School of Health Sciences

GUIDE TO PRESENTATION OF ASSIGNMENTS

2011

Contents
Contents ..................................................................................................................................... 2
Assignment Format .................................................................................................................... 3
Title page ................................................................................................................................ 3
Certification: ........................................................................................................................... 3
Assignment Title and Details. ................................................................................................ 4
Table of contents .................................................................................................................... 4
Abstract or synopsis ................................................................................................................ 4
Structuring the assignment ..................................................................................................... 5
Difference Between an Essay, a Report, and a Presentation ...................................................... 6
Presentation of Content .............................................................................................................. 7
Writing with Style ...................................................................................................................... 8
Word choice ............................................................................................................................ 8
Paragraphing ........................................................................................................................... 8
Discriminatory language ......................................................................................................... 9
Introduction........................................................................................................................... 10
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................ 10
Levels of Headings ............................................................................................................... 10
Tables.................................................................................................................................... 11
Figures, Graphs and Illustrations .......................................................................................... 11
Footnotes .............................................................................................................................. 12
Referencing .............................................................................................................................. 13
Plagiarism ............................................................................................................................. 13
How to Avoid Plagiarising ................................................................................................... 13
When to reference ................................................................................................................. 13
Referencing Conventions ......................................................................................................... 14
Reference Formats ................................................................................................................... 14
Short Quotations ................................................................................................................... 14
Long Quotations ................................................................................................................... 15
Inserting Materials into Quotations ...................................................................................... 15
Omission of Materials from Quotations ............................................................................... 15
Direct Quatations of Online Material Without Pagination ................................................... 16
Citations ................................................................................................................................ 16
Author Referred to by Another Author in Quotations and Citations .................................... 17
Varieties of Referencing .......................................................................................................... 18
Books, Reference Books, and Book Chapters ...................................................................... 18
Periodicals ............................................................................................................................ 22
Audiovisual media ................................................................................................................ 25
On-line materials .................................................................................................................. 25
End Reference List ................................................................................................................... 26
Useful References for Study Skills .......................................................................................... 29

Guide to Presentation of Assignments

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Assignment Format
Title page
This page identifies your written work. Tutors and lecturers deal with large numbers of students
in a variety of subjects, sometimes from different departments. The information you provide on
this page ensures your work reaches the right person, is marked and returned to you.
Name And Student Number (Bolded)
Course, Semester, Year

Tan Lee Lim, 103125J

Diploma in Nursing, Semester 1, 2011

Module Code and Name:

Tutorial Group

HS2133: Health Psychology and Social

Psychology
Tutorial Group NR1003

Lecturer/Tutor (Bolded)
Ms A. B. Loo
Date Due:
12-8-11
10-8-11
Date Submitted:
Title (Choice of topic is bolded for easy Essay Topic No. 2
identification)
"Motivation In Health Behaviour"
Length:
1000 Words

Certification:
All written assignments should include one of the following student declaration, which verify
compliance with established copyright rules.
A)

STUDENT DECLARATION (INDIVIDUAL ASSIGNMENT)

I declare that the work of this assignment is MY own and that the assignment complies with all
the regulations and guidelines for presentation of assignment as set by NYP. All resources used
have been fully and appropriately acknowledged. I certify that this assignment has not been
submitted in part or in total for any other modules in any institutions or publications..
Name of student:. ............. .......................... ............... Signature: ............ ............. .............

B)

STUDENT DECLARATION (GROUP ASSIGNMENT)

We declare that the work of this assignment is OUR own and that the assignment complies with
all the regulations and guidelines for presentation of assignment as set by NYP. All resources
used have been fully and appropriately acknowledged. We certify that this assignment has not
been submitted in part or in total for any other modules in any institutions or publications..
Students
Name: .......... ......Signature:
Name: .....................Signature:
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Assignment Title and Details.

-

The topic is stated exactly. Note that where the topic is selected from a number of
alternatives only the one selected is stated.

If the topic will not fit on the title page, show a brief title and insert a full statement of the
topic on a separate page (a photocopy is acceptable). Place this page immediately after the
title page.

Table of contents
A table of contents is generally necessary only where the text is divided into chapters or several
subheadings. Most short written assignments do not require a table of contents.
The table of contents provides an overview of the material being presented, and its location in
your assignment. Included in it are the major divisions of the assignment, the introduction,
chapters/sections and perhaps their subsections, reference list, bibliography, and appendix.
Indicate where each of these divisions can be found with page numbers. The title page,
acknowledgements, lists of tables and figures may be included as well. The relationship
between the various divisions needs to be shown by appropriate use of indentations and capitals.
After the Table of Contents insert your list of Tables, Figures and Illustrations if you need to
include these.

