Author Guidelines

APA Citation Guidelines

1. In-Text Citation

 When using APA format, follow the author-date method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the year of publication for the source should appear in the text, for example, (Jones, 1998), and a complete reference should appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.

If you are referring to an idea from another work but NOT directly quoting the material, or making reference to an entire book, article or other work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication and not the page number in your in-text reference. All sources that are cited in the text must appear in the reference list at the end of the paper.

Always capitalize proper nouns, including author names and initials: D. Jones.

• If you refer to the title of a source within your paper, capitalize all words that are four letters long or greater within the title of a source: Permanence and Change. Exceptions apply to short words that are verbs, nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and adverbs: Writing New Media, There Is Nothing Left to Lose.

(Note: in your References list, only the first word of a title will be capitalized: Writing new media.)

• When capitalizing titles, capitalize both words in a hyphenated compound word: Natural-Born Cyborgs.
• Capitalize the first word after a dash or colon: "Defining Film Rhetoric: The Case of Hitchcock's Vertigo."
• Italicize the titles of longer works such as books, edited collections, movies, television series, documentaries, or albums: The Closing of the American Mind; The Wizard of Oz; Friends.
• Put quotation marks around the titles of shorter works such as journal articles, articles from edited collections, television series episodes, and song titles: "Multimedia Narration: Constructing Possible Worlds;" "The One Where Chandler Can't Cry."

Short Quotations

If you are directly quoting from a work, you will need to include the author, year of publication, and page number for the reference (preceded by "p."). Introduce the quotation with a signal phrase that includes the author's last name followed by the date of publication in parentheses.

According to Jones (1998), "Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time" (p. 199).

Jones (1998) found "students often had difficulty using APA style" (p. 199); what implications does this have for teachers?

If the author is not named in a signal phrase, place the author's last name, the year of publication, and the page number in parentheses after the quotation.

She stated, "Students often had difficulty using APA style" (Jones, 1998, p. 199), but she did not offer an explanation as to why.

Long Quotations

Place direct quotations that are 40 words or longer in a free-standing block of typewritten lines and omit quotation marks. Start the quotation on a new line, indented 1/2 inch from the left margin, i.e., in the same place you would begin a new paragraph. Type the entire quotation on the new margin, and indent the first line of any subsequent paragraph within the quotation 1/2 inch from the new margin. Maintain double-spacing throughout. The parenthetical citation should come after the closing punctuation mark.

Jones's (1998) study found the following:

Students often had difficulty using APA style, especially when it was their first time citing sources. This difficulty could be attributed to the fact that many students failed to purchase a style manual or to ask their teacher for help. (p. 199)

Summary or Paraphrase

If you are paraphrasing an idea from another work, you only have to make reference to the author and year of publication in your in-text reference, but APA guidelines encourage you to also provide the page number (although it is not required.)

According to Jones (1998), APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners.

APA style is a difficult citation format for first-time learners (Jones, 1998, p. 199).

2. Footnotes

When using either type of footnote, insert a number formatted in superscript following almost any punctuation mark. Footnote numbers should not follow dashes ( — ), and if they appear in a sentence in parentheses, the footnote number should be inserted within the parentheses.

Scientists examined—over several years¹—the fossilized remains of the wooly-wooly yak.² (These have now been transferred to the Chauan Museum.³)

When using the footnote function in a word-processing program like Microsoft Word, place all footnotes at the bottom of the page on which they appear. Footnotes may also appear on the final page of your document (usually this is after the References page). Center the word “Footnotes” at the top of the page. Indent five spaces on the first line of each footnote. Then, follow normal paragraph spacing rules. Double-space throughout.

¹ While the method of examination for the wooly-wooly yak provides important insights to this research, this document does not focus on this particular species.

3. Bibliography

Single Author

Last name first, followed by author initials.

Berndt, T. J. (2002). Friendship quality and social development. Current Directions in Psychological Science, 11, 7-10.

Two Authors

List by their last names and initials. Use the ampersand instead of "and."

Wegener, D. T., & Petty, R. E. (1994). Mood management across affective states: The hedonic contingency hypothesis. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 66, 1034-1048.

Three to Seven Authors

List by last names and initials; commas separate author names, while the last author name is preceded again by ampersand.

Kernis, M. H., Cornell, D. P., Sun, C. R., Berry, A., Harlow, T., & Bach, J. S. (1993). There's more to self-esteem than whether it is high or low: The importance of stability of self-esteem. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65, 1190-1204.

More Than Seven Authors

List by last names and initials; commas separate author names. After the sixth author's name, use an ellipsis in place of the author names. Then provide the final author name. There should be no more than seven names.

Miller, F. H., Choi, M. J., Angeli, L. L., Harland, A. A., Stamos, J. A., Thomas, S. T., . . . Rubin, L. H. (2009). Web site usability for the blind and low-vision user. Technical Communication, 57, 323-335.

Organization as Author

Also known as a "corporate author." Here, you simply treat the publishing organization the same way you'd treat the author's name and format the rest of the citation as normal.

