BBSS: APA
Advanced and
Q&A
A WMER Production
*all page numbers reference the APA Publication Manual, 6th edition
Guiding Principles
 Can
my reader understand it?
 Can my reader find the source I
referenced?
 Is there a shorter way to say it that doesn’t
violate #1?
 Your
advisor/editor/professor > APA
Tables (pp. 128-150)
 “tables
should be integral to the text but
should be designed so that they can be
understood in isolation” (p. 128)
 “An informative table supplements—
rather than duplicates—the text. In the
text, refer to every table and tell the
reader what to look for. Discuss only the
table’s highlights; if you find yourself
discussing every item of the table in the
text, the table is unnecessary.” (p. 130)
Essential elements of a table
 Table
number, referenced in the text
 Brief but clear title
 Brief but clear headings for each column
 “do not include columns of data that can
be calculated easily from other columns”
(p. 138)
 Explanations for abbreviations
 Minimal lines (no vertical lines)
Figures (pp. 150-167)
 “If
the figure does not add substantively
to the understanding of the paper or
duplicates other elements of the paper, it
should not be included…the information
value of the figure must dominate other
decisions” (p. 151)
 Must be able to stand alone: “a reader
should not have to refer to the text to
decipher the figure’s message” (p. 160)
Essential elements of a figure
 Figure
number, referenced in text
 Legend: explains symbols used
 Caption: “brief but descriptive” (p. 159);
explains purpose of figure (title)
 Credit given to primary source, even if
figure is adapted; permission obtained, if
necessary (see Figures section for
examples of how to cite)
Numbers (pp. 111-115)
 Use





a number:
10+
in the abstract
with units of measurement
with “math talk,” time, and scales (unless it’s
an approximation)
“f. numbers that denote a specific place in
a numbered series, parts of books and
tables, and each number in a list of four or
more numbers” (p. 112)
Numbers (cont’d)
 Use



first word in sentence/title/heading (but
really just reword the sentence)
“common fractions” (p. 112)
“universally accepted usage” (p. 112)
 Use

a word:
a combo:
to clarify “back-to-back modifiers” (p. 112113)
Anthropomorphism (AKA
personification) (p. 69)
 e.g.,
“The study found” or “The research
showed”
 Instead:


“The researchers found”
“We discovered” (only if referring to you
and your co-authors) or “I discovered”
Passive Voice (p. 77)
 “Verbs
are vigorous, direct
communicators. Use the active rather
than the passive voice…” (p. 77)

“We conducted the survey” vs. “The survey
was conducted” (p. 77)
 Exception:
“when you want to focus on
the object or recipient of the action
rather than on the actor” (p. 77)
Tense (pp. 65-66 & 78)

Past (“used”)


Present perfect (“have used”)


“action or condition that occurred at a specific, definite
time in the past, as when discussing another researcher’s
work and when reporting your results” (p. 78)
“a past action or condition that did not occur at a specific,
definite time or to describe an action beginning in the past
and continuing to the present” (p. 78)
Present (“use”)

“By reporting conclusions in the present tense, you allow
readers to join you in deliberating the matter at hand.” (p.
66)
Tense cheat sheet
 Lit
Review: past/present perfect
 Method: past (unless ongoing)
 Results: past (unless ongoing)
 Implications: present
Frankenreferences


From the Blog
Essentially, as long as you cover the main
elements, you can cobble together a citation
for anything:





Who?
When?
What?
Where?
The idea is to give your reader as much
information as possible to find the reference.
The Checklists
 Tables,
p. 150
 Figures, p. 167
 Manuscript Submission, pp. 241-243
OWL vs. Book vs. Blog
 blog.apastyle.org

Great resource for things you can’t find in
the book (read the comment sections, too!)
 How
to cite a hashtag
 How to cite software programs
 How to cite a psychological test
 How to cite works from the spirit world
Q&A
 What’s
the difference between e.g. and
i.e.? Can I use them interchangeably?
 NO!


e.g. = for example
i.e. = in other words
Q&A
 Is
it acceptable/appropriate to use “other
researchers” or “and colleagues” rather
than “et al.”?
 YES!
You can use either in a sentence (not
for a parenthetical citation), but “and
colleagues” is what I see most frequently:

e.g., Jones and colleagues (2012) found…
Q&A

When do I use quotation marks for a term? Do I
always have to use page numbers with quotation
marks?

SORT OF. You can use quotation marks to
introduce a coined/slang term (p. 91), but make it
clear that this isn’t a term that should be attributed
to another source (e.g., you wouldn’t introduce
“Bloom’s Taxonomy” as though it were your
original idea). For technical terminology, introduce
the term with italics. Don’t use quotation marks to
“hedge” (p. 92). Don’t continue using the
quotation marks after the initial introduction.
Q&A
 Is
the author's first name ever required or
appropriate to use in a citation?
 What?!
 First
initials for personal communications
 Often seen for secondary sources

“Thomas Jefferson once said…(as cited
in…)”
Q&A

What’s up with DOIs?

Use CrossRef.org to look up DOIs for print and
electronic material
“When a DOI is used, no further retrieval
information is needed to identify or locate the
content” (p. 191).
“If no DOI has been assigned to the content,
provide the home page URL of the journal or
of the book or report publisher” (p. 191).


Q&A

What about publishing company names?

From the blog:

“Note that the name of the publisher is given in
as brief a form as possible. Eliminate words such
as Publishers, Co., and Inc., and use only the
surname for publishing houses that are named
after persons (e.g., Erlbaum, not Lawrence
Erlbaum; Wiley, not John Wiley). The names of
universities, associations, and so forth are given
in full.”
Q&A