Abstract or synopsis
An abstract or synopsis is not always required. If included in an assignment it should cover only
the outline of your argument or the problem (not details), a brief description of the methods and
procedures used in collecting data; and the general conclusions you have reached. An abstract is
usually short. If the length is not specified, then it is usual to aim at 5-10% of the essay itself.
The abstract is placed after the title page and just before the text of your assignment. Most
journals will have abstracts of articles published in them. Here is an example of a well written
abstract:

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During prolonged diving, harbour seals (Phoca vitulina)

become asphyxiated, a condition they are able to withstand
by virtue of secondary cardio-respiratory changes, including
bradycardia.
To study the possibility that these
cardio-respiratory changes are evoked by carotid body
chemoreceptors, two diving responses - apnea and
bradycardia - were elicited by immersing in water the faces
of harbour seals anaesthetized with urethane; isolated carotid
sinus-body preparations perfused with blood from the seals'
arterial circulation were then examined. When asphyxia was
well developed during a dive, the chemoreceptor drive was
withdrawn by temporarily perfusing the carotid bodies with
blood of high PO2 (>400 mm Hg) or normal PCO2 from
disk oxygenator. The heart rate immediately rose to its predive value. When the carotid bodies were again perfused
with hypoxic, hypercapnic blood from the seals' own
circulation, bradycardia returned. Breathing restarted only on
emersion. Substitution of normal arterialized blood from the
oxygenator before or at the onset of a dive had no effect on
the existing heart rate. It was concluded that the carotid
bodies play an important part in maintaining the diving
bradycardia during developing asphyxia without affecting
respiration.

background

purpose

methods

results

conclusion

(Adapted from Zeiger, M. (1985). Science Writing Course (p.12.03).

California: University of California.)

Structuring the assignment

Make sure that you read the structure requirements and guidelines which are provided with each
assignment. Before you begin your background reading and research into the topic, be clear in
your mind the form of written work you are expected to produce.

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Difference between an Essay, a Report, and a Presentation

An essay requires presentation of continuous prose and usually embodies discussion and
reasoned argument on a given topic. Although there is considerable freedom to develop your
assignment in whatever way you wish, you MUST restrict yourself to those issues, which are
directly relevant to the given topic. Irrelevant `padding' wastes your time and will almost
certainly be penalised.
A report is usually a more factual piece of writing than an essay and is often related to practical
experimentation, clinical or laboratory work. A report should be structured in several sections
with an appropriate title for each section, for example: Introduction, Method, Results, Analysis
and Conclusion. The Introduction explains the background and specific requirements of the
study. The Method documents the activity undertaken. The Results section should include
statistical data as well as written and diagrammatic information, where appropriate. The
Analysis is where the method and results are critically examined. In the Conclusion, the report
is finally drawn together, major findings are highlighted and any appropriate recommendation or
improvements can be suggested.

A presentation requires oral communication backed by clear and informative visual aids, such
as overhead transparencies, videos or slides. Before you plan a presentation, find out the size of
your audience and the size of the room, as these factors will affect the design of your visual aids
and the degree of audience participation you include in your presentation. Also make sure you
know the required length for your presentation and stick to it.
Preparation is the key to a successful presentation. You should prepare a set of notes, which
outline the main points of your talk and aim to "talk around" these points. This is less stilted
than reading from a full text. Make sure your visual aids are in the correct order before you
begin your presentation. Begin by stating the objective(s) of your talk - this will focus the
attention of your audience and enable them to place initial content in the context of the whole
presentation. Equally important, make sure you have a clearly identifiable ending which draws
the presentation together and presents concise, appropriate conclusions. Do a "dry run" to make
sure your presentation conforms to the expected length.

Guide to Presentation of Assignments

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Presentation of Content
Assignments are written for other people to read, comment on, and grade. If markers are to give
students a fair, accurate assessment they will need to be able to follow the students' work easily
so that they can concentrate on the content without the distractions of poor writing, or
disordered pages. Here are a few simple rules:

Present the text (main body) of your assignment on numbered pages beginning with 1
and continuing in sequence to the last page.

Type your work using a minimum of double line space with Times New Roman 12
points.

Use only one side of the page. Leave a margin of at least 2.5 cm on all sides of the
page.

Stay within the word limit given. Your lecturer has a purpose in setting a limit e.g. the
exercise is designed to test your ability to argue concisely or select the most important
points. The word count should include all words in the main body of the assignment
(including `a', `the' etc.) Do not count the words in an abstract, appendix or references.

All the pages of your assignment must be firmly bound together. When bound at only
one point, the top left hand corner should be used.

Place your work in a paper or plastic folder. Do not encase each page in a plastic jacket.
These are awkward for markers to handle and make it hard for them to provide
feedback. If radiographs or other transparencies are enclosed, an envelope of the
appropriate size should be used.

It is the student's responsibility to keep a duplicate of assignments as sometimes work

is misplaced.

