APA Format
APA Format
APA Format
Objectives
Create better awareness of general APA 5th edition guidelines and formats
Provide examples and practice in the use of APA guidelines and formats from actual student theses
What is APA? A style guide for manuscripts submitted by authors to scholarly journals published on psychology, behavioral sciences, nursing, personnel administration and other fields.
Abstract
Abstract
Abstract
Concise & specific: does not wastefully repeat title; includes 4 or 5 important concepts, findings, or implications at most
Abstract
Uses digits and common abbreviations Uses the active voice without using the personal 1st person pronouns
Abstract
Introduction
Develops the background; discusses the literature but is not a historical review.
States purpose and rationale; defines variables and formally states hypothesis
Introduction
Usually contains a conceptual framework to show relationships of variables and concepts in the study
Method
Detailed description of how the study was conducted
Subsections: Participants of the Study Procedure: Summary of each step executed and how
Method
Purpose of this section is so readers can replicate the study, hence, great and accurate detail is necessary
Results
Summarizes collected data and statistical or analytical treatment used.
Results Do not include individual scores or raw data except in single-case designs or illustrative examples
Tables and Figures -Do not use tables or figures when text will suffice -Use tables and figures to supplement text -All graphs, pictures, drawings are referred to as figures
Results
Tables and figures -All tabular material are referred to as tables -Always provide explanations for tables; indicate what must be noted or what the reader should look for
Results
Statistical presentation -Inferential statistics (e.g. t-tests, F-tests, chi-square) must be reported with information about the magnitude or value of the test statistic, degrees of freedom, chances of extreme results and direction of effect.
Results
Statistical presentation -Include descriptive statistics (e.g. sample sizes, means, correlations, standard deviations) -Use confidence intervals whenever possible (expressed in percentages) -Assume the reader is familiar with statistics
Results
Statistical levels of significance must be clearly defined
Discussion
Examines, interprets, and qualifies results
Draws inferences
Often combines with previous section; Results and Discussions or Results and Conclusions
End Notes
Additional information on terminologies mentioned in the text
References
Document statements made about the literature
Appendix Contains detailed descriptions of material the detracts from the body of the paper or is inappropriate to the body of the paper
May also contain raw data if it helps the readers understand the study better
Tables
Use two-level table headings: the first level to indicate the table number, in regular font and size; and the second level to indicate the table heading or title, in title caps, italicized.
Tables
Table x Marital Status of Participants Male Female Single Married Single Married
Employed
Unemployed
14
26
27
20
16
22
34
38
Self-employed
14
Dent (1999) broached that the ASEAN Free Trade Area (AFTA) Dent also suggested
Example: Brown, Lusch, Muelling, and Stern (1979) and Brown, Lusch, Rosenberg, and Cadotte (1979) both shorten to: Brown et al. (1979)
In parenthetical material, tables, captions, and the reference list, multiple authors are joined by an ampersand (&)
Groups as Authors Names of groups as authors are spelled out each time they appear in text citations.
Abbreviate subsequent mention of groups as authors only if they fall under the following exceptions:
Groups as Authors Exceptions: -The name is long and cumbersome -The abbreviation is familiar -The abbreviation is readily understandable Example: known group with a long name National Institute of Mental Health (1999). [reference list entry] (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 1999) [first text citation] (NIMH, 1999) [subsequent text citations]
Groups as authors Examples: group with short name and unfamiliar or confusable abbreviation
University of the Philippines. (1994) [reference list entry] (University of the Philippines, 1994) [all text citations]
No Author or Anonymous Author When a work has no author, cite the first few words [shortened title] of the reference list entry and the year.
Examples: Eurostat catalogue: Publications and electronic services: (2003). [book reference entry] According to the Eurostat Catalogue (2003) [in-text citation]
No Author or Anonymous Author Use Anonymous only when the works author is designated as Anonymous.
(Chaucer, n.d.)
Indicate the page (p.), chapter (chap.), figure, table, or equation when citing specific parts of a source
Online periodical -Authors name (date of publication). Title of article. Title of Periodical. Volume number, Retrieved month day, year from full URL
Online document -Authors name (date of publication). Title of Work. Retrieved from month day, year, from full URL.
Electronic Sources (In-text citation If possible, cite an electronic document the same as any other document by using the authordate style. Kenneth (2000) explained
Unknown
date Another study of students and research decisions discovered that students succeeded with tutoring (Tutoring and APA, n.d.).
Manuscript Format
Paper -Standard letter-sized (81/2 x 11 in.[22 x 28 cm]) -Heavy white bond paper (at least book 20) -From the same ream, if possible to ensure same size for all pages of paper
Examples: Devitt, T. (2001, August 2). Lightning injures four at music festival.The Why? Files. Retrieved January 23, 2002, from http://whyfiles.org/ 137lightning/index.html Dove, R. (1998). Lady freedom among us. The Electronic Text Center. Retrieved June 19, 1998, from Alderman Library,University of Virgnia website: http://etext.lib.edu/subjects/ afam.html
Manuscript Format
Spacing Double-space the whole paper (i.e., Leave one full blank line between each line of type). Never use one-and-a-half spacing
Pages All pages are numbered consecutively, title page included All page numbers are in arabic numerals
Manuscript Format All page numbers are located in the upper right-hand corner of each page
Paragraphs & Indentation Indent all paragraphs in the first line Indent the first line of every endnote Use the tab key for indentations, set at in. or 5 to 7 spaces