1

APA Made
Simple
A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE BASICS OF APA
FORMATTING
 Introduction

 Ms. Danielle DesFosses, M.A.T

 I have been teaching writing to

domestic and international
students at Fairleigh Dickinson
University (FDU) for over 8 years.
 APA Style: Why All the Fuss?
 The American Psychological Association (APA) citation style is the most commonly
used format for manuscripts in the social sciences.
 One of Several Recognized “Styles”
 APA is used by Education, Psychology, and Sciences
 MLA (Modern Language Association) style is used by the Humanities.
 Chicago/Turabian style is generally used by Business, History, and the Fine Arts.
 Purpose of Manual of Styles
 Enable community of scholars to efficiently and consistently share their
scholarship
 Necessary to move science and scholarship forward
 Benefits of Consistent Formatting
 Ethical: Properly and specifically site work of others
 Practical: Significantly increases ability of reader to understand the author
 Makes "big concepts" clearer
 Community: Shared language shared by community
 Mark of professionalism
It is important to master these
basis rules of APA style...
Control the things you can control because there
are plenty that are out of our control.

When a paper is properly formatted you get the

best part of your Professor's brain especially when
they are going over pages and pages of other
student papers.

Remember that taking the time to master some of

the basics of APA formatting is truly a mark of
professionalism.
 What is APA Style?
 The American Psychological Association (APA) citation
style is the most commonly used format for manuscripts
in the social sciences.
 APA regulates:
 Stylistics
 In-text citations
 References

*Note that the asterisk throughout the following

presentation slides indicate the APA updates for the
7th edition of the APA Manual, published in October 2019
which is the most current edition. *
 Plagiarism
 What is plagiarism?
 Plagiarism is defined as “the deliberate or reckless
representation of another’s words, thoughts, or ideas as one’s
own without attribution in connection with submission of
academic work, whether graded or otherwise.” (Instrument of
Student Judicial Governance, Section II.B. 1.).
 Synonyms (similar words) of plagiarism are copying, infringement of
copyright, piracy, theft, stealing
 Use APA Style to Avoid Plagiarism. Plagiarism is a serious academic
offense. Luckily you can avoid plagiarism by using a citation style,
like APA, to give authors credit for their words and ideas.
 The following is a link titled: 'How to Avoid Plagiarism: In 5 Easy
Steps': https://youtu.be/UsFcU1PH_8E
 What is Safe Assign and why it is used when submitting your
assignments at the university?
 The Basics
 Spacing
 Everything is double spaced
 One space after periods, commas, and semicolons
 Font
 Times New Roman, 12 point font
 Margins
 1 inch on all sides
 Formal Language
 No contractions
 No slang
 Numbers
 Write out numbers below 10
 Use numerals for 10 and above
 When a number represents the statistical or mathematical function of
measurement or time, date, age, etc. you can use the numeral (such as 5
milliliters)
 Write ALL numbers at beginning of sentence
 Example: Fifty percent of the students use the computer labs.
 The Basics

 Language in an APA paper should

be:
Clear: be specific in descriptions
and explanations
Concise: condense information
when you can
Plain: use simple, descriptive
adjectives and minimize
figurative language
 Voice
 Claims/Statement
 Based in literature, not opinion
 Cite each “fact,” claim or opinion
 Generally avoid “I” or “we” but there are exceptions
such as research you conducted
 Use formal language
 Spell out all contractions (cannot instread of can't / they
are not instread of they're)
 Be concise
 Avoid flowery metaphorical, or emotionally charged
language
 Organization
 Your essay should include four major
sections:

Title page
Abstract (if required by your
Professor)
Main Body
Reference page
 Cover sheet / Title page

 The paper's title should be centered, bold, and written in title case.
It should be three or four lines below the top margin of the page.
 Page numbers begin on the first page (in the top right of the
page)and follow every subsequent page without interruption. No
other information is required such as the author's last name.
 *Note that there is no longer a 'running head' on the cover sheet as
per the APA 7th edition update.
 Page number
 Right justified on top of page (and every page thereafter)
 Title of paper - Centered in middle of page
 Name of author - Centered under title (double space)
 University - Centered on line below author name
 Review Sample Paper on APA: websites: https://apastyle.apa.org/
and https://owl.purdue.edu/
 Abstract
 An abstract is generally only for formal research
papers and is typically not for your average paper. If
you are not sure, always ask your Professor.
 The Abstract appears on the 2nd page of your paper
 It is titled Abstract and centered at the top of the 2nd
page
 Do not indent the abstract paragraph
 View examples on the APA websites:
 https://owl.purdue.edu/