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Writing with Style

Many of the assessments consist of written assignments and special consideration is given to
techniques such as referencing and presentation style. The assignment should be clear and
logically presented with a well-supported argument.
Writing well involves the use of appropriate words, correct spelling, correct sentence
structure, clear paragraphing with the correct punctuation that makes the written language
clear. There should not be any waffling or padding.
Sentences should be simple and direct. Avoid long, complex and convoluted sentences where
the words lose sight of their subjects and inappropriate punctuation changes the intended
meaning. For example:
Mary Sweet suffers from diabetes. She is 65 years old and, it causes her great distress.
Do not vary sentence structure or use punctuation marks for the sake of variety. Verbosity and
the overuse of variety in sentence structure may weaken the flow of the writing and cloud the
understanding of the written word.

Word choice
Choose words carefully, particularly precise scientific words. Words should be simple and
necessary. It is better to repeat the same word than to introduce a variety of words with a range
of meaning. Avoid jargon and non-standard abbreviations such as "physio", "RX", "O.T", "&".
Refrain from using words like right and wrong, good and bad when presenting an argument.
These are adjectives that give no indication of the reasoning that led to such conclusions and so
add no weight to the argument.

Paragraphing
Paragraphing shows your ability to organise ideas, concepts, and facts, and show the
relationship between them. Every paragraph should make a point and therefore must have a
clear structure of its own. Paragraphs should have continuity. The first sentence is the topic
sentence which states the message. This topic sentence is generally followed by supporting
sentences which develop the argument in a logical manner. In a good assignment, statements are
always supported by evidence and the argument should flow logically to be easily understood
even by the uninformed reader.
For example,
Knowledge and understanding about the biology of ageing has been gained from
many different areas of research, although biological gerontology is still in its early
stages. Research on ageing animals, from rats to primates, attempts to gain
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knowledge from suitable animal models; often, this information is extrapolated into
an analogy with humans. There are obvious inadequacies but these studies are still
invaluable in increasing the general understanding of the human ageing process.

Discriminatory language
Avoid words or phrases that stereotype people because of their age, sex, religion, politics,
physical or mental disability, or occupation. Discriminatory language gives the impression of
prejudices, biases, and thoughtlessness in the choice of words.
Words convey pictures as the following statements show:
His deformed daughter........
A hard faced nurse........
The average European........
Choose words, particularly adjectives, carefully to convey clearly what is intended. Avoid
cliches. Ask yourself, "Is this description relevant to the point I'm trying to make?"
It can be difficult to avoid sexist language without using complex and awkward arrangements of
words. Avoid his/her, he/she arrangements in sentences. Listed below are some common
problem areas and solutions. Often the simplest solution is to convert the entire sentence into
the plural.
he/she
him/her

............ ........................ substitute with ....................... one, you

............ ........................ .......... ............. ........................ them, theirs

Man
............ ........................ .......... " ........... ........................ .............humanity,
(All men) ............ ........................ .......... ............. .........................human race

Manpower ............ ........................ " ........ ............. .........................human resources,

............ ........................ .......... ............. .........................workforce

"The man in the street" ................... " ........ ............. .........................the average person,
............ ........................ .......... ............. ........................ the layperson

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Introduction
The introduction is different from the abstract and the conclusion. The two major aims of an
introduction are:
.

introducing the problem, or your argument, in a suitable context.

arousing the reader's interest

An introduction should be concise and give direction to the paper.

Conclusion
The conclusion, where the developments, important findings and conclusions are usually
succinctly restated, ties together the whole argument of the assignment. Unanswered questions
that have occurred in the course of the study and that require further research may be listed here.
The conclusion should leave the reader with a sense of completeness.

Levels of Headings
It is appropriate to use headings in assignments and reports to facilitate understanding of the
students written work. The APA Publication Manual recommends up to five levels of
headings. However, all five levels are only used in large assignments or reports. The five
levels recommended are:
Centred, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Headinga (LEVEL 1)
Flush Left, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading (LEVEL 2)
Indented, boldface, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period.b (LEVEL 3)
Indented, boldface, italized, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period. (LEVEL 4)
Indented, italized, lowercase paragraph heading ending with a period. (LEVEL 5)
a

This type of capitalization is also referred to as title case. bIn a lowercase paragraph
heading, the first letter of the first word is uppercase and the remaining words are lowercase.
Example of a five level heading:

A Study into Play of Intellectual Disabled Children

Play in Intellectually Disabled and Normal Children
Play and the intellectually disabled.
Play from age 1 2.
Play with parents.

