Soc 204R: Sociology of Adolescence
Official Course Syllabus
Winter, 2012
GROUP PRESENTATION ORGANIZATION SESSION: January 31st
Attendance Mandatory – No Exceptions
Students missing this class will have 2% deducted from their Final Grade
Course Description
Some of the most complex transitions of life occur during adolescence, as the body changes from a child’s to an adult’s,
relationships with others take on new meanings and the levels of intricacy, and individuals become increasingly independent.
For most, adolescence is, or at least should be, a time of expanding horizons and self-discovery as skills are acquired for
establishing adult roles. Throughout this course, we will examine the complexity of adolescence and the variability of
adolescent experiences. The course will begin with a review of the biological, cognitive and cultural aspects of adolescence.
The second unit of the course will explore how these changes affect familial, friend, peer group and romantic relationships.
Finally, time permitting, the course will concluded with a discussion of adolescent activities and youth culture and its
relationship to the larger society.
Disclaimer: In order to understand adolescence one must look at all aspects and factors associated with youth and
adolescent development, from peer and family relationships, to social and cultural development, to the biological changes,
particularly sex and sexuality, that adolescents go through as they age into adulthood. Therefore, students should be aware
that issues of sex, sexual development, sexuality and sexual orientation are raised and discussed throughout the course when
appropriate and when the information is relevant to the lecture materials. It is important that you consider this information
before embarking in the course, so you can make an informed decision about being in this class.
Lectures (Jan 3rd to Mar 1st )
In my lectures each week I will offer a summary of the relevant information on each topic covered and my interpretations of
the intellectual themes found in the course readings. The lectures will not summarize or review the content of the readings,
rather they will seek to elaborate central ideas, convey new information, offer alternative perspectives and raise questions.
The duration of the lectures will be approximately 90 minutes, with the remaining 15-20 minutes devoted to class
discussions, readings and assignments or other activities. Please note that while I will be presenting lectures in each class, I
expect students to participate, ask questions when and where appropriate and generate discussion about the topic. The
quality of the learning experience will depend very much on you and your participation.
Group Presentations (Mar 6th to Mar 29th )
This course component is designed to offer students an opportunity to be actively involved in their learning and in the course
by working with classmates to develop presentations/lectures on a variety of topics to be selected by students January 31st.
During this session I will present and overview of the requirements for this part of the course, organize the class into seminar
groups of 2-3 (no more than 3) people and schedule the date of each groups presentation. Further details regarding the
student presentations will be provided during the January 31st session. You will note attendance at this lecture is mandatory
and students missing this class will have 2 % deducted from their final grade.
Course Learning Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to ...
1. Define adolescence and distinguish it from other stages in the life course;
2. Identify the cognitive and biological processes associated with adolescence;
3. Identify socio-cultural variations in beliefs and norms surrounding adolescence;
4. Explain the role that family, peers & friends play in adolescence development;
5. Identify the key institutions and processes associated with adolescent socialization;
6. Identify & discuss the current problems and issues experienced by adolescents.
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Contact Information
Dr. Tracy Peressini, Ph.D.
Office & Phone Number:
Lecture:
Office Hrs.:
Rm. 2609, Founders Building, Renison College, 519-888-4567, ext. 28602
E-Mail: tracy.peressini@uwaterloo.ca
Tuesday & Thursday, Noon – 12:50 pm, Room 2107
Tuesday, 1:00 – 2:00 (Jan 5th – Mar 29th only, excluding Reading Week)
Students using email or the telephone to contact the Instructor must include their given and last names, student number and
course name and number in the subject heading of the email. Anonymous emails will be ignored. As well, email from obtuse
user names such as 1800foxychick@hotmail.com with similarly obtuse subject headings (e.g. help, question, etc.) are
automatically deleted as they are usually identified as spam. Please use your UW email account (preferably using D2L’s email
package) to contact me; all other email addresses (e.g. hotmail, sympatico, rogers) will be filtered and automatically deleted.
Students can expect their email to be responded to within 24-48 hours; except on weekends, which will be responded to as
soon as possible the following week. Please do not email or telephone asking for grades. Grades are not released over the
telephone or internet. Grades will be posted as they come available on D2L; except for the final exam and course grades.
Finally, please adhere to the common rules of email etiquette; for example, it is appropriate to begin an email with a
salutation, e.g. Dear Dr. Peressini, and end the email with a closing e.g. Cheers, Sincerely, Thank-you, etc. Simply typing a
demand or question is rude and will not be responded to. Similarly, students should not expect a response to emotional,
angry and deliberately rude emails. Questions pertaining to the lectures will not be replied to. It is expected that students
will raise such questions in class.
Course Requirements & Resources
Required Readings
1. Arnett, Jeffrey (2010). Adolescence and Emerging Adulthood: A Cultural Approach. Pearson Publishers, Inc. ISBN:
9780138144586. $140.60
2. Twenge, Jean (2007). Generation Me. Free Press. ISBN: 9780743276986. $13.71
3. Sax, Leonard (2010). Girls on the Edge. Basic Books. ISBN: 9780465022069. $13.36
4. Sax, Leonard (2008). Boys Adrift. ISBN: 9780465072101. $12.27
Estimated Cost: UW Bookstore $203.33 (incl. tax)
Student Assessment
Component
Term Test #1
Term Test #2
Group Presentation Organization Session
Attendance – Group Presentations
Group Paper Based on Group Presentation
Group Presentations
Weight
Date
25 %
25 %
-2 % from Final Grade if missed
-1 % from Final Grade per class missed
25 %
25 %
January 26th
March 1st
January 31st &
March 6th to 29th
February 28th
March 6th to 29th
The weighting of the work in this course reflects the amount and type of work entailed in the assignment. Please do not
request a different weighting of the assignments. You should also note that students who are dissatisfied with their grades
will not be given “extra” work or assignments to make up for or replace an existing grade. Requests for extra work will not be
granted.
