APA COMMON ERRORS
Error 1:
Comma or Semicolon?
When typing lists in text, should you use a comma or a semicolon
between items?
It depends!
If ANY item in the list has a comma within the item, use semicolons
between items in the list. If none of the items has a comma, then use
commas between the items:
There are three things to watch out for: (a) use of commas
versus semicolons, (b) use of parallel items, and (c) accuracy of the text.
There are three things to watch out for, including (a) correct punctuation
of commas, semicolons, and colons; (b) use of parallel wording rather
than unequal items; and (c) accuracy of the text based on the original
sources.
Error 2:
Colon or no colon?
When typing lists in text, should you use a colon in front of the list or
not?
First, your choice is colon or no colon, NOT colon, comma, or
semicolon.
If the list is introduced with a complete clause (in other words, you could
end it with a period and be grammatically correct) use a colon. If it is
NOT a complete clause, for instance, it is introduced with "including",
use no punctuation.
There are three things to watch out for: (a) use of commas
versus semicolons, (b) use of parallel items, and (c) accuracy of the text.
There are three things to watch out for, including (a) correct punctuation
of commas, semicolons, and colons; (b) use of parallel wording rather
than unequal items; and (c) accuracy of the text based on the original
sources.
Error 3:
Comma rules
APA comma rules differ slightly from 'traditional' grammar.

Place a comma after every item in a series before the 'and'.


Also use commas with nonessential or nonrestrictive clauses.
[Hint: use a comma with "which" but not "that"].
Separate two independent clauses [each has its own subject] but
DON'T use a comma preceding a dependent clause (separating a
subject from its verb)
See pages 88-89 of the 6th Edition of the APA Publication Manual
for more rules.
Error 4:
When to use et al. in citations
First, spell it correctly: "et al." No period after "et"
1. Use et al. in a citation the SECOND time you cite a reference with 3
to 5 authors.
2. Use et al. in a citation the FIRST and EVERY time you cite a
reference with 6 OR MORE authors.
Error 5:
Date or no date?
Even many APA experts mess this one up.
On page 174 of the 6th edition of the APA Publication manual: "when
both the name and the year are in parentheses . . . , include the
year in subsequent citations within the paragraph."
Error 6:
And or &?
Use "and" in text and "&" inside parentheses. Kerry and Jones (2007)
noted... but ... The results indicated a significant relationship (Kerry &
Jones, 2007).
Error 7:
Data is or are?
The word "data" is plural, so when writing your results, write
The data were collected . . .
Error 8:
To hyphenate or not?
We're so used to hyphenating words like "non-experimental" or "pretest". On page 99 of the 6th edition of the APA Publication Manual
you'll find a list of prefixes that DO NOT REQUIRE
HYPHENS, including (but not limited to!)
after
bi
co
non
pre
post
DO hyphenate nouns used as adjectives: decision-making process
DO NOT hyphenate nouns NOT used as adjectives: the process of
decision making"
Error 9:
Write numerals for ALL numbers over 10, right? Wrong!
While the GENERAL rule is write out all numbers below 10 and use
numerals for 10 and above, there's quite a list of exceptions, even
beyond starting a sentence with a large number.
For example, for time, use numbers: "in about 3 years" or "2 weeks ago".
For subjects or participants, use numbers: "3 participants" or "4
subjects", but "two raters" or "seven observers" (no explaining THAT
rule!).
And of course, you MIX figures and numbers over a million, as in "3
million", or with back to back modifiers: "2 two-way interactions".
Best bet: check the rules on pages 111-114 of the 6th edition of the
APA Publication Manual if you have any doubt.
Error 10:
Anthropomorphism
Avoid Anthropomorphism: giving THINGS attributes that belong to
PEOPLE
Don't write, "The organization enforces its policies strictly."
Organizations are THINGS. Organizational LEADERS enforce policies.
