1. How to write a good APA reference
By Jan Bollen

2. Agenda What Does “APA Style” Mean? Why APA Cross-Reference your source
Using an consistent format
Establishing Credibility and Avoiding Plagiarism
Structure of paper
The running head
Title or cover page
Abstract
Body of paper
References

3. What Does “APA Style” Mean?
APA Style refers to a system of documentation used by the American Psychological Association.
Required in research essays and papers written in sciences.
APA Style emphasizes
the names of researchers

4. Why APA Allows readers to cross-reference your sources easily
Provides consistent format within a discipline
Gives you credibility as a writer
Protects yourself from plagiarism

5. Cross-Referencing Your Sources
Cross-referencing allows readers to locate the publication information of source material.
This is of great value for researchers who may want to locate your sources for their own research projects.

6. Using a Consistent Format
Using a consistent format helps your reader understand your arguments and the sources they’re built on.
It also helps you keep track of your sources as you build arguments.

7. Establishing Credibility and Avoiding Plagiarism
The proper use of APA style shows the credibility of writers; such writers show accountability to their source material.
Proper citation of the sources in APA style can help to avoid plagiarism, which is a serious offense.

8. Structure of paper Main structure Title page or Front page
Cover page
Abstract or summary
Introduction
Content
List of abbreviations / List of figures

9. The running head
The running head (left) is a shortened version of the paper’s full title, All in CAPITALS on every page. It is used to help reader identify the titles for published articles
Page numbering (right)

10. Title or Cover page
Title: short covering the subject, no more than 12 words; centered, uppercase and lowercase, on the half of the page
Author’s name: first name, middle initial(s), and last name; centered, below title.
Institution: location where the author were when the research was conducted; centered, below author’s name

11. Abstract
A short, powerful summary between 150 and 200 words; one single paragraph; at the beginning of the document.
To put it simple:
What the author did;
How the author did it;
What the author found;
What the author concluded.

12. Body of paper Introduction:
What is interesting? History and build rationale for conducting study.
Method:
Participants, Apparatus,
Materials, Design and Procedure
Results: Summarize data and statistics
Discussion: Evaluates, interprets results.

13. Reference page 1
A list of every source that you make reference to in your document.
Provides the information necessary for a reader to locate and retrieve any sources cited.
Each retrievable source cited must appear on the reference page, and vice versa.

14. Reference page 2 Alphabetical by last name (letter by letter)
Chronological within author (earliest is first)
if same year
add a,b,c
Web based journal articles & books require full citation plus the web address.

16. Reference page 3 book
Author's name(s). Year of publication. Title (Edition). Location of publisher. Publisher.
When there is no author listed or the author is unknown, begin the entry with the work's title.
If there are more than six authors, list the first six and "et al" indicating there are additional authors.

17. Reference page 3 book

18. Reference page 4 article
Author's name(s). (Year). Title of article. Title of periodical, volume. Page numbers. Digital object identifiers (if available)
When there is no author or unknown, begin the entry with the work's title.

19. Reference page 4 article

20. Reference page 5 web page
Author's name(s). (Publication date). Title of document. Retrieved from URL
Begin with the title of the website if no author is listed.
If a date is not available put (n.d.) after the title.

21. Reference page 5 web page