Apa Style
Strayer University
Coral Springs, FL Campus
Assignment for Course: BUS 520 Leadership & Org. Behavior
Submitted to: Dr. James J. Kolacek, III Submitted by: (Student’s name) (Student’s number) (Student’s email address) (Address) (Work phone number) (Home phone number)
Date of Submission: May 20, 2012
Title of Assignment: APA Writing Style and Mechanics: A User’s Guide
CERTIFICATION OF AUTHORSHIP: I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in this paper. I have also cited any sources from which I used data, ideas or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I have added quotes whenever I used more than three consecutive words from another writer. I also certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for this course.
Student’s Signature: ______________________________
Instructor’s Grade on Assignment:
Instructor’s Comments:
APA Writing Style and Mechanics: A User’s Guide
Writing in the style prescribed by the American Psychological Association (2010), Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA 6th), can be a daunting experience for both students and faculty members (Polly Proofreader, personal communication, January 4, 2009). Green and Gold (1996, p.16) suggest that an additional guide can be helpful, minimizing the need for searching through the sometimes confusing and highly detailed text of APA 6th. In this paper, a review of the information most often used by students is presented. Always consider faculty’s directives and expectations in the classroom.
Format Considerations The most common errors students make are in the margins, page header, and reference page format (Green & Gold, 1996, p.21). Additional errors noted by faculty include in-text citations of direct quotes or paraphrased material (Maka Mistake, personal communication, September 20, 2009).
Correct Margins Margins
Coral Springs, FL Campus
Assignment for Course: BUS 520 Leadership & Org. Behavior
Submitted to: Dr. James J. Kolacek, III Submitted by: (Student’s name) (Student’s number) (Student’s email address) (Address) (Work phone number) (Home phone number)
Date of Submission: May 20, 2012
Title of Assignment: APA Writing Style and Mechanics: A User’s Guide
CERTIFICATION OF AUTHORSHIP: I certify that I am the author of this paper and that any assistance I received in its preparation is fully acknowledged and disclosed in this paper. I have also cited any sources from which I used data, ideas or words, either quoted directly or paraphrased. I have added quotes whenever I used more than three consecutive words from another writer. I also certify that this paper was prepared by me specifically for this course.
Student’s Signature: ______________________________
Instructor’s Grade on Assignment:
Instructor’s Comments:
APA Writing Style and Mechanics: A User’s Guide
Writing in the style prescribed by the American Psychological Association (2010), Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (APA 6th), can be a daunting experience for both students and faculty members (Polly Proofreader, personal communication, January 4, 2009). Green and Gold (1996, p.16) suggest that an additional guide can be helpful, minimizing the need for searching through the sometimes confusing and highly detailed text of APA 6th. In this paper, a review of the information most often used by students is presented. Always consider faculty’s directives and expectations in the classroom.
Format Considerations The most common errors students make are in the margins, page header, and reference page format (Green & Gold, 1996, p.21). Additional errors noted by faculty include in-text citations of direct quotes or paraphrased material (Maka Mistake, personal communication, September 20, 2009).
Correct Margins Margins
Citations: Quotations of less than 40 words are enclosed in double quotation marks. “Use single quotation marks within double quotation marks to set off material that in the original source was enclosed in double quotation marks” (APA, 2010, p. 170). Other Format Issues Although APA (2010) suggests that an abstract of an article precede the text, an abstract is not used in the short (6 to 10 pages) papers submitted by university students Correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, and sentence structure are essential components of professional writing (Smyth, 1996). Strunk and White (1979) emphasized the importance of being succinct: Vigorous writing is concise Subject and verb agreement. A singular noun requires a singular verb, and a plural noun requires a plural verb (Strunk & White, 1979). Words that intervene between the noun and verb do not change that basic rule. Noun and pronoun agreement Correct use of commas and semicolons can be problematic for students. Writers are encouraged to proofread their papers to ensure proper use of commas (Purdue University Online Writing Lab, 2010). Gordon, K. E. (1993). The deluxe transitive vampire: The ultimate handbook of grammar for the innocent, the eager, and the doomed. New York: Pantheon Books. Green, Q., & Gold, R. (1996). Student writers: Faculty headaches. Phoenix, AZ: Peculiar Press. Madigan, R., Johnson, S., & Linton, P. (1995). The language of psychology: APA style as epistemology [Electronic version]. American Psychologist, 50, 428-435. Purdue University Online Writing Lab. (n.d.). Retrieved September 25, 2010 from http://owl.english.purdue.edu Smyth, R Strunk, W., & White, E. B. (1979). The elements of style (3rd ed.). New York: Macmillan.