Running Head: HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
Help Guide to Giving Feedback on Student Writing
Theresa Bell, Writing Centre Coordinator
Royal Roads University Writing Centre, December 2015
This guide is a tool for instructors who would like information and examples to assist them with giving feedback on student writing. The items are presented in alphabetical order within
the categories, and the document should be used as a reference guide for instructors versus an instructional tool. If students need information on any of the issues addressed within the
document, please invite them to contact the Writing Centre via WriteAnswers or direct them to the Writing Centre website. This guide is not intended to be a comprehensive overview of
all elements of writing that could be addressed in feedback; rather, it presents information on common mistakes made by students. Please note that the information provided may not
reflect professor- or program-specific expectations; instructors should check with their respective program offices to determine if there are program-specific requirements for student
writing.
Please feel welcome to contact the Writing Centre if you have any questions on the contents of this guide.
© Royal Roads University
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
2
Table of Contents
Grammar ........................................................................................................................... 4
Abbreviations .................................................................................................................. 8
Capitalization .................................................................................................................. 4
Consistent logic and direction throughout the paper ....................................................... 9
Personal versus objective pronouns ................................................................................ 4
Transitions ....................................................................................................................... 9
Pronoun agreement .......................................................................................................... 4
Use of the first person point-of-view (e.g., I, my)......................................................... 10
Pronoun point-of-view .................................................................................................... 4
APA: Formatting............................................................................................................. 10
Vague pronouns............................................................................................................... 5
Alignment ...................................................................................................................... 10
Sentences ............................................................................................................................ 5
Introduction heading...................................................................................................... 10
Active versus passive voice............................................................................................. 5
Fonts .............................................................................................................................. 11
Incomplete sentence/sentence fragment .......................................................................... 6
Line-spacing .................................................................................................................. 11
Sentence length ............................................................................................................... 6
Margins .......................................................................................................................... 11
Subject-verb agreement ................................................................................................... 6
Page numbers ................................................................................................................ 11
Run-on sentences............................................................................................................. 7
Running head ................................................................................................................. 12
Punctuation ........................................................................................................................ 7
Section headings ............................................................................................................ 12
Dash ................................................................................................................................. 7
APA: In-text citations ..................................................................................................... 13
Semicolons ...................................................................................................................... 7
Anonymous as author .................................................................................................... 13
Serial comma ................................................................................................................... 7
Corporate author ............................................................................................................ 13
Spacing after sentences ................................................................................................... 8
No date available ........................................................................................................... 14
Structure ............................................................................................................................ 8
No listed author ............................................................................................................. 14
Paragraph conclusion sentences ...................................................................................... 8
Paraphrased text ............................................................................................................ 14
Paragraph topic sentences ............................................................................................... 8
Past or present perfect tense when quoting or paraphrasing material ........................... 15
Thesis statement .............................................................................................................. 8
Personal communication ............................................................................................... 15
Readability ......................................................................................................................... 8
Placement of citation ..................................................................................................... 15
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
3
Quotations ..................................................................................................................... 16
APA: Reference examples .............................................................................................. 21
Resources with the same author and publication years in in-text citations and
references. ..................................................................................................................... 16
Blog posting .................................................................................................................. 21
Secondary source citations ............................................................................................ 17
Ebook (no DOI) ............................................................................................................. 22
Year of publication ........................................................................................................ 17
Ebook with DOI ............................................................................................................ 22
