APA Style Guide
Especially for the Students of
Keiser University
Everglades University
Southeastern Institute
and Keiser Career College
This guide was created to make
using APA style formats for college
papers easy for students.
You will find that this guide provides
short, easy to understand
explanations, as well as authoritative
charts from the APA style experts.
For best results, please view this
tutorial in full screen mode, or print
each slide on a page.
To print only the pages you want to
keep, please make a note of the slide
numbers of those pages, and enter
these as page numbers in the Print
dialog box.
Students, please note that your
instructor may have special
instructions for you.
If there is a conflict between
these standard instructions and
your teacher’s instructions,
please follow your teacher’s
instructions.
Student Guide to APA Style and Evaluating Information
What is APA Style?
The acronym “APA” stands for “American Psychological Association.” The APA is a
professional membership organization, whose members work or have degrees in
Psychology. Many years back, some leaders in this organization created a format for
papers, so that they would be more readable. Their style caught on with nonpsychologists, too. Eventually, APA Style became widely used, especially in colleges
and universities.
APA Style is a format for writing papers. This format describes proper margins (one
inch at the top, bottom, left, and right sides), the font size (12 points), the font types
(Times New Roman or Arial fonts only), and the spacing (papers are double-spaced).
In addition, there are formats for the title page (see example) and for the list of
sources used for a paper (called “citations” or “references” or “reference list”). This
handout provides examples, so that you will know what the standards are for papers
at the university level.
In case you feel you need extra help, here are links to the Writing Labs or Writing
Centers of other universities.
Help with APA Style for Citing References
From the APA Style Web site and blog (URLs are below each entry)
Sample papers
http://search.apastyle.org/?query=&facet=stylecontenttype:Sample%20paper
APA Style Blog – recommended for extra help
http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/
Reference List FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
http://search.apastyle.org/?query=&facet=styletopics:References
(from Cornell University)
http://www.library.cornell.edu/newhelp/res_strategy/citing/apa.html#apa
(and from The Writing Center, University of Wisconsin)
http://www.wisc.edu/writing/Handbook/DocAPA.html
Recommended Web sites that will assist you in creating correct APA style
Reference List citations: You put in the information for your sources, and this Web
site creates your references in APA format, for you! Then, you just copy and paste
into your paper. This takes more time, than simply typing the entries yourself, but
while you are learning, this may be a good way to learn how to do it.
Easy Bib
http://www.easybib.com/
Son of Citation Machine –
http://www.citationmachine.net/
Tips on How to Format the Entries in Your Reference List
(from Cornell University http://www.library.cornell.edu/resrch/citmanage/apa)
1. Entries should be arranged in alphabetical order by authors' last names. Sources
without authors are arranged alphabetically by title within the same list.
2. Write out the last name and initials for all authors of a particular work.
Capitalize only the first word of a title or subtitle, and any proper names that are part
of a title.
3. Use an ampersand (&) instead of the word "and" when listing multiple authors of a
single work.
4. Use the abbreviation p. or pp. to designate page numbers of articles from
periodicals that do not use volume numbers, especially newspapers. These
abbreviations are also used to designate pages in encyclopedia articles and chapters
from edited books.
5. Indentation *: The first line of the entry is flush with the left margin, and all
subsequent lines are indented (5 to 7 spaces) to form a "hanging indent."
6. Underlining vs. Italics *: It is appropriate to use italics instead of underlining for
titles of books and journals.
Tips for Better Writing Style (Please use these!)
(from Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab)
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/ [also good for APA Style]
(and from the Pennsylvania State University Writing Center)
http://www.psu.edu/dept/cew/writingcenter/UWC/writingFAQ.htm
How to Correctly Use Quotations
(from the Purdue University Online Writing Lab)
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/577/01/
** How to Avoid Plagiarism (This is VERY important!) **
(Extra help from the Rice University Online Writing Lab)
http://riceowl.rice.edu/guidance.cfm?doc_id=11767
Use these basic rules, to decide if you should give credit for an idea you
are using in your paper:
1. Give credit for all ideas, whether you quote or whether you paraphrase the ideas
into your own words. The ideas still belong to the person who thought them up – and
published – whether you actually quote them, or not. If you use their idea, give them
credit.
2. If you are even asking, “Should I give credit for this section or idea?” then you
should give credit.
3. Here is a great and useful hint: If you create your Reference List of your sources
BEFORE you type your paper, it is easier to type the parenthetical citations in your
paper’s paragraphs as you type the paper, than it is to go back later and try to
identify all of the ideas you used, and put in the parenthetical citations later. The
bonus for doing it “backwards” like this, is that you will be far less likely to
accidentally leave out a citation, and thus plagiarize someone else’s work in your
paper.
