PSYC 200Week #5APA Language Guidelines (review and new)

Agenda Assignment Updates and Changes APA Language Guidelines (cont’d) APA Editorial Style (punctuation only) APA Practice Test #1 (discuss in-class) APA Scavenger Hunt

Assignment Update and Changes Single Article Review

Still being graded, should be done by next week Two-Article Review

No longer a graded assignment!!!! Students who wish to submit the assignment for

extra-credit (max 3% points on final grade), must do so by next class (deadline doesn’t change). For example, if you get a 5 out of 10 (50%), you will

obtain 50% of the max points—50% of 3 points is 1.5 points of extra credit.

APA LANGUAGE STYLE GUIDELINES (CONT’D)

1. Headings2. Language Guide

Quick Review How many different levels of heading can

there be? 5 Which heading level(s) are bold?

All except for #5. When should one use the word whom?

When the person receives the action. When should one use the word since?

Only when referring to time passing

Dirty Grammar Plural possessives

Individual, individuals, individual’s, and individuals’

Pronoun shifting Someone cannot be a they

INCORRECT: A teacher is a very important person; they form students’ minds.

CORRECT: Teachers are very important people; they form students’ minds.

Quick APA Language Guide - Grammar

Dirty Grammar Make ‘em parallel

My experience with psychology is mostly from attending classes, working with children, and to read books.

If you can’t pull it apart, then it ain’t parallel ..from attending classes ..from working with children ..from read books

Quick APA Language Guide - Grammar

Some vocab to get your claws on Clause

A set of words that form a complete idea Independent Clause

A set of words that form a complete sentence Complete Sentence

Contains a subject Contains a verb

A great idea. (not complete) Reading is a great idea. (complete)

Dependent Clause A set of words that DO NOT form a complete sentence, but rely

on an independent clause for completion.

Dirty Grammar – Comma use I expect to gain much experience in this class, and hope to

find out a direction for my career. I expect to gain much experience in this class hope to find out a direction for my career

I expect to gain much experience in this class, and I hope to find out a direction for my career. I expect to gain much experience in this class I hope to find out a direction for my career

Mostly, whenever possible, use, or otherwise utilize, a comma on introductory phrases At that time, I wanted to be a counselor

Quick APA Language Guide - Grammar

APA EDITORIAL STYLE

What is editorial style? The collection of rules and methods for presenting

written information that go beyond the typical rules of written English. Punctuation (today) Spelling Capitalization Italics Abbreviations Numbers Metrication Statistical & Math

Punctuation Space Period Comma Semicolon Colon Dash Quotation Marks Parentheses Brackets Slash

Punctuation - Space 2 spaces after end-of-sentence punctuation 1 space after initials 1 space after colon, semi-colon, etc.

Punctuation - PeriodDo use with…• Initials of names• Latin abbreviations

Do NOT use with• State name abbreviations• Capital letter abbreviations/acronyms• To end sentence with web address• Units of measurement abbreviations (except

inches)

Punctuation - Comma

Do use with…• List/series with 3 or more items• Nonrestrictive or nonessential clause• Numbers of 1,000 or more

Do NOT use with• When conjunction joins 2 phrases (not complete

sentences)• Separating parts of measurement (e.g., 8 years 2

months)

Punctuation - Semicolon

Do use…• To join 2 independent clauses (subject and

verb) without a conjunction (no and, or, but)

• To separate items in a list that already contain commas

• To separate multiple works inside a single parenthetical citation

Punctuation - Colon

Do use…• To separate a complete introductory clause from a final

clause that extends or illustrates the preceding thought• There are two important examples: here and there.

• On reference page between city and publisher

Do NOT use…• To separate an incomplete introductory clause from the

final clause• The places to be are here and there.

Punctuation - Dash

Do use…• Only to indicate a sudden interruption in the

continuity of a sentence.• There is nothing—apart from the joy of cooking

—that compares with conducting research.

Do NOT use…• Too often. Overuse of the dash makes article hard

to read.

Punctuation – Double Quotation MarksDo use…• To indicate a direct quote (unless 40 or more words)• Ironic comments, slang, or coined expressions• To indicate a title of an article or book chapter when used in

text• To reproduce test item text

Do NOT use…• To introduce a technical or key term (use italics instead)• To set off linguistic examples (e.g., the letter a)• To hedge

• DON’T DO: The class topics were “essential” to success.

Punctuation – Quotation Marks Except for direct quotes, place periods or

commas within closing quotation marks. Mitchell (2008) found that “students who did not

read their texts obtained a course grade that was, on average, 10 points lower than student who did read” (p. 32).

The participants found the confederate’s behavior to be “normal.”

Use single quotes within double quotation marks only.

Punctuation – ParenthesesDo use…• For parenthetical citations.• To set off independent elements (like this one)• To introduce an abbreviation• To set off letters that identify items in a series

Do NOT use…• To enclose text inside other parenthesis (Do this

[and do this])• Back-to-back (like this) (and this)

Punctuation – Brackets

Do use…• To enclose confidence intervals• To set off words not part of a direct quote

• “[College] students need to read their texts.”• To set off parenthetical material inside

parentheses (this was already discussed [see previous slide])Do NOT use…

• If commas will work just as well as parentheses.

Punctuation – SlashDo use…• To indicate a “per” measurement when

numbers are used• The object traveled at 40 cm/s.

• To cite a republished work in-text

Do NOT use…• When a phrase would be clearer (e.g., use he

or she and NOT he/she)• For simple comparisons (e.g., the pre-post

data…)

Review and Next Class Will be completing the APA Practice Test #2

In-Class next week The extra credit Two-Article Summary is due

next week (if desired) We will discuss the Gramlich rewriting

assignments in-class next week.