APA Sample Paper

JCHS Writing Handbook 2010-2011

APA Sample Paper

The following six pages form a sample paper based on the APA template available through the JCHS Learning and Writing Center. Reading the essay will teach you about the basic elements of APA, and the callouts provide additional information relevant to the indicated section.

Notice the format of the title page, abstract, body, and references. Also, pay special attention to headings (e.g., “Abstract”) and headers (e.g., “Running head: APA SAMPLE”). Finally, notice how material from outside sources is used (e.g., direct quotations, paraphrases, summaries).

Every paper is different, so you’ll need to apply what you learn here to your specific situation. Running head: APA SAMPLE 1

For the title page header, include the phrase “Running head” with a colon immediately following the phrase. Then, include up to 50 characters of your title in all caps. This will be left-justified. Then, include the page number on the right-hand margin. For all other page headers, just include the shortened title and the page number. Please note that the first printing of the Centered towards the upper- 6th edition APA manual had errors about this topic. half of your page, you should include the title of your paper, APA Sample Paper your name, and then your institution. This is double- spaced. Jane Smith

Jefferson College of Health Sciences

Instead of using the Enter key to go to the next line, insert a page break after you type in your institutional name. This keeps your formatting consistent despite any edits you make in the future. Use page breaks throughout to go from your cover page, to abstract page, to text, and then the references page. The second page of your document should be the abstract. Check with your instructor Notice that it does if you need to include one. The word APA SAMPLE not say “Running “Abstract” is centered. The abstract is 2 head” on this page double-spaced. The word “Abstract” is not or any future in bold. This was an error in the first pages. printing of the 6th edition manual. Abstract

Begin your abstract here. Do not indent the first line. The abstract is a comprehensive, concise summary of your paper’s content. It is double-spaced. Not all instructors require you to include an abstract. APA 5th edition asked to make the abstract 120 words or less. APA 6th edition does not specify, but instead instructs authors not to exceed the abstract word limit of the journal or publication to which they are submitting. Usually, this word limit varies from 150 to 250 words according to APA. To be safe, ask your instructor or stick with the old rule of 120 words.

Keywords: APA, citations, references

Not all instructors will want you to include keywords. This is mainly used for authors submitting for publication. The full title of paper comes again before you APA SAMPLE start your text. It is 3 centered and NOT bolded.

APA Sample Paper This is an in- text citation. Any time you Begin your paper here. Indent the first lines of paragraphs, double-space your entire include material that you know paper, and place no extra spaces between paragraphs. Include in-text citations to credit authors only because you learned it from a whose “ideas, theories, or research have directly influenced your work” (American source, you’ll need to cite in this way. Psychological Association [APA], 2010, p. 169). This sample essay highlights a few key aspects

of APA formatting for a standard academic essay with source material. Section heading formatting has changed. Boldface is now included. See page 62 Table 3.1 in the In-Text Citations manual for section heading formatting guidelines. Information on crediting sources begins on page 169 of the APA manual. Cite a source

in the following instances:

 You use a direct quotation, even if it is in quotation marks.

 You use facts that are not common knowledge.

 You paraphrase the author’s idea(s).

 You have changed some of the author’s words (i.e., used synonyms).

 You use the key words or phrases from the author.

 You mention the author’s name in your sentence.

 You have written a sentence consisting mostly of your own thoughts, but you have made

a reference to the author’s ideas.

Even if you However, if you are ever unsure about citing a source, cite anyway and/or get assistance. are using the same source throughout a The basic format for an in-text citation is as follows: author’s last name, comma, date of paragraph, you must cite it each time publication. If you have no author, use an abbreviated title. If you have multiple authors, use the you use it, not just at the end of the appropriate format, based on the number of authors, outlined in Table 6.1 of the manual (APA, paragraph. 2010, p. 177). A great resource on in-text citations is Chapter 6 of the Publication Manual

(APA, 2010), which goes into detail about information to include, how to format that APA SAMPLE 4

information, and where to place citations. For additional help with in-text citations, see the list

This is an of additional resources at the end of this document. example of a Level 2 Other Elements of Essay Style APA Regulates heading. Reference Page

The references page at the end of an essay must list all sources used in the paper and only

sources used in the paper. Each source should be listed in the correct format. Essential

information includes (a) the name(s) of the author(s); (b) the date of publication; (c) the title of

the article, website, chapter, etc.; (d) the title of the book, journal, website, etc.; (e) any

additional identifying information like the edition number of a book, the volume and issue

number of a journal, and the specific page number(s) on which the article appears; (f) publication

information including city and state of publication and the publication company; and (g) the

URL for any books or journals accessed electronically or webpages being used.