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Some assignments may only use three levels of headings:

Role of Occupational Therapy with Neurological Disorders (LEVEL 2)

Literature Review. (LEVEL 3)
Role of Occupational Therapy with Stroke Patients. (LEVEL 4)
Role of Occupational Therapy with Head Injuries. (LEVEL 4)
Some assignments may use four levels of headings:

Occupational Therapy in Psychiatry (LEVEL 2)

Occupational Therapy Treatment with Psychiatric Patients. (LEVEL 3)
Occupational Therapy with Bipolar Disorders. (LEVEL 4)
Mania (LEVEL 5)

Tables
Table number is in Arabic letters, flushed left and not underlined. Table title is under the table
number, above the table, flushed left and italized, in upper and lowercase. Use horizontal
lines only. No vertical lines are necessary. Any notes pertaining to the table are under it. An
example of the recommended format for tables is as follows:
Table 1
Number of Physiotherapy Students by Year of Study and Gender
Year 1
Year 2
Male
5
6
Female
15
14
Note. Maximum students per year = 20

Year 3
7
13

Figures, Graphs and Illustrations

Figure number is in Arabic, flushed left, italized and under the figure. The figure number is
followed by the name of the figure. An example of a graph is as follows:
8
Number of
7
Male PT Students
6
5
4
3
2
1
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year of Study
Figure 1. Number of male physiotherapy students by year of study.
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Footnotes
There are two types of footnotes. The content footnote and the copyright permission footnote.
A content footnote is a note located at the bottom of a page for the purpose of giving more
information about something mentioned in the page. It should not be too lengthy and is
usually used to convey just one idea. The author would use the copyright permission footnote
to acknowledge the source of the material.
Footnotes are numbered consecutively with superscript Arabic numerals. A second or
subsequent reference to the same footnote is parenthesised. The footnotes are then typed on a
separate page.
Content footnotes are numbered in this manner1 and in this manner, if referring to the
same subsequently (see footnote 1).
Copyright permission footnote appear in the following manner :
Figure 5: Flowchart5
___________________________________________________________________
5
From Problem - Oriented Approach to Obstetrics & Gynaecology by S.S. Ratnam,
S. Arulkumaran and D.K. Sen, 1997, p. 168. Copyright by the Oxford University
Press. Reprinted with the permission of the authors.

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Referencing
Different academic disciplines and colleges have different ways of referencing sources. As you
study you will probably become familiar with several referencing systems. This school expects
you to use the one described in this guide.
Plagiarism
Plagiarism is literary theft. It occurs when people take the works of another and present them as
their own, without acknowledging the original source.
Some students are unaware that it is not permitted to copy from another source without
acknowledgement. These students do not deliberately wish to deceive but unwittingly integrate
sentences or paragraphs from another source into their own work. More extreme forms of
plagiarism occur when a student copies, with or without changes, an entire article. This blatant
plagiarism is commonly referred to as cheating and will attract penalties in your assessment.
If plagiarism or unauthorized use and illegal copying of copyright material including
printed and/or non-printed matters and computer software is suspected, it may be
considered as misconduct under the Polytechnic's By-Laws Student Conduct &
Discipline Regulations:
http://www.nyp.edu.sg/NYPStudents/studenthandbook_discipline.html. The case would
be referred to the Registrar for investigation and action.
How to Avoid Plagiarising
.

If you borrow words, sentences, or paragraphs directly from another source, put the
borrowed words in quotation marks and treat them as a quotation. References should be
complete, giving all information about the source, including the page number/s.

If you paraphrase the words or thoughts of another, reference your source. If you do not
use your own words in the paraphrase, you should use quotation marks.

If you take an idea from someone else, reference the source of the idea.

When to reference
Unless you wish to be accused of plagiarism you must acknowledge the books, articles and
sources that you have used.
References enable the reader to consult the sources you have used in your assignment. Use
references to acknowledge:
. Quotes
. Sections of another person's work that you have paraphrased
. The source of authority for a fact, theory, or statistic.

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Referencing Conventions
When you write an assignment or report, you are expected to acknowledge the source of all
materials you have used. The School of Health Sciences (SHS), Nanyang Polytechnic, adopts
the author date referencing system. This system is well established in natural sciences and
increasingly adopted in social and health sciences. The author date system that SHS adopts is
that outlined in the American Psychological Association (APA) Publication Manual. Students
are referred to the APA Publication Manual for detailed explanations and examples of
referencing conventions. This manual can be found in the library.
The Guide to Presentation of Assignments will only provide common examples to assignment
layout, in-text quotations, in-text citations and referencing conventions.

Reference Formats
All references, whether a direct quotation or the re-phrasing of an idea (citations) must be
acknowledged. These acknowledgements occur at two levels. The first level occurs in the text
of the assignment itself. This is called in-text reference. All quotations reproduced word for
word are followed by author, year of publication and page reference. Always give page
numbers for quotations. Author and year of publication follow all citations. However, after
the first citation or quotation from the same author in the same paragraph, only the author
needs to be acknowledged. Only surnames of authors are to be used in in-text reference.
The second level of reference occurs at the end of the assignment under the References
heading. This is called the end reference.

