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http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/index.aspx?doc_id=796
The purpose of this document is to provide a common core of elements
of APA style that all members of an academic department can adopt as
minimal standards for any assignment that specifies APA style. This Web
document is itself not a model of APA style. For an example of
a complete article formatted according to APA style, go to
http://www.vanguard.edu/uploadedfiles/faculty/ddegelman/prayer.pdf.
For an example of an undergraduate research proposal, go to
http://www.vanguard.edu/uploadedfiles/faculty/ddegelman/psychproposal.pdf.
To download a Microsoft Word template of an APA-style paper, go to
http://www.vanguard.edu/uploadedFiles/Faculty/DDegelman/psychapa.doc
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General Document Guidelines
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Margins: One inch on all sides
(top, bottom, left, right)
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Font Size and Type: 12-pt. font
(Times Roman or Courier are acceptable typefaces)
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Line Spacing: Double-space
throughout the paper, including the title page, abstract, body
of the document, references, appendixes, footnotes, tables, and
figure captions.
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Spacing after Punctuation: Space
once after all punctuation. This includes using one space
(not two!) following punctuation marks at the ends of sentences.
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Alignment: Flush left (creating
uneven right margin)
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Paragraph Indentation: 5-7 spaces
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Pagination: The page number
appears one inch from the right edge of the paper on the first
line of every page (except
Figures), beginning with the title page
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Manuscript Page Header: The
first two or three words of the paper title appear five spaces
to the left of the page number on every page (except
Figures), beginning with the title page. Manuscript page
headers are used to identify manuscript pages during the
editorial process. Using most word processors, the manuscript
page header and page number can be inserted into a header, which
then automatically appears on all pages.
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Active voice: As a general
rule, use the active voice rather than the passive voice. For
example, use "We predicted that ..." rather than "It was
predicted that ..."
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Order of Pages: Title
Page,
Abstract,
Body,
References,
Appendixes,
Footnotes,
Tables,
Figure Captions,
Figures
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Title Page
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Pagination: The Title Page is
page 1.
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Key Elements: Paper title,
author(s), author affiliation(s), and running head.
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Paper Title: Uppercase and
lowercase letters, centered on the page.
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Author(s): Uppercase and
lowercase letters, centered on the line following the title.
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Institutional affiliation:
Uppercase and lowercase letters, centered on the line following
the author(s).
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Running head: The running head is
typed flush left (all uppercase) following the words "Running
head:" on the line below the manuscript page header. It should
not exceed 50 characters, including punctuation and spacing. The
running head is a short title that appears at the top of pages
of published articles.
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Example of APA-formatted Title Page: http://www.vanguard.edu/uploadedFiles/psychology/titlepage.pdf
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Abstract: The abstract is a
one-paragraph, self-contained summary of the most important elements
of the paper.
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Pagination: The abstract begins
on a new page (page 2).
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Heading: Abstract (centered on
the first line below the manuscript page header)
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Format: The abstract (in block
format) begins on the line following the Abstract heading. The
abstract should not exceed 120 words. All numbers in the
abstract (except those beginning a sentence) should be typed as
digits rather than words.
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Example of APA-formatted Abstract: http://www.vanguard.edu/uploadedFiles/psychology/abstract.pdf
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Body
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Pagination: The body of the paper
begins on a new page (page 3). Subsections of the body of the
paper do not begin on new pages.
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Title: The title of the paper (in
uppercase and lowercase letters) is centered on the first line
below the manuscript page header.
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Introduction: The introduction
(which is not labeled) begins on the line following the paper
title.
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Headings: Headings are used to
organize the document and reflect the relative importance of
sections. For example, many empirical research articles utilize
Method, Results, Discussion, and References headings. In turn,
the Method section often has subheadings of Participants,
Apparatus, and Procedure. For an example of
APA-formatted headings, go to
http://www.vanguard.edu/uploadedFiles/psychology/headings.pdf
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Main headings (when the paper has either one or two levels
of headings) use centered uppercase and lowercase letters
(e.g., Method, Results, Discussion, and References).
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Subheadings (when the paper has two levels of headings) are
italicized and use flush left, uppercase and lowercase
letters (e.g., Participants, Apparatus,
and Procedure as subsections of the Method
section).
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Text citations: Source material
must be documented in the body of the paper by citing the author(s)
and date(s) of the sources. The underlying principle is that ideas
and words of others must be formally acknowledged. The reader can
obtain the full source citation from the list of references that
follows the body of the paper.