APA: References ............................................................................................................. 17
Journal article, retrieved from an electronic database (no DOI) ................................... 23
Alphabetical order ......................................................................................................... 18
Journal article, retrieved from an electronic database, with DOI .................................. 23
Anonymous author ........................................................................................................ 18
Online newspaper article ............................................................................................... 24
Distinguishing between resources with the same author and publication years ........... 18
Online video (e.g., YouTube video) .............................................................................. 24
Hanging indent .............................................................................................................. 19
Print book ...................................................................................................................... 24
No listed author ............................................................................................................. 19
Print book chapter ......................................................................................................... 24
No publication or copyright date available ................................................................... 19
Report from a private organization, retrieved from the organization’s website ........... 24
Ordering multiple resources with same author, published in different year ................. 20
Specific section of a website (e.g., web page)............................................................... 25
Ordering resources with the same author and publication years ................................... 20
References ..................................................................................................................... 26
Organizational names .................................................................................................... 20
References line-spacing................................................................................................. 20
References page title ..................................................................................................... 21
Ebook chapter ................................................................................................................ 21
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
Item
Rule
Capitalization
Capitalize:
 I
 Proper nouns (specific
people, places, or things)
 Titles that precede a
person’s name
 The first word of a
sentence
Use the personal pronoun
“who” to refer to people; use
the relative pronoun “that” to
refer to objects or animals.
Personal versus
objective pronouns
Pronoun agreement
4
Example
Sample feedback
More information
Grammar
Example: I learned about the presidents of the United
States in school today.
Incorrect
capitalization
Capitalization
Incorrect: I interviewed the scientist that conducted the
research.
Missing personal
pronoun
That or which? Who or whom?
Correct: I interviewed the scientist who conducted the
research.
Example: The student will submit their paper by the due
date.
Pronoun number
disagreement
Number agreement and Noun and
pronoun consistency
Pronoun point-ofview disagreement
Agreement in person (point-of-view)
Example: I learned about President Barack Obama, who
is the president of the United States, in school today.
A singular pronoun must be
used to replace/refer back to a
singular noun; similarly, a
plural pronoun must be used for Problem: “Student” is singular, so the singular “his or
a plural noun.
her” pronoun is necessary to have number agreement and
avoid any sexist bias in the language by using only “his”
or “her”. “Their” is a plural pronoun, not a neutral
singular pronoun.
Solution: The student will submit his or her paper by the
due date, or the students will submit their papers by the
due date.
“Students”, “their” and “papers” are all plural,
maintaining the plural form of the subject, verb, and
object within the sentence.
Pronoun point-ofview
There are three possible pointsof-view, and the points-of-view
should be kept consistent
Example: When planning a response to an emergency,
people should plan to be without food or water for three
days. You can expect that there may also be power
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
within sentences:
 First person: I, me
 Second person: you
 Third person: he, she, they.
Vague pronouns
A pronoun takes the place of a
noun (person, place, or thing)
or refers back to a noun. A
vague pronoun is ambiguous as
to which noun it refers.
5
outages. They may also need to leave their homes.
Problem: “They” is the third-person pronoun that refers
to “people”. “You” uses the second-person voice.
Solution: When planning a response to an emergency,
people should plan to be without food or water for three
days. They can expect that there may also be power
outages. People may also need to leave their homes.
Example: Scientists determined that the three primary
factors that influenced development were age,
intelligence, and location. This was a surprise as no one
had previously connected it to the problem.
Vague pronoun
Avoid vague pronouns
Passive voice
Active versus passive voice and Passive
versus active verbs
Problem: It isn’t clear what is referred to by “this”, or
which factor is referred to by “it”.
Active versus
passive voice
Solution: Scientists determined that the three primary
factors that influenced development were age,
intelligence, and location. Location was a surprise as no
one had previously connected it to the problem.
Sentences
In the active voice, the noun
Example: The paper was submitted, graded, and then
does the action described by the returned.
verb to the subject of the
sentence. In passive voice, the
Problem: The sentence is in passive voice and doesn’t
subject of the sentence is acted name who did the submitting, grading, and returning.
upon, and usually the agent of
the action isn’t named. Active
Solution in active voice: The student submitted the paper,
voice tends to be clearer, less
and then the professor graded it and returned it.
wordy, and has the action of the
sentence expressed at the
beginning of the sentence.
According to the American
Psychological Association
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
Incomplete
sentence/sentence
fragment
Sentence length
(APA) (2010) authors should
use the active voice whenever
possible (p. 77).
The sentence has a subject and
a verb, but is missing the rest of
the sentence in order to make
sense. Usually authors created
sentence fragments by placing a
period where a comma is
actually required.
A general guideline for
sentence length is that one
sentence shouldn’t exceed 25
words. Sentences that are
longer than 25 words tend to be
hard to follow because there are
too many subjects for one
sentence.
6
Incorrect: Making up her mind quickly. Sarah decided to
buy the red car.
Sentence fragment
Incomplete sentence
Sentence fragment
Watch sentence
length – keep to
approx. 25 words
maximum
Run-on sentences
Subject-verb
disagreement
Subject-verb agreement
Correct: Making up her mind quickly, Sarah decided to
buy the red car.
Example: When you write a sentence, it is important to
keep in mind that your reader must be able to remember
what you said at the beginning of the sentence or else
they won’t be able to remember what you wanted them to
be thinking about from the beginning through to the end
of the sentence, which means that they probably won’t be
able understand the key message of the sentence (71
words).
Problem: The sentence, though punctuated correctly, is
too long.
Subject-verb
agreement
If the subject of the sentence is
singular/plural, the verb must
match in number. Therefore, a
plural subject needs to be
matched with a plural verb.
Solution: If a sentence is too long, readers will
not remember the point of the message (15 words).
