1. Double-space all sections of your paper. Use 12-point font and 1 inch margins. Use at least level1 headings (centered, boldface, uppercase and lowercase; e.g., Conclusions, References)
2. Edit your paper carefully. Ask someone else to edit it also (not me).
3. Alphabetize your reference list.
4. Use the authors’ last name and date when referencing a source.
5. Avoid the use of contractions (can’t, don’t) and colloquialisms (e.g., “awesome,” “kids”).
6. Avoid bias in your language choices (see the Purdue Writing Lab website)
7. Check your spelling and punctuation.
8. Check your subject-verb agreement.
9. Do not overuse quotations. Quotations need page number references.
10. Cite a resource when paraphrasing any idea from it.
11. Do not use titles from your references unless the book or monograph is a seminal (influential) work with awell-known title. Refer to the reference by the authors’ last names.
12. Numbers below 10 are expressed in words (e.g., one, seven) except when they are used inconjunction with numbers 10 and higher (e.g., 2 of the 15 students).
13. Use letters, not numbers when identifying items in a series in a paragraph.
For example: Theresearchers found three predictors for high school absenteeism: (a) enrollment in basic-level courses, (b) lack ofinvolvement in extracurricular activities, and (c) friendships formed with others who do not attend the school.
14. Use numbers only when items are listed in separate indented paragraphs. For example:
Threeresearch questions were investigated:
1. What is the rate of absenteeism in high schools?
2. What factors are associated with high school students’ absenteeism?
3. What demographic characteristics predict absenteeism in high school?
15. Use “I,” the first person, if you are writing a paper in which you are evaluating a source or
presenting your original research.
16. Use active voice (e.g., Research suggests….) rather than passive (e.g., Research has beenconducted by …).
17. Organize your paper by using APA-style headings. It is not necessary to use a heading for theintroduction.
18. Use past tense when reporting on research that has been published or experiences that have been completed.
19. Keep a back-up copy of your paper.
20. Edit your paper carefully AGAIN before submitting it. Writing errors will result in deductions.