1. Guidelines for APA 1 Running head: APA WRITING STYLE Guidelines for APA Writing Style David A. Foster Western Oregon University

2. Guidelines for APA 2 Abstract The second page of your paper should contain the abstract. The abstract is a brief, concise summary of your paper. The abstract should be no longer than 120 words. According to the APA Manual, the abstract should describe: the problem being studied, the hypothesis, the participants (and their characteristics), how the study was conducted (e.g., apparatus, data collection procedures, test names), the results (including statistical significance levels), and the conclusions and implications.

3. Guidelines for APA 3 Guidelines for APA Writing Style The next section should introduce your topic. Note that the title of the paper appears at the top of this section. Also note that the first sentence of each paragraph should be indented 5 to 7 spaces. All margins should be 1 inch on each page (excluding header. Acceptable typefaces include: Times Roman or Courier in 12 point size. Use double spacing between all lines of the manuscript. The manuscript should be left justified so that the right side of the paper has ragged edges. Finally, there should only be 1 space after a period, even when the period ends a sentence. While quite natural, we should avoid using colloquialisms in manuscripts since they just junk up the paper. Also, their presence could adversely effect the instructor’s opinion of your writing. Hopefully, after covering these topics, you will be able to avoid many of the errors contained in this paragraph. The next section examines headings.

4. Guidelines for APA 4 HEADINGS This section describes how headings can be used to organize your manuscript and indicate the importance of each topic. There are five different levels of headings. Level 1 Heading Centered Uppercase and Lowercase Heading Level 2 Heading Centered, Underlined, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading Level 3 Heading Flush Left, Underlined, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading Level 4 Heading Indented, underlined, lowercase heading with a period. Level 5 Heading CENTERED UPPERCASE HEADING In papers with a) 2 levels of headings, use Levels 1 and 2, (b) 3 levels of headings use 1, 3, and 4; (c) 4 levels use 1, 2, 3, and 4; and (d) with 5 levels use 5, 1, 2, 3, and 4. We will use the methods section to demonstrate the concept of headings.

5. Guidelines for APA 5 Methods Participants This paper is assuming the use of 3 levels of headings. Consequently this section will use levels 1, 3, and 4. The methods section should be organized into three major parts (Allen, M.J., 1995). The first section should include a description of study participants. Information typically included in this section includes their number, how they were selected, how they were assigned to a condition, and various demographic characteristics. Measures and/or Apparatus The next section describes any special data collection materials used. This includes brief descriptions of how you measured each variable. If you design your own measure, it must be described in adequate detail. Procedures Finally, describe how the data were collected. Provided details about informed consent, debriefing or dehoaxing procedures used. Enough detail must be provided so that others could replicate the study.

6. Guidelines for APA 6 General Writing Style The active voice should be used whenever possibleThe active voice should be used whenever possible. Avoid heterosexist and racist language. Table 1 provides some examples of how to avoid offensive language.Table 1 Results This section summarizes the data collected in your study as well as the statistical analysis of your data. Do NOT include individual scores or raw data! Tables and graphs/figures should be used to visually present the results whenever possible. All tables and graphs should be formatted to APA standards. Discussion In the discussion section, provide an overview of the results of your study Second, describe how the current findings fit with prior research findings on the topic. Third, talk about the limitations your study had for generalizing the results and how can they be overcome. Fourth, discuss what future research needs to be conducted.

7. Guidelines for APA 7 References Foster, D. A., & Caplan, R. D. (1997). Representativeness of observed couple interaction: Couples can tell and it does make a difference. Psychological Assessment 9 (3), 285-294. Foster, D. A., Caplan, R. D., & Howe G. W. (1997). Representativeness of observed couple interaction: Couples can tell and it does make a difference. Psychological Assessment 9 (3), 285-294. Allen, M. J. (1995). Introduction to Psychological Research. Itasca, IL: F.E. Peacock Publishers Inc. Howe, G. W., Caplan, R. D., Foster, D., Lockshin, M., & McGrath, C, (1995). When couples cope with job loss: A strategy for developing and testing preventive interventions. In L. R. Murphy (Ed.) Job Stress Interventions (pp. 139-158). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

8. Guidelines for APA 8 Table 1 Avoiding Biased Language Do not use…When you can use… Ethnic labels (Hispanic)Geographical labels (Mexican Americans) “men”“men and women” or respondents, subjects, or participants “Homosexuals”“gay men and lesbians” “depressives”“people with depression” Back