Incorrect: The results (plural) demonstrates (singular) the
effectiveness of the study.
Correct: The results (plural) demonstrate (plural) the
effectiveness of the study.
Incorrect: Everyone (singular because it’s a group noun)
are (plural) leaving now.
Correct: Everyone (singular) is (singular) leaving now.
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
Run-on sentences
A run-on sentence isn’t just a
sentence that has gone on for
too long. The term refers to a
specific grammatical mistake.
A run-on sentence is a sentence
created by incorrectly joining
two independent clauses.
Dash
“Use a dash to indicate only a
sudden interruption in the
continuity of a sentence. Overuse weakens the flow of
material” (American
Psychological Association
(APA), 2010, p. 90).
Semicolons
Serial comma
7
Run-on sentence: My dog is a Golden Retriever, she is
friendly.
Correct versions:
 My dog is a Golden Retriever, and she is friendly.
 My dog is a Golden Retriever; she is friendly.
 My dog is a Golden Retriever. She is friendly.
Punctuation
Authors most often use dashes when they are unsure of
the correct wording or punctuation. In general, dashes
should be avoided in formal academic writing because
they’re usually used incorrectly.
Run-on sentence
Run-on sentences
Avoid dashes in
formal writing
See “Punctuating sentences: Commas,
semicolons, and colons” (Available at
Punctuation).
Incorrect: The researchers contacted 100 participants – 30
of whom were in British Columbia – but only 20 replied.
Correct: The researchers contacted 100 participants, 30 of
whom were in British Columbia, but only 20 replied.
Semicolons have two functions: Incorrect: The researchers presented their paper at the
Incorrect semi-colon
1. To join 2 independent
conference; and the paper was also published in a book.
clauses without using a
conjunction (APA, 2010, p. Correct: The researchers presented their paper at a
89).
conference; the paper was also published in a book.
2. To separate list items when
the items have commas
Incorrect: Some cities in Canada are Victoria, British
within them (p. 90).
Columbia, Calgary, Alberta, Winnipeg, Manitoba, and
Montreal, Quebec.
As per APA rules, “use a
comma . . . between elements
(including before and and or)
Correct: Some of the provincial capital cities in Canada
are Victoria, British Columbia; Edmonton, Alberta;
Winnipeg, Manitoba; and Toronto, Ontario.
Incorrect: The study measured participants’ ability to
recognize colours, sounds and shapes.
Back to basics with semicolons
Missing serial comma What is the serial comma in APA style?
and Back to basics with commas
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
Spacing after
sentences
Paragraph
conclusion
sentences
Paragraph topic
sentences
Thesis statement
Abbreviations
in a series of three or more
items” (APA, 2010, p. 88).
Either one or two spaces.
Each paragraph should have a
conclusion that wraps up the
contents of the paragraph and
reminds the reader of how the
paragraph topic connects to the
thesis statement.
Since each paragraph focuses
on one topic, every paragraph
should have a topic sentence
that identifies the focus for the
rest of the paragraph. A
common error in academic
writing is that the topic
sentence doesn’t reflect the rest
of the paragraph.
The thesis statement, which
appears in the introduction,
should be one or two sentences
that present an overview of the
topic to be addressed within the
paper. For novice authors, an
easy way to start a thesis
statement is “In this paper, I
will…”.
Authors should "use
abbreviations sparingly.
Although abbreviations are
sometimes useful for long,
8
Correct: The study measured participants’ ability to
recognize colours, sounds, and shapes.
Structure
Example: Therefore, considering that leaders are
responsible for promoting excellence in their employees,
it is important that they are first able to address their own
strengths and challenges before they provide guidance to
others in an effort to improve productivity and the
effectiveness of the unit.
Example: Self-awareness is essential to skilled leadership
because a self-aware individual can identify his or her
strengths and challenges and address them appropriately.
Spacing between
sentences
Spaces after a period?
Missing/unclear
conclusion
See “Writing an Academic Paragraph”
(Available from Paragraphs).
Missing/unclear topic
sentence
See “Writing an academic paragraph”
(Available from Paragraphs).
Missing/weak thesis
statement
Thesis statements/Research questions
Unnecessary
abbreviation
Search WriteAnswers for “abbreviation”
or see pages 106-107 in the APA manual.
The rest of the paragraph should define self-awareness
and explain why being able to identify and address
strengths and challenges is important in the development
of a skilled leader.
Poor: After reading the introduction, the reader can’t
identify the focus of the paper.
Better: In this paper, I will examine the three primary
qualities required for good leadership.
Better still: To increase the efficiency and efficacy of
their organizations, leaders within the field of health care
management must possess self-awareness, empathy, and
excellent communication skills.
Readability
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
9
technical terms in scientific
writing, communication is
usually garbled rather than
clarified if, for example, an
abbreviation is unfamiliar to the
reader" (APA, 2010, p. 106).
Abbreviations should be used
because they make
understanding the text easier
for the reader, versus to save
the author from having to type
out the full text every time:
Consistent logic and
direction
throughout the
paper
Transitions
The information in the paper
should connect easily from one
focus to the next. If the reader
has to stop at any point to try to
figure out what the author is
saying, the flow of the paper
will be broken. Usually,
problems with flow and logic
are a result of the author not
planning the direction and
details of the paper before
starting to write.
Transitions serve to connect
sentences and paragraphs so
that it’s easy for the reader to
understand how the author is
moving from one to the next.
When an author doesn’t use
transitions, the logic and/or
flow of the essay suffers and
Break in flow
Planning the paper and “Improving
logic”.
Poor: Apples are a versatile fruit. Applesauce can be a
low-fat alternative in baking. Apples complement the
flavour of pork. A popular use for the fruit is in apple pie,
which is a delicious dessert.
Missing transitional
expression. How do
these sentences/ideas
connect?
“Writing an Academic Paragraph” and
the resources on transitional expressions
in Paragraphs
Better: Apples are a versatile fruit. Not only are they a
healthy and delicious snack, they can be used in a variety
of other ways. For example, applesauce can be used as a
Missing transitional
sentence. What is the
connection between
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
10
usually results in a choppy
reading experience.
Use of the first
person point-ofview (e.g., I, my)
low-fat alternative to butter in baking. Also, cooked
apples complement the flavour of pork. Finally, a popular
use for the fruit is in apple pie, which is a delicious
dessert.
Unless directed otherwise by
Incorrect: The researcher (referring to the author)
the professor/program, the APA completed the study.
encourages authors to use the
first person singular pronoun
Correct: I completed the study.
“I”, rather than a third person
construction (APA, 2010, p.
69).
APA: Formatting
this paragraph and the
following paragraph?
Use the first-person
voice
Can I use the first person voice in my
academic writing?
Incorrect alignment
Search WriteAnswers for “alignment”, or
see #7 in the APA Style formatting
checklist or page 7 in the APA Help
Guide.
APA style doesn’t
label the introduction
because it’s assumed
that the first
paragraph/section of
a paper is the
introduction.
Search WriteAnswers for “introduction”,
or see #4 in the APA Style formatting
checklist or page 27 in the APA manual.
See:
2:55-10:14 in the “Introduction to APA” Collaborate recording

