APA Writing Style
Library/Information Literacy
Preparation for your research paper
Content
• Structure of your research paper
• Grading
• Citing sources within body of paper
• Citing References
• Material is from
http://www.vanguard.edu/Home/AcademicResourc
es/Faculty/DougDegelman/APAStyleEssentials.asp
x
Research Paper Structure
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Your paper should have the following structure
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Title page
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Abstract
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Introduction – introduce research question
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Supporting paragraphs
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Conclusion
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References
Research Paper Structure
• Title page
– Top left corner
• Name of your University, College, Professor, Name and
Grade in 14 point Times New Roman font.
– Essay title in the middle of your title page centered
in 16 point bold.
– On the bottom of the title page
• Place and Date centered 14 point
Research Paper Structure
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These are last
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Appendices
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Figures
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Tables
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If you have these, then talk to the instructor.
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Requires special format
Research Paper Structure
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Research paper
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Use 12 point Times Roman font
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Use double spacing
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Margins are one inch (2.57 cm) for all sides
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Page number is upper right left hand corner
Research Paper Structure
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Abstract
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Summarizes the main ideas of the paper
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Contains the researcher's main conclusions
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Three to 10 sentences is fine
Research Paper Structure
• Structure
– First paragraph introduces the research question
– Last paragraph is conclusion
– Paragraphs in between support the research
question
• Research papers can have more complex parts
Grading
• The Goal
• You are not native English speakers
• Not so strict on
• Transition – how the writing flows
• Complicated sentences
• Grammar mistakes
• Note – Microsoft Word can check basic grammar
• It underlines grammar mistakes in green
Grading
• Goal
• Strict grading
• Adherence to the APA style
• Proper citation within paper
• Proper format for references at the end
• Use proper research paper format
• Spelling mistakes
• Microsoft Word checks for spelling mistakes
• Mistakes are underlined in red
Grading
• Goal
• Goal is to be fair
• Organization, format, and APA style should translate
• Quality and not quantity
• Learn the format; most likely you will see it again
Citing the Author
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Several methods to cite author
You can include the author's name in the body
of a text
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Usually a journal, then add year in
parenthesis
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If a book, then add year and page numbers in
parenthesis
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Use a comma to separate year and page
numbers
Citing the Author
• Many new styles including the APA style include
the publication year
• Thus, the reader can judge quickly how old the
information is
Citing the Author

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Example
Wirth and Haas (2006) estimated a 10 million
gallon biodiesel facility would have a real
capital cost of $9.62 million in 2000$.
Citing the Author

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If this was a book, then it should have page
numbers
Wirth and Haas (2006, pp. 110-120) estimated
a 10 million gallon biodiesel facility would have
a real capital cost of $9.62 million in 2000$.
Citing the Author
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If you paraphrase the author(s), then use this style
Consequently, a high savings rate coupled with a
developed banking system leads to high
investment rates (Dollar 1992; Lim 1994)
Notice – this cites two sources
Did you notice a semi-colon that separates
authors’ names?
Citing the Author
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A special format exists when the article has
three or more authors

First time they are cited, all authors are listed
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Example

Kazakhstan has numerous contradictory laws
regulations and licensing requirements
(Luthans, Stajkovic, Brada, & Ibrayeva 2000).
Citing the Author

The next time these authors are cited in
research paper, then use:
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Luthans et al. (2000) showed that …
Or Kazakhstan has a severe corruption problem
(Luthan et al. 2000)
The first author is listed and et al. means the
other authors
Citing the Author
• If you have no author, then you substitute the
name of organization as author
• Example
• The European Bank for Reconstruction and
Development (2009) estimated that the private
sector of Kazakhstan comprises 65% of its GDP
in 2009.
References
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Last section of research paper
All references are listed by alphabetical order
by the first author's last name
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Books, journals, webpages, etc.
References

Note – sometimes the article has no author

Then you use the organization's name as the
author
• Note – some organizations have various
departments or agencies inside, especially
government agencies
– Then use that specific department's name
References
• Example
– Internal Revenue Service (IRS) – is the agency that
collects taxes on behalf of the U.S. government
– IRS is a department within the U.S. Treasury
Department
– If you cite the IRS, then use the IRS as author, if no
name is attached to reference
• Note – if you use an abbreviation, always define it
first before using abbreviation by itself
Reference
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Journals are very common
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The format is
Murzynski, J., & Degelman, D. (1996). Body
language of women and judgments of
vulnerability to sexual assault. Journal of
Applied Social Psychology, 26, 1617-1626.
References

Notice the format
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Only use author's last names
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First names are initials
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Title of article is regular
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Name of journal in italics
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Volume number is 26
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If article has issue number, then put it in
parenthesis next to volume number 26(3)
Page numbers are last
References

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Article from a webpage
Aldridge, D. (1991). Spirituality, healing and
medicine. British Journal of General Practice,
41, 425-427. Retrieved from
http://www.rcgp.org.uk/publications/bjgp.aspx
References

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The link to the webpage follows the text Retrieved
from …
Note – some forms of citation want the date you
accessed the webpage
www.ken-szulczyk.com (access date 11/05/2010)
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Do not worry about this!
References

Books are different
Paloutzian, R. F. (1996). Invitation to the
psychology of religion (2nd ed.). Boston, MA:
Allyn and Bacon.
References

Author's name
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Title of book in italics
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This book is the 2nd edition
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The publisher is Allyn and Bacon
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The publisher is based in Boston, MA
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Note – international publishers have many
locations
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Choose a location
References

You cite a webpage, but it has no date (n.d.)

Note – you can use the copyright date at
bottom of page
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Example © 2009
Nielsen, M. E. (n.d.). Notable people in
psychology of religion. Retrieved from
http://www.psywww.com/psyrelig/psyrelpr.htm
References
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Webpage has no author
Then use the organization's name in place of
author
If webpage has no name what so ever, then
you cannot use it
Gender and society. (n.d.). Retrieved from
http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/gender.html
References
• You cite a newspaper article
• The format is:
Schultz, S. (2005, December 28). Calls made to
strengthen state energy policies. The Country
Today,
References
• This is very basic
• If you have a source that you are not sure to
properly cite, then talk with your professor.
• Your professor has seen a variety of citations
– Emails
– Telephone interviews
– Government reports, etc.