Grading: detailed instructions for the assignments are provided in the following pages. The first assignment is graded using
the criteria outline in the assignment description attached to this syllabus. The Research Brief and Term Paper will be graded
using the Rubric (e.g. grading criteria) appended to this course outline and will be discussed with students prior to the
assignment due date. Students can expect the return of the graded assignments within 2 - 4 weeks of the assignment due
date. Grades for all written assignments will not be posted until all assignments have been graded and handed back in class;
inquiries regarding grading or grades will not be responded to. It is expected that students carefully review the grading rubric
and written comments on their returned assignments prior to contacting or inquiring about their grade. For further
information, please review the notice below regarding the posting of final grades at Renison College. Students MUST
schedule an appointment with the instructor to discuss their grades; grade inquiries or questions will not be responded to
in- or after-class or via email.
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Re-Grading of Assignments – The assignments will be normally returned to you within 4 weeks of their submission. Grades
may be announced earlier on D2L, but you need to collect your paper in class. The grading process is not instantaneous and it
is unnecessary to contact the Instructor with queries about grades until after they have been returned in class. At the
beginning of the course, all grades under “My Grades” in D2L will be blank: you need to earn credit before receiving grades.
Please note that because of functional limitations of the grade book on D2L the class averages and individual final grades
reported may not be accurate and students should not contact the Instructor with queries concerning either issue. Grading in
Soc 204R is impartial and objective and employs the use of the attached grading rubrics; no other consideration is taken into
account when grading assignments. If you need an assignment reviewed or regraded, you must contact the Instructor within
a month after the work is returned back to you and request a re-grade. When requesting a re-grade you must submit the
following:
1. The original grade paper,
2. The individual completed rubric provided by the Instructor,
3. A note or letter describing the error and providing reasons why you think the paper requires regrading (NOTE: you
need to be specific – explanations such as “I think my paper deserves a higher grade” or “I feel I deserve a higher
grade” or “I worked really hard on this assignment and therefore deserve a better grade” will not be considered
valid grounds for a grade review.), and
4. A written note (signed and dated by yourself) by which you agree to be bound by the results of the rereading/grading process.
You may be asked to meet in person; otherwise the adjusted mark communicated by your Instructor on D2L will stand. The
decisions reached at the end of this process are final; note that the original mark may be raised or lowered and that further
appeals or requests for an additional regrading/re-evaluation will not be considered.
In the case of a clerical error, simply return your graded paper to your Instructor, with the error conspicuously
pointed out. No other documentation is required. Rectifying a clerical error is not considered “re-grading”.
Unclaimed Student Submissions: In accordance with UW policy, student assignments, papers, quizzes & exams will be stored
for 1 year from the start of the course, after which the material(s) in question will be securely destroyed.
Student-Instructor Contact: Students should use the course website blackboard for any general inquiries regarding the
course or raise them DURING class time. If you have a question, share it with the class either during class time or on the
blackboard. Students can expect the course instructor to check the blackboard at least once a week and post responses and
replies to student inquiries. The blackboard is a forum for student discussions regarding course assignments and activities or
general course inquiries. It is expected that all notices and inquiries posted on the blackboard will be polite and courteous.
Posted notes deemed inappropriate, rude or irrelevant will not be responded to and deleted. Students with issues or
problems of a personal nature which may or are affecting their performance in the course should contact the instructor
directly and schedule an appointment to meet with them during their regularly scheduled office hours. They may do so by
contacting the instructor by telephone or email.
Expectation of Student Commitment to the Course
Students are expected to attend classes, read the assigned readings and contribute to in-class discussions. Classes are 50
minutes long, the weekly readings should take no more than 1-3 hours (average = 1.5 hours) and the course assignments
approximately 10-12 hours (please note this is only an estimate and times may vary by student) over the term.
Changes to the Course Outline
Please note that some types of course details outlined in this syllabus maybe revised over the term. Periodically, I will update,
revise and/or adjust the topics to be discussed in the lectures, readings and other non-assessment related components.
Students will be notified of any change in the course outline in-class, via email, on the discuss boards and by handout (to be
appended to the course outline). If you are unsure as to which syllabus to use, please refer to the course website and
download the current syllabus, which will be listed by date.
Information about Travel and the Completion of Course Assignments, Quizzes & Exams
“Student travel plans are not considered acceptable grounds for granting an alternative examination time.”
(Seehttp://www.registrar.uwaterloo.ca/exams/finalexams.html). Please wait until you are advised of the final exam date
before you make end-of-term travel arrangements. For Winter, 2012, the established examination period is April 9th thru
21st. The schedule will be available in February.
