Scoring Template for the Errors found in the Manuscript
The errors in the manuscript are reported with the manuscript page number, a description of the problem, and the page number in the APA manual (1994) where the correct information can be found. For each error properly summarized a student receives one point. Multiple examples of the same error are not scored more than once. Although we have tried to be complete, our students have found several errors that have not been included in this template.
Title Page: (page 1 of manuscript, although unnumbered)
“Running head:” should be left flush (APA, 248)
The header is missing from page one (APA, 241, 258)
Page number (APA, 241)
Author name should have middle initial to avoid confusion (APA, 7)
No institutional affiliation is given (APA, 8)
Title is non-informative, doesn’t mention key variables in the study (APA, 8)
Abstract: (page 3 of manuscript, actual page number should be 2)
Abstract is longer than 120 words (APA, 9)
Doesn’t include details, such as a cite for Need For Cognition (APA, 10)
Has abbreviations (APA, 9, 83)
Has unimportant, peripheral information (APA, 9)
Introduction: (begins on page 4 of the manuscript)
p4 NFC is not defined conceptually or as an abbreviation with first usage in text
(APA , 11, 83)
p4 NFC does not have citation to authors with first usage
p4, line 3 Wordiness in some expressions (APA, 27)
p4 Sex only used for biological distinctions, gender is the proper term (APA, 47)
p4, 2nd paragraph multiple citations in parentheses should be in alphabetical order
(APA, 172)
p4 Use of males instead of men (APA, 55)
p4 Verb tense to describe past research findings is incorrect - present (APA, 32)
p4 Comma errors, should be used to separate independent clauses (APA, 62)
p4 Order of authors should match the order in reference list (APA, 175)
p4 Quote without the page numbers (APA, 97)
p5 Hypothesis given without any rationale (APA, 12)
Method Section: (begins on page 5 of the manuscript)
p5 Participants heading is not underlined (APA, 91 & 92, 260)
p5 Sketchy information on participants - more detail needed (APA, 13)
p5 “i.e.” is more appropriate in this case rather than e.g. (APA, 85)
p6 Sexist language “girl” is inappropriate (APA, 51)
p6 1st 2 sentences in procedure may be more appropriate in the participant section (APA, 13)
p6 Problems with grammar (APA, 31)
p6 Procedure is not detailed enough (APA, 12)
p6 No informed consent in Appendix A (APA, 166)
p6 Heading “Attitudes On Abortion” in wrong placement (APA, 91, 92, 262)
p6 Heading “Attitudes On Abortion” should not be capitalized (APA, 91, 92, 262)
p6 (See Appendix A) should not be in own sentence (APA, 166)
p7 Inappropriate capitalization of variable names (APA, 78 & 79)
Results Section:
p7,8 Verb tense switches to present, should be past (APA, 25, 32)
p7 Significance test and level is not reported for several findings (APA, 112, 113)
p7, 8 No reference is made to the tables in the text (APA, 125)
p8 p is not underlined (APA, 116)
p8 Use commas not semi-colons in report of significance test and level (APA, 113)
p8 Footnotes should be on separate page (APA, 253)
p8 Results don’t related findings back to the hypotheses (APA, 15)
Discussion Section:
p8,10 Sexist language “man” is inappropriate (APA, 54 & 55)
p8 Use of which should be restrictive, replace with “what” (APA, 41)
p8 Use of since should be related to time replace with “because” (APA, 43)
p9 1st sentences of the Discussion should summarize the results (APA, 19)
p9 Double quotations should be single in this case (APA, 96 & 97)
p9 Use et al. for second use of citation (APA, 169)
p9 Use of which should be restrictive, replace with that (APA, 41)
p9 Use of the passive rather than the active voice (APA, 32)
p9 “of which” is redundant, “of” should be omitted (APA, 27)
p10 Triviality in this section, and conclusion is weak (APA, 18 & 19)
Reference Section:
p11 Single spacing between author’s initials (APA, 179)
p11 Journal article has capitalization of every word (APA, 182, 195)
p11 Issue number should not be underlined (APA, 182, 195)
p11 Capitalize after colon (APA, 76, 181)
p11 Space between volume and issue number (APA, 182)
p11 Page numbers should not be underlined (APA, 182, 195)
p11 Need a comma between first and second authors (APA, 182, 195)
p11 Citations reported in the text are missing
Appendix:
p12 Appendix in the wrong position (APA, 240)
p12 No title given (APA, 167)
p13 Need copyright notes if the scale is copyrighted (APA, 140)
Figures/Tables:
p14, 15 Too much space between bottom of tables and notes (APA, 126, 131)
p16 Figure captions should be on separate page (APA, 145, 268)
p16 Abbreviations/legend not defined (APA, 144, 268)
p16 Legend not within boarders of graph (APA, 144, 268)
p16 No vertical/horizontal axis label (APA, 144, 268)
Miscellaneous errors and errors found throughout the manuscript:
Single space after colons, end of sentences not double-space (APA, 244)
Running head font is not the same as the text (APA, 238)
Page number font is not the same as the text (APA, 238)
Page numbers are wrong throughout (APA, 241)
Bottom margin too small (APA, 240)
Use of which (APA, 41)
Use of while (APA, 42)
Sexist language examples (APA, 51)