Running head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER
Title of My Paper Here
Full Name
Muskingum University, Department of Nursing
Course Number and Name
Date Submitted
1
Running head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER
2
Muskingum University
Department of Nursing (MUDON)
Guidelines for APA Writing Style
The following guidelines are provided to increase the student’s understanding of the
American Psychological Association style of writing as outlined in the 6th edition of the
publication manual (APA, 2009). Students should own the APA manual and consult it when
doing written work. Formal papers at MUDON are expected to be professional in appearance.
Deviation from using APA format may affect the grade on an assignment. This information is
meant to be a supplement to the APA manual. The page numbers listed are from the APA
manual. Refer to the manual for specific details.
The reference examples used in this document are all fictional. The examples listed here should
all be left margin justified.
General APA Guidelines
Paper should be typed, double-spaced on standard sized paper with one inch margins on all
sides (p. 229).
Font should be 11 or 12 point Times New Roman (APA preferred, p. 228).
All pages in the paper including the title page, reference page and appendices should be
numbered within the one inch margin in the top right corner. The title page is page one (p. 229).
Spacing: Double space throughout the paper! Even the reference page is double spaced (p.
229).
Indent the first line of each paragraph by one-half inch (p. 229).
Only use left side justification (p. 229).
All papers include a title page(see first page example). The elements of this page should be
centered vertically and horizontally on the page. The elements required include the title of your
paper, the author’s name, the name of institution, name of course and course number,
and the date of paper submission. This page should be in the same font as the body of your
paper, double spaced and not bolded or otherwise highlighted in any way. The title should be
written in upper and lower case letters. APA advises that titles be no more than 12 words in
length, it should not include any abbreviations or words that serve no purpose. The title may
take up more than one line. All the title page text needs to be double spaced (p.23-25). See the
example attached.
A running head is located at the top of every page on the left (flush left). To create a page
header type “Running head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER” in the header flush left on the title page
and for subsequent pages. The word “head” is not capped. There is a space after the colon. The
title of the paper is in all caps. If the title of the paper is too long, use words from the end of the
title (p. 229).
The title of your paper is repeated on the first page of the text of the paper (after the title page
and abstract). Center the title using upper and lower case letters.
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The reference list is started on a separate page. It is double spaced throughout.
Your paper should include 4 major sections: the title page, abstract, main body and references.
Ask the instructor if an abstract is necessary.
The main body of your paper should always include an introduction (See APA guide p.
27) and a conclusion. These are not labeled as such using the APA style.
When using numbers use the number figure to express numbers 10 and above; use words to
express nine and below (p. 111-114). However one should not begin a sentence with a number
figure (“100 participants sampled said…”) use, “One hundred participants….” or use, “There
were 100 participants…”
Quotations marks are located outside of punctuation marks. Example: “All students must use
APA style.”
Number figures should always be used to express scores, sample size, statistics, times, dates
and percentages no matter what the amount.
With the first time an abbreviation is used in a paper it must first be written out completely
followed immediately by its abbreviation in parentheses. Thereafter, the abbreviation can be
used in the paper without further explanation – avoid switching from abbreviations and written
out forms of a word(s) (p. 106-111).
APA advises the wise use of abbreviations. They suggest using if the term is used more than 3
times in a paper.
Example:
American Psychological Association (APA) states that…
See the APA guidelines for common abbreviations that can be used without explanation. These
are abbreviations that are used as word entries in the dictionary. The following abbreviations
may be used without explanation in the text: IQ REM ESP AIDS HIV NADP ACTH - that is it!!!
See APA (2009) p.109 for use of abbreviations concerning units of measurement, as with
medications. See APA (2009) p. 110 for abbreviations concerning units of time.
Form plurals of most abbreviations by adding an s alone without an apostrophe as in RNs.
The Abstract
The abstract is on a separate page and is the second page of your paper, located after the title
page. On the first line center the word “Abstract” do not bold, use italics, underline or use
quotation marks (p. 25-27).