Plagiarizing means claiming someone else’s work or idea as your own,
whether you intend to do it, or not! This is a very bad thing to do! So, be
careful, don’t copy other people’s work – ever, and always give credit for the
ideas you use in your papers, even when you paraphrase.
An example Title Page may be found on the next page
→
Short Title of Your Paper
(Note: these go in the Header part of your paper. In Word 2007, you set the
header and page number by going into Page Number.)
RUNNING HEAD: Shortened Title of Your Paper
(Note: the RUNNING HEAD appears ONLY on your title page, and does not go on
other pages.)
Your Paper’s Full Title
Your Name
The Due Date or the Date You Turn in Your Paper
The Name of Your Instructor
The Name of the Course You are Taking
1
General Tips and Guidelines for Quoting and Paraphrasing
(This was originally from the Pennsylvania State University Online Writing
Center, but this page no longer exists.)
YOUR OWN WORDS SHOULD CLEARLY DOMINATE. You are in control, not your
sources. If you rely heavily on other people's words, then you are not writing the
paper; they are. You need to paraphrase and summarize your sources as well as
quote them.
USE A VARIETY OF SOURCES. If you rely too much on one source, your reader
may as well go directly to that source instead of reading your paper. Don't overuse
any one source.
CHOOSE YOUR QUOTATIONS CAREFULLY AND FOR SPECIFIC REASONS.
Examples of reasons:
* Later reference--You plan to discuss the quotation in some detail in your paper, and
you feel that the reader needs to see the original in order to follow your discussion in
all its complexity.
* Memorable language--You think that the style of the source is so powerful, pithy, or
elegant that you simply must let the reader hear the actual words.
* Authority--You feel the need to bolster your argument by citing the words of an
acknowledged authority in the field. (Remember that mere authority is not
necessarily convincing; the argument itself must be convincing.)
* Accuracy--You have tried several times to paraphrase the source but have been
unable to do so adequately. (Remember that accurate paraphrasing helps you
understand the source and that paraphrasing takes practice and always requires
several drafts. Don't give up too quickly.)
* Brevity--You have tried several times to paraphrase the source and each time have
ended up with twice as many words as the original. (Again, since paraphrasing
assures understanding and takes practice, play with the text for a while before
surrendering to quotation.)
CITE A SOURCE AND PAGE NUMBER FOR EACH QUOTATION. APA guidelines
state that you must cite a source and page number for quotation but only a source
for paraphrase. However, many professors also like to see a page number even for
paraphrase; check with your professor to make sure.
AVOID PLAGIARISM BY UNDERSTAND PARAPHRASING. Paraphrasing is more
than substituting noun or verb synonyms; it involves changes in sentence structure.
Paraphrasing is complex and requires practice; everyone finds it difficult at first. Your
research process will be enhanced if you paraphrase your sources as you find them,
and if you keep track of sources in an organized fashion. NOTE that rephrasing
someone else’s ideas into your own words does not let you off the hook for giving
them credit! Even if you paraphrase, you STILL must cite the source and give credit
for the ideas!
ALWAYS USE YOUR OWN WORDS BETWEEN QUOTATIONS. The reader needs
to know how you are connecting the ideas, so you need to provide your own link
between quotations. Never use quotations back to back without your own linking
words.
DISCUSS YOUR QUOTATIONS. Don't just pop in a quotation and run. Along with
introducing the quotation so that the reader knows its relevance to your text, you
often need to discuss the quotation's significance. Also, the longer the quotation, the
more likely you need double the number of your own words to discuss it. The only
time you need not discuss a quotation is when it is used as an epigraph (i.e., a
quotation that appears right under the title at the beginning of a paper) because an
epigraph's relevance is thematic to the entire paper.
MAKE SURE THAT YOUR READERS KNOW WHERE YOUR WORDS END AND
ANOTHER PERSON'S WORDS OR IDEAS BEGIN. In the following examples of intext quotes, the introductory phrases in each sentence clearly tell readers that a
quotation or an idea which is not the writer's own is about to occur. Likewise, the
quotation marks and the parenthetical citations at the end of the material clearly
announce the end of someone else's work.
Here are three examples:
1. According to Annie Dillard (1975), adolescence made her aware of how adults had
died to themselves through self-consciousness and made her question whether she
too would lose forever the "passion peculiar to children" (p. 225).
2. Annie Dillard's adolescent turmoil caused her to question whether she must lose
the "passion peculiar to children" as she matured (1975, p. 225).