Short Quotations
For example, an in-text reference for a quotation:

Sensory integration is based on several assumptions. One of the assumptions is

that of plasticity of the central nervous system, the ability of the brain structure to
change or to be modified (John & Martin, 1991, p. 3). The second assumption is......

At the end reference for the above quotation, you would write:

John, M., & Martin, K. (1991). Occupational therapy and sensory integration.
Baltimore: SLACK.

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Long Quotations
A quotation, which is more than three lines or 40 words, should be set apart from the main
body of text. For example:

The ageing population in Singapore makes the shortage of rehabilitation

professionals worse. This is highlighted by Lee (1994):
Rehabilitation professionals such as occupational therapists and
physiotherapists, until the establishment of the School of Health Sciences at
Nanyang Polytechnic, have always been educated overseas. This factor,
together with the lack of knowledge of these professions and the ageing
population, contributed to the shortage of rehabilitation professionals (p. 12).

Inserting Materials into Quotations

Use square brackets when inserting materials into a quotation by any person other than the
original author. For example:

In discussing the usefulness of group therapy, Loma (1988, p.66) wrote that
group work allowed members [of the group] to gain a sense of common belonging.

Omission of Materials from Quotations

Three periods (...) are used for omission of texts from the original quotation within the same
sentence. For example:

The original sentence is: The Q questionnaire, the most well researched questionnaire,
is developed to gain information on quality of life of the elderly.
In the text, if you decide to omit the most well researched questionnaire, you would
write:
Tan (1997, p. 96) stated that the Q questionnaire...is developed to gain information
on quality of life of the elderly.

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Four periods (....) are used for omission of texts from original quotation between two
sentences. For example:

The original sentences are: The Q questionnaire was developed by a group of

researchers in Q university. It is presently the most comprehensive and well
researched questionnaire. The questionnaire is used to measure quality of life of the
elderly.
In the text, if you decide to omit It is presently the most comprehensive and well
researched questionnaire, you would write:
Tan (1997, p. 96) stated that: The Q questionnaire was developed by a group of
researchers in Q university....the questionnaire is used to measure quality of life of the
elderly.

Direct Quatations of Online Material Without Pagination

Many electronic sources do not provide page numbers. In such cases, give the author, year,
and paragraph number. Use the abbreviation para. For example

Sensory integration is based on several assumptions. One of the assumptions is that of

plasticity of the central nervous system, the ability of the brain structure to change or to be
modified (John & Martin, 1991, para. 3). The second assumption is......

Citations
Citations are used when you need to acknowledge ideas or points from authors without
directly quoting word for word. In citations, only the authors and years of publication need to
be acknowledged in the text. No page number is required. However to cite a specific part of a
source, indicate the page, chapter, figure, table or equation. The end-reference would be
similar to that as for quotations.

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An example of an in-text citation is as follows:

Using the nursing process is crucial for identifying a patients needs. The habit
of using the nursing process should be inculcated early in nursing students (White,
1997). Therefore,...........
Or
White (1997) stated that the habit of using the nursing process should be inculcated
early in nursing students
Or
According to White (1997), the habit of using the nursing process should be
inculcated early in nursing students

At the end reference for the above citation, you would write:

White, J. (1997). Teaching the nursing process to first year nursing students. Nursing
Education Today, 17(3), 170-174.

Author Referred to by Another Author in Quotations and Citations

In quotations, the in-text reference would be as follows:

Lawrence (quoted in Chong, 1997, p.1) mentioned that the use of benzodiazepams
....

End reference for the above quotation would be:

Chong, P. (1997). Medications for schizophrenic patients. Singapore: SBC Press.

Note that only the author you have read is acknowledged in the end reference.

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In citations, the in-text reference would be as follows:

Zemke referred to the use of counselling with parents with intellectually disabled child
as beneficial (as cited in Brookes, 1996).

End reference for the above citation would be:

Brookes, J. (1996). Use of counselling. Edinburgh: Oxford Press.

Varieties of Referencing
The following section will outline the in-text and end reference formats for commonly used
reference materials. It is not meant to be exhaustive. Students requiring more details and
guidance should refer to the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association
(6th ed.).

Books, Reference Books, and Book Chapters

Two or more authors.
If a work has two authors, always include both names in the reference. For in-text reference
in parentheses and end reference use an ampersand '&'. If you use the names of the authors as
part of your argument use the word 'and'. For example:

In factor analysis, there is some controversy as to which of the two types of

rotation is more appropriate, i.e. orthogonal rotation and oblique rotation (Bryman &
Cramer, 1995).
In their discussion of factor analysis, Bryman and Cramer (1995) suggest that
....

More than two but less than six authors.

