Winner of the 2022 Textbook Excellence Award from the Textbook & Academic Authors Association (TAA)
This clear and concise book demystifies the process of writing in APA style and format.
Fully updated with content from the Seventh Edition of the
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, An
Easy Guide to APA Style, Fourth Edition identifies common APA style and formatting mistakes, how to avoid them, and helps students become better writers and communicators of psychological science. Written in a conversational style to make the task of learning how to write more enjoyable, this guide helps students navigate the maze of rules in the APA Publication Manual and become proficient in learning the fine points of APA style. Providing detailed examples and complete sample student papers that conform to APA format, the authors illustrate not only how to write using APA style, but also what writing in APA style really looks like when papers are complete.
قائمة المحتويات
Preface
About the Authors
Section I. Overview
Chapter 1: APA Style Versus Format: Why It Matters to Your Audience and Why It Should Matter to You
What Is the Difference Between APA Style and APA Format?
Why APA Style Anyway? Wasn’t MLA Good Enough?
In the Long Run, Attention to Detail Matters (Including APA Style and Format)
Write for Your Specific Audience: Term Papers Versus Formal Research Papers
Chapter 2: Your Visual Table of Contents Quick Finder
The Sample Paper With Content and Page Numbers
Section II. Writing With (APA) Style: Big-Picture Items
Chapter 3: General Writing Tips Specific to APA Style: General Bare-Bones Fundamentals
Clear and Succinct Writing: Using Your Scholarly Voice
Commonly Confused Words in Psychology and Beyond
Subject–Verb Agreement
Active Voice Versus Passive Voice in APA Style
Some (But Not Too Much) First-Person Usage
Avoiding Anthropomorphism
Chapter 4: A Quick Grammar Summary for APA-Style Writing
Parts of a Sentence
Parts of Speech
Common Grammar Mistakes to Avoid
Chapter 5: Plagiarism and How to Avoid It: Thou Shalt Not Steal (or Be Lazy)
But I Didn’t Know. . . .
It Sounds Like a Bad Word
Quoting: More Than Just a Copy and Paste
Paraphrasing: In Your Own Words
An Author’s License (Yours): Modifying Source Material
But I Can Freely Use My Own Work, Right?
How About This for a Plagiarism Awareness Exercise?
Chapter 6: Avoiding Biased Language
The Fundamental Lesson: View People as Individuals First
Specific Recommendations for Reducing Bias: Nonsexist Language and Other Areas
Sexual Orientation
Racial and Ethnic Identity
Disabilities
Occupations
Gender and Pronouns: With an Indefinite Recommendation
Section III. Writing With (APA) Style: Getting Down to Business
Chapter 7: Writing Your Introduction: Tying the Story All Together
What to Include in Your Introduction
Formatting Your Introduction
Getting Your Introduction Started
Using an Outline: Organizing Your Literature Review
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your Introduction
Outline for the Sample Introduction
Chapter 8: Citing Sources in Text: Whodunit (or Said It)?
A Good Rule of Thumb
Ready, Cite, GO
In-Text Citation Basics
Some Curveballs
Chapter 9: A Step-by-Step Playbook of Your Method: How, What, When, Who, and Where?
Where in the Flow of Pages Do You Place the Method Section?
Where in the Method Section Does This Information Go?
Subjects/Participants
Materials and Apparatus
Procedure
Formatting Your Method Section
Chapter 10: Writing About Statistics and Associated Fun: How Did It All Turn Out?
Let Us Talk Statistics
Basics and Beyond
Formatting Your Results Paragraph
Including Effect Size and Power
Chapter 11: Writing Your Discussion: It’s a Wrap
Formatting Your Discussion Section
What to Include in Your Discussion Section
Getting Your Discussion Section Started
Organizing Your Discussion Section
Common Mistakes to Avoid in Your Discussion Section
Outline for the Sample Discussion Section Included
Sample Paper
Chapter 12: Everybody Needs References
A Helpful Note
Creating Your References Section
Using Abbreviations
The Basics
Basic References Section Formatting Rules
Some Not-So-Basic Rules You Might Need
Section IV. Presenting Your Work in APA Format
Chapter 13: The Numbers Game: How to Write Numbers (and When the Rules Change)
When You Use Numerals
When You Use Words
Using Both Numerals and Words
How to Use Decimal Points
Additional Rules for Including Numbers in Your Paper
Metrication
When Do You Use Abbreviations?
Chapter 14: Formatting: Organizing, Headings, and Making Your Work Look Good to Print
What Goes Where?
