APA HELP GUIDE 1

APA Help Guide

October 2014

This document is to be used only for additional information, and does not take the place of the APA publication manual.

Document Overview

The information provided within this document comes from The Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th ed.), which in this document is referred to as the APA manual. In most cases, the information provided in the APA manual aligns with the expectations of RRU programs, but if your instructor or your thesis/major paper handbook provides a differing requirement, your program’s rules take precedence over those of the APA manual. If your program’s requirement is that you follow the rules of the APA manual, then the program’s rules and those of the APA are the same thing. Each section of this document provides page references where you can find more information on the particular topic within the APA manual.

Whenever possible, this document has been formatted according to APA standards, but in the interests of shortening the total length of the document, you’ll find 1.5 line-spacing. Please format your academic papers according to your program’s requirements.

Remember that this document does not replace the APA manual; therefore, if you have a question that is not answered within this document, it is your responsibility to consult the APA manual. For more information, please refer to APA Styleand WriteAnswers.

Table of Contents

Formatting Guidelines

Alignment

Bulleted/Numbered Lists

Font

Footnotes

Headings

Indentation

Line-Spacing

Margins

Page Numbers

Running Head

Tables and Figures Formatting

Title Page

Quoting and Paraphrasing

Adding Words or Emphasis

Block Quotations

Changes in Quotations Requiring No Explanation

Incorrect Grammar or Spelling within a Quotation

Omitting Words in Quotations

Paraphrasing

Quotation Punctuation

In-text Citations

One Work by One Author

Corporate or Group Author

Two Authors

Three to Five Authors

Six or More Authors

Two or More Works by the Same Author and in the Same Publication Year

Citing an Ebook Without Page Numbers

Secondary Source Citations

Works by Anonymous or Without a Listed Author

Personal Communication (e.g., RRU discussion forum postings, email, interviews)

Citing Results of Original Research

References: General Information

Alphabetize References

Author and Editor Information

Publication Date

Title Information

Publication Information

Reference Examples

Periodicals

Periodicals – General Reference Format

Journal Article with DOI

Journal Article without DOI

Daily Newspaper Article, No Author

Online Newspaper Article

Non-Periodicals

Entire Book, Print Version

Book Chapter, Print Version

Ebook

Ebook Chapter

Entry in an Online Reference Work, No Author or Editor

Technical and Research Reports

Authored Report from a Governmental Department

Report from a Private Organization

Report from a Private Organization, Available on Organization Website

Doctoral Dissertation or Master’s Thesis from a Database Service

Unpublished Dissertation or Thesis

Master’s Thesis, from a University Outside the United States, Retrieved from a Commercial Database

Specific Section of Website

Specific Section of Website, No Identified Author, No Date

Information Retrieved from a Website, e.g., blog postings, press releases, tweets

Entire Website (Not a Specific Document)

Online Video (e.g., YouTube or Ted Talks)

Canadian Legislative Documents

APA Resources

List of Figures

Figure 1. The hanging indent option used to format a paragraph.

APA Help Guide

Formatting Guidelines

Alignment

Align the text in the body of your paper flush against the left margin with a ragged right margin (e.g., the alignment of this page). Do not use justified alignment (when the text is equally spread across the width of the page) (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 229).

Bulleted/Numbered Lists

When considering the use of a bulleted or numbered list in your academic writing, please take a moment to consider if the list will encourage understanding of the topic, or if the list is a technique to avoid using full sentences to explain a concept. As you might imagine, the latter isn’t a valid reason to use a bulleted or numbered list in a formal academic paper because bulleted lists do not generally include analysis, but instead only provide surface-level information. Since the focus of academic writing is to demonstrate your critical thinking, you will more fully communicate your ideas by writing complete sentences. However, should you choose to use bullets to separate three or more elements within a sentence, “capitalize and punctuate the list as if it were a complete sentence” (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 64). Please refer to pages 63 and 64 for more information about using bulleted and numbered paragraphs or lists in your writing.

Font

Serif fonts (Times New Roman, Century Schoolbook etc.) are preferred over sans serif fonts (Arial, Comic Sans etc.). The preferred font within APA style is Times New Roman in a 12 point font (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 228).

Footnotes

The APA divides footnotes into two categories: content or copyright permission footnotes. Content footnotes “supplement or amplify substantive information in the text; they should not include complicated, irrelevant, or nonessential information. Because they can be distracting to readers, such footnotes should be included only if they strengthen the discussion” (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 37). The APA guide further notes that, “in most cases, an author integrates an article best by presenting important information in the text, not in a footnote” (p. 38).
Use a copyright footnote to indicate that you have received permission from a publisher to reproduce another author’s table or figure in your text. Attaining copyright permission is only required for documents that will be published outside of RRU (e.g. major research project or thesis). For assistance with attaining copyright permission, please contact the RRU Copyright Office. For the correct wording for a copyright permission footnote, please refer to page 38 in the APA manual.

