1. ABBREVIATIONS & STATISTICS APA 6 th Edition Trae Stewart, Ph.D., Associate Professor & EDCL Program Coordinator Zane Wubbena, M.A., Ph.D. Student – School Improvement (Updated July 2014)

2. Overview  APA 6 th Edition  Abbreviations –General Use –Latin Abbreviations –Examples  Statistics & Variables –Singular vs. Plural –Written vs. Abbreviated –When to Use Italics –Examples  Helpful Resources

3. Abbreviations (General Use)  Use an abbreviation only after introducing the term and abbreviation. Example: According to the American Psychological Association (APA), abbreviations are best used only when they allow for clear communication. See below for exceptions to this APA format guideline.  Exceptions –Write out unless used at least 4 times –Common abbreviations do not need to be written (e.g., IQ, HIV) –Do not use abbreviations in reference list Example: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention would not be abbreviated as CDC in references –When using units of measure with a numerical value, do not write out the measure. If no number, then write out the unit. Example: 12 g vs. “several grams”

4. Abbreviations (Latin Abbreviations)  Purpose: to replace common argumentative phrases without taking up much space or distracting readers  Ensure that the abbreviation is within parentheses –(e.g.)  If not in parentheses, then write out the English translation –for example

5. Abbreviations (Examples: Latin Abbreviations) Example 1 In text, no abbreviations: The subjects were asked to describe their feelings—that is, their moods, perceptions, and emotions—in the box provided on the survey form. In parenthetical form, with abbreviations: The subjects were asked to describe their feelings (i.e., their moods, perceptions, and emotions) in the box provided on the survey form. Example 2 In text, no abbreviations: Survey respondents ranked their choices in order of preference, first, second, third, and so forth. In parenthetical form, with abbreviations: Survey respondents ranked their choices in order of preference (first, second, third, etc.).

6. Statistics & Variables (Singular vs. Plural)  Sentence syntax determines singular or plural variable use  All plural abbreviated forms are made by adding a non-italic lowercase “s”  Do not use an apostrophe plus an “s,” an italic “s,” or a capital “S.”  Incorrect: ps <.05, p’s <.05; Ms = 3.70 and 4.22; Means = 3.70 and 4.22; degree’s of freedom.  Correct: ps <.05; Ms = 3.70 and 4.22; degrees of freedom.

7. Statistics & Variables (Written vs. Abbreviated)  Use the written-out form of the variable in prose; use the symbol in conjunction with all mathematical operators (such as the equals sign or the greater than/less than signs).  As usual, use singular or plural as needed by the context.

8. Statistics & Variables (Italics)  Variables are italicized.  Superscript numbers are not italicized - R 2  Identifiers (which can be superscript or subscript words, letters, or numbers) are not italicized. - If M girls = 4.22 and M boys = 3.78, the symbol for mean is italicized, but the nonvariable identifiers (here identifying the two groups, “girls” and “boys”) are not italicized.

9. Statistics & Variables (Abbreviation Chart)

10. Statistics & Variables (Example: Results)

11. Helpful Resources  Purdue OWL Purdue OWL  APA 6 th edition Manual APA 6 th edition Manual Visit Other APA Style (6 th ed.) Modules In This Series