3. One writer focuses on the "passion peculiar to children" in her exploration of
adolescence (Dillard, 1975, p. 225).
AVOID WORDINESS IN INTRODUCING YOUR QUOTATION. At times you may
wish to discuss the background of a source at length, but mostly you will want to
avoid this sort of wordy introduction:
In his book The Moral Life of Children, Robert Coles (1986) reports that . . . .
The reader presumably will have full publishing data in the references at the end of
your paper, so in most cases a concise citation is preferred:
Coles (1986) reports that . . . .
SELECT THE RIGHT VERB AND TENSE. Don't overuse "says" or "states." Here
are some alternatives:
adds, agrees, alleges, argues, asserts, claims, compares, concludes, contrasts,
declares, deduces, defines, demonstrates, disagrees, establishes, explains, finds,
grants, holds, implies, includes, infers, juxtaposes, maintains, notes, observes,
points out, posits, proposes, provides, reports, shows, speculates, stresses,
suggests, supposes, thinks, views, volunteers.
When you use these descriptive verbs, make sure that you use them correctly (e.g.,
don't confuse "imply" and "infer"). Verb tense is a complex issue; see the guidelines
in the APA manual for use of present or past tense when citing sources. Be
consistent in use of tense.
In-text Quotes:
PUT PROSE QUOTATIONS IN RUNNING TEXT WHEN THEY HAVE FEWER
THAN FORTY WORDS.
Because agoraphobia is a fear not of the known, but of the unknown, it is "the
most disabling of all phobias" (Whitehead, 1983, p. 31).
AT TIMES, CHANGE THE POSITION OF YOUR QUOTATIONS TO PROVIDE
VARIETY IN YOUR SENTENCES. Remember that quotations can appear in
different positions:
At the end:
Beardsley and Mack (1982) noted their strongest finding to be "a general unquiet or
uneasiness about the future and about the present nature of nuclear weapons and
nuclear power" (p. 89).
At the beginning:
"A general unquiet or uneasiness about the future" was the strongest finding of
Beardsley and Mack (1982, p. 89).
In the middle:
Beardsley and Mack (1982) noted "a general unquiet or uneasiness about the future"
as their strongest finding (p. 89).
Split up:
"A general unquiet . . . about the future," was the strongest finding of Beardsley
and Mack (1982), allied to "the present nature of nuclear weapons and nuclear
power" (p. 89).
Block Quotes
Quotations of 40 or more words should be displayed as a block quote. When
quotations have forty words or more, indent and block them five spaces or 1/2 inch
from the left margin. Block quotations should be double-spaced (same as the text of
your paper) but not enclosed in quotation marks. (Two examples are given here.)
Sheehan (1983) believes that agoraphobia is not a single phobia but is the name
given to a group of phobias that are acquired over a period of time: "as far as
acquiring phobias are concerned, the agoraphobia stage is the end of the line" (p.
68). He elaborates:
When the condition was named, "agoraphobia" was chosen from the
cluster of phobias as being one of the most representative or typical of all
the many fears the patient has at this point. Curiously, the literal
symptom of agoraphobia (fear of the marketplace or fear of crowded
places) is not the most common or even central fear shared by patients
with the anxiety disease. More common and central is a fear that might
be called "phobiaphobia"--a fear of having another spontaneous panic
attack. It is usually this fear that is the most intense and guides their
behavior more than any other fear. (p. 68)
The following pages were created by
the APA style experts at apastyle.org.
To use them, ask yourself whether the information
source you have in front of you is a book, a book
chapter, a printed journal/magazine, a Web page,
or an article from a database.
Then, simply match what kind of source you have
with the templates (formats) presented on these
example sheets.
If you have a book or book chapter, you can find
the information you need, in order to create your
citations, on the title page and on the “verso” or
the back of the title page.
If you have a book chapter, be sure to cite the
author of the chapter as the author. If one author
wrote all of the chapters, then your author is the
author of the book.
If there is no author, but there is an editor, follow
the examples for an edited book.
This is all, for the most
commonly used APA style
questions.
This handout is based on the
new APA Style Manual, 6th
edition, published in July, 2009.
If you have any further questions,
especially for materials not covered
in this handout, please either phone
a campus library near you, or visit
the following helpful Web sites.
The KES Library Web Site:
http://kesu-verso.auto-graphics.com/
[For Log In instructions, click the link at the top of
this page for “Account Login.”]
The Keiser Writes Online Writing
Center Resources Site:
http://www.keiseruniversity.edu/Keiser%2
0Writes/resources.html
This handout was created on
October 9, 2009
by
Jennifer Carless, M.S.I.S.