The first time the in-text reference is used in a paragraph you must list the surname of all
authors. The second time the reference is cited in the same paragraph, list only the surname
of the first author followed by 'et al." and the date. (Notice there is only a period after "al" not
after "et"). In subsequent citation within the same paragraph only the first author is listed
followed by et al. and no date. For example:
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Quah, Chiew, Ko and Lee (1991) suggest that . . . .

(first citation)
Quah et al. (1991) suggest that . . . .
(second citation in the same paragraph)
Quah et al. suggest that . . . .
(subsequent citation in the same paragraph).

More than six authors.

If a book has six or more authors, cite only the first author followed by "et al." in the first
and subsequent citations. All authors, of course, must appear in the end reference.

Two reference in the same year with the same first author.
When there is a common or similar first author, cite the first author and as many of the
subsequent authors as necessary to make a distinction between the two references. For
example:

For Kang, James, Tan, Chew, Tay and Gan (1992), & Kang, James, Beth, Tay, Mah
and Doe (1992),
The in-text citation would be:
Kang, James, Tan, et al. (1992) and Kang, James, Beth, et al. (1992) wrote ...
Or for Leong, Chan and Tan , 1994, and Leong, Tan, James and Nathan, 1994, the intext citation would be:
In-text citation:
Leong, Chan and Tan (1994) and Leong, Tan, et al. (1994) wrote......

Note. For all multiple author citations in running text connect the last named author by 'and',
however in parenthetical and tabular material and end-text reference list use the ampersand
&. For example:

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. . . . as shown by Tabachnick and Fidell (1996).

. . . . as has been shown (Tabachnick & Fidell, 1996).

End reference details as follows:

Tabachnick, P., & Fidel, L. (1996). The student sociologists handbook. New York:
Random House.

No date, classical works or date uncertain.

Publications, which do not have a date of publications, substitute n.d. (no date) after the name
of the author. For example:

In-text citation
(Horton, n.d.)
End reference
Horton, H. (n.d.). The de-humanisation of anomie. London: Edward Arnold.

If the publication is a classical work, cite the year of the translation you used or the year of the
version you used. For example:

In-text citation
(Tubingen, trans. 1956)
(Cambridge, version 1971)

No author.
Where a work has no author, the title, or an abbreviated form of the title, is used in the same
way as the author's name. In the end reference the work is listed alphabetically by the first
word of the title, or abbreviated title. The same form must be preserved in both the in-text
and end reference. For example:

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In-text citation
. . . . (Oriental Despotism, 1967, p.7)
End reference
Oriental Despotism. (1967). California, Berkeley: Sociology Department.

Electronic version of print book or electronic-only book.

For books available online, the electronic retrieval information, e.g., URL or DOI, takes the
place of publisher location and name. For example:

End reference
Shotton, M. A. (1989). Computer addiction? A study of computer dependency [DX Reader
version]. Retrieved from http://.ebookstore.tandf.co.uk/html/index.asp

Shiraldi, G. R. (2001). The post-traumatic stress disorder sourcebook: A guide to healing,

recovery, and growth [adobe Digital Editions version]. doi: 10.1036/0071393722

Note. See the next section Periodicals for more information on the doi.
Book chapter.
For chapters in an edited book, cite the chapter author/s in the in-text citation. In the end
reference, the chapter author/s, title and pages, as well as the book title and editors have to be
included. Use the word In before the name of the editors, use editor(s) initials before name
and indicate pages by pp. For example:

In-text citation
Haybron (2008)
End reference
Haybron, D. M. (2008). Philosophy and the science of subjective well-being. In M. Eid & R.
J. Larsen (Eds.), The science of subjective well-being (pp. 17-43). New York, NY:
Guilford Press.
In-text citation
(Prehn, 1980, p. 208)
End reference
Prehn, R. T. (1980). Neoplasia. In R. Hill (Ed.), Principles of pathobiology (3rd ed., pp. 200245). London: Oxford University Press.
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Reference books.
Reference books, such as encyclopedias, are to be treated as books. Individual entries in
encyclopedias are to be treated as individual book chapters. When the reference books are
published in volumes, the volume number should also be included in the end reference. For
example:

In-text citation
(Houseknecht, 1987)
End References
Houseknecht, S. (1987). Voluntary childlessness. In The encyclopedia of marriage
and the family (Vol. 21, pp. 369-396). New York: Plenum Press.

Periodicals
Periodicals include journals, magazines, newspapers, and newsletters etc. published on a
regular basis. Titles of books, journals or newspapers are italized. The title of the published
article is not italized. Include the DOI if one is assigned.

Journal article with one to five authors.

In-text citation
(Liam & Wong, 1995)
End reference
Liam, C. K., & Wong, K. T. (1995). Sclerosing haemangioma of the lung. Singapore
Medical Journal, 36(3), 333-334.