What Your Paper Should Look Like
Headings
Spelling Matters: Spelling and Capitalization Rules
Final Touches
Chapter 15: Table That Motion: The Special Challenges of Tables and Figures
What Is What
Getting the Details Just Right
A Note on “Notes”
Figuring It Out
Get Legendary (and Use Captions)
Where to Place Tables and Figures
But I Am Doing a Literature Review: Could I Use a Table or Figure?
Do Not Forget
Chapter 16: Make Microsoft Word 2016 Work for You: APA Formatting
Word 2016 Tabs and Drop-Down Menus
Setting the Margins
Line Spacing and Spacing Between Paragraphs
Page Numbering
Tabs, Centering, and the Ruler
References and the Hanging Indent
Preparing a Table (Rows, Columns, Lines, Centering)
Fonts and Font Variations (Italics, Bold, Superscript)
Page Breaks, Orphans, and Widows
Spellchecker and Grammar Checker
Developing Good Habits: Autosaving, File Naming, File Storage, Frequent Backups
Section V. Some Nitty-Gritty Details
Chapter 17: Making a List, No Apps Required: Enumeration and Seriation
Why Bother?
Keeping Order at the Section Level
Order Within Paragraphs or Sentences
On a Related Note
Chapter 18: Abbreviations, Signs, Symbols, and Punctuation: The Details Can Matter: Emoji This!
OMG: To Abbreviate or Not?
Blinding You With Science and Latin
Punctuation
Section VI. In Closing: Important Considerations
Chapter 19: Using Rubrics: Knowing What It Means to Write a Good Paper
Follow Rubrics When Provided
Example Rubrics
Chapter 20: Proofreading the Entire Paper: Get It Right!
Sample Page of APA Text for Practicing Proofreading
Chapter 21: Complete Sample of an Experimental (Research) Student Paper: Samples, Anyone?
Sample Student Paper
Sample Manuscript Title Page
Chapter 22: How to Avoid the Most Common Mistakes: All Together Now
APA Style and Format Quiz
APA Style and Format Quiz: Answers
Be Aware of Professors’ Pet Peeves
Appendix A: Error List for Chapter 20
Appendix B: APA Style and Format Checklist
References
Index
عن المؤلف
REGAN A. R. GURUNG is Professor of Psychology and the Associate Vice Provost and Executive Director of the Center for Teaching and Learning at Oregon State University.Born and raised in Bombay, India, Dr. Gurung received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology at Carleton College (Minnesota) and Master of Science (MS) and doctoral (Ph D) degrees in social and personality psychology at the University of Washington (Washington State). He followed with 3 years at the University of California, Los Angeles, as a National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) research fellow.His early work focused on social support and close relationships; he studied how perceptions of support from close others influence relationship satisfaction. His later work investigated cultural differences in coping with stressors such as HIV infection, pregnancy, and smoking cessation. He continues to explore cultural differences in health and is heavily involved in pedagogical research directed toward improving teaching and student learning.He has received numerous local, state, and national grants for his research in health psychology and social psychology regarding cultural differences in stress, social support, smoking cessation, body image, and impression formation. He has published articles in a variety of scholarly journals, including the American Psychologist, Psychological Review, and Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, and is a frequent presenter at national and international conferences. He is the author, coauthor, or editor of fifteen other books including Study Like a Champ (with John Dunlosky), the Handbook of Health Psychology (2019, with Tracey Revenson), a two-volume Multicultural Approaches to Health and Wellness in America (2014), Easyguide to APA [American Psychological Association] Style (2017, with Eric Landrum and Beth Schwartz), and Everyday Applications of Psychological Science (with Eric Landrum, Dana Dunn, Maureen Mc Carthy, and Susan Nolan). Dr. Gurung is also a dedicated teacher and has interests in enhancing faculty development and student understanding. In 2017 he won the American Psychological Foundation’s prestigious Charles L. Brewer Award for Distinguished Teaching in Psychology. He also has won the Carnegie Association’s Wisconsin Professor of the Year (2010), the UW System Regent’s Teaching Award (2011), the UW–Green Bay Founder’s Award for Excellence in Teaching Excellence in Scholarship, and the UW Teaching at Its Best, Creative Teaching, and Featured Faculty awards. He has organized statewide and national teaching conferences and is an active member and past president of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology (American Psychological Association [APA]-Division 2). He is an elected fellow of the American Psychological Association and Association for Psychological Science and past president of the Psi Chi International Honor Society in Psychology.When not reading, writing, or helping people stay calm, Regan enjoys culinary explorations, travel, and immersing himself in his son’s and daughter’s latest pursuits.