Cracking the APA Code

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APA is hard, but not impossible. BQB JT IBSE, CVU OPU JNQPTTJCMF

What’s the code? King, S. J., & Turner, D. S. (2000). Caring for adolescent females with anorexia. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 32, 146– 149. Retrieved December 19, 2002, from Health Source: Nursing Academic database.

APA learning curve ? Why me? Eureka! #$%^&!#$%^&! Gradual enlightenment

Best way to learn APA? Understand the principles. Find and follow a model. Realize it’s an iterative process.

First Principle If it’s not cited, it’s yours. Over the past 30 years, researchers have demonstrated that the great apes... resemble humans in language abilities more than had been thought possible. Just how far that resemblance extends, however, has been a matter of some controversy.

Second Principle If it’s cited, you must provide enough information to locate the source. In an influential article, Terrace, Petitto, Sanders, and Bever (1979) argued that the apes in language experiments... were merely imitating their trainers.

Where do we find Terrace et al? This brief in-text citation... Terrace, Petitto, Sanders, and Bever (1979)... has a matching reference list entry: Terrace, H. S., Petitto, L. A., Sanders, R. J., & Bever, T. G. (1979). Can an ape create a sentence? Science, 206,

In-text cites match ref. list  Every in-text citation should have a matching reference list entry.  Exception: works with nonrecoverable data, such as letters, s, or interviews, are cited only in text. (T. Westbrook, personal communication, February 12, 2005)

Third Principle  Elements in an APA citation follow a predictable order.

APA Logic: 3—Order Elements in an APA citation follow a predictable order. Author. (Date). Publication information

APA Logic: 3—Publication Publication information varies by source. Periodical Nonperiodical (whole/part) Online periodical Online document

APA Logic: 3—Periodical Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Date). Title of article. Title of Periodical, ##, Note: the last two elements are the volume number and page numbers.

APA Logic: 3—Mag. or Annual Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Date). Title of article. Title of Periodical, ##, Terrace, H. S., Petitto, L. A., Sanders, R. J., & Bever, T. G. (1979). Can an ape create a sentence? Science, 206,

APA Logic: 3—Journal Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Periodical, ##(##), Note: add issue number and date if given.

APA Logic: 3—Journal Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Year, Month Day). Title of article. Title of Periodical, ##(##), Curtis, M., & Herrington, A. (2003). Writing development in the college years: By whose definition? College Composition and Communication, 55(1), 69–90.

APA Logic: 3—Nonperiodical Author, A. A. (Date). Title of work. Location: publisher. A nonperiodical is an item published separately, such as a book, CD, or movie.

APA Logic: 3—Nonperiodical Author, A. A. (Date). Title of work. Location: publisher. American Psychological Association. (2001). Publication manual of the American Psychological Association. Washington, D.C.: Author.

APA Logic: 3—Part of work Author, A. A., & Author, B. B. (Date). Title of chapter or section. In A. Editor, B. Editor, & C. Editor (Eds.) Title of work (pp ). Location: publisher.

APA Logic: 3—Online per. Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Date). Title of article. Title of Periodical, ##, Retrieved month day, year, from source.

APA Logic: 3—Online Eg. Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Date). Title of article. Title of Periodical, ##, Retrieved month day, year, from source. Levin, J. S. (2000). The revised institution: The community college mission at the end of the twentieth century. [Electronic version]. Community College Review: 28(2), 1–25.

APA Logic: 3—Database Author, A. A., Author, B. B., & Author, C. C. (Date). Title of article. Title of Periodical, ##, Retrieved month day, year, from source. Kroll, K. (1994). A profile of community college English faculty and curriculum. Community College Review, 22(3), 37–54. Retrieved March 16, 2004, from Academic Search Premier database.

APA Logic: 3—Online doc. Author, A. A. (Date). Title of document. Retrieved month day, year, from source. Washoe: The signing chimp. (n.d.) Retrieved February 5, 2005, from Mrs. Smith’s third grade Web site: classprojects.html

APA Logic: 3—No author If no author is given, the title becomes the first element in the citation. Parenthetical citation... (“Washoe,” Introduction section). Reference list entry Washoe: the signing chimp. (n.d.) Retrieved February 5, 2005, from Mrs. Smith’s third grade Web site: classprojects.html

APA 3:Compare credibility Terrace, H. S., Petitto, L. A., Sanders, R. J., & Bever, T. G. (1979). Can an ape create a sentence? Science, 206, Washoe: the signing chimp. (n.d.) Retrieved February 5, 2005, from Mrs. Smith’s third grade Web site: classprojects.html

APA 3:Compare credibility Road Rage and Teens. (n.d.). Retrieved July 20, 2004, from alyplace Sharkin, B. S. (2002), Road rage: Risk factors, assessment, and intervention factors. Journal of Counseling & Development, (82)2. Retrieved July 20, 2004, from Academic Search Elite database.

APA 3:Compare credibility s password search for Sharkin AND road rage Sharkin, B. S. (2002). Road rage: Risk factors, assessment, and intervention factors. Journal of Counseling & Development, (82)2. Retrieved July 20, 2004, from Academic Search Elite database.

APA 4: No repeats in paragraph Idea-focused Researchers have pointed out that the lack of trained staff is a common barrier to providing adequate health education (Fisher, 1999) and services (Weist & Christodulu, 2000). As Fisher found….

APA 4: No repeats in paragraph Researcher-focused Fisher (1999) recommended that health education be required for high school graduation in California.

APA 4: No repeats in paragraph Chronology-focused In 2001, Weist proposed using the Child and Adolescent Planning Schema to analyze and develop community mental health programs for young people.

APA 4: What’s covered? Long hours of intense training build loyalty to the terrorist group (Iannaccone, 2003, p. 9), as does isolation from their families and from television (Volkan, n.d.).

APA 4: Signal a change Crenshaw found that “the outstanding common characteristic of terrorists is their normality” (as cited in Hudson, 1999, p. 30). His findings were confirmed by psychiatrist Marc Sageman (2004), who studied 400 Al-Quaeda members and concluded that “only 4 of the 400 men had any hint of a disorder“ (The Data section). He did not find the results surprising: “People who are antisocial usually don’t cooperate well enough with others to join groups. This is a well-organized type of terrorism.... Loners are weeded out early on” (The Data section).

APA 5: Find a model See Strategies for Learning APA handoutStrategies for Learning APA

What do I document? ParaphrasesParaphrases—others’ ideas expressed in my words QuotationsQuotations—others’ ideas expressed in their words and set off with “ ”

Is there an easier way? Citation Machine (citationmachine.net) More accurate, with helpful hints about fine points like capitalization— Bedford Bibliographer link and directions available at

APA learning curve ? Why me? Eureka! #$%^&!#$%^&! Gradual enlightenment