As you can see, there is a lot of information that must be included on the references page.

Furthermore, all the information included must be formatted correctly. The sample references

page at the end of this paper shows you some examples of citations, but you will likely need to

consult the Publication Manual and/or other sources that are accurate and up to date.

Headings

As demonstrated on this page, headings can be useful ways to organize your papers and

keep the reader on track. APA Style dictates how these headings should appear, including the

formatting of the font, location of the heading on the page, where the information following the

heading begins, and any punctuation that should or should not be included. As explained in the

APA (2010) Publication Manual, “The heading style recommended by the APA consists of five APA SAMPLE 5

possible formatting arrangements…. Each heading level is numbered” (p. 62). To learn more With direct quotations, about using headings, see pages 62-63 of the Publication Manual (APA, 2010). you must include a page or paragraph Tables, Graphs, and Other Graphic Elements number. Use “p.” for pages and “para.” for Occasionally, you may need to include data in your papers. Tables, graphs, and other paragraph.

graphic elements can be useful in displaying your data. Chapter 5 of the Publication Manual

(APA, 2010, pp. 125-167) provides guidelines on using visual elements.

Mechanics, Grammar, Usage, and Style

The Publication Manual (APA, 2010) gives guidance on the basic elements of writing as

When quoting 40 or more well as stylistic rules specific to APA. The Publication Manual (APA, 2010) explains, words, use a long quotation format. The When editors refer to style, they mean the rules or guidelines a publisher observes to quotation is indented, the quotation ensure clear, consistent presentation…. [W]ithout rules of style, three different marks are removed, and the final manuscripts might use sub-test, subtest, and Subtest in one issue of a journal or book. period goes before the Although the meaning of the word is the same and the choice of one style over the other citation. may seem arbitrary…, such variations in style may distract or confuse the reader. (p. 87)

Another example of style is how numbers should be used. Numbers one through ten are written

out, and other numbers, like 250, are listed as numerals. Some exceptions exist, like when using

ration. The best way to ensure you are following APA conventions is to be familiar with the

Publication Manual (APA, 2010) and consult it when you have questions.

Conclusion

Clearly, APA Style is complex. The best way to learn APA is to use it and use it

correctly. Jefferson College of Health Sciences (JCHS) encourages all students to purchase and

read the APA manual. At JCHS, you will use this format in all of your classes, so spending time

learning how to use it can make your life much easier in the long run. APA SAMPLE 6

References

American Psychological Association. (2010). Publication manual of the American

Psychological Association (6th ed.). Washington, DC: Author.

Bandura, A. (1993). Perceived self-efficacy in cognitive development and functioning.

Educational Psychologist, 28(2), 117-148.

Fritz, C., Morris, P., & Bjork, R. (2000). When further learning fails: Stability and change

following repeated presentation of text. British Journal of Psychology, 91(4), 493-511.

Gagné, R. M. (1985). The conditions of learning (4th ed.). New York, NY: Holt, Rinehart, &

Winston.

Goodrich Andrade, H. (2001). The effects of instructional rubrics on learning to write. Current

Issues in Education, 4(4). Retrieved from http://cie.asu.edu/volume4/number4/

This is a sample references page. The word “References” is centered on the first line of the references page. (It should not be in boldface. Again, this is an error in the first printing of the 6th edition APA manual.) Notice the page is alphabetized by what comes first in the reference entries. If a title is first, you will not alphabetize by a, an, or the. If you have more than one work by the same author, you will order them by year with the oldest year coming first (e.g., 2002 would be listed before 2005).

Note: The only source actually cited in the above pages in the Publication Manual. If this were an actual paper, the references page would list only this one source because it is the only source used. However, other sources have been listed here to serve as an illustration of a complete references page.