Pages 7-11 in the APA Help Guide

APA formatting rules on the Writing Centre website

Search WriteAnswers by keyword
Alignment
All body text should be leftIncorrect:
aligned, including block
Centred
quotations and references, with Justified text that spreads equally across the line
a ragged right edge (APA,
Right-aligned
2010, p. 229).
Correct: Left-aligned
Introduction
The introduction isn’t labelled
heading
because it’s assumed that the
first paragraph/section of a
paper is the introduction (APA,
2010, p. 27).

HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
11
Unless permitted to do
Incorrect: Arial, Verdana, Calibri
otherwise by the instructor,
Correct: Times New Roman, 12 pt.
authors should use serif fonts,
and the preferred APA typeface
is Times New Roman, 12 pt.
(APA, 2010, p. 228). All text
should be in black and the same
typeface should be used
throughout the document.
All text, including block
quotations and the references,
should be double-spaced (APA,
2010, p. 229). Only the table of
contents and any table/figure
text are single-spaced (p. 229).
Font
Search WriteAnswers for “font” or see
page 7 in the APA Help Guide.
Incorrect line-spacing
Search WriteAnswers for “line spacing”,
or see #5 in the APA Style formatting
checklist or page 9 in the APA Help
Guide.
Margins
At least 1”/2.5 cm margins on
all sides (APA, 2010, p. 229).
The academic convention at
RRU is that margins should be
1”/2.5 cms on all sides unless
otherwise stated by the
instructor.
Incorrect margins
Search WriteAnswers for “margins”, or
see #6 in the APA Style formatting
checklist or page 9 in the APA Help
Guide.
Page numbers
Page number appears in the top
right corner of each page of the
text (see examples on p. 41 of
the APA manual). The
academic convention is that the
title page is included in the
overall page count but doesn’t
show a page number.
Page numbering
Search WriteAnswers for “page
numbers”, or see #2 in the APA Style
formatting checklist or page 9 in the
APA Help Guide. Also, see Aligning the
running head and page numbers.
Fonts
Line-spacing
Incorrect: page numbers appearing anywhere other than
the top right corner. The page number should be just the
number, versus “Page 2”, “Page 2 of 8”, etc.
Correct: Top right corner: 2
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
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Running head
Section headings
“The running head is an
abbreviated title that is printed
at the top of the pages of a
manuscript or published article
to identify the article for the
readers” (APA, 2010, p. 229).
Example of running head on title page:
The running head appears in
the heading in the top left
corner of every page, must not
exceed 50 characters (including
spaces), and appears in all
capital letters.
Example of running head on second and subsequent
pages:
Search WriteAnswers for “running
head”, or see #1 in the APA Style
formatting checklist or or see page 9 in
the APA Help Guide. Also, see Aligning
the running head and page numbers.
Incorrect section
heading formatting
Search WriteAnswers for “section
headings” or see pages 8-9 in the APA
Help Guide.
Running head: TITLE OF DOCUMENT
*
“Running head” must appear as the identifier of the
text on the title page
TITLE OF DOCUMENT
See page 1 in
http://supp.apa.org/style/PM6ECorrected-Sample-Papers.pdf
to see how the running head
should appear on the title page
and then on subsequent pages.
Also see the title page and
subsequent pages of this
document and of the APA Help
Guide.
Heading 1 formatting (usually
Examples:
used for section headings):
Centred, bolded, uppercase and
Heading 1 Formatting
lowercase heading (APA, 2010,
p. 62).
Heading 2 Formatting
Heading 2 formatting (usually
used for subsections): Leftaligned, bolded, uppercase and
lowercase heading (p. 62)
Incorrect running
head format
Heading 3 formatting. The paragraph text
continues on the same line as the heading.
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
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Heading 3 formatting (usually
used for a paragraph-level
heading): Indented 1 tab space,
boldface, lowercase paragraph
heading ending in a period. The
text that follows the paragraph
heading should start on the
same line after the period that
ends the heading (p. 62).
Headings should not be
numbered (p. 63).
APA: In-text citations
A citation must be provided for each instance of quoted material (i.e., authors can’t cite an entire paragraph) (APA, 2010, pp. 15).
Example: The researchers demonstrated that, “quoted material” (Johnson, 2010, p. 4). Furthermore, Johnson (2010) noted that, “quoted material” (p. 4).
See:
13:16-26:27 in the “Introduction to APA” Collaborate recording
Pages 14-18 in the APA Help Guide