American Psychological Association. (2009). Blog guidelines. APA Style Blog. Retrieved from https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/blog-guidelines.html

Unknown Author

Merriam-Webster's collegiate dictionary (10th ed.). (1993). Springfield, MA: Merriam-Webster.

NOTE: When your essay includes parenthetical citations of sources with no author named, use a shortened version of the source's title instead of an author's name. Use quotation marks and italics as appropriate. For example, parenthetical citations of the source above would appear as follows: (Merriam-Webster's, 1993).

Two or More Works by the Same Author

Use the author's name for all entries and list the entries by the year (earliest comes first).

Berndt, T. J. (1981).

Berndt, T. J. (1999).

When an author appears both as a sole author and, in another citation, as the first author of a group, list the one-author entries first.

Berndt, T. J. (1999). Friends' influence on students' adjustment to school. Educational Psychologist, 34, 15-28.

Berndt, T. J., & Keefe, K. (1995). Friends' influence on adolescents' adjustment to school. Child Development, 66, 1312-1329.

References that have the same first author and different second and/or third authors are arranged alphabetically by the last name of the second author, or the last name of the third if the first and second authors are the same.

Wegener, D. T., Kerr, N. L., Fleming, M. A., & Petty, R. E. (2000). Flexible corrections of juror judgments: Implications for jury instructions. Psychology, Public Policy, and Law, 6, 629-654.

Wegener, D. T., Petty, R. E., & Klein, D. J. (1994). Effects of mood on high elaboration attitude change: The mediating role of likelihood judgments. European Journal of Social Psychology, 24, 25-43.

Two or More Works by the Same Author in the Same Year

If you are using more than one reference by the same author (or the same group of authors listed in the same order) published in the same year, organize them in the reference list alphabetically by the title of the article or chapter. Then assign letter suffixes to the year. Refer to these sources in your essay as they appear in your reference list, e.g.: "Berdnt (1981a) makes similar claims..."

Berndt, T. J. (1981a). Age changes and changes over time in prosocial intentions and behavior between friends. Developmental Psychology, 17, 408-416.

Berndt, T. J. (1981b). Effects of friendship on prosocial intentions and behavior. Child Development, 52, 636-643.

Introductions, Prefaces, Forewords, and Afterwords

Cite the publishing information about a book as usual, but cite Introduction, Preface, Foreword, or Afterword (whatever title is applicable) as the chapter of the book.

Funk, R., & Kolln, M. (1998). Introduction. In E. W. Ludlow (Ed.), Understanding English grammar (pp. 1-2). Needham, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

Basic Form

APA style dictates that authors are named last name followed by initials; publication year goes between parentheses, followed by a period. The title of the article is in sentence-case, meaning only the first word and proper nouns in the title are capitalized. The periodical title is run in title case, and is followed by the volume number which, with the title, is also italicized. If a DOI has been assigned to the article that you are using, you should include this after the page numbers for the article. If no DOI has been assigned and you are accessing the periodical online, use the URL of the website from which you are retrieving the periodical.

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year). Title of article. Title of Periodical, volume number(issue number), pages. https://doi.org/xx.xxx/yyyy

Article in Journal Paginated by Volume

Journals that are paginated by volume begin with page one in issue one, and continue numbering issue two where issue one ended, etc.

Harlow, H. F. (1983). Fundamentals for preparing psychology journal articles. Journal of Comparative and Physiological Psychology, 55, 893-896.

Article in Journal Paginated by Issue

Journals paginated by issue begin with page one every issue; therefore, the issue number gets indicated in parentheses after the volume. The parentheses and issue number are not italicized or underlined.

Scruton, R. (1996). The eclipse of listening. The New Criterion, 15(3), 5-13.

Article in a Magazine

Henry, W. A., III. (1990, April). Making the grade in today's schools. Time, 135, 28-31.

Article in a Newspaper

Unlike other periodicals, p. or pp. precedes page numbers for a newspaper reference in APA style. Single pages take p., e.g., p. B2; multiple pages take pp., e.g., pp. B2, B4 or pp. C1, C3-C4.

Schultz, S. (2005, December). Calls made to strengthen state energy policies. The Country Today, pp. 1A, 2A.

Basic Format for Books

Author, A. A. (Year of publication). Title of work: Capital letter also for subtitle. Location: Publisher.

Note: For "Location," you should always list the city and the state using the two letter postal abbreviation without periods (New York, NY).

Calfee, R. C., & Valencia, R. R. (1991). APA guide to preparing manuscripts for journal publication. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Edited Book, No Author

Duncan, G. J., & Brooks-Gunn, J. (Eds.). (1997). Consequences of growing up poor. New York, NY: Russell Sage Foundation.

Edited Book with an Author or Authors

Plath, S. (2000). The unabridged journals. K. V. Kukil (Ed.). New York, NY: Anchor.