Begin writing your abstract on the next line. Write a concise summary of the key points of your
research or paper. If it is a research paper it should include your topic, research questions,
participants, methods, results, data analysis and conclusions. Possible implications of your
research may be included. This all should be included in a single paragraph, double spaced and
be about 150-250 words. The abstract uses a block paragraph style (no indentation).
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An abstract is generally not required at MUDON. Check with your instructor if it needs to be
done.
In-Text Citations: The Basics
The author date method is used (p. 174). This means that the author’s last name and year of
publication should appear in the text, for example, (Jones, 2009).
A complete reference of the cited work always appears in the reference list at the end of the
paper.
Page numbers for citations do not need to be included unless you are using a direct quote,
making a specific reference from a whole book or text or specific parts of an article or work.
Anytime you want to help the reader locate the information, you can use a page number.
Direct Quotations
If you are directly quoting from a work, you need to include the author name, year of publication,
and the page number for the reference (preceded by a “p.”). Introduce the quotation by a single
phrase that includes the author’s last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses.
Short Quotations
Direct quotes of fewer than 40 words must be double spaced, include the page number and
include the quote in the body of the work (p. 170-171).
Example: If the author is named in the sentence:
Drucker (2010) defines innovation as “the specific tool of entrepreneurs, the means by
which they exploit change as an opportunity for a different business of service” (p. 20).
Example: If the author is unnamed in the sentence:
A famous researcher defines innovation as “the specific tool of entrepreneurs, the
means by which they exploit change as an opportunity for a different business or service”
(Drucker, 2010, p.20), but he does not explain whether the term can be applied to
reorganization and refocusing of corporations.
Long Quotations
Direct quotes of greater than 40 words must be indented 5 spaces (block quotations) and
double spaced. Omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line. Maintain double
spacing throughout. The parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark
(p. 171).
Example:
Drucker defines innovation as:
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The specific tool of entrepreneurs, the means by which they exploit change as an
opportunity for a different business or service. Innovation involves aggressive
use of talent and energy to achieve goals and accomplishments. The result of
innovation is often lucrative for the entrepreneur. (p. 20)
Summary or Paraphrase
If you are using an idea from another work you only need to make reference to the author and
year of publication in your in-text reference, APA guidelines encourage use of a page number
but it is not required.
Example:
According to Smith (2006), The APA writing style causes anxiety for most first time
users.
The APA writing style causes anxiety for most first time users (Smith, 2006, p. 20).
Citing a Work by Two Authors
A work by two authors should be cited in a signal phrase or in the parentheses each time you
cite the work. Use the word “and” between the authors’ names within the text. Use the
ampersand (&) if cited within the parentheses (p. 175).
Examples:
Research by Smith and Jones (2006) supports…
APA use is found to cause anxiety in college students (Smith & Jones, 2006).
Citing a Work by Three to Five Authors
List all the authors in a signal phrase or the parentheses the first time you cite the source.
Examples:
Smith, Jones, Clark and Reynolds (2008) reported that the use of APA causes…
The use of APA was reported to cause headaches in a small sample of RN students
(Smith, Jones, Clark & Reynolds, 2008).
After the first citation (in subsequent citations) use only the first author’s last name followed by
“et al.” in the signal phrase or in parentheses. Note that when using et al. – “et” is not followed
by a period (p. 175).
Citing a Work by Six or More Authors
When citing a work by six or more authors use the first author’s name followed by “et al.” in the
signal phrase or in the parentheses (p.175).
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Examples:
Roberts et al. (2010) found that…..
APA use is often a skill that is perfected by frequent use (Roberts et al., 2010).
Citing a Work by an Unknown Author
Cite the source by its title in the signal phrase or use the first word or two of the title in the
parentheses and the year (p. 176). Titles of books, periodicals, brochure and reports are
italicized; titles of articles, web pages and chapters are in quotation marks.
