Revising an APA-Style Paper Find and Correct Common

Revising an APA-Style Paper: Find and Correct Common Mistakes

Overview n Revision Revising Efficiently n Resources n n Common Mistakes Format n Documentation n Resources n

Need for Revision n What single factor most affects the quality of a paper? n A. How much the writer knows B. How confident the writer is about writing n C. How much the writer enjoys writing n D. How much time the writer spends revising n answer

Need for Revision n What single factor most affects the quality of a paper? n D. How much time the writer spends revising Levy, C. M. , & Ransdell, S. (1995, Levy and Ransdell (1995) November). Is writing as difficult found that the variable that as it seems? Memory & “contributes most to the Cognition, 23(6). Retrieved differences among September 2, 2007, from documents varying widely in Academic Search Elite database. quality” (p. 777) is latestage revision.

Order of Revision n What’s the most efficient way to revise? n A. As you write—get it perfect as you go n B. After a draft is done—revise content/organization first; then mechanics answer

Order of Revision n What’s the most efficient way to revise? n B. After a draft is done—revise content/organization first; then mechanics Trying to get it perfect as you go can lead to writer’s block, according to Russell (2005). Do deep revision first; then attend to surface issues such as commas. Russell, M. (2005). The assumptions we make: How learners and teachers understand writing. Retrieved November 3, 2005, from National Center for Adult Learning and Literacy Web site: http: //www. ncsall. net/? id=336

Impact of Sloppy APA n What percentage of editors report having refused to publish a paper because of errors in APA style? n A. 5% B. 18% n C. 39% n D. 73% n answer

Impact of Sloppy APA n What percentage of editors report having refused to publish a paper because of errors in APA style? n C. 39% “… 39% of the respondents Brewer, B. W, . Scherzer, C. B. , Van Raalte, J. L, Petitpas, A. J. , & reported that they had Anderson, M. B. (2001, March). returned a manuscript to an American Psychologist, 56(3), 266– author purely for failing to 267. adhere to APA style” (Brewer, Scherzer, Van Raalte, Petitpas, & Anderson, p. 266).

Revision Strategies n Go deep to surface— or deal with content and structure, then form n Look for common mistakes n n Where’s the source? What are some fine points of style? What are instructors’ pet peeves? Compare your paper to trusted models n n n Does your paper look like a model? Use a checklist. Remember it’s a learning curve.

Where did this come from? Most editors of psychology journals (63%) reported that they check APA format as part of their article review process (Brewer, Scherzer, Van Raalte, Petitpas, & Anderson, p. 266). References Brewer, B. W, . Scherzer, C. B. , Van Raalte, J. L, Petitpas, A. J. , & Anderson, M. B. (2001, March). American Psychologist, 56(3), 266– 267. uncredited statistic

Where are the quote marks? Caffeine is one of the fastest acting drugs known to man. When we drink it, almost every cell in the body, including the brain, absorbs it within minutes…. Caffeine intercepts adenosine, turning [its] "I’m tired" message into "I’m wide awake. " The result is an invigorating buzz coffee drinkers crave. “Caffeine Nation” Sunday Morning, 11/14/02 Caffeine is one of the quickest acting drugs known to man. Once absorbed, it intercepts adenosine and creates an energizing buzz. SOURCE-DEPENDENT ACCEPTABLE Caffeine blocks the chemical that signals fatigue, adenosine. Its rapid absorption gives coffee drinkers a quick, “invigorating buzz” (“Caffeine Nation, ” 2002). This version combines quotation and paraphrase to properly credit the source.

Where can I find the original? Caffeine is one of the fastest acting drugs known to man. When we drink it, almost every cell in the body, including the brain, absorbs it within minutes…. Caffeine intercepts adenosine, turning [its] "I’m tired" message into "I’m wide awake. " The result is an invigorating buzz coffee (“Caffeine drinkers crave (Sunday Morning, 2002) Nation, ” 2002). The parenthetical citation and reference list entry for a source should begin with the same word. References Brain, M. (2007). Caffeine. Retrieved September 2, 2007, from How Stuff Works Web site: http: //health. howstuffworks. com/ caffeine. htm Caffeine nation. (2002, November 14). Retrieved September 2, 2007, from Sunday Morning Web site: http: //www. cbsnews. com/ stories/2002/11/14/sunday/main 529388. shtml Owen, D. (2006). Coffee and caffeine FAQs. Retrieved September 2, 2007, from http: //coffeefaq. com/site/ node/25

Where can I find the original? “For most people, the amount of caffeine in two to four cups of coffee a day is not harmful” (“Caffeine, ” 2007). References Caffeine. (2007, August 24). Retrieved September 2, 2007, from: http: //nim. nih. gov/ medlineplus/caffeine. html URLs should take readers directly to the source (unless URL is exceedingly long) In that case, use Available from and provide link to home page.

