Ways to Master APA



Ways to Master APA-Style Documentation

1. Understand APA logic.

o If it’s not cited, it’s yours.

o If it’s cited, it’s from a source and you must provide enough information

to locate that source.

o Every citation uses this information in this order:

author–date–where to find it.

o Include as much information as you have. Omit information such as page humbers if you don’t have a printed copy or PDF version. If you can’t find a date, use (n.d.), but be sure you’ve checked thoroughly (e.g., skimmed the perimeter of Web pages and followed links like About Us.)

o In-text (or parenthetical) citations briefly identify the source. Reference list entries provide details about how to retrieve the source. They should begin with the same information .

o If no author is given, the title becomes the first element in an entry.

o The way you format a reference citation depends on the type of source.

o Find a model for the type of source you’re citing and plug in your information, following the punctuation, italics and capitalization style exactly.

Periodical

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Date). Title of article.

Title of Periodical, ##, 000-000.

Note: the last two elements are the volume number and page numbers.

Nonperiodical (an item published separately, such as a book, CD, or movie)

Author, A. A. (Date). Title of work. Location: publisher.

Part of a nonperiodical work (such as a book chapter)

Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date). Title of chapter or section. In A. Editor, B. Editor, & C. Editor (Eds.) Title of work (pp. 000-000). Location: publisher.

Online periodical

Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Date). Title of article.

Title of Periodical, ##, 000-000. Retrieved month day, year, from source.

Online document

Author, A. A. (Date). Title of document. Retrieved month day, year, from source.

2. Start with the most important issues, like what you need to cite, how to format a reference list, and any fine points important to your instructor.

3. Write with a model paper handy. That way, you can see at a glance how to format the paper and do the most common kinds of citations.

4. Use American Psychological Association resources.

• Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (5th edition)

o Consult the index.

o Tab the most useful sections.

•

o Read FAQs about APA style.

o Find the most recent information about citing electronic sources.

o Sign up for a mailing list on updates to APA style.

5. Learn the fine points with the help of a resource you trust:

• SparkCharts: Research Style & Usage APA/MLA

(available from Barnes & Noble; ISBN 1-4114-0234-0)

• an online guide, such as Diana Hacker’s Research & Documentation site,

Purdue’s OWL, or the Nuts and Bolts of College Writing (links available

at ; click on APA Help in left nav bar)

• a useful handout downloadable from the Writing Center at UWisconsin, Madison

6. Find answers to specific questions quickly online.

• Launch your favorite search engine.

• Enter terms like APA “indirect quotation”

• Narrow your search to trusted sites by adding terms like Hacker or Purdue.

• Be sure any site you use mentions © 2001 or the 5th edition of the APA manual.

7. Complete a tutorial.

• “APA Documentation”



• “Using the APA Style System”



• Mastering APA Style: Student’s Workbook and Training Guide (2001)



8. Use software like Citation Machine (free; available at ),

NoodleBib (nominal subscription fee; , or APA’s StyleHelper (; under Electronic Products in left nav bar)

9. Use a checklist after you’ve completed your paper, or make your own cheat sheet.

10. Keep at it. According to the editors of Mastering APA Style:

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).

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