11”
Page Header
Page Number
Typed, double-spaced
Paragraph: Typed, double-spaced
Paper size: 8.5” x 11”
Margin: 1” on all sides
Font: Times New Roman
Font size: 12 point
Page header: Upper-left corner
Page number: Upper-right corner
An APA style essay should be typed and double-spaced on standard-sized paper (8.5”x11”) with 1” margins on all sides. Times New Roman or a similar font in 12 pt. size should be used for easier reading. The document should include a page header indicating a short title of the essay on the upper-left side of every page, and a page number in the upper right side of every page including the title page.

7. Test Your Knowledge (Part 1)

8. Ask your instructor if this is required
4 Major Sections
References
Each has a specific format and should include certain elements
Your essay should include these four major sections
Main Body
Abstract
Ask your instructor if this is required
Title page
An APA paper has four major sections: a title page, abstract (be sure to ask your instructor if they require an abstract as some do not) , main body, and a list of references. Each has a specific format and should include certain elements.

9. Title Page This page must contain: Page #: Upper-right corner
Page Number
This page must contain:
Page #: Upper-right corner
Running head: Upper-left corner
Title: Center
Your name: Under the title
School affiliation: Under name
Title
The title page, which is the first page of your paper, will contain the following information:
a page number
a running head for publication (To create a running head for publication, type Running Head, colon, and then your title in capital letters with a maximum of 60 characters. Note: Although a running head section is required for manuscripts submitted for publication, it is an optional section for student papers. Ask your instructor if they require this.)
the title
Your Name
School affiliation
Name
School

10. (Do not include “Running head:”)
Abstract Page
Page Header
(Do not include “Running head:”)
Brief Summary
No indentations
This page must contain:
Page Header: Upper-left corner
Heading: Center
Summary: 150 to 250 words
Optional:
Possible Implications
Future work
Keywords
Optional
The abstract page consists of a page header, a heading (which is the word ‘Abstract’ centered at the top of the page), and a brief summary of the paper accurately presenting its contents. The paragraph should be between 150 and 250 words in block format without indentation.
The abstract may also include some possible implications of your research and future work you see connected with your findings, as well as keywords associated with your topic.

11. Test Your Knowledge (Part 2)

12. Double-spaced without a break
Main Body
Page Number 3
This page must contain:
Page Number: 3
Title: Center
Paragraph:
Double-spaced
No space between paragraphs
Parenthetical in-text citations
Double-spaced without a break
For the text:
Make sure that the first text page is page number 3 (page#1 is a title page, page #2 is an abstract page).
Start with typing the essay title centered, at the top of the page.
Type the text double-spaced with all sections following each other without a break. Do not use white space between paragraphs.
And lastly, create parenthetical in-text citations to identify the sources used in the paper.

13. PLAGIARISM In-Text Citations
Establish credibility of the writer
Show respect for someone else’s intellectual property
Use in-text citations when using information from an author’s work
In-text citation
In-text citation
(quotes and paraphrasing)
(Last name, Year Published)
(Last name, Year Published, Page)
Author’s Work
Your Paper
Ten minutes of sunshine a day will increase your vitamin D levels (Johnson, 2009).
She stated, “Students may experience difficulty using the APA style,” but she did not explain why (Jones, 1998, p. 199).
Locate the cited source in the References page
References
Use in-text citations whenever you use information from an author’s work.
In-text citations help establish credibility of the writer, show respect to someone else’s intellectual property, and consequently, avoid plagiarism. Also, in-text citations help readers locate the cited source in the references page at the end of your paper.
An in-text citation is written as the author’s surname and year of publication within parentheses. When you’re paraphrasing or quoting a source, also include the page number.
No piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times.
No piece of paper can be folded in half more than 7 times (Smith, 1881).
Avoid
PLAGIARISM

14. Where did you get your information?
References
Heading
This page must contain:
All sources used in your paper
Heading: References
Paragraph:
Double-spaced
First line is flush left
Subsequent lines indented
Alphabetical order by author’s surnames (or title)
1st line
Subsequent
Where did you get your information?
The references page will list all of the sources used for your paper. It should include the heading, which is the word ‘References’ centered at the top of the page.
Each entry should be double-spaced. The first line of each entry should be flush left and subsequent lines in the same entry should be indented. Entries should be listed alphabetically by the author’s surnames. If a source is anonymous, treat its title as an author’s surname.

15. Capitalize only the 1st letter of:
Reference Guidelines
Capitalize only the 1st letter of:
Invert authors’ names
The 1st word of a title and subtitle
Correct:
Cummings, J.N.
Incorrect:
Jean N. Cummings OR Cummings, Jean
Correct:
Anatomy and physiology
Incorrect:
Anatomy and Physiology
Don’t capitalize the 1st letter of the 2nd word in a hyphenated compound word
The 1st word after a colon or a dash
Correct:
First-class citizens
Incorrect:
First-Class citizens
Correct:
Science of life: Biology
Here are some other guidelines to follow. Invert authors’ names--last name first followed by initials. Do not capitalize the first letter of the second word in a hyphenated compound word. Do not italicize, underline, or put quotes around the titles of shorter works such as journal articles or essays in edited collections.
Capitalize only the first letter of the first word of a title and subtitle, the first word after a colon or a dash in the title, and proper nouns.
Incorrect:
Science of life: biology
Don’t italicize, underline or put quotes around titles of shorter works
Proper nouns
Incorrect:
Bugs
Correct:
Economy of America
Incorrect:
Bugs
Incorrect:
Economy of america
Incorrect:
“Bugs”

16. Model your reference list after samples
References
When you click any article in e-global, this option is available
What were my sources?
It is important to correctly identify the type of source: e.g., Is it an article from a newspaper or from a scholarly journal? Hard copy or electronic version? Once you know the sources, look at samples of similar references on the APA website or other source and model your reference list after them.
There is a citation feature available through the electronic library in your course.
Model your reference list after samples

17. Refer to web, online, or print sources Templates are available
APA Citation
Refer to web, online, or print sources
You must use APA citation
Do a search!
Templates are available
APA is a complex system of citation, and you’re not expected to remember it all, but you are expected to use it!
To minimize confusion, refer to the APA website or other online and print sources. Templates for all parts of APA papers are also available—just do a search!

18. Test Your Knowledge (Part 3)

19. Resources:
Purdue University
cbsju.edu
Presented by PMI Online