AN INTRODUCTION TO APA DOCUMENTATION

Part One:

THE BASICS

WHAT IS APA DOCUMENTATION?

When your teacher states that you must use APA documentation style, he or she is simply directing you to use a system that reveals to your reader what sources and information you have utilized in writing your paper.

The documentation style also determines certain formatting practices in your paper.

GENERAL PAPER FORMAT RULES

Double space entire paper. Use 12 point, Times New Roman font Set all margins to 1” New paragraphs should be indented ½”

from the margin

PARTS OF DOCUMENTATION

In-text (parenthetical) citation Bibliography (the References page)

The in-text citation acts as a key to your bibliography and directs your reader to specific sources. The in-text citation includes the author’s last name (and/or) the title of the work so that you can easily locate the complete source information in the bibliography.

Part Two:

THE TITLE PAGE, THE HEADER, AND THE PAGE NUMBER

APA Title Page•The page number

•Introduction of the running head of your essay, formatted Running head: TITLE OF ESSAY

•The title of the essay, your name, and the university name should appear centered, double spaced, and on the top half of the page.

•All text should be in 12 pt. Times New Roman font and should not be bolded.

•Author’s note (optional) contains contact information and acknowledgements and should be placed at the bottom half of essay.

SUBSEQUENT PAGES

Running Head (Title in all caps)

Page number

CREATING AN APA HEADER

An APA header is more complicated than an MLA header.

On the first page, the header will have the words Running head: followed by the title in all caps (i.e. Running Head: TITLE OF ESSAY). This phrase is justified on the left.

The page number is justified on the right.

Subsequent pages do not include the words Running head: before the title.

CREATING AN APA STYLE HEADER

Click the

“Insert” tab.

Select the “Page Number” icon.

CREATING AN APA HEADER

1. Select the “Top of the Page” menu.

2. Select “Plain Number 1.”

CREATING AN APA HEADER: JUSTIFYING THE TITLE ON THE LEFT AND THE PAGE NUMBER ON THE RIGHT

Type the title of your

paper in all caps.

Tab twice to right justify the page number.

CREATING AN APA STYLE HEADER, CONT.

Remember: select the entire text and format it as 12 pt., Times New Roman font.

CREATING AN APA HEADER, MAKING THE FIRST AND SUBSEQUENT PAGES DIFFERENT

On the design tab, click the box

labeled different first page. Your

header will disappear, for now. (Don’t worry it will appear after you

have more than one page).

CREATING THE FIRST PAGE HEADER

Click the icon for the page number.

CREATING AN APA HEADER, FORMATTING THE FIRST PAGE

Type the words Running head: followed by the title in all caps, and then tab twice. (Don’t forget to format the font as 12 pt. Times New Roman)

CLOSING THE HEADER

To close the header, return to the “Design” tab. Click the “Close Header and Footer” Button . (It is red and located in the right corner of the screen.)

EXERCISE

Create a title page

Part Three:

IN-TEXT CITATIONS

IN-TEXT CITATIONS

You need to give credit to a source any time you use information from the source in the following ways: Direct Quotation Paraphrase Summary

TYPES OF QUOTATIONS

Block Quotations – must be longer than three lines, set off from main body of paragraph (like a block)

Integrated Quotations – three lines of text or fewer, flows seamlessly in the paragraph

BLOCK QUOTATION FORMATIndented 1” and double spaced

Period comes at end of

quote

No quotation

marks

Citation follows the

period

INTEGRATED QUOTE FORMATQuote

integrated into

paragraph

Quotation marks

needed

Period follows citation

Quotation mark

precedes citation

The governments usually use a very complex and intricate method to set these prevailing wages, “but because of the large number of distinct geographic labor markets and numerous occupational categories, the tendency is for wages to be set equal or approximate to those determined in local collective bargaining agreements between unions and contractors” (Vedder 1997).

FORMATTING A PARAPHRASE OR SUMMARY

It was during the Great Depression that the government of the United States first decided to implement prevailing wage laws. In those times, the national unemployment rate was at about 14 percent and was expected to rise even further, while the total output, or GDP, decreasing (Vedder & Gallaway 1997, 77).

Period follows citation.

The paraphra

se or summary is in your

own words

and flows smoothly with the paragrap

h.