Journal article with six or more authors.

As for books with six or more authors only cite the first author followed by et al. in the first
and subsequent in-text references. For example:

Guide to Presentation of Assignments

updated 13 Sep 2011 22

In-text citation
(Belisle et al., 1997)
End reference
Belisle, J. T., Vissa, V. D., Sievert, T., Takayama, K., Brennan, P. J., & Besra, G. S. (1997).
Role of the major antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in cell wall biogenesis.
Science, 276, 1420-1422.

Journal article with DOI

A digital object identifier (DOI) is a unique alphanumeric string assigned to an article to
identify the article and provide a persistent link to its location on the Internet. The DOI is
typically located on the first page of the electronic journal article, near the copyright notice.
APA Publication manual (6th ed.) recommends that when DOIs are available, they should be
included for both print and electronic sources. When a DOI is used, no further retrieval
information is needed to identify or locate the content.

In-text citation
(Herbst-Damm & Kulik, 2005, p. 226)
End reference
Herbst-Damm, K. L., & Kulik, I. A. (2005). Volunteer support, marital status, and the
survival times of terminally ill patients. Health Psychology, 24, 225-229. doi:
10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225

Journal article with DOI, advanced online publication

Some journals offer individual articles online as son as they are finalised, before being
assigned a volume, issue or page numbers. For example:
In-text citation
(Von Ledebur, 2007)
End reference
Von Ledebur, S. C. (2007). Optimizing knowledge transfer by new employees in companies.
Knowledge Management Research & Practice. Advance online publication.
doi:10.1057/pelgrave.kmrp.8500141

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Online journal article without DOI

For end reference, provide the URL of the journal home page. However, if the journal is
retrieved from an online database such as EBSCO, no URL is needed. For example:

Sillick, T. J., & Schutte, N. S. (2006). Emotional intelligence and self-esteem mediate
between perceived early parental love and adult happiness. E-Journal of Applied
Psychology, 2(2), 38-48. Retrieved from http://ojs.lib.swin.edu.au/index.php/ejap
Kleinman, I., Baylis, F., Rodgers, S., & Singer, P. (1997). Bioethics for clinicians: 8.
Confidentiality. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 156(4), 521-524. Retrieved
from http://www.cma.ac/journals/cmaj/vol-156/issue-4/0521.htm

Magazine article.
Give date of publication in addition to volume number (if available).

In-text citation
(Ho, 1997)
End reference
Ho, M. (1997, January). Helicobacter pylori. Singapore Microbiologist,17-18.
Online magazine article
Ho, M. (1997, January). Helicobacter pylori. Singapore Microbiologist, 17-18. Retrieved
from http://www.apa.org/singapore/
Newspaper article.
If an article has no author, alphabetise the article by the first significant word in the title and
use a short title for in-text citation.
In-text citation
(Bubonic plague, 1997)
End reference
Bubonic plagues resistance to antibiotics is growing. (1997, September 5). The Straits Times,
p. 20.
In-text citation
(Sapawi, 1997)
End reference
Sapawi, T. (1997, July 20). Fasting diets help detoxify body. The Sunday Times, p. 3.
Guide to Presentation of Assignments

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Audiovisual media
Audiovisual materials refer to motion pictures, audio or television broadcasts (including
podcasts). These items usually have no named authors. The basic components for endreference include:
Primary contributors in the author position
Contribution in parentheses, e.g., (Producer), (Writer) etc.
Year (in parentheses).
Title (italized).
Medium [in brackets], i.e. CD, DVD, video, film, audiotape, etc.
Location and name of distributor.
For example:
End-reference:
Video:
American Journal of Nursing Company (Producer). (1985). Preparing children for the hospital
experience [DVD]. Chatsworth, Calif: AIMS Media.
Audio:
Wallace, M. J. (Producer). (1980). Study skills in English [CD]. Cambridge: Cambridge
University Press.
Film:
Mass, J. B. (Producer), & Gluck, D. H. (Director). (1979). Deeper into hypnosis [Film].
Englewood Cliffs, N.J.: Prentice-Hall.
Television programme:
Miller, R. (Producer). (1989). The mind [Television Program]. New York: WNET.