Error 11:
Writing to a Ph.D. audience
APA style is based on three basic principles:
1. Clear communication
2. Specificity: details that allow duplication (in a study), and
3. Sensitivity: writing without bias and following ethical principles.
If your writing sounds SO IMPRESSIVE that only someone with a
Ph.D. could POSSIBLY hope to understand it, you are not writing in
APA style. Keep it simple. Keep it clear. Define any term that might
confuse your audience. If your sentence has more than two clauses, cut
it. If your reader has to reread a sentence three times to figure out what
it means, rewrite it.
Error 12:
Which vs. that
THAT clauses are restrictive, meaning they are essential to the meaning
of the sentence.
Do not use a comma before "that":
The organizations that were included in the study had sales over $1
million annually.
WHICH clauses add additional information and are therefore
nonrestrictive clauses.
Always use a comma to separate the nonrestrictive clause:
The organizations, which had sales over $1 million annually, were
included in the study.
Error 13:
Using first names
When citing an author only use the author's last name
Error 14:
singular/plural
Make sure your pronouns agree:
CORRECT: Each participant will complete the questionnaire,
WRONG: Each participant will complete their questionnaire.
Error 15:
Neglecting to include the page or paragraph number in a direct
quotation.
If you use an idea from the literature, you must include author’s last
name and the year of publication. If you quote from the source, you must
use quotation marks and include the page (or the paragraph number if it
is from the Internet).
Error 16:
Capitalization in titles
APA style allows only three uses of capitals in titles in the reference
section. Capitalize
1. the first word of a title,
2. the first word after a colon, and
3. for proper nouns.
Titles are handled differently in the body of your paper.
Capitalize major words in titles of books and articles within the body of
the paper. Conjunctions, articles and short prepositions are not
considered major words; however, capitalize all words of four letters or
more. Capitalize all verbs (including linking verbs), nouns, adjectives,
adverbs and pronouns. When a capitalized word is a hyphenated
compound, capitalize both words. Also, capitalize the first word after a
colon or a dash in a title.
Error 17:
Incorrect capitalization
There are seven basic APA rules for capitalization, but there are specific
exceptions. You'll find the complete rules in the 6th edition of the
Publication Manual from page 101 - 104.
(never capitalize nouns that denote common parts of books or tables
followed by numerals or letters),
Error 18:
p = .00
A p-value is never zero. Report the p-value as p < .01 or p < .001. The pvalue is telling you the chances of something happening. While the
probability may be infinitely small, somewhere past that .00 is a 1, you
just don't know if it is 1 decimal place or a thousand decimal places.
Error 19:
p = 0.05
Never put a 0 in front of the decimal if the number cannot be greater than
1.00.
Correct: p = .05
Error 20:
Writing in passive voice instead of active voice
Active voice means the subject of the sentence is doing the action. Passive
voice means the subject of the sentence is receiving the action. Often in
passive voice it is unclear WHO is performing the action, as in "The law
was passed in 2010."
Error 21:
Do not use the title 'Introduction'
Do not use the title "Introduction" at the head of your paper.
Per the APA Manual, this is understood, so be a little more creative in
your first heading
Error 22:
Type an ellipsis correctly
Put a space before and after every period in an ellipsis: . . .
Error 23:
Use Male/Female as PRONOUNS
When talking about gender, use the
terms men and women as nouns and male/female asadjectives:
The men scored higher than the women. Vs.
The male participants scored higher than the female participants.
Error 24:
Italicize letters that represent statistics
Italicize letters that represent statistics (e.g., The highest level of growth
was achieved in Japan (M= 6.44), followed by Germany (M = 4.64), the
United States (M = 3.36), and United Kingdom (M = 3.20)
Error 25:
Put a space before and after all mathematical symbols
p = .05 not p=.05
p < .05 not p<.05
Error 26:
Remove hyperlinks
Especially in your reference section, RIGHT CLICK on the hyperlink for a URL
and select REMOVE HYPERLINK so it is not underlined or in color
Error 27:
Report only 2 decimal places
For most statistics, only report 2 decimal places: SD = 10. 23, not SD = 10.
232682452
unless more decimal places are needed for clarity: p < .001
Error 28:
Avoid nonscholarly language
Avoid show/shows. Prefer indicate/indicates.
Statistical analyses are conducted not done.