 https://apastyle.apa.org/
 Structure of Body - Headings
Key Points to remember:
 Use headings to structure all ideas in the paper
 For most 5-20 page papers, you just need 3 levels of headings
 Strictly focus each section
 If there is any overlap, need to restructure
 APA Style uses a unique headings system to separate and classify paper
sections. Headings are used to help guide the reader through a document.
 The levels are organized by levels of subordination, and each section of
the paper should start with the highest level of heading.
 There are a total of 5 heading levels in APA. Regardless of the number of levels,
always use the headings in order, beginning with level 1. The format of
each level is illustrated.
 For more information on headings, refer to the APA website
at: https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formattin
g_and_style_guide/apa_headings_and_seriation.html
 In- text citations
 According to the online dictionary, the
first definition of 'citation' is as follows:
Noun 1. a quotation from or reference
to a book, paper, or author, especially
in a scholarly work.
For example: "there were dozens of
citations from the works of Byron"
Similar wordsor
synonyms: quotation,
quote, excerpt, passage, line
 Using citations: indirect versus direct
 Indirect citation (or a paraphrase): Taking the
idea of an author and putting it into your own
words while still giving credit to the author.
 Direct quotations: Using an author’s exact
pattern of words, which are surrounded with
quotation marks.
 You must always cite the source (give credit to
the author) whenever you are using indirect
paraphrasing and direct quotations. It is
plagiarism if the souce is not cited in your
paper.
Using citations: indirect versus direct
 When to use indirect citations:
1. To summarize information; when you
merely need to summarize
key incidents or details of the text
or give a condensed version of the
info
2.To paraphrase information:
rephrasing the information in your own
words
3. To communicate facts or statistics
Using citations: indirect versus direct
 When to use direct citations:
1. To retain the meaning and
authenticity of the original source
2. To lend support to a literary
analysis
3. To capture exactly the
language that supports your point
because it is unusual, well-crafted,
striking, shocking, or memorable
 In-Text Citations
 When you are dealing with someone else's idea(s) or
making a statement of fact, you have to use an
indirect or in-text citation
 Cite all claims: Author's last name + year of publication
 When paraphrasing the author or referring to key
concepts that an author developed, use the author
last name(s) and year; no page number is used when
paraphrasing.
 There are 2 basic forms of In-text citations:
 1. Parenthetical: At the end of a sentence
 1. Major claim (Author, year).
 2. (Gehart, 2014).
 2. In-text: In the sentence as a subject or object of
the sentence
 1. More recently, Gehart (2014) described…….
 Direct citations or direct quotations
 Direct quotes:
 KEEP TO A MINIMUM
 Always need a page number
 Short quotes (under 40 words)
 “Very brilliant phrase note” (Gehart, 2014, p.141).
 Note: Period goes at end of sentence after page number in
short quotes
 Long quotes (40 or more words):
Gehart (2014) states the following:
Really amazing statement that could not possibly be
paraphrased. You do not need a lot of these in a paper if
any. It really is boring for the reader. (p.141)
 Note: Period goes at end of quote in long quotes and no period
after page number.
When quoting:
 Introduce the quotation with a signal phrase
 Include the author’s name, year of publication,
and page number
 Keep the citation brief—do not repeat the
information
 For example:
 According to Jones (1998), "Students often
had difficulty using APA style, especially
when it was their first time" (p. 199).
 Jones (1998) found "students often had
difficulty using APA style" (p. 199); what
implications does this have for teachers?
When using direct citations:

 Introduce quotations with signal

phrases, e.g.:
According to Xavier (2008), “….” (p. 3).
Xavier (2008) argued that “……” (p.
3).
 Usesuch signal verbs such
as acknowledged, contended,
maintained, responded, reported,
argued, concluded, etc.
 Guidelines for Paraphrasing
 How do you paraphrase a source?
 Read the original two or three times or until you are sure you
understand it.
 Put the original aside and try to write the main ideas in your own
words. Say what the source says, but no more, and try to
reproduce the source's order of ideas and emphasis.
 Look closely at unfamiliar words, observing carefully the exact
sense in which the writer uses the words.
 Check your paraphrase, as often as needed, against the
original for accurate tone and meaning, changing any words
or phrases that match the original too closely. If the wording of
the paraphrase is too close to the wording of the original, then it
is plagiarism.
 Include a citation for the source of the information (including
the page numbers) so that you can cite the source accurately.
Even when you paraphrase, you must still give credit to the
original author.
 Paraphrasing
 We have all watched television shows or heard news
stories we wanted to tell others about. We may have
told our friends, our family, or our coworkers about
what happened, how it happened, and why it
happened. We recounted the storyline, the main
characters, the events, and important points using our
own words. This is paraphrasing - using your own
words to express someone else's message or ideas. In
a paraphrase, the ideas and meaning of the original
source must be maintained; the main ideas need to
come through, but the wording has to be your own.
 Multiple authors
 Two Authors
 Cite both names every time
 In the signal phrase, use “and” in between the authors’
names
 Research by Wegener and Petty (1994) supports...
 In parenthesis, use “&” between names
 (Wegener & Petty, 1994)
 For works with three or more authors you only include the
first author’s name and “et al.” (*This is one of the APA 7th
edition updates).
 Cite first author + “et al., year”
 According to Gehart et al., 2014.... or (Gehart et al.,
2014)
 “And” vs. “&”
When citing a source that has two authors in the
main body of your paper:
 Parenthetical citation(when the citations are
in a parentheses)
 Use “&” not 'and'
 For example:
(Gehart & McCollum, 2014)
 When citing a source with two authors that
you refer to in the sentence of your paper:
 Use “and” in a sentence
 For example:
Gehart and McCullum (2014) found….
 References
 References
 List at the end of paper
 Start on separate page
 First-level heading: References
 Hanging indent
 Alphabetical order
 View the sample on the APA websites:
 https://owl.purdue.edu/ and https://apastyle.apa.org/
 The main types of references that you will use in your paper:
 Academic books
 Chapters from edited academic books
 Journal articles
 Government websites for statistics (only use websites that are
considered useful by the scientific community)
 Book References
Anderson, H. , & Gehart, D. R. (Eds.). (2007). Collaborative
therapy: Relationships and conversations that make a
difference. Brunner – Routledge.
Gehart, D. (2012). Mindfulness and acceptance in couple and
family therapy. Springer.
Gehart, D. (2014). Mastering competencies in family therapy: A
practical approach to theory and clinical case documentation
(2nd ed.). Brooks/Cole.
 Key Points
 Author last name, INITIALS ONLY
 Capitalization of title: Only first word and first word after colon; the rest is
in sentence case
 If edited book, indicate with (Ed.) or (Eds.) after authors
 *The publisher location is no longer included in the reference due
to the APA 7th edition update.
 Book Chapter References
 Key Points
 Author last name, INITIALS ONLY
 Capitalization of title: Only first word and first word after colon;
the rest is in sentence case
 If edited book, indicate with (Ed.) or (Eds.) after authors

Gehart, D. (2008). Creating space for children's voices: A

collaborative
and playful approach to working with children and families. In H.
Anderson & D. Gehart (Eds.) Collaborative therapy: Relationships
and conversations that make a difference (pp. 183-196).
Brunner-Routledge.
 Article References – Journal Articles
Gehart, D. (2012). The mental health recovery movement and family
therapy, part I: Consumer-lead reform of services to persons
diagnosed with severe mental illness. Journal of Marital and Family
Therapy, 38, 429-442. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2011.00230.x
Gehart, D. (2012). The mental health recovery movement and family
therapy, part II: A Collaborative appreciative approach for supporting,
mental health recovery. Journal of MAaital and Family Therapy, 38, 443-457.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1752-0606.2011.00229. X

 Key points
 Capitalization of article title: Only first word and first word
after colon; the rest is in sentence case
 Capitalization of Journal title: Normal Book Title Case
 Journal title and volume italicize
 Page numbers not italicized
 DOI's (Digital Object Identifier – for Journal articles) are
formatted the same as URLs.
 Website References
If the page names an individual author, cite their name first:
Lastname, F. M. (Year, Month Date). Title of page. Site name. URL
If the resource was written by a group or organization,
use the name of the group/organization as the author.
Additionally, if the author and site name are the same, omit the
site name from the citation.
Group name. (Year, Month Date). Title of page. Site name. URL

National Institute of Mental Health.

(2014). Major depression among
adults. http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health
 APA Reminders....
 APA is a complex system of citation. When compiling
the reference list, the strategy below might be useful:
 1. Identify the type of source: Is it a book? A journal article? A
webpage?
 2. Find a sample citation for this type of source. Check a
textbook or the OWL APA Guide:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/01/
 3. “Mirror” the sample
 4. Make sure that the entries are listed in alphabetical order and
that the subsequent lines are indented. Always check the APA
Sample Paper!!!
 Resources
Gehart, D.R. (2015, January 29). APA Basics. [Video File]. Retrieved
from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OD5GEXdxEqY
Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association (6th
edition) (ISBN 13: 978-1-4338-0561;ISBN 10:1-4338-0561-8
www.apastyle.org
www.owl.purdue.edu