WHAT MUST BE INCLUDED IN THE CITATION Author’s name (if available) Year of publication Page number (formatted p. #)

CITING THE AUTHOR

The author may be cited within either the sentence or in the parentheses following the sentence.

The year immediately follows the author’s name.

TWO WAYS OF CITING THE AUTHOR

Look at the following examples: The growth was most rapid among fast-food

chains, which by 1999 were opening a new restaurant every two hours (Schlosser, 2001).

Amanda Spake and Mary Brophy Marcus (2002) note, “When McDonald’s opened, its original burger, fries, and 12-ounce Coke provided 590 calories. Today, a supersize Extra Value Meal with a Quarter Pounder With Cheese, supersize fries, and a supersize drink is 1,550 calories” (p. 44).

WAYS TO INTRODUCE DIRECT QUOTATIONS With an explanatory statement and a

colon With a verb and a comma Spot quotation mixed with paraphrase

INTRODUCTION WITH A COLON

Amanda Spake and Mary Brophy Marcus (2002) contend that the increase in portion sizes among American fast food companies has contributed to the obesity epidemic: “When McDonald’s opened, its original burger, fries, and 12-ounce Coke provided 590 calories. Today, a supersize Extra Value Meal with a Quarter Pounder WithCheese, supersize fries, and a supersize drink is 1,550 calories” (p. 44).

INTRODUCE WITH A VERB AND A COMMA

Amanda Spake and Mary Brophy Marcus (2002) note,“When McDonald’s opened, its original burger, fries, and 12-ounce Coke provided 590 calories. Today, a supersize Extra Value Meal with a Quarter Pounder WithCheese, supersize fries, and a supersize drink is 1,550 calories” (p. 44).

SPOT QUOTATION WITH PARAPHRASE

The increase in portion sizes from McDonald’s “original burger, fries, and 12-ounce Coke” that supplied only “590 calories” to today’s “Supersize Extra Value Meal” which supplies more than 1500 calories has contributed to obesity in children (Spake & Marcus, 2002, p. 44).

Part Four:

THE REFERENCES PAGE

REFERENCES BASICS

Start the References page at the top of a new page. (Use the insert Page Break icon. Do not hit enter repeatedly until you reach the top of a new page).

Entries should be alphabetized by first word. All entries should have a hanging indent and be

double spaced. All entries end with a period. Book titles and titles of periodicals should be

italicized Authors are listed by last name and first initial. Capitalize only the first word of titles and subtitles.

BASIC BOOK ENTRY

Brownell, K. D., & Horgen, K. B. (2004). Food

fight: The inside story of the food

industry,America’s obesity crisis, and what

we can do about it. Chicago:

Contemporary Publishing.

ARTICLE IN A BOOK

O'Neil, J. M., & Egan, J. (1992). Men's and

women's gender role journeys: Metaphor for

healing, transition, and transformation. In B.

R. Wainrib (Ed.), Gender issues across the life

cycle (pp. 107-123). New York, NY: Springer.

SCHOLARLY JOURNAL ARTICLE

Scruton, R. (1996). The eclipse of

listening. The New Criterion, 15(30), 5-

13.

MAGAZINE

Henry, W. A., III. (1990, April 9). Making

the grade in today's schools. Time,

135, 28-31.

NEWSPAPER

Schultz, S. (2005, December 28). Calls

made to strengthen state energy

policies. The Country Today, pp. 1A, 2A.

ONLINE PERIODICAL (WITH DOI)

Brownlie, D. (2007). Toward effective poster

presentations: An annotated bibliography.

European Journal of Marketing, 41(11/12),

1245-1283.

doi:10.1108/03090560710821161

ONLINE PERIODICAL WITHOUT DOI

Kenneth, I. A. (2000). A Buddhist

response to the nature of human rights.

Journal of Buddhist Ethics, 8. Retrieved

from

http://www.cac.psu.edu/jbe/twocont.ht

ml

A HELPFUL WEBSITE

The Online Writing Lab at PurdueThis website includes accurate guides to both APA format, annotated sample papers, examples of different types of works cited entries, and detailed information concerning punctuation, grammar, and other writing related topics.

EXERCISE

Create a title page for the following sources:

http://www.cdc.gov/HealthyYouth/index.htmhttp://www.americanpopularculture.com/journal/articles/fall_2010/pandey.htmYour textbookUse the examples from this presentation

and examples from the OWL at Purdue APA Guide.