APA Paper Assignment and Formatting Notes

WHAT IS APA STYLE?
  • Definition: The American Psychological Association (APA) citation style is widely used in the social sciences including healthcare.
  • Purpose: Provides a structured foundation for effective scholarly communication, ensuring clarity, conciseness, and organization.
  • Regulation Areas:
    • Stylistics
    • In-text citations
    • References
TYPES OF ARTICLES
  • Quantitative Articles: Research based on numerical data.
  • Qualitative Articles: Research based on non-numerical data and observational methods.
  • Literature Reviews: Summaries and evaluations of existing literature.
  • Theoretical Articles: Discussion of theories and their implications.
  • Case Studies: Detailed analysis of specific instances or cases.
PARTS OF THE PAPER
  • Formatting Requirements:
    • Typed
    • Scholarly (researched and referenced)
    • Double-spaced
    • 1” margins
    • 12pt. Times New Roman font
    • Follow the 7th edition APA guidelines
  • Language Guidelines:
    • Clear: Ensuring specificity in descriptions and explanations.
    • Concise: Minimize unnecessary information.
    • Plain: Use straightforward adjectives, reducing figurative language.
    • Active Voice Example: "The author asked participants…"
TITLE PAGE
  • Layout: Bold, centered title positioned in the upper half.
  • Include:
    • Title of paper (Bolded)
    • Author's name
    • Affiliation (KCC)
    • Course number and name
    • Instructor's name
    • Assignment due date
  • Paper Header: All CAPS, title flush left + page number flush right.
INTRODUCTION
  • Purpose: Sets the context for the paper.
  • Elements to Include: State the issue or topic, provide background, and state objectives.
  • Length: Generally brief, but this may vary by assignment.
  • Header Format: All CAPS, title flush left + page number flush right.
  • Text Layout:
    • Title bold & centered in Title Case.
    • Left-aligned body text, double-spaced, first line indented.
  • Language Considerations:
    • Know your audience.
    • Use clear abbreviations and acronyms.
    • Pay attention to grammar and spelling.
    • Express numbers below 10 in words, above 10 in numerals.
HEADING LEVELS
  • Format for Different Levels:
    • Level 1: Centered, Bold, Title Case. New paragraph starts.
    • Level 2: Flush Left, Bold, Title Case. New paragraph starts.
    • Level 3: Flush Left, Bold, Italic, Title Case. New paragraph starts.
    • Level 4: Indented, Bold, Title Case, ends with a period. Same line text.
    • Level 5: Indented, Bold, Italic, Title Case, ends with a period. Same line text.
  • Example:
    • Level 1: Acute Kidney Injury
    • Level 2: Immunological Renal Diseases
    • Level 3: Acute Glomerulonephritis
    • Level 4: End stage renal disease
IN-TEXT CITATIONS
  • Purpose: Validates content and gives credit to original ideas.
  • Definition: Citation of sources within the manuscript.
PLAGIARISM
  • Definition: Presenting another's work (words, ideas, images) as one's own (APA, 2020, p. 254).
  • Self-Plagiarism: Reusing one's own previously published work as if it were new (APA, 2020, p. 256).
IN-TEXT CITATION: PARAPHRASING
  • Examples:
    • Various formats to express the same idea:
    • Apples come in a variety of colors (Nica et al., 2018).
    • According to Simmons (2017), red apples are her favorite.
IN-TEXT CITATIONS: DIRECT QUOTE
  • Examples:
    • "Apples are red and the sky is blue" (Nica, 2017, p. 1).
    • According to Simmons (2017), "skies are blue and pigs fly too" (para.4).
CITING WORK WITH TWO AUTHORS
  • Format:
    • According to Nica and Simmons (2017)…..
    • Apples come in a variety of colors (Nica, & Simmons, 2017).
CITING WORK WITH THREE OR MORE AUTHORS
  • Example: Apples come in a variety of colors (Nica et al., 2017).
    • Note: Always list the primary author first without alphabetizing.
UNKNOWN AUTHOR
  • Ask: Who is responsible for the content?
  • Citation for Organizations: Follow the same principles as author citations.
REFERENCE PAGE
  • Formatting:
    • Title: "References" centered at the top and bolded.
    • Double space reference entries.
    • Alphabetical by author surname; flush left first line and indent subsequent lines.
    • Hanging indent of 0.5 inch.
  • Author Formatting Example: Smith, J.Q.
  • Capitalization Rules: Capitalize only the first letter of the title and subtitle, first word after a colon or dash, and proper nouns.
    • Example: The perfectly formatted paper: How the Purdue OWL saved my essay.
REFERENCE LIST
  • General Rules:
    • Capitalize all major words in a journal title.
    • Ensure journal titles are italicized.
  • Sample Reference:
    • Simmons, L. A. (2009). Dorthea Orem’s self-care theory as related to nursing practice in hemodialysis. Nephrology Nursing Journal, 36(4), 419-421.