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When the names of the authors of a source are part of the formal
structure of the sentence, the year of publication appears in
parentheses following the identification of the authors.
Consider the following example:
Wirth and Mitchell (1994) found that although there was a reduction in
insulin dosage over a period of two weeks in the treatment condition
compared to the control condition, the difference was not statistically
significant. [Note: and is used when multiple authors
are identified as part of the formal structure of the sentence. Compare
this to the example in the following section.]
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When the authors of a source are not part of the formal
structure of the sentence, both the authors and year of
publication appear in parentheses. Consider the following
example:
Reviews of research on religion and health have concluded that at least
some types of religious behaviors are related to higher levels of
physical and mental health (Gartner, Larson, & Allen, 1991; Koenig,
1990; Levin & Vanderpool, 1991; Maton & Pargament, 1987; Paloma &
Pendleton, 1991; Payne, Bergin, Bielema, & Jenkins, 1991). [Note: &
is used when multiple authors are identified in parenthetical material.
Note also that when several sources are cited parenthetically, they are
ordered alphabetically by first authors' surnames and separated by
semicolons.]
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When a source that has two authors is cited, both authors are
included every time the source is cited.
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When a source that has three, four, or five authors is cited,
all authors are included the first time the source is cited.
When that source is cited again, the first author's surname and
"et al." are used. Consider the following example:
Reviews of research on religion and health have concluded that at least
some types of religious behaviors are related to higher levels of
physical and mental health (Payne, Bergin, Bielema, & Jenkins, 1991).
Payne et al. (1991) showed that ...
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When a source that has six or more authors is cited, the first
author's surname and "et al." are used every time the source is
cited (including the first time).
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Every effort should be made to cite only sources that you have
actually read. When it is necessary to cite a source that you
have not read ("Grayson" in the following example) that is cited
in a source that you have read ("Murzynski & Degelman" in the
following example), use the following format for the text
citation and list only the source you have read in the
References list:
Grayson (as cited in Murzynski & Degelman,
1996) identified four components of body language that were related to
judgments of vulnerability.
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To cite a personal communication (including letters, emails, and
telephone interviews), include initials, surname, and as exact a
date as possible. Because a personal communication is not
"recoverable" information, it is not included in the References
section. For the text citation, use the following format:
B. F. Skinner (personal communication,
February 12, 1978) claimed ...
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To cite a Web document, use the author-date format. If no author
is identified, use the first few words of the title in place of
the author. If no date is provided, use "n.d." in place of the
date. Consider the following examples:
Degelman and Harris (2000) provide
guidelines for the use of APA writing style.
Changes in Americans' views of gender status differences have been
documented (Gender and Society, n.d.).
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To cite the Bible, provide the book, chapter, and verse. The
first time the Bible is cited in the text, identify the version
used. Consider the following example:
"You are forgiving and good, O Lord,
abounding in love to all who call to you" (Psalm 86:5, New International
Version). [Note: No entry in the References list is
needed for the Bible.]
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Quotations: When a direct quotation
is used, always include the author, year, and page number as part of
the citation.
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A quotation of fewer than 40 words should be enclosed in double
quotation marks and should be incorporated into the formal
structure of the sentence. Example:
Patients receiving prayer had "less congestive heart failure, required
less diuretic and antibiotic therapy, had fewer episodes of pneumonia,
had fewer cardiac arrests, and were less frequently intubated and
ventilated" (Byrd, 1988, p. 829).
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A lengthier quotation of 40 or more words should appear (without
quotation marks) apart from the surrounding text, in block
format, with each line indented five spaces from the left
margin.
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References: All sources
included in the References section must be cited in the body of the
paper (and all sources cited in the paper must be included in the
References section).
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Pagination: The References
section begins on a new page.
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Heading: References (centered on
the first line below the manuscript page header)
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Format: The references (with
hanging indent) begin on the line following the References
heading. Entries are organized alphabetically by surnames of
first authors. Most reference entries have three components:
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Authors: Authors are listed in the same order as specified
in the source, using surnames and initials. Commas separate
all authors. When there are seven or more authors, list the
first six and then use "et al." for remaining authors. If no
author is identified, the title of the document begins the
reference.
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Year of Publication: In parentheses following authors, with
a period following the closing parenthesis. If no
publication date is identified, use "n.d." in parentheses
following the authors.
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Source Reference: Includes title, journal, volume, pages
(for journal article) or title, city of publication,
publisher (for book). Italicize titles of books, titles of
periodicals, and periodical volume numbers.
