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Topic: APA format.
Introduction:
The following is from one of
Shakespeare's plays, Pericles,
Prince of Tyre:
See where
she
comes, apparell'd like the spring,
Graces her subjects, and her thoughts the king
Of every virtue gives renown to men!
Her face the book of praises, where is read
Nothing but curious pleasures, as from thence
Sorrow were ever razed and testy wrath
Could never be her mild companion.
Are you able to immediately understand the meaning of the
above stanza? If you are struggling, you
are not alone. Most people are unable to
decipher a Shakespearean play upon first reading because Shakespeare
wrote in a
different style than what is familiar to us today.
We can, however, study Shakespeare's
technique and learn to read his plays fluently.
Likewise, in psychology and other subject matters, a
specific writing style is used for scientific writing: APA Style APA style is
discussed in detail in the book Publication Manual of the American
Psychological Association(5th edition).
This tutorial is your guide to understanding
not only basic aspects of APA style but also using the Publication Manual
in future writing and
reading assignments. At first, it might
seem confusing to read or be required to write in any new style. Yet, learning key aspects of APA style will
help you become a better student and consumer of scientific writing.
The internet already has several existing good sites
for students to learn APA format. Below is a list of them.
For information on the changes made
to the 5th edition,
click here.
For a list of writing rules for APA
format, click
here for Ross'
Rules of Report Writing.
APA Style Essentials
Site: http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/
Excellent site containing a lot of
information
on APA style. It's presented in a clear manner and gives
examples.
Try this one first by clicking on the
APA Style Essentials icon below. If that fails, copy and paste
the address given above (for some reason, a direct link doesn't work
and that is why I didn't 'hot link' the above address) and then
click on APA Style Essentials.
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Online Writing Lab by Purdue University Online
Writing Lab
Site: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/research/r_apa.html
A useful site for a variety of writing styles, including
APA format. It gives you pieces of information from each section
in a manuscript. Good as an overview with some specific
information
included. |
APA 5th Edition by Cal State LA Library
Site: http://www.calstatela.edu/library/styleman.htm#apa
This site provides a good overview of 5th edition
and includes information about many aspects of the APA format. It
is a pdf file that you will need to download, but that helps you to see
the exact formatting.
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USM Help for APA
Site: http://www.lib.usm.edu/help/style_guides/apa.html
This site from the University System of Maryland
provides a very nice summary of how to write that confusing reference
section.
Click here if you need a quick answer on how to do a certain type of
reference. |
APA Style Templates
Site: http://www.charm.net/~rps/
If you have the $$, go to this web page to purchase
and download a template that will do the work for you. |
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