APA STYLE ESSENTIALS FOR FORUMS 1 Class, because many of you struggle with APA style, I thought I would take a couple of minutes to explain some basic APA Style issues you will likely be facing as you construct your forum posts. This might seem a little long, but I have included examples to help you see how it is done. More resources for APA formatting are available in the Collaboration and Community Center accessible via the Discussion Board. APA Style Essentials for Forums One of the measureable learning outcomes as listed in the course syllabus it that you will be able to implement computerized literacy skill in word processing in current APA format. This is an area where many students stumble. Therefore, I want to address some essential elements of APA style that you should be using in your forums. Although this is rather long, I suggest you take time to review its contents. It contains several examples that should be helpful to you. There are two main sources you will be using to construct your forums: the Bible and your textbook. Let s start with your textbook. The Textbook Citations Parenthetical citations have three elements: The authors surnames, the date the work was published, and the page number where the information is found. Use commas to separate each element of the citation. For paraphrasing it is sufficient to include just the authors of the work and the date published. When you have a work that has 3 to 5 authors (as in your textbook), cite all of the authors the first time the work is mentioned; use the primary author followed by et al. for all successive times the work is mentioned. First Occurrence Examples Paraphrase with the authors named in the sentence. Feist, Feist, and Roberts (2013) explain that Adler s safeguarding devices are actually protective devices meant to help people hide their fragile self-image, which is often inflated. The date should go after the author. Because I am paraphrasing, I do not need to include the page number. Paraphrase where the authors are not named in the sentence. Adler s safeguarding devices are actually protective devices meant to help people hide their fragile self-image, which is often inflated (Feist, Feist, & Roberts, 2013).
APA STYLE ESSENTIALS FOR FORUMS 2 Quote where the authors are named in the sentence. Although it is better form to paraphrase than to quote, sometimes you might want to quote your text. Use quotes sparingly! Feist, Feist, and Roberts (2013) state, These protective devices, called safeguarding tendencies, enable people to hide their inflated self-image (p. 85). Notice the date goes right after the authors. Include the page number when quoting. Quote where the authors are not named in the sentence. These protective devices, called safeguarding tendencies, enable people to hide their inflated self-image (Feist, Feist, & Roberts, 2013, p. 85). When the names are given in the sentence, spell out and. When the authors names are given inside the parentheses, use the ampersand (&). The elements of the citation are separated by commas. The citation goes inside the end punctuation. Successive Occurrences Examples Blue type is the first occurrence; green type illustrates successive citations. Paraphrase example. Feist, Feist, and Roberts (2013) explain that Adler s safeguarding devices are actually protective devices meant to help people hide their fragile self-image, which is often inflated. Use of these devices is largely conscious and is meant to protect one s self-esteem from public disgrace (Feist et al., 2013). Quote example 1. Feist, Feist, and Roberts (2013) explain that Adler s safeguarding devices are actually protective devices meant to help people hide their fragile self-image, which is often inflated. Adlerian safeguarding tendencies are largely conscious and shield a person s fragile self-esteem from public disgrace (Feist et al., 2013, p. 85). Quote example 2.
APA STYLE ESSENTIALS FOR FORUMS 3 Adler s safeguarding devices are actually protective devices meant to help people hide their fragile self-image, which is often inflated (Feist, Feist, & Roberts, 2013). Feist et al. (2013) state, Adlerian safeguarding tendencies are largely conscious and shield a person s fragile selfesteem from public disgrace (p. 85). Citing Secondary Sources If you use a source that was cited in another source, name the original source in your signal phrase. List the secondary source (the source you used) in your reference list and include the secondary source in the parenthetical citation, using the phrase " as cited in. For example: May (1969) defined agape as... (as cited in Feist, Feist, & Roberts, 2013, p. 331). Or Common safeguarding tendencies are designed to protect an elevated sense of self-importance (Adler, 1956, as cited in Feist et al., 2013). Include the secondary source (the one you used) in your reference list; do not include the original source (Chapter 6, 6.17, p. 178). Whenever possible, you should use the original source; however, citing the secondary source is fine for the forums. References The references belong on a separate page. Use the title Reference if there is only one reference; use References if you have more than one. Organize your references alphabetically and use hanging indent. All books should be referenced with authors' name and year published first, followed by title of the work in italics (use sentence capitalization; include edition if necessary). Follow this up with the location and publisher: Feist, J., Feist, G. J., & Roberts, T.-A. (2013). Theories of personality (8 th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw Hill. Or for the electronic version use the following format and include the DOI (or, if no DOI, the retrieval URL from which you downloaded the ebook): Feist, J., Feist, G. J., & Roberts, T.-A. (2013). Theories of personality (8 th ed.). Retrieved from www.vitalsource.com. Reference Feist, J., Feist, G. J., & Roberts, T.-A. (2013). Theories of personality (8 th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill. Double space consistently throughout your APA style paper. Keep the order of authors as they appear in the work (which is ordered by the amount contributed.