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Please note late assignments will receive a penalty of 20% per day. The late penalty will be applied to assignments handed in
after class on the due date, e.g the first day late penalty begins after class (3:50 p.m.) on the due date. For example: if a
student hands their assignment in at 3:50 p.m. the assignment will be accepted with a penalty of 20% (without exception) –
therefore, the highest grade the student could receive is 80%. After the 5th day late assignments will not be accepted for any
reason except those outlined in the UW calendar (e.g. medical or family emergencies, or some other such event) and will
receive a grade of 0. If an extension is granted, students are expected to submit their assignment at the agreed upon time
and date, with the appropriate documentation (e.g. completed UW Medical Certificate, death certificate, invoice for
automotive repairs, etc.). Please do not submit your assignment after the 5 th day in the hopes that it will be accepted and an
additional penalty applied, it will not and will be returned to the student. Similarly, missed quizzes and exams will not be
rescheduled and students will receive a 0 grade on the quiz/exam, accept for reasons outline in the UW Calendar (e.g.
medical or family emergencies, or some other such event). Please review the UW policy regarding accommodation for Illness
or Unforeseen Circumstances: http://www.registrar.uwaterloo.ca/students/accom_illness.html .
ONLY the university's Verification of Illness Form can be submitted. It may be obtained here:
http://www.healthservices.uwaterloo.ca/Health_Services/VERIFICATION%20OF%20ILLNESS.html
 If you are using a walk-in clinic or your own doctor they must download the form and have it completed
(presumably for a fee) by the clinic or doctor.
 Other forms of medical documentation will not be accepted.
 Your documentation (verification of illness, death certificate, police report, etc.) is required to be submitted within
48 hours of the due date of the quiz, exam or assignment.
Information for Students with Disabilities
Note for Students with Disabilities: The Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPD), located in Needles Hall, Room 1132,
collaborates with all academic departments to arrange appropriate accommodations for students with disabilities without
compromising the academic integrity of the curriculum. If you require academic accommodations to lessen the impact of
your disability, please register with the OPD at the beginning of each academic term.
Expectation of Academic Integrity
In order to maintain a culture of academic integrity, members of the University of Waterloo community are
expected to promote honesty, trust, fairness, respect and responsibility.
Academic Integrity website (Arts): http://arts.uwaterloo.ca/arts/ugrad/academic_responsibility.html
Academic Integrity Office (UW): http://uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/
Discipline: A student is expected to know what constitutes academic integrity [check www.uwaterloo.ca/academicintegrity/ ]
to avoid committing academic offences and to take responsibility for his/her actions. A student who is unsure whether an
action constitutes an offence, or who needs help in learning how to avoid offences (e.g., plagiarism, cheating) or about
“rules” for group work/collaboration, should seek guidance from the course instructor, academic advisor, or Renison’s
Administrative Dean. When misconduct has been found to have occurred, disciplinary penalties will be imposed under Policy
71, Student Discipline. For information on categories of offences and types of penalties, students should refer to Policy 71,
Student Discipline. For information on categories of offenses and types of penalties, students should refer to this policy
www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy71.htm . For typical penalties check Guidelines for the Assessment of
Penalties, www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/guidelines/penaltyguidelines.htm .
Student Grievances
A student who believes that a decision affecting some aspect of his/her university life has been unfair or unreasonable may
have grounds for initiating a grievance. Read Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances, Section 4,
www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy70.htm
Student Appeals
A student may appeal the finding and/or penalty in a decision made under Policy 70, Student Petitions and Grievances (other
than regarding a petition) or Policy 71 – Student Discipline if grounds for an appeal can be established. Read Policy 72 Student Appeals www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infosec/Policies/policy72.htm.
Turnitin.com NOT APPLICABLE WINTER 2012
Turnitin.com: Plagiarism detection software (Turnitin) will be used to screen assignments in this course. This is being done to
verify that use of all material and sources in assignments is documented. In the first week of the term, details will be
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provided about the arrangements for the use of Turnitin in this course. Software designed to detect cheating may be run on
both the mid-term and the final exam, where computer-marked multiple choice tests and/or exams will be subject to
submission for similarity review by software that will check for unusual coincidences in answer patterns that may indicate
cheating.
Course Topics:
The topics and dates listed below are tentative and may change depending on the speed with which we get
through the materials. The outline below will be updated periodically to reflect these changes (e.g. topic, date and
readings).
Subject
Introduction
Biological & Cognitive
Foundations
Self Identity
Term Test #1
Assignment & Group
Organization Session
Relationships
Secondary
Socialization
Adolescent Problems
Term Test
Group Presentations
Description
Course Organization
Biological Foundations
Cognitive Foundations
Socio-cultural Foundations
Self Identity
Prosocial Behavior
Gender
Term Test #1
Assignment Due
Group Organization Session
Families, Parenting & Discipline
Friends & Peer Relations
Romantic Relationships
School
Work
Media
Problems & Resilience
Group Paper Due
Term Test
Group Presentations
Dates & Other Info
Jan 3rd
Jan 5th
Jan 10th
Jan 12th
Jan 17th
Jan 19th
Jan 24th
Jan 26th
Readings
Arnett, Ch 1
Arnett, Ch 2
Arnett, Ch 3
Arnett, Ch 4
Arnett, Ch 6 & Generation
Me (whole bk)
Arnett, Ch 5
Jan 31st
Feb 2nd
Feb 7th
Feb 9th
Arnett, Ch 7
Arnett, Ch 8
Arnett, Ch 9
Arnett, Ch 10-12
Girls on the Edge (whole bk)
Boys Adrift (whole bk)
Feb 14th
Feb 16th
Feb 28th
Arnett, 13
March 1st
Mar 6th – 29th
Changes to the Course Outline
Please note that some types of course details outlined in this syllabus maybe revised over the term. Periodically, I will update,
revise and/or adjust the topics to be discussed in the lectures, readings and other non-assessment related components.
Students will be notified of any change in the course outline in-class, via email, on the discuss boards and by handout (to be
appended to the course outline). If you are unsure as to which syllabus to use, please refer to the course website and
download the current syllabus, which will be listed by date.