On-line materials
Electronic books and journals have already been dealt with in earlier sections. This section
covers other online materials such as non-periodical internet articles, internet message boards,
emails, blogs, as well as online forums and discussion groups. The basic components for endreference of on-line sources are:
Surname, followed by initial(s).
Year, month and day (in parentheses) of posting.
Subject line or title; do not italized.
Description of form [in brackets]
URL

Guide to Presentation of Assignments

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For example:
Blog post
Khaw, B. W. (2011, January 20). Healthcare 2011: From disease to wellness [Web log
post]. Retrieve from http://mohsingapore.blogspot.com/2011/01/healthcare2011-from-disease-to.html
Video blog post
Norton, R. (2011, January 21). How to train a dog to operate a light switch [Video
file]. Retrieved from http://wwwyoutube.com/watch?v=Vja83KLQXZs

End Reference List

A reference list is a list of the sources you have mentioned in the text of your assignment.
References are to be listed alphabetically by surname and are not numbered sequentially.
Do not separate books, journals, etc., into separate headings. Punctuation is important. Use
the punctuation specified in the following examples when compiling a reference list. The
References heading should begin on a new page. The order of the reference list should
follow the following points:
-

alphabetical order
single authors should come first before multiple authors
same author with multiple publications; according to publication year
same authors with multiple publication in same year; differentiate by placing
lower case letters -- a, b, c and so forth immediately after the year, within the
parentheses
no author; title of articles be substituted in place of author

Here is an example of a reference list. It is based on the APA Publication Manual of the
American Psychological Association (2010). This reference list format should be followed
unless you are specifically directed to use another system by a lecturer or School/Department.

Guide to Presentation of Assignments

updated 13 Sep 2011 26

Example of the end reference list:

References
Atkinson, M. (1984). The language and body language of politics: Our masters
voice. London: Routledge.
Birren, J. E., & Schaie, K. W. (1990). Handbook of the psychology of ageing. London:
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
Brooks, V. B. (1986). The neural basis of motor control. Oxford: Oxford University
Press.
Canadian Medical Association. (1996). Code of ethics. Canadian Medical Association
Journal, 155, 1176A-B.
Chan, K. M. (Ed.). (1996). Geriatric medicine for Singapore. Singapore: Armour
Publisher.
Craighead, L. W., Craighead, W. E., Kazdin, A. E., & Mahoney, M. J. (1994). Cognitive
and behavioural interventions: An empirical approach to mental health
problems. Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon.
Donahue-Kilburg, G. (1992). Family-centred early intervention for communication
disorders: Prevention and treatment. Gaithersburg: Aspen Publication.
Donahue-Kilburg, G. (1996). Treatment of communication disorders. Gaithersburg:
Aspen Publication.
Edelstein, L. (1977). The Hippocratic Oath: text, translation and interpretation. In C.
Burns (Ed.), Lagacies in ethics and medicine (pp. 12-16). New York: Science
History Publications.
Gordon, F. (1994a). Uses of dramatherapy (part 1). Journal of Group Therapy, 1(1),
1-10.
Gordon, F. (1994b). Uses of dramatherapy (part 2). Journal of Group Therapy, 1(2),
1-11.
Herbst-Damm, K. L., & Kulik, I. A. (2005). Volunteer support, marital status, and the
survival times of terminally ill patients. Health Psychology, 24, 225-229. doi:
10.1037/0278-6133.24.2.225
Heuristic. (n.d.). In Merriam-Websters online dictionary (11th ed.). Retrieved from
http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/heuristic
Kimmel, D. C. (1992). Adulthood and ageing (3rd ed.). Chichester: John Wiley and
Sons.
Guide to Presentation of Assignments

updated 13 Sep 2011 27

Kleinman, I., Baylis, F., Rodgers, S., & Singer, P. (1997). Bioethics for clinicians: 8.
Confidentiality. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 156(4), 521-524.
Retrieved from http://www.cma.ac/journals/cmaj/vol-156/issue-4/0521.htm
Lang, P. J., Bradley, M. M., & Cuthbert, B. N. (1997). Motivated attention: affect,
activation, and action. In P. J. Lang, R. F. Simons, & M. Balaban (Eds.),
Attention and orienting: sensory and motivational processes (pp. 97-135).
Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Long, G. (1997a). Requirements for drug storage. London: London University Press.
Long, G. (1997b). Standards for drug storage in private practice. London: London
University Press.
Ministry of the Environment (Producer). (1994). Action against the aedes mosquito
[DVD]. Singapore: Ministry of the Environment.
OKeefe, E. (n.d.). Egoism and the crisis in Western values. Retrieved from
http://www.onlineoriginals.com/showitem.asp?itemID=135
Quinn, T., & Thompson, D. R. (1995). Administration of thrombolytic therapy to
patients with acute myocardial infarction. Accident and Emergency Nursing, 3,
208-214. doi:10.1016/S0002-8703(98)70320-5

Guide to Presentation of Assignments

updated 13 Sep 2011 28

Useful References for Study Skills

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

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

Anderson, A., Dunston, B. H., & Poole, M. (1970). Thesis and assignment writing. Brisbane:
Jacaranda Wiley Ltd.

Rowland, R., & Marshall, L. A. (1981). A guide to learning independently. Melbourne:

Longman Cheshire.

Turabian, K. L. (1996). A manual for writers of term papers, theses and dissertations (6th ed.).
Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

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