APA STYLE ESSENTIALS FOR FORUMS 4 Use initials for first and middle names (use both if given). Notice that normally there is a space after the period between the two initials (See G. J.). However, because Tomi-Ann is hyphenated, the hyphen is included in the references, and just like in normal usage, there is no space before or after the hyphen. Place the date after the authors names. Italicize book titles. Notice that you should capitalize only the first word of the title (and subtitle and any proper nouns if there are any). Use the two-letter state abbreviation for the location followed by a colon (e.g., Tampa, FL:). Give the publisher's name in as brief form as possible. The Bible Because the Bible is considered to be a classical work, it is treated differently than other sources. 1. The Bible is a proper noun and should be capitalized. 2. Include any relevant book names, chapter, and verses. These become the locators rather than page numbers. 3. Use the Chicago Style Abbreviations for Bible versions and the books of the Bible. You may use the traditional or the shorter abbreviations for the books of the Bible but be consistent. The abbreviations can be accessed by clicking here. 4. First in-text citation whether general, paraphrases, or direct quotes, identify the version you used, if that is relevant. You do not need to repeat the version in subsequent citations. a. General reference to the Bible. In preparation for this discussion board, I used the Bible (NASB) to do a word study on love. b. Paraphrase. Jesus gave two commandments in response to the scribes question of which commandment was the most important; He said that the first commandment is to love the Lord and the second commandment is to love others (Mark 12:30-31 NASB). c. Bible quotation.
APA STYLE ESSENTIALS FOR FORUMS 5 The Apostle Paul reminds Timothy to flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:22 NASB). Or In 2 Timothy 2:22 (NASB), Paul tells Timothy to flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. 5. Subsequent citations. You do not need to identify the version, except in the first occurrence. Loving God and loving fellow man are the two most important aspects of living out love. In Mark 12:30-31 (NASB) [first occurrence], Jesus explicitly stated that the first commandment is to love the Lord and the second commandment is to love one s neighbors. John, the Beloved Disciple, says it this way in 1 John 3:16 [second occurrence], We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. Love is so important to living a Christian life that Paul admonishes Timothy to pursue it: Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart (2 Timothy 2:22). Walking in love with purity of heart fulfills the law of the Lord. 6. Reference page. a. Classical works do not need to be included on the reference page. APA style is to simplify when possible, so omit the Bible from your reference page. b. Study Bible notes. If you are using a study Bible and want to quote or paraphrase a note, then you would need to cite that note as you would any other source and include the study Bible in your references. Citation
APA STYLE ESSENTIALS FOR FORUMS 6 Ryrie (1978) notes that the love talked about in 1 Corinthians is agape, which characterizes God (1 John 4:8) and what He manifested in His Son (John 3:16) Christ s love for us is undeserved and without thought of return (p. 1744). Reference (only if you cited notes, not verses). Ryrie, C. C. (1978). The Ryrie NASB study Bible. Chicago, IL: Moody Press. If there is no author, move the title of the Bible to the author s location (only if you cited notes). ESV study Bible. (2009). Wheaton, IL: Crossway. 7. Although it is not a requirement, unless there is a specific reason to switch versions (such as bringing out a nuance of meaning), I suggest you stick with using one version throughout for consistency. Skeptics could question the need to switch versions to make your point. Contact me with any questions or concerns. Blessings, Sally Bruce Adjunct Instructor Psychology Department (813) 398-2101 LIBERTY UNIVERSITY Training Champions for Christ since 1971