Posting of Final Grades at Renison College
It is Renison College policy NOT to post grades at any time or report grades via phone or email.
Detailed Assignment Descriptions
Group Seminar Presentation: Mar 6th to 29th (25%)
Organizational Meeting: January 31st (Attendance Mandatory)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Your presentation should be no longer 20 minutes in length
Groups of 2-3 students
Your presentation should consist of the following information:
Thesis Statement/Question
Creative/Interesting Presentation of the relative information and facts on your topic
Identify and define key concepts
Identify and explain key theories
Identify and describe key research findings
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6.
7.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Identify and describe ways in which the issue/topic has been addressed in public policy, programs, services and/or
social action
Present conclusions
Your presentation must include the following components:
It MUST FOCUS ON ADOLESCENCE and your substantive topic; e.g. Adolescence & Race. Do not conduct a
presentation on Race alone. The information presented must focus on and describe Adolescent experiences of Black
Canadians (for example), not racial prejudice and discrimination. Presentations not focusing on Adolescence will
receive a grade of 0 (out of 15) on the research component of the presentation grade.
Presentation of Current Facts/Information on topic – this should form the mainstay
Some type of non-lecture-type component (e.g. multimedia presentation; role play; etc.) and/or short class
exercise to illustrate a point or idea related to your presentation.
Q & A Period – Your presentation should conclude with an opportunity for the class to ask questions regarding your
presentation.
Research Requirement: no less than 10 academic journal articles and/or 5 other sources (government reports,
books, etc.). NO INTERNET SOURCES – e.g. info from websites - ARE PERMITTED FOR THIS COURSE COMPONENT
(except with express permission from the Instructor). This is not a “google” presentation; it is expect that students
will conduct an academic/scholarly presentation; which is properly sourced, cited and references. Internet sources
and the course lecture notes may not be used as sources of information. The research component of the
presentation will be allocated as follows: 0-5 out of 15 – uses less than 5 journal articles with a total of less than 7
sources; 6-10 uses 5 -8 journal articles with a total of less than 10 sources; 11-15 uses 8-10 journal articles with a
total of 11 or more sources.
Maximum Presentation Time: 20 minutes [Please notes: Presentations will be stopped after 20 minutes to ensure
adequate time for evaluation and second presentation].
You must email the instructor your presentation 1 day before your presentation is scheduled.
Please refer to the Presentation Rubric attached at the end of the syllabus for the criteria that will be used in evaluating the
presentations. Every individual in the class will be required to complete an evaluation at the end of each presentation. The
classes scores will be averaged and combined with the Instructors evaluation, as follows: Instructors grade worth 50% of the
grade and the classes 50% of the grade; to produce a final grade/score on the presentation as follows: Presentation Grade =
(Class Average Grade *.50) + (Instructor’s Grade *.50).
Group Paper Based on Presentation (25%)
Due Date: February 28th (in class – please see policy regarding late assignments)
As part of your group presentation, your group will write a research brief on your presentation topic. The brief should be
between 10-12 pages long. This will be an opportunity to focus on definitions, measurements, theories and on remedies
based on your presentation topic. This is an academic research paper and the group is required to use only academic sources
of information (e.g. text books, journal articles and government reports). You must support your ideas, answers, assertions
and statements of fact with evidence and information from the academic/scholarly research literature. For this assignment,
your report must incorporate (be based) on a minimum of 10 academic/scholarly journal articles and any other sources of
information (e.g., texts, government reports, etc.), that you need to successfully complete your report.
Academic/Scholarly journal articles may be found (but are not limited to) the following journals: The Canadian Journal of
Sociology and Anthropology, The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, Signs, Social Problems, The Journal of Social Distress
and Homelessness, The Journal of Child Adolescence, etc. [Please note: these are just examples of what is deemed an
academic or scholarly journal, there are many, many such journals and you are not limited to the ones above or are required
to use them in your assignment.]
In addition to academic articles, you may also base your research on textbooks and government reports – but the grade for
the research component of the assignment is entirely dependent on minimum research requirement of 10
academic/scholarly journal articles. Please note the allocation of the research component – to do well on the assignment you
must use a minimum 10 academic journal articles. You may not use the Internet or the course lecture notes or texts as the
basis of your research. The only Internet source that may be used is the University of Waterloo’s online library sources —
particularly the online journals.
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You can locate academic journal articles online through the library (which is categorically different from an internet site on
the worldwide web). Here are some instructions on how to do so from home. In order to access e-journals through the library
you have to log on to the library through http://login.lib.uwaterloo.ca/. You log on with your name and student library card
number. After that, the process is just as it would be if you were sitting on campus searching the e-journals.
Format:
 Your group paper should be no less than 8 pages and no more than 12 pages in length (excluding title pages and
references; please note citations are different from references) – submissions less than 8 pages or more than 12
pages (excluding title page and references) will receive an automatic deduction of 1% per page over or under the
pages limit noted above.
 Your submission should be double-spaced, with no less than 1” margins all around. The font size of your type should
be no less than 12 point. Submissions with larger/smaller margins, and font sizes smaller than 12 point, will be
deducted 2% in the layout and design portion of the grading rubric.
 Your assignments should include a title page (with an appropriate title, the names and student ID numbers of each
group member), the paper, and numbered and alphabetically ordered references/bibliography (where appropriate).
Your group paper will be graded based on form and style, as well as content. Therefore, you should make every
effort to edit your paper for grammatical and spelling errors before handing it in!