Who wrote this? n How much author information is given in reference list entries? n A. Last name and first (and middle) initials B. Last name, first name, and middle initial n C. Last name and title (Dr. , RN, etc. ) n D. Last name and institutional affiliation n answer

Who wrote this? n How much author information is given in reference list entries? n A. Last name and first (and middle) initials References Rockwell, E. , & Westbrook, T. S. (2003, May). Competency-based professional standards and certification of adult basic education (ABE) Put credentials teachers: A literature review. Retrieved September (e. g. , Professor of Leadership Studies) 2, 2007, from the Iowa Literacy Resource Center in text, not Web site: http: //readiowa. org/finalreports 2003/ reference list. standardslitrev. pdf

What if I discuss a Web site? n When is it correct to give a URL in an intext citation? n A. Whenever I want B. You mean www. google. com isn’t enough? n C. Only when referring to an entire site n D. Never, ever n answer

What if I discuss a Web site? n When is it correct to give a URL in an intext citation? n C. Only when referring to an entire site Wondering whether alligators lurk in New York’s sewers? Snopes (http: //www. snopes. com) is a great site for debunking urban legends.

What about those caps? n For book and magazine titles in the reference list, use sentence case. n Capitalize only the first word of the title (and subtitle) and any proper nouns. References Kruse, K. (n. d. ). Born at the YMCA: Malcolm Knowles and the birth of andragogy. Retrieved September 2, 2007, from http: //www. e-learningguru. com/articles/ art 3_2. htm Sentence case is used only in the reference list. Kruse (n. d. ) gives an informal history of the development of andragogy in “Born at the YMCA. ”

Where’s the period? n If a reference list entry ends with a URL, no period is used. This avoids the dreaded 404: File Not Found. n For quotations of < 40 words, end punctuation goes after the parenthetical citation. n For block quotations (> 40 words), end punctuation goes before the parenthetical citation. Are alligators living in the sewers of New York City. “We’ve all heard it. And it ain’t true” (Mikkelson & Mikkelson, 2007). …. Caffeine intercepts adenosine, turning [its] "I’m tired" message into "I’m wide awake. " The result is an invigorating buzz coffee drinkers crave. (Sunday Morning, 2002)

How many spaces? n doublespace Except for the title page, everything is double-spaced. References Axelrod, R. B. , & Cooper, C. C. (2001). The St. Martin’s guide to writing (6 th Ed. ). New York: Bedford/St. Martins. Bereiter, C. , & Scardamalia, M. (1983). Does learning to write have to be so difficult? In A. Freedman, I. Pringle, & J. Yalden (Eds. ), Learning to Write: First Language/Second Language (20– 33). New York: Longman. Block, P. (2000). Flawless consulting: A guide to getting your expertise used (2 nd ed. ) San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer.

What does Dr. Scribe say? WARNING APA style is plagued by exasperating nuances that are easy to trip over, even at a basic level. Nor is the APA Manual much help if you don't know what questions to ask. —Dr. Abel Scribe APA Quick Study

What’s a student to do? n n Know that you are not alone in your learning curve. Remember the basic principles. • Acknowledge any words or ideas from other sources. • Provide enough information to locate your sources. n To deal with the details: • Find a tutorial or cheat sheet (© 2001 or 5 th edition). • Use a checklist. • See resources on APA Strategies handout or at word-crafter. net/APA n Be mindful of professors’ pet peeves.

What’s the reward? n Professional credibility n Greater “confidence and competence” in writing The editors of Mastering APA Style say: The more you use APA style, the more mastery you will achieve. When you achieve mastery, you will have internalized good writing skills as well as the basic style rules. Thus in any subsequent writing you do, you will need to consult the Publication Manual less and less often and will approach any writing task with greater confidence and competence. (Gelfland & Walker, 2002, p. 5)