APA Format The Halton Way
APA Format – The Halton Way pdf
APA Format – The Halton Way odt (Open Office Document)
APA Format – The Halton Way doc
(The pdf, ODT and doc linked above shows the exact format and look of a Halton-approved APA document)
All assignments must be turned in written in APA format. This document is your key for that. You will note there is no fancy large title and no cover page. Short assignments of the sort you will see in my classes do not require a cover-page and I would ask you to save the trees.
1.All assignments must be turned in as Word 97-2003 format, unless you have access to OpenOffice.org Office Suite, in which case You are requested to turn in the document in OpenDocument Format (.ODT). You can get OpenOffice from the web site http://OpenOffice.org for no charge.
2.All assignments must have the same kind of header. A header is a special widget that allows you to put the same heading info on every page. This eliminates the possibility of your making errors in spacing or titling that could result from using a fake header that has to be updated on every page. Each header is only three lines and each line has a specific content
a.The top line is your name, and you can use Insert | Page Numbers… Menu to add a page number (menu paths are for Word 2003, with which you are probably familiar.)
b.The second line consists of Course number IS102; and Assignment name and Number Writing Assignment 1-2
i.The course number consists of a 2-letter area descriptor and a 3-digit number
ii.The Assignment name and Number consists of the sort of assignment and a number code The first number is the week the assignment is assigned and the second number is which assignment is being turned in. In most cases, there is only one writing assignment per week, but there could be two or three.
3.All paragraphs must be double-spaced. This makes reading easier and makes grading easier, too.
4.All text is to be in Times Roman 12 pt. type, even headers and footers. Nested lists, like this can and will have margins other than 1”, however the overall document must be prepared with 1” margins on all four sides.
5.Numbers under 11 are to be written out. “Three” rather than “3” unless the number is part of a compound word or term. “Fedora 8” is the accepted way to write the name of Fedora version eight.
6.All assignments must have references, even if you came up with the whole thing from your experience. Even Bill Gates and Linus Torvalds use references in formal writing. References let your readers follow along with you and even see if you are mistaken. This is a good, but humbling experience, and makes your work stronger. Even if your only reference is the text that comes with the class, I need to see a reference. At the bottom of the last sheet of the assignment there will be a reference area and it will show where you got the info. Note the reference area at the bottom of page four of this paper. The Virtual Library has a page where you can get properly formed references. It is called the “KnightCite Citation Machine (ITT Virtual Library).
If you use other peoples’ words, as in collecting a paragraph from a web site or a book, you must put in an inline reference. To leave out this step is to open yourself up for charges of “academic dishonesty” and plagiarism. Consider the following block quote
Text citations: Source material must be documented in the body of the paper by citing the author(s) and date(s) of the sources. The underlying principle is that ideas and words of others must be formally acknowledged. The reader can obtain the full source citation from the list of references that follows the body of the paper (Degelman & Harris, 2007).
The quote above is acceptable within a paper about the APA format. It is italicized and set aside with indenting of one inch (1”) on both sides, so the reader knows that the writer is pointing out a piece of verbatim quotation. A better way to do the same thing would be to write what you want to say in your own words and use the inline citation as well. For instance, when you use the work several times throughout a paper, you must put in the citation again, every time it was used. (Degelman & Harris, 2007). The Degelman & Harris web site is a great resource for how to do all sorts of things, APA-wise.
The final point is simple. Grammar and usage are important. I suggest you partner with another student to proof papers for spelling, grammar and flow errors. Flow errors are a question of usage. A poor flow in a written piece can completely derail the enjoyment and understanding of your reader. In the case of school papers and assignments, usage that is too Byzantine and difficult will lead the instructor to re-read the passage much too carefully, which may result in your getting a lower grade on the piece. Yes, that sentence was supposed to be an example of being too complex, complicated and difficult. Use short sentences that come to the point quickly. In the case of assigned essays, remember that essays have three parts
I.The Introduction: This is where you introduce the issue. Another term for this part is a “Thesis Statement.” This can be one paragraph long. If you need two paragraphs, you have proven that you do not understand your thesis
II.Arguments: This is where you make your telling points about the thesis. Here you prove your thesis by examples and oratory. This area may be a paragraph long, or it may be 800 pages long. Be careful not to restate points over and over, just to fill space.
III.The Conclusion: This is where you state the conclusion to which all the arguments and expositions lead. Again, this can and should be a single paragraph.
People always judge you by your ability to control and play with the language. I would rather you practice and work up your voice here, where the cost of errors is low, rather than in the work-place, where the cost of a misunderstood instruction could be catastrophic
References:
Degelman, D., & Harris, M. L. (2007). APA style essentials, . Retrieved March 11, 2008, from ITT Virtual Library (http://www.vanguard.edu/faculty/ddegelman/detail.aspx?doc_id=79).
ITT Tech. (2008). KnightCite, Retrieved March 11, 2008, from ITT Virtual Library [Please note the peculiar but required formatting of the references]