Grading Criteria: Please see the Grading Rubric (attached to this outline and available on the course website)
Your report should be based on academic/scholarly research as found in the academic journals. Given this then, you must
cite your sources of information in the text of your research report. You will be deducted 2% for the following errors:
incorrectly citing sources, not referencing sources cited in the text, not including references or a bibliography, including
references that are not used in the text, references that are not in alphabetical order and any other formatting and sourcing
errors.
All information adopted from other sources must be properly cited and referenced. Reminder: every effort should be made
to put information adopted from other sources into your own words (e.g., paraphrased), and quotes should be avoided as
much as possible. The only time a quote should be used or is appropriate, is if it exemplifies a point or provides an especially
important piece of information. If this is the case, then the quote should be presented as follows: quotes less than 3 lines
long should be placed in quotation marks and embedded in the text of the document and should be properly referenced with
the appropriate page numbers. Quotes longer than 3 lines should be offset from the body of the text (e.g., indented 5 spaces
from either margin) and should be properly referenced with the appropriate page numbers. Rule of Thumb: no more than
one quote per page.
If you have looked at the grading rubric you will note that the scoring leaves 15% of the assignment grade open – I do use this
to evaluate the quality and quantity of sources used in your report. I do check your references. 10% of the 15% is allocated to
an evaluation of the type and number of sources used and 5% to the layout and design of your report.
Please be forewarned, not citing your sources of information in the body of your fact sheet technically is plagiarism. Also,
including references in your bibliography that are not cited or used in the body of your fact sheet technically is plagiarism.
Please refer to UW’s policies on plagiarism.
Remember, this is an academic research report, which means that you are assuming the standpoint of an objective scientist
investigating and providing answers to the questions asked above. Objective scientists do not report on their own feelings,
emotions or opinions, nor do they report on the feelings, emotions or opinions of the research (ers) they are summarizing.
Objective scientists report findings, results, and conclusions. They summarize studies or research, and in doing so they use
phases such as: “Peressini (1998) found that …”, or “Researchers have demonstrated that …”, or “The current research
indicates that …”, or “Johnson and Johnson conclude that …”, or “In contrast, other research has shown …”, etc. Books are
referred to as texts, not novels. When summarizing the research, do not refer to the article title or journal name, always
identify the author and year of the publication (e.g. Peressini (1990) suggests that ….). Finally, all quotes must be properly
cited, e.g (Peressini, 1990: pg 234). Any quote included in your report must include a page number in the citation.
I do not accept late assignments due to technical problems with home computers or the website. Only students with
verifiable medical reasons (e.g., a death in the family, etc.) will be granted an extension. Please do not assume that I will grant
an extension with penalty and then hand your assignment in late, it will receive a grade of 0 and will be returned to you.
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Term Test#1: January 26th (25%)
Term Test #2: March 1st (25%)
The Term Test #1 will consist of 100 multiple choice questions based on all course materials, readings lectures, handouts and
videos covered up to January 24th.
THE TESTS ARE NOT CUMULATIVE
The Term Test #2 will consist of 100 multiple choice questions based on all course materials, readings lectures, handouts and
videos covered up to January 24th.
Summary APA STYLE SUMMARY – GOOGLE “APA STYLE GUIDE” for a more detailed guide
General Format
Choose a normal 12 font and double space for most publications. Use one-inch margins and indent the first line of each
paragraph one-half inch.
Level of Headings
CENTRED, NOT ITALICIZED, UPPER CASE
Centred, Not Italicized, Title Case
Centred, Italicized, & Title Case
Left Margin, Italicized, & Title Case
Indented, italicized, & sentence case with period.
Numbers
Generally, use words for zero to nine, and figures for 10 and above.
Paraphrasing & Quoting
Paraphrasing is describing someone else’s idea or data in your own words. When you do this, you must acknowledge the
source. You can place the source at the end of the sentence (Buckley, 1998). Alternatively, you can mention in the
sentence, for example, that authorities such as Buckley (1998) provide cautions about plagiarism.
When you are directly quoting someone else’s words, in addition to noting the source, you must use quotation marks (for a
brief quote within your sentence). Furthermore, as Buckley (1998) suggests, “whenever possible, make quoted material part
of your own sentence structure” (p. 61).
You must use block quotation structure for a quote of 40 words or more. The quote becomes a free-standing block of text
that is indented five spaces from the left margin. Quotation marks are omitted and the reference to the page number is
shown in parentheses after the quote. Here’s an example using the classic definition of community organization
developed by Ross (1967):
a process by which a community identifies its needs or objectives, orders (or ranks) those objectives, develops the
confidence and will to work at these needs or objectives, finds the resources (internal or external) to deal with these
needs or objectives, takes action in respect to them, and in so doing extends and develops cooperative and
collaborative attitudes and practices in the community. (p. 40)
References
Books [Do not reproduce these subheadings on your reference page; alphabetize all works]
Author, A. (20xx). Title of book in italics: Capitalize first words of title and subtitle as well as proper nouns like Canada (2nd
ed.). City: Publisher.
Chapters from Edited Books
Author, A., & Author, B. (20xx). Title of chapter: Capitalize first word of title and subtitle only. In A. Surname (Ed.), Title of
book in sentence case and italicized (3rd ed.; pp. 10-20). City: Publisher.
Journal Articles
Author, A., & Author, B. (20xx). Title of article: Remember to capitalize first word of title and subtitle only. Title of Journal in
Title Case and Italicized, # of vol. (# of issue – only if all issues begin with page 1), 10-20.