Search WriteAnswers by keyword

Creating in-text citations/reference list entries on the Writing Centre website

Pages 174-179 in the APA manual
Anonymous as
Use the usual format for an in- Example: (Anonymous, 2010, p. X)
author
text citation but use
“Anonymous” instead of a last
name (APA, 2010, p. 177).
Corporate author
When referring to a corporate
Example: (Royal Roads University, n.d., para. X).
resource, the corporate owner
of the copyright can be
considered the author if an
individual isn’t named in the


Use Anonymous as
the author
Search WriteAnswers for “anonymous”
or see pages 16-17 in the APA Help
Guide.
Name corporate
author
Search WriteAnswers for “corporate
author” or see page 14 in the APA Help
Guide.
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
14
resource.
No date available
If there isn’t a
publication/copyright date
available for the resource,
“n.d.” (no date) can be used
(APA, 2010, p. 185).
Example: People who are considering a career in
emergency response might be interested to know that,
“the MA in Disaster and Emergency
Management program is a two-year interdisciplinary
degree dedicated to educating both aspiring and existing
disaster and emergency management professionals”
(Royal Roads University, n.d., para. 1). According to
Royal Roads University (n.d.), “in the second year of
studies students conduct an applied research project on a
topic of personal interest” (para. 1).
Use n.d. for “no date” Search WriteAnswers for “no date” or
see page 185 in the APA manual.
No listed author
If the work the student has
referenced does not name an
author, the student can instead
use the first few words of the
title in the citation (APA, 2010,
p. 176). Enclose the title of an
article or chapter in double
quotation marks, and italicize
the title of all other resource
types (p. 176).
Paraphrased text is information
from another source expressed
in the author’s own words.
Since the paraphrased text isn’t
a direct quotation, quotation
marks aren’t necessary.
Paraphrased text should be
notably different than the
original. The APA (2010)
Example: For example, “the current reservoir capacity is
insufficient for the water use needs of the community”
(Raise the Dam, 1988, p. 12).
Use the title instead
of the author’s last
name for a resource
that doesn’t have a
listed author.
Search WriteAnswers for “no author” or
see pages 16-17 in the APA Help Guide.
Example: Quotation: The APA (2010) doesn’t require a
page number in citations to paraphrased text; however,
authors “are encouraged to provide a page or paragraph
number, especially when it would help an interested
reader locate the relevant passage in a long or complex
text” (p. 171).
Check paraphrasing
rules
Search WriteAnswers for “paraphrase”
or see #3 in the APA Style citations
checklist. For more information on
paraphrasing, see
http://libguides.royalroads.ca/sumpara.
Paraphrased text
Paraphrase: When citing paraphrased text, include a page
or paragraph number in the citation to help the reader find
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
15
Past or present
perfect tense when
quoting or
paraphrasing
material
Personal
communication
Placement of
citation
doesn’t require a page number
in citations to paraphrased text;
however, authors “are
encouraged to provide a page
or paragraph number,
especially when it would help
an interested reader locate the
relevant passage in a long or
complex text” (p. 171).
When referring to another
author’s published ideas, the
student should use the past
tense (e.g., Johnson (2010)
noted) or the present perfect
tense (e.g., researchers have
shown) (APA, 2010, pp. 6566).
Personal communication (e.g.,
a phone call, conversation,
interview, email, lecture, nonarchived discussion group
posting) does not provide
recoverable data; therefore, the
resource is only cited within the
text but not in the reference list
(APA, 2010, p. 179).
The necessary citation
information can be presented in
brackets following the
quoted/paraphrased text, or in
combination with information
provided within the sentence
text.
the information in the original text (APA, 2010, p. 171).
Incorrect: In her research, Smith (2010) demonstrates that Incorrect tense
apples are better than oranges (p. 4).
Search WriteAnswers for “verb tense” or
see pages 65-66 in the APA manual.
Correct: In her research, Smith (2010) demonstrated that
apples are better than oranges (p. 4).