Examples:
A study was done of students to determine their learning needs (“Easy APA,” 2010).
…the book Junior Nurses (2007) stated…
Citing a Work by an Organization or Government Agency as an Author
If the author of a source is an organization or a government agency, state the organization in
the signal phrase or in the parenthetical citation the first time you cite the source.
Example:
According to the American Nurses Association (2008)…
If the organization is a well known abbreviation, include the abbreviation in brackets the first
time the source is cited and then use the abbreviation in later citations. Brackets are used just
like parentheses, but brackets are what are used inside a set of parentheses (p. 176).
Example:
First citation: (American Nurses Association [ANA], 2008)
Second citation: (ANA, 2008)
Citing Two or More Works in the Same Parentheses
If your parenthetical citation includes two or more works, order them the same way they appear
in the reference list which is usually alphabetical, separated by a semi-colon (p. 177).
Example:
… ( Haynes, 2006; Roberts, 2009)
Citing Works by Authors With the Same Last Name
When citing works by authors with the same last name use the first initials with the last names
(p. 183).
Example:
…(B. Smith, 2005; J. Smith, 2009)
Citing Two or More Works by the Same Author Published in the Same Year
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If you have two sources by the same author published in the same year, use lower case letters
(a, b, c) with the year to order the entries in the reference list. Use lower case letters with the
year in the body of the paper citation.
Example:
Research by Roberts (2008a) supported that…
The research supported the idea (Roberts, 2008b)…
Citing Personal Communication (Interviews, Letters, Emails, Other Person-to-Person
Communication)
Cite the communicator’s name, the fact that it was personal communication and the date of the
communication. Do not include personal communications in the reference list (p. 179).
Example:
…(G. Roberts, personal communication, June 22, 2010).
G. Roberts claimed that many of her students have difficulty with APA style (personal
communication, June 22, 2010).
Citing a Secondary Source
If you use a secondary source (a source that was cited in another source, one in which you do
not have an original copy of the source) name the original source in your signal phrase. APA
(2009) states to use secondary sources sparingly. List the secondary source in your reference
list and include the secondary source in the parentheses (p. 178).
Example:
Haynes study supported the fact that students dislike the APA writing style (as cited in
Roberts, 2004, p. 110).
Citing Electronic Sources
Cite electronic documents the same as any other document by using the author date style.
Example:
Roberts (2008) reported…
If citing an electronic source that has no author or date given, use the title of the document
in the signal phrase or use the first word or two of the title in the parentheses and use the
abbreviation “n.d.” for “no date.”
Example:
A recent study indicated that nursing students succeeded with using APA after
tutoring (“APA and Tutoring,” n.d.).
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If citing an electronic source without page numbers try to include information that will help
readers to find the passage being cited. When an electronic document has numbered
paragraphs use the paragraph symbol, or the abbreviation “para.” Followed by the paragraph
number.
If the paragraphs are not numbered and the document includes headings, provide the
appropriate heading and specify the paragraph under that heading.
Example:
According to Haynes (2009),…(APA and Anxiety section, para. 7).
A sample of 15 students….(Haynes, 2009, para. 7).
The Reference Page: The Basics
The reference list is located on a new, separate page. It is located at the end of the paper,
following the text (p. 37).
Label the page References centered at the top of the page and bolded with no quotation marks.
See attached example.
The reference page includes only material that has been used or cited in the text of the
paper. It provides the information needed for a reader of the paper to locate and retrieve any
source you have cited in the body of the paper. Each source you cite in the paper must appear
in the reference list; each entry in the reference list must be cited in your paper.
Double space all lines. One inch margins all around. The pages are numbered (p. 37).
Indent the second and following lines one half inch (5 spaces). This is called the hanging
indentation style (p. 37).
Arrange the items in your reference list alphabetically by the author’s last name. Use the
last name and initials for all authors. If there is no last name in the reference alphabetize by the
first significant word in the title.