Headings

Headings help to give structure to your document and allow your reader to clearly understand the levels of organization within your paper:

Levels of heading establish the hierarchy of sections via format or appearance. All topics of equal importance have the same level of heading throughout a manuscript. For example, in a multiexperiment paper, the headings for the Method and Results sections in Experiment 1 should be the same level as the headings for the Method and Results sections in Experiment 2.

Avoid having only one subsection heading and subsection within a section, just as you would in an outline. Use at least two subsection headings within any given section, or use none. (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 62)

Please see below for the five levels of headings and their respective formatting:

Centred, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading(1)

Flush Left, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading(2)

Indented, boldface, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period.(3)

Indented, boldface, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period.(4)

Indented, italicized, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period.(5)

(p. 62)
When using paragraph headings, begin your paragraph text on the same line after the heading. Use Word styles to format your headings, and format them consistently within each level throughout the entire document. Use the levels sequentially; that is, use heading one for your top level of heading, heading two for your next level of heading, and so forth. For example:

Literature Review

Definitions

Historical perspective

Pre-1700s.

Modern history.(Body text starts on same line as the heading)

Methodology

Research Strategy

Definitions.

Philosophies.

Indentation

Indent each line of a new paragraph one tab space, which should be set at 1.27 cm or ½ inch (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 229).

Line-Spacing

Unless directed otherwise by an instructor or a program handbook, double-space “between all text lines of the manuscript. Double-space after every line in the title, headings, footnotes, quotations, references, and figure captions” (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 229).

Margins

For regular assignments, format margins to 2.5 cm or one inch at the top, bottom, and on both sides of the text (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 229).

Page Numbers

Place all page numbers in the top right-hand corner in the document header. Include your title page within the total page count; however, do not provide a number on the title page.Use Arabic numerals (e.g., 1, 2, 3) throughout the document, and continue the page numbers sequentially to the end of the report, including all appendices.

Running Head

The running head is an abbreviated title that is printed at the top of the pages of a published article to identify the article for readers. The running head should be a maximum of 50 characters, counting letters, punctuation, and spaces between words. It should appear flush in all uppercase letters at the top of the title page and all subsequent pages. (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 229)

In this document, you can see the running head in the top left corner of each page. Note that the running head has a different format on the title page than on the other pages.For another example, please see the APA’s sample papers.

Tables and Figures Formatting

Present tables and figures according to the rules provided in the APA manual. Please see below for more information about formatting tables and figures, and refer to the APA manual for detailed instructions.

Tables.Please refer to pages 127-150 of the APA manual for rules for formatting tables.

  • Tables may be single- or double-spaced, depending on what is best for readability (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 141)
  • Include a table title (p. 133), table headings (pp. 133-137), the table body (pp. 137-138), and a table note (general, specific, probability) (pp. 138-141)
  • Limit the use of ruling, or lines, “to those that are necessary for clarity” (p. 141).
  • Using tables from another source in a thesis or major project requirescopyright permission; note the granted permission in the table note (see p. 38).
  • See pages 129-149 for sample tables
  • See page 150 for a table checklist

Figures. Please see pages 150-167 of the APA manual for the rules for formatting figures.

  • Figures are any type of illustration other than a table, including graphs, charts, maps, drawings, and photographs (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 151)
  • See pages 152-156 for the standards for figures
  • Legend and caption required (p. 158-159)
  • “Figure legend should be positioned within the borders of the figure” (p. 159)
  • Italicize “Figure x.” that precedes the caption but not the caption text (p. 159)
  • Lettering in a figure should be in a simple typeface (e.g., Arial), and should be no smaller than 8 points and no larger than 14 points (p. 161)
  • Using figures from another copyrighted source in a thesis or major project requirescopyright permission; give credit in the figure caption (p. 167)
  • See pages 152-166 for sample figures
  • See page 167 for a figure checklist

Title Page

Instructors may have individual preferences for title page content, so use the title page approved by your instructor. The title page may include, but not be limited to, the “title, running head, author byline, [and] institutional affiliation” (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 229). For your thesis or major project, check with each of your supervisors and sponsors who are listed on your title page to see what academic degrees they would like listed after their name. For information regarding creating an effective title for a paper, see page 23 in the APA manual.

Quoting and Paraphrasing

Quoting from another source involves integrating words or phrases taken directly from another author’s work. In order to avoid plagiarizing material, be sure to enclose short quotations (fewer than 40 words) within double quotation marks and properly cite the source material (see In-text Citations within this document). Format a quotation of 40 words or more as a block quotation; see “Block quotations” within this section, and page 170 in the APA manual for more information.