Example: An important factor to consider is that, “Lorem
ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing” (J.
Greenwood, personal communication, January 15, 2004).
Personal
communication
Search WriteAnswers for “personal
communication”, see #8 in the APA
Style citations checklist, or see page 17
in the APA Help Guide.
Incorrect citation
format
Search WriteAnswers for “citation
placement”, see #2 in the APA Style
citations checklist, or see page 13 in the
APA Help Guide.
Example: J. Greenwood (personal communication,
January 15, 2004) noted that lorem ipsum dolor sit amet,
consectetuer adipiscing.
Example: The researchers demonstrated that, “quoted
material” (Johnson, 2010, p. 4). Furthermore, Johnson
(2010) noted that, “quoted material” (p. 4).
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
16
Quotations
Quotations of 39 words or
fewer should be presented
inline with double quotation
marks around the quoted text
and the citation coming before
the closing punctuation (APA,
2010, p. 170).
Inline quotation: For example, “I quoted this text”
(Author, year, p. 4).
Block quotation:
If the quotation comprises 40 or more words,
display it in a freestanding block of text and omit
Quotations of 40+ words
should start on a new line, no
quotation marks are necessary,
all text is left-aligned (not
justified) but the text begins 1
tab space from the left margin,
and the citation appears after
the closing punctuation (APA,
2010, p. 171).
the quotation marks. Start such a block quotation
All quotations must have the
page number included in the
citation for the text (APA,
2010, p. 170).
quoted source and the page or paraphraph number
Quotation is 39 words
or less and should run
inline with the rest of
the text.
Search WriteAnswers for “block
quotation” or see pages 11-12 in the APA
Help Guide, and
http://libguides.royalroads.ca/Blockquote
.
Quotation is 40+
words so should be
formatted as a block
quotation.
on a new line and indent the block about a half
inch from the left margin (in the same position as
a new paragraph. . . .Double space the entire
quotation. At the end of a block quotation, cite the
in parentheses after the final punctuation mark.
(APA, 2010, p. 171)
Resources with the
same author and
publication years in
in-text citations and
references.
If the paper contains citations
to two or more resources by the
same author published in the
same year, lower-case
alphabetical letters should be
added after the year to
distinguish between the
resources (e.g., 2001a, 2001b)
(APA, 2010, p. 182). This
formatting should be matched
Incorrect:
(Johnson, 2010, p. X) and (Johnson, 2010, p. X),
referring to two different resources.
Correct:
(Johnson, 2010a, p. X) and (Johnson, 2010b, p. X)
Distinguish between
Search WriteAnswers for “same author”
resources by the same or see pages 15-16 in the APA Help
author and published Guide.
in the same year with
lower-case
alphabetical letters
after the year of
publication/copyright.
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
17
Secondary source
citations
Year of publication
in the in-text citations and
references in order for the
reader to find the source in the
references.
Whenever possible, authors
should use primary sources as
research. However, if the
primary source isn’t available,
an author should name the text
where he or she found the
information (APA, 2010, p.
178). For example, if an author
quoted Souper from of Green’s
book, the author should
reference Green’s book because
that’s the book the author read.
When the author is named in
the sentence, the year of
publication must immediately
follow in parentheses (APA,
2010, p. 174).
Example: Souper (as cited in Green, 2010) noted that…
(p. X).
Reference:
Green, A. (2010). Name of resource. Retrieved from
Use primary sources
Incorrect citation
format for a
secondary source
citation.
Search WriteAnswers for “secondary
source”, see #9 in the APA Style
citations checklist, or see page 16 in the
APA Help Guide.
URL
Incorrect: Johnson noted that, “quoted material” (2010,
p.4).
Year placement
Correct: Johnson (2010) noted that, “quoted material” (p.
4).
APA: References
The references should only include resources from which the author has quoted or paraphrased material in the paper (APA, 2010, p. 180).
See page 19 in http://supp.apa.org/style/PM6E-Corrected-Sample-Papers.pdf for a sample references page, as well as:

38:00-1:06:24 in the “Introduction to APA” Collaborate recording

Pages 19-21 in the APA Help Guide

Search WriteAnswers by keyword

Pages 180-183 in the APA manual
Search WriteAnswers for “publication
year” or see #2 in the APA Style
citations checklist.
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
18
Alphabetical order
References should be listed
alphabetically according to the
first listed author’s last name
(APA, 2010, p. 181).
Example:
Incorrect ordering
Search WriteAnswers for “reference
order” or see page 19 in the APA Help
Guide.
Use Anonymous as
the author’s name
Search WriteAnswers for “anonymous”
or see page 183 in the APA manual.
Distinguish between
resources published
by the same author in
the same year using
lower-case
alphabetical letters
Search WriteAnswers for “same author”
or see page 15 in the APA Help Guide.
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication
manual of the American Psychological Association
(6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Lee, C. (2009, September 15). APA style blog: How do I
cite a Kindle? Retrieved from
http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2009/09/how-do-icite-a-kindle.html
Anonymous author
Distinguishing
between resources
with the same
author and
publication years
If the resource is “signed
‘Anonymous,’ begin the entry
with the word Anonymous
spelled out, and alphabetize the
entry as if Anonymous were a
true name” (APA, 2010, p.
183).
Example:
If the paper contains citations
to two or more resources by the
same author published in the
same year, lower-case
alphabetical letters should be
added after the year to
distinguish between the
resources (e.g., 2001a, 2001b)
(APA, 2010, p. 182). This
formatting should be used and
Example:
Anonymous. (year). Title of resource. City, State
abbreviation: Publisher.
George, B. (2002a). Go for it! Toronto, Canada: Gherkin
Press.
George, B. (2002b). Power-lunch your way to the top.
Toronto, Canada: Gherkin Press.
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
19
matched in the in-text citations
and references in order for the
reader to find the source in the
references.
Hanging indent
In-text citations: (George, 2002a, p. X) and (George,
2002b, p. X)
See “Ordering resources with
the same author and publication
years” for how to order the
references with the same author
and year of publication. Then,
assign the first reference in the
grouping “a”, the second
resource in the group is “b”,
etc.
The second and subsequent
Example:
lines of every reference should
have a .5”/1.25 cm hanging
Cuddy, C. (2002). Demystifying APA style. Orthopaedic
indent (APA, 2010, p. 180).
Nursing, 21(5), 35-42. Retrieved from the Academic
Missing hanging
indent
Search WriteAnswers for “indent” or see
#4 in the APA Style references checklist
or page 19 in the APA Help Guide.
Use name of resource
if author’s name isn’t
available
Search WriteAnswers for “no author” or
see page 183 in the APA manual.
Use n.d. when date
isn’t available
Search WriteAnswers for “no date” or
see page 185 in the APA manual.
Search Premier database.
No listed author
“If there is no author, move the
title to the author position, and
alphabetize the entry by the
first significant word of the
title” (APA, 2010, p. 183).
Example:
Heuristic. (n.d.). In Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary
(11th ed.). Retrieved from http://www.mw.com/dictionary/heuristic
No publication or
copyright date
available
If there is no
publication/copyright date
available, use (n.d.) (APA,
2010, p. 185).
Example:
Royal Roads University. (n.d.). Strategic research
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
20
themes. Retrieved from
http://research.royalroads.ca/strategic-researchthemes
Ordering multiple
resources with same
author, published in
different year
Ordering resources
with the same
author and
publication years
Multiple resources by the same
author but published in
different years should be
ordered by the year of
publication with the earliest
publication first (APA, 2010, p.
182).
Example:
Resources by the same author
and published in the same year
should be ordered
alphabetically by title
(excluding “a” or “the”) (APA,
2010, p. 182).
Example:
Incorrect ordering
See page 182 in the APA manual.
Incorrect ordering
Search WriteAnswers for “same author
same year” or see page 182 in the APA
manual.
Spell out
organizational names
in full in the
references
Line-spacing
See page 183 in the APA manual.
Johnson, J. (2003). …
Johnson, J. (2005). …
Johnson, J. (2003). First I wrote a book. New York, NY:
Publisher.
Johnson, J. (2003). Next came the journal article. New
York, NY: Publisher.
Organizational
names
Organizational names should
Incorrect: RRU
be spelled out in full in the
Correct: Royal Roads University
references (APA, 2010, p. 183).
References linespacing
References should be doublespaced (APA, 2010, p. 180).
Double-spaced:
Cuddy, C. (2002). Demystifying APA style. Orthopaedic
Nursing, 21(5), 35-42. Retrieved from the
Search WriteAnswers for “format
references” or see #3 in the APA Style
references checklist or page 9 in the APA
Help Guide.
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
21
Academic Search Premier database.
References page
title
The references should begin on
a new page with the title
References capitalized and
centred (no bolding) (APA,
2010, p. 37).
Example:
References
References should
start on a separate
page
Search WriteAnswers for “format
references” or see #2 in the APA Style
references checklist or page 37 in the
APA manual.
Centred title should
be References (no
additional formatting)
APA: Reference examples
See:
38:00-1:06:24 in the “Introduction to APA” Collaborate recording
Pages 23-30 in the APA Help Guide

Search WriteAnswers by keyword (e.g., ebook, journal article) for reference examples.

Pages 193-215 in the APA manual
Blog posting
Bort, J. (2012, November 26). How companies are managing the explosion of mobile