If a work has more than seven authors, list the first six authors and then use 3 periods after
(…). List the first six authors, then the periods, then the last author’s name. See the example
below. When a reference has up to seven authors, spell out all authors’ names in the reference
list (p. 198 – 199).
Example:
Jones, B. G., Wilkins, C., Roberts, G. A., Haynes, E., Miller, M. A., Keaton, D.
M.,…Moore, E. M. (2009). Effects of stress on nursing activity. Nursing
Research, 4, 359-366. doi:10.xxxx/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
For the above use the following text citation: (Jones et al., 2009).
Running head: TITLE OF YOUR PAPER
Use only the initials of the authors’ first and middle names. No credentials are listed.
If there is no author for a source use only the title of the source and then the date. An
organization may also be an author (also known as a “corporate author”).
If there is more than one article by the same author list the articles in order by the year of
publication, starting with the earliest.
When using a work that is not from a journal (a book, or Web page), capitalize the first letter
only of the first letter of the first word of a title and subtitle, the first word after a colon or dash in
the title, and proper nouns.
Do not capitalize the first letter of the second word in a hyphenated compound word.
Capitalize the first letter of all major words in journal titles.
Italicize titles of longer works such as from books and journals.
References: By Author(s)
References: Single Author
Last name first, followed by author initials.
Example:
Miller, M. (2010). My adventures as a military nurse. Current Journal of
Military Nursing, 12, 7-10.
References: Two Authors
List by their last names and initials. Use the ampersand instead of the word “and.”
Example:
Miller, M., & Roberts, G. A. (2010). Use of simulation mannequins to
teach health assessment: Real versus fake. Journal of Mannequin
Simulation in Nursing, 77, 102-108.
References: Three to Six Authors
List by last names and initials, commas separate the author names, while the last author name
is preceded again by an ampersand.
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Example:
Miller, M., Roberts, G. A., Haynes, E., Wilkins, C., & Jones, B.
(2001). There is more to nursing than the use of APA.
Journal of Writing and Nursing, 70, 1020-028.
References: More Than Seven Authors
If a work has more than seven authors, list the first six authors and then use 3 periods after (…).
List the first six authors, then the periods, then the last author’s name. See the example below.
When a reference has up to seven authors, spell out all authors’ names in the reference list (p.
198 – 199).
Example:
Jones, B. G., Wilkins, C., Roberts, G. A., Haynes, E., Miller, M. A., Keation, D.
M.,…Moore, E. M. (2009). Effects of stress on nursing activity. Nursing
Research, 4, 359-366. doi:10.xxxx/xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
For the above use the following text citation: (Jones et al., 2009).
References: Organization as Author
Example:
American Psychological Association. (2009). (Continue with the rest of your reference)
References: Unknown Author
Merriam-Webster’s collegiate dictionary (10th ed.). (1993). Springfield,
MA: Merriam-Webster.
References: When You Have Two or More Works by the Same Author
List the references by the author’s last name and the year, the earliest publication by the
author comes first.
Example:
Jones, B. J. (2008). (Continue with the rest of your reference)
Jones, B. J. (2009). (Continue with the rest of your reference)
References: When You Have Two or More Works by the Same Author in the Same Year
When you have more than one reference by the same author (or the same group of authors
listed in the same order) published in the same year, organize them in the reference list
alphabetically by the title of article or the chapter. Then assign letter suffixes to the year. Refer
to these sources in your essay as they appear in your reference list, for example, “Jones
(2001a) made a similar claim…”
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Example:
Jones, T. J. (2001a). Age changes and the use of the APA writing style.
Developmental Nursing, 16, 406-410.
Jones, T. J. (2001b). APA is the source of premature aging. Journal of Geriatrics,
52, 700-706.