Government Publications
Canada, Statistics Canada. (1995). Women in Canada: A statistical report (3rd ed.). Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
Internet Publications
When citing material from the internet in the text of your paper, use the author and date where possible. If no author is
given, use the title in its place; if no date is given, indicate (n.d.). For direct quotes, provide the page number if possible. If
no page number is given, provide the section, chapter, &/or paragraph: (CCSD, 2003, Economic Security section, para. 2).
For the reference list, provide the author, year, title, date retrieved, and source. When no author is identified, begin with
the title.
8
Canadian Council on Social Development (2003). Personal security index 2003. Retrieved December 5, 2003, from:
http://www.ccsd.ca/pubs/2003/psi/ .
Newspaper Articles
For newspaper articles, provide the year, month, and date of publication. Use the same order of presentation as a journal
article, beginning with the author’s name. However if no author is provided, begin with the title of the article and in the
text citation use a short title (“New Drug”, 1993):
New drug appears to sharply cut risk of death from heart failure. (1993, July 15). The Washington Post, p. A12.
Audiovisual Media
For audiovisual media, such as motion pictures, television broadcasts, and audio recordings, consult the APA manual,
beginning on page 266. The following are some examples from the manual:
Scorsese, M. (Producer), & Lonergan, K. (Writer/Director). (2000). You can count on me [Motion picture]. United States:
Paramount Pictures.
Crystal, L. (Executive Producer). (1993, October 11). The MacNeil/Lehrer news hour [Television broadcast]. New York and
Washington, DC: Public Broadcasting Service.
Writer, A. (Date of copyright). Title of song [Recorded by artist if different from writer]. On Title of album [Medium of
recording: CD, record, cassette, etc.]. Location: Label.
Personal Communications, Interviews, etc.
If you're citing material from an interview, telephone conversation, e-mail message etc. in the text of the essay, you give
the surname and initials of the communicator, describe it as personal communication, and provide as exact a date as
possible. You don't need to cite a page number. Nor do you need to include the citation in the Reference List, since it's not
considered retrievable material. For example, if you had interviewed me for this information or were using this message
as your source, it would look like this:
L. Snyder (personal communication, February 5, 2003) suggested we describe interviews as "personal communication". [or]
We were advised to describe interviews as "personal communication" (L. Snyder, personal communication, February 5,
2003).
Legal Materials - With legal material, it is the name of the document rather than the author which appears in the text citation
and is first in the reference list. In both instances, the name of the document is italicized. Within the text, you name the
legislation and refer to its year:
The Canada Assistance Plan of 1966 stipulated that …
In the reference list, use the following order: the name; the abbreviation for Statutes of Canada, Revised Statutes of
Ontario, or Revised Regulations of Ontario; the year; the chapter; the section & subsections:
Canada Assistance Plan, S.C. 1966-67, c.45, s.15(3)(a).
General Welfare Assistance Act, R.S.O.1970, c.192 and R.R.O.1980, Reg.441, s.3(1)(b).
Reference List
American Psychological Association (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (5th ed.).
Washington, D.C.: APA. [Available in the Renison Library]
9
Overall Grade
SAMPLE ONLY
Grading Rubric (Ver. 05/2010)
Student Name: ___________________________________
1. Overall quality of expression. This Paper
L1 - Inadequate
• Exhibits serious and recurring errors
in most of: expression, grammar,
punctuation, and/or mechanics, that
consistently and gravely interfere
with understanding.
L2 - Marginal
• Exhibits a lack of control of
expression, grammar punctuation,
and/or mechanics that interferes with
understanding; significant effort may
be needed to construct meaning.
• Student shows evidence of having
trouble constructing meaning in more
than a handful of passages
L3 - Adequate
• Exhibits sufficient control of
expression, grammar, punctuation,
and mechanics do not interfere with
understanding.
• Accuracy may be inconsistent, but
sufficiently controlled to discern
meaning with some minor effort.
• Student is dependent on outside
wording to make sense.
2. Precision of the Paper (i.e. the gathering and selecting of information [research included]). This Paper is…
L1 - Inadequate
L2 - Marginal
L3 - Adequate
• An inappropriate or tangential use
• An impressionistic, mechanical,
• A general Paper, indicating a grasp
of information about your topic,
surface approach to gathering and
of some areas associated with topic
perhaps indicating a lack of
selecting information about the topic
• Selects points for review in a loose
understanding of the issues
and approach
or vague way; lack of critical distance.
surrounding the topic.
• Needs to gather higher-priority
• Tackles the self-evident only
• Selected irrelevant points .
evidence.
(confirms/validates or restates/
• Hardly any or no support.
• Support/discussion lacking (leading
paraphrases various researcher’s or
• Off-topic: selects an inappropriate
to lack of substance/depth).
author’s position: "Tepperman
topic; fails to meet the requirements
states…")
of the assignment.
L4 - Good
• Exhibits control of intermediate
sentence structure, expression,
grammar, punctuation, and
mechanics.
• Writing is mostly accurate; there
may be a few minor flaws in a handful
of passages.
• Meaning is apparent to the reader
with little effort.
• Creates sense efficiently in his/her
own words.
L5 - Excellent
• Exhibits command of advanced
sentence structure, expression (word
choice, tone, sentence variety, and
sentence sense), grammar,
punctuation, and mechanics.
• Writing is clear, concise, controlled
and consistently so.
• Meaning is easily apparent to the
reader.
• Language is original and articulate.