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Example of APA-formatted References:
Go to
http://www.vanguard.edu/uploadedFiles/psychology/references.pdf
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Official APA "Electronic Reference Formats" document:
Go to
http://www.apastyle.org/elecref.html
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Examples of sources
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Journal article
Murzynski, J., &
Degelman, D. (1996). Body language of women and judgments of
vulnerability to sexual assault. Journal of Applied Social
Psychology, 26, 1617-1626.
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Book
Paloutzian, R. F.
(1996). Invitation to the psychology of religion (2nd ed.).
Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
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Web document on university program or department Web
site
Degelman, D., & Harris,
M. L. (2000). APA style essentials. Retrieved May 18, 2000,
from Vanguard University, Department of Psychology Web site:
http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/index.aspx?doc_id=796
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Stand-alone Web document (no date)
Nielsen, M. E. (n.d.).
Notable people in psychology of religion. Retrieved
August 3, 2001, from http://www.psywww.com/psyrelig/psyrelpr.htm
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Stand-alone Web document (no author, no date)
Gender and society.
(n.d.). Retrieved December 3, 2001, from
http://www.trinity.edu/~mkearl/gender.html
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Journal article from database
Hien, D., & Honeyman, T.
(2000). A closer look at the drug abuse-maternal aggression link.
Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 15, 503-522. Retrieved May 20,
2000, from ProQuest database.
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Abstract from secondary database
Garrity, K., & Degelman,
D. (1990). Effect of server introduction on restaurant tipping.
Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 20, 168-172. Abstract
retrieved July 23, 2001, from PsycINFO database.
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Journal article, Internet-only journal
Bergen, D. (2002,
Spring). The role of pretend play in children's cognitive development.
Early Childhood Research & Practice, 4(1). Retrieved February
1, 2004, from http://ecrp.uiuc.edu/v4n1/bergen.html
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Article or chapter in an edited book
Shea, J. D. (1992).
Religion and sexual adjustment. In J. F. Schumaker (Ed.), Religion
and mental health (pp. 70-84). New York: Oxford University Press.
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Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders
American Psychiatric
Association. (2000). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders (4th ed., text revision). Washington, DC: Author.
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Appendixes: A common use of
appendixes is to present unpublished tests or to describe complex
equipment or stimulus materials.
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Pagination: Each Appendix begins
on a separate page.
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Heading:If there is only one
appendix, Appendix is centered on the first line below the
manuscript page header. If there is more than one appendix, use
Appendix A (or B or C, etc.). Double-space and type the appendix
title (centered in uppercase and lowercase letters).
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Format: Indent the first line
5-7 spaces.
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Example of APA-formatted Appendix: http://www.vanguard.edu/uploadedFiles/psychology/appendix.pdf
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Footnotes: Content
footnotes are occasionally used to support substantive information
in the text..
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Pagination: Footnotes begin on a
separate page.
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Heading: Footnotes is centered
on the first line below the manuscript page header.
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Format: Indent the first line
of each footnote 5-7 spaces and number the foonotes (slightly
above the line) as they are identified in the text.
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Example of APA-formatted Footnotes: http://www.vanguard.edu/uploadedFiles/psychology/footnote.pdf
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Tables: A common use of tables
is to present quantitative data or the results of statistical
analyses (such as ANOVA). See the Publication Manual (2001,
pp. 147-176) for detailed examples. Tables must be referred to in
the text.
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Pagination: Each Table begins on
a separate page.
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Heading:Table 1 (or 2 or 3,
etc.) is typed flush left on the first line below the manuscript
page header. Double-space and type the table title flush left
(italicized in uppercase and lowercase letters).
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Example of APA-formatted Tables: http://www.vanguard.edu/uploadedFiles/psychology/table2.pdf
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Figure Captions and
Figures: A common use of Figures is to present graphs,
photographs, or other illustrations (other than tables). See the
Publication Manual (2001, pp. 176-201) for detailed examples.
Figure Captions provide, on a single page, captions for the figures
that follow.
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Pagination: The Figure Captions
page is the final numbered page of the paper. The Figures that
follow the Figure Captions page do NOT have page numbers or
manuscript page headers.
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Heading for Figure Captions:
Figure Caption(s) is centered on the first line below the
manuscript page header. Double-space and type Figure 1.
(or 2 or 3, etc.) italicized and flush left, followed by the
caption for the figure (not italicized), capitalizing only the
first letter of the first word and any proper nouns.
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Example of APA-formatted Figure Caption and Figure: http://www.vanguard.edu/uploadedFiles/Faculty/DDegelman/psychfigure.pdf
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