Reference List: Articles in Periodicals
When citing a periodical (items published on a regular basis such as, journals, magazines,
newspapers and newsletters), authors are named last name first followed by initials, publication
year goes within parentheses, followed by a period. The title of the article is in “sentence case”
meaning that only the first word and proper nouns in the title are capitalized. The periodical title
is printed in title case (capitalized as in a title) and italicized, and is followed by the volume
number which is also italicized (p. 198).
Article From a Journal Which is Paginated by Volume
Journals that are paginated by volume begin with page one in issue one and continue
numbering issue two where issue one ended, etc... In other words each journal is paged
according to where the last issue ended. In this type of reference no issue number is stated.
Example:
Jones, T. J. (2001). Fundamentals of APA writing style. Journal of Writing, 55,
894-896.
Article From a Journal Paginated by Issue
Journals paginated by issue begin with page one in every issue, therefore, the issue number is
indicated in parentheses after the volume number. The parentheses and the issue number are
not italicized.
Example:
Jones, T. J. (2002). Fundamentals of APA writing style for nurses. Journal of
Nursing and Writing, 15(10), 5-10.
Article in a Magazine
Example:
Body, F. A. (2008, April 9). New APA style to be published. Time, 138, 30-32.
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Reference List: Books
Basic Format for Reference for Books Includes:
Author, A. A. (Year of Publication). Title of work: Capital letter should begin a
subtitle. Location: Publisher.
Note that the title of the book is italicized.
For location you should list the city and the state if the city is unfamiliar or if the city could be
confused with one in another state.
Edited Book, No Author
Example:
Smith, G. A., & Jones, M. A. (Eds.). (1997). Consequences of not using APA
Style. New York: Russell Sage Foundation.
Edition of Book, Other Than the First
Example:
Merry, R. L., Smith, B. A., & DeMuth, S. A. (1999). The history of nursing (6th
ed.). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Article or Chapter in an Edited Book
Example:
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Year of Publication). Title of chapter. In A. Editor
& B. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pages of chapter). Location: Publisher.
Note: Title of book is italicized. When listing the pages of the book in the parentheses after the
title, use pp. before the numbers: (pp. 1-12).
Example:
Jones, B. A., & Smith, G. A. (1992). Nursing scholarship: Writing style. In E. Haynes
(Ed.), How to be a scholar and a nurse (pp. 35-49). New York: Springer.
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Reference List: Other Print Sources
Reference: An Encyclopedia
Example:
Bergmann, P. G. (1994). Gravity. In The new encyclopedia britannica (Vol. 26,
pp. 501-509). Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica.
Note: The title of the encyclopedia is in italics.
Reference: Government Document
Example:
National Institute of Mental Health. (1990). Clinical training for mental health
nurses (DHHS Publication No. ADM 90-1679). Washington, DC: U. S.
Government Printing Office.
Reference: From a Private Organization
Example:
American Nurses Association. (2007). Practice guidelines for the treatment of
patients with pressure ulcers. New York: Author.
Reference List: Electronic Sources
Reference: From an Online Periodical
Online articles follow the same guidelines for printed articles. Include all information the online
host makes available, including an issue number in parentheses. When using brackets – these
are used when information is within parentheses- there are no spaces used with brackets in
APA style. Include the digital object identifier (DOI) in the reference if one is available. If no DOI
is assigned to the content and your retrieved it online, include the home page URL for the
journal or magazine in the reference. Use this format: Retrieved from http://www.XXXXXXXX
(p. 198).
Example:
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of publication). Title of article. Title of Online
Periodical, volume number (issue number if available). Retrieved from
http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/
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Note: The title of the online periodical and the volume number is in italics. There is no period at
the end of this type of reference.
Example:
Smith, B. (2003). Tips for writing: A checklist for authors. Scholarly Writing, 130.
Retrieved from http://www.scholarlywriting.com/articles/living
Note: Web addresses used in entries should not show a hyperlink in APA. Word processing
programs want to automatically hyperlink these, turning them blue with an underline. Hyperlinks
can be easily removed. To remove: Place the mouse over the hyperlink, right click, then click on
“Remove Hyperlink.”