Adding Words or Emphasis

To insert material in a quotation, “use brackets, not parentheses” (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 173).To “emphasize a word or words in a quotation, italicize the words or words. Immediately after the italicized words, insert within brackets the words emphasis added, that is, [emphasis added]” (p. 173). For example, “They [the judges] were convinced that the swimmer had missed the two-handed [emphasis added] turn.”

Block Quotations

A quotation 40 words or more in length must be formatted as a block quotation (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 171). Do not use quotation marks, and indent the quotation 1.27 cm or one-half inch from the left margin (i.e. the same position as a new paragraph) (p. 171). When a block quotation exceeds one paragraph, indent the first line of each paragraph a further 1.27 cm or one-half inch (p. 171). If there is a quotation within the block quotation, use double quotation marks to indicate the quotation (p. 92). The parenthetical citation should follow the last punctuation mark in the quote, and as with all quotations, the author, year, and location reference (e.g., page or paragraph number) must be provided. Double-space the entire quotation (p. 171). Please see the block quotation under Running Head for a sample block quotation.

Changes in Quotations Requiring No Explanation

In order to better integrate your quotation into your text, you can change the capitalization of the first letter of the first word without indicating that you changed the text (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 172). As well, the closing punctuation mark at the end of a quoted sentence may also be changed, and single and double can quotation marks be exchanged, where appropriate (p. 172). Note all other changes according to APA rules. Please refer to page 172 for more information.

Incorrect Grammar or Spelling within a Quotation

If “incorrect spelling, grammar, or punctuation in the source might confuse readers, insert the word sic, italicized and bracketed, immediately after the error in the quotation” (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 172). For example, “they made they're [sic]lunches.”

Omitting Words in Quotations

If you remove words from the middle of quotation, use three spaced ellipsis points (. . .) to indicate the change from the original quotation (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 172). If you remove text from the end of a sentence but continue quoting from the following sentence, use four spaced ellipsis points (. . . .) to indicate the removal of material from between the sentences (pp. 172-173). Start your quotation at the point where the text is relevant; ellipses are not necessary at the beginning or end of a quotation (p. 173).

Paraphrasing

Paraphrasing refers to summarizing or presenting another author’s work in your own words. Accordingly, quotation marks are not necessary around the paraphrased text, but it is important that the text is significantly different from the original; simply rearranging words or changing a couple of words is not sufficient to qualify as paraphrasing. When preparing the citation, “you are encouraged to provide a page or paragraph number, especially when it would help an interested reader locate the relevant passage in a long or complex text” (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 171).

Quotation Punctuation

For a quotation of 39 words or fewer in the text, place the sentence punctuation after the closing bracket of the reference: “A terrible storm started last night as I took the dog for our nightly walk” (Jamieson, 1999, p. 12). For a block quotation, the closing punctuation appears before the reference citation. See the block quotation under Running Head in this document for an example.

In-text Citations

An in-text citation provides sourcing information about quoted or paraphrased text. The purpose of the citation is to indicate that the preceding information originated with someone else and to give your reader sufficient information that they can then find the corresponding entry in your reference list. Please note that, “if the quotation appears in mid-sentence, end the passage with quotation marks, cite the source in parentheses immediately after the quotation marks, and continue the sentence” (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 171).The same approach would also apply to paraphrased information.The standard format for a citation is (Author’s last name/corporate or group author, year of publication/copyright, location reference). For a printed resource or a document in PDF format, the location reference will be a page number. For electronic resources that are not paginated, use a paragraph number (e.g. para. 4) or “if the document includes headings and neither paragraph nor page numbers are visible, cite the heading and the number of the paragraph following it” (p. 172). For example: (Government of Canada, 1968, p. 5),(Bell, 2008, para. 7), or (Jones, 2006, Recommendations section, para. 4). For more information, please see page 177 in the APA manual for a chart that compares the basic citation styles, as well as the information provided below. For information on how to create a citation when source information such as the author name or date is missing, please see “Writing in-text citations in APA Style”.

When presenting information in a paragraph, you may find that you’re citing repeatedly from the same resource. While APA style doesn’t use ibid., you can use a shortened citation that provides only the page number after the first full citation, as long as you don’t introduce another resource into the paragraph or begin a new paragraph. For more information and examples, please see page 174 in the APA manual, Section 6.04 (“One Work by One Author”).

One Work by One Author

When citing a resource by one author, provide the last name of the author and the date of publication at the appropriate point. To decide the placement of the citation, “if the name of the author appears as part of the narrative…cite only the year of publication in parentheses. Otherwise, place both the name and the year, separated by a comma, in parentheses” (p. 174). For example, “According the APA (2010), …” (p. 4), or “cite only the year of publication in parentheses” (American Psychological Association, 2010, p. 174).