Writing and
APA Style
Melissa Edmondson Smith, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
msmith@ssw.umaryland.edu
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Types of Papers you might write:
Research Papers:
SOWK 670- Research Proposal
SOWK 600- Policy Analysis
 Clinical Notes:
SOWK 630- Practice I: Client Assessment
SOWK 631-Practice III: Organizational Analysis
Field Instruction: Case notes, process recordings
 Personal Reflections
Steps to Writing a
1.
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3.
4.
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6.
7.
8.
GREAT Paper
Read the instructions
Choose a Topic
Make an Outline
Find information
Digest available research
Tell a story
Use APA Style
Take advantage of Writing Resources
Step 1: Read the Instructions
Read & clarify questions about the
assignment.
APA style is usually required HOWEVER check
the course syllabi for specific requirements for
each class.
Every instructor is different.
Every assignment is different.
Step 2: Choose a topic
• What is the purpose of the paper?
– Describe
– Compare
– Review
– Develop
• What questions are you trying to answer?
Step 3: Make an Outline
• Introduction
• Body of Paper
– Use assignment guidelines to determine headings
• Discussion/Conclusion
• References (if applicable)
Step 4: Find Information
Sources of Information
UMB libraries*
 HS/HSL Library
 Marshall Law
Library
 Journals
 Books
Newspapers
Internet
 Professional
organizations
 Governmental
agencies
 On-line journals
Experts
*See library resources at the end of this powerpoint
A note on peer-reviewed journals
• Professors may ask you to cite peer-reviewed
journals only.
• Peer-reviewed (or refereed or scholarly) journals
include articles that are submitted by an author and
are accepted for publication only after reviewed by
experts in the given field.
– Examples: Social Work Research, Social Work, Research on
Social Work Practice, Child Welfare, The Gerontologist,
Psychiatric Services
– NOT Peer-reviewed: People, Us, Baltimore Sun, Jet, GQ,
Glamour, Time, Newsweek, etc.
• What about wikipedia?!?
Step 5: Digest available research
Turning stacks of books and articles into
coherent paragraphs
Always keep focused on the purpose/ key
question!
How does this book/article contribute to my
understanding or answering the key question?
Does it inform the background?
Does it define a term?
Does it describe the problem?
Does it offer a solution?
With which outline point(s)
does this source fit?
Step 6: Tell a story
• Writing a paper is like telling a story*
– You need a beginning (Introduction) , middle, &
end (Discussion/Conclusion) that all flow smoothly
together
– Consider your audience- are they researchers?
Practitioners? Clients? Lawmakers?
– Streamline- only include the relevant details
– Clear language is better than unnecessary big
words.
*except you can’t make things up that aren’t true
How a scientist tells a story…
• Avoid first person
DON’T SAY:
“I believe X works.”
“I think X should work.”
“I used X once with a
client and it seemed
to work.”
“I have a friend who
knows someone who
says X changed her
life.”
• Use evidence from other
research to form argument:
SAY:
“Barth (2002) found that X
works.”
“Further, in a study with a sample
of 5,000 people, Smith (2004)
concluded that X works.”
“Based on evidence from several
studies, X appears to be a
promising treatment for Y.”
Step 7: Use APA Style
• The APA Manual
– Detailed information about citations and
other paper organizational topics are
available in the Publications Manual of the
American Psychological Association (6th ed.).
• Each student needs to have access to this
book for all papers.
• The APA website is inadequate for this
purpose.
APA Structure & Format of a
Research Paper
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Title page
Abstract (not always required)
Introduction- Purpose statement
Literature Review
Methods/Measures
Results
Discussion
References
These or other
headings
and subheadings
are encouraged
in APA format.
Elements of the Title Page (p. 23)
Running
head:
SHORTENED
TITLE
Author Name
(byline)
Full Title
Institutional
Affiliation
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APA Headings (p. 62)
FIVE LEVELS OF HEADINGS POSSIBLE
Level 1 is Centered, Bold,
Upper and Lowercase Heading
Level 2 Flush Left, Bold, Upper & Lowercase Heading
Level 3 is indented, bold, lowercase paragraph heading
with a period.
Level 4 is indented, bold, italicized lowercase paragraph
heading with period.
Level 5 is indented italicized lowercase with a period.
Example of Headings
Most papers
will have 13 headings
Heading Style 3
Quoting & Citing in Text
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References Examples (pp. 193-224)
Journal Article with
DOI (Digital Object
Identifier
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Finally! Step 8:
Take advantage of resources
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•
•
•
•
Instructors
Web Resources
UMB Writing Center
UMB HS/HSL Library
Refworks
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Instructors & syllabi are there to help you!
• Read your syllabus.
• Ask questions.
– Ask questions in class, go to office hours, send an
email, post a question through Blackboard!
• Be wary of advice from peers who are taking the
same class from a different instructor.
If you are confused, it is your
responsibility to get help!
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Writing Resources ABOUND!
• Books on Writing:
– Zinsser, W.K. On Writing Well (~$10)
– Strunk & White, The Elements of Style (~$10)
– Truss, Eats, Shoots & Leaves (~$5) Punctuation
• Websites
– http://www.apastyle.org/learn/faqs/index.aspx
– http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
– http://www.lib.umd.edu/guides/citing_apa.html
• Podcasts
– Grammar Girl’s Quick & Dirty Tips on Writing:
http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/
Popular topics:
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UMB Writing Center
• http://www.umaryland.edu/writing/
Tip: Call in
advance for
appointments:
wait time can be
at least 1 week!
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UMB HS/HSL Library System
http://guides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/socialwork
TIPS:
 Check out
the library
guide for
social work
 Attend
classes on
database
searches &
library
orientations
 Gail Betz, the HS/HSL SSW Liaison is a great library resource.
 Watch the Daily Bulletin for her “Ask The Librarian” Open Office Hours at
SSW (usually near the 4th floor CyberLounge)
http://guides.hshsl.umaryland.edu/refworks
•
•
•
All students have online
access to a FREE resource
for managing references for
papers.
HS/HSL has on-line video
tutorials that will walk you
through each step of use
(videos are provided on the
website provided above)
Investing a few hours now in
learning RefWorks will save
lots of time over the next 2
years.
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Thanks for your attention!
Wishing you great success in writing
and learning as MSW students!
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