Online Scholarly Journal Article
Online materials can change URL’s, APA recommends providing a Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
when it is available, as opposed to the URL. DOI’s are an attempt to provide stable, long-lasting
links for online articles. They are unique to their documents. Many publishers provide an
article’s DOI on the first page of the document. They usually begin with a number 10.
If your journal article uses a DOI put that at the end of the reference citation. If there is no DOI,
then use the publisher’s URL at the end of the entry.
Reference: Article From an Online Periodical With DOI Assigned
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date of Publication). Title of article. Title of
Journal, volume number. Doi:000000000/000000000.
Example:
Jones, D. Effective research presentations: A personal story. Journal of Writing,
42(12), 1200-1230. doi:10.1109/0309873763
Reference: Article From an Online Periodical With no DOI Assigned
These online journal articles without a DOI require a URL (http://www.xxxxxxxx).
Author, A. A. (Date of Publication). Title of article. Title of Journal, volume
number, page numbers. Retrieved from
http://www.someaddress.com/full/url/
Example:
Jones, M. B. (2008). Morning sickness. Pregnancy,6, 300-302. Retrieved from
http://www.someaqddress.com/full/url
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Reference: Electronic Version of a Printed Book
Example:
Begone, I. M. (2000). The stories of nurses who used APA: A guide to recovery
[Adobe Digital Editions version]. Doi:10. 1036/0071393722
Reference: Electronic Version of a Electronic Only Book
Example:
Kane, D. J. (2010). Stress and nursing. Retrieved from
http://www.onlineoriginals.com/showitem.asp?ID=134
Reference List: Message Boards, Email lists
This section includes blogs, online forums, discussion groups and electronic mailing lists.
The general format includes:
Author, A. A. (Year, Month Day). Title of post [description of form]. Retrieved
from http://www.xxxx
Use the exact date of the posting. Follow the date with the subject line of the message or
“thread” do not italicize it. Provide a description of the message in brackets after the title.
Include the information “Retrieved from” followed by the URL where the message can be
retrieved. Include the name of the list to which the message was posted, if this information is not
part of the URL.
Example: Message posted to a newsgroup, online forum, or discussion group (p. 215):
Electric, T. (2004, April 4). Re: Nursing knowledge and APA use [Online forum
comment}. Retrieved from
http://www.wilo.int/boller/comments/urpim?weblog/theme-eight-now-cannurse%comments
Example: Message posted to an email list:
Smith, G. A. (2010, October 4) Re: Stress and nursing [Electronic mailing list
message]. Retrieved from
http://tech.nurse.group.yahoo.com/group/network/message 500
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Lists or Seriation
APA prefers the use of the following for lists: Separate paragraphs or long sentences such as
steps in a procedure should use numbered lists. See APA guide p. 63-64.
Example:
In order to complete a nursing skill the nurse should:
1. Identify the patient by name and birth date.
2. Perform hand hygiene.
If using short words within a paragraph use lowercase letters enclosed in parentheses.
Example:
The steps of nursing process include (a) assessment, (b) planning, (c) implementation…
Levels of Headings
Headings help break the paper into sections. Usually a small paper will only use 2-3 headings.
Headings do not include the title of the paper which is repeated on the first page of the paper,
centered, first line. See APA guide p.62.
Level One Heading-Centered, Boldface, Upper and Lowercase
Level Two Heading-Flush left, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase
Level Three Heading-Indented, boldface, lowercase paragraph heading ending
with a period. The first sentence starts immediately after the period.
Level four Heading –Indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase ending with a period.
Start first sentence immediately after the period.
Level five Heading. – Indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a
period. Not in boldface. Start first sentence of paragraph immediately after the period.
Note: Level 4 and 5 headings are in italics. Level 5 is not bolded. All headings are indented
except level 2 which is flush left and level one which is centered.
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