A Translation

Laplace, P. S. (1951). A philosophical essay on probabilities (F. W. Truscott & F. L. Emory, Trans.). New York, NY: Dover. (Original work published 1814)

Note: When you cite a republished work, like the one above, in your text, it should appear with both dates: Laplace (1814/1951).

Motion Picture

Basic reference list format:

Producer, P. P. (Producer), & Director, D. D. (Director). (Date of publication). Title of motion picture [Motion picture]. Country of origin: Studio or distributor.

Note: If a movie or video tape is not available in wide distribution, add the following to your citation after the country of origin: (Available from Distributor name, full address and zip code).

A Motion Picture or Video Tape with International or National Availability

Smith, J. D. (Producer), & Smithee, A. F. (Director). (2001). Really big disaster movie [Motion picture]. United States: Paramount Pictures.

A Motion Picture or Video Tape with Limited Availability

Harris, M. (Producer), & Turley, M. J. (Director). (2002). Writing labs: A history [Motion picture]. (Available from Purdue University Pictures, 500 Oval Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907) 

ACADEMIC WRITING/ARTICLE STRUCTURE

ABSTRACT:

An abstract is a concise summary of the key points of your research. It allows readers to quickly understand the content and purpose of your paper.

General guidelines for abstract:

• Length: Typically between 150-250 words, but check specific journal or conference guidelines for exact word count.
• Structure: Follow the IMRaD (Introduction, Methods, Results, and Discussion) structure, though in a condensed form.
• Introduction: Briefly introduce the research question or objective.
• Methods: Summarize the methodology or approach used.
• Results: Highlight key findings without going into detail.
• Discussion/Conclusion: Summarize the implications or conclusions of the study.
• Clarity: Use clear and concise language, avoid jargon or overly complex terms.
• Tense: Use the past tense since the research has already been conducted.
• No References: Avoid citations or references in the abstract.
• Keywords: Don’t directly list keywords in the abstract body.

Example abstract:

This study investigates the impact of social media usage on the mental health of college students. Using a mixed-methods approach, surveys were distributed to 200 students, and in-depth interviews were conducted with 20 participants. Results indicate a significant correlation between high social media usage and increased anxiety levels. The study concludes that targeted interventions are necessary to mitigate these effects, particularly in academic settings.

KEYWORDS:

Keywords are important for indexing your paper in search engines and databases, making it easier for others to find your research.

General guidelines for keywords:

• Number of keywords: Typically 4-6 keywords are recommended.
• Relevance: Select terms that represent the key concepts, methods, or subject areas of your paper.
• Specificity: Use specific and relevant terms rather than overly broad ones. Think of words that potential readers would use to search for your work.
• Format: List keywords in lowercase (unless they are proper nouns) and separate them with commas.

Example keywords: social media, mental health, college students, anxiety, mixed methods

By following these guidelines, you ensure your abstract and keywords are concise, clear, and optimized for readers and search engines alike.

INTRODUCTION:

In an academic introduction, briefly provide context for your research topic, identify the specific problem or gap in existing knowledge, and explain the significance of your study. Conclude by stating your research objectives or questions, giving the reader a clear idea of what the paper will cover.

DEVELOPMENT/CORE:

The development/core of an academic written piece is the central section where the writer fully elaborates on the thesis. It typically consists of multiple paragraphs, each focusing on a specific argument or point that supports the main idea. In this part, evidence - such as data, case studies, quotations, or examples - is provided to back up claims, and analysis is used to interpret and connect this evidence to the essay's central argument. The development section ensures that ideas are explored in depth and presented logically, with clear transitions between points to maintain coherence throughout the research paper.

Example of development/core in an academic research paper:

Argument: Social media has a significant impact on the mental health of teenagers, particularly in terms of anxiety and self-esteem.

Development/core paragraph: One of the primary ways social media influences mental health is by fostering comparison among teenagers. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok allow users to curate idealized versions of their lives, leading others to compare themselves to these often unrealistic standards. A 2022 study by Smith and Jones found that 68% of teens reported feeling inadequate when comparing themselves to influencers or peers on social media. This sense of inadequacy can increase feelings of anxiety, as teenagers constantly feel the pressure to meet unattainable standards of beauty, success, or popularity. The study also highlighted that frequent exposure to these idealized images correlates with lower self-esteem, especially among teenage girls. Therefore, social media plays a crucial role in shaping how teenagers perceive themselves, contributing to a rise in anxiety and self-worth issues.

CONCLUSION:

In the conclusion, briefly summarise the key findings of your research and restate how they address the original research question. Highlight the significance of the study, suggest possible implications, and propose directions for future research.

REFERENCES/BIBLIOGRAPHY:

Guidelines for references/bibliography in an academic essay

The references or bibliography section lists all the sources you consulted or cited in your paper. Proper citation gives credit to original authors, avoids plagiarism, and allows readers to verify or further explore the sources.

Differences between references and bibliography:

• References: Only includes the sources that were specifically cited in the body of the paper.
• Bibliography: Includes all sources consulted during the research process, whether cited in the text or not.