Basic guide to APA style

CitingsourcesinAPAstyleInformationtakenfromWhenusingAPAformat,followtheauthor-datemethodofin-textcitation.Thismeansthattheauthor'slastnameandtheyearofpublicationforthesourceshouldappearinthetext,E.g.,(Jones,1998),andacompletereferenceshouldappearinthereferencelistattheendofthepaper.IfyouarereferringtoanideafromanotherworkbutNOTdirectlyquotingthematerial,ormakingreferencetoanentirebook,articleorotherwork,youonlyhavetomakereferencetotheauthorandyearofpublicationinyourin-textreference.In-textcitationsAlwayscapitalizepropernouns,includingauthornamesandinitials:D.Jones.Ifyourefertothetitleofasourcewithinyourpaper,capitalizeallwordsthatarefourletterslongorgreaterwithinthetitleofasource:PermanenceandChange.Exceptionsapplytoshortwordsthatareverbs,nouns,pronouns,adjectives,andadverbs:WritingNewMedia,ThereIsNothingLefttoLose.QuotingothersinyourtextOption1:stateauthor’snamebeforequotingthem:AccordingtoJones(1998),StudentsoftenhaddifficultyusingAPAstyle,especiallywhenitwastheirfirsttime(p.199).Jones(1998)foundstudentsoftenhaddifficultyusingAPAstyle(p.199);whatimplicationsdoesthishaveforteachers?QuotingothersinyourtextOption2:stateauthor’snameattheend:Shestated,StudentsoftenhaddifficultyusingAPAstyle,butshedidnotofferanexplanationastowhy(Jones,1998,p.199).Longquotations(over40words)Jones's(1998)studyfoundthefollowing:StudentsoftenhaddifficultyusingAPAstyle,especiallywhenitwastheirfirsttimecitingsources.Thisdifficultycouldbeattributedtothefactthatmanystudentsfailedtopurchaseastylemanualortoasktheirteacherforhelp.(p.199)SummarizingorparaphrasingAccordingtoJones(1998),APAstyleisadifficultcitationformatforfirst-timelearners.APAstyleisadifficultcitationformatforfirst-timelearners(Jones,1998).Workby2to5differentwritersResearchbyWegenerandPetty(1994)supports...(Wegener&Petty,1994)(Kernis,Cornell,Sun,Berry,&Harlow,1993)forthefirstmentioninyouressay(Kernisetal.,1993)formentionsafterthatWorkby6ormoreauthorsHarrisetal.(2001)argued...(Harrisetal.,2001)CitingindirectmaterialJohnsonarguedthat...(ascitedinSmith,2003,p.102).CitationsandtensePast–researcheractivityasagentJones(1997)investigatedthecausesofilliteracy.ThecausesofilliteracywereinvestigatedbyJones(1997).CitationsandtensePresentperfect–researcheractivitynotasagentThecausesofilliteracyhavebeenwidelyinvestigated(Jones1977,Ferrara2000,Hyon2004).Therehavebeenseveralinvestigationsintothecausesofilliteracy(Jones1977,Ferrara2000,Hyon2004).CitationsandtensePresent–noreferencetoresearcheractivityThecausesofilliteracyarecomplex(Jones1997,Ferrara2000,Hyon2004).Illiteracyappearstohaveacomplexsetofclauses(Jones1997,Ferrara2000,Hyon2004).CitationsandtenseReferencetosinglestudies–PastReferencetoareasofinquiry–PresentperfectReferencetostateofcurrentknowledge–PresentReportingverbsandtenseThereisadifferenceinreportingwhatawriterorresearcherdid(investigated,studied,analyzed)andwhattheythoughtorwrote(stated,concluded,claimed).ReportingverbsandtenseWhenreportingwhatanotherwroteaboutorthought,allthreepreviouslymentionedtensesarepossible:Jones(1997)concludedthatilliteracycanberelatedto…Jones(1997)hasconcludedthat…Jones(1997)concludesthat…ReportingverbsandtenseTherearealsotenseoptionsinthesubordinateclause:Jones(1997)foundthatilliteracywascorrelatedmostcloselywithpoverty.Jones(1997)foundthatilliteracyiscorrelatedmostcloselywithpoverty.ReferencelistbasicsAlllinesafterthefirstlineofeachentryinyourreferencelistshouldbeindentedone-halfinchfromtheleftmargin.Thisiscalledhangingindentation.Authors'namesareinverted(lastnamefirst);givethelastnameandinitialsforallauthorsofaparticularworkifithasthreetosevenauthors.Iftheworkhasmorethansevenauthors,listthefirstsixauthorsandthenuseellipsesafterthesixthauthor'sname.Aftertheellipses,listthelastauthor'snameofthework.Referencelistentriesshouldbealphabetizedbythelastnameofthefirstauthorofeachwork.ReferencelistbasicsWhenreferringtoanyworkthatisNOTajournal,suchasabook,article,orWebpage,capitalizeonlythefirstletterofthefirstwordofatitleandsubtitle,thefirstwordafteracolonoradashinthetitle,andpropernouns.Donotcapitalizethefirstletterofthesecondwordinahyphenatedcompoundword.Capitalizeallmajorwordsinjournaltitles.Italicizetitlesoflongerworkssuchasbooksandjournals.ExamplesofreferencelistentriesBerndt,T.J.(2002).Friendshipqualityandsocialdevelopment.CurrentDirectionsinPsychologicalScience,11,7-10.Wegener,D.T.,&Petty,R.E.(1994).Moodmanagementacrossaffectivestates:Thehedoniccontingencyhypothesis.JournalofPersonality&SocialPsychology,66,1034-1048.TwoormoreworksbythesameauthorinthesameyearBerndt,T.J.(1981a).Agechangesandchangesovertimeinprosocialintentionsandbehaviorbetweenfriends.DevelopmentalPsychology,17,408-416.Berndt,T.J.(1981b).Effectsoffriendshiponprosocialintentionsandbehavior.ChildDevelopment,52,636-643.BasicformatforbooksAuthor,A.A.(Yearofpublication).Titleofwork:Capitalletteralsoforsubtitle.Location:Publisher.Calfee,R.C.,&Valencia,R.R.(1991).APAguidetopreparingmanuscriptsforjourn