Bayh College of Education – Department of Educational Leadership Indiana State University – Terre Haute, Indiana

(APA Writing Style __ )
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APA format standardizes scientific writing
APA is precise, concise, and efficient
APA writing is designed for the READER, not the writer
APA formatting is not grounded in concepts aimed at making reading “fun” or “entertaining,” but when well written, is pleasant to read!

Mechanics
Format - margins, Headers, Citations,
Sections, page breaks, etc.
Style
Phrasing, sentence and paragraph structure, transitions, etc.

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Double spacing
8.5 x 11 inch
1-inch Margins: Ragged Right Edge
12 Times New Roman font
Use ISU Thesis/Dissertation Template
For Indiana State University: No Running
Head is Used
Four Sections: Title Page, Abstract, Main Body, and References
For in-text and reference section citation formatting, refer to the APA Style Guide and mirror like entries

All APA manuscript writing is double-spaced
The Reference Section is part of an APA style manuscript
Therefore, the reference section is double-spaced
Paragraphs are part of an APA manuscript
Therefore, paragraphs are double-spaced

Passive Voice
Exotic Punctuation and Commas
Repetition
Anthropomorphism
The “Four-Letter” Words
Unnecessary Emphatics
Negligent Plagiarism

Where the object rather than the subject of the sentence receives the action of the verb.
Through the examination of the data and the asking of questions yet to be answered, future research opportunities have become evident.
- The “Flipping” Strategy -
Future research opportunities have become evident after examining the results.

The cheese was eaten by the mouse.
After the cheese was eaten by the mouse, it was eaten by the cat.
Employee’s perceptions that their supervisors are confident they are able to reach higher levels of productivity increases confidence in themselves.
(All of the sentences above were adapted from submitted dissertations)

Use commas to separate three or more words, phrases, or clauses written in a series
Use commas to separate independent clauses when they are joined by any of these seven coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet.
Use commas after introductory a) clauses, b) phrases, or c) words that come before the main clause
The probability that you’ll use far too many commas in your
APA writing is exceedingly high

More or less, the faculty member, who is an expert, can be relied upon, in certain cases, to provide additional information, not presented in the text, that is critical to learning, especially in the subject area.
In addition to the textbook, faculty members should provide additional subject area information.

Colons, Semi-colons, Punctuations within italics,
Exclamations
One simple rule to follow: Don’t use them unless an example is expressly provided for in the APA
Style Guide

Outside of the factors found to be statistically significant, one may find further suggestions for application in the college classroom. The following most noted questions in the survey all came from outside the statistically significant factors, including
While not statistically significant, the responses to some survey questions should be considered applicable to teaching, including

The school decided to adopt a new policy.
The research said that it was important.
The study tells us that we should change.

This
That
Them
They
Those
You’re probably using them when you shouldn’t be using them

This study will identify factors that impact student academic performance in school settings.
This means that those things they find challenging can hinder their ultimate success.

Thus,
Furthermore,
However,
Because of this,
Additionally,
In the midst of all of it, however, they continued their journey

The APA Publications Manual provides examples of just about anything. Writers’ refusal to consult the Manual is apparent within two minutes to an editor.
On-campus editors are not re-writers
Don’t rely on an on-campus editor to identify each and every error in the manuscript

The failure to cite an original author*
(* Citing a secondary source is close to plagiarism)
Turnitin WILL typically identify the original author

Use of Numbers
Hyphenation
Use of et al.
Capitalization in Titles and Headings
Imprecise Language
Tables and Figures
Use of Commas
Abbreviations and Acronyms
Line Spacing
Use of & as opposed to the word and

Step 1: Just write it
Step 2: Assume you’ve written it with errors
Step 3: Fix the errors
Can you use fewer words?
Can you use fewer punctuation marks?
Use the “flipping” strategy to transform passive voice to active
Step 4: Use the “Find” feature to locate problems
(commas, exotic punctuation, “four-letter” words

When in doubt, be conservative
When tempted to be imaginative, don’t be
When driven to novelty, don’t be
When seeking distinction, let your writing, not your writing style distinguish your work