APA Requirements

Read all of the information described here--I bet your questions are answered,
and then I won't get annoyed reading your paper!

Miscellaneous

* Theories are not put in upper case unless there is a proper name
in the theory itself (note: few theories require the word "the" to proceed it)

WRONG: The Interdependence Theory

WRONG: Interdependence Theory

RIGHT: interdependence theory

* Do not list titles of works unless the work itself is the focus of the discussion
(i.e, you are writing about the book itself, not the information presented in the book).

WRONG: In 1959 Thibaut and Kelley wrote The Social Psychology of Groups,
which introduces their theory of interdependence.

RIGHT: Thibaut & Kelley (1959) proposed the theory of interdependence.

* A quote does not an argument make. That is, your quotes should support
the argument you are making, not provide the argument itself. Accordingly,
no quote should appear without some explanation for it beforehand or afterwards.

Commas

* Use a comma after each item in a series.

EX: apples, bananas, and oranges.

References

* Neither footnotes nor endnotes are used.
References are cited within text, and can occur in one of two ways.

EX: Smith (1993) introduced the notion of dialectics in relationships.

OR The notion of dialectics within relationships is relatively new (Smith, 1993).

* The reference page in APA style is labeled "References," NOT "Sources," NOT "Bibliography."

* If the reference is for an exact quote, the page number has to appear.

EX: "These dilemmas happen to all people in all places" (Smith, 1993, p. 64).

* You do not need to use page numbers when you are paraphrasing an author’s work.

EX: The validity of the theory is questionable (Griffin, 1997).

* When using the same reference repeatedly (e.g., your entire paper is based
on one reference) you must give the full cite at least once a paragraph.
Within a paragraph you may assume the reader knows that you are referring
to the same source. Your reference should be as early in the paragraph as possible
(i.e., DO NOT wait until the end of a paragraph to give a source). Moreover, a full
reference should be given every time a quote or close paraphrase is used.
ALWAYS BE CLEAR WHEN WHAT YOU ARE WRITING IS BASED ON
WHAT SOMEONE ELSE HAS WRITTEN! Over-reference rather than under-reference.

WRONG: Interdependence theory asserts that people get into and stay in
relationships where profits outweigh costs. Profits are defined as the accrual of
preferred resources. Costs are defined as the loss of preferred resources.
To determine if a relationship will be rewarding, one simply has to look at
the profit/cost ratio (Thibaut & Kelley, 1959). [All of this information,
not just the last sentence, is someone else's idea!]

RIGHT: According to Griffin (1994), interdependence theory asserts that
people get into and stay in relationships where profits outweigh costs. Griffin,
citing the original authors (Thibaut & Kelley, 1959, cited in Griffin, 1994),
defines profits as the accrual of preferred resources. Costs are defined as the loss
of preferred resources. To determine if a relationship will be rewarding, then,
one simply has to look at the profit/cost ratio.

*As indicated above, be certain to reference the source you actually read,
not the original source. If you want to cite the original authors but you haven't
read the original work, you must indicate "as cited in." Then you only list the work
you read in the reference section of your paper.

* Do NOT use the first names of individuals unless there are two people
discussed with the same last name and the same first initial.

Correct: Brown & Levinson

E. Brown & B. Brown

Edward Brown and Emily Brown

* If the same author has two different works published in the same year,
assign one article to be "a" and one "b." In the References section, list them in order of a and b.

EX: Smith (1993a) proposed that . . . Smith (1993b) also found that . . .

* When there are two authors, the word "and" is used within the text,
and the symbol "&" is used when in parentheses.

EX: Smith and Brown (1993) introduced the notion of dialectics

OR The notion of dialectics within relationships is relatively new (Smith & Brown, 1993).

* When there are three or more authors, each author's name is
listed the first time the piece is referenced. In subsequent references,
the first author's name is used, then the phrase "et al."

EX: Dainton, Stafford, and Canary (1994) argued that more
than just strategic behaviors are utilized in relational maintenance.
Dainton et al. (1994) proposed that everyday actions. . .

* When there are six or more authors, the phrase "et al." is always used
(i.e., do not list all six authors the first time; start with Smith et al.)

* Sources are listed alphabetically (by last name) in the references section.

* When you have used more than one work by an author, list the oldest reference first,
then follow chronologically (e.g., Duck, 1976 would be listed first, then Duck, 1987, then Duck, 1993).

Examples of how to reference materials in the reference section are as follows:

(LECTURE--not actual APA style)

Dainton, M. (1998, February 12). Communication 316 lecture.
Philadelphia, PA: La Salle University.

(BOOK)

Devito, J.A. (1992). The interpersonal communication book (6th ed.).
New York: Harper & Row.

(WEB SITE)

Dainton, M. (2003, August 20). Writing Guidelines. Retrieved August 22, 2003 from http://www.lasalle.edu/~dainton

(Note: If there is no author, provide sponsoring body. If none, designate it "anonymous."
If the date posted isn't available, put n.d.)

(JOURNAL ARTICLE)

Minuchin, P. (1985). Families and individual development: Provocations
from the field of family therapy. Child Development, 56, 289-302.

(EDITED BOOK)

Patterson, S.P. (1988). Relationships within the family: A systems
perspective on development. In R.A. Hinde & J. Stevenson-Hinde (Eds.),
Relationships within families: Mutual influences (pp. 7-26). New York: Oxford University Press.

Levels of Headings

* Always use headings to guide the reader through the manuscript.
Typically there are three levels of headings:

Text would then start here. This is considered a first-level heading. You typically
use it to announce a new section of the paper (thus, you would use this heading for Introduction,
Literature Review, Methods, Results, Discussion, etc.). If you find that it would aid the reader to
use subheadings use a second-level heading, such as the following.

Flush Left, Upper and Lower, Italics

Text then begins immediately under this heading. Say within this second heading
you find you need yet another heading, you would use a third-level heading, as follows.

Indented, only lower, italics, with a period. Text starts here, and continues
as if it were a paragraph.

Mechanical Requirements

* double-space throughout (even extended quotes)

* use 1 to 1 1/2" margins

* page numbers are put in the upper right corner

* The title page is considered page 1. The title page should include a title,
centered on the page, with the author's name beneath it, also centered on the page.

See the instructor or refer to the full APA manual for more information.