L4 - Good
• Comprehensive and competent
Paper, indicating a good general
understanding of varying positions
about your topic …
• Identifies problems/ issues in
aspects related to the your topic but
needs to prioritize them better
• Support is present, but not always
of high quality or convincing
L5 - Excellent
• Precise and perceptive Paper,
indicating an excellent understanding
of the issue as a whole
• Able to assess and describe reasons
for assessment: identifies “highvalue” merits and weaknesses about
your topic and focuses on them in
detail
• Evidence of a high level of synthesis
and evaluation in the gathering of
critical aspects for Paper.
• Selects excellent support for points
(aware of valuable sources).
3. Clarity and depth of the Paper (i.e. the treatment of the information that has been gathered and selected). This Paper …
L1 - Inadequate
L2 - Marginal
L3 - Adequate
L4 - Good
• Fails to define issues about your
• Lacks a central point of view and
• Exhibits sufficient clarity to establish
• Exhibits some clarity, and some
topic
remains unclear
a consistent train of thought about
depth of thought about your topic.
• Conclusions are not drawn.
• Mere rewording or repeating of
some aspects of your topic.
• Needs to improve in the areas of
• Lack of coherence in the facts
smaller facts.
• Requires more detailing/breaking
complexity, originality, and maturity –
relayed (exhibits a lack of
• Exhibits faulty logic
down of main ideas.
needs to develop skill to identify and
understanding of issue, relationships,
• Stereotypical or superficial thinking.
• Needs to improve in the area of
describe problem
cause/effect, consequences…)
• Patchwork of quotes/factual
discernment.
• Points are developed, and their
• Too little info/facts; sketchy.
remarks (relies on patched quotes to
• Points are somewhat developed,
presence is reasoned
• Facts & info on inappropriate topic;
raise points).
but their relevance is not stated in
• Paper seems to jump from one
topic does not meet the requirements
words (“so what?”)
source of support to another (relies
of the assignment.
• Developments tend to be
on support to create ideas).
descriptive, incomplete, or a mere
statement of facts.
4. Coherence and organization of the Paper (i.e. the management and arrangement of the gathered, selected, and processed information). This Paper …
L1 - Inadequate
L2 - Marginal
L3 - Adequate
L4 - Good
• Exhibits little or no focus.
• Exhibits poor control of focus.
• Exhibits sufficient control of focus to
• Exhibits focus, competent
• Ineffective organizational pattern(s).
• Reader is lost more than once and
keep more or less on task.
organization, and development.
• Presentation is generally lacking
has to “decipher” the succession of
• Organization shows gaps, transitions
• Reasonable organization, where
logic, organization, or consistency.
ideas.
may not be consistently clear and/or
minor gaps in the sequence of ideas
• Weak organizational pattern(s) (may
paragraph structures may not be
do not interfere with the reader
ramble, be repetitious, contradictory,
consistently unified.
following argument.
hard to follow, or locked into a
• Tendency to list, poor transitions.
• Fairly skilled in managing
simplistic formula).
Development may veer off abruptly or
information at the paragraph level
• Paragraphs are lists of sentences.
unexpectedly
• Paragraphs are not organized &
• Overall structure is adequately laid
composed around a central idea.
out.
• Tends to try to pack too much in
(i.e. did not prioritize /organize points
well enough).
L5 - Excellent
• Exhibits clarity, complexity,
perceptiveness, originality, depth, and
maturity of thought.
• Able to state specific issues related
to your topic, illustrate, underline
problems in other’s views and own
views in words.
• Integrates support very well in the
flow of own ideas (has own ideas).
Processes quotes.
• Positions itself articulately for own
view about your topic in the light of
further personal research
L5 - Excellent
• Exhibits precise focus, coherent and
efficient organization.
• Developments are interesting,
conclusions drawn in an organized
planned manner (with carefully
chosen and insightful stated details,
examples, reasons, etc.).
• Well-paced, easy to follow,
excellent organization and logic.
PART 1: SCALE CONVERSION TABLE: ADD L1+L2+L3+L4; Match total score to corresponding percentage grade. __________ %20 = 85
19 =
18 =
17 =
16 =
82
78
75
72
15 =
14 =
13 =
12 =
68
66
64
62
11 =
10 =
9=
8=
58
56
54
52
7=
6=
5=
4=
50
47
45
35
3=
2=
1=
0
0
0
PART 2: LAYOUT & DESIGN [L&D] (max. 5% of grade): __________ %
 Incorrect Format, 0;
 Below Average, 1-2%;
 Average, 3.0%;
 Above Average (4-5%)
PART 3: MINIMUM RESEARCH REQUIREMENT [MRR] 15 SOURCES (max. 10% of grade): __________ %
# of Sources: __________# of Journal Articles: __________ Level/Quality of Research:  Poor  Okay  Good  Excellent
Level/Quality of Synthesis of Research:  Poor  Okay  Good  Excellent________________________________________________________
Level/Quality of Critical Appraisal or Thought:  Poor  Okay  Good  Excellent__________________________________________________
PART 1:_____________% + PART 2:_____________ % + PART 3:_____________ % =
Sub Total:_____________ %
 Fails to cite sources or evidence for factual statements/observations [deduct 2.0%]
%
 References/Citations incomplete/erroneous [deduct 2.0%]
%
 Exceeds set page limit [1.0% per page over/under]
%
 Quotes: cited and/or formatted incorrectly; excessive use and/or abuse [deduct 2.0%]
%
Total Grade:____________________________%
10
PRESENTATION RUBRIC (CIRCLE THE NUMBER IN COLUMN 1)
PRESENTATION
ORGANIZATION
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
PREPAREDNESS
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
PRESENTATION
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
CONTENT
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
ORIGINALITY
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
KNOWLEDGE GAINED
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
VOCABULARY
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
WORKLOAD
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
4
Presentation content is well
organized and easy to follow.