Search WriteAnswers for “blog” or see How to Cite Something
You Found on a Website in APA Style.
devices [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/howcompanies-are-managing-the-explosion-of-mobile-devices
In-text citation: (Bort, 2012, para. X)
Ebook chapter
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year). Title of chapter or entry. In A. Editor, B. Editor, &
Search WriteAnswers for “ebook chapter” or see page 25 in the
APA Help Guide.
C. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. xxx-xxx). Location: Publisher. doi:xxxxxxx OR
database name.
In-text citation: (Author & Author, year, p. X).
See How Do You Cite an E-Book (e.g., Kindle Book)? and How
to Cite Part of a Work for instructions on how to cite an ebook
without page numbers.
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
22
Ebook (no DOI)
Rozakis, L. (2000). The complete idiot’s guide to writing well. Retrieved from
Search WriteAnswers for “ebook” or see pages 24-25 in the APA
Help Guide.
http://www.proquest.com/products-services/ebooks/ebooks-main.html
OR
See How Do You Cite an E-Book (e.g., Kindle Book)? and How
to Cite Part of a Work for instructions on how to cite an ebook
without page numbers.
Rozakis, L. (2000). The complete idiot’s guide to writing well. Retrieved from the ebrary
database.
In-text citation: See information in the “Ebook with DOI” entry re: formatting in-text
citations.
Ebook with DOI
Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (year). Title of chapter or entry. In A. Editor, B. Editor, &
Search WriteAnswers for “ebook” or see pages 24-25 in the APA
Help Guide.
C. Editor (Eds.), Title of book (pp. xxx-xxx). Location: Publisher. doi:xxxxxxx OR
http://dx.doi.org/xxxxx
In-text citations for ebooks:
For in-text citations of paraphrased material, provide the author and date, as for any
APA Style reference. To cite a direct quotation, also provide page numbers if the e-book
has page numbers. If there are no page numbers, you can include any of the following in
the text to cite the quotation (see section 6.05 of the Publication Manual, pp. 171–172):
 a paragraph number, if provided; alternatively, you can count paragraphs down from
the beginning of the document;
 an overarching heading plus a paragraph number within that section; or
 an abbreviated heading (or the first few words of the heading) in quotation marks, in
cases in which the heading is too unwieldy to cite in full. (Lee, 2009, In-text
citations, para. 1)
See How Do You Cite an E-Book (e.g., Kindle Book)? and How
to Cite Part of a Work for instructions on how to cite an ebook
without page numbers.
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
23
Journal article,
retrieved from an
electronic database
(no DOI)
The APA rules instruct authors to provide the home page URL of the electronic database
(APA, 2010, p. 191); however, the APA rules also permit authors to name the database
where the material was retrieved (APA, 2009, p. 1). Since RRU students usually access
online databases via the Library’s subscription, versus accessing the database directly
through the database’s home page URL, providing the home page URL requires an extra
step of research for students to locate the URL. Therefore, students can provide either the
home page URL for the database or the database name.
Search WriteAnswers for “journal article” or see pages 22-23 in
the APA Help Guide.
References to materials retrieved from an electronic database should never give the direct
URL for the resource because the RRU Library’s databases are password-protected, which
means that the URL won’t work for anyone outside the RRU community. By providing the
name of the database, the student is giving the reader sufficient information to find his/her
own way to the appropriate database and then locate the resource.
Cuddy, C. (2002). Demystifying APA Style. Orthopaedic Nursing, 21(5), 35-42. Retrieved
from https://www.ebscohost.com/academic/academic-search-premier
OR
Cuddy, C. (2002). Demystifying APA style. Orthopaedic Nursing, 21(5), 35-42. Retrieved
from the Academic Search Premier database.
In-text citation: (Cuddy, 2002, p. X)
Journal article,
retrieved from an
electronic database,
with DOI
Godfrey, D. (2005). Adapting historical citations to APA style. Journal of Broadcasting &
Electronic Media, 49(4), 544-547. doi: 10.1207/s15506878jobem4904_15
In-text citation: (Godfrey, 2005, p. X)
Search WriteAnswers for “journal article DOI” or see page 22 in
the APA Help Guide.
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
24
Online newspaper
article
Brody, J. E. (2007, December 11). Mental reserves keep brain agile. The New York Times.
Search WriteAnswers for “online newspaper” or see page 23 in
APA Help Guide.
Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com
In-text citation: (Brody, 2007, para. X)
Online video (e.g.,
YouTube video)
Poster, A. A. [Screen name]. (year, month day). Title of video
[Video file]. Retrieved from http://xxxxx
Search WriteAnswers for “online video”, “YouTube” or
“TedTalk”, see page 28 in the APA Help Guide, or see How to
Create a Reference for a YouTube Video.
In-text citation: (Lastname, year, timestamp)
See Timestamps for Audiovisual Materials in APA Style to create
an in-text citation that provides a timestamp.
Print book
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American
Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Search WriteAnswers for “book” , or see pages 23-24 in the APA
Help Guide for general formatting for citing books and page 24
for an example of a reference to a print book.
In-text citation: (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. X).
Print book chapter
Maasing, X. (1982). Foreign affairs in Canada. In J. D. Sampson & M.M. Millstone (Eds.),
Search WriteAnswers for “book chapter” or see page 24 in the
APA Help Guide.
International trade Canada (pp. 1009-1020). Boston, MA: Oxford University Press.
In-text citation: (Maasing, 1982, p. X)
Report from a
private
organization,
retrieved from the
organization’s
website
Imperial Oil Limited. (2006). Energy leadership: Yesterday, today and tomorrow. Retrieved Search WriteAnswers for “report” or see page 26 in the APA
Help Guide.
from http://www.esso.ca/Canada-English/Files/Investors/2006_AR.pdf
In-text citation: (Imperial Oil Limited, 2006, para. X)
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
25
Specific section of a Royal Roads University. (n.d.). Strategic research themes. Retrieved from
website (e.g., web
page)
http://research.royalroads.ca/strategic-research-themes
In-text citation: (Royal Roads University, n.d., para. X)
Search WriteAnswers for “web page” or see page 27 in the APA
Help Guide.
HELP GUIDE TO GIVING FEEDBACK
26
References
American Psychological Association. (2009). DOI and URL flowchart. Retrieved from http://blog.apastyle.org/files/doi-and-url-flowchart-8.pdf
American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.
Lee, C. (2011, June 3). How do you cite an e-book (e.g., Kindle Book)? [Blog post]. Retrieved from http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2011/06/how-do-you-cite-an-e-book.html
Royal Roads University. (2012). APA help guide. Retrieved from http://library.royalroads.ca/writing-centre/writing/citing-resources/apa-style-6th-edition/introduction-apa-style/apa-helpguide