Student is completely prepared.
3
The overall organization of the
presentation appears flawed and
somewhat difficult to follow.
Student seems pretty prepared but
could have prepared more.
2
Presentation is somewhat
organized 30% of the time.
1
There was no clear or logical
organizational structure, just
lots of facts.
Student does not seem at all
prepared to present.
Smooth delivery that holds
audience attention. Stays on
topic all (100%) of the time.
Fairly smooth delivery that holds
audience attention most of the time.
Stays on topic most (99-90%) of the
time.
Covers topic in-depth with
details and examples. Subject
knowledge is excellent. Shows a
full understanding of the topic.
Includes essential knowledge about
the topic. Subject knowledge appears
to be good. Shows a good
understanding of the topic
Presentation shows a large
amount of original thought.
Ideas are creative and
inventive.
Student can accurately answer
all questions related to facts in
the presentation.
Presentation shows some original
thought. Work shows new ideas and
insights.
The student is somewhat
prepared, but it is clear that
preparation was lacking.
Delivery not smooth, but able to
maintain interest of the
audience most of the time. Stays
on topic some (89%-75%) of the
time.
Includes essential information
about the topic but there are 1-2
factual errors. Shows a good
understanding of parts of the
topic.
Uses other people's ideas (giving
them credit), but there is little
evidence of original thinking.
Student can accurately answer most
questions related to facts in the
presentation.
Student can accurately answer
about 75% of questions related
to facts in the presentation.
Student appears to have
insufficient knowledge about
the facts.
Uses vocabulary appropriate for
an academic audience. Extends
audience vocabulary by
defining words that might be
new to most of the audience.
The workload is divided and
shared equally by all team
members.
Uses vocabulary appropriate for an
academic audience. Includes 1-2
words that might be new to most of
the audience, but does not define
them.
The workload is divided and shared
fairly by all team members, though
workloads may vary from person to
person.
Uses vocabulary appropriate for
an academic audience. Does not
include any vocabulary that
might be new to the audience.
Uses several (5 or more) words
or phrases that are not
understood by the audience.
The workload was divided, but
one person in the group is
viewed as not doing his/her fair
share of the work.
The workload was not divided
OR several people in the group
are viewed as not doing their
fair share of the work.
2
Students include at least 2 highquality examples or pieces of
data to support their
presentation.
Students create an accurate
presentation but it does not
adequately address the issue.
1
Students include fewer than 2
high-quality examples or pieces
of data to support their
presentation.
The presentation is not
accurate.
Information in almost all source
citations is correct AND there
are minor errors in formatting.
Source information collected for
graphics, facts and quotes.
All topics are addressed, and
most questions answered with
reference to at least 1 academic
source.
Information clearly relates to the
main topic. No details and/or
examples are given from
academic sources.
The information is often
incorrect OR there are major
errors in formatting. Very little
or no source information was
collected.
One or more topics were not
addressed.
All sources (information and
graphics) are accurately
documented, but many are not
in the desired format.
Diagrams and illustrations are
neat and accurate and
sometimes add to the reader's
understanding of the topic.
Some sources are not accurately
documented.
Delivery not smooth and
audience attention often lost. It
was hard to tell what the topic
was.
Content is minimal OR there are
several factual errors. Does not
seem to understand the topic
very well.
Uses other people's ideas, but
does not give them credit.
PART 2: RESEARCH
RESEARCH, SOURCES &
INFORMATION
RESEARCH/STATISTICAL DATA
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
PRESENTATION ORIGINALITY
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
SOURCES-CITATION
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
AMOUNT OF INFORMATION
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
QUALITY OF INFORMATION
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
SOURCES
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
DIAGRAMS & ILLUSTRATIONS
1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4
4
Students include 4 or more
high-quality examples or pieces
of data to support their
presentation.
Students create an original,
accurate and interesting
presentation that adequately
addresses the issue.
Information in all source
citations is correct. Source
information collected for all
graphics, facts and quotes. All
documented in desired format.
All topics are addressed and all
questions answered with
reference to at least 2 academic
sources.
Information clearly relates to
the main topic. It includes
several supporting details
and/or examples from
academic sources.
All sources (information and
graphics) are accurately
documented in the desired
format.
Diagrams and illustrations are
neat, accurate and add to the
reader's understanding of the
topic.
3
Students include at least 3 highquality examples or pieces of data to
support their presentation.
Students create an accurate
presentation that adequately
addresses the issue.
Information in all source citations is
correct but there are minor errors in
formatting. Source information
collected for all graphics, facts and
quotes.
All topics are addressed and most
questions answered with reference to
at least 2 academic sources.
Information clearly relates to the
main topic. It provides 1-2 supporting
details and/or examples from
academic sources.
All sources (information and graphics)
are accurately documented, but a few
are not in the desired format.
Diagrams and illustrations are
accurate and add to the reader's
understanding of the topic.
Information has little or nothing
to do with the main topic.
Diagrams and illustrations are
not accurate OR do not add to
the reader's understanding of
the topic.
This is rubric is scored in the same way as the report/essay rubric. The total score of 60 pts will be standardized to the 20 point scale used for the report/essay rubric (see previous
page) for a maximum percentage score of 85%, leaving 15% for the course instructor to award marks for exceptional work, research, creativity and presentation.
TOTAL: _________
Percentage Grade Calculated as Follows: (Average Student Grade *.50) + (Instructor Grade *.50) + (Instructor Research Grade out of 15%) = Total Grade
Comments:
11